Chapter 79 – Exchange Conditions

Following Bro, I found a fat man at the restaurant area with about four nasty looking guys standing behind him, gobbling up greasy food.

The fat old man looked so pig-like that he could have been mistaken for an Orc.

I hid in the shadow of a table on the floor to avoid detection.

“Hey, Bro. Are we making a killing, I wonder? I wonder?”

“Thanks for coming. Welcome, Minister Chitsue.”

The man talked messily while shoving things in his mouth.

It was uncomfortable to look at, one of the Imperial Ministers. Chitsue.

As usual….

“I’ve heard rumors. I’m sure. Seems you got the crowd pretty excited. You see. This is one of your virtues. You see.” ¹

“Much Thanks”

“The working girls too, they don’t seem to be selling their bodies, or getting sick and worn out like they used to, everyone is always healthy and doing well. See.”

Sitting in the chair opposite Chitsue, Bro gave a bitter laugh. Apparently, though Bro is being praised, he doesn’t seem to be in a very good mood.

And then……

“It’s just…… some customers are a little disgruntled. See.”

“…… Yes?”

“I’m certain they’re having fun, but the old days were more enthusiastic and exciting…. It was. That it was.”

At that time, Chitsue was smiling at first, but although the smile was on his mouth, only the glint in his eyes became sharp.

“In the old days… you mean the days when you could do with the women as you please…… if you ask a merchant, you could get anything, endless gambling and Duel Monsters, a banquet with no rules, right?”

“That’s right. For the wealthy, using money to break the law gives them a sense of immorality and excitement. You see. For a wholesome gathering like this, you didn’t have to hide your face and play incognito to come to this town. It was. That it was.”

The conversation suddenly became suspicious for some reason. What is this guy up to?

“I don’t care what the customer thinks, the priority is to follow the basic rules. We’ll keep our eyes open to protect this town. Isn’t that our mission, as given by you?”

Bro also answered without losing a step with a serious expression as his smile disappeared.

Then, as if he had been waiting for those words, Chitsue had a nasty smile on his face.

“That’s right. Follow the rules…… but it’s the same for you. You see.”

“What?”

“Have a look. See.”

Saying that, Chitsue threw a bunch of paper at the table.

“Information I came across… According to the original rules, merchants and trade associations that bring in auction items are always supposed to come to me to intervene and mediate. They do. There is also a need to conduct a credit check on the merchants. That it is.”

“Sure. That’s why we…”

“But a merchant, whom I didn’t hear of, has been in and out of here and sold items at auction. That it is. In addition, we didn’t have a margin when it came to the sales. That it is.”

Upon hearing those words, Bro took a piece of paper and looked at it, astonished.

“Nah, that’s ridiculous. We only let in the merchants who properly brokered with you. Besides, you guys get the proceeds from the auction sales as a commission…… I know we don’t do such ‘direct management’…… Hey, auction management……”

At that time, Bro swiftly looked back at baguette head.

“Huh? a… ah…”

Then, baguette head turned pale and immediately began to panic.

“Hey…”

“Oh, Bro, um… I….. um…”

“Oh, you…… no way…”

Does baguette head not have any idea…… no, rather than just happening to know……

“It, it’s not like that! I just…… the merchant geezer, who is always taking care of me, asked me to add his friend’s products…. he needed a lump sum of money right away, and it would take him a long time to be vetted by the Empire…. just because you can trust him…. no, I refused at first, but I just couldn’t…”

Bro shut his eyes and slapped himself upon the head at baguette head’s excuses.

“You didn’t declare it, did you? …… you…… so, you received a stipend, right?”

“Eh, n-no way… I, I didn’t receive any.”

He hid a violation of the established rules. Baguette head was shaking his head in a panic at Bro’s question whether he got a reward for that.

But it’s clear from his demeanor.

And while watching the situation, Chitsue announced.

“This merchant…… is in close contact with a dark organization on a different continent…. in other words, they are affiliated with the Anti-Imperialist. See.”

“Anti, Imperialist!?”

Anti-Imperialist…… That is, an anti-imperial state organization.

