Orphan and Orphan
To cut straight to the point about the orphan and the orphan: the door that opened for me was indeed made of gold. Thanks to that, I’ve been enjoying luxuries my fate never intended for me. The only problem was that the golden door was drenched in blood.
Wolf Vito Fellini. The man who had picked me up after I was luckily abandoned at one of the mafia’s contact points. Wolf wasn’t only his nickname—it was also the term for orphans raised as killers by the mafia from childhood. Among those wolves, Vito Fellini was a legendary figure, essentially the executioner for the five families that ruled the city. In a single sentence, it was an orphan claiming another orphan.
I don’t need many words to describe my childhood. Time flowed past like sand through an hourglass.
“....”
“What, it’s already over?”
The woman lay silent on the massive bed, as if she had passed out. I left her there and moved to a dark corner of the room. With a pop, I opened a bottle of whiskey I had prepared earlier and poured it into a crystal on-the-rocks glass with just the right amount of ice. The moment the pale brown liquid slid down my throat, it washed away an old thirst. The pleasure of sharing a bed with a woman and then drinking this kind of liquor was familiar, yet it never failed to excite me.
“...Luke, pour one for me too.”
At her words, I filled a second glass and handed it over. She didn’t take it with her hand. Instead, her long tail coiled around the glass and drew it to her.
It’s fascinating no matter how many times I see it.
I had touched that tail several times before. The dragon scales covering it were incredibly hard and dense. Others might call it an exaggeration, but I had never seen a more beautiful dragonkin than her. Of course, I wasn’t one to talk. In this world I was no human, but an elf—long, slender limbs, pale skin that gave off a faint glow, and two ears that made their own strong claims. My height was a little short, sure… but aside from that, I had no real complaints.
“Thanks, shorty.”
She answered with a bright, cheeky grin.
“Shut it. Anyway, how long are you planning to stay here?”
“That’s my line. On a day like today, is it really okay for you to be fooling around with me?”
“....”
She was right. Today was an important day—the day we celebrated the victory of my father, the new ruler of the city of Hevilly, Vito Fellini.
“Where’s Luke? Why isn’t he showing up?”
The same question was being asked in another place by a woman named Elena Fellini—the Godfather’s only biological child.
“Ah, Luke won’t be coming. A shipment is arriving tonight anyway.”
“...Can’t he leave something like that to his subordinates?”
“It’s an important deal, so it can’t be helped. Our goods are being waited for all across the country.”
The man answering Elena was the Godfather’s nephew. Naturally, not a blood relative—the Godfather had been an orphan himself. From where he sat, Elena seemed dissatisfied with everything.
“You really haven’t changed, Elena.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You only ever seem to care about Luke, back then and now.”
“...Shut up.”
“Well, what does it matter? The kid will handle things just fine on his own.”
Vito brushed it off as if it were nothing. The other two didn’t dare contradict the Godfather. All three people at the table were mafia, though of course they maintained separate public faces. Especially Vito. After subduing the five families, he had begun operating openly as a respectable businessman.
Today, this building was hosting the Entrepreneur of the Year award ceremony, and the winner had already been decided: Vito Fellini himself. It was only natural. His reach extended to the mayor of this city and every member of the judging panel.
“....”
The Godfather slowly swirled the wine glass in his hand, savoring his predetermined victory.
“This is the most boring occasion of my life. Every time I come to an event like this, I ask myself—what the hell am I doing here?”
His words startled both Elena and his nephew.
“Still, it’s a seat for Father.”
“My daughter, remember this well. The men who came here have no interest in us whatsoever. All they care about is the money they can earn through us.”
“We’re the same way, after all.”
“Ah, the mayor has finally arrived.”
Vito’s nephew pointed at a man entering the hall, flanked by secretaries and aides. The moment he appeared, he captured every eye in the room. He was the mayor of Hevilly.
The mayor stepped onto the podium and began a speech whose outcome had been decided long ago.
While all of that was happening elsewhere, I was seeing off a certain lady.
Felicia Marinelli was a member of one of the five families who had stepped down from the city’s throne early, thanks to my father. I, her partner, had become the little wolf who succeeded the new Godfather as leader of the wolves. It still didn’t feel real that the two of us—oil and water—had ended up in this kind of relationship.
After being taken in by my new father in this world, I had at first done everything I could to avoid getting dragged into mafia business. But I gradually grew used to it. If Father ordered a kill, I killed. I stood in the way of those who challenged him and steadily built my own position.
We elves possess sharper senses and quicker reflexes than humans. In the world of crime, those were huge advantages. As time passed, I earned Father’s trust, and Father earned the trust of the five families. What mattered came after that. Father refused to live as nothing more than a tool for the five families. He had often told me:
‘Luke, never entrust to others what you must become.’
Years later, Father and I rose up against the five families. They were exhausted from their own rivalries, but subduing them was no easy task. What became of the five families today? They were reduced to mere caporegimes under our family.
That was why today was so important. It was the occasion to declare Father’s victory after he had subdued the five families and even carved out a place for himself in the public eye. But I chose not to attend of my own will. The claim that I had to receive a shipment tonight was nothing but an excuse—a small act of rebellion against Father’s decision.
Even before we subdued the five families, I had been in charge of this city’s port. Later I expanded into the Academy, and the enormous profits I earned there helped fund the great undertaking Father was preparing. Yet what I received in return was—
“Yes?”
“From now on, Elena will manage the Academy in your place.”
