Joric Tahl now possessed the crucial piece of the puzzle: a private log key from the Records Bureau that proved the Judge's financial collapse was a staged, post-mortem manipulation. He had entrusted the decryption to Lydia Thorne, hoping her ethical science would crack the political code.
The encrypted drive was returned to Joric the next day. Lydia had cracked the directory, confirming the alteration originated from a terminal linked to a shell corporation used by Magistrate Ruhl for obscure political funding. Joric was close to catching her enemy.
The Public Challenge
Joric couldn't use the evidence directly; it was illegally obtained, and Ruhl would instantly destroy the shell corporation and implicate Joric for unauthorized access. Instead, Joric decided to use the knowledge to force Ruhl's hand, exposing the Silent Weaver by making Ruhl feel exposed.
During a routine City Oversight Committee hearing, Ruhl presented a seemingly minor spending bill for "Architectural Maintenance Protocols"—a budget request designed to increase surveillance under the guise of security. Joric used his advisor position to publicly challenge Ruhl on the specific line item concerning the shell corporation that managed the "maintenance" funds, demanding an unrelated, minor accounting detail.
Ruhl's composure, usually glacial, flickered with annoyance. He knew Joric's query was too precise for a random advisor, a subtle signal that his financial secrets were compromised.
Forcing the Reflection
The reaction was immediate and telling. Joric observed Ruhl's behavior during the vote and noted two individuals—quiet, impeccably dressed operatives—who immediately began working on their private terminals. They were the ones assigned to manage Ruhl's clandestine digital operations.
Ruhl, paranoid about the exposure, immediately ordered these operatives to over-secure their digital tracks and quarantine the compromised shell corporation, which involved a flurry of activity that was visible to high-level system monitors.
This was the opening Joric needed. By pressing Ruhl on a minor financial detail, Joric forced Ruhl to overreact and expose the Silent Weaver (or at least their immediate team) by leaving easily traceable digital fingerprints as they scrambled to erase their history.
Joric couldn't see Elara, but he knew she was watching. He had created the chaos, forcing the man who wore her silence to reveal his own shadow. It was a message to the fugitive: I know the frame is real, and I'm fighting the true architect. The next move would be Elara's, armed with the knowledge of where Ruhl's team had panicked and what digital tracks they left behind.