I Became a Mafia in the Academy

Chapter 297

The appointment was easier than I thought.

"Hahahaha! Yes! An elder of the Aura Order should be able to do that! Don't worry, just relax.”

I didn't think he'd want to make an appointment right away.

And the president's swift response, "Today?”

And so, like lightning striking beans, I had dinner with the president.

This time, however, the dinner was not held at the Blue House like last time, but at a Korean restaurant that Kwak Chun-sik usually frequented.

It was a small room of about 5 square meters. I was sitting in silence with the old man, staring at the food.

"Am I too late? Mmm? It smells great!"

President Kang Sangrok opens the door and smiles broadly.

For some reason, his clothes were a mess and his hair was disheveled, but his unique soft charisma still remained.

I stand up and bow my head at his entrance.

"Thank you for coming a long way."

"Never mind. It's your disciple, not anyone else, who needs to see me."

Before entering the room, he pats the twigs and dust off his clothes.

Kwak Chun-sik chuckles and opens his mouth.

"What's wrong with you, little guy? Did you go to Vietnam or something?"

“What can I do when the entire security team is chasing me with their teeth clenched to catch me? I just ran straight down the mountain path!”

You ran from the Blue House’s security team to meet me? And with your bare body?

……Was the president an awakened?

As if reading my expression, the old man chuckles and replies.

"At your age, it's no wonder you don't know. This guy is actually a former war hero, so he's pretty good at this kind of thing."

"What are you talking about? If you talk about the old days to kids these days, they’ll call you an old-timer.”

“Who is an old-timer?”

Kang Sangrok sits down across from me, leaving Kwak Chun-sik, who looks shocked.

Of course, only a fearless person would talk with Kwak Chun-sik like that, so it's not like I couldn't understand his shock.

"So, what did our student Eugene want to talk to me about, and why did you arrange this meeting?"

As soon as he sits down, he quenches his thirst with the green tea in front of him and gets right to the point. If you're so curious, I'll tell you right away.

"First things first. I'm here today not as Eugene Han, the Aura Elder, but as Eugene Han Corleone, the executive officer and heir apparent."

"Hmph. You're Corleone?"

I don't remember mentioning that I was Corleone at the Blue House last time, but his relaxed expression suggests that he already knew.

Rather, he straightened his clothes once more as I revealed my identity.

It's a shame, because a moment of embarrassment would have been fun.

"Yes, Corleone…… Eugene's father and I have had dinner and talked a few times, and each time there have been some very interesting incidents……."

The corners of his mouth lifted as if he was reminiscing.

His expression slowly turns serious, and his voice takes on a weight that hadn't been there before.

"Eugene Han Corleone, what amusing incident are you about to tell me about?"

Indeed, this is the head of a nation. The president.

I don't feel any aura or mana, but the air seems to have gotten heavier with each word.

However it's clear that he's interested in this story.

The corner of my mouth twitched up slightly at his demeanor, and I continued.

"If the Korean Peninsula was divided in half by war in the past, it can be said that it is now divided in half by dungeons. The DMZ and the area above it are the most prominent examples, because now it's called the land of monsters, not the land of people."

The government didn't have to touch them.

The monsters weren't going south on their own, and South Korea was still enjoying a new heyday, capitalizing on the dungeons and magic gems that kept popping up.

Well, until now.

"The number of new Awakened keeps growing, and the dungeons are becoming limited, to the point where it's not uncommon for the Awakened to fight over the same dungeon."

In other words, the more people who want a dungeon, the more conflict there is.

So what can be done about this situation?

There is only one answer. Age of Exploration.

"I, Corleone, will attack the DMZ, build a new city, and lay the groundwork to reclaim the lands that were once ours."

New lands, new dungeons.

"The citizens will welcome this with open arms, as more dungeons to raid means a better supply of gems, which means cheaper goods made from them."

It's a win-win situation.

Which begs the question. If it's so good, why hasn't anyone done it before?

The answer came from the president himself.

"The DMZ is not an easy place, and many people have tried the dungeons of the DMZ, but the difficulty level is too high. In addition, the DMZ has a unique vegetation that has been untouched since the past because it is a DMZ. That is why it is now called the Demonic Lands.”

These conditions combined to make the DMZ increasingly unappealing.

And that wasn't all.

"Even worse, if you fail the challenge, the demons will come south as if to retaliate. Do you know how many ordinary soldiers and Awakened have tasted blood because of that? I’m……not foolish enough to stir up a hornet's nest just because there's sweet honey there."

That's why they didn't touch it since they could make a living somehow without trying.

"It would be a different story if there was a bear."

"You mean bears……?"

"Yes. Wouldn't the story be different if there was a bear that wasn't afraid of the bees' stings, and could just take the honey without a care in the world?"

"And by that bear, you mean…….?"

"It's just me and the old man, and since we're stopping by the DMZ this time, I thought I'd take care of that as well."

This part of the story is something I haven't told Kwak Chun-sik yet.

