Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

Chapter 202 : City of Outlaws (2)

City of Outlaws (2)

The Italian gang 'Neve'.

Among the countless mafia and gangs in Italy, Neve held quite a unique position.

Their influence was recognized across Europe, and more importantly, because they were deeply connected to Alcatraz, even the government couldn't easily interfere.

It should have stayed that way.

"There's someone poking around our territory?"

Paolo, Neve's number two and the designated next boss, frowned at his subordinate's report.

"Yes, and Nino has been taken down."

"I guess he got caught while goofing off again."

"Well... that's true, but this time was a bit different."

Nino occasionally shook down passengers for money on ships heading to Alcatraz when he was bored.

He was sharp at judging magic power, and he only targeted those whose magic power seemed lower or weaker than his, so he had never failed until now.

"I think he underestimated the target and, as usual, made the first move, but his arms were both broken and his face caved in with a single blow. Now, he is literally only just alive."

"Nino, in a single blow?"

Paolo frowned.

Even he himself wouldn't be able to wreck Nino, a B-rank awakener, with just one strike.

"That means he must be a well-known awakener. Who is it?"

"We're... not sure."

"What? You still haven't identified him?"

"We know who he is."

Nino, being a B-rank awakener, was highly skilled even within Neve.

If someone managed to take him down, they had to be an awakener as well.

"Park Jung-woo, manager of Unique, a hunter management from Korea."

"Yeah, the hunter management's... manager?"

Paolo wondered if he had misheard when he realized the man wasn't a hunter but a manager at Unique.

"What the hell do you mean? If he took down Nino, he must be an awakener, right? Does Korea use awakeners as managers instead of hunters?"

"That's why we're not sure. He's raised several S-rank hunters, and recently, he even participated as a coach at the last Odyssey event."

The more he heard, the less he could figure out what this guy was.

"So, you're saying he's not an awakener?"

"There are records of him dealing with awakeners, but officially, he isn't an awakener. Even if you search the Korean Hunter Association, he isn't registered as one."

Then what in the world was this guy rampaging through Neve's territory?

Neve's gang had ordinary people, but some, like Nino, were awakener.

'No, if he were an ordinary manager, he would be riddled with bullets already.'

To take on firearms, you had to be at least a C-rank awakener.

To completely ignore them, B-rank was the minimum.

In other words, unless Park Jung-woo was a B-rank or higher awakener, this made no sense.

KA-BOOM!!

At that moment, the wall of the building Paolo was in collapsed.

"So, this is Neve's base?"

He looked as if he'd just gone out for a stroll.

Despite the wall being specially built to fend off awakener intruders, it seemed to crumble like a wall made of Styrofoam.

'Is he insane?'

The first thing he said upon arriving at the enemy's lair was just that.

"Don't you see us here?"

Paolo wasn't alone.

Even excluding the subordinate he'd just been talking to, there were thirty gang members armed with firearms.

Ten awakener below B-rank were present.

And Paolo himself was an A-rank awakener.

In essence, most of Neve's power was gathered here right now.

"Are you the boss?"

"What?"

"I asked if you're the boss."

Even in this situation, this Park Jung-woo guy didn't seem to care about the circumstances at all and pulled something out of his pocket.

It was a crumpled ticket.

A ticket to board the ship bound for Alcatraz.

"There was a bit of a scuffle at the entrance earlier, and after that, they said I couldn't board with this."

What Jung-woo demanded was simple.

He wanted permission to board the ship to Alcatraz.

"Is he insane?"

To risk his life just to ride a ship once.

Paolo sneered as he slowly approached Jung-woo.

"Do you think Neve is some kind of joke?"

CLANG!!

Following Paolo's action, the gangsters behind him drew their weapons in unison, and those who weren't awakener all trained their guns on Jung-woo.

"You'll never set foot in Alcatraz."

Blue flames burst from the axes in Paolo's hands and shot toward Jung-woo.

The axes, which had butchered countless enemies daring to bare their fangs at Neve, struck Jung-woo's body.

KAANG!

"Huh?"

The axe blade shattered.

It was at that very moment that Paolo realized something was wrong.

***

"It's noisy."

Neve's boss and one of the biggest names in Italy's underworld.

Roberto Orelli.

He sat comfortably in his chair, leisurely trimming his nails.

It was a bit loud, but he didn't really care.

'Are those Vincenzo family bastards here?'

He smirked as he thought of the mafia group he often clashed with over business in Naples.

Those guys wanted to take over Neve's Alcatraz-bound ship route.

'Not a chance.'

Controlling the ship route to Alcatraz was a huge advantage.

Everyone going to that lawless land was a skilled criminal, and many of them were powerful awakener that even the country couldn't control.

The Alcatraz ship route was an important opportunity to build ties with those kinds of people.

Knock, knock.

"... It's Paolo."

He heard Paolo's voice at the office door.

His tone was noticeably sluggish, unlike usual, but Roberto wasn't concerned.

"Come in."

He replied nonchalantly as he continued focusing on his nails, and slowly, the door opened.

