I entered Akemi's hotel through the service entrance and went up to her by the stairs. The twenty-third floor is no joke, of course, but for us crazy witchers a long distance is nothing—especially when we don't want to be seen. On the twenty-second floor I was met by Ishiatama, who escorted me to Akemi. Dzuno stayed by the elevator, and there were no other exits from the floor. Makes you wonder—was I being met for my convenience, or for her peace of mind?
Stepping into a rather spacious suite, I immediately dropped into the nearest armchair with a view of the whole room and took off my mask. I would've kept it on, but that would've been impolite, and I wasn't exactly on bad terms with the local lady boss to offend her like that.
"What's with the white mask today?" Akemi asked, settling into the chair opposite me.
"It looks cooler. You don't visit people in your work outfit, do you?"
"I don't really have one."
"Lucky you," I sighed. "Anyway, let's get to business."
"I'm dying to hear what it is. I've been burning with curiosity all day," she said, rubbing her hands in anticipation.
"Then let me start with a question." I shifted more comfortably in the chair. "Can I shut down the Patriarch rumors if I publicly take down a Teacher? You said people like me were always at most Veterans."
Akemi seemed to freeze. She tried to respond a couple of times, failed, and just stared at me in surprise. Finally, snapping out of it, she asked:
"What exactly are you planning?"
"In simple terms? I'm going to take a job involving some item guarded by a Teacher—or one who's nearby. Then I'll 'accidentally' expose myself, stir up chaos, and in the confusion kill the Teacher."
After studying my face carefully, Akemi sighed.
"You're insane. And apparently don't even realize it. Looks like 'Suchiru Sagi' misled you."
"Suchiru Sagi" was a military base in Kazusa Province, the domain of Prince Fumie. Probably the biggest screw-up of my career as a thief. I did get the item, but had to fight my way out—ended up running from a Master. Later I estimated the damage I caused: about eighty million against the ten the container was worth. A joke and a disgrace. My personal shame. And now Akemi was clearly implying that my escape wasn't such a big deal.
"You think because you managed to escape from a Master, you can kill a Teacher?" she continued. "Let me disappoint you: even I… well, I'm a Shooter… but any Veteran has at least some chance to escape a Master, even if it's small. Running is easier. But fighting a Teacher in public—you'll need witnesses—and winning… that's a terrible idea. You're sixteen and an inexperienced fighter, even if your strength matches a Veteran's. And once the fight starts, you won't even be able to run. A Teacher will instantly see what you really are."
"Don't take me for a complete idiot. I understand the level of fighters like that."
"Oh, I see now. You're not an idiot—you're a spoiled donkey!" she leaned back, nodding in satisfaction.
"What's with the accusations?"
"Because it's true. I've noticed it before in how you treat ranks. And today you proved it."
I frowned.
"Explain."
"Your problem, Sindzi, is that you're surrounded by fighters of Veteran rank and higher—at home, at school, at work. And at the same time, you almost never see what they're actually capable of, what the differences are between them. Subconsciously, you think there are tons of Veterans in the world. That Teachers are everywhere, and Masters aren't that rare either. You probably only understand that Virtuosos are rare, because that's obvious. The thing is… there are too many fighters around you. And I strongly doubt you've ever truly seen what Teachers can do. And don't tell me about Shina. Have you ever been to the Koyama clan's training grounds?"
I shook my head.
"Exactly. Where else would you see their full power? In your backyard? Or on the internet? Remember this: no one ever shows their full strength. And even if you found something—which I doubt—you won't understand anything from a video. Let me give you a simple example from the fire techniques used by the Koyama clan… What's the strongest Teacher-level fire technique you've seen?"
"Pillar of Fire," I answered.
"Perfect. Found it online?"
"Yeah."
"Tell me what you know."
"Impressive fire geyser. Can be created up to twenty meters away in about three seconds. Radius up to five meters—three for Teachers. Doesn't require extreme concentration, but still needs some. That's about it."
"Now listen to a young, beautiful woman who's seen that horror in real life. I won't go into details—just one thing: the 'pillar of fire' doesn't harm its creator."
Damn… That could've gotten me killed. One second of standing still—and that's it. Lesson learned.
"Nice. Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," I said.
"Young and beautiful!"
"Smart and strong."
