052
Gabriel, who had been heavily dosed with painkillers, followed me out.
“Damn, this hurts so bad!”
Gabriel grumbled and grumbled. I frowned, my ears stinging.
“Don’t joke around. You’re wasting your size.”
“I was shot the day before yesterday! Shot!”
“I didn’t even shoot it, so why are you yelling at me?”
“You, don’t you have a human heart?”
I ignored Gabriel’s complaints and headed to the black market. Gabriel knew the way well.
“Get out of the way, get out of the way.”
Gabriel pushed his way through the crowd, speaking harshly. Thanks to this, the road was wide and there were no pickpockets nearby, so it was comfortable.
As we passed through the long alley, we saw a pile of buildings entangled with illegal expansion. There were many places that were as dark as night even in broad daylight because they did not consider the right to sunlight. The black market was getting closer.
On the outskirts of the black market, there were vagrants who didn’t even have a business license from a gang selling stolen goods. As we went further in, a full-fledged black market appeared. The stalls were large, and there were also neat shops.
“Gabriel? You were shot, huh? You managed to survive.”
“The rumor has already spread? I don’t know who those bastards are, but I’m going to kill them. I’m in so much pain right now that I’m dying.”
Gabriel chatted with his acquaintance, whose lens-shaped eyes glowed and whose metal front teeth were exposed.
“Who is next to you?”
“Oh, this guy… … uh, um.”
Gabriel hesitated, not knowing how to introduce me. I opened my eyes slightly and answered instead.
“Gabriel’s boss.”
As I said that, Gabriel looked at me.
“Why are you my boss?”
“Then let’s say he’s the employer.”
“Well, that’s not wrong, but… … .”
Gabriel’s acquaintance, who had been listening to our conversation, laughed.
“You’re the young master who came to the black market to play? You chose your escort well. Gabriel is trustworthy. At least he’s not the kind of guy who takes money and then hits you in the back.”
He must have thought I was a noble young man from the upper class. Which is quite fitting.
We continued walking down the street. Beyond the crowd, the stadium building began to come into view.
“Good reviews, Gabriel.”
“The more you work alone, the more important your reputation becomes. There’s a reason I’ve survived until now.”
Gabriel shrugged proudly, the wing tattoo on his shoulder blades fluttering.
“Did you get shot because you had a good reputation?”
“Those guys who shot me are trash. If they were confident, they would have revealed their identities when they shot me.”
We stood at the entrance to the black market. The gangster on guard looked at me and Gabriel and tilted his head.
“Gabriel? You got shot? It’s not even your match day today.”
“How far has the rumor spread? Anyway, Aleph has business. Not me, but this guy.”
“Who is this boy?”
“He’s a good boy. He’s played in a few games before.”
The guard then recognized me and opened his eyes wide.
“Ah, the one who knocked you out… … . Hey, how many months has it been since you came? Just wait a minute. Oh, it’s me. Tell Brother Aleph that Gabriel and Good Boy are here.”
The guard put his hand to his ear and spoke on the radio. The external circuits connecting his ear to his eyeball lit up. After receiving the reply, he opened the door to the arena office.
“Oh, Gabriel! You said you were shot. Are you okay? And good boy, it’s been a while.”
Aleph, still with a sharp expression, stood up and greeted us as if he were a distinguished guest.
“Call me Luca, not Good Boy.”
“The teacher didn’t come with us this time.”
Aleph spoke with his mouth closed, either in relief or regret. The teacher is a term for Kinuan.
“I came today for my work.”
“Hmm, are you trying to catch a match?”
“No, that’s not it. I’d like you to step aside before we talk.”
I said, glancing at the two men behind Aleph. The armed gang stood there, intimidating.
“That won’t work. I’m not very good at fighting. I’m talking about needing a safety device.”
Aleph raised his index finger and shook it from side to side.
“The two people behind me are nothing more or less than scarecrows to me. They have no value as escorts. If you’re curious, try it out. From the moment I entered here, the power of your life and death is mine.”
At my words, the two guards flared and grimaced. They gripped their guns tightly.
“Hey, good boy.”
“Because it’s Luca.”
I said coolly.
“Whether you’re Good Boy or Luca… … Don’t act so cocky just because you know how to fight. I respect you, teacher, but that doesn’t mean I can overlook your rudeness.”
Aleph took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, saying:
“Gabriel, block the door with your body.”
“uh?”
I moved as I listened to Gabriel’s immature answer.
Boom!
I jumped up, bending my knees slightly. My fingers dug into the concrete of the ceiling. I looked up at the two guards, stuck upside down on the ceiling. Their guns lagged behind my movements.
I don’t have the gift of words. I have to take control by force.
Kuung!
I fell, spinning around as if I was scraping the ceiling. My toes kicked the muzzle of the escort’s gun.
bang!
——————
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The muzzle of the gun, with its trajectory distorted, wasted bullets. Another one was trying to aim at me.
Whoosh!
I ducked my upper body out of the line of fire. As the gunfire spread, the bullet passed right where my head had been.
Thud!
I stood between the two guards, stretching my arms to the left and right. A gun barrel was in my hand.
Ugh!
The gun barrel crumbled in my hand. If I pulled the trigger, the gun would go off.
The me of today is different from the time I fought in the arena. Even if three or four people attacked me in the past, I wouldn’t be able to win against me now. I’ve grown that much in the past few months.
