Make Our Family Great Again – Chapter 130

I followed the two Carmen sisters into the elevator.

As soon as the bellboy asked for our destination, Paula immediately replied, “Third floor.”

“….”

The three of us simply took an elevator together. But it seemed the bellboy found it quite a burden to be in this cramped space with us.

Ding-dong! The sound indicating the elevator had arrived did not budge the bellboy an inch.

Did he really avoid making eye contact with us that much? He didn’t even announce that we had reached the third floor.

“Was the bellboy acting strange just now?”

“I think he’s just scared because of the Godfather.”

As the elevator doors slid shut, Paula said this while putting on her mask.

I wondered if putting on a mask was really necessary at this point, but that wasn’t the main issue.

“Because of me?”

Well, it seemed like he was staring at Veronica and Paula more than me.

“You don’t seem to agree at all.”

“The bellboy at the Carmen Family casino is more likely to recognize you and Veronica than me.”

“That’s true, but it still feels a bit off.”

Veronica replied that she would take care of things right away.

After confirming that some members nearby were heading towards the bellboy, we on the third floor made our way directly to the restaurant where the banquet was taking place.

“Let’s go to the main table.”

“I don’t think it’s necessary to make it obvious though.”

Sarina and her crew were the ones actively working against the Sanchez Family, not me.

But I decided to consider that this banquet wasn’t just attended by members of the Felini Family; the Carmen Family was present as well.

It could not be a better way to show the members that the Godfather had come more than once to assist the new boss of the Carmen Family.

“….”

On the way to the main table, I exchanged glances with Sarina and the other wolves.

The Gollymen just bowed their heads in respect, not engaging much even when I sent a glance their way.

“Is McBratney here yet?”

“If it’s the Underboss, don’t worry. He’ll be keeping his spot outside.”

The number two. It was even more interesting considering that the homo guy himself said they had a great synergy, especially since he had just died.

“The menu is a bit different from what I expected.”

“I prepared something special.”

What was special was a sausage. Not just any sausage, but—

“It’s quite famous, made by a renowned artisan.”

Paula seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. She even added that the taste would definitely not disappoint.

There were more types of sausages than I had anticipated.

The problem was, whether in my world or this one, I couldn’t memorize all the varieties and names of sausages in detail.

A smoked sausage with peppers and cheese.

A red sausage that looked like it was bursting with juice, clearly spicy.

A long white sausage that resembled a coiled snake.

With the variety came a range of flavors that made me a bit melancholic about my dulled taste buds.

If my tongue weren’t like this, I could have truly relished even a modest amount of sausage.

“What is this? Isn’t this undercooked?”

It looked like an undercooked sausage with a striking pink hue, densely packed with cheese and herbs.

At my reaction, Paula quickly whispered into Veronica’s ear, and Veronica responded based on what she heard.

“Brother, it seems it just got its color from the cooking process.”

Since it had already been smoked and was going through further cooking at the restaurant, there shouldn’t be any issues, she said.

“But why not just say that directly instead of making Veronica say it?”

“Isn’t it a sister’s job to help out her sibling score some points in situations like this?”

“Since when did you start taking on the big sister role?”

“Godfather.”

Paula seemed a bit displeased by my response.

But what I could say was—

“Let’s not forget I’m Veronica’s brother and you’re her sister, but I’m older.”

“What?”

“I’m saying I’m your older brother.”

I could kind of understand Elena now. The feelings she must have when Felicita calls her ‘sister.’

I wanted to shoot back that it was nonsense, but I held back for Veronica’s sake.

“Sis, can we stop with the weird talk now?”

*

Maybe Veronica thought it was too much for her to hear, as she quickly stopped Paula.

“Anyway, don’t you think it’s best for siblings to get along?”

“Come on, what’s the age difference that you’re calling yourself sister?”

Paula seemed to be waiting for this moment and rattled off her birthdate.

“….”

“It’s not like we need to count ages; I’m clearly older.”

“Sure, a few years don’t make you special.”

“It’s definitely true that I’m older.”

As Paula continued arguing, I threw an exasperated glance at Veronica, who seemed to decide to wisely ignore her.

“Brother, how about the taste of those sausages?”

“…It wasn’t bad.”

To be honest, I was quite satisfied. But there was a reason for that.

The sense of déjà vu I felt when I first tried the first sausage lingered on my mind.

“It’s only natural since they were things my father used to like.”

