The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 190
“Amuse Bouche. Specially aged for this occasion.”
“This chef, the cooking is decent.”
“I hope it suits Professor Van the Legend’s taste as well.”
A formally dressed chef served the food with an elegant demeanor.
It was a dish so splendid, it seemed worthy of photographing and posting on the Philosopher’s Stone Mirror Board.
So, the situation now was.
‘We’re having a meal.’
I swallowed hard internally.
‘The heads of the families are indeed formidable.’
The Royal Family that has crossed me this time is indeed a force that dominates the Republic in both name and reality.
However, that doesn’t mean the Royal Family is the top among the mafias.
There were three other forces with similar power.
Including the Royal Family, they are called the Four Great Families.
And now, the heads of the three families, excluding Duke Rutger of the Royal Family, were present.
“Please, have a taste, Professor. It may not match up to the Empire’s standards, but the flavors of the Republic have their own merits,”
Said the woman in the highest seat, leading the atmosphere with a smile.
She was Maria, the godmother of the ‘Angels,’ reputed to be the most militarily powerful among the Four Great Families.
She herself possessed formidable strength.
‘A Level 7 Knight, and an Assassin class at that.’
The same went for the rest.
Even if the Republic relatively lacks superhumans of Level 7 or above, the heads ( godmothers/ godfathers ) of the mafias were exceptions.
In other words, I am in a meal with Level 7 superhuman villains in front of me.
There was no way the food could go down easily.
‘They must have deliberately aimed for this effect.’
It wasn’t an overt display of force.
But just their smiles and gazes were enough to feel an overwhelming pressure.
It was the presence of a head leading a massive mafia.
Especially, the subtly felt bloody aura added to the eeriness.
An ordinary person could never have maintained their composure.
But,
‘I’m not to be underestimated either.’
I have this Great Dragon Charisma with me.
Or, to be honest.
‘I’ve faced such oppressive atmospheres countless times before. This level of pressure? I’m accustomed to it.’
I moved my fork.
Gracefully and with dignity.
Showcasing the elegance of the Black Dragon to its fullest.
As if to demonstrate what true dignity looked like.
“The food doesn’t taste bad, it seems.”
“!!”
“However, there seems to be a lack of maturity in the aging process. It might be beneficial to learn from the Empire’s culinary techniques. It’s common for the Republic to learn and mimic the advanced culture of our Empire, after all.”
It was a barbed comment towards the Republic’s magical engineers who copied the Empire’s technology.
Their faces stiffened.
The moment Eckmann next to me turned pale.
“Hahaha, truly as the rumors say, you are a remarkable person. Let’s not beat around the bush and get straight to the point. To be honest, your actions are putting us in a very difficult position. Frankly, I’m so inclined to skin that beautiful face of yours right now.”
It wasn’t an empty threat.
Had I not been of Ecclesia’s bloodline, had I not used the name of Duke Alfonso, I would have been a corpse in the river long ago.
“You requested to see us, not the Royal Family, because you have something else in mind, right?”
Originally, it was Duke Rutger of the Royal Family who had contacted me.
However, after refusing him, I requested to speak with the other families. Indeed, I had something else in mind, as they said.
But before I could bring up my point, they made their move first.
“We’ve prepared a gift for you in advance. Bring it here.”
And then.
Thud!!
Thugs brought over two sacks and threw them in front of us.
Unveiling the sacks revealed two blood-soaked figures squirming.
‘These guys?’
I was taken aback.
They were people I knew.
“Sa-Save…! Pl-Please, Professor Van, forgive us! We will never commit such mistakes again! Sob! Please, just spare our lives…!”
A man wailing with a disfigured face.
Surprisingly, it was Dr. Kaplan, who had stolen my automobile patent.
But that wasn’t all.
Crack.
Even more wrecked than Dr. Kaplan, a boy’s face, but he was glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me, without making any sounds of pain.
It was Senin.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“As we mentioned, it’s a gift. We thought you’d be pleased?”
“Pl-Please spare me! If you forgive me, I’ll never do such things again…! Please…!!”
But then.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and Dr. Kaplan slumped down.
Blood gushed out, staining the tablecloth.
“To dare and disturb the slumber of a dragon, such calamity you’ve brought upon yourself. A price must be paid. Now, how shall we deal with this fearless boy? Killing him outright seems too bland, shall we start by peeling off the skin on his face?”
Mafia thugs in suits approached Senin with their ‘tools’.
Senin couldn’t hide his terror.
I eventually sighed.
“Stop.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think I wouldn’t catch on to your little schemes? Disappointing.”
Indeed.
This was a threat.
A means to navigate this negotiation according to their wishes.
They must have researched my personality beforehand, figuring I wouldn’t stand by and watch Senin be killed.
“I was curious to see what kind of dignity you’d show, but it seems I expected too much from back alley thugs. Consider this negotiation null and void.”
“You’d watch this boy die?”
“Try it if you dare. If you wish to go bankrupt and ruin yourselves completely.”
“Haha, aren’t you overestimating yourself a bit? No matter how exceptional you may be…”
“It seems you’re the ones who don’t know who I am.”
