That night, Alma and me were eating together at the Orc's Club.
It became noisy outside all of a sudden. Someone shouted.
「The Gambino Family!?」
The door was kicked open loudly. Six men who were clearly Yakuza entered. Leading them was a blonde-haired, unhealthy-looking man.
「-- Four B Ranks. One A Rank. There are also armed men outside」
Alma reported her observations to me in a whisper. It matched my own analysis. Kouga wasn't here. He was either outside or they had not brought him. It appeared that they had only brought the more trusted combatants in here.
I didn't know much in detail about the four B Ranks, but I had already known about the A Rank man from my preliminary investigation. Raios was the sub-leader of the Gambino family and a High Monk, an A Rank Job from the Fighter-series.
And the blonde-haired, unhealthy-looking man leading them was the Don of the Gambino Family, Albert Gambino.
Albert didn't have a combat type Job, but that didn't change the fact that he stood at the top of the Family. Leading strong underlings around must have felt great. He squared his shoulders arrogantly and came up to our table.
「So you're Noel Stollen. You've got a face like a girl's」
Albert sat down at our table without asking and twisted his face in displeasure after taking a swallow from the wine bottle on the table.
「Such terrible-tasting wine. To be drinking such cheap wine, Seekers sure don't earn much. Or is it simply because you're a small fry? Oh, that's right. You've stopped your Seeker activities after being betrayed by your party members, right? My condolences」
So he had investigated me. Like a child who had just learned some difficult words, Albert provoked me with a triumphant air.
「And you're Albert Gambino, the Don of the Gambino Family. Haa, to sit without invitation and drink other people's wine without permission, you seem to have not been taught any manners. I heard that you were a mad dog, but did I mishear and you're actually a stray dog instead?」
「What did you say, dipshit!?」
「Hey, hey, don't snap so easily when someone returns your provocations. Isn't it unwise to show that the Don of the Gambino Family, the direct affiliate of the great Luciano Family, has a small caliber in public? It'll reflect badly on the dignity of the Luciano Family」
Gambino's lips trembled in anger, but he swallowed his fury.
「......Well, it's fine. Say whatever you want. I didn't come here today to have a chat with you. You've been saying some pretty cocky things, haven't you? You said to come and take your head myself, was it? That's why I've come」
Gambino put on a dangerous smile. I snorted derisively.
「To come flying when you were told to come meet me, you're like a lover in a new relationship. You aren't succeeding in hiding the fact that your tail is wagging in happiness」
「Stop your useless chatter! Listen to me, step outside right now!」
「You're the one who is chattering noisily. Can't you tell by looking? I'm still in the middle of my meal. I'll deal with you after I've finished so wait outside till then. Like a loyal doggie」
「You dipshit!!!」
Gambino's patience ran out and he pulled out a knife.
「It's too troublesome. I'll deal with you right here. Be prepared to have holes opened all over that pretty face so that you can drink wine from every direction」
Albert pointed the knife at me. A deep voice rebuked him.
「Boss of Gambino, this is as far as your rampage inside this bar goes」
The big man who had stood up was Logan, the leader of Fist King.
「What the heck do you want?」
「I don't know what happened between you and Noel. But your rampage stops here. Just like how you have to protect your reputation, we Seekers have to protect ours too. If people found out that we had kept quiet and let the Yakuza come here and do whatever they pleased, it would affect our future work. We'll all lose our livelihoods」
As if to show their agreement with Logan's words, the majority of the Seekers stood up with their hands on their weapons. Albert flinched at this unexpected development.
「Do you dipshits know who I am!?」
「Yes, we do. But to protect our pride, it doesn't matter who our opponent is」
「Wh, what did you say!? Are all of you messing with me!? You guys, kill every single one of these idiots!!!」
The frenzied Albert stood up and ordered his underlings behind him. Raios, who was at the head of the underlings, took one step forward and whispered to Albert.
「Boss, it would be easy for us to get rid of all of them. If we take into account the difference in fighting ability, it'll be over in an instant. But how will we explain this to the Head of the main Family?」
「......Wh, what?」
「They already have their eye on us because of that drug. If we get into a fight with Seekers on top of that, they won't overlook our actions anymore. This country encourages Seekers. It'll be one thing if it's just one Seeker, but if we kill such a large number of them in public, let alone the main Family, the country itself won't keep silent about it. Without a doubt, it'll spell the end of us」
「Shit, that's......」
「If you're fine with that, please give us the order once more. Our Boss' orders are absolute. We'll put our lives on the line to obey our Boss」
「Ugh, but......」
Albert's expression showed that he was anguishing over Raios' words of advice.
Even though he acted like a madman, he was ultimately a member of an organization. He couldn't have his way with everything. After all that howling by Albert, I laughed loudly at how unsightly he looked after his spirits were dampened as soon as the main Family and the country were brought up.
「Ahahahahaha, how comical, Albert Gambino」
「Wh, what did you say!?」
「No matter how many bad things you do, your true identity is that of a weak and small serf. You have no brains, no popularity and have a small caliber despite being the head of your organization. All you can do is break the rules selfishly and put on the mask of a mad dog. For you, who only knows how to squander the legacy of your predecessor, that's the limit」
「You shitty brat!!!」
The agitated Albert grabbed my collar. I waved off Alma, who looked like she was about to get rid of him, and smiled from ear to ear.
