I Become a Mafia in the Academy - Chapter 249

Awakened people around the world make more money than the average person.

That’s because their powers allow them to replace heavy machinery and handle problems that can’t be solved through normal means.

That’s not all.

Since they’re always risking their lives in dungeons, battling otherworldly beings and collecting their treasures and byproducts, it makes little sense that they don’t make money.

But then again, not all Awakened are wealthy.

The reason for this is the existence of equipment and elixirs.

In order to survive as an Awakened, a life-threatening profession, you need to constantly improve your ability to defend yourself against countless dangers.

Each time you do so, you spend a huge amount of money, and as a result, most Awakened spend their fortune right away before they have a chance to save it.

And this one in front of me has a huge amount of family debt.

“I’m sure you know why Awakened want to join a guild or belong somewhere.”

“Because……gives Awakened who belong to it priority for elixirs and equipment.”

“Exactly. That’s why only a few people are active without being part of an organization. Going it alone means you have to take care of everything yourself.”

It’s hard to say, but there was something similar in his family.

So I must have seemed like a kindred spirit to him.

“What’s the scale of support……?”

And that tether quickly transformed into a fishing line.

“I try to get them any elixirs they need. If we have items from dungeon runs or raids, I give them to whoever I think is best suited for them. Other than that, I do what I’m supposed to do as a friend and representative……”

Compared to other guilds, this was an unconventional support policy.

Even if you join a large guild, they usually lend you equipment.

Even elixirs, for example, were usually put on a ledger to create a debt to prevent people from leaving.

“I think this is pretty radical, what do you think?”

“…… Not bad.”

“Not bad, there’s probably no other club in the academy that can do this.”

You’d probably have to join the student council and become an official officer to get this kind of support.

“Hmm…….”

He lowers his head and falls into thought but no matter how much he thought about it, the outcome was already decided.

Earning money at the academy? Not having to toil away in the harbor and neglect his family?

It’s hard.

So for him, the ‘Familia’ life must be like a job he could only dream of.

“Can I tell you the answer……after school starts? I think I need to think about it more.”

“Oh, sure, whatever.”

I could see why he was hesitant to answer right now.

“Alright. Let’s go get some crab. I’m hungry.”

I stand up and lighten the mood.

“Do you like snow crabs?”

“I don’t have……so I can’t eat it.”

“Okay, let’s eat snow crab today. Take your time.”

I need to get someone like you as soon as possible.

* * *

After returning home from all the days at sea, I threw myself on the bed, still exhausted from the long day.

“……aah. I’m exhausted.”

As I sank into the familiar mattress, I thought back to yesterday’s crazy snow crab party.

‘Ma, it’s snow crab guts and rice!’

‘This is snow crab scab!’

A feast of snow crabs and king crabs on the table. I felt like I had eaten enough crustaceans to last me a lifetime.

“Ha, now that I’m back at the mansion, I’ll have to take over the organization.”

For a while, I was able to take it easy, thanks to my father giving me time off to enjoy my vacation, but eventually I became a member of Corleone executive staff.

“……Let’s work.”

I get up from the bed, briefly summarize my report on the events of this dungeon, and submit it in writing.

I return to my room and change out of my casual attire into my DisPater.

My activities within the mansion were uneventful.

First, combat training to maintain my dignity and authority as an officer.

And that combat training was……against Parnello, who had been my mentor since the past.

“It seems like it’s been a while since I sparred with you, Master.”

“You’ve been busy lately. What should I do? I, the less busy one, should put up with it.”

I had been fighting all summer, so I had accumulated quite a bit of experience.

I just needed to learn how to coordinate it.

We stood facing each other in the training area outside the Corleone mansion, each inspecting our weapons.

Up until this point, we had been limited to hand-to-hand combat, but recently, my skill had increased and I had begun to use weapons.

To ensure my safety, a large-scale dueling facility comparable to the one in the Academy was installed in the mansion.

When I first asked for it to be installed, I must have spent quite a bit of money to convince my godfather, let alone my father, to agree to it…….

“How do you want to train for combat today?”

“At full power.”

“Full force?”

Parnello looks at me curiously after hearing my words.

“I’m curious about what it would be like if I fought at full strength.”

“You’re right, I can fight you at full strength thanks to this arena you’ve set up. The world has become so much better, hehehe!”

At the same time, the sound of the arena being activated could be heard with a clattering sound.

“Alright, let’s go then.”

As he swung his arm in an extremely natural motion.

──Zap.

An unseen knife grazed my cheek, creating a shallow line.

‘……Crazy.’

This is just a dagger throw?

No skill whatsoever?

“Master, are you okay?”

“……Fun.”

Since he’s going all out, I might as well fight him with everything I’ve got.

“Lightning Bolt.”

As I recite the starter word, the landscape around me begins to elongate.

It’s so fast that if I think about anything else even for a moment, I’ll be blown away.

In an instant, I’m in front of Parnello, and I thrust my foot forward, sending a jolt of black electricity straight through the Black Mist.

