The carefully sown misinformation began to bear fruit. Anya, continuing her discreet surveillance of Scarelli's known haunts and now tracking the two investigators she'd identified, reported that the lean man with cold eyes (whom Mickey had heard referred to as "Silas") and his broken-nosed companion ("Benny") were spending considerable time around the false address Elias had fed them via Mickey's "betrayal." They were watching an empty building, wasting resources, growing frustrated.
This bought Elias time, a precious commodity. His focus shifted slightly, from direct counter-moves against Scarelli to strengthening his own nascent organization. He needed more than just eyes, ears, and muscle. He needed skilled individuals who could operate in different spheres.
He reviewed the System's available Tier 1 troops again: Barbarian, Archer, Goblin. While potent, they were specialized. He wondered if the System offered anything for intellect, or perhaps a different kind of subtle influence. For now, he had to work with what was available.
One evening, Thomas MacIntyre brought someone to Elias's apartment. It was Henri Leclerc, the butcher. The fear had mostly left Leclerc's eyes, replaced by a hesitant gratitude and a newfound, fragile courage.
"Mr. Thorne," Leclerc began, his voice still a little shaky but firm, twisting his cloth cap in his hands. "Mr. MacIntyre explained… well, not everything, but he said you were the one who… who helped me. With those… gentlemen."
Elias gestured for him to sit. "Mr. Scarelli's associates were creating a disturbance, Mr. Leclerc. It was in my interest, as your landlord and as someone who values a peaceful neighborhood, to see it resolved."
Leclerc nodded vigorously. "I… I don't know how to repay you, sir. Business is still slow, but… I owe you. My shop, my family's safety… And what Mr. MacIntyre did…" He looked at Thomas with undisguised awe. "It was like something from a legend."
Thomas merely grunted, embarrassed by the praise.
Elias saw an opportunity. Leclerc wasn't a fighter, nor a spy. But he was a respected member of his local community, albeit a timid one. He had a network of suppliers, other small business owners, customers. He was an ear to the ground in a different way than Mickey.
"There is a way you can repay me, Mr. Leclerc," Elias said. "Not with money. With information. And discretion."
Leclerc leaned forward eagerly. "Anything, sir."
"I want you to keep your ears open," Elias explained. "Listen to the talk in the markets, among other shopkeepers. Rumors, news, anything concerning Mr. Scarelli, or any other… unusual activities. Report anything you think might be of interest to Mr. MacIntyre here."
He wasn't going to empower Leclerc, not in the traditional sense. But Leclerc's gratitude, his desire to contribute, could make him a willing, unpaid informant. A different kind of asset.
[Subject: Henri Leclerc. Loyalty to Host Unit: 75% (Gratitude, Indebtedness – Non-Empowerment Based Alliance). Status: Potential Information Node.]
The System logged the interaction. Non-Empowerment Based Alliance. This confirmed Elias's theory: influence didn't always require the direct bestowal of System powers. Simple human gratitude and mutual interest could also forge bonds, create networks.
"I can do that, Mr. Thorne," Leclerc said with conviction. "Gladly. It's the least I can do."
With Leclerc providing another stream of localized information, Elias felt his understanding of the city's undercurrents deepening. Mickey continued his furtive rounds, his Goblin senses picking up whispers from the bottom rungs of the underworld. Anya's Archer eyes scanned from rooftops, tracking Scarelli's key players. Thomas was the silent, strong deterrent, his Barbarian presence a bulwark around Elias's core interests.
It was a small team, but specialized and effective.
One afternoon, Anya brought news that was more than just Scarelli's movements.
"There's a new player, Mr. Thorne," she reported, her sketches laid out on Elias's table. They showed a tall, impeccably dressed man with slicked-back silver hair and eyes that seemed to absorb light. He was always accompanied by two bodyguards who looked more like corporate executives than street thugs. "He's been meeting with representatives from some of the city's more… 'legitimate' businesses. But also with some of the Irish gang leaders from Griffintown. Name's Fitzpatrick. Word on the street is he's trying to unify them. Consolidate power. He's smooth, very quiet."
Fitzpatrick. Elias had heard whispers. An older name, thought to have faded. If he was making a comeback, looking to unify disparate factions, that could significantly alter the city's criminal landscape. It could make him a powerful rival, or a potential, albeit dangerous, ally.
"Does Scarelli know of him?" Elias asked.
Anya nodded. "I observed Silas and Benny – Scarelli's investigators – watching one of Fitzpatrick's meetings from a distance. They looked… concerned. Fitzpatrick is operating on a different level than Scarelli."
This was a complication, but also a potential opening. If Scarelli was worried about Fitzpatrick, it might distract him, make him less focused on the 'Thorne' mystery. "A rival's rival…" Elias mused.
He decided to explore this new angle. He tasked Mickey with gathering any street-level rumors about Fitzpatrick, anything Scarelli's grunts might be saying. He asked Thomas to discreetly inquire amongst older contacts, men who might remember Fitzpatrick from his earlier days.
Elias's own Host Power had crept up to [3.35]. His Energy was at [77.10/100], boosted by Mickey's continued fractional conversions and the slow daily accrual. He was still holding back from creating more empowered units, choosing to consolidate and gather intelligence. His 'Influence (Localized)' was now [1.5%], and his 'Reputation (Underworld)' had evolved to [Emerging Mystery (Caution Warranted)]. The whispers were growing louder.
The information Leclerc, Mickey, and Thomas brought back about Fitzpatrick painted a picture of a shrewd, ambitious operator who preferred negotiation and strategic alliances over Scarelli's blunt force. He was leveraging old connections and new money, promising stability and a larger share of the pie if the fractious Irish gangs united under his banner.
Elias realized his small operation was becoming more complex. He wasn't just reacting to Scarelli anymore. He was now aware of other, potentially larger, currents moving beneath the city's surface.
He needed more than just combat and stealth. He needed intellect, perhaps someone who could analyze this complex web of alliances and rivalries. He thought again of the System's limited Tier 1 options. Was there a way to encourage specific traits even within those archetypes? Could an Archer, with enhanced senses, also be trained to be an analyst? Could a Goblin's cunning be channeled into more than just theft?
The city was a chessboard, and new pieces were constantly appearing. Elias Thorne, the young landlord with an impossible secret, was learning that to control the game, he needed to understand all its players, and perhaps, find ways to move them to his will, even those who didn't know his name. The whispers were not enough; he needed to become a silent echo in the halls of power.