Chapter 96 – Initiation (3)

Evandel and I arrived at a famous steakhouse jam-packed with people.

“May I help you with your order.”

“Ah, yes, can we get eight of the most expensive steaks.”

“Yes?”

The waiter tilted his head. Evandel and I could easily finish eight dishes. Three for me and five for Evandel.

“Eight?”

“Yes, and all medium rare please.”

“Uh, yes.”

After ordering, the other customers looked at us strangely. Evandel’s appearance naturally drew attention even though many foreigners lived in Seoul. I didn’t take off my sunglasses, so they would think she was the child of a Western noble that I served.

“This is the garlic steak.”

Our first order came out as Evandel’s eyes sparkled. I cut the steak into bite-sized chunks before giving it to her. Evandel’s hands trembled in excitement as she stabbed with her fork and brought a piece to her mouth.

“…!”

She quivered in ecstasy. Afterward, her hand busily moved from piece to piece. I stared at her and waited for the right moment.

“Evandel, do you think you could stay home alone for the weekend?”

She suddenly stopped chewing and silently looked at me. I felt uneasy that she actually stopped eating. She’s not going to cry, right?

“In exchange!”

I spoke before my suspicion could come true.

“I’ll buy you lots of toys today.”

“Lots?”

“Yes, lots.”

I would buy anything and everything to keep her company. Evandel nodded with a half-sulking face. She stopped eating and almost set her fork down when…

“Next is the tomahawk steak.”

The waiter brought a gigantic piece of meat as big as Evandel’s head.

“Uwhoa! What’s this!!”

Evandel quickly regained her energy.

***

We went to the New World Shopping Mall after our meal. I planned to take her to the toys, but she fixed her attention elsewhere. She stared at a white cat in the pet store and wouldn’t respond when I called her.

“…”

Evandel exchanged looks with the cat. Admittedly, the white kitten looked adorable. I quickly calculated the size of my dorm room. Two rooms with 60 square meters in total. It could fit a child and a cat. I’ve always wanted a pet anyways.

“Hajin, Hajin.”

Evandel pulled on my sleeve after staring at the cat for a long time.

“I want to play with Hayang.” [1]

Evandel pointed to the cat she had already named.

“Hayang? You mean that cat?”

“Un!”

Evandel replied with a bright smile. I glanced at the cat. Meow— It raised its tail when our eyes met. I couldn’t help but smile. I got on my knees and looked into Evandel’s eyes.

“If we raise Hayang, what are you going to do about your ghost friends?”

“Ghost friends?”

“Yeah. They might fight.”

Evandel had made ten or so animals. She fell into thought before speaking.

“I’ll make sure they don’t fight.”

“You promise?”

I raised my pinky and Evandel clumsily raised hers to promise me. I rubbed her squishy cheeks and stood up. Then I went into the pet store and asked the employee.

“Hello, how much is that cat?”

***

The next day, I opened the door and looked back before leaving.

“Hayang, you… why did you bite this! Do you want me to scold you!”

Evandel tried to train our new cat with a stern expression. I wondered if you could train a cat, but it did cost 6 million won. The cat should understand a few human words at least. It wouldn’t be strange if it could talk.

“Evandel, I’ll be back soon. Have fun with Hayang, okay?”

“We’re not having fun.”

Evandel corrected me with a glare.

“Uh, right, don’t scold it too much. I’m leaving.”

“Un.”

Evandel didn’t pay much attention and only focused on Hayang. I felt much better now that Hayang would keep her company.

I went to Cube’s portal station.

“To Seoul.”

“Yes, cadet Kim Hajin, confirmed.”

After arriving in Seoul, I took the portal connecting Seoul to Torino. I presented the worker with a fake passport provided by Jeronimo Mercenary since international portals required further identification. As expected, it worked flawlessly. I arrived in Italy in just 30 minutes.

“Interesting.”

Southern Torino looked completely unfamiliar. Italy was a rather special country because of the mafia.

Its government only acted anti-mafia on the surface. In my setting, Italy’s mafia didn’t just simply consist of organized crime syndicates. They cooperated with the government if a monster outbreak occurred, and a few large families operated publicly as guilds. They operated within the law with a few exceptions every now and then.

The mafia formed its headquarters in Torino and Milano, far away from the central government. Important characters included the Colaion family and the Fermun siblings. The Colaion family was the largest in Milano and Torino, and they had groomed two elite soldiers known as the Fermun brother and sister.

I had to kill a member of Italy’s biggest mafia family. This mission could have come from the Colaion family itself. After all, my target used his position to sully the family’s reputation.

“Little apprentice, over here.”

Someone called me as I stealthily moved to the hotel. I turned towards the deep yet lethargic voice and spotted Boss.

“Eh?”

She raised her hand like a child waiting for the traffic light.

***

“Ah, I’m so tired.’

Chae Nayun collapsed on the floor of Cube’s martial arts training room. Kim Suho had just sparred with her and didn’t know where to look. Her training uniform stuck to her skin and highlighted too much of her breasts. However, Chae Nayun didn’t notice and glanced sideways at Yoo Yeonha sitting nearby with a serious face.

“Yoo Yeonha, what are you doing? I even went out of my way to find a sparring partner for you.”

“…”

Yoo Yeonha averted her gaze and briefly replied, “I’m just thinking about something.”

Yoo Yeonha thought back to last night when she spotted Kim Hajin with a child. Who was she? His daughter? No, a 17 year old couldn’t have such a grown-up daughter. Then was she his niece? No, an orphan couldn’t possibly have a niece. Then could it be that he’s a… lolicon? No way, Kim Hajin wasn’t such a person.

