"This city is also known as the beginning of all families. Many newcomers that want to make a big name for themselves and become gangsters and mafiosos come to this city" Manjaro explained. room while discussing what he wants us to do. When I asked what does this friend think about Titiana and I living here, he only mentioned that this friend is on a business trip.
"What about the authorities? I'm not so sure people can just come here, form a family, then cause crimes without being hunted by the kingdom's defense forces" I asked while getting myself comfortable on the living room's sofa.
"Gtomika's always been like that, though" Titiana mentioned. "With the mafia supposedly running the kingdom from the shadows, I've heard that this amount of crime is actually encouraged"
"Unlike other cities in Gtomika, where only a single family—maybe three at most—control the whole city, Djchuria currently has the most amounts of mafia families, with more than thirty in total"
"Most knights that patrol the cities are just set pieces to pretend that the kingdom takes actions against organized crime, when in reality knights and other bodies to protect the people barely do anything." Titiana stopped for a second, her face saddening while she looked away. "Like my father... normal people are taken to the army as knights to pretend"
"Wait. If Gtomika doesn't have a true army, then how does it deal with wars and rivaling nations?" I asked.
"I can answer that one!" Manjaro raised up his hand. "Gtomika is mostly on good terms with all our neighbouring kingdoms, only recently has there been tensions rising with Pultreiva. Besides, I've heard that most of Gtomika's wars are fought on other kingdoms. This is because the mafia families have people in power positions on all kingdoms in this continent"
"And the mafia family that's been terrorizing your neighbour is called...?"
"The Three Headed Demonic Fronts"
Titiana and I had the same reaction of shaking our heads and flinching due to how hard the whiplash of such name hit us. I've always imagined mafias would be more serious, but that name goes against everything I thought about them.
"It's actually the combination of three different families. It isn't uncommon for families to merge and separate from time to time. The family is under the command of three bosses who command entire organizations within Djchuri"
"Wait, wait, wait" Titiana shook her hand and stopped him from talking. "I thought we would deal with a simple and small mafia family, not a big and serious mafia!"
"Yeah. If it's such a powerful family, why would they need to extort money from innocent people using dirty tricks?"
"I can't answer that question, my saviour, for I don't know for sure. The only thing I can do is to speculate about their reasons—and the only conclusion I have is that the family is going through a hard period" His ears drooped in disappointment as he lowered his head.
"It's fine. Their reasons don't really matter that much if our goal is to stop them" I commented, which made him perk up his ears and smile big.
"Thank you, my saviour, for being so understanding!" He clasped his hands and prostrated himself, smacking his head hard against the ground.
"Be careful, this is your friend's place! You can't be here breaking the floor!" Titiana abruptly stood up and tensed up at the weird way our Ulf friend reacted.
"Oh, right, I forgot about it!" He quickly stood up, face dusted and forehead bleeding as broken fragments from the floor fell down from his head. "I didn't make a big hole, so I'll make a quick call to fix it later."
I only raised my eyebrows in shock while I watched the grown man wag his tail and chuckle happily while being scolded by Titiana.
"Well, my saviours, I have to leave for today" He quickly bolted toward the door. "I have a busy schedule tomorrow!"
"You better get us what we asked for!" Titiana yelled at him.
"I can make some calls and get you a bow and arrow, and someone and somewhere you can train your aim"
"Make sure he's someone who can teach me how to use a gun from zero, and I assure you we'll make such a good job you'll never again see those who take your money!" She proudly specified while crossing her arms.
"You keep getting even more expensive, my saviour!" He clenched the side of the door. "Are you sure you're not the one robbing me of all my money and not the mafia?" He asked and immediately closed the door.
"You want our help or not!?" She yelled at the now closed door and the man behind it.
"His documentation will take more, but I'll get everything done, I promise!"
With those words, the Ulf man left, his footsteps running fast away from the residence were heard from the inside.
---
"Unbelievable!" The fire-coloured Vogel huffed. "Can you believe that, Grey?" She asked, yet did not hear an answer from her Reptilia partner. "Grey?" She asked, turning around and seeing why Grey hadn't answered.
"Oh!" She gasped softly, covering up her mouth and tensing up to make as little noise as possible.
