Make Our Family Great Again – Chapter 129

Since I joined the Carmen Family, the first thing I did was unleash the Wolves and Gollymen, led by Sarina, into the battlefield.

From the Carmen Family’s point of view, attacking the Sanchez Family, there couldn’t have been more reliable allies.

“Veronica, can we really trust those masked guys?”

“Yes.”

“I asked Veronica though.”

Only three people occupied the office.

Me, Veronica, and Paula Carmen—the Consigliere of the Carmen Family and the former Underboss, no less.

Despite that fact, it wasn’t exactly reassuring that Veronica was the one providing the answer.

“Don’t worry, big brother.”

Instead of giving a lengthy explanation, Veronica asked me to trust her.

It was true that she had created a credible loyal force with the members Paula Carmen had gathered and her own comrades.

“Alright. But why did you dye your hair like that?”

“…I didn’t really want to do this either.”

Veronica’s hair, once a light beige, had turned completely white. Or should I call it silver?

“I’m mimicking our mother. There are still those who can’t accept that she stepped down from the boss position.”

“Does that really justify this farce?”

“The Carmen way is different. Please, try to understand.”

Paula maintained her decorum but had a point to make.

“….”

I had no intention of intervening in internal affairs.

Nodding silently at Paula’s words, she added belatedly, “But doesn’t it make us look like real sisters to be here together?”

“Did you dye your hair on purpose too?”

“No, I’ve always had silver hair. Just like our mother.”

Rita Carmen also had silver hair. Surely she wasn’t adopted just for that reason. There must have been some other motive behind it.

“Big brother, do you not like my hair?”

“No, it’s fine. It must have a reason.”

Honestly, I did think that both Elena and Veronica suited their original hair color better.

“By the way, do I really not have to go out myself?”

“I don’t think you need to step in directly, Godfather.”

“Seems like you’re still a bit uneasy about this.”

Just looking at what happened to that second-in-command McBratney—who I couldn’t quite remember the name of—was enough to make it clear.

I didn’t bring it up, but Paula mentioned the incident first.

“It won’t happen again.”

“Well, even if you say that, I’m not exactly brimming with trust.”

“….”

The moment Paula was at a loss for words in response to me, a loud ringtone echoed throughout the office. Veronica, nearest to the phone, picked up the receiver faster than anyone else.

“I understand.”

“Who was that?”

“It was the Underboss of the Felini Family.”

Carso. He seemed to provide news about the condition of each area and the Five Families.

“Veronica, you’re the boss now, after all. No need to show him respect.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

It seemed Veronica also realized her mistake only after the fact.

“Anyway, Dragovich and Marinelli have both retreated.”

“I wonder what those old geezers discussed.”

Aside from that, Veronica mentioned several other updates.

Vito Marinelli had pulled back, and Manfredi started moving his Marinelli Family members north to attack the Sanchez Family.

Moreover, Gata Melata had ignored Solomon’s demand for surrender, and Elena and Felicita were reportedly heading toward the stronghold of the Solomon Family.

“Elena and Felicita?”

“Yes, it seems they were in the southern part of Solomon’s territory but decided to relocate due to the danger.”

“Why is Felicita even there, not to mention Elena?”

“That’s something I’m not sure of…”

For now, I felt relieved that the two had retreated to a safer location.

Of course, I was in a similar situation with my two wives.

I spent time discussing the situation at the front lines with Veronica and Paula in a relatively safe area.

Just then, feeling a bit peckish, Veronica had someone bring in lardo to the office as if it were prepared for me.

Lardo.

It consisted of thinly sliced pork fat cured with various spices.

To put it simply, it was like a salty version of pure fat bacon.

To be honest, it wasn’t even enough to satisfy my hunger, but paired with a decent amount of wine, the rich flavor lifted my spirits.

“Paula, can I ask you something?”

“Yes, Godfather. Please go ahead.”

“Why do you cooperate with Veronica?”

“….”

“…I just follow mother’s decision.”

Even as Veronica held her breath, Paula paused for a moment before responding.

“Seems a bit more active than just fulfilling a duty, though.”

“Still, she’s my sister after all.”

“But she’s not even your real sister. I’d say she was more of a rival than a sibling.”

“Isn’t that the same for you and Elena, Godfather?”

“What?”

I was taken aback, wondering if Paula was comparing my relationship with Elena to hers with Veronica.

“Sis. Let’s stop it there.”

Thank goodness Veronica intervened immediately.

Paula took a step back, acknowledged her slip-up, and bowed her head in apology.

Come to think of it, all three of us in the office were raised under the wing of a Mafia boss. What a coincidence.

Furthermore, Veronica and I were even brought up by different Mafia bosses.

Maybe that’s why I could somewhat understand Paula Carmen’s reaction. Even if they weren’t biological sisters, there must still be ties and bonds as adopted sisters.

