I Become a Mafia in the Academy

Chapter 9

A dimly lit room with only one light. A man sits there, rolling a cigar between his fingers.

"Yoojin?"

"Yes. The young master has just departed for the Academy."

"Is that so?"

His name is Vito Calione.

As he naturally cut the tip of the cigar and held it in his mouth, the man standing next to him, Parnello, took out a lighter from his inner pocket and lit the end of the cigar, as if it were second nature.

"Hah......."

The smoke exhaled from Calione's mouth covered the pale yellow light.

"I didn't expect you to actually deal with Blunte... Is it true he didn't provide any help at all?"

"Yes. Even I was surprised watching it from the side. The aura of red energy emanating from his body was strikingly similar to the Boss."

"Hmm?"

Hearing Parnello's words, Calione's eyes widened as if he had heard something unexpected.

"Yoojin emitted red energy?"

"Yes, it was similar to when the Boss fights. I believe that the Boss's powers might have been inherited by the young master."

"My powers were inherited? Hahahahaha! This is truly surprising. To think my power would actually be a bloodline ability."

Bloodline abilities, passed down only to second-generation Awakened Ones, are a true symbol of rarity and of noble families whose abilities are inherited through blood.

Upon hearing the news that his power was inherited, Calione burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Then most of the injuries should have healed as well, right?"

"It seems he still has some muscle pain... but all external wounds are healed."

"Is that so? Truly, he's my son, but I am so proud of him! Don't you agree, Parnello?"

"I think so as well."

"Hahaha! I must prepare a new gift for our Yoojin."

Calione rubbed out his cigar on the red lump beside him.

With a sizzling sound and the smell of meat cooking, the red lump twitched and moved.

"B-Boss... p-please... please spare me......."

"Hmm? Do you still have the strength to twitch?"

"Mercy, please...."

In an instant, Blunte's mouth, which had been producing sounds, was crushed.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

Calione wiped the blood off his hands with a towel placed nearby.

Looking at Blunte, who was sobbing while holding his crushed mouth, Calione spoke in a calm voice.

"Blunte, Blunte. You foolish man. Why don't you understand?"

"Huuuuuu... huuuh......."

Calione grabbed Blunte by the hair, lifted his head, and stared into his eyes.

"Silence. If you keep making noise, I'll crush your vocal cords next."

"Ugh......."

"Hmm, good. Very good. Just keep staying quiet. Information? I don't need such things. You just need to pay the price for tarnishing my name."

"Ugh... ugh... ugh......."

"......Parnello."

"Yes, Boss."

"Crush him."

"Yes."

With a cracking sound, Parnello destroyed Blunte's vocal cords with a chop.

Despite the shock, Blunte, whose body had been strengthened, couldn't lose consciousness.

"G-gah...... G-gah."

"Now you're ready. Then, let's continue the punishment."

As if breathing, Parnello whipped Blunte's body as though it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Watching beside him, Calione, who was soothing the bitterness of his cigar with whiskey, let out a sigh mixed with the aroma of whiskey and cigar as he muttered.

"Even so, I'm worried. I hope he doesn't overdo it just because he gained a new ability......."

As if to ease the Boss's worries, Parnello paused the whipping momentarily and smiled.

"If it's the young master I saw, I don't think that will happen. He's the Boss's son, after all."

Saying so, Parnello recalled the weapon Yoojin had taken with him in the morning.

When he mentioned the weapon he had seen, Calione's body jolted greatly.

"Is that so? Is that true? Our Yoojin took the Chicago Typewriter?"

"Yes, he did. I don't know where he got it, but it seems he secured the real deal."

"Hahahaha! With that, he won't be easily beaten anywhere. Parnello. I'm heading home, so take care of the rest as usual."

"Yes, Boss. Rest well."

Leaving the dimly lit room, Calione received farewells from his most cherished subordinate and his former subordinate turned traitor.

His expression still had the corners of his lips lifted.

* * *

"Have a safe trip, young master."

As usual, Han Seojun stopped the car in front of the Academy's main gate and opened the back door.

"Thanks."

Just like yesterday, the black sedans were parked in front and behind, in what seemed like the same day, but there was one difference from yesterday.

