A New Generation (1)
The killer who had slipped into the academy to assassinate me was discovered and promptly dealt with.
It wasn’t surprising news at all.
Since arriving in this world, it wasn’t the first or second time something like this had happened.
“What?!”
Elena’s reaction, however, was extremely intense.
“It was probably sent by that Lusso bastard.”
“....”
Viola’s expression grew troubled at the suggestion that the Lusso Family had sent the killer. The fact that Darius Lusso was even more of an idiot than she had imagined wasn’t her fault, after all.
“What if it wasn’t from their side?”
Felicia offered another possible scenario. According to her, the family that clashed with the Fellini Family the most was the Lusso Family. It could be someone’s scheme, hoping to provoke a war between us and the Lusso Family by taking advantage of that friction.
“For example?”
“It could be the Poison Snakes Viola mentioned.”
In answer to my question, Felicia said it might be the work of the Poison Snakes who had returned to the city, based on what she had heard from Viola.
“It’s possible.”
“If we’re only talking possibilities, there are quite a few candidates.”
After replying to Viola, I checked Elena’s mood.
“....”
The intense emotions from earlier had calmed considerably, and she was quietly listening to our conversation in that state.
“If the killer hadn’t died, we could have extracted some information at least. What a shame.”
Torture and confession inducement were both Felicia’s specialties. If Elena had tortured the killer, she would have beaten him to the brink of death, but Felicia would have used more non-violent methods. The confession drug disguised as the earrings hanging from her ears was a perfect example.
“Elena, what do you want to do?”
“...Whether it was the Lusso bastards or not, we have to repay what was done to us.”
In a way, whether the killer was sent by the Lusso Family or not, the ones who sent him clearly wanted a war between us and the Lusso Family. Lusso wouldn’t have sent a killer simply to intimidate me. It was obviously carried out with full preparation for war.
Then there was only one thing for us to do: prepare an offensive against the Lusso Family.
“Viola, I’d like you to help us with this.”
The perfect person for the job was right in front of us. Viola Carmen, the former Lusso Family Caporegime who had been sent by my father to monitor and restrain them.
She showed a positive reaction the moment Elena spoke.
“Yes, of course. Killing my former boss is always welcome.”
Just from the way she spoke, it was clear she held no affection for Lusso.
“I’m planning to leave command of the war against the Lusso Family to someone else.”
“Is that so?”
Her loyalty to my father was beyond doubt. The question was her loyalty toward me and Elena. In the war, her greatest role would likely be as an advisor. She knew more about the Lusso Family than anyone else in the Fellini Family.
“Then who will command this war?”
At Viola’s question, Elena’s gaze naturally turned to me.
“Can’t be helped. Then we’ll have to leave the advance into the central district to someone else.”
“I’ll handle that.”
“I believe it would be better to concentrate our strength in one place.”
“No. Striking the Lusso Family is important, but seizing the central district is just as crucial.”
Viola was probably wondering whether we had the capacity to wage two wars at once. Fortunately, we had the financial king J. P. Hagen behind us. Even without his help, the money we earned through the drug trade was considerable.
“Viola, returning to us was the right choice.”
I briefly mentioned to her that the financial king Hagen stood behind us.
“That man?”
“He said this mess was interfering with his business. And we’re the ones who can clean it up first.”
“A very financial-king-like reason.”
“By the way, Luke. We won’t be supplying drugs to the Lusso bastards.”
“Yeah, that’s what we’ll do.”
Right after Viola finished speaking, Elena declared that drug supplies to the Lusso Family would be cut off. From now on, among the five families, drugs would only circulate to the three excluding the Carmen and Lusso Families.
“Thanks to Lusso being stupid, we get to benefit.”
Felicia mentioned Lusso’s foolishness in attacking before even receiving their first shipment of drugs.
After confirming the rough schedule for what came next, we parted ways.
*
When I returned to the academy in the armored car, more wolves than usual gathered around me.
“What is this?”
“Sister ordered us to guard Brother’s side with iron-tight security.”
It seemed Sarina had issued various instructions just in case.
“It’s fine. More importantly, where’s Kambara?”
“He’s in the office.”
Following the wolf’s words, I headed to the office and found both Sarina and Kambara there.
“Sarina, sorry for not letting you rest much.”
“What for?”
“We’re going to war with the Lusso guys.”
BANG—!
The moment Sarina heard my words, she slammed her fist on the desk.
“Ah! Why are you doing that all of a sudden?”
Kambara was so startled he nearly fell over backward. I instructed him to prepare all the forces stationed at the academy, leaving only the minimum behind.
“...Brother, we’re not going alone, right?”
“Of course not. The others will join us.”
Vincent Lumini, Fabio Carini, Armo, Viola Carmen. On top of that, Sarina and Giovanni. Six Caporegimes would be moving with me. It was the kind of force an Underboss of a single family would command.
“Armo is going with Luke instead of Miss?”
“Instead, Salmo and Carso will go with Elena.”
Anthony Salmo, Carso, Richard Vannella, Carlo Echelloti, Samia Zakaya. Five Caporegimes would move with Elena. One of them was the Consigliere, of course.
It was fortunate that the Gullymen led by Zakaya would be with Elena. Carso’s wolves were threatening, but the alligator-men possessed comparable strength.
“Then I’ll prepare my subordinates as well.”
Sarina seemed unable to contain her overflowing motivation. While she headed to her district, Kambara summoned the forces stationed at the academy and contacted each Caporegime.
“Kambara, send Viola and Giovanni to Carini’s district.”
“...Then shall I tell the remaining Caporegimes to gather at Mr. Lumini’s district?”
“Yes, do that.”
