Chapter 154 : Omen (1)

For a brief moment, the question ‘Did Luis come back again?’ flashed through my mind, but I shook my head.

A moment ago, the manager had clearly said guest’s’.

Meaning it wasn’t just one person.

“Why, boss? Are they people you don’t know? They said they know you well.”

“No. I was just thinking about something else. Where are they?”

“In the hall.”

“You can get back to your work now.”

After sending the manager away and leaving the kitchen, I saw them sitting alone in the hall, which had been cleared of customers.

Four people.

Three of them had skin as pale as corpses, looking like a race that lived in deep caves, and the remaining one was a man who exuded a rough impression.

Parnaci had run a restaurant for over ten years.

Naturally, he had met and clashed with countless different types of people, and through that, he had developed a certain eye for people.

In Parnaci’s view, these were quite dangerous individuals.

The kind of people from whom the smell of blood and death never left.

Come to think of it, I had recently heard stories about such people.

‘The Beltus Cult……!’

Parnaci swallowed dryly.

I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed highly likely that it was them.

‘But. Why are they after me?’

And why did they come here, even impersonating an ally like Luis?

‘No matter how I think about it, their intentions don’t seem good.’

Parnaci recalled what Luis had said a little while ago.

─‘There are complicated circumstances that are hard to explain. We don’t have time right now, so I will tell you when I get the chance later.’

Could there have been a conflict with the cult?

Could that be a complicated circumstance?

Unfortunately, my thoughts didn’t continue any further.

Because the man with the rough impression had spotted Parnaci watching them from a hidden corner.

“Hey! Mr. Parnaci!”

Parnaci quickly raised his head and approached them.

“Haha! I apologize for making you wait. I’m Parnaci, the owner here.”

“You say you’re sorry, but why were you hiding and peeking instead of coming right away?”

Parnaci flinched at the man’s smiling question but smoothly offered an excuse.

“Hahaha. Well, you see. I was actually searching my memory.”

“Why?”

“I heard from the manager that you said you know me well, right? But honestly, this is the first time I’m meeting all of you. I might have forgotten, and if so, it would be a great discourtesy to you who came to see me, so I was searching my memory.”

“Aha, I see. So, did you remember?”

Parnaci shook his head with a regretful expression.

“No. I couldn’t remember. No matter how much I think, this is my first time meeting you all.”

“Then what about Luis?”

“That is……”

Parnaci’s eyes narrowed.

They must have come here already knowing the relationship between me and Luis.

So, pretending not to know would be a mistake.

“……I know him. Luis. I know him well.”

“That’s me, mister. I’m Luis.”

It was the man with the rough impression.

“You. Are you Luis?”

“Yes. Haha. You couldn’t recognize me because it’s been a while, huh? I’ve changed a lot, right?”

The man, claiming to be Luis, casually spun lies.

At this, the word ‘liar’ rose up to Parnaci’s throat, but he forced the muscles of his face into a broad smile.

“Ha…… haha! Really? Are you really Luis? You’ve grown so much!”

“I told you, didn’t I? Mister. Have you been well?”

“Of course! Ahem. Then, these people here are……”

“They’re colleagues I’ve made. Now. Let’s exchange some greetings.”

Suddenly, the man leaned his face close to Parnaci and whispered lowly.

“It’s about something else. You’re still in contact with Shadow, right?”

Even Parnaci, who had been maintaining his poker face as much as possible, couldn’t help but let his face stiffen at this moment.

“Wh-What do you mean by that? Shouldn’t you know that best?”

“Hmm? You know, right? How we all scattered after that day 10 years ago. I was in the same situation, but I came here because I heard a villain wearing a skull mask appeared. But well, I have no way to contact them.”

The man even shrugged his shoulders and spouted shameless lies, and Parnaci was utterly dumbfounded.

‘This detestable punk…….’

In any case, Parnaci decided to play dumb.

“I haven’t been in contact since that day either.”

“Hmm. Really?”

“Of course, it’s true.”

It wasn’t a complete lie.