────QUACK!!!

A huge thunderous sound echoed through the arena only after I struck directly at Parnello.

But,

“Well, one wrong move and I could have been in trouble.”

Parnello, who had countered the kick by raising his elbow, was looking at my face clearly with a smile on his face.

“……Parnello. Are you a human?”

“Of course not, I’m a monster.”

……I guess you’re at least a raid boss.

After knocking me back with a flick of his elbow, Parnello starts to approach me, sword in hand.

I quickly reclaim my leg and pull out a shotgun from the cube, aim it at Parnello, and pull the trigger.

Kwaang───!

A loud bang sounded but Parnello dodges the shotgun by tilting his upper body to the side.

“Shotguns are great for close combat, but if you are close to the muzzle, you can dodge like this.”

“No, dodging is weird!”

Once again I spin the muzzle and fire.

This time, however, Parnello ducks down and dodges the shot, just as it’s about to hit him.

“Bingo.”

I pulled out the Tokarev in my left hand and squeezed the trigger.

The pistol fired without a sound, and Parnello raised his right arm to block the bullet but that slight hesitation was enough to give me a chance.

“I told you to get some distance, didn’t I……?”

This time, I threw myself backwards, aiming for Parnello.

“Can you dodge this one?”

Kaaaaaang────!!!

I fire, gathering as much aura as possible and a giant diagonal line forms, encompassing everything around me, even Parnello.

“Oh no.”

Parnello grins in disbelief at the sight, and is swallowed up by it, but…….

“You’re a quick learner after all.”

For some reason, I looked up at the sound of his voice coming from the ceiling.

“But your move was too big.”

Parnello leaped toward me with the motion of a leopard that had spotted its prey.

He had a knife in each hand, and if I allowed him to attack, the duel would end in nothing.

Then…….

I have no choice but to stop his attack once more with a larger, broader strike.

[Imprint: -Dragon (Reaper of the Immortals): You plunged your dagger into the heart of the one who ruled the Abyssal Flame, and in the midst of your deadly blows, you drank the blood of the Immortals. You are the Reaper of Death who brought the Immortals to rest.]

It was funny to see an imprint that required a dragon class to activate on Parnello, but the look on his face as black flames erupted from my hand was even funnier.

“Round two, Parnello.”

The black flames begin to greedily devour the light around them with intense firepower.

In an instant, I crouched low in the darkened arena, wrapping my Aura in both hands and activating Aura Sonar.

It’s a classic play against a fast-moving opponent.

Parnello’s position is……right!

-Kwao!

I threw a punch with all my might, but it was blocked by Parnello’s defense.

“How……?”

Black Flame doesn’t just weaken light, it completely consumes it, that means he’ll never be able to see with his night vision but Parnello’s sense of smell seemed to transcend that.

However that didn’t mean I could back down.

I rolled on the ground, trying to break up the motion, but Parnello jumped up and dodged the grip, then closed in for a quick kick.

I was sent flying, landing on the edge of the arena.

I immediately withdrew the Black Flame, not needing to consume Aura to maintain it now that I had confirmed that the darkness would not work.

Parnello’s condition gradually begins to improve as he regains his sight.

The Black Flame had apparently worked, and his expression was considerably more strained than it had been at first.

“Well, I’m getting old, and I don’t think I’ll be able to fight at full strength for much longer.”

“You shouldn’t say that. You’re as strong as a monster.”

“Haha, even then, I’m a child compared to the boss.”

Saying that, Parnello twirled the dagger in his hand and grinned.

“Then let’s get this……over with, Master.”

“……We should, shouldn’t we?”

I fill my fist with aura and prepare for the final blow.

I could tell that most of my movements were based on Parnello’s.

An assassin’s movements optimized for cleanliness and efficiency.

Just watching it helps me with each and every one of them. It would be enough to coordinate as it is.

But I’ll never win this way.

My opponent is a human who knows my every move.

If I wanted to turn this around, I would have to change my base movements to someone else’s.

Crackle──

The tip of my fist begins to crackle with electricity.

The shape of the aura was created in the form of an electric current, giving it speed, anticipation, and sharpness.

“Hmm?”

Parnello watched in interest, then nodded once and began to lunge toward me but I’m not impatient and slowly pulled my fist back.

In my head, I don’t try to dodge in these situations.

I’m not trying to block it.

I’m just trying to push it out.

“Blue Sky Wall Force.”

The skill that took the life of a mythical giant is once again at my fingertips.

Like a snake that has captured its prey, like a lightning bolt that has found a lightning rod, dozens of bolts of lightning fly toward only one person.

The movement was ferocious, ready to tear through anything in its path but there was one thing I overlooked.

“This time, I’m actually surprised.”

My opponent was no ordinary human.

As his arms flew off and his body was torn apart, I caught one last glimpse of Parnello wielding his sword with a grin of madness on his face──

“You’re so……damn strong.”

My consciousness was cut off just like that.