Meeting the Big Boss
The moment the man spoke, the air in the room froze. Not only Yohan, who was facing him, but even the surrounding patrons who had been pretending to eat quietly stopped in their tracks.
"..."
What on earth was this sudden bolt from the blue? Yohan blinked blankly, staring at the stew dripping from his tilted spoon.
The Boss was looking for him? Yohan chewed on the meaning of the man's words. The "Boss" he referred to had to be none other than "Big Boss," the ruler of the underworld and the head of the Undercity Family. In other words, Yohan's former employer. No, technically, more like the CEO of the parent company. But why would Big Boss suddenly want to see him?
—Apostle, calm yourself first.
Unable to watch Yohan freeze in panic any longer, the Goddess scolded him. Thanks to her, he managed to regain some of his composure.
"Ahem." Straightening his expression to appear nonchalant, he plunged his spoon back into the bowl of stew. "Is it... I mean, is it urgent?" he asked the man, his voice trembling slightly.
"What did he say?"
"He must be out of his mind."
Whispers broke out among the patrons who had been keeping quiet. This was the Undercity, a realm under the absolute control of the Family. In this underworld, Big Boss was practically the lord of the land. It was only natural for them to be shocked by Yohan's audacious question. However, the man didn't seem to care about the murmurs at all, merely staring at Yohan in silence.
"He wishes to see you immediately."
If it wasn't urgent, Yohan had planned to ask for some time and then make a run for it, but it looked like escaping would be difficult now.
—Be careful. This man is already watching your every move.
Even the Goddess seemed to have concluded that there was no way to escape.
"Whew. Fine, but let me finish what I ordered first." Ah, whatever, Yohan thought, throwing caution to the wind as he gestured with his spoon. "I've been starving all day."
"..."
The man remained silent. Taking this as a silent agreement, Yohan resumed his interrupted meal. Charles, who had been anxiously reading the room, also picked up his spoon with a pale face.
As he endured the incredibly uncomfortable meal, Yohan's mind raced. Why would an emissary from Big Boss seek him out? The most likely scenario was... only one thing. The possibility that his past as a member of the grave-robbing crew—who were slated for purge—had been exposed.
"Also, this kid is with me, but there's no need for him to tag along, right?" Yohan glanced at Charles as he spoke. The man nodded in agreement.
"You heard him, right? Go back to the room and wait quietly."
"Y-yes, sir," Charles replied, his voice trembling.
Once Charles returned to the inn, he would soon reunite with Falco, so his immediate safety would be secured. Besides, Charles was a smart kid; he would definitely explain the situation to Falco. Falco would then figure out Big Boss's intentions and flee Balifield immediately. Good. That was enough.
Yohan scraped the very last bits of meat from the bottom of his bowl before pushing himself up from his seat. "Let's go," he said to the man.
The headquarters of the Undercity Family was located in a rather secluded corner of the underworld. This gave Yohan some time to devise a plan as he followed the man. Of course, calling it a "plan" was a bit of a stretch. At most, he was just mentally mapping out escape routes in case things went south.
"Please wait here. He will be with you shortly."
"Sure, sure."
After a long walk, they arrived at a reception room somewhere deep within the headquarters. Leaving Yohan alone in the room, the man quickly slipped out the door.
"Ughhhhh..." Left entirely alone, Yohan collapsed onto the sofa like melting wax, letting out a groan from the very depths of his soul.
—So, what do you plan to do now?
In the heavy silence, the Goddess's voice echoed in his mind. Yohan reflexively looked up at the ceiling. "Uh, I'm still thinking."
—You seem uncertain.
"Yeah."
The most likely scenario was that the head of the Family, the infamous Big Boss, had discovered Yohan's identity and wanted to eliminate him. Otherwise, why would he go out of his way to track him down and send an emissary?
The problem was, there were a few details that didn't quite fit that theory. If Big Boss had truly found out that Yohan and Falco were former grave robbers, there was no need for such a tedious "invitation." He could have just sent hitmen to the inn they were staying at.
That was why Yohan had weighed his options between running away and meeting Big Boss, ultimately choosing the latter. Even if running had been the correct choice, his presence here bought enough time for Falco and Charles to escape Balifield. Besides, surely a man of Big Boss's stature wouldn't go through the trouble of inviting him face-to-face only to have his companions assassinated behind his back.
—Do you know anything else about this man they call the Boss?
"I know some things. Like how he's incredibly terrifying and powerful."
—And besides that?
"Well, there are plenty of rumors. Some say he's lived in the Undercity for a very long time, or that he's secretly colluding with the Lord of Balifield."
Most rumors about Big Boss were nonsense. However, a few contained a grain of truth mixed with exaggeration. In particular, the cozy relationship between the Undercity Family and the Lord of Balifield was an open secret to anyone who had spent enough time in this underworld.
Click—
"Whoops."
The door opened from the outside. Startled, Yohan reflexively sat up straight. Someone walked slowly through the open doorway.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting."
At the same time, a voice that was gentle yet carried an eerie undertone tickled Yohan's ears. The newcomer sat down opposite Yohan, crossing his legs.
"..."
