Chapter 218

Chapter 218

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 218Inside Palermo Cathedral after everyone had left.

The interior was already dyed red as the light of the setting sun streamed in.

Amid that, a middle-aged man sat blankly staring at the cross.

“...

This is almost absurd.”

Recalling what had just happened, he stroked the ring on his finger.

“Hey.”

“Yes. Don Medici.”

An answer came to the question he directed at empty air.

Another man was now sitting in the place where only Medici had been just moments ago.

“That child from earlier. What do you think of Calione Junior?”

The suited man who had appeared as though from nowhere rolled a brief silence around in his mouth after hearing Medici's question before answering.

“A monster.”

“Oho. A monster?”

Knowing how difficult it was to draw such an evaluation from his mouth, Medici turned his head with an amused smile.

“You think so as well?”

“I thought the very fact that someone his age could make such actions and judgments was absurd.”

The man spoke while recalling what had just happened.

The boldness to walk into the middle of enemy territory, even if it was a cathedral. The thoroughness to bring the ‘Midsummer Pass’ so he could respond at any moment if danger arose. And even the way he maintained the initiative throughout the entire situation.

“Doesn't he resemble his father perfectly?”

“...

He does. That's why I'm even more wary.”

Medici nodded at the man's assessment.

“How in the world did he learn about the Ignis Giant...”

The fact that the Medici Family was targeting the Ignis Giant was top-secret information known only to a small number of people.

On top of that, they had attached a plausible reason to it in order to conceal the information as thoroughly as possible, yet Eugene Han Calione seemed to already know everything, even what lay behind it.

Clench─.

Medici clenched his fist and opened his mouth.

“How much do you think that bastard knows?”

“...

Judging by his attitude and actions. I believe he probably knows everything.”

“Yes... so that's how it is... what a chilling bastard.”

The child had clearly answered that Calione's intelligence division knew nothing about this.

That meant he possessed his own private intelligence organization separate from Calione itself.

“Has he already built an organization capable of easily surpassing even Calione's intelligence division...!”

At that age?

Medici shook his hand as he felt cold sweat running without realizing it.

“...

Absurd.”

Imagining an organization that did not even exist, he ordered the man.

“From now on, focus even more heavily on security. If anyone behaves suspiciously or fails in security, you may punish them immediately.”

“...

I will follow the Don's order.”

Answering Medici, the man's form gradually disappeared as though melting into the shadows.

Now looking at the cathedral dyed completely red, Medici stood and looked at the statue of a saint before him.

“Forgive us the sin of the blood we shall cause to be shed, and grant us peace──.”

______________

After smoothly concluding negotiations with Medici.

When I returned to the original cabin with light steps, I found two people sitting at the dining table with grave expressions.

“Uh... I'm back?”

When I spoke first because of the indescribably heavy atmosphere, the two of them turned toward me and sprang to their feet.

“Y-you're back?!”

“How did it go! Are you all right?”

Apparently they had been waiting for me until now, because their reactions were quite intense.

“Everything was resolved well. Please calm down first.”

After calming them and sitting in an empty chair, the two remained restless.

“So what did Medici say? Did he say he'd reduce the debt somewhat?”

“You said it went well...? It really is okay, right?”

Given the seriousness of the matter, it seemed they couldn't calm down easily.

Smiling at the two of them, I began explaining the deal I had made with Medici.

“I'll be participating in a project currently being undertaken by the Medici Family. I've agreed to participate as a mercenary and assist the Medici family. In return, we've made a deal where not only will the Maestro's debt be forgiven, but I'll also receive a modest reward.”

Of course, I left out everything about the Ignis Giant.

Since it was still considered classified information within Medici, there was no need for these two to know.

No, rather, I judged it was better for them not to know, since recklessly learning about it could bring retaliation.

Curiosity kills the cat, after all.

“...

They really accepted an offer like that? Even while giving up an astronomical amount of money?”

But as expected, he reacted as though he couldn't easily believe it.

That reaction was only natural.

Something that had tormented him until now had disappeared so simply.

But.

“It's me we're talking about, not just anyone else. It's a little embarrassing to say it myself, but I'm not the kind of mercenary you can easily obtain even by paying money.”

“Huh.”

Well, to be precise, this deal was enormously profitable for me thanks to that.

I would be joining the Medici family in the raid.

Put another way, I was simply handling something I would have had to do eventually anyway, except with the Medici Family's support.

“This... I truly don't know what to say. Then what happens from here?”

“For now, they won't come looking for you over the debt situation. You'll be able to use the workshop in the village again as well. However, the debt will only disappear once I complete the request, so you aren't completely free yet.”

They weren't fools.

The Maestro's debt was no longer a means for their profit, but a kind of leash to ensure I kept my promise.

That showed just how important the Ignis Giant was to them.

But they still didn't know.

That the leash would eventually turn toward them instead.

“A request from Medici... it seems I will once again owe Calione a great debt...”

Ludvio was a man who understood the laws of this world very well.

In this world, kindness became a debt, and that debt would eventually become a fate one had no choice but to repay.

That was why he wore a smile that felt both relieved and bitter.

“About that, Maestro.”

