The Tasters (2)

Suddenly, Shira threw out a random comment and changed the subject.

Before Ju Kang-rim could react, Shira patted him on the shoulder and said it loud enough for anyone to hear.

"It's fine! You can't do anything about being born that way, but ugliness can be fixed! Chin up!"

Berzunak looked embarrassed as he tugged at Shira's arm.

"Miss, I told you not to point out that ordinary people are ugly. Ugliness is a problem that's hard to solve with personal effort. It's like an incurable disease. Just pity them and show some compassion."

"Ugh, sorry! I didn't think someone this ugly could even get into our hotel."

"He's probably one of the staff."

Berzunak and Shira took their gelato and stood up from the cafe table. Berzunak gave Ju Kang-rim a nod as they left.

A moment later, another gelato—apparently an extra order from Berzunak—arrived at Ju Kang-rim's table.

Ju Kang-rim couldn't quite process what had just happened.

Did they not recognize me?

No. The flicker of bewilderment on Shira's face when their eyes met proved he knew exactly who Ju Kang-rim was.

Yet instead of attacking or warning him, he'd protected him from the other Vito family members.

Or maybe he just wanted to humiliate me?

Ju Kang-rim stood and headed to the bathroom. If Shira Vito had spotted him and let it slide, he'd make contact somehow.

As expected, the moment Ju Kang-rim finished his business and washed his hands, he spotted Shira Vito standing right behind him in the mirror.

Shira slammed the bathroom door shut and glared at him furiously.

"Are you insane? What the hell are you thinking, barging in here?"

"You've grown a lot."

"Ha, ha, really? You think saying that will make me happy?!"

For someone saying that, the corner of his mouth was twitching like he actually was pleased. Growing taller and older meant he'd recovered a good deal of the blood he'd lost back then.

Ju Kang-rim had tossed it out as a jab about how many people he'd probably eaten, but Shira took it as a compliment.

"I figured you were hiding somewhere, but I didn't expect you'd be lording it up in a place like this."

"Lording it up? Don't make me laugh. I'm stuck in this shithole because of you—I can't even leave."

"Because of me?"

"I can't leave without settling things with my arch-nemesis."

Still on about that? Ju Kang-rim wondered if Shira Vito was still dumb as a rock even after aging a bit. It made sense why he'd kept his mouth shut in ninja biker mode back then. Staying quiet made him look a lot smarter.

"Oh, right—how's Murjick? He doing okay?"

Murjick was already dead. Drained by Shira and then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠burned to ash by Ju Kang-rim in broad daylight.

But Ju Kang-rim had told Shira he was holding Murjick hostage. He couldn't say he'd croaked.

"Not in my hands anymore. My boss has him."

Not a lie. He'd gone to the underworld, after all.

"I see..."

Shira frowned but seemed to accept it. Ju Kang-rim was surprised at how calmly he took it and voiced the question that had been nagging him.

"Why'd you protect me back there?"

"What? Protect you? I was just messing with you."

"Right. Guess I don't owe you one then."

Shira furrowed his brows and spat it out.

"You let me live too."

Ju Kang-rim was momentarily speechless at the response. Truth be told, releasing him had been a ploy to track the Vito family's movements. It had worked better than expected, reeling in one big fish after another with Shira as bait.

Ju Kang-rim was the one who should be grateful, but Shira framed it like he was just repaying a debt.

Still, Ju Kang-rim saw no need to build him up. Instead, he issued a warning.

"I warned you, but you brought the Tasters anyway. You really set on starting a war?"

"What? You know about the Tasters?"

"Of course. The vanguard of war—the ones who spill the first blood on the battlefield."

The Tasters were elite assassins dispatched when the Vito family committed to all-out war. Assassins softened enemies by spilling as much blood as possible during moments of complacency, then the main force followed to dig into the wounds.

The difference was that while regular assassins hit targets and withdrew, Tasters were sent with the resolve to finish organization against organization. They went in first and came out last—true elites.

"You really prepared to go to war with Sir Gerald?"

Shira glared back.

"I don't know. After Berzunak showed up, I lost command."

Ju Kang-rim had secretly hoped for a 'Hell yeah!' but no dice. Shira didn't seem to want full-scale war.

A spark of insight hit Ju Kang-rim.

"Is that so? How about we share intel then?"

"Talk?"

"You failed your mission, a proxy came in, and you lost control. Keep going like this, and Basha Vito drags you back."

"Yeah. So what?"

"I'm in a similar spot. We've been getting hit with ambushes lately—people dying or going missing. You might know Congressman Park Tae-hyeon; he was one of ours. Great politician."

