Warren remains crouched beneath the cardboarded kiosk, stained access card beside the damaged registry terminal. Venci stands back as ordered while the passed-out client lies slack on the newspapers.
Warren
He is an expert hacker, but he abuses drugs here in the unpatrolled slums. The 9 Daggers have been getting short, late payments from him.
Warren kicks the client’s foot hard enough to rouse him, rough but controlled. The man jolts awake, blinking through chemical fog as the terminal’s partial Kadab-linked trail glows beside him.
Warren
Up. You owe the 9 Daggers, and your payments are short and late. Start talking before your account becomes a permanent loss.
The Passed-Out Client
I was going to pay. The registry work dried up, and I only touched the supply to keep my hands steady.
The terminal rejects the access card once, then restores the same broken authorization trail. A fresh timestamp sits beneath the Kadab-linked entry, making his explanation dangerous to leave untested.
The Passed-Out Client
Wait. That entry is not mine. Somebody used my route after I missed the last payment. If you pull it up, the Benedicts stay exposed too.
✓ Quest Accepted
Determine whether the client remains clean
“I stay out of it”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +0)
Venci remains outside Warren’s working space, shoulders still and hands clear. His dedication to the Benedicts strains against the boundary, urging him to examine every Kadab-linked trace, but steady composure keeps that impulse contained.
Warren
You heard him. The Benedicts are exposed in the route. Do not pretend that is nothing, nephew.
The words catch Venci’s attention, but he does not step forward. A visible pause betrays the cost: his resolve falters long enough for Warren to notice, then settles back into guarded distance.
The Passed-Out Client
I can show you the route history. I cannot make the entry disappear. Someone used my credentials after the payment failure.
Venci stays out of the confrontation exactly as chosen, letting Warren handle the client and the terminal. The decision leaves a hard spiritual weariness behind, but no Benedict boundary is crossed.
Warren
Good. Keep your distance, nephew. I will take the history and decide what belongs to the 9 Daggers.