Who would put up a bounty no one can p—oh, right, Veils did it for a lark didn’t he? Even if someone succeeded, that’s practically the definition of Somebody Else’s Problem.
edited by The Elfin Cannibal on 3/20/2020[/quote]
[Edited for clarity, since the original was written in the middle of the night when I was half-asleep.]
We can argue that the schemes and plans of the Bazaar and the Masters are extremely short-sighted and petty (which they are) and that this is a definite oversight on their part, but after thousands of years of Vake shenanigans, they probably thought that no human could claim the bounty. Even if Veils is somehow "defeated" by a hunter, Masters are known for being notoriously difficult to permanently kill (like Veils, Cups, Mirrors, and Eaten have proven), so they expect at least some part of Veils to continue existing. If even a fraction of Veils exists, they can easily concoct an absurd excuse to deny giving you the bounty since you did not kill the Vake in its entirety.
However, they are downright terrified if you do manage to 100% destroy the Vake, not only because they have to pay a massive bounty, but because of the dangerous determinator that you have proven to be. The Bazaar and the Masters expect you to act like them, to manipulate and control an enemy (like Veils) rather than outright destroy it just for a bounty that cannot reasonably be paid. It means you will go to any lengths to get what you want, someone that cannot be reasoned with or bought out. It shows you are absolutely ruthless in killing every single aspect of Veils instead of taking the easy way out and sparing even one of them for your own gain. More than the possibility of being driven to bankruptcy, the Bazaar and the Masters are rightfully scared that giving you a trillion Neathly dollars would mean that you are coming for them next.
As such, my guess is that the Bazaar’s version of an "IOU" is to prevent you from getting too mad and uncontrollable with wealth to be a problem, while also enmeshing you in Bazaar politics to continue serving its own interests (to make the most of your bounty, you have to stay near the Bazaar and protect it from outside threats so that it can live long enough to pay you back). In a way, the Bazaar is grooming you to eventually fill the void caused by Veils’s absence (Wines gives the warning for a reason).
Lastly, they probably hope you die and stay dead or they quickly cycle through the necessary remaining cities long before the full debt is paid. Once the contract for 7 cities is completed and/or you die for real, they are no longer obligated to pay and can avoid paying the full amount. The Bazaar and the Masters often play the long game, sort of like how casinos still profit despite giving the occasional jackpot, and you are reasonably unlikely to live long enough for all of the bounty to come to you.
So in the end, according to the Bazaar and the Masters, this is merely a temporary setback. And this is not taking to account that Mr Wines pressures you to kill a friend in the future, a way of reminding you that they still have power over you. And if they are as smart as I think they are, they will want you to kill April, a credible threat that cannot be coerced in any way to work with them.
TLDR: The "Bounty" means that the Bazaar is in your debt, but you must continue serving its interests to make the most out of it. That way, the Bazaar still theoretically comes out on top in the end.
edited by The Curious Watcher on 3/20/2020[/quote]
Finally read that reward giving storylet.
Veils was the one who demanded such a bounty, and he was meant to be the main backer, though he, indeed, had no intentions of actually paying a single penny, since the whole thing was a bait for tasty hunters.
But the resulting "IOU" is not a mean to control you as a human pawn - surprisingly, the contract was written in Correspondence and included Bazaar itself, and thus is binding on the same level as a city buying ones (that is to say, very). During the audit for your reward it was considered to declare the Bazaar bankrupt and liquidate (heh) the current city to pay off the debt, although they actually manage to find enough loose assets to pool with Veils’ property to make just enough. Though liquidation is what the Bazaar and some Masters would prefer, since the reckoning is close and they want to speed up.
Pawn part comes from the different angle: previously there was only one dead Master, but now each Ambtion will supposedly kill one, and Bazaar would need replacements. Although you’re not under obligation to become one, you are supposed be duped to think it’s a privilege instead of slavery, lulled by all the goods already provided, were it not for Mr. Wines and your knowledge from other stories providing some caution.