The boy had fallen asleep on the couch, his arm on the couch's arm, holding his head as he rested peacefully, his chest moving up and down slowly.
Slowly, deliberately, Titiana tiptoed her way to the sofa, stopping once she got in front of him.
She looked down at the boy, her eyes focused on the two sets of horns on top of his head, then to his face. His eyes closed peacefully, with his mouth slightly open.
"No wonder you're this tired you fall asleep on the couch... you fought and saved me... once again..." Titiana whispered lowly enough to the point that even she had trouble hearing her own voice speak.
She slowly leaned her head forward, dropping her back forward at snail's pace while her hands were tangled together in front of her chest. "Thank you, Grey... I'll thank you again tomorrow... but there's no way I can give you this reward if you were awake" She breathed out as her nose finally was a breath away from his cheek.
"Chu!"
The sound of a small, quick kiss that tried to go unnoticed in a room where only one person was aware of it.
Titiana quickly leaned away and turned around, not wanting to face the sleeping Grey. Her hands held themselves together tight. Her breathing was fast and heavy, and she felt her cheeks burn.
--
I slowly opened my eyes and found myself lying down on the surprisingly comfortable sofa—at least, more comfortable than several of the beds I previously slept on—facing the ceiling.
The last thing I remember was Manjaro leaving and promising something to Titiana.
I slowly sat up and stretched out my limbs while groaning in relief. After a long and tiring yawn, I looked around and saw the windows open and allowing the morning sunlight inside the room.
Standing up, I noticed a small note on the table that wasn't there when I fell asleep last night.
Of course, I picked it up and read what was inside.
To summarize, Titiana's trainer came really early in the morning, so she left the house and will be back once today's session ends.
I looked around the room and inspected every room we had at our disposal. It's a medium-sized house with two bedrooms. Although it is really dusty, as if the house wasn't used in years. No photos or pictures of the owner of the house either, every signal that someone could've lived here is gone, the only thing left is an air of emptiness.
Knock, knock.
"!!"
I quickly turned my head and fixed my sights on the door that led to the outside of the house. While I wished that it was only the owner of the house that coincidentally returned today, the rough and raspy voices along with the hard and desperate knocks on the door indicated otherwise.
I slightly opened the door, enough to see and be seen by those outside.
Two men, formal yet sweaty clothes with sunglasses and a big, beige coat that shielded them from the winter winds.
"A Reptilia?" one of the men commented roughly in his surprised expression.
"And who might you two be?" I asked calmly yet cautious.
"We were commented that someone stayed here last night after ages of this house being empty, and we wanted to see what kind of person we'd find. We didn't expect to find a sharp-teethed here," commented a man with cat ears coming out of his fedora-style hat.
"I'm sorry, but I do not live here"
"Really? Then what are you doing here, occupying a property that's not yours?" The other man, with dog ears and way more hair than most people would have—probably a mutation from his Berus race.
"I'm from a cleaning company called Squeaky Clean—the one with a mouse on the logo, ran by a Rongeur. The owner bought our services since the house's been unoccupied for so long" I made up a quick lie, making sure to make it seem as believable as possible.
They looked at each other. The Squeaky Clean company is real, and it does have a building in most Northern continent kingdoms.
"Squeaky Clean? How come a Reptilia like you ended up here? Your kind is not at all common here in this continent. Not to mention those weird horns you have" He commented while pointing his finger on top of my head.
"You know us, foreigners, we start by working these kinds of jobs. I'm sure you've seen my people around here doing the same"
"Whatever the case may be" The Miw mafioso talked. "This neighbour is rather dangerous, and we'd like to offer our protection services"
"I appreciate the offer. But I know how to defend myself"
"No, no. We insist, mister..." The Berus man elongated his words while opening up his coat, allowing me to see a knife and a pistol hiding inside.
"Marcus Tenesy." I lied as naturally as I breathed. "And I really appreciate the enthusiasm of offering protection. But I assure you, I know a thing or two on self defense"
"Damn, that's such a foreign name" The Miw mafioso commented while taking a cigar from his coat.
"Well, then..." The dog-eared leaned away, letting go of his coat. "I hope you later don't regret it and come back crawling to the Seven Thunder's mafia for protection"
With that, they slowly walked away with a big smile on their faces.