They’re like the Mafia.

“What does this mean when His Majesty the Emperor takes the initiative to sever ties between the Empire and the Anti-Imperialist, eradicate the Anti-Imperialist, and cleanse the country?” You see?”

“That’s… I never knew it was the Anti-Imperialist at all.”

“Fufufu. Now, if you receive money from the Anti-Imperialist, it will be even more problematic. That it would”

At Chitsue’s words, baguette head whole body was trembling and sweating.

He seems to understand the gravity of what he has done.

“… you took it?”

“B-Bro…… I…”

“You took it, didn’t you?”

To Bro’s serious question as if he were sure of everything, baguette head resigned himself and gave a feeble nod.

“Sorry, Bro… Oh, I… I was suddenly handed the money…… even if I knew it’s no good, it’s just pocket money, so I’m told that it’s okay. So…”

“Ah~…… ah~…. geez.”

Bro sighed as he slipped down, resting his body on the back of the chair.

Then he lifted his face and asked Chitsue.

“So, what do you want me to do? Fire him…… I doubt that’s what you’re here to say.”

To answer the question, Chitsue stopped eating and leaned forward.

“Certainly, if this were to be revealed to his Majesty, this gambling house will be done for and your place will be gone. Right.”

“That’s right…”

“But I don’t want you crushed here, and most of all, I consider you to be family. Ain’t it. You are delinquent and mischievous kids, but I cannot bear to have the adults steal away this garden for that single mistake. Ain’t it. So, as a parent, I’ll take care of it. See.”

Rather than punishing the hoodlum who broke the rule, Chitsue was trying to do something about it.

However, I don’t feel any warmth in Chitsue’s use of the word “family”.

Rather, there is a pungently nasty smell floating in the air.

“But since I, as a father, will go through a lot of trouble to forgive your wrongdoing, I want you all to listen to my little request as a parent. That I do.”

Look at that. Sure enough, he brought up “exchange conditions”.

Bro also seemed to have anticipated it, and listened quietly without much surprise.

And the condition that Chitsue brought out……

“I would like to loosen some of the rules on this gambling house. That I do. To be precise, concerning the auction and Duel Monster. See.”

At those words, Bro hung his head with a dejected expression that said “I knew it”.

And it was then.

“Now, ladies and gentlemen! The first part of today’s Duel Monster is over. Before we commence the second half, we’ll finally start the long-awaited auction!”

In front of the cage where beasts were fighting in the center of the gambling den, when a hoodlum raised his voice, the nobles cheered all at once.

“If you’re excited about the battle between monsters, you can’t be satisfied with that alone. Not just the spectacle. To become the master of monsters, make your monsters fight, raise them up and strengthen them, and go on the road to become a Duel Kings. All for you… the monster auction will start!”

Monster Auction.

“If you’ve purchased a monster this time, or if you already own a monster, you can add your monster to the latter part of today’s Duel Monster and fight! To the man who aims to be a Duel King…… if you’re here, come on down!”

It was exactly what I expected when I heard the Old man’s story.

To become the master of monsters. In other words, an auction to buy monsters.

“Up first, we have a ferocious carnivore sporting a powerful jaw, as strong as any of the Dragon-kin, that could crunch anything. Can exert its power on both land and water and has a stylish mustache, the Demon Realm Crocodile… I give you, Dandy Croc! Now, the minimum bid starts at 5 million!”

“5.5 million!”

“6 million!”

“6.3 million!”

“7 million!”

A monster was brought in while being restrained by a collar and a muzzle. The excited nobles stood up all at once, raised their hands, and tried to throw their bid.

Yes, this is what the ‘auction’ was all about.

And Chitsue’s request was to revise the rules of the current auction.

“As a matter of fact, in the Imperial Grand Prison that houses criminals…… there are many criminal demons who have sinned on the Surface. Ogres. Dark elves. Devil-kin. Cyclops, minotaurs, vampires, and so on. I want those intelligent demons to be eligible for Duel Monster and auctions. That I do.”

And then……

“In addition, it might be interesting to auction female demons as tools for sexual gratification. Why not!”