"Exactly. And I'm not done yet. Your problem isn't that you don't know enough—it's that Teachers are routine to you. Like I said, you're surrounded by high-ranking fighters, and they're all friendly toward you. So your thought process goes like this: 'Another Teacher. Nothing new. Easy.' You understand they're strong, but your subconscious relaxes. You're young, inexperienced—" she paused for a split second, then corrected herself, "No, I'm young! You're just younger!"
"Sure, sure," I raised both hands in mock surrender.
"I'm serious, Sindzi. Even a Warrior is impressive. There are only a couple thousand Teachers in all of Tokyo. In Garagarahebi? Maybe five. My four men are Veterans—and that's real power. Do you think it's easy for a woman to be a boss? Without them, I'd have been passed around just for daring to stand equal to men. Sergey…" Her voice softened. "Sergey took down three Veterans and halved the enemy's strength, handing them to me on a platter. Four Veterans by my side, three more working for me in the city, plus me. Those seven make me one of the strongest bosses in Garagarahebi. Without them, I'd have nothing. Do you understand, Sindzi? Just seven people! And you come to me saying you're going to kill a Teacher! For most people in martial arts, that rank is the absolute ceiling. After hearing that, how am I supposed to think you're normal? No, kid—you're insane."
Lectures like this really make you realize just how much of a genius Shina is. Though Akemi was wrong about one thing—I don't underestimate my opponents. Even an ordinary person could theoretically kill me with a gun. Theoretically. I stopped underestimating anyone long ago.
But everything else… it's not that I don't understand what users of "bahir" are—I just see the world differently. I'm used to power meaning thousands of soldiers plus equipment. So when I'm told a few dozen people are "power," I instinctively scale that up. I don't underestimate individuals—I just expect more of them. When I face one opponent, I prepare for ten. No wonder it looks like I'm dismissive—I'm just looking for the rest.
But I can't explain that to Akemi. Still, her certainty that I'll lose means I'm on the right track. If I pull this off, no one will ever suspect me of being a Patriarch.
"That's good," I said thoughtfully.
"What's good about that? I hope it's not genetic, and your kids won't be as crazy. Just don't forget—you promised me a child."
When the hell did I do that?!
It seemed that the moment I reacted, she understood without a word that she had gone a bit too far… I could practically feel my eyebrows shooting up.
"Alright, alright. Can't I even joke? But you promised you'd think about it!"
"I said… fine, I'll think about it, if it's that important for you to hear."
"What matters is that you actually think about it, not just remember, frown, and forget."
"Let's drop that topic for now. Better find me a job involving a Teacher… I mean… well, you get it."
With a heavy sigh, squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing the bridge of her nose, she looked at me again, arms crossed. Was she provoking me on purpose with that figure of hers?
"First, the child." I raised an eyebrow. "This mission will be suicidal for you. So first—the child."
Great. All that's left is to pray no one finds out I'm a Patriarch. Otherwise, I'm in for a very rough time.
"For your information, young and overly eager lady: I already have three Teachers on my account."
"That's impossible!" she snapped—and I started getting annoyed.
"So you're suggesting I should just leave and mind my own business?"
"No, I'm suggesting you tell me what you're really planning."
"Akemi, are you stupid? And stop playing with your eyebrows. I told you clearly what I need, why, and how I'm going to do it. I even revealed a little secret to calm you down. So pull yourself together, think, and finally give me those damn options!"
"That's impossible," she repeated, less confidently.
"Akemi, don't piss me off. What exactly didn't you understand?"
"You couldn't have killed three Teachers," she said in an offended tone.
I ran a hand down my face. Calm down, Max. She's not entirely wrong to doubt.
"You probably haven't heard about the first—it was some aristocrat's father. The second you should remember: Ugo, who disappeared a year ago along with his people. And the third was Filin…"
"The one they said was killed by someone from a clan? What did he do to you?"
"He got fixated on a woman from the club staff. And you know what kind of suitor he was."
"Incredible…"
So, a little pressure and she believes everything. Looks like even she couldn't fully shake the habits drilled into women in this world. It slips out now and then. Must've been rough for her without Sergey. If he were still alive, my outburst wouldn't have worked—she'd always have support behind her. She needs a child; with that, she'd probably devour all of Garagarahebi. A woman with terrifying willpower. In my world, female bosses have it a bit easier.
"But it's a fact. So, what about the job?"
"I can't help you with that right now. I need time."
"You don't just live here, you work here too. There must be some information stored somewhere. On your computer, at least."