Through the doorway, in came Paolo along with an East Asian man Roberto had never seen before.

"...?"

Roberto doubted his eyes for a moment.

Paolo was an A-rank awakener and had been a trusted right-hand man for years.

In organizational disputes, he always fought at the front, and his ruthlessness and skill had greatly contributed to Neve's reputation.

Of course, in terms of raw skill, Roberto himself was a bit above him, but Paolo's ability couldn't be dismissed.

And yet...

"So, you're the boss of Neve? I thought this guy was the boss at first."

Tap, tap.

The East Asian man tapped the back of the fierce Paolo's head with his palm as he spoke.

Normally, Paolo's violent nature would have made him attack immediately, but now he meekly stood still like a lamb.

'What is this?'

Roberto was stunned.

Now that he looked more closely, Paolo's face was so swollen from being beaten that it was barely recognizable.

He staggered when he walked, clearly not in a good state.

"What brings you here?"

Roberto made a quick judgment.

He jumped up, bowed at a ninety-degree angle, and pulled a business card from his pocket.

At that, the sharp look in the stranger's eyes softened.

"As expected, a real boss is different."

Saying that, he caught the crumpled ticket thrown toward him, his gaze fixed on the man's face.

'Park Jung-woo?'

At first, he hadn't realized, but now that he saw him up close, he recognized him.

The Korean manager who had been a hot topic at the recent Odyssey event.

Since he had attracted so much attention, Roberto had personally tried to gather information on Park Jung-woo.

But, surprisingly, he had found nothing.

As if someone was deliberately controlling the information about Park Jung-woo.

At that point, Roberto realized.

There was something about this man.

'Never thought I'd meet him here...'

He swallowed dryly.

Roberto was an A-rank awakener and undeniably skilled.

But among Italian gangs and mafia, there were several bosses with better raw power than Roberto.

The reason Neve managed to surpass such rivals and dominate the Italian underworld was thanks to Roberto's insight and sound judgment.

"Whatever you're here for, I'll make sure you get the help you need to your satisfaction."

Given all this, Roberto judged that Park Jung-woo was someone he absolutely must not cross.

No matter what, under any circumstances.

***

'Neve was an organization untouched by demons.'

I leisurely sat in my cabin on the ship, taking in my surroundings.

The private suite Roberto prepared for me was quite satisfactory.

'Should I say he's quick-witted?'

Jung-woo was inwardly surprised seeing Roberto bow without a flicker of emotion, even after his own right-hand man got beaten to a pulp.

'He might be useful later on.'

Neve was a huge gang with influence across Europe.

Naturally, they received information from the underworld faster than anyone else, including intel about demons.

"There are currently about five organizations in Europe that have made contact with demons."

The existence of demons, which had become controversial since the last Odyssey.

Roberto had known about them for a year.

In the underworld, there were reports of unknown groups making contact with renowned talents.

And the organizations that joined hands with them saw their power quickly expand.

"Of course, Neve was contacted as well, but we refused. If you check, you'll see."

Roberto had determined that while siding with the demons could provide quick gains, it would also mean falling under their sway.

Joining hands with people who offered you benefits for nothing was a foolish act.

"Alcatraz is basically a feeding ground for the demons. There's a ranking system there, and if you make it into the top twenty, most get an offer from the demons. They'll usually promise stronger power."

That was how demons grew their network, one by one.

Roberto said they called this 'the harvest' in the underworld.

"Most underworld organizations don't want to make enemies of those guys. Even if their offer is refused, most try to maintain friendly relations. It's the same for us Neve."

Roberto had revealed the truth quite matter-of-factly, so there was no need to press further.

He probably believed I'd do something terrible if he lied.

'He really is sharp.'

I looked at the small island visible out the ship's window and thought.

Roberto was quite a useful individual.

With his connections to demons, he'd be a good source of information on them too.

And above all, he was the boss of a major organization.

"A feeding ground for demons, huh."

I repeated those words and closed my eyes.

It looked like I'd be busy from now on.

***

The moment I arrived at Alcatraz, all eyes were on me.

It was only natural.

Those getting off the ship mostly had fierce faces, clutching menacing weapons and full of murderous intent.

I, too, had a rather stern look, but aside from that, I was dressed in a proper suit and carried a black leather briefcase—looking every bit the salaryman—so I couldn't help but stand out.

"Who's that guy?"

"Wait, I think I've seen him before."

"As if. All East Asians look the same, come on."

Some seemed to recognize me, but their voices were drowned out by laughter.

Since I was overseas and not famous as an awakener, most people had no idea who I was.

'It's easier for me this way.'

If people crowded around me like they did in Korea, I'd find it hard to get anything done.

"Well then..."

I swept my gaze across the scenery of Alcatraz.

On the surface, it looked much like any normal city, but behind the facade, everything proved that this was no ordinary place.

Bloodstains splattered across the streets, cleaners disposing of corpses as if it were routine.

People walking around as if such sights were just everyday life.

'They're all awakener.'

It was a familiar sight to me.

Cities under demon control mostly looked like this.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】