Chapter 57
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 57
Martina wore an alluring, Eastern-style dress. Patterns of blue-and-white waves and open sea wrapped around her gown.
She covered her nose and mouth with an open fan, and above its edge, the rims of her eyes gleamed faintly.
Click, clack.
Martina was wearing high heels. The sound echoed softly through the quiet room.
"Who told you to treat a guest this way?" Martina addressed the woman with the eyepatch.
"It was... my own doing. My apologies, Diva," the eyepatched woman replied, her face expressionless.
But I knew instantly that she was lying. I could tell she was stalling, dragging out the end of her words to buy time to think.
She failed to eliminate me, and now she's smoothing it over to save face.
I knew the truth, but I kept my mouth shut. If I pressed the issue and made them lose face here, I'd have to fight the entire La Vie en Rose gang.
I could do it, but it wasn't a smart move. I'd have to clean up dozens of corpses. Cause a scene that big, and I wouldn't be able to set foot in the Lower District for a while. My investigation would be completely ruined.
"My apologies. My subordinate was overzealous. What is the young master's name?" Martina spoke to me as she took a seat, gesturing for another subordinate to clear away the corpse.
"Luka," I answered curtly.
The tension began to dissipate, and Martina's subordinates lowered their weapons.
Unlike my calm demeanor, Gabriel was practically fuming as he marched up to Martina. He slammed both hands on the table, his face contorted with anger.
"Martina, you invite me here just to ambush us? You think I'm going to let this slide?"
"I told you, it was my subordinate's mistake."
"You shameless...!"
Before Gabriel could fly off the handle, I intervened.
"Calm down, Gabriel. We came here to talk."
At my words, Gabriel stepped back. Martina would have easily picked up on the hierarchy between us from that exchange.
Realizing who she actually needed to negotiate with, Martina fixed her gaze on me.
"Why is a young master who doesn't even belong in the Lower District sticking his nose into our business?"
I was used to being mistaken for an Upper District noble by now. Apparently I looked the part to just about everyone.
"I have my reasons. None of your business, though."
"We are La Vie en Rose. Let me warn you now—if you think you're safe just because you're a noble, you're sorely mistaken."
I let out a dry chuckle.
"Sewer rats gather in a little pack and suddenly think they're hot shit. Good grief."
My shoulders shook with quiet amusement.
Martina's brow furrowed. A tense ripple went through her subordinates. They were ready to draw their weapons at a moment's notice.
They were actually thinking of fighting even after witnessing my combat skills. That meant they were either suicidal idiots or utterly incapable of gauging their opponent's strength.
"One moment, Diva."
The eyepatched woman leaned in and whispered something to Martina. Martina's expression shifted.
She was likely advising her boss that picking a fight with me was a terrible idea.
Snap!
Composing herself, Martina sighed and snapped her fan shut, revealing the lower half of her face. In this day and age, a little cosmetic surgery could turn anyone into a beauty. Even so, Martina was exceptionally stunning.
It wasn't just that her features were pretty; she possessed a strange, captivating aura. Perhaps "raw sex appeal" was the right term for it.
A woman like this is obsessed with Gabriel?
It was hard to wrap my head around. She was a woman who had both power and beauty. Compared to her, Gabriel was nothing but a street thug.
"...I'll get straight to the point. I have only one demand. Gabriel becomes my lover. And naturally, he joins La Vie en Rose."
Martina glanced at Gabriel standing behind me and smiled faintly. Gabriel only scowled at her bold advances.
"Says who? I loathe working under anyone."
"But Gabriel, you're working under this young master right now."
"Th-that's more of a... a partnership. I just owe him a debt..."
Knowing Gabriel's personality, he was weak toward anyone he owed. That was why Martina had tried to put him in her debt with a carrot-and-stick strategy—so she could eventually bend him to her will.
"I'm not Gabriel's boss. I'm more of a sponsor, or a client. And unlike some people, I won't shoot at him or ambush him if he decides to walk away," I chimed in.
Gabriel immediately perked up, looking triumphant now that he had backup.
"Well said, Luka! You hear that, Martina? Luka isn't my boss. Do you get it now?"
Martina bit her lower lip, looking thoroughly vexed. It was an incredibly alluring expression. Even I, usually indifferent to women, felt a momentary tug of attraction.
"Gabriel, how dare a piece of street trash like you reject the Diva?"
One of the gang members couldn't hold his tongue. Martina snapped her head around, glaring daggers at the man.
"Who told you to butt in?"
"M-my apologies. It slipped out..."
I stood up and said I needed a private word with Gabriel. We stepped away from the gang members to talk.
"Gabriel, just date her and sleep with her for a bit. It'll make our lives a lot easier. You don't have to join her gang—just keep up the relationship. Compromise on this, and they'll leave you alone."
"N-no way."
Gabriel looked utterly horrified. I glanced from his face back to Martina, taking in her stunning looks once more.
"Hey, what's your problem? With a face like yours, do you honestly think you'll ever get another shot at a beauty like that?" I spoke with a hint of irritation. In my mind, all he had to do was close his eyes and endure it.
"She's older than me."
"So what if she's a little older?"
"She's older than my dead grandmother, for fuck's sake!"
Well. Okay. That was actually worth pausing over. Still, I kept a straight face and tried to soothe him.
