How did he get into this situation? For the first time in his life as an unwanted young master and a civilian, Zen was rubbing shoulders with many famous and important people.
Death Princess Akiko was seated in his room with his newly made big brother and sister. The room was far too small to accommodate all four people, so the boys decided to take the floor while the ladies sat on the bed.
The Death Princess looked nothing like what Zen imagined her to be. Compared to his big sister, she looked like a very demure and fragile doll. Sasha had a fierce look in her cold blue eyes, and it wasn't difficult to believe she was a killer. However, the Death Princess, who had a higher body count under her name, didn't look like she belonged to the underworld.
Zen stared at the Death princess for a very long time, and Akiko did the same. Akiko Kanzaki… the name was very much Japanese like his. However, Zen had mixed blood in him, giving him a lighter hair colour than most Asians. In the light, some people claimed that his brown eyes looked green. However, Akiko Kanzaki was very similar to Liu Feng with her long and black hair and obsidian eyes. Correction, eye. She wore an eyepatch over her left eye that made Zen wonder if it was for fashion or to hide an injury. Regardless, she looked like an angel to him, an angel of death.
Sasha looked at the two people staring intently and couched lightly to get their attention. Didn't they have an important discussion? Besides, as a big sister, she wouldn't allow someone as dangerous as the Death Princess to date Zen. She could accidentally kill her little brother in her sleep!
Liu Feng was amused. It was Akiko and Zen's first meeting. Usually, the Death Princess had a very different reaction when meeting people she didn't know. It hadn't even been a day since he informed her about his omerta vow to take Zen under his protection. This news must be interesting enough to make the elusive Death Princess come out of her hiding. The fact that she didn't mind extra people sitting in on her meeting with Zen gave her away. Ordinarily, she wouldn't even reply to anyone's message, must less see them. Now, she was making eye contact with his younger brother. How interesting!
Zen blushed and looked away. Akiko was as pretty as a fairy, and he didn't mean to stare. However, he was very curious. Why would someone like her reach out to him? Zen sent the message to everyone in the academy, including the invigilators. However, he wasn't expecting a reply from anyone else apart from Sasha, Liu Feng and the ones who liked his cooking earlier.
"So?" Sasha started. "You called us here to let us know that the Death Princess contacted you. We're here now, so you don't have to worry about her snapping your neck."
Zen blushed when Akiko looked slightly disappointed at the last statement. He quickly denied that and chose to hide his face behind his hands when he couldn't find the right words to clear that misunderstanding. Akiko didn't respond at first. However, after Zen hid his face behind his hands, the sight of his pink ears peeking out betrayed his embarrassment. The sight tickled her so much that she let out a small laugh, shocking everyone in the room, including herself.
On the outside world, viewers from all walks of life couldn't help but comment on what just occurred. Akiko Kanzaki was an emotionless assassin known to never show any expressions on her face. Yet, she was so easily disarmed by an unknown boy ranked last in Godfather High School! Earlier, Zen announced that he was no longer part of the Taro family. Without a family, this boy was free real estate!
[The Godfather is intrigued by your ability to charm the Death Princess. You have been awarded 100 credits.]
[You have received a message from the Di Rosi family.]
[You have received a message from the Gambino family.]
[You have received a message from the Hughes family.]
[You have received a message from the Edwards family.]
[You have received a message from the Dietrich family.]
Startled by the sudden spam of system notifications, Zen peeked through his fingers, and his eyes widened.
"What's wrong?" Sasha asked. They couldn't see his system notification messages, but from Zen's reaction, something huge must have happened.
Akiko and Liu Feng chose to observe carefully as Zen read his messages. Curiosity was killing Sasha, and she couldn't help but fidget, asking what was going on every few seconds. Zen continued to ignore her as he read. His frown deepened with each message, and his face grew paler.
Unable to wait any longer, Liu Feng decided to speak up. "Zen, is something wrong?"
Hearing his big brother's calming voice, Zen looked up slowly at the young triad master, then back to Sasha and Akiko.
"Say, how powerful are the families Di Rosi, Gambino, Hughes, Edwards and Dietrich?"
Sasha froze, and even Akiko frowned slightly. Liu Feng didn't know why the Taro family's third son didn't know this already. However, it would explain many of his civilian thoughts and habits.
"Zen…" Liu Feng looked at him with eyes full of pity. "What kind of life did you lead before you were sent to participate in this death game?"
There was a long pause, and Zen didn't know how to answer it. In his mind, there were two sets of memories. As the third son of the Taro family, he wasn't mistreated even if he was neglected. He knew a few things here and there but not enough about the outside world. Zen taro learned many things from science to politics, but his knowledge about the outside world was very little.
On the other hand, civilian #3207 was only focused on surviving. He knew a little about the underworld from whatever the media published, but that was it. Both his past lives were people who lived like a frog in the well.
When Zen didn't answer, Akiko decided to let him know. His sworn siblings didn't feel like playing the role of a bad person so she would do it.
"They are families within the Round Table."
Zen's eyes widened. The Round Table was something similar to a fairy tale in his past life. Only ten families were allowed to sit at the Round Table. They were the veto powers against the Godfather and represented the mafia world!
"A-all five of them?"
Liu Feng didn't answer, and Sasha looked away. Akiko nodded.
Zen didn't know what to do. For half of the Round Table families to offer him sponsorship for this game… It was a curse disguised as a blessing!
"Zen…" Liu Feng wanted to comfort him and give him some advice, but Zen shook his head. He knew what he wanted to do.
"Can I still become the Godfather if I accept the Round Table's offer?"
Akiko had an invisible smile. Liu Feng was right about Zen. He was fascinating. In the dark world of blood and sins that they live in, Zen was like the sun.
"No," Sasha grinned. "The Godfather is usually chosen among candidates, not from the Round Table. These families are ranked #0 and are not invited to this death game. It will be the first time in history that a candidate from rank #0 joins the game if you accept. Not even the Godfather can kick you out of this place if you accept their offer now."
Zen laughed. He laughed heartily until tears ran down his face. Golden goose? There was no such thing.
"In that case, I know what to do."
Everyone waited with bated breaths for the most anticipated announcement ever since the start of the death game. Even the Godfather couldn't help but wait nervously.