Chapter 28

Chapter 28

I Became the Academy Mafia, Chapter 28Was it because they had seen a companion die before their eyes without being able to resist at all?

Once one or two of them threw down their weapons and began surrendering, the others followed suit.

In the end, the only one left was the officer who had come as their leader.

“Everyone else has surrendered. Are you planning to keep this up until the very end?”

The man continued glaring at me without putting down the weapon in his hand.

Red laser points from the snipers were already floating all over his body.

“If I surrender here, I don’t know what punishment I’ll receive from the organization back home. Wouldn’t it be better to at least leave proof that I resisted until the very end?”

“...

For such a pathetic reason?”

“What?”

When I gestured into the air, the red points aimed at him disappeared at once.

“If that’s your reason, then you can surrender without worrying.”

I turned around and gave him the answer to the problem he had been agonizing over so much.

“Because Calione has no intention of letting a dog that bares its teeth live.”

A moment later, I heard the clattering sounds of the other organization members binding him.

A mission that ended more easily than expected.

For the report, I called the work phone number of Parnello that I had received before the mission.[It seems you finished earlier than expected.]

The moment he answered, Parnello’s kindly voice came through.

“Yeah, everyone’s been restrained. We’ll hand them over to the branch near Incheon Port as they are.”[Yes, you’ve worked hard. In that case, once you return to the main residence, I believe you should come to the Don’s office.]

“To Father’s office? At this hour?”[Yes. The Don has something to say.]

“...

I’ll head there immediately.”[I’ll be waiting.]

After ending the call and turning around, I saw the organization members lined up, waiting to receive further instructions.

“The Don has summoned me, so it looks like I’ll have to leave first. Will there be any problems getting them to the Incheon Branch?”

“No. We’ve put mana restraints on all of them, so there won’t be any problems.”

“I’m counting on you.”

After patting the man’s shoulder a couple of times, I got into the sedan I had ridden here.

Since it was very late, we sped along the roads without any congestion.

“Young Master, are you injured anywhere?”

Han Seo-jun cautiously asked while glancing at me through the rearview mirror.

Since I had gone out on a mission late at night, Han Seo-jun, who served as my accompanying secretary, had ended up working until this hour as well.

“Yeah, they were bigger idiots than I expected, so I didn’t get hurt. You’re working hard because of me at this late hour.”

“Not at all. Isn’t this why I’m paid so much?”

Following Han Seo-jun, who laughed as he tried to lighten the mood, I also chuckled.

“I’m glad you see it that way.”

Not long after, I arrived home. Before seeing Father, I took a quick shower and then headed straight to the study where Father was.

“Welcome back, Young Master.”

Parnello was standing in front of Father’s study, apparently waiting for me.

“The Don is waiting inside.”

After lightly bowing my head toward him, I knocked.

“Father, it’s Eugene.”[Come in.]

I always felt this, but entering Father’s room never failed to make me nervous.[Trait: Hitman]

Even with this trait, I was this tense. Just how monstrous a person was ‘Vito Calione,’ really?

“You arrived faster than I expected.”

After confirming that I had entered, Father rubbed out the cigar in his mouth against the ashtray.

“Yes, the organization members who came with me were highly capable, so we were able to finish sooner than expected.”

“Haha! Do you think I wouldn’t have received a report? Judging by the report alone, it wouldn’t be wrong to say you practically handled everything yourself.”

As expected, a separate report had apparently reached Father from that side, and he spoke with great delight.

“Yes. Between the Blunte Family matter last time and this one, you’ve shown results even better than I expected every time. I’m beginning to worry about what I should even give you as a reward.”

“You flatter me. This is family business. How could I ask for a reward?”

“Hahahaha! To think that greedy child grew up like this. Good, good. Then... right. Parnello!”

At Father’s call, Parnello opened the door and entered.

“You called, Don.”

“I think it’s about time Eugene learned not only physical training, but management as well. What do you think?”...

Management?

“In my view, Young Master is already fully prepared to learn the organization’s business. I believe it would be right to follow the Don’s wishes.”

“Hahaha! If you say so, then I suppose I’m not wrong. In that case... Right! We can leave this matter with the Triad to Eugene. Parnello, will you assist him at his side?”

“I will follow the Don’s words.”

“Good. Then I can tell them at tomorrow’s meeting that I entrusted this matter to Eugene. Other than that... hmm. Perhaps I should help this much.”

Saying that, Father took a phone from his desk drawer and began calling somewhere.

“It’s me. You know very well why I called.”

Who was he talking to? Just as I was wondering.

“It is the Boss of the Triad that attempted to enter Incheon Port illegally today.”

Parnello, standing behind me, quietly told me who was on the other end of Father’s call.

Wait, that was someone he could call this easily?

“I won’t waste words. Two hours. Use whatever means necessary and bring the person responsible before me within two hours. If you fail to arrive here even after two hours... I’ll personally step in.”

Unlike the voice that had praised me just moments ago, Father’s voice was now exceedingly solemn and weighty.