It was the black bag in my hand. It was the unique weapon I would use at the Academy from now on.

"The other monsters will probably bring all sorts of cheat weapons too."

The Academy is full of future name-worthy individuals. Most of them have substantial backing, so they're bound to bring bizarre weapons.

I, too, had to use my abilities and background to the fullest to face them.

"Without doing that, there's no way I can surpass those monsters."

And I checked the reward for the Hidden Quest I had confirmed on my way to the Academy.

[Hidden Quest Complete!]

[The Traitor of the Organization]

[Carlo Blunte has realized the power of the relic he obtained and plans to collect relics to absorb Calione. Eliminate Carlo Blunte!]

[Reward: Midas's Gloves]

[Unbelievable Achievement!]

[You succeeded in eliminating Carlo Blunte alone without anyone's help.]

[Reward Details]

- New Trait: Execution Squad

[1. Executor: A group that confronts the organization's enemies. Physical abilities increase by 1.2 times during battles against enemies recognized as organizational threats.]

[Due to the unbelievable achievement, the trait evolves!]

- Evolved Trait: Executioner

[1. Executioner: Those who confront the organization's enemies. Physical abilities increase by 1.5 times during battles against enemies recognized as organizational threats.]

Perhaps because I exceeded the quest's goals, I obtained an evolved trait.

It was a trait I could use effectively in organizational work, one I had never seen in the game.

"Just looking at it feels satisfying."

Smiling, I put my smartphone in my pocket and looked ahead.

Originally, most of the so-called named NPCs in CS are alumni of this Academy.

And they're expected to grow significantly in the upcoming events.

I intended to maximize benefits between the organization and the Academy.

Let's see how much stronger I can become here!

As I was silently laughing to myself, thinking of a golden future, an irritating voice came from beside me.

"Even gangsters are bringing weapons to the Academy now? Truly, the Academy is going downhill."

Glancing over, I saw Jung Euihun spinning his pure white revolver with an unpleasant smile on his face.

"You're an interesting guy, Yoojin Han Calione."

"What?"

Was it because of his background as the son of the police commissioner? He already seemed to know my identity.

Well, considering the commotion I caused last night, it would have been stranger if he didn't know.

"How can you shamelessly come to the Academy like this? A guy who even caused a carnage last night? Truly fascinating."

Saying that, Jung Euihun whistled as he passed by me.

He seemed to think that his words had just managed to dampen my spirit.

To think that someone like him considers this a provocation...

I looked at the back of his head and smirked.

"These days, cops really talk too much."

"...What?"

"Did you hear that? My apologies. Just think of it as something an ignorant mafia brat said and move along."

Stupid cop.

Saying that, I walked past him and headed toward the Academy.

Picking a fight with me, someone trained in the canyon?

"How cute."

It'd be nice if he stayed this cute.

"Freshmen, please register your exclusive weapons here!"

A woman's voice echoed from the entrance leading into the main building of the Academy. A line stretched out in front of what appeared to be a female assistant instructor.

Since it was the first day of bringing exclusive weapons, the Academy held this event for proper management. On the first day, the line was always long like this.

Fortunately, the line moved quickly, so it was soon my turn.

"Hello."

"Yes, welcome, cadet. May I open your bag?"

"Yes, go ahead."

When the staff member opened my bag and checked its contents, her expression turned to surprise, as if she found it fascinating.

"Oh my, it's a firearm? Most heroes usually prefer spears or swords over firearms."

"I find firearms the most convenient."

Of course, it was probably largely due to [Trait: Hitman].

The reason heroes didn't prefer firearms was simple. They were less efficient than other weapons.

Firstly, the complex structure of firearms didn't handle mana well. Additionally, bullets spinning rapidly dispersed the mana surrounding them, making them less powerful compared to other weapons.

Thus, heroes who used firearms usually fell into two categories.

Those who used simple-structured guns like revolvers, or those who used relics imbued with history and mana.

"Alright, let me verify this."

As the assistant instructor held my exclusive weapon, a blue light began to shine in her eyes.

It was likely some kind of detection or analysis ability, I thought. Shortly after, the assistant instructor let out an exclamation.

