Greg smiles eagerly as I walk into his office – immediately taking gold coins from his desk and sliding them towards me. "Greetings, my lord. I'm honoured for you to come visit me."

I examine his face for irony or hidden resentment and once again find none. "Yes, well, I thought it would be a bad idea for you to come to me." Allan's place obviously wouldn't work, and the dorm isn't the best setting for an extortion, as strange of one as it is.

"Very wise of you, my lord." Again, no trace of expected irony is in his voice.

"…Right, well, I do have a task for your information network."

"I'm eager to serve."

…He's so disconcerting in his subservience that I consider not giving the task, but it's too important not to use all of my tools. "I need to 'coincidentally' meet Princep Talia before the Equinoctial. As such, I need to know what events she'll be attending."

His face gravens. "You aren't planning to attend the Imperial Equinoctial Ceremony, are you, my lord? I would strongly advise against it – many prospects have been dashed at such events."

"I agree, but unfortunately I'm being forced in this matter and Princep Talia is my best bet of surviving unscathed."

"Then I will work quickly… Although, much as I hate to admit it, Allan will probably be better at this. Have you asked him?"

I nod. "I have, you're a failsafe."

His smile finally takes a tone that I associate with his attitude before coming under me. "Then it's a competition. I'll do whatever I can to beat him."

"…I suppose that's not the worst way to look at it."

His smile grows devious – he's clearly finally about to try something. "If I beat him, will you grant me a boon?"

"…I will of course listen to any request you make according to my obligations as your patron. I won't agree to anything before hearing it, but competent service will make my granting it more likely."

"Of course, though don't worry, I'm certain you won't mind it. On the note of competent service though, I have found a few candidates to expand your list of clients."

"I'm listening."

His smile takes a tone of anticipating praise. "The first is simple: a talented young enchanter/alchemist in need of research funds. Well, not as young as you, but only graduated a few years ago."

"From the academy?" I ask sceptically.

"Not Central, otherwise he'd already have a patron. But a respected lesser academy with a focus on his trade. Some even say they rival Central in that field, though others disagree. Regardless, he's said to be talented."

"Talented enough to be expensive?"

"Normally, yes, but relatively cheap at the moment. You see, the Talhals have been pressuring him to become their client, but they can't agree on the terms. The Talhals want someone to make enchanted arms and armour cheaply and quickly to equip their soldiers for the anticipated conflicts from their expansion, and making enchantments cheaply is something he's well versed in from his years without a patron. However, his interest lies in research and has refused any deal that doesn't allow him to pursue it. Of course, granting him an experiment budget would negate the cheapness of his more standard gear."

"And you think I can outbid the Talhals?"

"Well, you're not outfitting a small army. You can just offer to pay his research funds without needing the practical items. Which he'd prefer anyways."

"Still, it'd be expensive – likely several times the payments you're making me, and I don't see the benefit unless he stumbles on something profitable."

"Well, I'm certain he'll offer his completed experiments to you as his patron, which I think you'll find much more useful than the Talhals. But as for the coin, the next candidates should help. They're a small gang in one of the low-security sections on the verge of being forcibly absorbed by a slightly larger one. Intervening would no doubt earn their loyalty and, with your direction, I think they can become profitable."

"Intervening violently?"

"You don't object, do you?"

"No," I say, ignoring a strange hesitancy, "but it is a risk, and it seems the benefit will be long term if at all. I mean, how much coin can a group in that section even generate?"

"You'd be surprised. While it's true that section is among the poorest in the city, it's not as if there's no industry. In fact, many merchants move operations there to avoid scrutiny or take advantage of low prices or expensive prices. Of course, these advantages are offset by the dangers. Guards are employed by those who can afford it, but even they find it economical to pay the gangs for protection."

"You say that as if you don't have interests in the area," I say, remembering certain entries in his ledger. "I suppose this gang has been cutting into your profits?"

He nods without hesitation. "Not the potential clients, but the gang that's about to absorb them. Their protection is affordable for now, but a gang's price tends to increase as its size does."

"Your requested boon wouldn't happen to be to remove those prices altogether, would it?"

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He presses his hand to his heart in a theatrical display of shock. "Never. Why, I'd be all too happy to pay your clients should they take over that territory… though admittedly the boon is related to them."

…He's planning something, but not against me. There's a glint in his eyes that reminds me of his scheming against Allan. He might be trying to use me against someone else, but thinks I'll benefit too. Well, no point in pressing who his enemy might be as it'll be obvious when the time comes. I don't really care who he's scheming against, so long as it's not one of my contacts…

"I'll tell you now, I will be very angry should I discover you're trying to manoeuvre me against my cousin."

He takes an almost, but not quite, pleading tone. "I swear my lord, all thoughts of harming Baronet Linhal have vanished in my service to you."

I raise my eye sceptically. "And yet you seemed eager to view my task as a competition with him."

He shrugs, his grin turning toothy. "Well, rivalries need not be harmful, but the reasons for my hatred have been cut through by you breaking me."

…I will never find him being friendlier after my violence not strange, though I cannot find cause to doubt it.

"Fine," I say, giving in, "tell me about these gangs and I'll decide if they're worth the effort."

