Vell arrived at the underbridge auction wearing a clean jacket that cost less than one of the guards' wrist seals. The door line had guild heirs, private collectors, plus brokers who treated unlicensed hunters as furniture until they needed a body moved.
Yenna walked beside him with both chain-knives visible at her belt, her Grade-Two core steady enough that nobody mistook her for a patient anymore. Luna stayed outside with the Project V file copy, because the auction would seize anything useful that arrived without a buyer's number.
The guard at the velvet rope checked Vell's brand before checking his invitation. A quiet smile appeared when he saw the old murder notice attached to the Association record.
"Guests enter through the west stair," the guard said, pointing toward the service corridor, "staff uses the rear lift."
