The Thumb East Capo IIII: Meursault's Story

... I understand that the room may be disorderly. But I insist that you sit anyway.

Puffffff.

Air rushes out of the leather chair. Its sound fills the empty, quiet room with its at once sophisticated and suffocating momentousness.

At the center of it all is the child, sitting with one leg over the other in an overbearingly assured manner.

The room is practically decorated with mutilated bodies and disturbingly thorough splatters of blood, but he does not seem to mind it one bit.

I trust you would find the present state of my office acceptable. The Thumb treats lessons in manners with utmost seriousness.

I have heard the stories, indeed. I understand your request very well.

Or perhaps... one might assume that this is also a prepared 'scene' drawn with intent.

But the person sitting opposite of him also cannot be underestimated.

She simply smiles before producing a small piece of paper as though she were sitting in a normal, average room that was not painted top to bottom with remnants of vicious violence.

... Mm.

I did expect someone of higher station given the private one-to-one meeting request, but...

... Allow me to treat you with better manners. It seems that your station deserves as much.

Apologies for my earlier effrontery, my lady. I am willing to self-mutilate according to The Thumb's rules of respect as much as you would like.

The paper she handed him seemed to have been a business card of sorts; the child gently took it from her hand and placed it in a fancy, golden card-holder with reverent care.

Well, it is of no interest to me whatever you would choose to do with yourself. But...

... I understand that stopping you would also cause you some undue trouble. Do as you will.

Oh, actually. Fresh blood can really stain the clothes, unlike dried blood, so... I would prefer if you didn't engage in self-inflicted corporal punishments.

I am highly impressed by your lack of concern for the rigidity of hierarchy, and your considerate behavior befitting your nobility. You are someone deserving of proper respect indeed.

It's nothing. Nothing compared to what I am about to ask of you.

The child's words convey a deep, emotional gratitude, but his tone is flat and emotionless as a stone.

And the person sitting opposite him speaks words that are gentle, but it is clear that they shroud certain inscrutable intents.

In this bizarre juxtaposition, the person continued to explain a plan of sorts, and by the time she was wrapping up her elaboration, even the ever-stoic child could not help but furrow his brows at an almost-imperceptible angle.

... While it may be discourteous, this is, after all, my office; I do not believe that my subsequent request would go against reason.

May I have your permission to light a cigar?

I don't mind. It's obviously a very premium cigar rolled from fine leaves... it should smell fragrant enough.

Thank you. I appreciate your understanding, my lady.

He trims off the tip of the cigar with a cutter, the sharp blade slicing through with ease. A smoldering, faint ember lights up at its end.

The child puffs out a plume of smoke in an exhalation that was more like a deep sigh. The conversation continues.

So... to summarize your offer, you would like for me to serve the role of a clan member in this 'Family Hierarch war' of Hongyuan on the side of the Shi family.

She nods wordlessly. The child continues.

And, if... the next Hierarch is not one from the Shi family, decapitate the Hierarch-to-be, and plummet Hongyuan into... chaos.

I am certain that my lady is discerning enough to understand that the ramifications of such an incident will inevitably spread beyond the political conflict between the families.

Your request is that we are to become the blast of firepower signaling the start to a Wing War. Please illuminate me if my assessment is incorrect.

That is not what I said.

But, even if such were the case, what about it? Or... don't tell me, is this too much for your organization to handle?

... The child waits a moment before inhaling deeply from his cigar.

... Puff.

In that brief moment, the child most likely completed any and all calculations and simulations of what this situation entailed.

Your higher placement on the hierarchy does not grant you the right to say to my face whatever comes to your mind.

There is no such thing as 'too much' for The Thumb. Your statement has room to be interpreted as an expression of disrespect to the Syndicate itself.

And to do so would be to disrespect the esteemed underboss - meaning, to punish you would not go against the tenets of our organization.

I will now present before you an opportunity to claim that my interpretation was but a misunderstanding.

... Of course. Of course, it was but a simple misunderstanding.

The child seems to have won this bout of subtle yet palpable psychological warfare.

He managed to make the opponent's eyelids flinch, for the first time.

Very well. Then I will understand your proposition in a more literal manner.

Then... please, allow me to inquire about your... 'preparation' for the task at hand.

And the child did not let this brief moment of weakness pass. Biting lightly onto his cigar, the child rose from his seat and grabbed a fistful of ammunition from his belt and placed them on the table between them.

We call them Tigermark Rounds(虎標彈). The City makes it rather difficult to make liberal use of ammunition, but these are quite special, even among them.

Not to mention the cost for my subordinates' propellant ammo.

In addition, I must also ask if you really are prepared to pay the price of letting me loose.

…….

Be assured, however, that... once we are committed to a mission, we do make liberal use of ammunition. Take this into your consideration.

Do you really think that the Shi family, one of the four great houses, has such a thing as monetary concerns?

That is not the concern that I am speaking of.

My concern is about how you, someone who's not even from the Shi family, can mobilize such a significant amount of capital.

Fuhu, doesn't my business card clearly state the name of the Shi family?

It takes more than sitting around to earn the title of a Capo.

... Well, okay. But what of it?

Must I actually be a part of the family to meddle in their affairs?

I'm sure you, of all people, should know.

…….

Ah, that blade... It has been forged into a rather fancy podao, hasn't it?

... We will take the contract.

Oh my. That's good news.

I will send my underlings to share further details at a later date. Let us part this meeting for now.

The child had clearly won that invisible fight, so...

... what was it that turned the tables on him so easily?

It is no surprise, of course.

No one could've expected that she knew so much about the child, even down to his deepest secrets.

Once the guest left, the office was silent again.

Save for the sound of the child exhaling plumes upon plumes of smoke at a uniform interval.

She knows the origin of the Tiantui Star's blade.

Then... is she also a Pinky?

No. It is possible that someone of her station could have heard hints or vague tales about the Pinky.

... It doesn't matter.

If someone is this close by, I suppose I shall encounter them when the stigma burns hot.

The Pinky cannot help but summon only those who are nearby.

Besides, this is good work for The Thumb, and... reasonable.

More than anything, however...

... I think this will be fun. What a rare sense of anticipation.

With clear, high-pitched noise of clinking metal, the spent bullet casings popped out of the child's blade.

And a few seconds later, he lands.

18 Tigermark rounds spent...

The child sweeps his belt and contemplates.

Contemplating if he should use the Savage Tigermark rounds, the powers of which are greater than the Tigermark rounds.

Of course, simply changing to a different type of ammunition doesn't immediately make him stronger.

The power of the Tiantui Star's Blade comes from the user, and his judgment call on when he must use which bullet.

The Jialan Guards(賈藍隊)...

So much for the protectors of the noble Jia family... They made for quite the disappointing task.

The child probably didn't even have to use the Tigermark rounds to defeat them.

But he reloaded the blade with Savage Tigermark rounds anyway.

... If this is all the fun they have to offer, I suppose I must find entertainment in the freedom of getting to swing this blade with abandon.

... The cost of his ammunition was coming from the client's pocket anyway. He would rather choose excitement over frugality.

For the sum that the client brought, the foes I have faced thus far have been so... tasteless. Perhaps she miscalculated.

If she did not, then -

Something stops the child. He looks toward the sound of the footsteps approaching from a distance.

The approaching footsteps belonged to a rather large group. The child instinctively sensed that...

... this was the moment he was hired for.

Ah... they were running late.

Does the child know, one wonders.

The ennui drove me to... relish this dance, for but a moment.

That, unbeknownst to him, his lips were twisted into a grin.