[ He swirls his drink around, considering the question for a moment, but nods. ]

Tired, still, but the things that mattered did not break, and there's always a comfort in that.

[ Truly, as hard as all this was, there's a sense of a more stable foundation for having come out the other side. ]

I won't spoil this with talking business too long, but I do want to find where that cauldron came from. I'm fortunate that the guilds found me clear for culpability purposes, but it's clear someone knew how to bypass the system.

But I also feel like, if something else happens, I'm in good hands, with good people to call. That's -- not always been true in my life.