Kwak Chun-sik, who had been enjoying a leisurely meal in the corner and listening to our conversation, suddenly looked at me as if he didn't understand what I was saying.

"Me, you mean me?"

"Then why would I do it by myself? I may be a bear, but I'm still a bear cub. You’re the bear."

"Ugh, you're so annoying. Didn't you hear what Sangrok said? Even I would have a hard time there!"

"You don't need to worry about that. We'll get extra help from Corleone, old man, just think about it. How many elixirs do you think are lying dormant there?"

"Yeah……."

"And do you really think I'm just going to rush in without a clue? You know me well enough to know that I don't do things like this unless I have a solid plan."

"Yeah……That's true."

The old man nods in agreement

I turn my attention back to the president.

"It's good to see you're as confident as you say you are. Okay, let's say you, Kwak, and Corleone clean up the DMZ, what do you really want? You're here because you want something in return."

"I don't really want anything. I just want to see the DMZ cleared and a new city built. We'd like you to recognize our stake in it, for example by giving preference to companies that we have a good relationship with, or……guaranteeing that our presence in the new city will be the same as it is now."

In effect, I want them to recognize it as part of our sphere of influence.

The country shouldn't try to restrict Corleone’s activities in the new city.

This might sound like a warning, but after several meetings with my father, I realized that he meant something else.

After all, Corleone was founded to save the weak.

With new things, there is inevitably chaos.

The weaker ones suffer the most, and the longer it goes on, the worse it is for the government.

So all we can do is separate the chaos into light and dark, and say that we, the Corleone, are in charge of the darkness.

In fact, violent crime in Corleone's city is lower than in other big cities, and there are no major incidents, let alone crime rates.

"That's what you get for being so young."

-Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding

The president taps his right hand on the table, lost in thought for a moment.

Then, quietly, he lifts his head and looks at me.

"The first issue it’s that the opposition won't sit still if we choose contractors from Corleone to develop the new city."

"That's a matter for Corleone, and we'll deal with it. Mr. President, you know the National Assembly is not Corleone’s enemy."

That solved the first problem.

"The second problem. There's no benefit for me. What you mentioned is only a national gain, isn't it? There's nothing left for me."

"I'll take care of that, too, because it's better for you to stay in office if our interests align."

The second problem was also one that Corleone could easily solve.

In this world, the constitution was rewritten to allow presidents to serve multiple terms due to chaotic times.

This is what they mean when they say, "An offer you can't refuse.”

"So it looks like all of your concerns have been addressed, Mr. President. How do you feel?"

The corner of his mouth curls up at my words.

"Kwak-hyung."

"Yeah."

"……This isn't just any bear, is it?"

"It's a fox-like bear."

"……They're the worst kind of people to deal with in politics. But," he continues.

"I'd rather have you on my side."

With that, he extended his hand to me, his face again showing the same smiling face I'd seen at the beginning.

"I wish you well in your future endeavors. Eugene Han Corleone."

"You have my best wishes. Mr. President."

I took the outstretched hand and shook it, then turned to the food on the table.

"Come, the food is getting cold, let's eat quickly, I'm starving."

* * *

After a successful dinner I returned to the mansion, composed a new report based on my conversation with the President and delivered it to my father.

"Sir. The Don and the Consigliere wish to see you."

I was summoned by the two highest in our Corleone.

"How was the atmosphere……?"

I ask Alessia cautiously as she comes to the room to inform me of my father and godfather's summons.

"It was pretty serious. What kind of report did you post that got you two so serious?"

"Secret, for now. I hope I don't get in too much trouble."

You know, I feel like I pushed this one.

While meeting with a high-ranking person called the President, I did not submit any reports to the organization, and in the process of negotiating with the President, without permission from father and Consigliere, I freely expressed my intention to take responsibility for Corleone.

While this could not have happened at any other time, these actions……were in fact a violation of organization discipline.

Of course, in the end, Corleone benefited greatly, but…….

‘That's not what organizations are for.’

Besides, are my father and godfather normal people?

I'm nervous.

"…… I'll be right there."

Slowly, I get up from my seat and start walking.

My destination: my father's study.

"Don, Consigliere. This is Eugene."

I knocked softly on my father's study door and heard my father's low voice from inside.

-Come in.

The mere sound of his voice gave me a sense of gravity. It was nothing compared to the gravity of the president's words earlier.

I bowed my head and entered the study, where I saw my father sitting at his desk, reading a report, and my godfather leaning back against the bookshelf, facing me.

I felt the back of my neck get damp.

I hadn't expected to break out in a cold sweat just walking into the room.

"Don. What do you want me to do?"

Godfather asks father first.

What is he going to do? Scold me? Punish me?

"It's……done. I'll do it."

With that, my father stands up from his seat.

With each step he takes toward me, I feel my body grow heavier and heavier, as if a rock is on top of my head.

Is he going to discipline me at the organizational level?

I look down and see my father's shoes, and the pounding of my heart reaches its peak.

"Huh?"

"──I'm proud of you, son."

For some reason…I was hugged.