It was an abrupt announcement. The moment the Academy—my territory—was handed over to Elena, I was also told I would marry her. We had grown up together since childhood and were practically family, but honestly, our relationship was one of both love and resentment. I had received more affection from Father than his own child, and Elena had always envied and resented me for it.
In that sense, choosing to be with Felicia Marinelli was closer to picking the moon over the sun. The sun is too blinding to stare at directly, and the more you love it, the more you are doomed to burn away into ash. The moon, on the other hand, is something you can look at properly. It cannot illuminate everything like the sun, but it can still cast a gentle light on me.
“Sorry I can’t see you off today.”
“It’s fine. I’m not the kind of woman who gets upset over little things like that.”
She spoke while playfully swaying the tail that poked out from between her clothes.
“Luke, I have something to tell you before I go.”
“What is it?”
“Today, there will probably be people targeting the Wolf.”
....
“What? Why are you only telling me this now?!”
“Because I wanted to stay with you even a little longer.”
Is that really the answer you’re giving me right now…?
“Wait. Where did you even hear that?”
“From Father.”
Felicia told me to remember clearly why she was saying this. She and her father had nothing to do with what would happen today. I immediately headed for the telephone. Felicia watched me for a moment, then vanished without a trace.
When I picked up the receiver, the operator answered.
“Chamber of Commerce! Connect me to the Chamber of Commerce!”
“Yes, please hold for a moment.”
“Hurry!”
“....”
A short while later, someone picked up.
“Yes, this is Armo speaking.”
A calm, deep voice. It suited his reliable frame perfectly, but I had no time to appreciate that now.
“Armo! Get Father and Elena out of there right now.”
“What?!”
Armo tried to explain why that was impossible. He emphasized how important the occasion was…
“This information came from the Marinelli bastards! They said there are people targeting Father today! Tell him immediately and bring everyone this way!”
“...Wait. Just wait a moment.”
Why would one of the five families—the Marinelli Family—leak this information? And why through the boss’s own daughter, Felicia? If anyone hated my father the most, it was them. They must have refused to join the other families’ plans, or perhaps they didn’t want the chaos that would follow Father’s death.
“Big brother, what’s going on?!”
Just then my subordinates appeared. I couldn’t rely on Armo alone.
“You—take your men and head to the Chamber of Commerce right now.”
“Huh?”
“Now!”
“Ah, okay. I got it.”
I didn’t stop there. I also contacted the caporegime responsible for the district closest to the Chamber of Commerce.
“They’re targeting Father. I’ve already sent my men, so you head there immediately too! Understood?”
“Understood.”
If it were up to me, I would have left this place myself. But the shipment had just begun arriving at the port. One of the wolves came to fetch me personally.
“Luke, the goods have arrived.”
“...Got it.”
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce was still buzzing with noise.
“Father, excuse me for a moment.”
Elena stood up abruptly. Maybe she had drunk too much trying to suppress her rising anger, because she suddenly needed the bathroom.
“Uncle, congratulations in advance.”
“Yes, you’ve worked hard as well.”
“...Luke has worked harder than I have. That’s why I think it’s time to clearly establish the succession structure.”
“....”
There was a reason Vito’s nephew had brought up the topic. Until recently, the one considered Wolf Vito’s successor had been the little wolf Luke. But the structure had changed after Vito’s biological daughter Elena took over management of the Academy. Many people thought a parent’s heart couldn’t be helped. However, Vito’s nephew personally believed Luke was better suited to lead the organization than Elena.
“Yes, you’re right. It’s time to settle things clearly.”
The nephew found the word “settle” strangely ominous. That was understandable, coming from a legendary mafia boss. Yet no one could read Vito Fellini’s true intentions.
Meanwhile, I was meeting with the person in charge from the organization that had delivered the goods.
“...It’s been a while.”
“Little wolf! You’re still short as ever.”
“Hey, don’t call big brother short!”
We had known each other a long time, so there was no real heat in the exchange. Of course my subordinates got angry on my behalf at the man poking at my sore spot, but this didn’t even qualify as a proper joke.
“Sorry for the delay. We had a problem with the ship.”
“It’s fine. That sort of thing happens all the time. Give my regards to your boss.”
“Ah, the boss would be thrilled to hear that. Haremo!”
“Yes.”
The man suddenly called a name. A wolf beastman with brown fur emerged from among his subordinates and the dockworkers.
“This guy is my successor.”
“What? So he’ll be the one coming from now on?”
“No, that’s still too early. But you’ll be seeing him often so he can get used to the work. Haremo, this is Luke Fellini. You already know him even if I don’t explain, right?”
“Yes, of course! Nice to meet you, Mr. Fellini.”
The wolf beastman, who was much taller than me, deliberately bent down to match my height… but he overdid it. It almost looked like he was mocking me. Of course, it also proved just how short I really was.
“....”
“Haremo, that’s enough. Any more would be too much.”
The man in charge noticed my expression and stepped in. While his subordinates and the dockworkers unloaded the cargo, the two of us stood in the sea breeze and talked.
“...Luke, I’ve been hearing some bad rumors lately.”
“What? That I’m no longer the successor?”
“No, not that. Succession issues exist in every organization anyway.”
I still didn’t understand what he was trying to say.
“Big brother!”
“What?”
“....”
The subordinate who suddenly approached us had a strange look in his eyes.
“What is it? What’s wrong?!”
Another subordinate hurriedly brought over a radio.
“This is breaking news!”
Only the radio’s voice, announcing their deaths, echoed across the midnight port.