Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Friend (9)
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Iwamoto Yoshio stepped outside, and at that exact moment, Dennis and Saburo noticed the air around them shift. The man who had been acting so smug in front of them just moments ago, along with all the other staff nearby, had their eyes locked on Iwamoto Yoshio's family.
Dennis bit her lip at the atmosphere that changed far faster than she had imagined, taking a deep breath. Saburo, on the other hand, wore an expression of delight. He whispered to Dennis in a low voice.
"What did I tell you? See? No mistake. Look at their eyes darting around. That's proof Iwamoto Yoshio is a key figure in this organization. Why else would they stare like that? It's like they're observing his every reaction."
"...That's a relief, then. So now we just watch how Iwamoto Yoshio treats us."
Saburo twisted the corner of his mouth at Dennis's words. Everything he had decided up to now would be proven right or wrong in this very moment. So, how exactly would Iwamoto Yoshio handle these uninvited guests who had shown up out of the blue?
"Dennis. Saburo. It's been a while. Ha ha ha, how have you been?"
Iwamoto Yoshio's choice was a brazen, utterly nonchalant way of greeting guests. He acted as if he had no connection to the mansion at all, yet offered a friendly hello. It seemed he had already been briefed by the staff here.
Otherwise, he couldn't have that relaxed demeanor.
"So, what brings you all the way out here? Business, perhaps?"
He was beating around the bush, but the intent was obvious. It was a question about why the Prophets were causing a scene in his territory like this. Both Dennis and Saburo couldn't help but smirk at the transparent probe.
Even in a situation like this, he maintained just the right level of formality and indirectness. This guy was no ordinary player.
Saburo rolled his eyes for a moment, deep in thought. After some deliberation, he decided to match Yoshio's verbal footwork. As he had said before, they weren't here to fight.
"...Well, you could say it's business. Not sure what business our boss has coming to a place like this, though."
Yoshio let out a hearty laugh at that. It was as if Saburo had chosen correctly. As Yoshio chuckled and pulled Serika into his arms, stroking her hair, Dennis's face soured slightly.
Was he deliberately acting that way now? Did he suspect their attempt to win Serika over? Dennis looked closer and noticed another child following behind. They had called it a friendly gathering, but was this other kid being trained as a secret weapon here too?
Dennis's mind grew complicated. This was definitely the child she had seen at the facility, the one with the vague ability categorized as 'Possession.' She knew they were fairly close to Serika, but was this kid actually an organization member rather than just a friend? Could they be a spy planted at the facility to monitor Serika?
"Ha ha ha ha, just some personal business. You could call it a simple friendly gathering."
Oblivious or not to Dennis's swirling thoughts, Yoshio continued with his booming laughter. Dennis couldn't take that hearty laugh in a positive light. The way he had acted just moments ago was what muddled her mind.
In the meantime, Saburo noticed the driver nearby glancing back and forth between them and Yoshio, clearly gauging the situation. Seeing that confirmed it even more for Saburo. Yoshio and this organization were deeply intertwined.
Otherwise, why would the man who had been so composed against them earlier now look so pale and awkward?
"So, where should we sit?"
At those words, the man who had been spacing out snapped back to attention and nodded. He pointed to some empty seats and said politely.
"Yes, please have a seat over here."
That fawning attitude and flustered demeanor—Saburo tried not to miss a single one of his movements. The man who had been so overbearing in front of them was now fidgeting, his emotions plain on his face.
It was like he had been caught off guard, or perhaps he feared Yoshio.
Coincidentally, the spot where Iwamoto Yoshio's family sat was directly behind Saburo and Dennis, so the two couldn't see Yoshio's expression. But they had a clear view of the man sitting across from him.
He fidgeted as if lost in thought, exchanging glances, then suddenly stared at Yoshio and swallowed hard.
"Gasp...!"
"What's wrong?"
The man squirmed, inadvertently radiating hostility, while Iwamoto Yoshio calmly asked what was the matter. To take that considerable pressure head-on without flinching meant he was either incredibly dense or a battle-hardened veteran.
Iwamoto Yoshio wasn't the dense type, so he was clearly confronting the man boldly and without fear.
Saburo glanced to the side. Dennis was staring at Yoshio with a grave expression, sweat beading on her forehead.
Iwamoto Yoshio.
He was no ordinary heavyweight.
He handled any situation with effortless skill, unflinching even amid thick killing intent.
Dennis and Saburo could only slip away from their seats once Yoshio began the 'friendly gathering' in earnest. To be precise, it was a polite dismissal. The man who had invited them sent them off sweating profusely, as if he had shown them everything there was to see.
"You can head back now."
As they stepped outside, Saburo pondered the meaning of this invitation, while Dennis gazed at the two girls wandering the garden.
The man wiped the sweat from his brow, finally regaining his composure. The three exchanged glances briefly, nodding as if they understood each other without words, then turned in different directions.
As the mansion faded into the distance, they felt the watchful eyes thinning out one by one. With the weight finally lifting from their shoulders, Saburo stretched and muttered.
"...So, what was the point of that invitation, anyway?"
Dennis, who had been mulling it over, looked at Saburo and said.
"A warning, I'd say. A warning not to go digging around like this."
"A warning?"
Dennis nodded at Saburo's question and explained.
"Exactly. We've gotten closer to the organization's core than they expected, so they'll show us what we want this time. But don't approach like this again—that kind of warning."
"They'll satisfy our curiosity, so leave them alone? What a bold and arrogant idea. Issuing a warning to us Prophets not to be a nuisance?"
"...But he felt like someone who could pull that off. You saw it in the garden just now, right?"
Saburo frowned at Dennis's words. She was right. The casual yet commanding presence Yoshio had exuded in the garden was a relaxed naturalness that even underworld bosses couldn't easily mimic.
They said atmosphere lends weight to actions, and watching the mansion's people tense up and tremble at his every offhand move had even Saburo on edge.
Saburo said.
"True, he did feel like an impressive character. A headache if he becomes an enemy. But they don't seem interested in hostility."
"If we keep prying, this rapport ends."
"Yeah, we can report it that way. Dangerous individual—avoid friction as much as possible."
Saburo was the action leader, but not some thug swinging a blade recklessly. Inept swordsmen who couldn't gauge their opponent's skill met miserable ends. Saburo upgraded his assessment of Iwamoto Yoshio from flashy fool to dangerous figure.
"Alright, then..."
Saburo paused as he opened the car door, noticing Dennis's expression was still dark. After blinking, he said to her.
"Thinking about those girls, huh?"
"...Don't worry about it."
"Worry about our Carmen instead. She's a killer weapon in combat training just like them."
Dennis flinched and trembled at his words but couldn't rebut.
Saburo had a point. The Prophets had plenty of young members themselves. Some were even executive-level.
Perhaps Dennis felt differently because this organization's kids were fellow members, unlike Serika being abused under Yoshio.
Dennis blinked hesitantly, then stared out the window and said.
"...You're right. It's weird for me to worry about that when I'm not in a position to."
Saburo didn't respond.
He tapped the steering wheel with his fingers and said.
"Well, we've had our tea. How about some coffee to wash it down?"
Dennis recoiled and said.
"Enough already. Who drinks three cups of coffee a day?"