Yohan realized that the man before him was indeed the person he suspected. This wasn't a Family executive or a minor gang leader—Big Boss himself had actually shown up.
"Thank you for accepting my sudden invitation."
"Ah, no, it's fine."
The genial-looking man, Big Boss, expressed his gratitude in a soft tone.
—So this is Big Boss.
In truth, Yohan had never actually met Big Boss before. This was the first time they were seeing each other face-to-face.
—Judging by the reactions of the people in the restaurant, I expected someone who could kill with a single glance.
No, that's not it at all, Yohan wanted to tell the Goddess. The squinty-eyed, friendly-looking guys are always the most terrifying when they snap! He wanted to scream it out loud, but it remained a silent cry in his mind.
"The reason I called you here is because of the item you won at the auction house the other day."
"The item I won?" Yohan reflexively asked back.
Big Boss nodded slightly, switching his crossed legs as he spoke.
"A bird-shaped statue. Made of brass."
"Yes, I know the one. I was just wondering if there was some kind of problem with it."
In principle, the rights to an item won at the auction house belonged entirely to the winning bidder, a rule guaranteed by the Undercity Family within the underworld. Furthermore, the Family rarely tried to reclaim items that had already been passed on to customers unless there were extraordinary circumstances. But this time, things were different. There was clearly something going on.
"That statue was originally part of my personal collection, but due to a mistake by my subordinates, it ended up on the auction block."
What kind of nonsense is this? Yohan tilted his head, genuinely baffled. Still, he understood Big Boss's underlying intention perfectly. Hand it over while I'm still asking nicely. That was what the man was saying.
"So, I would like to have the statue back."
"Th-that's a bit..." Yohan trailed off, sounding troubled.
Big Boss smiled gently and nodded again.
"I completely understand. Asking you to return an item you spent a fortune on is hardly a fair transaction."
He pulled a cotton pouch from his breast pocket.
"Ten imperial gold coins. I believe this should be more than enough compensation."
Ten gold coins, not silver. According to the auction house's official exchange rate, that was a fortune equivalent to 250 imperial silver coins.
"W-wait a minute!"
"Yes?"
Yohan called out to Big Boss in a panicked voice.
"The-the thing is... it's really going to be difficult. It's not about the money..."
"What is the problem, then? If you have already disposed of it through other channels, you can simply give me the buyer's information."
"No. I didn't sell it. I broke it."
"..."
Big Boss fell silent at the absurd answer. Yohan expected to be accused of lying, as even he found the excuse utterly ridiculous.
"I see. You have already destroyed it."
Yet, Big Boss didn't doubt him. For Yohan, this was an immense relief.
"Well... when I got back to my room with it, I felt like I'd been ripped off for some useless antique. I got pissed off and smashed it."
"An absurd tale, but you do not seem to be lying."
"Yes, it's true. The pieces are still on the table in my room."
It wasn't actually a lie. He had been pissed off, and though the details differed, the end result was indeed that the statue had been destroyed.
"Very well. It is a shame to lose a piece of my collection, but if it is already broken, there is nothing to be done."
"I, uh, apologize for that."
Big Boss waved off Yohan's apology. He then stood up and looked down at Yohan. A strange shadow seemed to cast over his face.
"Then, may I ask you one last question?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Was the statue just an excuse, and he actually knows where I came from? Yohan prepared to draw upon the Goddess's power just in case.
"Did anything unusual happen when you broke the statue?"
"Unusual?"
Something unusual had definitely happened. Red sparks had erupted from the surface, and the incredibly solid metal had turned to ash in an instant. But at that moment, Yohan had a strange premonition. He felt that he must not reveal the truth.
"Not that I know of."
"I see."
Big Boss gave a brief reply and walked toward the door. "Our business is concluded, then. I apologize for taking up your time."
"No, not at all."
With a polite nod, he stepped through the open door and was gone.
"Let us go. I will escort you to the exit."
The man who had found him at the restaurant poked his head in. Under his guidance, Yohan made his way out of the Undercity Family's headquarters.
"Phew..."
Releasing the tension he had been holding for so long, Yohan let out a deep sigh. It was over. Fortunately, Big Boss didn't seem to know his true identity. In hindsight, it would have been stranger for the head of a massive criminal syndicate like the Undercity Family to recognize every low-ranking member of his subordinate organizations.
"Man. I should just head back to the inn."
He no longer had the energy to search the market for items belonging to Junk Town's residents. All he wanted was to lie down and rest.
—Apostle.
The moment he left the Undercity and returned to the surface, the Goddess, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
—That man called Big Boss whom you met just now... did you feel it?
"Feel what?"
Flash!
As Yohan asked back, the Goddess suddenly materialized, shedding her spiritual form. Startled, Yohan looked around anxiously, worried that a passerby outside the alley might spot her.
"Apostle."
"Hey, what's wrong with you?"
"That man is no ordinary human."
"Well, obviously. He's the ruler of Balifield's underworld."
"That is not what I mean."
This was clearly not the time for jokes. Yohan looked down at the Goddess, his expression turning serious.
"I sensed an aura of pure evil radiating from him."
"..."
"Apostle. That man, Big Boss, is a demon worshipper."