“My mother enjoyed them a lot too.”

“Right, I can see that. You Carmen folks seem to thrive in the shadows as a family.”

The fact that not only had I shared my father’s preferences, but also had that obsession with Rita Carmen towards him was extremely persistent.

Still, when I thought about how I couldn’t grasp anything of my father’s, even just a bit, I felt a slight sense of regret but pushed it aside while thinking of my mother.

“I won’t deny that we’re shadowy, but it doesn’t seem right coming from the Felini side, where siblings got married like you and the Godmother.”

“Sis, can we stop already?”

Hmm.

That was indeed hard to refute.

But since Veronica was now doing my arguing for me, I had no need to respond.

From there, I refocused on enjoying the different sausages again.

“Miss.”

Suddenly, one of the Carmen Family members rushed to Paula and whispered something.

Paula then relayed to Veronica, who told me what she had heard.

“Brother, it seems the Marinelli side has pulled back from the Sanchez Family sector.”

“Anything from Solomon’s side?”

“No, we should assume Solomon is holding out now.”

“Doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“The other side isn’t stupid; they won’t pass up this opportunity.”

The fact that the Russo Family pulled back to achieve their original objectives had also played a part.

Solomon had severed the Sanchez Family’s midsection, leaving their territory split between north and south.

However, saying it differently means that Solomon was cornered by the Sanchez Family from both the north and south.

“Veronica, can I borrow your phone for a sec?”

“Yes, of course.”

As I stood up, Sarina, who had been watching both me and the sisters closely, stood up too.

“Godfather, is something wrong?”

“I just need to make a quick call. It doesn’t seem like Solomon’s crew is even thinking of falling back.”

“They’re probably just waiting for the right moment to seize control.”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to lend a bit of our strength.”

The restaurant had turned into a noisy banquet hall. It felt less loud once I stepped into the hallway, and Sarina stayed close by my side.

“Elena, it’s me.”

“Luke?”

I contacted Elena directly without going through the Underboss or Consigliere.

“Luke, hurry back.”

I heard another whispering voice beside Elena. It was probably Felicita.

“I heard Marinelli pulled out.”

“Yeah, Manfredi just informed me a short while ago.”

“It seems we might need to lend a hand to Solomon.”

I wondered what would happen if Elena disagreed with me, but surprisingly, she didn’t.

Though I didn’t know exactly who she would send, she promised to take subsequent action, and I ended my call with greetings to both Elena and Felicita.

“Seems like there’s sweet nectar flowing.”

“Sarina, you know what they say—good things come to good people.”

“…Alright, let’s get back then.”

Sarina had a face that seemed to give up on saying anything more to me.

I walked back into the restaurant and returned to my seat. Sarina’s gaze remained fixed on me, just like before.

“There shouldn’t be any issues on Solomon’s side.”

“Sanchez and Dragovich could move faster, though.”

“Don’t worry. Elena will take care of it well.”

While helping Solomon was one thing, if they started moving towards Solomon, we could take the opportunity to strike.

With various movements likely to occur, I decided to ask about one of the unique sausages.

“It’s Soppressata.”

“Is that white part in the middle fat?”

“Yeah, it might seem a bit much, but the texture isn’t bad.”

Once again, Paula whispered to Veronica, who relayed what she heard.

Soppressata. I didn’t know more about this sausage apart from the name, but I definitely recognized that it was a type of cured ham.

As I sampled the Soppressata repeatedly, the restaurant staff suddenly began bringing out new dishes.

“….”

What they brought was something I was well familiar with.

“Brother, do you like Turducken?”

“It’s not a good habit to ask about something you already know.”

“So, you’re saying you like it.”

It seemed Veronica and Paula were satisfied with my answer.

Turducken.

Just hearing the name doesn’t quite give you the hint, but when explained slightly, it’s easy to understand what this dish is.

Turkey, Duck, Chicken. Combined, it’s Turducken.

It’s a dish where a chicken is stuffed inside a duck, which in turn is stuffed inside a large turkey and roasted. Of course, it sometimes includes pork and beef too.

Regardless, Turducken was one of my favorite dishes.

“How much does one of these weigh?”

“About 30 pounds.”

30 pounds. That’s roughly 14 kg. Just hearing the weight made me feel a sense of fullness inside.

For a brief moment, I completely forgot all worries about Solomon and simply savored the taste of the Turducken.