"'Capone's Tommy'? What kind of relic is this..."

It was understandable. I was also shocked yesterday when I checked its stats through the compendium.

The information about my gun probably looked something like this in her eyes.

[Name: Capone's Tommy]

[Grade: Relic]

[Type: Firearm]

[Description: The weapon of Al Capone, the Emperor of the Night who once terrorized 20th-century America.]

[Skills]

[1. Global Relic: The original owner of this relic is a world-renowned figure. Grants three effects:

a. Greatly improves the efficiency of imbuing bullets with mana.

b. Allows the gun to fire simply by charging it with mana.

c. Significantly increases durability.]

[2. Chicago Typewriter: This weapon fires bullets at an overwhelmingly rapid speed. It inflicts a 'Fear' status effect on anyone who hears the sound.]

[3. Mafia Exclusive: This weapon is practically a symbol of the mafia. When wielded by a member of the mafia, their overall abilities are enhanced.]

Glancing over, I noticed Jung Euihun biting his lip in the distance.

I simply smiled at him.

"Confirmation complete. You may proceed inside."

"Thank you."

I put Tommy back into my bag after receiving it from the assistant instructor and slung it over my shoulder, walking past Jung Euihun, who was standing there dumbfounded.

Thinking back to the expression he just made, I almost burst out laughing.

"Oh? Yoojin!"

While walking through the Academy hallway, someone called my name from ahead.

Looking up, I saw the glasses guy I met on the uninhabited island waving his hand.

"Ah, Glasses."

"Glasses? Come to think of it, did I even properly introduce myself? I'm Kim Youngje. Thanks for yesterday."

Was the favor I planted on the island already coming back to me?

I didn't expect such a quick response, but I smiled at him nonetheless.

"Sure. I'm Yoojin."

I shook the hand he held out and entered the classroom with him.

"Is that exclusive weapon in your bag?"

"Yeah. Is yours a fountain pen?"

"Huh? How did you know? Most people don't notice."

He chuckled and glanced at the fountain pen tucked into his chest pocket.

"Just a feeling."

"Really? You're no ordinary guy, huh..."

Though he said that, the truth was I already knew about him.

'The Elemental Conductor, Kim Youngje.'

In the mid-game, he earned that nickname for swinging his fountain pen and unleashing various magic spells.

In the game, meeting him was always frustrating because of his relentless elemental attacks, but if you followed the Academy route, he could be recruited as an ally.

My smartphone vibrated with a buzzing sound in my pocket.

It seemed I had met certain conditions, and information about Kim Youngje had been added to the compendium.

"Ah! You're here!"

As I entered the classroom with Kim Youngje, familiar faces from yesterday stood out.

Some had bandages over their injuries, while others seemed unscathed.

Among them, Kim Seah, who was speaking to us, appeared to be one of the unscathed ones.

"We really owe you for yesterday."

Kim Seah smiled brightly as she approached me. Like Kim Youngje, she seemed grateful to me.

"Thanks to you, we got back to the Academy in time. Thank you."

That's when I noticed that aside from Kim Seah and Kim Youngje, the others also seemed to show goodwill toward me.

"Yeah. You all seem to be doing well."

"Huh? D-did you see us after we left the island?"

Kim Seah asked in surprise, but I shrugged and returned to the same seat I used yesterday.

Meanwhile, the previously empty seats started to fill up one by one. Judging by their appearances, they seemed to have gone through quite an ordeal yesterday.

"You! You!"

Suddenly, someone made a fuss as they approached me.

It was a blond delinquent with piercings—a guy with yellow hair.

"You left me behind and took the helicopter by yourself? Traitor!"

"You're here."

It was the guy who had introduced himself as Jinwoo Vivaldi.

If I remembered correctly, he had escaped on a boat yesterday.

He must have gone to the island with a GPS device, like me, to relay his position.

"If you can call a helicopter to an uninhabited island, how much money does your family have? Who are you, really?"

Jinwoo suddenly changed his tone and began questioning my identity.

"A silver spoon."

I gave him a vague answer and then pulled out my vibrating smartphone to check it.

