The director's office at the Subureptor museum was crowded with several men, most of whom were middle-aged to old and had no official ties to the museum.
However, they were informally involved in its affairs, to the extent that they used the director's office as their own bedroom.
"I'm tired," someone said, without any particular message.
This statement was enough to convey the collective exhaustion and anxiety of the group, especially after an important annual event was disrupted.
Although everyone looked calm on the outside, they were silently calculating the damage caused by the attack.
"The damage is great," another man said. He was an old, bald, one-eyed man.
The group fell into a silence of agreement.
The attack not only tarnished the Crime Firm's name, but it would also cost a considerable amount of money, effort, and mental strength to counteract rumors and compensate VIP customers who suffered damage.
To make matters worse, the wizards and the city were growing in power, making Crime Firm's position within Landa relatively weak
Crime Firm, a huge criminal organization that exerts influence throughout England, had the highest prestige here in the Landa branch, but compared to its reputation, the Crime Firm's position within Landa was relatively weak.
It was also something that was unavoidable since there was a Magic Tower and City that acted more like a thug than Crime Firm,
Not only that, but there were also Districts such as X, Y, and Z that were so rough that they couldn't be touched.
They had been hiding this fact well with the crime firm's unique organization and capital, and a huge network that does not distinguish between the black and the white, but that is also starting to see its bottom line.
The raid on the auction house was just a precursor to the organization's declining influence.
Let's all think positively," Gordon Goodhart, the former director of District R of the Landa Branch, suddenly spoke up in the midst of depression.
"What do you mean, look at it positively?" someone asked.
"It's simple. The damage is great, but it could have been much worse. At least it didn't escalate beyond this level," Goodhart replied.
Although it might have sounded like empty talk, he was not wrong. Since it was the first day of the auction, there were relatively few people, and although the auction house's reputation was damaged, there was no significant loss. Above all, the most important auction item was still safe.
"What do we do now?"
"Let's sacrifice some profit and stop the auction," someone suggested.
"Are we really backing down because we're afraid of a gangster with a knife?" another person questioned.
"There are rumors that the attacker with the kitchen knife is a member of the Black Hand," someone said, causing everyone to fall silent.
"It may be a blow to our pride, but we should avoid conflict with them as much as possible. While our Crime Firm is not far behind in scale, our fundamental values differ greatly from the Black Hand, making them more dangerous," one person spoke up, and no one dared to disagree.
Crime Firm and Black Hand were both major crime syndicates, but with vastly different roots. Crime Firm was motivated by profit, with violence as only a means to an end, while for the Black Hand, violence was a way of life and sometimes even a purpose.
Though they had little information, they were aware that the Black Hand was capable of self-destructive madness if necessary, meaning a fight with them would lead to severe damage, whether they won or lost.
"Shamus believes the attacker was likely from the Human Meat Chef's side," someone stated.
"Those guys who eat human meat?" another person asked incredulously.
"Given their black magic, use of kitchen knives, greed, and brutal nature, it seems highly probable. Human Meat Chef's main activity area is Gallos, and even with determination, we cannot fight properly since we are across the sea," someone explained.
"What then?"
"Let's seek mediation through another Finger. Someone who’s half-insane and can converse with," someone proposed, but there were doubts about this idea.
Rumor had it that Gordon, who sells corpses, had a deal with the Puppet faction, making him a better option for mediation.
"It's frustrating to have to bow down to those warlocks," a bald man grumbled, expressing his anger despite being wise enough to admit the reality.
"I feel the same way, but it's the best course of action. Unlike the Black Hand, our power comes from money, and if we fight them for the sake of our pride, we will suffer greatly, whether we win or lose. Maintaining the current position of our organization will be difficult," someone calmly explained, and everyone fell silent, acknowledging the logic of this reasoning.
All of them were hidden giants in Landa, but there were many people inside and outside who were vying for their position.
Contrary to Crime Firm's public image of being a group of gun-toting killers, their true weapons were patience and cunning.
And now was the time for patience.
"What about the merchandise?"
"It's currently being transferred and stored in a secret warehouse by some freelance wizards from the School of Spatial Magic. It's well-protected and even if we get raided, they won't be able to take it away. Let's postpone the auction for a bit and focus on selling the high-end items. There's a limited number of people who can afford them, so if we play our cards right, we can get a good price."
Pride was important, but business was equally crucial for Crime Firm.
Broken pride could be repaired later, but if their business suffered and they lost their standing in the ranks, it would be over.
Still, humiliation was humiliation, and a middle-aged man spoke up.
"As expected, we need to prepare something."
That "something" was none other than an armed force.
Sadly, in the wealthiest city in the world, it took more than money to survive.
It required both violence and deadly force.
"We need to gather a large and controllable manpower, rather than just picking up a few people off the street as hired guns."
"Why don't we recruit Solvers or unaffiliated gangsters who possess some power?"
"I'm against blindly recruiting. We don't want another guy like Shamus. He's insane and takes money from the same Crime Firm. He doesn't know respect or follow the rules."
"But then how do we do it?"
"What about the nerds who were pushed out of the Tower? They only know how to study and don't know much about street life."