“Ehhh? It doesn’t look simple. Is it Shin Jonghak again?”

Yoo Yeonha flinched when Chae Nayun mentioned Shin Jonghak.

“W-What about Jonghak?”

“Uh, nothing, I just wondered if you got rejected.”

Yoo Yeonha clenched her teeth and felt anger suddenly rising from her heart. She already felt annoyed since Shin Jonghak rejected her offer to study together. Yoo Yeonha blurted out, “Oh right, Nayun. Kim Hajin says he doesn’t like you anymore.”

“What? What are you talking about? Are you crazy?”

“Oh, is that true?”

Even Kim Suho showed interest. Yoo Yeonha shrugged.

“Of course. He says he likes Rachel more now. You’ve heard the rumors, right? I would like Rachel more too if I were him.”

“W-Wha, what? Are you crazy?”

Chae Nayun shot up. However, Yoo Yeonha continued with a bright smile.

“I’m just saying. It’s not like it matters, right? You said you didn’t like him.”

“…”

Chae Nayun became speechless and didn’t know how to respond. After all, she had said that.

“Tsk.”

Chae Nayun glared at Yoo Yeonha and sat far away from her. Yoo Yeonha didn’t look at her either. An awkward atmosphere came over them.

“Hey, don’t be like this you two. You got along fine until just now. Yoo Yeonha, do you want to spar? I’ll help since you came to train too, right? You too, Chae Nayun. Ah, where did Yi Yeonghan go?”

Kim Suho helplessly muttered between the two of them.

***

I took out my bike in a deserted alley of Torino. The bike popped out of nowhere and surprised Boss as she curiously rubbed her face.

“Did you come to help?”

“No, I won’t be helping you.”

Then she got on my bike. I stood next to her and tilted my head.

“What are you doing?”

“Come, little apprentice. I want to go for a ride.”

“…”

I got on in front of her and grabbed the handles. Woong— The engine softly hummed as I drove onto the road.

“Little apprentice, let’s go around Torino just once. We still have a lot of time,” Boss whispered.

“Sure.”

[Horse Saddle] [Antique] A horse saddle used by a nameless cavalryman 500 years ago. You will drive better if you sit on this saddle.

The saddle I bought in Clancy Islet made the ride much more comfortable. I glanced back and saw Boss’ hair fluttering in the wind.

“Tonight at 9, there will be a fellowship party at Torino’s Leolen Mansion.”

Boss spoke as I drove.

“Your target is the party’s host. If you arrive around 8:30, he should be preparing at the mansion’s garden. It’ll be a golden opportunity to attack.”

I carefully listened to Boss’ advice.

“Next to the mansion is a forest with an abandoned church. The steeple should be perfect to snipe from high ground.”

I turned on the bike’s navigation system and searched for the abandoned church near Leolen Mansion. Then I set it as my destination and turned the handles. It didn’t take long. The road had disappeared, but I drove through the forest without a problem.

I parked near the church inside the forest. Moss and vines had covered it, but the steeple should present a clear view of the mansion. I got off and checked the time.

[8:10 P.M.]

Boss suddenly asked, “Little apprentice, may I watch you work?”

My answer was obvious.

“I’d feel uncomfortable.”

“Then I won’t.”

Boss grumbled and got off the bike. She was about to leave when she spotted my ring and bracelet. She stared at the two items.

“Oh right.”

I recalled that Boss liked pretty items regardless of their function. I remembered writing that she loved sparkly items to death.

“…”

Boss raised her head and made eye contact. She looked somewhat envious. I silently stared back as she smacked her lips.

“What are those accessories? They look nice.”

“It’s a normal ring and a normal bracelet.”

“I’m okay with the bracelet, but that ring… do you want to—”

“It’s not for sale.”

I sternly replied as Boss narrowed her eyes and leered at me.

“I never said I’d buy it. I have many items prettier than that ring in my vault. For example, Persian King Darius’…”

“I’m jealous.”

I cut her off and jumped to the top of the church’s steeple. My movements looked smooth and nimble now that I had gotten used to parkour. I looked down from the steeple and saw Boss unhappily glaring at me.

“You can leave now.”

“I was planning to.”

She left as I checked the time again.

[8:30 P.M.]

I peered at the mansion about a kilometer away with the thousand-mile eyes. Most heroes could cover this distance in about 30-40 seconds. I predicted that I had about a minute before they figured out my location after the assassination. I would only have one minute to escape.

“Huu.”

I took a deep breath and took out the Desert Eagle. Then I fused it with stigma’s magic power and aether as it transformed into a vicious anti-material sniper rifle.

“Scan.”

I activated Random Consolidation System three times. First on the Desert Eagle, aether, and then my bullet. The numbers 25, 31, and 22 flashed respectively.

“Today’s luck isn’t that good, huh.”

I had also prepared a modified bullet to erase any evidence by adding a property that vaporized the bullet after penetration. A single bullet combined stigma’s magic power should finish the job.

[8:35 P.M.]

I covered my face with a mask and looked over the mansion. Waiters, champagne, food, and music filled the garden. My target also stood among them.

“…”

I held my breath and raised my gun. The Caucasian man had well-defined facial features with a handsome beard. He shouted at a group of waiters.

— Andiamo! È una mossa veloce, bug!

I didn’t understand, but I had to kill him before the party began. I focused on his figure and placed my finger on the trigger.

1. Hayang means white in Korean.