[(NEW) Compendium Open]

[Jinwoo Vivaldi]

The compendium entry was about the blond delinquent.

"Wow, ignoring me again to read some encyclopedia or something. What is it, a platypus?"

Since he still couldn't see what was written on the screen, I comfortably continued reading the compendium.

[Name: Jinwoo Vivaldi]

[Affiliation: Vivaldi Family under Calione]

[Description: The only son of Antonio Vivaldi, the Boss of the Vivaldi Family. Inherited his father's exceptional talent as a Hitman, but failed to inherit his composure. Recently, he has been struggling financially since enrolling in the academy.]

Hearing the name Vivaldi, I assumed he was part of a branch family of the Vivaldi Family, but it turned out he was a direct descendant.

There are so many variables beyond the main characters that it's impossible to know everything. Just how much more information about this damn CS universe do I not know?

Antonio Vivaldi was undoubtedly a character famous for being an exceptional Hitman NPC.

But I never imagined that such a delinquent would be his son.

Glancing up, I saw the guy still staring dumbfoundedly at my smartphone.

"A mammal that lays eggs? And it's even venomous? Hey, hey, let me see the related entries too, come on?"

The guy spoke naturally. Although I hadn't witnessed his abilities yet, it was hard to ignore the information written in the compendium.

"Why are you trying to get close to me?"

When I asked that, he placed a hand on my shoulder and said.

"Well, you seem rich? And the second reason is, hmm... just because? You somehow feel familiar."

It seemed like the first reason was the bigger one, but I didn't feel entirely negative about it.

On the contrary, the more money-minded a guy was, the easier it was to use him.

Well, I guess a little training will be necessary.

"In that case, Jinwoo Vivaldi. How about sparring with me in today's match?"

"Sparring? What, is this one of those things where friends get closer by fighting? Is that it? My dad did say most of his friends came from fighting... but isn't that kind of an old-fashioned sentiment?"

He seemed genuinely perplexed, as if he couldn't understand why we needed to do that.

I decided to give him a reason.

"I'm planning to start a club. I thought it would be great if you joined."

"Huh? A club?"

"If you win, I'll make you the club president, and I'll join as your subordinate."

He frowned, as if he couldn't understand why I brought up a club out of nowhere.

"Why would I join a club and even become its president?"

But for someone like him, this piece of information would surely be tempting.

"Didn't you know? At the academy, club presidents receive a base activity fund of ten million credits every month."

"Ten million cr-credits?"

Gulp-. Jinwoo Vivaldi made a face as if I could hear him swallowing.

"A-alright. Deal!"

The moment money was mentioned, he eagerly accepted the offer, tapping me on the back a few times with a bright smile.

"Hey, hey, don't worry, okay? You think I'd beat up someone joining my club to the point of death? I'll go easy on you, so it won't hurt."

...What on earth was he so confident about?

"Instead, I hope you remember that if you lose, you'll become my subordinate."

"Why are you even worrying about that already? I just have to win. Well then, look forward to it, alright?"

With that, he giggled and returned to his seat, fiddling with his smartphone.

Alright, the bait is properly set. Now that I'd caught him, I began thinking about how to handle him when Kim Seah, seated in front, suddenly turned towards me.

"Um, are you really okay? Do you even know who that guy is?"

Seah leaned in closer, whispering as if sharing a secret, while blocking Jinwoo Vivaldi from seeing.

Seah's expression was as serious as it could get.

"Hmm? Is that guy famous?"

"Of course! There are so many rumors that he's a member of Calione, the kind of guy whose name alone can stop a crying child."

A member of Calione who could stop a crying child just by being mentioned? Where on earth did such absurd rumors come from... Well, there was no need to reveal that I was the organization's successor.

"That guy became famous for beating up all the prominent villains since high school. No matter how delinquent he looks, he's not an easy opponent."

Seah whispered nervously while glancing at Jinwoo Vivaldi.

It seemed their eyes met because Seah quickly let out a startled sound and spun back around.

"I see."

If he's been dealing with villains, then he must have basic combat sense.

"Looks like I'll have to properly evaluate him."

Let's see if you're worth using as one of my organization's members.