High-Level Camouflage (2)
The day of the appointment with the movie actor who wanted to interview me had finally arrived. In the meantime, I had been juggling multiple tasks. First and foremost, I devoted myself to my two wives, alternating days spent with each of them. I also led a considerable force to seize control of the Academy. In the process, I inevitably clashed once more with the Lusso Family, who couldn't let go of their greed. Naturally, it was our victory. The Lusso bastards probably never imagined I would move on the Academy this quickly.
After taking over the Academy, I left its management to Sarina and Kambara Zakaya. Matters requiring violence went to Sarina, while those needing brains went to Kambara. Surprisingly, for an alligator-man, Kambara seemed quite familiar with accounting and administrative work.
"Luke."
"Yeah?"
While waiting for the actor, I was spending a brief moment on the top floor with Elena.
"How are things on the Academy side?"
"Smooth. We've secured the humanities department and the other faculties as well, and we've dealt with the Lusso bastards properly."
"...I didn't realize they had any interest in the Academy."
"Exactly. They probably saw us pulling back to the port and thought this was their chance."
The boss of the Lusso Family, Darius Lusso, was a difficult man to read. Of course, his appearance was just as incomprehensible. He was larger than most vampires, with a savage physique. And for reasons I couldn't begin to understand, only the area around his face burned endlessly in flames. No wonder his nickname was the Burning Vampire.
"Once we completely dominate the Academy and its surroundings... should we strike the Lusso first?"
"No, that still feels premature."
The Lusso Family was undeniably one of the five families ruling this city. And they had their own insurance. The territory they held in northern Hevilly wasn't large. But outside the city, they controlled land several times that size. If an all-out war broke out between our two families, they would always have a place to flee.
"Then what do you suggest?"
"A surprise attack would be more effective than a full frontal assault."
Just like what happened to my father. For mafiosi like us, the death of a boss carried far more weight than it appeared. It wasn't for nothing that many families chose peace with their rivals over revenge when their boss was killed.
"Or we could make them fight among themselves."
"Do you think that will go as easily as we plan?"
Unlike the Marinelli Family, the Lusso Family had... rather hostile relationships among its members. The reason was the vampires' unique practice of polygamy. Not that vampires were the only interspecies race in this city with polygamous traditions. I wasn't sure if Darius was particularly lecherous, but the Lusso Family had long favored a peculiar strategy.
Let others fight. You, happy Lusso! Marry!
That bold saying was their family motto. In the world I came from, there was a similar house—the Habsburgs, famous for their lantern jaws. Come to think of it, King Taejo Wang Geon of Goryeo supposedly married twenty-nine times. I didn't know the exact number of wives, but I understood that Darius's wives numbered well into the double digits.
Polygamy didn't always lead to discord, but the Lusso Family was definitely a household overflowing with it. Darius encouraged competition among his many wives and numerous children. As a result, wives and children frequently killed one another. The irony was that Darius Lusso himself had risen to power by eliminating his own father and brothers—with my father's help, no less. They say children are mirrors of their parents. It seemed the son was simply repeating his father's mistakes.
"It's going to be tough, but we have to try."
I couldn't give up on avenging my father.
While Elena and I discussed how to deal with the four families excluding the Marinelli Family, the actor seemed to have arrived. The sudden ring of the phone made me snatch up the receiver.
"Boss, the handsome actor fellow has arrived at the hotel. Should I send him to the restaurant? Or...?"
"Have him wait in the restaurant. I'll be right there."
While Carso kept the actor occupied, I headed to the restaurant with Elena. Of course, there was no way Felicia would miss this moment.
"What? You're coming too?"
"Why not? There's no rule against it."
"...Today is my day with Luke. Don't forget that."
Elena spoke as if Felicia was a nuisance, but Felicia barely paid her any mind. As soon as we stepped into the elevator, she linked her arm with mine and wrapped her tail around my waist.
"...."
It felt like she was testing the limits of Elena's patience.
*
Because Elena had become an elf time bomb that could go off at any moment, the second the elevator reached the restaurant floor, I quickly ushered both of them out.
"Don Fellini! It is an honor to meet you!"
As I was about to enter the restaurant, an elf much taller and more striking than me approached and spoke. Seeing Carso behind him, this had to be the actor who wanted to meet me.
"Sorry, but I'm not the boss."
"Pardon?"
"Luke."
I was enjoying the actor's flustered expression when Elena gave me a pointed look from the side. Come to think of it, that wasn't exactly information I needed to volunteer.
"Then perhaps this lady here is...?"
"...."
"Let's not stand around talking. Shall we go inside?"
"Ah, yes."
Now that I thought about it, both Elena and I shared the same surname, so Don Fellini applied to both of us. Strictly speaking, since Elena was a woman, it would be Donna Fellini.
"Anything you want to drink?"
"Wine would be excellent."
I found it fascinating how relaxed this guy was even with mafiosi sitting right beside him. Of course, he seemed equally fascinated by us.
"Ah, I should have introduced myself earlier."
"I already know who you are. Luke Fellini. There can't be anyone in this city who doesn't know you."
"Then what's your name?"
"Antonio Jelaba. The movie I'm about to film happens to involve the mafia."
