Make Our Family Great Again – Chapter 110

Chicken and waffles.

It was the first dish that welcomed Solomon and me. The waffles were hot, as if freshly made, but the chicken was not.

Just the first dish gave me an idea of the food quality at this casino.

“Godfather, aren’t you having your waffles?”

“No, not at the moment. I’m planning to eat separately.”

That was the only way to salvage this disaster of a dish somehow.

Chicken and waffles. Why did these two seemingly awesome foods have to be combined into such a monstrosity? The person who invented this dish must have received a threat that they would die if they didn’t conjure up this abomination.

“…I suppose that’s for the best.”

While Solomon and I had an effective method, it didn’t address the root problem.

There was still this troublesome waffle left after carving up all the chicken. It felt a bit awkward to leave the waffle until the very end to eat.

“At least it’s a relief.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I hear there are people who eat chicken with bananas.”

Waffles were not enough; now bananas too.

Such a dish didn’t really exist in front of me, but that just seemed a bit off.

Before we finished the first dish, the second one arrived. Solomon was right in the middle of his chicken, but I had already obliterated mine.

“Here’s the chicken a la king you ordered.”

“….”

The casino employee spoke the name of the dish and left the reception room to fetch the next one.

“Little Dom, what’s this dish?”

“Is this your first time having a la king?”

I nodded as if it was obvious at Solomon’s question.

Then he began to explain the chicken a la king dish in place of the employee.

“It’s a dish where chopped chicken is sautéed in a cream sauce and served over pasta or rice.”

“Over pasta or rice?”

“It’s also eaten with bread. Well, it’s up to the eater, really.”

“From what I’m seeing, it hardly looks like the food here.”

“Pardon? This is indeed food from here.”

Am I becoming more sensitive because of Veronica’s succession ceremony? Or is it just that the food at this casino is strange?

“And some places even replace chicken with turkey or tuna. Here, it’s somewhat closer to the authentic way.”

Authentic or not, I decided to have a taste.

Living in this world, I was curious about flavors I had never really experienced.

“….”

“Is it to your taste?”

“Well, it’s not bad.”

I replied casually to Solomon’s comment.

At first glance, I thought it clearly looked like a dish influenced by the East. The name a la king was also suitable for mistaking it for a dish from the West.

But upon tasting it, it was somewhat different from those unique dishes from the East.

Along with the chicken in the cream sauce, it seemed like various kinds of mushrooms and vegetables, and possibly some wine had been added.

“Little Dom, how much time has passed?”

“It hasn’t even been ten minutes yet. If you’re worried… should we move?”

“No, if something happened, the guys waiting at the door would have reacted.”

Though I said that, it was true that I was concerned. Reluctantly, I asked Solomon to check on the situation outside.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

While Solomon rose to check the situation, I finished off my chicken a la king.

Compared to the first dish, chicken and waffles, it was definitely better. That dish should have been eaten separately.

*

Meanwhile, while I was enjoying an unintended culinary experience, Veronica was headed into the room where the succession ceremony was taking place, alongside Paula Carmen, and faced a group of people.

“….”

Veronica Carmen stood in the center of the room, surrounded by those wearing the distinctive metal masks of the Carmen Family.

Paula kept her distance from them.

“Here you go, Miss.”

Though they were masked, the eldest caporegime in the room spoke.

He was a caporegime as well as the consigliere of the Carmen Family. Since the boss he served was indeed a boss, there wasn’t much room for him to act as a consigliere.

He handed Veronica a mask—specifically, the one Rita Carmen used.

The mask had just been appropriately adjusted to fit the new owner’s face.

“….”

Veronica accepted the mask from the consigliere and immediately put it on.

There were caporegimes who were dissatisfied with her inheriting the boss position. However, in the presence of Rita Carmen and Paula Carmen’s will, their grievances didn’t matter and were trivial issues.

“With this, all procedures for the succession ceremony are complete.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The consigliere replied to Paula. Immediately after, he took off the mask he was more familiar with than his bare face.

“Miss Veronica, congratulations. In the end, the ultimate victor was none other than you.”

“….”

Thanks to the mask covering Veronica’s face, no one could tell what her expression was.

“I’ll leave the task of attending to you to the young ones.”

“….”

Just as the consigliere’s words finished, other caporegimes also removed their masks to reveal their real faces.

All of them were elf-born caporegimes. Some were dark elves, classified by their skin color, but to be precise, whether they were elves or dark elves, they were merely elves.

Paula received the masks from them and handed them over to the newly appointed boss, Veronica.

Veronica disposed of the masks she had received as a sign of accepting their retirement.

The collective retirement of the old-generation consigliere and caporegimes.

This was not only a practice of the saying that new wine should be put into new wineskins but also an act with a different meaning.

It expressed that “their only boss was Rita Carmen.”

Some among them had completely cut ties with the underworld life and wanted to enjoy the remaining years of their lives, but there were those who intended to stay by Rita Carmen’s side.

“….”

Veronica Carmen didn’t stop them.

Moreover, there was no need to. While filling their vacancies with others, she could additionally secure her loyal forces.

“What about you all?”

The real question was the other caporegimes who had no choice but to conform to Veronica’s regime.

Naturally, at Paula’s questioning, they knelt before Veronica. Of course, it was not an act coming from genuine sincerity.