Just like Elena and I.

Having that suddenly denied must have made her forget her own standing and get angry at me.

In a way, it was clear that Paula held no ill thoughts towards Veronica.

I decided to accept Paula’s apology since it wasn’t entirely unproductive anyway.

*

Meanwhile, outside the office, an assault on the Sanchez Family was underway from all directions.

“Brother, should we move according to the Wolves?”

“No! We have our own way of operating. If we try to match those guys’ movements, we’ll just end up breaking our own legs.”

McBratney, the Underboss of the Carmen Family, was being rational.

Though he was a Homo, he wasn’t the kind of guy to throw a fit just because of the void created by the death of his subordinate with whom he clicked well.

The members of the Carmen Family involved in this siege against the Sanchez Family had been the high-ranking officials and their subordinates only recently.

Namely, those like McBratney, Ikhtomi, and Mangano. Unlike Ikhtomi and Mangano, who were already gone, McBratney stood firm.

Of course, this didn’t mean that Ikhtomi and Mangano’s forces had vanished.

The Gollymen and Elves had chosen their next boss, and the new two bosses were leading them according to McBratney’s orders.

“Brother, it’s the police again!”

“What’s the situation?!”

“About six people have reportedly been arrested.”

“And the Sanchez guys?”

“Uh, it seems… they were all shot dead on site.”

“Are you sure?”

McBratney didn’t forget to verify how the police’s appearance had impacted the Sanchez Family after that.

Clearly, the Hebili police were siding with the Five Families.

Of course, not everyone had been arrested, and some had been killed like the members of the Sanchez Family.

But those situations had their reasons, like engaging the police or the like.

“Pass this on to the others! Don’t touch the police, and if they show up, just turn around and get out of there!”

“Yes, brother!”

McBratney also made sure to relay this to the Wolves and Gollymen. There was no need to provoke the police unnecessarily.

Because it seemed the police had decided to use this opportunity to completely break the Sanchez Family’s momentum.

Clack!

With a heavy loading sound, a satisfying gunshot was directed at the opponent before my eyes.

As the gunfire echoed around, a Golem stood where the gun was aimed, its chest blown clean off.

Thud. As the Golem with its rigid exterior fell helplessly, the police shouted.

“Don’t let a single one escape!”

They were not the ordinary city police one would find in town.

They were a riot control unit responding to the protests occurring across the city after the death of Godfather Vito Felini.

Dressed in sturdy padded armor all over their bodies, each officer held heavy shotguns loaded with ammo used for capturing bears.

This was a special measure to face the Golem-heavy Sanchez Family.

“Stop right there!”

“….”

They thoroughly and obsessively targeted the Sanchez Family.

To do this, the indeterminate members clashing with them surrendered without a fight, except for the few who ignored warnings or fired back.

Thanks to that, the Sanchez Family found themselves in a very embarrassing situation.

Caught between assaults from the Five Families and the police’s captures, they could not retaliate, and even the caporegimes and their subordinates in each district were left helpless.

However, this kind of situation couldn’t go on forever.

It was impossible to dismantle the Sanchez Family in one day. As evening approached, the assaults happening all across the western part of the city began to die down.

The first to withdraw was the Russo Family.

Darius Russo judged that the Viper’s attack had reached a sufficient point and immediately notified the other Five Families before leaving the scene.

Starting with the Russo Family, the other Five Families also ceased their offensive from the first day and returned to their respective territories.

The only ones that didn’t pull out were the Solomon Family and the Marinelli Family.

Other families planned to retreat to their own territories for now and resume the offensive when the time was right.

“….”

“Sarina, good job.”

I welcomed Sarina and the Wolves back to the Balis Casino after finishing the assault.

“Not at all, Godfather.”

Sarina replied with a formal title, aware of our surroundings.

“The Wolves will follow me. There’s a place prepared for you all.”

Sarina sought my approval with her eyes, and I nodded.

Reluctantly, Sarina led the Wolves and Gollymen to follow Paula Carmen somewhere. It seemed they were preparing a banquet for the Wolves based on what Veronica and Paula told me.

“Veronica, isn’t it a bit too indulgent for the first day?”

“Still, it helps us cut down on our workload significantly.”

There were casualties, to be sure. A couple had been arrested, even.

But compared to the Sanchez Family’s side, it was a very minimal level of damage. The situation with the other Five Families that Carso had conveyed didn’t differ much.

Of course, the Solomon Family, which had set camp in Sanchez’s territory, appeared to have sustained heavier losses than the other families.

“Big brother, let’s go too.”

“Shall we?”

I had just eaten lardo, but I decided to follow Veronica’s suggestion.

Because lardo and wine couldn’t really qualify as a full meal.