"With all the chaos going on, won't there be fewer people watching movies? Will that be okay?"
Felicia, sitting beside me, asked Jelaba.
"...To be honest, it's a rather difficult situation."
"The fact that an actor is personally gathering material by meeting even someone like me says it all."
"Haha, I suppose so."
Jelaba laughed good-naturedly and began asking me the questions he was curious about. Naturally, most of them concerned the mafia and crime.
"You don't need to know that."
"Pardon?"
I responded firmly to questions I absolutely couldn't answer or ones that would be dangerous for him to know.
"I'm starting to understand more and more."
"Understand what?"
I took a sip of the wine that had come with Jelaba's order and asked.
"That people like me—actors—and people like you—mafiosi—have a lot in common."
"For example?"
Elena, who had been quiet until now, asked.
"The more you don't reveal everything, the more attractive you become by keeping things hidden?"
I could agree with the first part, but the second felt ambiguous. Wouldn't threatening be a more accurate description than attractive?
"So, do you still have more questions?"
"No. You've already told me so much, Mr. Fellini. This should be enough."
With that, Jelaba suddenly stood up from his seat.
"It's not exactly repayment, but there's something I should tell you as well, Mr. Fellini."
"...What is it?"
"J. P. Hagen wishes to meet with you."
"...."
The expressions of me, my two wives, and everyone else present changed in an instant.
"Who the hell are you?"
"As I said earlier, I'm just a movie actor."
Even as he spoke, he handed me a business card. The name written on it wasn't Antonio Jelaba, but...
"Then I'll take my leave."
"Carso, see him out."
"Yes."
Jelaba disappeared from the restaurant, escorted by Carso and the other men. All that remained were us and Hagen's business card on the table. Upon closer inspection, a specific date and location were written on it.
"What does Hagen want with me?"
"I don't know, but it doesn't seem like a bad thing."
Felicia rested her chin on her hand as she spoke. It was too early to be certain, but she claimed it was a woman's intuition.
"Intuition, my ass."
Elena was curt with her, but she agreed that we should meet with Hagen.
"I don't know what he'll say, but... it's that Hagen."
"True. There aren't many figures in this city as powerful as Hagen."
His followers called him the man who elevated economics and finance into the realm of science. What more needed to be said? During the civil war in this country, he predicted the winner, bought up massive amounts of the victor's war bonds, and became rich. Then, in a war between two great powers across the sea, he believed in the defeated nation's potential. While everyone else sold off that country's government bonds, he bought them all and grew even richer.
Once, Hagen had been known merely as the grandson of a wealthy banker. But now? He owned dozens of companies—financial firms, railroad companies, steel corporations. One of them, his steel company, had once held the largest market capitalization of any enterprise in the world. His influence was so immense that people simply referred to his steel company as that company.
He was probably the most powerful goblin in the entire country.
*
My plan with the interview from Jelaba had been a form of camouflage. But from the very beginning, Jelaba's meeting itself had been someone else's camouflage. A camouflage that would lead to a meeting with Hagen.
Following the opinions of my two wives, I decided to meet Hagen. However, since Hagen had specifically asked for me, I would go alone. I had already asked Elena for her understanding on this, and unlike before, she readily gave her permission.
"Thank you, Elena."
"If you're that grateful, how about choosing me this Sunday?"
"Ah, that's a bit..."
"Luke!"
Elena seized the opportunity and made her move, but I somehow twisted away and avoided it. Elena and Felicia—the sun and moon in my life. The two of them might not like my attitude, but to me, both wives were equally precious.
The armored car I boarded departed from the Rufus Carlton Hotel, left the port area, and picked up Sarina and Kambara as we passed the Academy.
"...The car feels a little tilted."
"It's not me, it's this guy."
Sarina pointed at Kambara sitting in the passenger seat. Indeed, the passenger seat looked far too narrow for him. It was like watching an alligator trapped in a cage smaller than its own body.
"We're going to meet Hagen now."
"Yes, I heard from Carso."
"...Is this the Hagen I know?"
It seemed this was news to Kambara.
"That's right. There may be many people named Hagen in this city, but there's only one wealthy goblin by that name."
"...."
Kambara looked genuinely shocked. That made sense—my father had never met Hagen in person either. I was extremely curious why someone like him would want to see me.
"Why does that goblin want to see Luke?"
"I don't know. We can only hope it's not for a bad reason."
"Well, even if it is, we can just kill him when the chance comes."
"Kill Hagen?!"
When Kambara asked in surprise, Sarina countered bluntly.
"They say his mansion is swarming with golem bodyguards."
"Hagen himself isn't a golem. So there will be plenty of opportunities."
Listening to the two of them talk, I couldn't help but chuckle. Kambara looked at me with a puzzled expression, but Sarina saw me and laughed along. But that laughter didn't last long.
We had arrived at our destination, which turned out to be none other than Hagen's grand mansion.
"It looks like a palace where a king would live."
"He is a king, in a way. The Financial King."
Kambara's words weren't entirely wrong. After that, I stepped out of the car through the door that Kambara opened for me.
"Alright. Let's go."
"Yes."
It was time to meet the most powerful goblin in this city—no, in this entire country.