Ju Kang-rim whispered snakelike, reeling Shira in.

"His death narrowed my position. We're guessing it's one of yours. We could exchange info, right?"

Shira's eyes widened.

"Hm... Park Tae-hyeon. Heard the name. But you're saying it wasn't just a disappearance—that the Tasters did it? Doesn't line up with when Berzunak entered Korea..."

"Assassins were already here before that. I don't care what happened to Park Tae-hyeon. Just give me minor hints—who, when, where, how, what your people are planning next."

Shira frowned at that.

"You want me to be a spy?"

"Info exchange. Getting purged from our orgs sucks for both of us. You've got Basha Vito as backup, but I've got nothing. Almost got purged recently myself."

Ju Kang-rim lied smoothly, subtly appealing to Shira's sympathy. He'd protected him in the lobby cafe earlier—whether pity or payback, emotions were a lever.

As expected, Shira hesitated. Ju Kang-rim pushed a bit more.

"You need results before they drag you out of Korea. Gotta save face with the home folks, right?"

Ju Kang-rim pondered why a royal family member like Shira was working as an assassin. Simple: he craved recognition. Not just as family, but as someone who pulled his weight—didn't matter from whom.

He didn't seem gifted in accounting, languages, law, business, or arts, so they put his Vito talents to use as a killer. Basha Vito watched anxiously from afar and was rushing over now that Shira was in trouble.

Ju Kang-rim was stroking that need for approval to draw him in.

"If things go well and we control our orgs, we could even cooperate properly. You don't like this situation either."

"..."

Shira bit his lower lip lightly.

Truth be told, Ju Kang-rim didn't care if they talked or not. No talk meant heavy losses for both Gerald and the Vitos—music to his ears.

But if Basha Vito might come to Korea, planting a mole in the family was smart. Especially if it was his foster son, Shira Vito.

"...Fine, deal. But you better ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠give me something useful."

He bit the bait. Ju Kang-rim grinned.

"You staying out of the loop hurts me too. I'll help you rack up quick wins and grab control."

Ju Kang-rim grinned and whispered.

"First off, let me tell you about our 'Knight Order' members in Korea."

"Met with Shira Vito and parted ways."

Ju Kang-rim consulted Yoo Wol-ryeong on countermeasures against the Vito family. He'd planned it with her beforehand, since it was like entering enemy territory.

"He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠agreed to talk easier than expected."

"As predicted by Deputy Ju Kang-rim. Learn anything?"

"Tons. He thinks he said little, but plenty to infer. Number of Tasters in Korea, info on the Arlberg Hotel... and most importantly, Basha Vito might enter Korea."

"Basha Vito."

Yoo Wol-ryeong murmured the name thoughtfully.

"The one Deputy Ju Kang-rim mentioned. A core VIP member."

"Core of the Vitos—take him and his twin sister Natasha, and the family crumbles."

The annoying thing about immortals was how they multiplied like cockroaches. They didn't hand out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠immortality willy-nilly, but the Vitos already had numbers. Catching spreaders like Kangryeong Daegun or the Vito siblings prevented more while dismantling orgs.

"What'd he give up?"

"Intel on Clint McCallen's Patriots and profiles on two Knight Order members."

Jeremiah and Luca. No consent asked. Surviving Tasters was on them.

In return, Ju Kang-rim got Arlberg Hotel details.

"Shira described it as an ironclad fortress. Casino and club entry's free for guests, but lodging security's tighter than Samdo Hotel. Like another country inside Korea."

Arlberg Hotel was a fortress itself. Golf course as plains and moat, dense guards, oblivious civilians as buffers. Especially floors 15+ for main family—no civilians allowed. Even servants were trained assassins from the main house.

Even if he infiltrated, Ju Kang-rim couldn't blend. Faces were IDs there.

He didn't think himself ugly, but infiltrating Vitos was a stretch.

"So, attack assassins outside the hotel. Can't storm like with Kangryeong Daegun."

Vito assassins holed up, struck suddenly, returned. Could monitor via electronic ghost, but responding personally every time? No. Couldn't demand routes from Shira either—he wouldn't endanger allies.

"What then?"

Ju Kang-rim considered letting Tasters slide since cooperating with Shira. Pit them against Knights.

But he changed his mind.

"Better strike fast."

"Why?"

"To promote Shira, remove current leaders. Berzunak seems head—kill him, Shira takes command of Tasters. Easier to watch Basha Vito."

But no storming. Or luring them out to desired spots.

Suddenly, it hit him.

"I've got a way."

"A way?"

Ju Kang-rim recalled electronic ghost photos and smirked.

"Let's do the one thing that annoys assassins most."