I stood up, looking down on them.
With all the arrogance I could muster.
Was it anger? I didn’t even need the Black Dragon’s help.
“I am Ecclesia. I’ll invoke Article 103 of the International Trade Law, and I’ll impose a total ban on the import of goods from your Four Great Families.”
“!!”
It’s a trade law that allows for the stoppage of trade with entities involved in serious criminal activities.
“But… if you don’t trade with us, the Empire will also suffer…”
“Don’t overestimate yourselves. There are many who can replace you. If you falter, the lesser mafias beneath you will tear you apart like a pack of hyenas. We’ll just trade with them.”
Maintaining any organization requires money.
Especially for a massive criminal organization like the mafia, it goes without saying.
The larger the scale, the exponentially greater the funds required, and if trade with the Empire, their biggest market, gets cut off, they won’t last.
“…We made a mistake. We’ll release the boy and hand him over to Professor Van.”
Senin staggered towards me.
He seemed in a very bad state, likely having been severely mistreated.
“Are you alright?”
No answer came.
Perhaps revitalized by the crisis being averted, he glared at me anew.
‘…Joanna, Theren, and the other sub-main characters, don’t any of them have a good side? They all have such difficult personalities. Like giant sweet potatoes.’
Among the sub-main characters, Muse Juliet is kind, at least. Though she has her own set of issues.
Anyway, I shifted my gaze.
“Shall we resume negotiations? Recognizing your automobile patent, Professor, and also the patents held by the Vanmily Merchant Group…”
“No, there will be no negotiations.”
I crossed my arms.
“Negotiations are for equals. You’ve already disappointed me. Accepting the terms I’ve set forth is your only option.”
“!!”
Their faces hardened, but I didn’t care.
“It’s only natural to guarantee my or the Vanmily Company’s patents. And for all the technology your mafia has stolen from the Empire up until now, you will compensate and apologize. Along with a pledge to prevent recurrence.”
Their complexions changed.
The other heads who had been silent up until now spoke up.
“That’s an unreasonable demand.”
“We might agree to prevent recurrence, but compensation is out of the question.”
It wasn’t just a simple objection.
It was a nuance of genuine impossibility.
‘The amount required to compensate for their gains so far would be astronomical.’
For the record, I planned to take a commission from the compensation.
Even a part of it would amount to a significant sum.
‘I’m going to be rich!’
…In truth, I soon need a considerable amount of money.
Damn mana insensitivity.
Advancing to Level 3 required a substantial financial investment.
Still, a significant amount of money would remain.
With the 300,000 penas loan I received recently, I could pay it off in one lump sum and still have plenty left over.
“If you refuse, then so be it. From now on, whatever magical devices you develop, I will copy and sell them outright. And expect Article 103 of the Trade Law to be invoked as I mentioned.”
“No, Professor Van, please, be reasonable. It’s not that we refuse, but you should make realistic demands. We’re not just sitting on piles of money as mafias.”
“Why would you need money that’s been piled up?”
“…What?”
“What are you, the back alley thugs, best at? Taking money from others, right?”
The room fell silent.
They were mulling over the implications of my words.
I gave them a clearer answer.
“Do you still not understand why I excluded Duke Rutger from this meeting? What do you think, Baron Alvin?”
All eyes turned to one man.
There were four figures representing the mafia here.
Apart from the three heads, there was one more person.
Baron Alvin.
He was the second son of Duke Rutger of the Royal Family.
Talented, yet fated to lose everything to his elder brother.
In simpler terms, a rebel.
“…It’s an intriguing proposal.”
Baron Alvin’s lips curled up.
“Betrayal and parricide are traditions of our mafia, after all.”
Yes.
My proposal was for them to take down the Royal Family!
Gulp.
The three heads swallowed hard.
None of them spoke up readily.
It wasn’t an easy decision.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue as if they could hear.
It was time to throw in an additional lure.
“It seems you mafias lack not only dignity but also pride. It appears you’ve been quite content letting the Royal Family play lord over you.”
“!!”
“Imagine, if the Royal Family falls, whose hands will their power fall into?”
Duke Rutger had been consolidating power based on influences that stretched back to the monarchical era, which is why, despite their relatively weaker force, the Royal Family was considered the top among the Four Great Families.
Indeed, stirring their greed, sparks flew in the eyes of the three heads.
“Hoho. To take away the power held by the Royal Family.”
“Certainly, it’s an enticing proposal.”
“We three can divide it equally among ourselves.”
I scoffed.
Divide power.
And do so equally.
It was an absolute impossibility.
‘After toppling the Royal Family, they’ll start fighting amongst themselves.’
How do I know?
Because that’s what actually happens in the storyline.
In other words, what I’ve done now is to simply advance the ‘Mafia Conflict’ that would happen a bit later.
“D-Day is in two days. The Republic’s government will declare Duke Rutger guilty of treason.”
Eckmann looked at me with a ‘What are you suddenly talking about?’ expression, but I ignored it.
“Take up your swords and guns.”
So, essentially.
It was the start of ‘now, begin killing each other.’