However, the fact that the Carmen Family would be incorporated into the new Five Families led by the Felini Family and receive regular drug supplies through the Felini Family was undoubtedly an attractive opportunity.

Without Veronica’s existence, such an opportunity wouldn’t even exist… they were already in a bind.

As the old-generation caporegimes left with their bare faces, and amid the quiet loyalty pledges of the other caporegimes, Veronica Carmen ascended as the second boss of the Carmen Family.

“Then, we’ll conclude the succession ceremony here.”

“….”

After Paula’s words ended, Veronica left the room where the succession ceremony had been held with her.

“Sister, I should start by thanking you.”

“I’ll pass that message to mother.”

Paula replied that gratitude should be directed towards their mother, Rita Carmen, not herself.

After all, she had been following Rita Carmen’s orders all along.

“More than that, now that you are the boss, it would be wise to think about who to appoint as the underboss and consigliere.”

“….”

For now, the underboss of the Carmen Family was still Paula Carmen, and the consigliere had just announced his retirement.

However, Paula was merely a temporary measure.

Like the other old-generation caporegimes, she planned to stay by her mother’s side, who had now become the former boss of the family, Rita Carmen.

“I actually have a few candidates in mind.”

“Then that’s a relief. I don’t know who you’re thinking of, but…”

Paula spoke as if anyone would do, but she showed a hint of interest.

The two then left the room where the succession ceremony took place and headed to the reception room where Luke Felini and Little Dom Solomon were.

During that process, they caught a glimpse of Solomon, who had been surveying the situation outside the reception room.

*

Meanwhile, I was waiting alone in the reception room for Veronica and Solomon.

By then, the third and fourth dishes had already arrived.

“Over here is chicken Kiev, and over there is chicken cordon bleu.”

“….”

Two kinds of dishes for the two people Solomon and I would be eating were served.

When I quietly nodded to the casino employee, he took it as a sign that there was no problem and quickly disappeared from the reception room.

“Well, at least things are getting better.”

The third and fourth dishes looked very appetizing. The commonality was that they were all chicken-based dishes.

It was only natural since Solomon had ordered them that way.

Just when I was about to taste the two dishes, Veronica and Solomon returned. Paula Carmen was nowhere to be seen.

“Veronica, how was the succession ceremony?”

“It would have been great if you could have seen it yourself, but I feel regrettable in many ways.”

“…It can’t be helped. After all, I’m an outsider.”

As soon as I spoke, despite the reception room’s ample size, Veronica moved close and sat right next to me.

“This time, all the dishes are looking good.”

“Yeah, I don’t know how much you ordered, but…”

“There’s probably more coming besides this.”

I felt relieved at Solomon’s words. Therefore, I shared some of my portions of the third and fourth dishes with Veronica.

“….”

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to eat?”

“No, it just feels a bit off to eat from your plate.”

Veronica knew well how much I enjoyed eating.

For that reason, it seemed she was not keen on the idea of snatching my food away from me.

“You worry too much. I’m fine, so let’s eat together. Besides, there are other dishes, right?”

“…Then I guess I have no choice.”

The chicken dishes in front of us quickly became food for the new boss of the Carmen Family.

“First, try the chicken Kiev.”

“Yes, brother.”

First up, chicken Kiev.

It seemed to be a dish named after the capital of a country across the sea. Although I was unfamiliar with the dish, I had heard the name Kiev before.

Whatever the casino employee did to prepare it, they didn’t explain what it was, but I could tell just from looking.

It seemed like they took chicken, coated it in egg and bread crumbs, and fried it; I could also feel the aroma of butter enhancing the chicken’s moisture and flavor.

“…Brother, I think you’re giving me too much.”

“This much is necessary.”

“Godfather, wouldn’t it be better for you to eat my portion?”

As I gave Veronica too much, Solomon immediately offered me his share to ease her concern.

Thanks to that, even after sharing food with Veronica, there was no change in the amount I would eat.

The second dish was chicken cordon bleu.

The fourth appearance of this dish… honestly, just based on appearance, it looked the most delicious among the four dishes.

According to Veronica’s explanation, cordon bleu is typically made using veal or pork and is usually prepared as schnitzel cordon bleu.

However, it seemed this casino also served chicken cordon bleu that replaced that meat with chicken.

“You can only take a little of that.”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

“No, that’s not it, but….”

Then half seemed reasonable. Veronica looked horrified when I cut the food in half.

Meanwhile, according to Solomon, cordon bleu is a dish made by pounding the meat thin, wrapping ham and cheese inside, then breading and frying or baking it.

Adding ham and cheese to delicious meat? This combination couldn’t possibly go wrong.

Once again, as I quickly handed food to Veronica, Solomon offered me his portion as well.

“Veronica, during the succession ceremony, the consigliere of the Carmen Family retired.”

“…Then both the underboss and consigliere. It’d be easy for you to appoint new ones.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I wondered if Veronica had candidates in mind.

“My colleagues would be inappropriate for the underboss and consigliere positions for various reasons.”

“Looks like you’re left with high-ranking officials or collaborators then.”

“Exactly.”

When considering high-ranking officials of the Carmen Family, the first names that came to mind were McBratney and Elder Leonhart.