The global Scyther threat was neutralized, and the Eleven Gates were secured. The transition from Keyholder to global authority figure had begun. Elias, now wielding his internally sustained power via the Keyholder's Conduit (the platinum ring), faced his greatest administrative challenge: the Cartographer Council's inevitable audit.
Elder Soriel, the Grand Council Elder, viewed Elias not as a savior, but as a dangerous, autonomous entity who had destroyed critical lineage artifacts (the Ledger, the Watch, the Authority Stone) and engaged in unauthorized political acts (the trade for Thorne, the containment of Liana). The audit was her political weapon to reassert control.
Preparing the Defense
Elias and his Cohort returned to Oakhaven, which now functioned as a sovereign nation-state within the magical world—a Keystone Embassy. The team prepared a meticulous defense.
* Thorne (Political Strategy): Managed the diplomatic shield. "Soriel cannot challenge your results, Elias. We focus on the metrics. The global stability is unprecedented. Our defense is simple: Necessity and Efficacy."
* Dr. Reyes (Legal/Ethical Counsel): Prepared the ethical defense for the containment of Vex (now a stabilizing monument) and Liana (a high-value asset). "We argue that Vex and Liana are now permanent, optimized resources, far more valuable than temporary containment."
* The Collector (Forensic Accounting): Reconstructed the spiritual budget. He had to account for the expenditure of three major artifacts and the infusion of high-level spiritual debt (the "Cost of the Founding Rite" used in Shanghai).
The Summons
The summons arrived via a high-level spiritual scroll—formal, aggressive, and carrying the full weight of the Council's indignation. Elias was ordered to appear before the Grand Council Audit Tribunal in Geneva within 48 hours.
The Cohort decided that only Elias and Thorne would attend. Silus remained to guard the Genesis Point (the Lodge), and Reyes and The Collector remained to maintain the Sovereign Network they had established.
"They will attempt to strip your Authority immediately," Thorne warned. "They will demand you surrender the Keyholder's Conduit and the Scyther Assets (Liana and Vex)."
"They will not get them," Elias affirmed, his hand tightening around the platinum ring. His internalized Authority was immense, but untested against the combined political and ritual power of the full Council.
The Audit Tribunal
The Tribunal was held in a massive, ancient chamber in Geneva—a neutral ground maintained by European Anchors. Elder Soriel sat at the head of the circular dais, flanked by twelve other Council Elders, their faces stern and unforgiving.
Soriel opened the proceedings with cold formality.
"Keyholder Vance. You stand accused of: Misappropriation of Sacred Assets, Unauthorized Political Negotiation, and Engaging in Forbidden Rites (RAD and RAR) which led to the irreversible destruction of the Vance Lineage Authority."
"We demand you account for the Ledger, the Watch, and the so-called 'Authority Stone.' Where are these sacred artifacts?"
Elias stepped forward, the Keyholder's Conduit on his finger thrumming slightly.
"Elder Soriel, the artifacts were spent," Elias stated calmly. "The Ledger was spent stabilizing the global network. The Watch was inert. The Stone was spent neutralizing the Fungal Bloom Rite."
Elias channeled his internal Authority, projecting a single, massive piece of spiritual forensic evidence onto the chamber's ceiling—a shimmering diagram showing the unprecedented stability of the global Veil.
"The efficacy of my actions is measured in the stability of the Veil itself," Elias asserted. "The global network stability is now 98.7%—the highest metric recorded in the last five centuries. The artifacts were not destroyed; they were optimized into a final, successful defense."
The Political Thrust: Thorne's Testimony
Soriel immediately moved to the political assault, focusing on Thorne. "You negotiated the release of Elder Thorne, a known liability, in exchange for a critical intelligence asset, Operative Vex. This was done without Council approval."
Thorne stepped forward, the ultimate political animal. "The asset Vex was unstable in containment, and their knowledge was finite," Thorne countered. "I, on the other hand, provide infinite institutional knowledge and diplomatic cover. I secured the funding and transit for the entire Eleven Gates mission, which the Council, paralyzed by internal politics, failed to provide."
"And your containment of Elder Liana?" Soriel pressed, her voice rising.
"Liana is a permanent, high-level intelligence resource," Elias cut in, before Thorne could speak. "She is providing continuous, live Scyther protocol updates, which are being used by Dr. Reyes and The Collector to build the next generation of global defenses. She is an optimized asset."
The Demand for Surrender
Soriel, realizing she couldn't win on metrics or logistics, resorted to raw ritual power.
"Keyholder Vance, your current Authority is an unaccounted variable. You have no physical proof of your lineage. By the Rite of Foundational Lineage (RFL), we demand you surrender the Keyholder's Conduit and submit to a ritual review of your internal spiritual essence. Failure to comply will result in your immediate excommunication."
The twelve Elders began to chant the RFL—a potent Rite designed to extract the spiritual power from a consecrated vessel. The air in the chamber grew heavy, the ritual designed to force Elias's hand.
Elias knew he couldn't surrender the Conduit. The Council would seize his internalized Authority and reduce him to a powerless figurehead.
Elias raised his hand, the platinum ring gleaming in the ritual light. He did not fight the RFL with aggression; he met it with Unquestionable Supremacy.
He channeled his pure, internal Authority—the essence of the Rite of Perpetual Flux and the Genesis Point—outward. He projected not just strength, but finality.
"Elders," Elias said, his voice cutting through the chanting, amplified by his absolute power. "You are attempting to review the Authority. I am presenting the Source."
The Final Authority
Elias didn't surrender the Conduit. He did something far more profound. He projected his internalized Authority into the Conduit, and then broadcast the entirety of the Vance Lineage's ultimate purpose and final sacrifice into the minds of the twelve Elders.
They saw the destruction of the Dredge Cores, the sacrifice of the L-AA, the systemic collapse of the spiritual economy, and the burning of the Authority Stone. They saw the price paid for the 98.7% stability.
The Elders stumbled back, their faces slack with shock and terror. The chanting of the RFL stopped instantly. The sheer, overwhelming cost and necessity of the Keyholder's actions were irrefutable.
Soriel, visibly shaken, regained control. "Vance! You are testing the limits of the Council's tolerance!"
"No, Elder," Elias said, his Authority absolute. "I am setting the limits of the Keyholder's autonomy. I paid the price for the stability you now enjoy. I am not under the Council's control. I am the Sovereign Authority over the North American Keystone, and I am the Global Stabilizer for the Eleven Gates."
He concluded with the final political maneuver, dictated by Thorne: "My Cohort and I will maintain the global stability. We require: Full, immediate access to the Council's global intelligence network, unrestricted travel rights, and a formal end to this audit. You can accept my terms and remain the Council, or you can reject them and become irrelevant."
Soriel, trapped by Elias's results and terrified by his raw, unchecked spiritual power, conceded the battle.
"The audit is hereby concluded," Soriel announced, her voice strained. "The terms are accepted. The Keyholder Vance and his Cohort are granted Protocol: Global Access."
Elias had won. He left the Tribunal not as a subordinate, but as the supreme, autonomous magical power in the world. The era of the Council's unquestioned dominance was over. The Cartographer Wars had officially begun