Chapter 181

Chapter 181

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 181The banquet hall where Walpurgis Night was being held was larger than expected.

Although the number of invited participants was small, considering that the employees, fairies, and witches were all suspects as well, the fact that we had to check them one by one was enough to feel overwhelming.

More than anything else... why were there so many people wearing hats?

Especially since witches' hats rose upward, it was difficult to check whether they had horns or not.‘To think I'd come all the way to a party just to stare at other people's heads...’Seriously, if it weren't for the fairy's gift, I wouldn't have taken on something like this.

“Junior. Should we start by checking them one by one like Lady Peak said?”

Maybe it was because we'd been moving around a bit.

Unable to withstand the heat, she opened a fan she'd taken out from somewhere and began fanning herself as she asked me.

“Since the space and the people are all spread apart anyway.”

Due to the nature of the event, there was no sight of everyone gathering in one place to exchange greetings.

The crowd was split into distinct groups and scattered around, almost as though they were lining up behind whoever they wanted to curry favor with.

“Let's check the witches first. The witches resting on the ground seem to take their hats off, so they'll be easy to check.”

“That sounds good too. But will the witches cooperate with us that easily?”

“Ah, that? You don't need to worry about that.”

“Hm?”

“Because witches are...”

______________

“Yesyesyes! Crown Prince of Calione! What can we do for you! Don't tell me you already missed us even though we only just parted? Hm? Please say yes! Please!”

“...

No, that's not it. I just got curious about something.”

“Curious about something? My number? Of course! Here! Take it! Aren't you curious about my home address too? I don't give it to just anyone, but if it's you, I'll give it to you!”

“Are you insane! I'm first!”

“Move ouuut!”

The witches' resting area instantly descended into chaos just because I appeared.

Witches.

The common evaluation of them was that they acted however they pleased, were impossible to predict, and could never be trusted unless bound by a contract... but most witches had one trait in common.

Namely, that most of them were massive suckers for handsome faces.

This was truly a moment when the trait 【Bad Boy】 was working overtime.

“No, ever since I was little, I've wondered what might be inside a witch's hat. I just wanted to satisfy a childhood curiosity... I've never seen witches before.”

“What a pure and adorable thought! Everyone, take off your hats!!”

“I have a cat inside my hat!”

-Meow.

“I have a pigeon!”

-Coo coo coo coo!

“...

Wow.”

This is seriously chaotic.

The biggest reason talking to witches was difficult.

It was because their speaking energy was so high that merely talking to them felt like it drained my mental strength.

More importantly, why the hell are they raising animals inside their hats? As expected, witches were impossible to understand.

“What do you think, Young Master of Calione? Do you like our scalps?”

I had no idea why the conversation had somehow reached the subject of scalps, but since they'd let me check under their hats this easily, I quickly examined their heads.

Blonde hair, silver hair, black hair, a pigeon, a cat, and a champagne bottle that looked like it had been stolen from a table.

There didn't seem to be anything that could be called horns.

“Yeah. No horns.”

“Horns? But we're not demons?”

Leaving behind the witches tilting their heads as though they had no idea what I was talking about, I looked at Yuli.

“It isn't the witches here.”

“Huh? Ah. Y-yeah. I heard witches don't easily show people the insides of their hats... how did you do that?”

Ah, was there a setting like that?

As expected, notoriety and Charm built up over a long time don't betray you.

“Guess I appeal to witches.”

There's a reason you can clear CS using nothing but Charm.

“Aah! Young Master of Calione, where are you going!”

“You can stay and play with us longer! We're free right now!”

Leaving the women looking pitifully after me behind, I moved on.

“Let's check somewhere else too. Walpurgis Night is shorter than you'd think.”

“Ah. Yeah.”

The sobbing of the witches behind us was a little creepy, but that didn't mean I could stay here and play with them.

From then on, we began moving around mainly through crowded areas.

Perhaps because of the brief confrontation between Faust and me, there were occasionally people who tried to strike up a conversation when I approached, but fortunately, whenever Yuli grabbed my sleeve, they would smile awkwardly and let us go.

Well, having company does make it burdensome.

As we continued looking over the others while moving around, we eventually reached the edge of the banquet hall.

“If we check those people, haven't we seen everyone listed on the invitations?”

“Right. After that, we'd have to check the employees... though I doubt it.”

That was because, as we gradually approached, we could see horns rising above one man's head.

His back was turned to us, so we couldn't see his face.

“Let's go talk to him.”

“Talk to him? Wouldn't it be better to just tell Lady Peak?”

Of course, our mission would be over if we simply reported that we'd found the suspect here...

“We don't know his face. If we're going to explain, we should at least be able to say exactly who he is.”

“I-is that so?”

“If it feels dangerous, just pull me back slightly like you've been doing. From what I saw, the others let us go pretty easily when you did that.”

“...

Okay. I'll try.”

Having convinced Yuli as well, I confidently approached them.

“Excuse me. I apologize for interrupting your pleasant conversation, but I came to offer my greetings.”

First, just as I'd been doing until now, I used the fact that this was my first time attending ‘Walpurgis Night’ to introduce myself.

Most people accepted it favorably that way.

“This is my first time participating as a member of Calione. I'm Eugene Han Calione.”

“Calione?”

For some reason, the man quickly turned his head after hearing my name.

Beneath his massive horns, I spotted a badge marked with a familiar symbol.

“The Hong Kong Triads?”

There was no mistaking it.

It was the same Triad organization that had tried to infiltrate Incheon Port in the past, only to be stopped by me, then sent one of their executives to our organization as an apology...

Oh-ho. So these guys are connected to the Villain Alliance, huh?