Chitsue said, with a smirk and sleazy grin on his face……

『…… Hmm…… My oh my….』

“Huh?”

Though Tre’ainar, who was beside me, did not change his expression, there was anger in the emotions which clearly overflowed from his body.

“Not prisoners of war, but criminals who were arrested for crimes. Originally, they are beings that should be subject to the death penalty, yet taxpayers’ money is invested to maintain the facility they are simply being held in. See. It’s ridiculous. You know.”

Unaware of the Great Demon King’s anger, he began to talk eloquently about things that were outside the law.

“Use of intelligent demons is not allowed… either way, if it were found out, the Hero. Hiro won’t stay silent, yeh.”

On the other hand, while closing his eyes, Bro replied in a reluctant manner.

However, Chitsue talked, without regard to the statement.

“I won’t have to worry about that anymore. You see. Hero Hiro will soon be stripped of his authority. That he will.

“Oh…”

“Thanks to what his son did, Hiro has relinquished all his responsibilities. Ain’t it so. No matter how close his Majesty and Hiro may be as the Seven Heroes, they must carry out their responsibilities. See.”

And in the middle of it all, my father and I were brought up.

The nobles were talking about it before I came in here.

In many ways, it gave me complicated feelings.

“As a trail, I’d like to use a few demons in the second half of today’s duel monsters. That I do.”

“Nu, wha… from today?”

“That’s right. I do. Don’t be surprised, okay? Gufufufufu, I prepared an outrageous monster for the day.”

With that, Chitsue turned back to the nasty guys behind him.

“Hey. Hey. Bring them in. Come on.”

“Understood”

That being said, one of the men left the place and went somewhere.

And when Chitsue turned to Bro again……

“Gufufufufu, look forward to it. I’m sure the customers will love it too.”

“I refuse.”

“Yes, that Great Demon King once… eh? hey, huh?”

Chitsue leaned forward and made a proposal, but Bro’s words left him wide eyed and surprised.

“Nah, eh…. huh?”

He didn’t expect to be refused. Bro gave his message with strong eyes.

“It was ‘we’ who did wrong. Then, the thing to do is not to ask for forgiveness, but to atone. And if as a result we receive penalties, get fired, or if we lose our place, so be it.”

“Huh?”

“And I’m the leader. In that case, I’ll accept full responsibility. Be it half my salary or my dismissal…… whether it’s a finger or an arm, take whatever you like. But, I won’t accept the alteration to the rules.”

Without hesitation, he answered…… a finger?? What is he talking about!?

“We hoodlums aren’t captives of the common sense and evaluation of society. That is simply the way of life that you guys have decided on abiding. So if you’re going to offer forgiveness for our wrongdoing in exchange for conditions which we don’t want, we may refuse, yeh.”

“I, idiot! Do you understand what you’re saying, do you?”

“Idiot? Who are you talking to? I’m sure you’ve figured out that I’m an idiot delinquent, haven’t you? That’s the kind of chap you’ve tried to use.”

We will atone for our sins. However, the exchange condition is not acceptable.

There was such a belief in the man named Bro.

“You… you’re all going to be fired as joint responsibility, right? Huh? I have that power. Get it!”

“That’s too bad. But I can’t accept your request.”

“eh, Bro….. You punk.”

And, of course, it is an adult who will not accept such unfavorable terms obediently.

Chitsue raised his hand, and the guys behind him came forward.

No, not only them, but also the very crowd of stout and heavy-faced adults who had been placed on the floor of the gambling-house began to gather around Bro all at once.

[S1]Chitsue adds a lot of inflections either in the middle or at the end of his dialogues. Words like のか, たい, いる, れる, らな, よう, だね. The meanings don’t really make much sense if directly translated, kinda seem like just random stuff he adds while talking. One of these happen to translate as ‘You See’ which brought to mind 1920s prohibition era Gangsters, so I ended up seeing the guy as a fatter Al Capone and I tried to bring that out. It kinda fits, especially with the secret gambling den being a sort of SpeakEasy Booze Joint. Anyway, let me know if you have any thoughts or inputs on this.