“… … Escort is kind of meaningless.”
Aleph frowned. He waved his hand and sent the escorts out. The escorts spat on the floor as if they were trying to save their last bit of pride and left the office.
“Good boy… … No, Luca. You’re a soldier, right? You seem to belong to a pretty high-ranking unit. So, was Mr. Kinuan a soldier too?”
Aleph spoke sharply. As I felt last time, he was not promoted to the position of arena manager for nothing. He had an excellent ability to sense danger. He knew when to intervene and when to withdraw.
“Think whatever you want.”
“Look, you can threaten as much as you want. But if it involves the military, I won’t do it. We’re beggars at the bottom. I don’t want to get left behind.”
Aleph refused to cooperate even after seeing my show of force. I liked his wise judgment, but apart from that, I needed his help.
“I’m not asking you to do anything. I just need information.”
“That’s it. I don’t get involved in things I can’t handle.”
I thought about grabbing Aleph by the neck and pushing him against the wall, but I didn’t think he would give in to such a measure.
I scratched my head and held out the terminal.
“Then confirm my identity, Aleph.”
“Nothing will change if you know that I am a young master from a noble family.”
“… … It might be a more useful background than you think.”
On my terminal screen, a complex code that verified my identity was spinning in a circle. It was the latest security code that changed in real time and was difficult to forge or copy.
Reluctantly, Aleph scanned my code on his terminal.
Because Aleph’s terminal performance was somewhat poor, it took some time to decompose and interpret the code. Even so, it only took about 5 seconds.
Aleph checked his terminal screen and covered his mouth with one hand. He raised his head and stared at me. His pupils were dilated. His fingertips were trembling.
‘Lukaus Custoria.’
His terminal would have shown my personal information. It is not an ordinary family or status. It is the family of the current captain of the guards… … and I am an adopted child, but I am the son of the captain of the guards. Furthermore, the fact that I am an adopted child will not appear on Aleph’s terminal.
“I guess it’s worth the risk. Ha, haha.”
Aleph smoked a cigarette with a trembling hand. He sat down and thought for a long time. One of his legs was also visibly shaking.
“Aleph, are you ready to talk to me?”
I couldn’t wait any longer so I opened my mouth.
“First, I have a question to ask you, Young Master. What can I gain by helping you?”
“Isn’t it enough just to clear my debt?”
Aleph, who had calmed down, looked at me clearly.
“That’s true, but I’m also going to be a little greedy. If you’re going to take risks, there has to be a clear price to pay, right?”
“If we communicate well and get along well… … we may be able to have regular exchanges with each other.”
“That’s fine. Can I come under your command? No, well, let me be clear, appoint me as a ‘servant.’”
Aleph quickly made a demand. It was a kind of master-servant contract.
Aleph said that he wanted to become a servant with my guarantee. Those who receive the guarantee can obtain the right to reside in the upper districts as servants of the nobles. In return, the servant becomes a loyal subject of the master.
This is a matter that must be carefully decided. If Aleph has an accident in the upper area, I will be responsible.
“A bell, a bell? Is this something I can listen to right now?”
Gabriel, behind me, tilted his head as if he was having a hard time following the conversation.
Aleph and I looked at each other, ignoring Gabriel. I was not yet in a position within the family to appoint a personal servant. Above all, I was a minor and had no right to do so.
“I’m still a minor.”
“I know. For now, a promise is enough. After a year, I will receive the right to appoint you. In the meantime, I will show you that I am worthy of being your servant. I am not asking you to do it for nothing.”
I nodded and extended my hand. Even though it was just a verbal agreement, a contractual relationship was formed.
“Very well, leave everything to me, Young Master. From today onwards, I am your servant.”
Aleph, holding my hand, smiled happily.
“Investigate all the details about the arena manager, Tora. Every little thing.”
The Torah, the predecessor of Aleph, was closely related to Kinuan. Traces of Kinuan may be found in the Torah.
“Torah? Well, I won’t ask why. I’ll contact you as soon as I finish investigating.”
Aleph was easy to talk to. He didn’t ask unnecessary questions.
If it was a moderate noble family, Aleph would not have cooperated easily. However, it is different with the Custoria family. If you have a guarantee from a Custoria family member, you will be treated better than a lower-ranking noble.
Custoria’s halo is useful. This is also a power I have acquired.
After finishing my conversation with Aleph, I left the office with Gabriel. After hesitating for a while, Gabriel opened his mouth.
“Oh, by the way, should I also call you Lu, Luca? If Aleph is shaking, then your status must be really high. Hmm, hmmm.”
Gabriel’s mind must have been filled with the insults and rudeness I had spoken to him. He knew I was from the upper class, but he probably didn’t think I was a high-ranking noble. At best, he thought I was someone who worked under Kinuan.
“Do you want to call me that?”
“Well, that’s not it. You’re a sprout… … no, ahem.”
“Okay then. Just do what you’ve been doing. After all, I’m from this area too. I don’t want to hear any awkward things.”
At my words, Gabriel opened his eyes wide and tilted his head.
“This floor? What are you talking about? You’re a noble.”
“Think about it yourself.”
Gabriel frowned and tried to interpret what I meant. But the wrinkles between his eyebrows deepened as he failed to find the answer.
It’s hard to imagine someone like me getting promoted to that level. I was like that until a few years ago. I’m deeply moved.
