Volume 5 Chapter 29 Pressured By The Editor, So I'll Do My Best To Continue Writing, But...
"Do you idiots even know whose territory this is?"
"Don't act tough, you're just some old mafia!"
Stepping outside, the tension in the air was clear.
Following Nikyou's orders, the entrance to the tavern was already guarded by members of the Jingin Family. In front of them stood a disorganized group of people, probably the Kahlua Family... or rather, the petty thugs who joined their ranks.
"Ah, boss!"
As one person spotted Nikyou, the others also became aware of his presence. With seamless movements, they cleared a path for him, bowing respectfully.
"Hey. Seems like they haven't made a move yet. Don't try your hand at it yet."
"It's the boss's orders! Make way!!"
As Nikyou strolled confidently down the open path, nodding in satisfaction, he seemed to exude a dignity that was far removed from the jovial, heavy-drinking man he had been moments before. And despite the earlier rowdiness, the members of the Jingin Family seemed surprisingly disciplined.
It was a scene that made it clear that the Jingin Family was not just a gathering of lawless individuals.
In contrast, the members of the Kahlua Family gave off an impression of disunity and incompetence. Though they might be tough-looking, it was clear that in terms of numbers, the Jingin side was superior. Their confidence in their numerical advantage was evident.
Furthermore...
"Yukina-sama, it seems there are some skilled individuals among them."
"Yeah, even I can tell. Their expressions give it away."
In response to Mikage's whisper, I nodded.
Apart from the rowdy bunch reveling in their numerical advantage, there were others quietly observing our side (Jingin). The delinquents were just for show; the real deal for Kahlua Family must be these guys.
"By the way, what about Aina and Kyunei?"
"I asked them to stay back at the tavern. They're not suited for this kind of rough stuff, especially if it's not a fight with monsters."
As I tilted my head in confusion at what Mikage was getting at, Nikyou chimed in.
"Just as Silver Flash sis said. This is just a 'brawl' after all."
Upon closer inspection, both the enemies (Kahlua) and allies (Jingin) had weapons at hand, but there were no blades, only blunt objects. Nikyou himself was unarmed.
"If things get violent, even the guards who've decided to stay out of it won't be able to ignore it. So, as much as I hate to say it, refrain from using any weapons from your backs or hips. At least until they start something."
It's a weird thing, but while Kyunei's throwing knives and Aina's magic would be great for a 'kill-fest', they're clearly overkill for a brawl between humans. Makes sense, though.
"So, is this within the scope of just a regular fight?"
"Yeah. It's a grand brawl. They're selling, and we're buying."
Nikyou nodded towards the Kahlua group with his chin. When I looked over, the crowd had just begun to split into two. Emerging from the gap was a familiar figure.
Before I could confront Nikyou, a man emerged from the VIP area.
"That's the boss of the Kahlua Family, Narinki Kahlua."
"...He doesn't look like a fighter nerd like you."
Looking at him head-on again, his body seemed like it had limbs attached to excess fat. His clothes and decorations seemed expensive, but it must have cost a lot to maintain that physique too. While I admired the luxurious lifestyle a bit, I also thought that too much luxury could be a lesson in excess.
"Hey, pig boss of the Kahlua gang. You're here pretty early. I was expecting you to come a little later."
"If you didn't have such a big mouth, I was planning to extend your lifespan by another three or four days."
Narinki, while stroking his plump jaw, glares irritably at Nikyou. Their exchange is casual, but there's an underlying tension in their gazes.
'No, more importantly, partner.'
I get it. I also realized that from their short conversation just now.
"Hey, Nikyou."
"What's up, bro?"
"So, what's the deal with calling each other 'bro'... Before we arrived, Kahlua was here, right?"
"Hmm? Oh, that?"
Nikyou crosses his arms and snorts before fixing his gaze on Narinki.
"That pig over there, he was blabbering about joining our ranks and making threats. I told him to come back after he learned how to speak properly and then sent him packing."
"Wait, they're picking a fight with all their might!? That means they'll come at us right away! This isn't the time to be having leisurely drinking parties!"
As I raised my voice, Nikyou chuckled amusedly.
"Don't worry. My guys aren't the type to falter even in the midst of a hangover. They're not soft enough to lag behind some riffraff from elsewhere."
"Is that the issue, then?"
"For us, it is."
It seems there's a difficult-to-understand difference between Nikyou's mafia logic and my own logic.
'Even your logic is rather quite questionable to the general public, partner.'
Our daily life discussions were indeed somewhat outside the common sense of society.
Narinki, who had been glaring sharply at Nikyou, suddenly turned his gaze towards me, a smirk forming on his lips.
"Oh, by the way, Jingin's... seems like you have been quite being taken care of by your bro over there. If you hand her over along with that cute girl in your entourage--"
"Alright, let's off that pig and hand him over to the butcher, yeah?"
Narinki's ridiculous suggestion got me fired up out of nowhere. I pounded my fist into my palm and proposed, "Hey, let's do it." The boss of the Jingin Family looked a bit puzzled at first but soon flashed a fierce grin.
"Alright. Even though it's cheap with all that fat, let's use that money to throw another feast."
"These... damn brats..."
Provoked by both me and Nikyou, the pig's face turned red, and he snorted angrily.
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