11. The Traitor's End
"Of course we should torture them to death as painfully as possible. We've suffered quite a bit of damage because of that idiot."
"I agree with Petro. We need to make an example of him—kill him in the most agonizing way to enforce discipline in the family and the Committee."
The black-haired middle-aged man and the blonde woman across the table aligned their opinions.
"Edellante Family and Volbar Family are set on torture followed by execution, regardless. What about the rest of you?"
"We have a new drug we've developed recently. Even a small dose turns the target into a vegetable—fully conscious but completely paralyzed. And they'll feel every bit of the pain in the process."
The bespectacled, bookish-looking man said it with a gentle smile.
"Anyway, consensus is torture and execution. Well... doesn't seem like anyone else has objections."
Rosa's gaze shifted from the round table to the bosses of the other families.
They couldn't muster any opinions under her murderous glare, managing only stiff expressions while praying they wouldn't be the next target.
"Then it's decided. Combining the opinions of the four great families at the central table and all the others... the judgment for the traitor is execution."
Even in a Committee with bosses from every family, everything hinged on the four major families at the central round table.
They could voice opinions, but they'd have to deal with the consequences themselves.
"First agenda passes unanimously. On to the next item."
The most critical matter was settled, but with the Committee convened, there were plenty more issues to handle.
Some would linger afterward for camaraderie or business talks.
The meeting was far from over.
*****
Afterward, various agendas came up.
Disputes over territory between two families, or friction from new ventures overlapping with others' businesses.
Whenever tensions rose, Rosa mediated personally, keeping the Committee proceeding smoothly in a steady atmosphere.
Only after dozens of items were resolved or tabled did they take the first break.
"We'll take a short recess now. Return on time, and enjoy the refreshments and drinks."
With that, the family bosses relaxed, some resting, others chatting to pass the time.
...Looks like we'll get through this without any incidents, for once.
Committees always saw at least one flare-up, big or small, but this time everyone was on their best behavior—given the gravity of the betrayal.
It was only natural, with a traitor emerging from their ranks.
Siding with him or voicing the wrong opinion could brand you a traitor too.
Ivan, meanwhile, stepped out for some air while Rosa was away.
"Hey!"
But a sudden voice made him turn toward the source.
"...Levich."
"Long time no see? You've bulked up even more—your growth plates still open or what?"
The yellow-haired woman who'd been glaring daggers at him from the start approached, her twin-tails bouncing.
Thud.
Right up in his face, she raised a fist and lightly tapped his solar plexus.
"What kind of freak build is this? How'd you get so huge?"
"If you didn't eat like a picky kid, you could grow this much too."
Ivan answered offhand, lowering his gaze slightly.
The woman before him was Levich Kenendorf, captain of the elite guard protecting the Edellante Family boss—the guard's guard.
Relations between our organizations suck... but ours is a bit different.
Daily brawls had bred a grudging camaraderie.
"Not picky—gourmet. Picking only the best stuff isn't weird at all."
"To get proper nutrition and build a healthy body, you need to eat everything without—"
"Yeah, yeah, got it. First time in ages and you're already nagging like crazy."
She waved him off dismissively, half-listening.
He was used to it, so no real annoyance stirred.
"Hasn't been a Committee like this in forever, right? One called over something like this."
"With intel already leaked to the cops and feds, it had to happen. Even if it was just an attempt, they'd have called it to decide the traitor's fate."
"True, fair point."
Levich sidled closer, casually invading his space.
"Heard your associates got nabbed. Bad damage?"
"Not too serious. They weren't formal members anyway—just loose collaborators."
Associates were like quasi-members, low-level affiliates.
"Can't deny the business hiccups, though. Real headache."
"Same here. We just caught a cop spy embedded in our ranks—one of the caporegimes. Shocking."
As the mafia grew more ruthless and cunning in the shadows, the police and government pulled out all stops to crush them.
Only the slyest, most vicious survived this game.
"Things are shifting fast lately. Could be more leakers besides this guy."
"One boss flipping means his underlings could be rotten to the core too."
It wasn't something to dismiss as a single betrayal.
"Hey, what's that red mark on your neck?"
Mid-conversation, Levich looked up at him.
"...Just got bit by a puppy I was raising. No big deal."
"Puppy with teeth that even? Looks too neat."
"......"
Ivan fell silent this time.
He acted like he knew nothing, trying to brush it off.
"Don't tell me you got a girlfriend? That from some wild night?"
"...Think what you want. Not my story to tell."
Not a girlfriend, but the mark was from intense sex—and definitely a woman. Half-right.
But he'd never admit it aloud. Not on his life.
His relationship with the boss was a secret to take to the grave.
"C'mon, big grown man ashamed of one girl? My Darling brags about me everywhere!"
"Isn't your boyfriend just a weirdo?"
She had a boyfriend. Small guy, timid... but he seemed to genuinely adore her.
She, not so much.
"Don't toy with guys too much. Leaving marks like that? Nothing good comes of it."
"Nah, this time it's real—we like each other. You with your grumpy mug wouldn't get it."
She narrowed her eyes in a grin.
She looked genuinely proud, happy even.
"Whatever. If you want, romance master here could teach you personally."
"...What part of that did you even hear?"
Her bullheadedness was maddening, even for someone who only saw her occasionally.
Stubborn as hell, ignoring everyone else's input.
Ivan didn't particularly like her for it.
"Sigh. Fine, fine. It'll come out eventually, but if you wanna hide it, whatever. Generous me gives up."
"......"
Generous? More like empty.
Her lower body outshone even Rosa's allure, but her upper half was woefully flat.
Average frame, subpar chest.
"...You're thinking something rude, aren't you?"
"Just your imagination. Meeting's restarting soon—head back."
He played it cool, but she muttered before trudging to her seat.
Soon after, Rosa and the other bosses returned. Once seated, she spoke.
"Rest over. Second session begins."
Tap, tap, tap...
She drummed her fingers on the wooden round table, pulling documents from her pocket to review.
"First item of the second session: the gathering. We need to pick a venue, so suggest any suitable spots."
The gathering... time flies.
The gathering drew underworld rulers from influential shadows beyond Europe's families.
Once in late spring to summer, once in late fall to winter—for mutual cooperation.
Shadow dwellers had to stick together.
"Attending nations total five: Europe, China, Japan, Korea, Russia. America's out—presidential assassination attempt triggered a massive crackdown, grounding their families."
""...!!!""
The room buzzed at the bombshell.
America still played world cop in their world.
Near-miss on their president? Their guns and knives would sweep the shadows, naturally.
"Lately, incidents targeting the underworld keep popping up worldwide. Our footing's shrinking."
"......"
Everyone here felt it.
Laws tightened, public power grew daily.
"That's why we must unite now. Strengthen alliances, solidify bonds, expand influence however we can."
In this chaotic era, some would win, others lose.
To survive, they had to band together.
"All families, devote full effort to purging traitors for the time being. This is an order from me, the Committee's supreme commander."
The four great families—Clarte included—held the Committee's top power.
But Clarte's influence topped them all.
No one said it, but everyone saw her as the commander.