That was why I decided to lighten his burden even a little.

“For this raid, I would appreciate it if you could work on these shoes anew.”

Saying that, I placed Black Mist

, which I had stored inside the Cube before coming here, on the table.

The shoes rested quietly on the table while scattering a faint black mist.

“...

Is this. A relic?”

At that, his voice changed as he stared at Black Mist with a clear gaze completely different from before.

“That is correct. The name of these shoes is Black Mist. They're the shoes I currently use.”

“May I inspect them for a moment?”

“Of course.”

With my permission, he slowly reached toward Black Mist and lifted the shoes.

He examined them here and there with delicate and gentle hands, as though looking after a newborn baby.

Of all the appearances Ludvio had shown until now, this was the most serious.

“...

Beautiful.”

The first thing to leave his mouth was praise.

“Not only the seams, but even the materials used can truly be called top-class. Considering that it is a relic, it's almost astonishing to imagine what kind of person caused a narrative to dwell within this object.”

After setting Black Mist down again, he slowly steadied his heated breathing as though suppressing his excitement, then looked at me.

“So how would you like me to work on this child?”

It meant he was willing to accept my request.

I smiled and began taking the materials I'd stored inside the Cube out one by one, placing them beside Black Mist.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.[Name: Essence of a High-Ranking Dark Spirit][Rank: Unique][Type: Material][Description: The essence of a dark spirit that should originally have been immortal, but returned to nothingness.

Just looking at it seems to evoke endless darkness.][Name: Thunder God's Stone][Rank: Unique][Type: Material][Description: A stone containing the power of the Thunder God. It emits a powerful electrical current on its own and increases spirit affinity.][Name: Evil Dragon's Scale][Rank: Unique][Type: Material][Description: A scale that can be called the armor of dragons, the progenitors of magic. It is currently dyed in an unfathomably dark energy due to the influence of an Evil Dragon. It appears to possess strong resistance to magic.]

“These are the materials I've prepared for the enhancement. What do you think?”

I looked at him after taking out every material I had prepared for this enhancement.

“───!”

His mouth hung wide open, and he wore the most shocked expression I'd seen from him yet.

“Th-th-th-th-this.”

He was so shocked he couldn't even speak properly.

“G-Grandpa? Grandpa? What's wrong?”

Unable to understand his reaction, Elena grabbed Ludvio and shook him.

Only then did he squeeze his eyes shut once, then open them as though regaining his senses.

“W-where in the world did you obtain these?! I've been a Maestro for decades, yet even I've never seen materials of this caliber gathered together in one place!”

Well, it wasn't hard to understand his reaction.‘Essence of a High-Ranking Dark Spirit’ alone, as far as I knew, was an item that hadn't even appeared on the market during this period, while the ‘Thunder God's Stone’ was also something that barely circulated on the market.‘Evil Dragon's Scale’ was fresh material from a creature defeated not long ago, so this was probably the first time it had ever been revealed to the world.

“Grandpa, what exactly is this for you to be so surprised?”

At that, she looked at the scale placed before her and slowly reached out.

“That. Is a scale from the Evil Dragon Fafnir.”

“W-what?! F-Fafnir? You mean the dragon that nearly destroyed an entire island in the past?!”

“Yes. I heard that the Vatican recently succeeded in subjugating Fafnir, but who would have imagined that its byproducts would appear here?”

Looks like word that the credit for Fafnir's subjugation had been given to the Jeju Diocese had already spread this far.

Apparently the Vatican had used the news for their own propaganda.

“I participated in that raid as well. These are byproducts from it, so you don't have to worry about their origin. So... can you do it?”

He was currently the finest craftsman related to shoes among those I knew.

There was no craftsman other than him who could handle materials of this caliber right now.

“I'd like you to exercise your creativity as much as possible, Maestro.”

“Phew.”

At my words, he sighed and stood up, grabbed the bottle of wine from the corner of the table, and began drinking straight from it.

Gulp

- gulp

- gulp

- gulp

- His throat moved continuously as the wine in the bottle steadily diminished.

After draining the entire bottle in an instant, he wiped his mouth and looked at me.

“...

For a long time, I had put down the hammer and leather. Lamenting the reality that had fallen upon me. I thought my passion as a craftsman had already disappeared.”

Bang! He set the wine bottle down with a loud sound and pounded his own chest.

“But you know something. That wasn't true. After hearing your words and seeing the things placed here, that passion began moving again. It just... burned so hot it felt like it would set my chest ablaze! Even wine can't extinguish this heat! It's as though I want to pick up a hammer and needle this very moment.”

“...

Grandpa.”

Elena's eyes began growing moist as she watched Ludvio.

“I'll give it a try. You're the one who reignited the heart of an old man who was almost dead. How could I refuse your request!”

Saying that, Ludvio stood and immediately put on the coat hanging from the chair.

“First, I suppose we should go down to the village and clean the workshop. Elena, could you help me a little?”

“...

Yes! Grandpa!”

Unlike the way he'd looked until now, he was brimming with passion.

Seeing that, I smiled and stood as well.

“Let's go together. I'll help.”

It's my baby we're making, so of course I should lend a hand too, right?