I did meet Luis, but I literally just met him; it wasn’t like we were communicating with Shadow like in the old days.

Naturally, I didn’t know where their base was either.

“That’s a shame.”

The man, who had been studying Parnaci’s face, clicked his tongue and stood up from his seat.

“Huh? You’re leaving already?”

“You said you don’t know anything, right? That’s more urgent for me than anything else. Everyone, let’s get up. Let’s go.”

Watching them get up in a group, Parnaci inwardly sighed with relief.

At the same time, he thought that he had to tell Luis about this quickly.

That was, until his daughter, who was on the second floor, came down.

“Where is Luis?”

Jaygie’s voice echoed through the hall.

At that moment, Parnaci’s heart sank.

I looked ahead with trembling eyes.

I saw them, who had just gotten up and were about to leave, frozen in place.

“…….”

A heavy silence descended.

A moment later, with a creaking sound, the half-open door closed.

The man turned his body.

“Who did you just say? Luis?”

Parnaci felt it instinctively.

That an invisible noose was now being draped around his neck.

***

Dayle, who answered nonchalantly, gulped down the iced tea.

Then he let out a cry of exclamation, “Kyah!”

“Phew. I really need to come up like this sometimes and breathe the air up here.”

Dayle had been cooped up in the basement since early this morning until now.

I was just telling him about what had happened a little while ago.

“So. You just came back like that?”

“Yes.”

“Are you crazy?”

I looked at Dayle.

“Aren’t you disappointed? That old man. He has a ton of money saved up. And you just came back? You didn’t even get rejected after asking, you just came back?”

“…….”

“You really are crazy. Do you know how many items I could research with that money, Luis?”

It was a desire revealed so bluntly it went beyond honesty.

But knowing the purpose that lay at its foundation, I could only remain silent.

How could I not know?

Like the dark circles that had settled heavily under his eyes, Dayle was as serious about Shadow as I was.

He wanted Shadow’s victory more than anyone.

I had once gone down to Dayle’s basement and seen it.

The countless papers piled up in the corner of the table.

They were all artifact blueprints drawn by Dayle, and they were a reflection of his heart for Shadow.

But for those results to see the light of day was difficult in many ways.

From the underground wine cellar that could hardly be called a workshop, to the lack of materials.

The experimental tools and facilities were makeshift, and there were no reference materials for research.

All problems that could be solved with money.

Due to the unfavorable financial situation, Dayle’s abilities were trapped in the basement, unable to come out.

‘But even so, I can’t drag Mr. Parnaci into this.’

The war was only between the cult and Shadow.

Parnaci was a separate person.

“Haa. Fine, whatever. Let’s say we can win the war without that old man’s help. We have the boss, after all. But later on, for sure…… Aish. I don’t know either. If the boss isn’t here, you’re the master here, so I guess I have to follow your decision.”

Grumbling, Dayle downed the tea in one shot and trudged back down to the basement.

“…….”

After staring blankly at his retreating back, I prepared for business.

In any case, Lunatic, despite being a cover, was a pub on the outside.

It was located in a corner and hadn’t been open for long, so there were few customers, but there were regulars who came consistently.

However, perhaps because of the gloomy atmosphere after the academy incident, there were no customers today.

As I was polishing the glass cups, for some reason, I suddenly changed the ‘OPEN’ sign to ‘CLOSE’ and closed up shop earlier than usual.

And I left the store.

The place I arrived at was the restaurant I had gone to in the morning, ‘Parnaci of the Plaza’.

The restaurant building, seen from the outside, had its doors closed as if it had just finished business.

But the light shining from the window indicated that someone was inside.

After hesitating whether to go in or not, I opened the door and went inside.

And I found Parnaci sitting at an empty table.

“We’re closed……”

Parnaci, who sensed my presence, turned around.

Then he saw me and his eyes widened.

“……You.”

Parnaci hurriedly pulled me.

And slammed the door shut.

Of course, he didn’t forget to look around the shop before closing the door.

“What are you doing here?”

The atmosphere was somehow different.

