The Carmen Family’s caporegimes, who flaunted their status, suddenly became souls departed in the blink of an eye.
While the TV news channels were covering their deaths, I was enjoying an early dinner on the fourth floor of Balis Casino.
“Godfather, aren’t you eating too much?”
“What?”
I couldn’t help but wonder when I would stop hearing such comments. Even though they knew I had a hearty appetite, I sometimes felt like they were underestimating me just because of my size and build. Of course, I might just be oversensitive.
“You seem to be eating quite a bit yourself.”
“Godfather, I got shot earlier and didn’t even bleed! I have to eat this much, it’s only natural.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I usually eat this much anyway.”
The two bosses from the Felini Family and Solomon Family were amicably cutting into their pieces of meat in a room not too far from the fourth-floor lobby.
This Balis Casino was technically a casino hotel.
The fourth floor, to be specific, had no gaming tables or guest rooms; instead, it housed a grand banquet hall and a restaurant. Most importantly, it was where the Carmen Family Boss’s Office resided.
“Hey, weren’t you supposed to head back to the mansion soon?”
“That’s right. If nothing had happened, it wouldn’t matter, but since I almost died, I can’t just avoid showing my face to the wives.”
I also needed to inform Felicia about the deceased Mandrake, and I planned to return here after spending a day at the mansion.
“Um.”
“Wait, have you finished already?”
“It’s better than the chicken dish we had last time.”
Solomon’s question seemed to pertain to the food’s taste rather than anything else, but I didn’t mind. What I said was genuine.
As I melted creamy cheese and sauce over a beautifully sized meatball and paired it with some baguette-like bread, it felt like heaven on a plate.
If I had to compare it in elven terms, it was as if I could see the World Tree with my own eyes.
Though I cleared one plate, my stomach was still insisting on more. Accepting that claim, I picked the grilled cheese sandwich from the spread before me.
Instead of just eating the sandwich, I dunked it generously into the white sauce set beside it for dipping.
If I compared it to the world I lived in, it was a quintessential American dish.
“….”
“What’s up, aren’t you going to eat?”
“No, no, I’m not.”
Solomon was overly sensitive, worried I might be eyeing his food.
“Godfather.”
“What? Why do you keep calling?”
“Still, don’t you think it’s a reckless choice for you to be directly involved?”
“It’s fine. I haven’t been set up or anything.”
There was a reason Solomon said this.
Dominic Giacone was one of the caporegimes who died today.
Unlike Henry Mangano, who had been swapped out and killed by attackers, Giacone and the other fallen members of the Carmen Family caporegimes were all Dark Elves.
That made sense since the former boss, Rita Carmen, was a Dark Elf.
The ones who killed Giacone were me and the other Wolf Trainees. The name of the person reported first on the news, Riento Cas, had some sort of déjà vu feel, and he was dealt with by McBratney’s men.
“Honestly, you not getting involved was a blessing.”
“Me? Why?”
“I may be short and easy to identify, but you shouldn’t be saying that…”
“What?!”
Solomon was acting frustratingly obtuse, perhaps on purpose.
Even though they were relatively larger by their standards, if Solomon had gotten directly involved, he would have likely been singled out right away.
“By the way, that lady isn’t eating and is just talking non-stop.”
“Well, she doesn’t have the luxury of free time like us.”
Veronica was deep in conversation with others in her office, discussing various issues.
The other people in the room were Paula Carmen, McBratney, and the heirs who had taken over the organizations of the deceased Iktomi and Mangano.
It seemed that Paula Carmen would temporarily take over Iktomi’s vacant spot after he died, since he was set to become the consigliere.
“I think they could just appoint that Spider guy’s second-in-command.”
“No way. Didn’t you see? He looks like he can exert strength, but his brain seems lacking.”
“…Godfather, isn’t that a bit speciesist?”
This damn city, everything turned into accusations of speciesism; it was driving me crazy.
The one facing real species discrimination was me, an Elf.
“Anyway, Veronica and Patrick wouldn’t make such a decision without some thought.”
“That Orc guy, right?”
Patrick McBratney, the lucky Orc who survived this recent attack, was one of the higher-ups in the family.
He had certainly become a solid ally for Veronica, being one of the few who had risen from the ranks of high-ranking official to family underboss.
Of course, if he forgot his station and tried to overstep, he’d meet the same fate as the boss I dealt with before.
*
Solomon and I continued discussing various things while we ate.
Half of the conversation was about food, and the other half was about the events of the day and Veronica.