“To think I'd meet someone connected to our past here again. Allow me to formally introduce myself. Eugene Han Calione of Calione's Enforcement Division.”

I extended the hand wearing Midas's Gloves and offered him a handshake.

He looked reluctant, but in the end accepted it.

“We committed a grave discourtesy before. I am Joo Young-dal, chairman of the Hong Kong Triad's ‘Seven Leaders Society.’”

But soon, he put on a business smile and took my offered hand.

Round glasses, a mustache beneath his nose, and the long horns growing from his head.

He looked like the very stereotype of a cerebral villain.

“This is quite far from where the others are gathered. What brings you all the way out here?”

Roughly translated, that meant, ‘Why did you suspiciously come all the way here and talk to me?’

“I merely greeted everyone else first and came here last. From the looks of it... you seem quite busy.”

This meant, ‘Yeah~ you're not special~ I've already greeted everyone~ But what are you doing way out here? Suspicious.’

“Well, when discussing business, one naturally seeks a secluded place. Personally, I'd like to entertain you a little longer, but unfortunately, business is business.”-‘We deliberately came here because we're discussing something we can't let others hear. If you can read the room, why don't you fuck off? This isn't a conversation for you.’-“That's unfortunate, but it can't be helped. I hope you have a productive conversation.”-‘Oh, really? Well, I've learned everything I needed to know anyway. I'll deal with you later.’-A battle conducted through brief implied meanings.

Well, this should be enough. I'd confirmed his face and affiliation, so there was no reason to stay here any longer.

All I had to do was quickly leave and tell Peak his identity.

At just the right moment, I felt Yuli tugging on my arm.

Good. Then slowly back away like this...

“Hm? Why, isn't this Lady Rodman?”

At that moment, a Western man standing behind Joo Young-dal suddenly stepped forward, acting as though he knew Yuli.

A stereotypically Western appearance with blond hair and blue eyes.

At that, Yuli naturally hid behind my back.

“...

Senior?”

When I called her, wondering what was wrong, she quietly whispered from behind me.

“The man Father introduced me to...! Not my type...! Get rid of him for me...!”

“Pardon?”

No, why are you making me do that?

“And you are?”

I decided it was important to know who he was first, so I looked at his face.

“Huh?”

And then I noticed the horns rising above his head.

Those... aren't they getting bigger?

“Calione... you're the person who was speaking with Doctor Faust earlier. I'm Gary Franche. I run a small business in Europe.”

Gary Franche.

He was an arms dealer and lobbyist active in Western Europe and Africa.

The in-game description even stated that more than 30% of the firearms used by rebels in Africa had been supplied through him, so he could be considered a world-class lobbyist.

I had never heard any information in the game about him being connected to the Villain Alliance, so why was he talking with Joo Young-dal?

And why did they both have horns?‘I can smell it. I can smell it strongly. The scent of a conspiracy.’For now, I decided to play along with the situation.

“Nice to meet you. But could we leave this spot first? My companion, Lady Rodman, seems to be somewhat tired.”

Yuli placed a hand on her head in accordance with my excuse.

At that, a vein bulged on the smiling man's temple.

“Haha! I see. But... seeing the two of you so close together is somewhat unpleasant to me. She was having a marriage meeting with me until just a little while ago, after all.”

“...

A marriage meeting?”

What the hell is he talking about?

Did she have an arranged marriage meeting?

When I looked at her as if demanding an explanation, she blushed and whispered to me.

“It wasn't a marriage meeting! We just greeted each other and exchanged faces! And I couldn't help it! Father said he wouldn't give me the elixir if I refused!”...

If that's the reason, I can accept it.

Elixirs are precious.

“Well, you're not dating, so does it really matter? I'm only accompanying Lady Rodman because Count Rodman asked me to.”

From my perspective, I was merely saying that we weren't anything special and neither were they, so let's just let it go.

But... why were that bastard's horns getting bigger and bigger?

“Ha. Hahahaha. In that case, there's no helping it. Joo Young-dal?”

Then the bastard suddenly called to Joo Young-dal, who had been watching the situation from beside him.

“Let's do it now.”

“R-right now? But you clearly said we'd do it before things wrapped up tonight...”

“The target has walked directly in front of us. If not now, then when? Could there possibly be a better opportunity than this?”

“That is true... ha. Since things have come to this, let's do it.”

The two suddenly began having a conversation whose meaning we couldn't understand.

Although I didn't know exactly what they were talking about, one thing was certain.

The fact that they were openly discussing a plot right in front of us meant they intended to silence us.

“Do you know how I became the greatest arms dealer in Western Europe?”

Of course I knew.

The spatial magic and concealment magic he handled were truly world-class.

Tap! When he struck the ground lightly with his cane, a translucent barrier began forming around us.

A type of magic similar to what Peak had used on us.

“No one will know what happens inside this space from now on. Not Faust, not Peak. Not even your father. And... don't worry about your lives. Even we have no desire to make enemies of Count Rodman and Don Calione.”

As he said that, he looked toward Joo Young-dal, chairman of the Triads beside him.

“Joo Young-dal will take care of your memories. So simply think of this as a bad dream and give up quickly.”

“Ha.”

I couldn't help letting out a hollow laugh at their words.

They were going to conceal a space in the middle of a gathering attended by world-famous figures, do something to us, and then erase our memories?

And they shamelessly told us all of that outright?

Even to me?

Just how lightly did they take us── no, me, to be able to say something like that?

“Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak──.”

“Hm?”

I immediately drew the handgun I'd kept in its holster until now.

‘Toolsky Tokarev of the Old Republic Spy.’

I aimed it at him.

“A filthy rat is being awfully noisy.”

A space where we can fight as much as we want and nobody will know? Sounds good~───Bang!

That means this sound will be buried too, right?