Roderic did not answer at once. His gaze stayed on the Elder Leader a moment, then moved to Valttair.
"No. House Vaelion will not contest the dispute as it has been presented. People operating through networks tied to my House used Vaelion resources, personnel and methods developed under our authority. Whatever limits they crossed afterward, they were able to do it because those structures existed in the first place."
Several heads went still. The answer itself was clear enough; what caught them was how much more direct it was than most of them had expected, and Roderic continued before anyone could swell the admission into something larger.
