Make Our Family Great Again – Chapter 82

The port in the eastern part of Hebili.

On the top floor of the Lupus Carlton Hotel located there.

Elena Felini, the boss of the most powerful family in this city, was receiving a call from someone.

“…”

“Miss?”

“Oh, Tony. I’m listening.”

Tony was the nickname for Anthony, who was the consigliere of the family.

Salmo relayed the news that Viola, one of the family’s caporegimes, had conveyed to her.

“They know how angry you are, Miss. What should I tell them?”

“Tell them to accept it.”

“…Are you serious?”

“I think it’s better to discuss details in person.”

“Understood. However, about the underboss…”

“That too.”

The consigliere agreed with the boss’s words and ended the call.

“….”

Elena poured herself a sip of whiskey from the glass on the rocks next to the phone.

The decision of the Palmas Family and Johnny Palmas to surrender was beyond her expectations.

“So what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean? I’m going to kill them all.”

Elena replied to Felicita’s question, which was casually asked in the living room.

“….”

“Is there a problem?”

From Felicita’s personal perspective.

Dealing with those who wished to surrender seemed like a double-edged sword. She was sure it would be deemed excessively cruel.

That would also escalate their notoriety. Infamy was a crucial element in the underworld, as sometimes problems could be resolved solely through fear and terror.

“No, I agree too. They were aiming for Luke, so it can’t be helped.”

“Yeah, it can’t be helped.”

While the two wives were discussing such grim matters…

I was receiving a call from Salmo.

“…What did Elena say?”

“She said it would be better to discuss the details in person.”

“Alright, let’s do that. Come to the hotel after I finish work.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Can the uncle come?”

“I’m afraid that’s going to be difficult. I’d like to take both of you as you wish… but his health has been fluctuating.”

Former consigliere Bier Salmo.

Elena and I were planning to consult with Uncle Bier and his son Anthony to determine the next underboss.

But given that Uncle wasn’t well, it couldn’t be helped.

“It can’t be helped. If he pushes himself and something happens to him, Father would be saddened.”

“Still, I’ll at least ask him what he thinks about the candidates.”

“Got it.”

After the short call ended, Veronica and Kambara asked me who had called.

“That was Salmo.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Is that the consigliere?”

Unlike Kambara, who simply reacted to my answer, Veronica posed another question.

“Yeah, I’m the son of the former consigliere.”

“I didn’t know the consigliere was hereditary.”

“That’s just how it turned out. Both are trustworthy enough.”

“If that’s what you think, then it must be true.”

Veronica spoke as if what I believed was everything, but it felt like there was more to it.

In the meantime, Kambara answered an urgently ringing phone.

“Yes. I’m the Vice Chairman.”

“Kambara has completely gotten used to it now.”

“It’s a bit different than it appears.”

“What kind of guy did you think he was?”

“I thought he was pretty distanced from this type of stuff.”

It seemed that Kambara, the crocodile-man, didn’t fit the typical bureaucratic persona.

Well, it wasn’t hard to understand when you considered the appearance of the Gollymen.

“Kambara is a bit unusual.”

While the rest of the Gollymen tend to rely on their natural bodies and act impulsively, Kambara was a bit different.

Should I say he was a bit more timid for a crocodile-man?

“Brother.”

“What is it? Who’s calling?”

“It’s a call from Hagen. There’s a Congressman who needs our help.”

“A Congressman? What’s his name?”

“Congressman Paragoni.”

“David C. Paragoni. He’s the representative for the 4th district of Hebili.”

“Veronica, I know that too. Paragoni is also an elf, so it’s not like we’re completely unrelated.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t heard from Financial King Hagen for a while. It was likely due to the incident with the Nun Robber Gang that had upset him.

I had warned that our family was not just a simple tool for the rich.

But the fact that he was reaching out to me despite previous incidents showed it must be something urgent.

“It wouldn’t be bad to get in debt with Hagen. Tell him I’ll meet with the Congressman.”

“Yes.”

It was sudden, but I decided to meet Paragoni.

Just not at the Academy. It would be too conspicuous for a Congressman to come all the way to the Academy to meet me.

Kambara figured out the meeting place through Hagen’s side.

“Brother, should I accompany you?”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to leak any information about you.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Brother, you’re not planning to go alone, right?”

“Of course not. Just a few days ago, I was all bruised up; do you think I would forget that?”

Kambara promised to put enough guards around me.

As a result, five wolves and six of my subordinates accompanied me. It felt like a lot, but better too many than not enough.

“….”

The Palmas Family, which once tried to kill me, was now asking for surrender.

In this situation, it’s unlikely anyone would try to hunt me down again so quickly…

But considering the repercussions should anything happen to me, it didn’t feel excessive at all.

