Chapter 314

Zaeryn met her gaze.

"I’d consider it once I knew what that service asked of me," Zaeryn replied. "I won’t agree to anything without knowing the terms first."

Athea’s expression did not change, though Zaeryn suspected that answer satisfied her more than blind obedience would have.

One of the senior councilwomen leaned forward, resting her hands against the polished bench.

"Do you think you should be allowed to possess such power?" the senior councilwoman asked.

Zaeryn did not answer immediately. Saying that he deserved it would sound arrogant. Saying that he did not would mean accepting that the Council had the right to take something from him before he had used it to harm anyone.

"Yes," Zaeryn said. "I don’t think possessing power by itself makes someone guilty of anything. If Imperial law requires additional oversight once someone exceeds civilian classification, then apply the same standard to me. Judge me by what I actually do with my power, not by what you imagine I might eventually do."

"Possessing what you already have and continuing to acquire more are different matters," the senior councilwoman countered. "Why should this Council permit the latter?"

"Because it isn’t something I consciously activate," Zaeryn replied. "Stopping it would mean controlling every bond I form."

The senior councilwoman frowned and looked along the bench.

"Then the solution is simple," the senior councilwoman said. "He should be prohibited from acquiring any further Vitae signatures."

"And how would such a prohibition be enforced?" Valerie asked.

"By preventing him from forming additional Vitae bonds," the councilwoman replied. "His existing relationships can be monitored, and any new bond would constitute a direct violation of the Council’s order."

General Rostova continued watching Zaeryn.

"Imperial law already provides another option," Rostova said. "Anyone whose Vitae exceeds civilian classification must enter state service or submit to neutralization. Your sex does not exempt you from the same choice."

Zaeryn met her gaze.

"Neutralization isn’t a choice I’d accept," Zaeryn said.

The words landed cold and flat across the room. Rostova’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that a challenge, Mr. Noctis?" Rostova asked.

"No," Zaeryn replied. "It’s an answer."

A stir ran through the chamber at the direct refusal.

"Before anyone debates the legality of stripping his Vitae," Merane cut in, checking her terminal, "we should address the medical reality. Dr. Virellith’s reports examined that possibility directly. Her conclusion was that his Vitae cannot be removed."

Athea looked toward Sage.

"Dr. Stellan, assuming the medical findings are accurate, could any known procedure reverse that integration?" Athea asked.

Sage rose once again.

"Not safely," Sage answered. "If his Vitae is integrated at the cellular level described in the report, removing it would require dismantling the same biological systems keeping him alive. Even then, there would be no guarantee that the copied signatures had been erased."

"So removal would kill him," Valerie summarized.

"Attempting it almost certainly would," Sage replied. "It wouldn’t be a medical treatment. It would be an execution carried out through experimentation."

Sage remained on her feet until Athea nodded.

Sage returned to her seat.

A councilwoman near Merane considered the findings.

"Then continued monitoring is the only practical option left," the councilwoman said. "Since his Vitae cannot be removed and further acquisition cannot be prevented with certainty, I assume neutralization is off the table."

A silver-haired councilwoman farther along the bench turned toward her.

Zaeryn had not noticed her until now.

"We are the Imperial Council, not barbarians," the silver-haired councilwoman said. "Neutralization is an alternative to compulsory service, not a pretext for execution. If the procedure would kill Mr. Noctis, then it is not an option. He has committed no crime."

"He may eventually possess the power of multiple Tier Ones," the other argued.

"And if he turns that power against the Queendom, we judge him for the actions he takes," the silver-haired councilwoman replied. "Until that happens, he remains a citizen standing before us without a single charge to his name."

Several councilwomen nodded in agreement.

The silver-haired councilwoman turned her attention toward Zaeryn. Caution lingered in her expression, but it was devoid of hostility.

"Everything we understand about male biology tells us Mr. Noctis should be impossible," she said. "Nevertheless, he is standing before us. Perhaps we should consider the possibility that his existence is not a disaster. Perhaps he is a gift from Goddess Marea."

The chamber grew completely still.

Zaeryn kept his features smooth. The councilwoman was closer to the truth than she could possibly know, though he had zero intention of explaining that to anyone.

"The war against the Star Beasts has dragged on for far too long," the silver-haired councilwoman continued. "We have lost Warladies and entire divisions searching for an advantage to tip the scales. Now, an individual capable of combining multiple Vitae disciplines appears within our borders. Sector Seven classified him as a Strategic Asset. I believe we should consider whether that classification is accurate."

Approval spread visibly across the bench. Several councilwomen who had previously regarded Zaeryn with suspicion now studied him with practical interest.

Being treated as a weapon was hardly comforting, but Zaeryn preferred it to being marked for disposal.

Rostova leaned back slightly.

"From a military perspective, the argument has merit," Rostova said. "Most Warladies are confined to a narrow range of abilities determined at birth. Even the most capable must rely on a squad to compensate for what they cannot do."

Her eyes settled back on Zaeryn.

"Mr. Noctis could eventually carry offensive, defensive, mobility, and cognitive abilities in one body," Rostova continued. "If he can reproduce the Vitae of higher-tier wielders, his presence could turn an engagement before the enemy understands what they’re fighting."

"You assume he would fight for us," Athea said.

"I am saying we should determine whether he will," Rostova replied.

"Destroying or locking away a potentially decisive asset before he has shown any hostility would be wasteful and incompetent."

More councilwomen voiced their support.

Athea remained unmoved.

"Value and danger are not mutually exclusive," Athea said. "The more powerful an asset becomes, the greater the fallout if its allegiance turns."