「What!? What's so funny!?」
「You shouldn't get so worked up. Your blood will circulate faster」
「Huh!? What are you talking about!?」
「That wine you drank without permission? It's poisoned」
「......Wh, what?」
Albert let go and took a few steps back.
「......Ha, hahaha, of all the things that you could have said, you said poison? Stop lying! What I drank was your wine! There's no way you poisoned your own wine!」
「Certainly, it's my wine, but that doesn't mean that I have to drink it simply because of that, right? I prepared it especially for you to drink」
「You couldn't have known that I would come to this bar!」
「Of course I knew. I'm the one who told you to come and take my head, remember? And to find a Seeker, the first place you'll look is in a Seeker bar. Am I right?」
「B, but there's no way you could be sure that I would drink it!」
「Of course, I had no way to be sure. But I don't need to be sure to prepare the poisoned wine. To me, it's something that I can prepare every day at no risk at all. If you came and you drank it, jackpot. If not, then it's no skin off my back. And I magnificently hit the jackpot. Did you understand all that, young master?」
「Gak, gak, blehhh!!!」
Albert stabbed his fingers into his throat and desperately tried to vomit out the contents of his stomach.
「It's no use. The poison has already gone into the blood vessels in your stomach ages ago. You're gonna die if this goes on」
「Ee, eeekkkkk!! N, Nooo!!! Bring me to a doctor!!! You guys, bring me to a doctoorrrr!!!」
Screaming like a frail maiden, Albert left the bar at full speed along with his underlings. Well, not all of his underlings left with him. Raios had stayed behind in the bar.
「Impressive verbal skills. I almost believed you too. As expected from a Talker」
「Verbal skills? I only told him the truth」
「Come off it」
Raios took a seat and finished off the bottle of wine that Albert had drank from without hesitation.
「Hmm, delicious. It has a simple and gentle taste」
「What a surprise. I should have said that it was poisoned. Are you suicidal or something?」
Unmoved by my words, Raios showed a big smile.
「You're just as Kouga said. You have good eyes that show that you've got guts. They're a true man's eyes」
「Huh?」
「It seems you're aiming to be at the top of all Seekers. Someone like you would never poison someone else to death in public. You would have done it by assassination instead」
Raios' words were filled with conviction. They were probably mingled with intuition to a great extent, but he was right that I hadn't poisoned the wine.
「That's the correct answer. But why didn't you tell Albert about that?」
「I don't want the Family to be destroyed」
「I see. That's an important reason. So, what do you want from me?」
「I'll spare your life. The men waiting outside have already been dismissed. So leave the imperial capital. If you're not around, Boss won't have to cross the line」
「If I say no?」
「I'll kill you. On the spot」
At that moment, I saw an illusion of Raios' body swelling up to the size of a giant. What an intense fighting spirit. Even if everyone in the bar attacked him, it didn't seem like we would be able to match him.
「Got it. I'll leave the imperial capital. That'll be fine, right?」
「Yes, good boy. A man of your caliber will make it big no matter where you are」
Raios stood up and raised his voice to address the other Seekers.
「Guys, I'm sorry to have caused you trouble! As an apology, I'll pay for all the drinks today! Drink and make merry to your heart's content!」
Raios eloquently wrapped up the situation and departed gallantly.
So that's the sub-leader of the Gambino family. It appears that it's true that the previous Don was a great man. Otherwise, there's no way a man like that would remain in the current Gambino Family.
But when I think about his feelings, I could only feel sympathy for him though.
「We should leave too」
「Got it」
When Alma and me got up from our seats, we could feel cold gazes directed at us from the surroundings.
That was only natural. A person who brought trouble was only a pest to the other Seekers. There was also the matter of me selling Lloyd and Tania into slavery on top of that, so the gazes piercing me were tinged with clear hostility as well.
Well, I had already resolved myself to be a heel from the start. I didn't have any problems with being hated by the masses. Even if I was an honor student, there would still be no one who would help me.
As I was about to leave the bar, I saw Logan standing near the door.
「Are you really going to leave the imperial capital?」
「That was what I promised. Looks like my career as a Seeker is over. How vexing」
Logan snorted in laughter and smirked.
「Yeah, right. As if you're such an admirable person」
I didn't answer him. But I put the same smirk on my face and bumped his shoulder lightly with my fist as I walked out.
†
†
There were no Gambino Family members outside the Orc's Club. Raios must have dismissed them as promised.
When she saw that there was no one around, Alma's face flushed with excitement.
「Amazing. Everything from start to finish went exactly as Noel said it would」
「It's still too early to be impressed. I've planted the seed. It's the real deal from now on」
「Got it. We're coming back to the imperial capital in a week, right?」
「Yes, that's the plan. We'll meet up inside the imperial capital after a week. What are you going to do in the meantime, Alma? Are you going to lay low in another city?」
「I'll go back to the mountain and regain my battle sense. I'll definitely kill that Oriental next time」
「Understood」
That was what Alma said, but I had no intention of letting them fight again. It would be a huge loss if they took each other out.
「Then I'll see you in a week」
「Yup, in a week」
Alma and me fist-bumped and then left.
Alone once more, I whispered the fighting resolve hidden inside me as I walked along the night roads.
「Gambino Family, I'll swallow you whole」
Looks like evil Noel is back!
What will be his plan to fight Albert?
Also, Logan should just work as a bouncer since that’s all he does…
Three more chapters till the Yakuza arc comes to an end and if you thought that the full cast of characters had showed up by now, you would be terribly wrong!
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