Though I was curious, I first stated my business.

“I came to get my clothes. I need them early tomorrow morning.”

“Clothes? What do you mean…… Ah!”

Parnaci went up to the second floor.

His movements were hurried, like someone being chased.

A moment later, he came down with the vest in his hand.

It was clearly much cleaner than it had been in the morning.

It was still damp because it hadn’t fully dried, but it seemed like it would dry enough by dawn.

Parnaci gave it to me.

And as he did, he spoke.

“I. I’ve thought about it. I think it would be best if we pretend not to know each other from now on.”

I, who had been inspecting the cleaned vest, lifted my head and looked at Parnaci.

They were completely unexpected words.

Even for me, who rarely lost my composure, my pupils dilated slightly as I asked.

“What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”

“It’s not sudden. It’s a decision I made with difficulty after thinking about it all afternoon. Please, understand.”

To confirm his sincerity, I studied Parnaci.

Parnaci couldn’t look at me properly.

His head was bowed low, and his gaze wandered somewhere.

His lips were bitten tightly.

And, faint tear stains and the strong smell of alcohol.

Glancing to the side, I saw liquor bottles on the table where he had been sitting a moment ago.

My gaze turned cold.

I wasn’t clueless.

Something must have happened to him.

“……I understand.”

“I’m sorry. Please leave.”

I went outside.

I hoped it wasn’t true, but I had a bad feeling.

Parnaci’s attitude, which had changed one hundred and eighty degrees after I came.

It was hard to think of it as a coincidence.

So, I visited Parnaci’s restaurant the next day as well.

Of course, I didn’t get close as he had requested. I kept a certain distance and watched the restaurant from afar, hidden.

The restaurant was as busy as ever.

Many customers came and went.

There was nothing particularly noteworthy that caught my eye.

Time passed like that, past dinner time and it was time for the restaurant to close.

The people coming out over there were the last customers.

Soon the restaurant door closed, and the ‘Closed’ sign was hung on the doorknob.

In the end, I turned around without gaining anything.

Just then, the sound of a conversation pierced my ears.

“It was satisfying again today.”

“I know. But I didn’t see that friend today.”

“You mean Mr. Parnaci’s daughter, Jaygie?”

“Yeah. She’s so lively, watching her reminds me of my own daughter back home. I wonder if something happened?”

“Maybe she’s sick? Come to think of it, Mr. Parnaci’s expression wasn’t good either.”

“That could be it.”

I stopped walking.

Only then did I realize that she, who helped out at the shop every day, had been nowhere to be seen all day today.

‘……Jaygie is gone.’

To confirm, I decided to stay longer and watch the restaurant.

Time flowed endlessly.

The citizens who had filled the plaza went home one by one, and soon the lights in the surrounding buildings also went out.

Darkness fell.

The light from the window that seemed to be Jaygie’s room did not turn on until dawn.

And.

A group of people emerged from the darkness.

Thump, thump──

They immediately opened the door of ‘Pavrochi of the Plaza’ and went inside.

I cautiously approached the shop.

The sound of conversation could be heard through the vibration of the wall.

[Did you tell him?]

[……Ye-Yes. I called Luis here as you said.]

[Hehe.]

[Th-Then as promised, Jaygie is…….]

[Huh? Are you kidding? We have to keep her with us, we don’t know what kind of tricks you’ll pull. We’ll return her when the job is done, so don’t worry. If you try any funny business, we’ll cut her throat, so just know that.]

A round of growling and clattering sounds were heard.

After the men left, I hid myself.

The fading presence.

I waited until their presence completely disappeared before entering the restaurant.

Among the overturned tables, Parnaci was on his knees, sobbing.

“Mr. Parnaci.”

Parnaci shot his head up.

“Lu-Luis!”

He hurriedly wiped his tears.

And shot up to push me.

“I told you! Never. Never come here again!”

But the pushing force was weak.

I silently grabbed his hand tightly.

And at that, Parnaci finally broke down.

“Please. Please save Jaygie……!”

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