"No. They won't listen to us because they have a strong sense of pride and stubbornness, and would also try to take over our organization."
"Is there anyone among them who listens well?"
"At least they should be responsive to our words. Oh! Gordon, what about him? He helped us today, right? Is it Dave? Can we recruit him?"
"Well, let's wait and see."
"Why?"
"He doesn't seem like a typical Solver. Let's keep an eye on him for now." Gordon replied, remembering the reaction of the Pilgaret Broker when she saw Dave.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
The sky was dark, with a rare blue moon shining in the middle of District J where tall buildings abound. A man and two women stood in front of a car, apparently concluding a request.
"Then, is this the end of the request?"
"Yes, the auction is practically over. Of course, I'll pay you as promised," replied Jane.
"It's a gain for me to make money in a short time, but you'll lose money," remarked Oliver.
"No, I can give it out of my pocket anyway, so there's no big problem. Rather, I'm satisfied. In addition, Gordon said he would hand over one or two decent items in return.”
Though Jane had done nothing, she was grateful for Oliver's help, which had prevented the worst from happening. In return, Gordon also promised to do her a favor for bringing Oliver.
She wasn't sure what that favor would be, but she hoped it would be something that would help her make a connection with Miranda.
"You must be having a hard time," said Oliver sympathetically.
"That's what life is all about," replied Jane with a shrug.
"I hope it goes well," added Oliver.
At Oliver's words, Jane stared at him.
"Would you like to have a meal with me if you don't mind? It won't be a big deal, but I still want to treat you to a meal."
"I'm sorry, Ms. Jane. Something urgent came up."
She decided to believe him, even though she suspected it was a ridiculous excuse.
"…is it important?"
"Um… yes, perhaps."
"Well, there's nothing I can do about it…. I'll let you know when things settle down."
"Yes, thank you."
"Don't mention it."
When Jane and Oliver's conversation ended, Coco intervened.
"I bought the book safely. I’ll get it soon, and I'll give it to you through Forrest."
"Thank you."
"And I'm also grateful for this. I've been looking forward to your growth, but Dave always exceeds that expectation… If you need any information, please come to me. We'll serve you at a reasonable price."
It was quite a surprising thing since Sisterhood was said to be a place that was difficult to apply for requests.
"Thank you very much for that."
"Huh… I'll teach you some more makeup techniques, so come visit the Angel’s House. The kids will like it too.”
"Yes."
After talking for a while, Jane and Coco drove away.
Oliver watched as the car drove away and broke the silence after a while.
"Thank you for waiting."
“It’s okay, Master."
In the dark was Pilgeret Broker… No, Marie answered with her head bent to the waist.
"……."
Oliver looked at Marie in silence, unsure of what to say. It had been just over a year since he left, yet she still referred to him as "master".
After a brief moment of reflection, Oliver spoke up.
"If you don't mind, could we move to a different location to talk?"
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Late at night, two cars were driving along the outer edge of Landa, an area that was under development restrictions.
The vehicle was a relatively common F-series. Even so, it was a vehicle that would require quite a bit of money to buy.
In other words, they were the kind of vehicles that could help one save face without drawing too much attention.
After a while, the cars pulled off onto the shoulder of a deserted road and entered a nearby forest before coming to a stop.
CLACK
The door opened with the unique sound of the F-series and some people got off.
Oliver and Marie were among them, accompanied by numerous Warlocks who seemed to be Marie's subordinates.
The group was a mix of men and women, all of whom appeared to be quite well-trained.
‘And they don't seem to like me.'
Oliver thought as he looked around Marie's subordinates who got out of the second car.
"Master…"
Marie, who had gotten out of the first car, knelt down and bowed her head, her gesture so deep that it almost touched the ground.
"Ah…"
Oliver let out an involuntary sigh, though he wasn't entirely sure why.
"Marie…"
"Yes, Master."
"Can you stand up?"
"How could I possibly…?"
Oliver wasn't sure why this was happening, but he focused on helping Marie to her feet.
He found it rather uncomfortable to see someone kneeling and bowing to him in such a subservient manner.
"Please stand up."
Please. It wasn't until Oliver spoke the words that Marie finally rose to her feet.
Oliver took out a test tube containing mana, extracted it, and made a fire to brighten the surroundings.
While some were taken aback by this, Marie simply looked at Oliver calmly, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. As if thinking, [Of course, he can do that.]
Oliver, in turn, gazed at Marie, who removed her mask without a word.
She seemed to have changed quite a bit since he last saw her.
Her hair was now thick and luxurious, and her skin, while still pale, was more transparent and more radiant than before.
Her body was adorned with a subtle perfume, and she had been dressed up in a way reminiscent of the women he had seen at the Angel's House or the auction house.
He didn't know what to say because she changed quite a lot, but then Coco's teaching came to mind.
"…You've gotten prettier."
Upon hearing his compliment, Marie's eyes welled up with tears.
"Than..k you for your kind words, Master."
(To be Continued)
OR
$5/month6 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$15/month12 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$30/month19 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$45/monthAll advance chap + 6 chap/week
