The invitation came through Lord Commander Blackwood, but its ultimate source was the Crown itself. King Aldred had been observing their work for several years and had concluded that their methods represented solutions to problems that affected the stability of the entire kingdom.
"Systematic corruption undermines royal authority and economic prosperity throughout the realm," Lord Commander Blackwood explained when she delivered the formal invitation. "The Crown wants to address these problems comprehensively rather than city by city, but such an undertaking requires expertise and coordination capabilities that don't exist within traditional governmental structures."
The Royal Commission on Systematic Reform would have authority to investigate corruption throughout the kingdom, recommend comprehensive solutions, and coordinate implementation of those solutions across all levels of government. It would be the most ambitious reform initiative ever attempted within a single kingdom.
"You're being offered positions as Chief Commissioners," Lord Commander Blackwood continued. "Direct authority from the Crown, unlimited investigative powers, and resources that dwarf anything the Brightwater Institute has had access to."
"What would be expected of us?" Elena asked.
"Everything you've been doing, but with royal authority behind it and at a scale that addresses problems throughout the kingdom rather than in individual cities."
The offer was both the opportunity of a lifetime and a potential trap that could destroy everything they'd built. Royal authority would provide them with capabilities far beyond anything they'd previously possessed, but it would also make them agents of the Crown in ways that could compromise their independence and effectiveness.
"The question," Dust said after they'd had time to discuss the offer privately, "is whether systematic reform can work within governmental structures, or whether it requires the kind of independence we've maintained through the Institute."
"There's also the question of what happens to the Academy network and our existing operations," Elena added. "We can't maintain direct involvement in training and operational support while serving as Royal Commissioners."
Their decision was complicated by timing that neither of them had anticipated. Reports were arriving from across the kingdom indicating that corruption problems were growing faster than their current methods could address them. Academy graduates were succeeding in individual cities, but they were also encountering regional networks of corruption that crossed jurisdictional boundaries in ways that required royal authority to address effectively.
"We're approaching the limits of what independent operations can accomplish," Master Blackthorne observed when they consulted him about the Commission offer. "Some problems are too large and complex for private organizations to handle, regardless of their expertise or resources."
"But governmental authority comes with constraints that could make us less effective, not more," Dust pointed out.
"That depends on how the authority is structured and used. The Crown isn't asking you to become bureaucrats—they're asking you to bring your methods to problems that require governmental resources to solve."
Vincent's perspective on the Commission offer was particularly valuable because of his experience with both criminal and legitimate organizational structures.
"The real question," he told them during one of their planning discussions, "isn't whether you'll have more or less freedom to use your methods. It's whether you'll be able to maintain the ethical standards that make your methods work while operating within a system that has its own political pressures and priorities."
"Explain what you mean."
"When I was working for Marcus Garrett, I had to balance what was right for individual situations against what was good for the organization as a whole. Sometimes those were the same thing, but sometimes they conflicted. Royal Commissioners will face similar pressures—balancing what's right for individual communities against what's good for kingdom-wide stability."
The ethical dimensions of the Commission role were indeed complex. Royal authority would allow them to address problems they couldn't handle independently, but it would also require them to serve Crown interests that might not always align with local needs.
"The test," Elena decided, "is whether we can maintain our fundamental commitment to helping people improve their circumstances through legitimate means while accepting responsibility for broader governmental objectives."
Their acceptance of the Commission positions was conditional on arrangements that would preserve the independence and effectiveness of their existing operations. The Academy network would continue operating under Institute authority, with Commission resources supplementing rather than replacing their current funding. Operational support for ongoing reform efforts would be managed through existing partnerships rather than transferred to governmental control.
"We're essentially creating a hybrid structure," Elena explained to their various partners. "Commission authority for problems that require governmental resources, Institute independence for operations that work better outside official channels."
The announcement of the Royal Commission created reactions throughout the kingdom that were more intense than Dust had anticipated. Reformers who had been struggling with inadequate resources saw the Commission as validation of their efforts and hope for more effective support. Officials who had been profiting from corruption viewed it as a direct threat to their positions and livelihood.
"We're going to face opposition that's more organized and better resourced than anything we've encountered in individual cities," Commander Ironhold warned during their security briefing. "Corrupt networks throughout the kingdom will view the Commission as an existential threat and respond accordingly."
But they also received support that exceeded their expectations. Legitimate businesses throughout the kingdom offered resources and cooperation for Commission investigations. Academy graduates volunteered to serve as local coordinators for Commission operations. And other kingdoms began requesting consultation on establishing similar systematic reform initiatives.
"The Commission has become a symbol for something larger than kingdom-wide reform," Lord Commander Blackwood observed as they prepared for their formal appointment. "It represents the possibility that systematic corruption can be addressed through coordinated governmental action rather than accepted as an inevitable aspect of political life."
The formal appointment ceremony was held in the royal capital, with representatives from all levels of government in attendance witnesses to what King Aldred called "a new chapter in the kingdom's commitment to justice and prosperity for all citizens."
"Corruption is not a natural force like weather or disease," the King declared in his appointment address. "It is a human creation that serves some people's interests while harming others. Since it is human-created, it can be human-solved, but only through the kind of systematic thinking and coordinated action that our new Royal Commissioners represent."
As Chief Commissioners, Dust and Elena were given offices in the royal capital along with staff and resources that dwarfed anything they'd previously commanded. But they also faced expectations and responsibilities that were fundamentally different from their previous work.
"We're no longer just reformers," Dust observed as they settled into their new roles. "We're governmental officials responsible for addressing problems that affect the stability and prosperity of the entire kingdom."
"Which means," Elena added, "that our success or failure will be measured not just by whether we help individual people, but by whether we strengthen the kingdom's political and economic systems."
The transition from independent reformers to Royal Commissioners would test whether the methods they'd developed for addressing local corruption could be scaled up to address systematic problems at the kingdom level.
More importantly, it would test whether they could maintain their fundamental commitment to human welfare while accepting responsibility for abstract concepts like governmental stability and economic prosperity.