"...Well, her shell looks perfectly fine, doesn't it?"
"I can't do it. I'd rather you kill me right here."
Gabriel was unyielding. Given his sheer desperation, there was no way I'd convince him today.
I scratched my head and closed my eyes. Beneath my eyelids, my pupils darted rapidly as I processed the situation. After a moment of deep thought, I reached a conclusion.
There was a bond between Gabriel and me. That wasn't something you could buy with money or force with power. It was a relationship forged through time and effort.
Right now, I needed subordinates I could actually trust. In that regard, Gabriel was irreplaceable. I couldn't just hand him over to some gang.
If negotiations fail... I'll just have to crush them by force. There's no other way.
I returned to the table and sat across from Martina. I deliberately adopted a rigid posture, radiating an aura that made it clear I was ready to fight at a split second's notice.
"Gabriel has already formed his own organization. He won't be joining La Vie en Rose," I stated flatly.
Martina's face contorted for a split second. In that fleeting moment, she was no longer a stunning beauty; instead, a glimpse of the old crone trapped inside her slipped through. It was a bizarre sight, as if her true inner self had briefly bled to the surface.
"Start a gang? Do you really think you can operate down here while ignoring us? It seems the young master doesn't understand how things work around here..."
"I might not, but Aleph of the Arena certainly does. I've already secured a friendly alliance with him. With the backing of the Arena faction, establishing the Gabriel Gang won't be difficult at all."
"...I have never failed to get a man I wanted."
"Then this will be your first time. A 'first' at your age is a rare, refreshing experience. Enjoy it."
Even I had to admit that was a pretty clever play on words. I felt a quiet swell of pride.
Ignoring me, Martina turned her gaze back to Gabriel. Gabriel crossed his arms and snorted.
"Gabriel, I can give you more than you could ever imagine. Please, stay with me."
I hadn't expected her to be so desperate. Gabriel seemed taken aback too, quickly averting his eyes.
"I believe Gabriel has given his answer. If you still refuse to let it go, feel free to try a show of force."
Silence fell over the room at my warning.
Tap, tap, tap.
I slowly tapped my fingers on the table, my foot keeping a steady rhythm against the floor.
I gradually dialed my combat reflexes to their peak. If push came to shove, I was going to slaughter everyone in this room. If negotiations failed, it was the only option left.
"Haah... Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Since you're already here, let's talk business, young master. You said you're starting a gang?" Martina leaned back in her chair, her intense demeanor suddenly deflating.
"What?"
I was caught off guard.
"You said you're starting a gang, right? Seeing that the young master's guts and skills are far from ordinary, I have no desire to make an enemy of someone like you."
Martina shifted her attitude so seamlessly it was as if she'd never been begging in the first place. I felt like an idiot for having braced myself for a fight.
"M-Martina? You said you loved me! You're giving up just like that?" This time it was Gabriel who questioned her, looking utterly dumbfounded.
Martina tilted her head.
"Oh, I just love throwing myself at ugly men. It makes me feel so beautifully degraded. 'How dare a piece of trash like you reject me?' Just thinking about it makes my skin tingle. Especially when I'm pinned down by a disgustingly hideous man..."
Martina smiled, her shoulders trembling slightly. I clicked my tongue as I stared at her flushed face.
It seemed that living too long warped a person's mind, and that wasn't a trait exclusive to nobles. She was a woman far beyond the comprehension of those of us who hadn't even lived half a century.
"Spare me the details. I have absolutely no interest in your bizarre fetishes and perverted tastes."
At that, Martina curled one side of her lips and snapped her fan open to cover her mouth. Whenever her expression shifted and her wrinkles deepened, the phantom of the old crone seemed to flicker across her face.
From there, we got down to actual business. I intended to expand the Gabriel Gang to a decent size. Having a foothold in the Lower District would undoubtedly come in handy if I ever needed to exert influence down here in the future.
"Our primary focus will be security and labor. It's what Gabriel does best. It won't overlap with your operations. In fact, don't you occasionally outsource security for your establishments?"
We agreed that Gabriel's crew would handle security for some of the establishments in La Vie en Rose territory. It was a natural extension of the work Gabriel was already doing.
As we wrapped up the details, Martina gestured to the eyepatched woman.
"...Young master, you're going to be short-handed for a while, aren't you? I'll lend you one of my subordinates."
Her intentions were transparent. She wanted to plant a trusted subordinate by my side to dig into my identity and motives. It was an obvious play, but I didn't mind.
Besides, that eyepatch woman will be ten times more useful than the junkies Gabriel dragged in.
To me, she was just another useful pawn to exploit.
"I am Grace, young master."
The eyepatched woman introduced herself, her tone far more polite than before.
"It's Luka, not young master."
"Understood, Master Luka."
Our brief introduction concluded.
Martina glanced at Grace out of the corner of her eye and added proudly:
"Don't be too shocked, young master. Grace is a former Imperial Guard Cadet. She dropped out halfway through, but it's still quite the pedigree."
I fell silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"...Well, color me surprised. An Imperial Guard Cadet?"
My surprise wasn't an act; I was genuinely shocked.
And why wouldn't I be? I never expected to run into a senior in a gutter like this—even if she was just a dropout who couldn't go the distance.