Mist beads on the bridge stones as Source Code reaches the far side. The mercenary captain stands alone there, shoulders tight, one hand open in a hard, weary plea. His men are gone from the span, but the debt is not.
The Mercenary Captain
You got past my line. Fine. Then hear me plain, sorcerer. You owe me a debt, and I want it paid before night fully falls.
He lifts his open palm toward the city beyond the bridge, not quite a threat, not quite mercy. The wet stone gleams between them like a wager laid down in silver.
Source Code
How do I pay it?
The Mercenary Captain
You go where I tell you, keep your hands from your tricks until I say otherwise, and you walk out of this city with your bargain intact.
His jaw flexes. For a second, the captain looks less like a hunter and more like a man forcing himself to keep a promise he does not like.
The Mercenary Captain
Refuse, and I call every blade I have left to your name. Agree, and we both live long enough to settle what you started.
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn the true nature of the debt