"Excellent, my lord. The potential clients are a small group of about a dozen. They were larger, but their current conflict has reduced them by about half. Their ages range from a little younger than you to mid twenties. None are self empowered, though all have boons with the oldest possessing intermediate combat related ones. The rival gang is about twice as numerous and is led by a stagnated page in his early thirties. Killing him should be enough to stop the takeover, though inflicting more deaths might be better in the long run."

"Why don't I just make him my client then? He seems more useful."

Greg shrugs. "You can try, but I doubt it would work, nor would he be as loyal if it did. He's not desperate for salvation. You'll get better terms from the weaker group."

I nod, agreeing to the point. "And you're certain the page is stagnated rather than disgraced?" It's uncommon, but there are a few pages that never advanced in rank for social reasons despite being more than strong enough.

"Quite certain."

Should I risk it? Just going into the section will be dangerous. There are four levels of security in the capital. The place where Greg tried to abduct me has the second lowest level, which is the most common. Neither of us would have dared acted in a higher section, but even that was much more secure than the gang's home. Patrols are said to only normally enter once a day, the same with divinations for dead bodies.

Really, I don't understand why the empire allows the situation to continue. There are only two sections like it out of the dozens that make up the capital, so it can't just be economics. The whole network of walls tells me that they're more worried about controlling their population than external threats, so it's likely something to do with that, but I don't fully see how. Though certainly a majority of the capital's obvious beastkin live in those two sections, and their tendency towards erratic behaviour likely doesn't make the orderly empire comfortable.

But that's not important right now. What matters is whether the risk is worth it. I mostly suspect that the reputation of danger is exaggerated. After all, if everyone there truly has killed someone as some say, then the population would be a lot smaller. Certainly, it can't be worse than Caethlon.

So, do I think I can kill the page? With a crossbow, certainly, but I'm too busy to retrieve it. Besides, carrying one around would be conspicuous. That said, the page likely lacks proper armour, so the sling which I do have on me should suffice.

Really, I'm working up the danger far too much. This will be easy, but do I even want the gang?

Greg is a merchant, so the profits they'll bring is reason enough for him, but I'll only need the money if I acquire the enchanter. Likewise, the enchanter seems of questionable value and might cost me more than he's worth. Being gifted unusual magical items might be nice, but I can likely get more practical ones for cheaper from the usual store. Really, I'm only considering the enchanter so I have something to spend the money from the gang, and the gang only if I need them for the alchemist.

It's a vicious cycle. I need another reason to acquire one of them. The best argument for the gang other than the money they'll bring is being an asset I might find use to further the mission. In part for physical force, but more importantly for their potential to corrupt. But there are many ways to do that and building up a force in a low-security section might draw attention.

But will any other assets be as loyal to me? Likely not. Besides, I do need clients, and this is a good place to start. Still, there's one more thing bothering me.

"How many other nobles have client gangs in the section?"

"Hmm," Greg feigns consideration, "a few. In fact, it's one of the main skirmish grounds for when houses come to blows in the capital."

"And does the rival gang have a patron noble?"

"…I don't know," he admits, truthfully. "If they do though, they don't seem very invested in them. Most gangs with patrons at least have some armour and better weapons than they have at least."

…Then a degree of subtlety will likely be needed. No killing the whole gang by myself. Nobody can realize an outsider intervened except for those who will serve me. "Tell me about the normal methods of fighting between gangs."

"Methods as in…?"

"Weapons and tactics. If I'm doing this, I'll do it right."

His smile grows toothy and excited. "Then you're pleased with the clients I've selected for you?"

"…Yes, they're a good start. Well done."

He puffs himself up, incredibly pleased. "Excellent, my lord. Now, most weapons in the sections are either improvised objects or tools. Crude cudgels and knives. More successful gangs will have dedicated weapons, the most common being daggers and better cudgels, but a few might have something as robust as an axe. Very successful gangs might equip its members with light armour and have a few battlefield weapons in reserve – polearms and a few crossbows. Very few swords, though the page does have one."

"What about slings?" I ask.

"They aren't typical, likely because they require too much training."

"Makes sense. What about tactics?"

"…Too varied to go into. Or rather, I don't even know if real tactics are common. Most fights are random encounters, often with one side chasing another. Not really something I would find worthy of the word."

What I'm hearing is that while he spends some time in the area, he doesn't pay attention to the details of the conflicts there.

"Is poison commonly used?" I ask.

"Again, not typical, but more common than slings."

"How are bodies disposed of?" Divinations might be less frequent than in other sections, but they do take place.

He shrugs, "Fire or… well, there's a gang of beastkin who makes coin by taking care of the problem."

"Is that how you would have dealt with my body if your plan ended up that way?"

"…Yes, I do have my own arrangement with them. Fire can be messy, after all."

I nod in agreement, somewhat pleased by the beastkin potential. At least my body would have been useful instead of rotting in a box.

What else to ask? I drum my fingers on his desk, trying to come up with something, but fail. "Fine, let's get this over with then. Just tell me where and who everyone is."

He nods his head excitedly. "My underling has the details. A moment." He turns and pulls a rope behind him causing a bell to ring faintly below. A few moments later a scarred woman in her thirties wearing padded armour with chainmail poking out of her sleeves and a short sword, dagger and mace at her side walks in. She assesses the room and decides to passively glare at me. "This is Sarith, one of my guards who often works in the area in question. She'll guide and help protect you, if need be."

"My lord," she half grunts in greeting.

"Pleasure," I say with a feigned smile. Something about her makes this entire endeavour feel more ominous.

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