“Alright, get the car.”

“Yes, brother.”

Once I got in the armored car, we headed straight to the meeting location.

To the west, far west.

The Congressman’s office was located not in the eastern part of the city with the Lupus Carlton Hotel and the Academy, but in the city center.

In terms of our family’s territorial divisions… it was precisely Elena’s territory.

Of course, I had no intention of stepping into the Congressman’s office. Just meeting at a proper restaurant nearby would suffice.

“Brother, we’ve arrived.”

“This is the restaurant you mentioned.”

“Yeah, this seems right.”

After stepping out through the door my subordinate held open, I instructed the people accompanying me to act as naturally as possible.

Not to congregate in one spot but to spread out and keep an eye on the surroundings.

“Yes.”

Then I headed inside the restaurant with about two of the wolves.

The meeting location confirmed through Kambara with Hagen’s people had already set the table placement.

“….”

There was no need to explain to the restaurant waiter who I was.

A table separated from the other patrons… a more discreet setting. Perfect for discussing sensitive or important matters.

Since fate brought me here, I decided to have a simple meal.

While it might not appear so to others, it was a perfectly normal meal by my standards.

However, before the meal could finish, one of the wolves came up to me.

“Brother, the Congressman has arrived.”

“He’s quick to come.”

That wasn’t a sarcastic remark. I was sure the conversation I’d have with the Congressman would be crucial.

Regrettably, I had to stop eating and welcome the Congressman.

David C. Paragoni.

He appeared alongside his elf aide.

*

“Mr. Felini. Long time no see.”

“It’s an honor to meet you. Mr. Luke Felini.”

Before I could even respond to the greetings from Paragoni and his aide, Paragoni was quick to say he would get to the point.

Generally, politicians liked to drag things out, but Paragoni was as direct as ever.

“Mr. Congressman, was it necessary to meet through the arrangement of the Financial King?”

“It’s certainly more assured that way.”

“Currently, you have a political issue at hand that requires Mr. Felini’s assistance.”

The aide said that and handed me a newspaper. Are Congressmen selling newspapers now?

Of course, that wasn’t it.

“Did you see this morning’s newspaper?”

“That depends on which newspaper.”

Coincidentally, the newspaper handed over by the aide was not the one I usually read.

“….”

But I could guess what the Congressman was getting at.

Just from the headline, I could tell exactly what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into.

“A scandal, huh.”

“Hem! Hem.”

At my blunt remark, the Congressman cleared his throat.

“So, what exactly do you want? You aren’t asking me to deal with the women mentioned here, are you?”

The aide looked at the Congressman without saying a word.

“This newspaper. I need you to threaten this newspaper into issuing a correction.”

“….”

“You can help me with that, can’t you?”

I didn’t say a word.

Threatening a newspaper into issuing a correction? That’s easier said than done.

It might not be so easy against a newspaper of considerable size.

Above all, I didn’t see why our family needed to take that risk for Paragoni.

“Well, I’m not sure about that.”

“Mr. Felini, you shouldn’t be saying that to me. Have you forgotten that I was friends with your late father?”

“You rotten scoundrel. Just because you were friends with my father doesn’t change anything.”

“What do you mean, Congressman…?”

“Shh, you stay quiet.”

The aide quickly responded to my words as a wolf nearby warned me.

“When your father passed away, you threw around words that the devil of this city had disappeared, didn’t you? Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

Paragoni flinched but shamelessly countered right back.

“You know that public comments don’t always match reality.”

“….”

The aide could no longer hide his anxiety with the situation turning hostile. But the Congressman continued regardless.

“I could throw you to the judicial authorities of this country.”

“I have no conflict with the government.”

“Do you really think so? Even if that’s true, it won’t be true for long.”

“….”

Wow. I didn’t think he would be this unaware of his own limits.

While it would be harder to touch a newspaper than deal with him, I couldn’t afford to let my fangs show so easily.

I signaled to the surrounding wolves, who quickly converged around the Congressman and aide.

“What’s going on here…?”

“I think the problem isn’t with the newspaper but with you.”

“….”

“Congressman. This is too dangerous.”

The aide made an obvious remark.

“Vito Felini, I will retract the public statement I made about your father. I’ll even have it published in the newspaper.”

Paragoni nonchalantly shifted his attitude as if he had never spoken about it.

“Alright. Let’s see if we can find a way to get a correction out for this scandal once that article is published.”

“….”

Paragoni and the aide had to leave without any significant gain.

Instead, they received an opportunity to slightly redeem the disrespect shown towards my family and me. If he takes that chance this time, I would be willing to help with this matter.

The Financial King and the Congressman.

It was a chance to get both of them in debt at once.

There were plenty of things to discuss, so instead of heading back to the Academy, I headed straight for the hotel.