"This is a public place," Akemi spread her hands. "I don't keep compromising information here. Especially after you stress-tested my security. And anyway, if what you're saying is true, the target needs to be chosen very carefully. You don't mind helping me at the same time, do you?"
Of course—her brain works just fine, and she never forgets her own benefit. She probably already has a target in mind. Maybe more than one.
"I'm asking you to place the order through the intermediary guild. I don't care what, where, or who."
"Intermediaries? That's… fine, I'll consider it. But maybe without them?"
"And how are you going to explain things when everyone finds out the Dwarf killed a Teacher who was inconvenient for you? And what about me being reclassified from thief to hired killer? I don't take assassination contracts, and that's exactly what I'd start getting. My reputation would change overnight. Honestly, I should've quit a while ago," I sighed. "Back then I needed money—now it's just unnecessary attention."
Akemi shifted in her chair.
"So you're planning to retire?"
"Yeah. Though I'll still use the Dwarf's name. The main thing is that we don't get linked. A couple more jobs from someone else—maybe even one targeting you—something loud, and that's it. Finita la comedia. I'll convince everyone I work only for myself."
"Maybe you're right. Fine, I'll need a week to think it through."
"A week? Why so long?"
"Because it's not that simple!"
"I'm pretty sure it's not that hard either."
She paused for a moment, thinking.
"Alright, three days. Then another two or three for your preparation. Next weekend you go on the job. Weekends are more convenient for you anyway—you don't need that much planning."
"Will you help with weapons?"
"Why? You're not a Shooter."
"I need ammo for the 'Spit.'"
"Spit"—also known as "PlPU-99," also known as Urbanov's plasma pistol. Nearly a hundred plasma charges in a magazine, high accuracy, low recoil, and relatively light weight compared to its counterparts. One of the finest examples of handheld plasma weaponry. It doesn't have many downsides, but they do exist. The main one is the outrageous price of the charges. All because of their rarity—you simply can't get them through official channels. And while I have the money, I don't have those kinds of connections. Akemi probably couldn't get the charges in a week either, but the trick is, she doesn't need to. I know for a fact she has a stash for a rainy day. As a Shooter (a very rare specialization in martial arts), she has plenty of things like that.
"Why don't you get lost? Honestly, I'm not even sure I need this Teacher with demands like yours. And why do you even need it? 'Spit' is a 'Veteran killer,' not a Teacher killer."
"It'll still mess him up pretty badly. Some help is better than none. Why are you holding back? I'm not asking for it for free."
"To hell with money—where am I supposed to restock afterward?"
"And where did you restock before?"
"Through Ugo…"
Yeah… that's a problem.
"So what, no one else does this?"
"Lots of people deal in weapons, but no one else has access to the right Russians. At least not yet."
Right. There are only two analogues to the "Spit." The American "Blaster" and the German Kammerjäger. The German one is a real killer—in every sense. Before it was discontinued, it probably killed half its owners. It loves to explode. The American one is decent, but its magazine holds only twenty charges, and the price is nearly the same as the "Spit."
"Well then, I'll have to go in with just one magazine."
"You bastard," Akemi muttered. "Playing on my pity, huh? Ah, damn it… fine, you'll get your charges. Just remember—against a Teacher it's only support. Don't treat it as your main trump card."
"I remember your lecture, I remember."
"Good that you do. And since you do, maybe I should just get you a gun instead? Why are you looking at me like that? If you hit on the first shot… never mind."
We both fell silent, each lost in our own thoughts. Personally, I was thinking about having to wait a whole week now. Not that I'm impatient, but I've wound myself up pretty well—I want to get this over with as soon as possible. Still, a week isn't so bad. Kazuki is waiting for me at the "Swallow," an irritated Shina at home, and Raidon with his idea of fun at school. So I'll definitely find something to do. Oh right, I still need to sort out the school club. And Akemi, the little devil, is sitting there looking way too seductive. She's going to get herself into trouble one day.
"Miss, are you aware that I can control whether I have a child or not?"
"What? How does that work?" real surprise appeared on her face. "And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked suspiciously.
"It means don't try any of your feminine tricks on me. I might lose control, jump you, rape you—and you still won't get a child out of it."
"Mmm… not bad…" she purred.
"Not bad?" Looks like she doesn't believe me. And getting up from the chair, I said:
"Then take your clothes off!"