Lootwell had found its rhythm.
And now that rhythm no longer needed him standing over every moving part with his hands half-raised, ready to catch disaster before it learned how to walk.
With the Jade Tablet in hand, his senses spread lightly across the territory. Lucien observed the living body of Lootwell and finally admitted a truth to himself.
He no longer needed to supervise every breath.
That did not mean he would stop watching.
It meant the territory had reached the point where he could afford to look farther.
A smile touched his mouth.
That gave him room for other things.
His senses shifted first toward the chapel.
The energy-gathering halls remained active. The chapel attendants moved among them with the calm precision.
Then Lucien paused.
There were new faces.
He sharpened his perception slightly and watched one side hall more closely. A handful of outsiders now worked alongside the chapel in limited service roles.
They were not citizens. Certainly not yet.
