Chapter 104

Chapter 104

A few days later. Kim received an out-of-the-blue offer.
“Party?”
“It’s being hosted the day after tomorrow, and you’re invited to attend.”
It was more of a directive than a suggestion. I wasn’t sure what was going on. I know the city was getting a little rough, but a party?
‘……No, is that why?
Just as my mind was racing, Ekidna held out a filing cabinet.
“I’ve compiled a file on the most powerful organizations in Timorta. I won’t ask you to memorize it all, but at least get the faces and names of the leaders into your head.”
As expected.
It’s not just a socializing place where rich people’s children play and eat while laughing haha. It’s a place for organizations in a cartel to collude, so to speak. A place to point out and warn each other about what’s going on.
This was not a pleasant time for Nuova Era. Into an organization that was already growing rapidly, there was a newcomer who was making a lot of noise, and not a lot of attention.
Other organizations are concerned about monopolization.
It will be primarily a check on Nuova Era.
“Are you sure I can go?”
“Why, no?”
“Some of them will take it as a sign that we’re trying to fight.”
What if you took the rookie in question out for a spin? You’d have a lot of seizures. It’s not hard to imagine the sounds under the water after the party is over.
Echidna’s falcon’s mouth drew an arc.
“You’re right.”
“Are you going to start a war?”
“If you want it, you can have it.”
The ice in the glass rattled.
“It’s an impulsive decision, but it’s not reckless. We’ve built up enough strength to buy one more gun and stockpile one more round of ammunition while the old guys are still floundering.”
She licked her lips with her tongue.
“Let him touch it.”
“That’s gross.”
“Just you.”
Take a bite and close your mouth.
A moment of silence. Not a shadow of another person in the 90-square-foot penthouse. The only sound in the deserted room is the crunching of ice.
Ekidna asked, putting down the glass she was shaking.
“Let me ask you a question. What brings an agent from the Cellbrox Labs all the way here?”
“…….”
“They seem to be making a name for themselves lately. Apparently it’s a horse lab, some kind of counter-terrorism organization, but it’s terrorism and criminals everywhere. It’s not the kind of place you’d be interested in, is it?”
It turns out that I was digging deeper than I thought.
As Hagar says, rap is starting to make a name for itself. There was also the Bastitera case, which accelerated the growth even more than before.
Moreover, Timorta is a border town. It’s one of the most heavily traveled areas in Banjar. If Shahid had heard about the rap, it wouldn’t have been hard to investigate further.
“I’m not an agent of the lab.
It’s hard to prove anything with an agreement. The fact remains that Ekidna has a close relationship with the label, and it’s not the affiliation that he’s wondering about in the first place.
Kim decided to be honest.
“I have an errand to run in ‘Naraka’.”
Naraka. The center of Banzar.
It’s a land with a history akin to the Jerusalem of Earth. A place of constant conflict. Naraka has changed hands dozens of times, and various factions are still after it.
“I don’t care about the land itself, let whoever rules Naraka do as they please. For personal reasons, I thought I’d make a quick visit to the ruins there.”
“What? Ruins?”
“Is that weird?”
“Well… no, I know there’s a story about that.”
It didn’t sound like a fatuous thing.
There was a time when Banjar, nowadays considered the dumping ground of the continent, thrived. But that was long ago, and rumor has it that ancient artifacts are occasionally unearthed in Naraka.
Some fools tread Banzar’s soil for artifacts. Their placentas are buried in the sand, but there are still those who don’t value their lives.
This is not unusual. It’s certainly not unusual, but it’s not something that Echidna trusts.
“You don’t seem foolish enough to risk your life on something like that.”
“I exaggerate to the point of death, it’s an oxymoron.”
“Is there another purpose?”
“I need some experience. I think being a mafioso is a good experience.”
She frowned at the trivialization of the experience.
“I’m going to look at all the crazy people.”
“I hear that a lot.”
Somehow, the conversation got caught up in the pace. Ekidna stared into the face of a man she didn’t even know his real name, and shook her head.
“Weirdo.
We don’t believe this immediately, and we’ll continue to investigate further. He could be a spy with connections to other organizations, and the information that he’s a Labs agent could be a cover.
If there’s one thing for sure, he’s a ‘variable’.
How you use it is up to you.
* * *
A lounge in a luxury hotel.
Kim fiddled with his lapel nervously; he hadn’t worn a suit in a long time. Naturally, he couldn’t enter the venue with a cloth covering his entire body.
“I can’t believe how uncomfortable this is.
Arm movements are jerky. However, the single mana pocket is also annoying. I felt much more comfortable in a tactical vest and jumper than a suit.
On the contrary, the natives of Polaris were acting more naturally. Yellow, black, white, and Pekatum. Different races chatting with each other, dressed in matching dress codes.
As I checked each face, information popped into my head.
‘That’s the drug dealer with the big farm. And that’s Madame, who runs a black market….’
It’s ugly.
Bombing the place would clean up Polaris, at least a little bit, but it would only bring in a new person to take over.
As I was looking, I heard a stinging whisper next to me.
“Don’t look around.”
“I’m not used to being in this position.”
“Sure. I’m just saying, don’t be awkward.”
He was with me during my first encounter with Ekidna. His name is Antonio. He is a typical white man, and like Ekidna, he is not a native Banjar.
I know a little bit about Antonio.