Kambara acted as if he already knew what I wanted to say without me needing to speak. I would move with Sarina, Armo, and Lumini, while Giovanni would move with Viola and Carini. It seemed best to cross from two directions and first suppress the northeastern part of the city.
Even if war broke out, the battlefield would be the northern and northeastern districts rather than the eastern part of the city.
Of course, it would inevitably take some time. Viola and her people had only just unpacked their belongings in their new districts. Still, I ordered each Caporegime to assemble at the designated locations according to my instructions through Kambara. Sarina grumbled that the other Caporegimes were slow in their preparations even though only a few days had passed, but it couldn’t be helped.
Elena was also busy focusing on preparations to advance into the central district. In addition, there were two Caporegimes who kept clashing right before an important operation. The issue between Echelloti and Zakaya needed to be resolved. Since Elena had personally intervened to mediate their dispute, if they caused the same trouble again, it would be my turn to pay them a visit.
...Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
The real problem erupted elsewhere. In one sense it was a trivial matter, but in another it was an extremely sensitive one.
It was the day I spent with Felicia.
Although today I wasn’t hers, Elena had gone shopping for me—who would belong to her tomorrow—and was on her way back to the hotel. Naturally, bodyguards and wolves escorted her.
Nevertheless, one man approached without fear.
“Mrs. Fellini, our boss requests a brief meeting.”
“...What?”
Elena rather liked the title directed at her, but the following words left her dumbfounded. Before the bodyguards and wolves could beat the man, Elena asked.
“Who is your boss?”
“Solomon. It is Dom Solomon.”
“....”
The Solomon Family—Elena knew them well. They were the group her father had dispatched to the Sanchez Family. To the hot-tempered Sanchez, he had unusually allowed their independence in exchange for shaking them off.
“We will drive you to the Rufus Carlton Hotel.”
The man smiled warmly, but the expressions of Elena and those around her were utterly murderous. The fact that he could maintain a smile in front of them was enough to show his courage.
“....”
Though reluctant, Elena decided to hear what he had to say. The moment the man opened the door, the person sitting in the back seat greeted her.
“Mrs. Fellini. It is an honor to meet the Godfather’s daughter like this. I am Domenico Solomon. Please, get in.”
Elena handed her shopping bags to the bodyguards and boarded the car. The vehicle naturally began moving toward the Rufus Carlton Hotel. Since the distance was short, their conversation time was limited.
“I truly wanted to meet you. I saw you at the Godfather’s funeral as well. Do you remember?”
“No, I wasn’t in my right mind at the time.”
“Ah, I see. That makes sense.”
“More importantly, if my husband learns you put me in a car in broad daylight, he won’t stay quiet.”
The meaning behind Elena’s words was simple: if you don’t want to suffer at my husband’s hands, say something worth hearing.
“That is exactly what I wanted to discuss. I heard the Little Spider has returned to you recently?”
“....”
“I have the desire to do the same, but unfortunately I have become one of the five family bosses.”
“You’re a boss of the five families?”
“Yes. The Carmen Family of that Carmen woman stepped down, and my family took its place.”
Elena snorted at Solomon’s words. Seeing that he had gained another ally this way, it seemed Sanchez wasn’t a complete fool.
“So what’s your business?”
“I would like to propose a partnership. My family and I earned 9.2 million pounds last year from the scrap business alone. If you supply us with drugs, we will give you five percent of our scrap business.”
“....”
“Of course, we will also pay the appropriate price. Just like the other five families.”
Elena did not answer immediately. She left only a remark that she would think about it, then got out of the car the moment it reached the hotel.
Afterward, Elena came to Felicia’s suite and told us what had just happened.
“....”
That son of a bitch. I stood up from my seat at once.
“Luke? Where are you going?!”
Elena called out urgently, but I was already inside the elevator.
I took the armored car straight to the person responsible. If I had gone to Domenico Solomon himself, I would have killed him on the spot. The place I arrived at was a restaurant in the western part of the city—the very place where the bosses of the five families gathered.
Eddie Sanchez, who had arrived earlier after receiving my call, was already there.
“You’re here.”
Sanchez spoke as I entered the restaurant.
“....”
I told him what had happened to Elena today. Sanchez’s face turned ashen.
“What did that bastard do? Does that even make sense?!”
“Is this the level of you five families? You dare kidnap another man’s wife?!”
“Hey, wolf. When we work, we don’t touch women or children. That’s our rule—”
Sanchez stopped mid-sentence. A waiter setting down his ordered food had brushed his hand.
“Get out right now! Everyone out!”
Sanchez ordered the waiter and every organization member in the restaurant to leave.
Regardless, I said what I had to say.
“As a courtesy, I’m informing the bosses in advance. I’m going to kill that Solomon bastard.”
“Hey, hold back. Solomon is a boss too.”
Then was it fine to kill the Godfather? I felt curses rising in my throat but kept them inside.
“First, sit down.”
“....”
“It looks like you’re about to have a big fight with the Lusso Family. Do you really need to go that far? We’re already getting headaches because of that Rita Carmen woman!”
“Then keep Solomon under control. If he pulls this kind of shit one more time, after Lusso it’ll be the rest of the five families’ turn.”
“Enough. I’m on your side too. I’m embarrassed by what Solomon did.”
“....”
“But… Solomon did wrong, but he didn’t touch the she-wolf, did he?”
BANG—!
I slammed the table in front of me with both hands.
“Hey, Sanchez. You’re telling me to forgive the dog act of forcing another man’s unwilling wife into a car?”
Besides, Elena was a family boss.
“Wolf. I will personally give that Solomon bastard a proper beating.”
It seemed Sanchez had finally recognized the seriousness of the matter. He promised he would meet Solomon himself. Though I felt even that was insufficient, I left the restaurant for now.
“...Damn it.”
Only a golem seething with rage remained in the restaurant.
***