Father silently listened to the voice on the other end, then left the words, ‘I’ll be waiting,’ and hung up.

“He says he’s coming. Parnello, prepare a place where Eugene and that man can negotiate. I’ll stay here and watch how Eugene conducts the negotiation.”

“I will do as the Don says.”

“And Eugene. If you handle this matter well... I’ll put a proposal on the agenda at tomorrow’s meeting about whether you should be promoted to an executive position. You can do well, can’t you?”

A reward I could receive because I was Calione’s successor and had recently concluded two incidents successfully.

For an ordinary organization member, it was a reward they couldn’t even dream of, practically dropped right in front of me.

“I’ll do my best to meet your expectations, Father.”

“Good. I’ll look forward to it. Ah, and if you finish everything tonight, you won’t get proper sleep... so perhaps I should give you this.”

Saying that, Father naturally handed me something from his pocket like a grandfather giving candy to his grandson.

“It’s a gift that came in recently. You’ve been working hard lately, so shouldn’t you be the one to take it?”

“What is this...?”

“They say it’s a fatigue recovery potion made by a famous place. No matter how busy Family work gets, it shouldn’t interfere with your studies, so drink this at least.”

A glass bottle rested on my hand.

If my memory was correct, this was definitely the fatigue recovery potion from the Alchemist Workshop that appeared in the game as an item that reduced fatigue.

Even in the game, it was something you could only barely obtain after reaching max level, so it was probably quite valuable here as well.

With a grateful smile, I drank the potion Father had given me in one gulp.

“Thank you for looking out for me, Father.”

“Haha! It’s only a fatigue recovery potion. Good, good. Then wait until those people arrive. As for this father of yours... since my son says he’ll take care of the work for me, I suppose I can close my eyes for a while.”

Normally, this matter would also have been something Father himself had to handle, but it seemed he intended to leave it to me this time and rest for a while.

As Father was the ‘Don’ of countless Calione organizations, time like this to rest must have been extremely precious.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Good. Work hard, Eugene.”

Father waved a hand toward me and leaned back in his chair.

After greeting him and leaving the room, I let out a sigh to release the tension I had been holding in until now.

“Hoho. I thought you had grown much more mature lately. It seems you still become nervous before the Don.”

Parnello smiled kindly as he watched me sigh.

“The Don ordered them to arrive within two hours, so they will undoubtedly arrive within two hours. In the meantime, why don’t you rest as well, Young Master?”

“...

I suppose I should. But Parnello, there’s something I’m curious about.”

“If it is something I know, I will answer with all sincerity.”

I nodded at Parnello’s answer and asked the question that had just occurred to me.

“If they were the kind of people who would come all the way to Korea after a single summons from Father, why did they even think of sneaking in behind Calione’s back?”

“Ah, that?”

Hearing my question, Parnello stroked his beard and spoke.

“There are people like that from time to time. People lost in the delusion that, ‘If we resisted with everything we had, we could at least wound Calione.’ But in the end, they face reality, and that delusion comes to an end.”

“Hmm?”

“A representative example would be... yes, think of the achievement you accomplished today, Young Master.”

What happened today?

Twenty elite members carefully selected by an organization.

The moment they arrived at the port, communication was cut off, and every one of them was captured alive.

All of it caused by a single Calione Hitman.

“...

I think I understand.”

“Right? With that alone, they become frightened and fall into another delusion, wondering whether perhaps ‘that Calione’ might show mercy. And if they receive a call from the Don in that situation? They come first and think later. In order to find some way to survive.”

Even though Calione never lets dogs that bare their teeth leave alive.

Parnello chuckled as he murmured the fact everyone knew about Calione.

“That may be why both the Don and I are worried, yet also looking forward to seeing what choice you make, Young Master. And through this matter, it seems the Don intends to determine whether you possess the qualities of an executive.”

From Father and Parnello’s perspective, it was practically as though I would be deciding the fate of hundreds of people.

If I became a Calione executive, situations like this would continue to arise in the future. Perhaps that was why they wanted to check in advance.

But perhaps Father and Parnello still saw me as young.

“Then that’s fortunate.”

“Pardon?”

Parnello tilted his head at my words.

“In the end, doesn’t it just mean I have to make the choice most befitting Calione? If so, the answer is simple....

Because I’m Calione too.”

Among the countless playthroughs I had already experienced, there had been things even greater than this.

This was nothing.

If anything, I was confident that I might have even more experience when judged by experience alone.

So just as I had until now, I simply had to trust my judgment and choices and move forward.

I resolved that through this matter, I would definitely show Father and the organization my potential as a successor.

And Parnello looked at me with a satisfied smile.

“Indeed. It seems this old man worried for nothing. You too are Calione, Young Master.”

Parnello bowed toward me.

“Then I’ll go escort our guests as soon as they arrive. Please rest.”

“...

I’m counting on you.”

Looks like getting any sleep tonight is out of the question after all.