A supporting character who sticks close to Ekidna’s side in event stories. The boss’s right-hand man who is in charge of the organization’s practical affairs.
“How else did he die?
This is often confusing.
A character or two should die.
“Shut up, both of you.”
Shut up.
The status of a bodyguard who is not formally invited. Drawing attention to yourself will only make you a nuisance. You’ve already decided to leave, so it’s not worth adding to your enemies unnecessarily.
But I didn’t have to turn off aggro myself.
“That’s the guy. The one who blew up the Alchata factory….”
“The Ricardo family was shaking in their boots. Apparently they had a hand in the business.”
“Is there anyone here who doesn’t know that?”
“But the fact that you brought him in at all means…….”
“I guess that means it wasn’t a subordinate’s idea. I’m so selfish.”
It was the eye of the storm. The tip of the arrow was pointed not only at Kim Yi Hyun, but also at Ekidna. They are completely unwelcome.
Despite being seen as an eyesore, Ekidna’s demeanor was incredibly confident.
“Yuck. That’s cheap booze.”
“Without saying a word?”
“Someone like me can tell by the scent, and it’s in front of people, so be polite.”
I even started to go on a rampage.
She calls for a waiter, orders the various liquors to be lined up on the table, and sniffs each one. After checking them off, she grabs a glass.
“Can you put everything away except this?”
“Oh, I see.”
“Here, take the tip.”
I give him a large piece of paper and send him on his way.
Kim’s face went blank as he watched.
“Why are you making a big deal out of this?”
“Courtesy.”
“Do you beak?”
“I’m a good guy, at least they don’t drag me to bed because they like my face, and if that’s all there is to it, there are a lot of violent old men here.”
He says, as if to say, “Listen up. Kim watched Antonio’s reaction more closely than Ekidna. He didn’t seem to react much, so it seemed like it had been a day or two.
“Well, I didn’t have to prod you.
It was earlier in the day than the game, so I tried to motivate him to get to the center, but only…. When I saw what was going on, I felt like something was going to happen sooner or later even if I stayed still.
I’ve always been a self-inflicted enemy.
“You may drink, too.”
“Drinking is a bit much for a bodyguard.”
“It’s okay if you can control it, I’m not forcing you to drink it.”
In fact, Antonio never touched his drink. Looking back and forth between them, Kim poured herself another glass of wine. Not because he wanted to drink, but because he was curious as to why Ekidna was making a scene.
“Oh, that’s pretty good.”
“Not bad, right?”
I took a sip and it was indeed different.
“……What a bunch of siblings.”
Someone spat a volley.
Ekidna, who had been selfish before, and Antonio, who carried her around like an accessory. As if that weren’t bad enough, the rookie didn’t seem to notice.
There was an uncomfortable vibe at the party.
“How are you enjoying the party, Echidna Ball?”
A man with a beard approached the table, and after hours of poring over the data, Kim was able to recognize him immediately.
“Ricardo Fagaro.
The patriarch of the Ricardo family.
The organization is the exact opposite of Nuova Era, which prohibits drugs, and instead relies on the drug trade as its main source of income. The neighboring areas of their activities have led to numerous conflicts.
Apparently, the Ricardo family was also involved in the recent deal at the Alcata textile mill. In short, he’s the one who got screwed over by Kim.
‘I’m going to punch you in the face, asshole.
They were glaring at me, and their eyes were very nasty. Normally, I would have smiled, but since there was a representative present, I had to keep my face expressionless.
“Fort Nuova Era has been going well lately, and the hotel seems to be thriving.”
“It’s all because my people are great, and I have great people.”
“Inbok. I don’t recognize your friend there, can you introduce me to him?”
“Sure. That’s not too hard to do as an introduction, but…….”
Ekidna gave a puzzled look.
“You really don’t know who it is?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“No, there’s been an increase in rats in our area lately.”
She smiled brightly.
“They say that rats can hear the end of the night. I thought you had already sent me the news, but I guess not, Hagiya, it must be hard to teach a rat to speak human.”
I thought I heard a bang.
Ricardo’s face was now bright red. His eyes were wide and fierce, threatening to tear Ekidna’s face off at a moment’s notice.
“Don’t you think …… is crossing the line?”
“Which one?”
The corners of Ekidna’s mouth slowly turned down. It quickly turned into a grim expression.
“If you have dementia, you should have stepped down a long time ago.”
“What, what…?”
“How many times have I told you not to sell drugs in my neighborhood, you old man?”
Silence descends on a noisy party.
Beside him, Antonio tensed his muscles. He stifled a laugh, noting that the situation was so close that he wouldn’t be surprised if a gunfight broke out at any moment.
“Still the same, you crazy bitch.
He led a mafia organization that challenged Naraka’s hegemony.
He’s still stuck in Timothy, but his ambition is admirable.
I don’t really want to emulate them.
* * *
As it turned out, there was no bloodshed, but it was also far from a heartwarming ending with a dramatic reconciliation.
Ricardo turned on his heel and walked away. He turned away from Ekidna and chatted with the others as if nothing had happened.
It may have seemed like a grown-up response, but everyone in the room knew. This was not a matter that was going to be resolved amicably and without any conflict.
On the car ride back, Ekidna instructed Antonio.
“Tell everyone to pack their extensions.”
She had a cool look on her face, like a tooth that had fallen out.