"No one is suggesting the evaluation should end," the silver-haired councilwoman replied. "I am suggesting it should not begin with the assumption that he is a criminal."

Calyra spoke again. Her expression remained no warmer than it had at the beginning of the hearing.

"Then our positions are not as far apart as they seem," Calyra said. "Mr. Noctis is dangerous, and pretending otherwise would be irresponsible. His abilities cannot be removed, their growth cannot be stopped without policing his private life, and neutralization would kill him. That leaves supervised development, continued evaluation, and mandatory disclosure."

"That is still a considerable risk," Merane said.

"So is throwing away something that may never exist again," Calyra replied.

Rostova gave a small nod.

"Observation provides far more useful data than confinement," Rostova said. "If he is going to grow stronger regardless, it is preferable that he does so under disciplined training."

The remaining questions touched on details already recorded in the Sector Seven dossiers. Zaeryn answered each one plainly, offering no excuses and downplaying nothing.

The only awkward moment came when Calyra asked whether physical intimacy formed part of the bonding process. The reactions around the bench made it clear that most of the councilwomen had interpreted bonding as trust or emotional attachment, not sexual intimacy.

Uncomfortably aware of Sage, Athea and Calyra watching him, Zaeryn admitted that physical intimacy had contributed to several of his confirmed synchronizations. He clarified that sex alone did not allow him to copy a woman’s Vitae. A genuine emotional connection still had to exist before synchronization could occur.

Eventually, Athea raised a hand, bringing the chamber to order.

"The evidence is conclusive," Athea said. "The question before this Council is no longer whether Zaeryn Noctis can wield Vitae. We have seen it ourselves."

Her gaze swept across the assembled councilwomen.

"The unresolved question is what restrictions must be placed upon his continued development," Athea continued. "His ability to reproduce and retain the disciplines of others makes his future ceiling impossible to gauge."

"Which makes this a matter for the Matriarch Tribunal," Merane insisted. "No existing law was written for an individual like him. The Tribunal should be notified."

Agreement stirred among several members.

Zaeryn kept his posture relaxed, though he knew what Tribunal involvement meant. The Imperial Council saw him as an anomaly requiring investigation; the Matriarch Tribunal would see an existential threat requiring permanent containment.

Calyra spoke before the room could commit.

"Eventually, perhaps," Calyra said. "That does not mean we should surrender the case to the Tribunal before finishing our own evaluation."

The room quieted.

Merane turned toward her. "Notification is not the same as surrendering authority," she said.

"In an ordinary case, no," Calyra replied smoothly. "In this case, the distinction lasts only until the Tribunal reads the first page of our report. They would seize jurisdiction before our assessment is finished, and none of us is naive enough to pretend otherwise."

"You don’t believe his case warrants their attention?" Merane asked.

"I believe his case warrants ours first," Calyra answered. "This began as an internal matter within Sector Seven. Its leadership identified him, evaluated him, and placed him under High Commander Lysara’s supervision. Every manifestation has occurred within our borders, and he has neither broken a law nor created a threat beyond our territory."

"Sector Seven’s assessment may not be enough," Rostova said.

"Which is why he is standing before the Imperial Council," Calyra pointed out."The matter did not stop in Sector Seven. It moved up to the central government, exactly as procedure dictates."

Calyra let her gaze travel along the raised bench.

"The Tribunal’s own doctrine states that individual Queendoms should exhaust their internal processes before requesting intervention," she continued. "Immediate referral requires a breach of Tribunal law, a border-crossing threat, or the failure of local authority to manage a crisis. None of those conditions exist."

"He is unprecedented," Merane noted.

"Unusual is not a legal threshold for surrender," Calyra replied.

A quiet pause settled over the bench.

Zaeryn suppressed a faint smile. Calyra had not argued that he was harmless, nor had she pleaded for leniency. She had turned Tribunal involvement into an insult against the Council’s own competence.

"For years, this Council has maintained that Lumina is capable of managing its own sectors without outside oversight," Calyra said. "If we refer the very first unprecedented case before even completing a basic psychological evaluation, we are announcing that our institutions cannot handle their own affairs."

Several councilwomen who had supported notification now hesitated.

"Sector Seven can retain operational supervision," Calyra proposed. "High Commander Lysara can deliver sealed updates directly to this bench while Noctis completes his remaining evaluations. If his condition destabilizes, if he conceals a newly acquired ability, or if he creates a threat beyond Sector Seven, the case can be referred instantly. Until then, we reach our own classification before inviting the Tribunal to decide it for us."

Rostova considered the proposal.

"Tribunal custody would also shut down any practical observation of his combat progression," Rostova said. "Continued supervision in Sector Seven provides far better intelligence."

Coming from the commanding general, the assessment carried decisive weight.

Merane looked toward Athea.

"I will agree to an internal review, provided the conditions Lady Calyra outlined are formally recorded and enforced," Merane said.

"They will be," Athea said.

No one else objected.

Athea surveyed the room before delivering the final verdict.

"The matter remains under Imperial jurisdiction while the evaluation continues," Athea announced. "Sector Seven retains operational supervision, and the Tribunal will receive no notice until this Council issues a final ruling.

Any serious loss of control, deliberate concealment of a newly acquired ability, or violation of Imperial law will terminate this arrangement on the spot."

Her gaze lowered to Zaeryn.

"The factual examination is finished, Mr. Noctis," Athea said. "Your abilities are no longer in question."

Zaeryn held her stare as the hall fell into silence.

"What remains to be determined," Athea said, "is whether you can be trusted with them."