“Ah, Godfather. It looks like the Carmen Family is more or less organized now.”
“So?”
It wasn’t surprising for Solomon to say something like that.
The previous consigliere and the old generation of caporegimes had retired, and they were looking to fill those spots with high-ranking officials.
But contrary to that, the foolish Dark Elf caporegimes had caused a ruckus, leading to five of them being taken out.
While they might have been cautious or hesitant, there were indeed some wise caporegimes who hadn’t joined in.
What mattered was that five spots had opened up in the family caporegimes.
On top of that, Paula Carmen had gathered the old-generation members and transferred them over to Veronica. The next step Veronica took was straightforward.
She selected suitable candidates from her companions to fill the five vacant spots and took charge of the old-generation areas and members that Paula had secured.
The void left by the old generation’s retirement could easily be filled by incorporating other high-ranking officials.
“Godfather, are you listening to me?”
“Yeah? I’m listening, so hurry up and say it.”
“Can we say it’s now the Sanchez Family’s turn?”
“Right. Before we aim for Dragovich, we need to sort out Sanchez first. There are the Vipers and the Black folks involved, but… the Black folks are managed by Marinelli.”
“I have one request.”
“What is it?”
I hoped it wasn’t anything too strange. Well, if it was just a little odd, I planned to discuss it with Elena and decide based on what I saw today.
“I’d like you to hand over Sanchez’s daughter to me.”
“What?! Is that your preference?!”
“Uh? Of course not!”
I reacted as if it were disgustingly offensive, and Solomon reacted with visible displeasure as well.
“Then what’s the use of Sanchez’s daughter?”
“I’ve had encounters with her that weren’t too pleasant. Plus, we need to keep Sanchez’s weakness in check.”
“….”
There was some truth in that. Sanchez had been imprisoned for refusing to cooperate with the hearings, and new investigations aimed at him were underway.
If he were to cut a deal with the federal government, especially if it involved passing on information about the other five families and testifying about it in the hearings, it would be a disaster.
Senator Porter and Congressman Faroni were holding their ground, but with other members of the committee around, it was hard to be at ease.
Moreover, Sanchez was notoriously protective of his daughter.
He tended to trust her words without question, which meant there were plenty of instances where people, like Solomon, were falsely accused of things they hadn’t even done.
“Alright. I’ll apply pressure from all sides, but you focus on securing that Golem Princess first.”
“Isn’t she just a Golem bomb?”
As I mentioned Sanchez’s daughter by her nickname, Solomon unleashed his hostility towards her without restraint.
It was all fine and good, but I just hoped he wouldn’t act hastily due to personal grudges.
“Godfather.”
This time, it wasn’t Solomon who called me. I turned my head to see one of the Wolf Trainees.
“What? Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that a lady has arrived.”
A lady? For a moment, I thought he meant Elena. But as I saw the people stepping off the elevator, I could tell who the lady was.
“Godfather!”
It was Sarina and her cadre of Wolves.
“I should get going. Little Dom, tell Veronica that I’m heading back to the mansion for a bit.”
“Yes, understood.”
Unlike me, Solomon intended to stay here. Whether he liked it or not, the stabilization of the Carmen Family had to be completed before we could move on to the next phase.
“Sarina, why did you bring so many people?”
“Of course, I was worried. Are you hurt? I heard you got shot!”
“No, it wasn’t me, it was him…”
It seemed the news had reached the Felini Family and gotten twisted on its way.
Before I could even point to Solomon, Sarina rushed in and hugged me tightly.
“Sarina, while you’re at it, I have a favor to ask.”
“…What is it?”
“Just pick out one of the most competent Wolves under you.”
If possible, I preferred it to be a female; I wanted her to stay close to Veronica and protect her. At the same time, I intended to hand over command of the Wolf Trainees to her.
“….”
Sarina, stunned at her own feelings, began contemplating the conditions I mentioned.
“Then I think this one would be suitable.”
The Wolf she pointed out was a rare hybrid of Wolf and Human. A Werewolf, no less. What a splendid combination that was.
“Is their capability confirmed?”
“Yes, they’re more than capable for a lady like you.”
“Great, that’s more than enough.”
While Sarina’s expression was a little odd, I didn’t make an issue of it. Besides, Veronica herself hadn’t heard any of it.
After that, I made sure to collect what I needed before leaving with Sarina.
The Mandrake in the broken pot, that is.
…But was it just me, or did that pot move slightly just now?
