In the days that followed, Lootwell's rhythm changed.
Lucien slowed it down on purpose.
The timing was deliberate. In less than a week, he and the others would leave for the Celestial Dominion's grand feast, and he had no intention of dragging half of his core people into that gathering with sleep-starved eyes, unfinished reports, and the spiritual equivalent of administrative bruising.
So he made adjustments.
Entry quotas were reduced.
Daily intake into the higher-demand structures was limited more tightly. Public access to premium facilities shifted into scheduled windows. The chapel eased its quest volume and stopped issuing so many labor-intensive tasks.
The effect spread quickly.
For the first time in a while, people inside Lootwell could breathe.
Even outsiders felt the change. More visitors found themselves reaching their budget limits earlier than expected and leaving before trying to grind themselves dry inside the city's opportunities.
