Pressing the end, he returned to Kazuki. He looked around the hall curiously. And I was thinking, looking at him.
Sooner or later, one way or another, but I will need to recruit people for myself. I didn't plan to remain a commoner forever, living next to the head of the Koyama clan. And even if he doesn't give me the coat of arms, I'll try to get it elsewhere. Of course, the coat of arms does not give special privileges, it does not give much at all. But its owner becomes a free aristocrat, and that's something. Offhand, I can recall at least one undoubted plus. Free aristocrats, those who have a coat of arms, but no master, no one can get into service. It's like under Peter the Great: ra-a-az — and you're in the army. Just because I caught my eye. I'm exaggerating, of course. But the emperor may well demand my service, if I only get up. And this is not taking into account my patriarchy. Whether I become a super-fighter or a super-magnate, even if no one touches me, as happens to most people, the will of the emperor will always hang over me like a sword of Damocles. And a free aristocrat, though only officially, is protected from this. Such an aristocracy generally differs little from ordinary subjects of the empire, except for such mini-privileges. But that's enough for me. I don't intend to join the clan either. For there is the same subordination, and career growth, if you look closely, is even less than in the civil service. Although to hell with it, with career growth, I just can't serve anyone. Oaths made by witchers cannot be broken even in another world. It's against our nature, it's above us. The plus that allows states to use witchers, and not try to destroy them. After all, we were all inexperienced beginners once. And I still have some oaths hanging on me, which, for example, cut off any military service. Having a coat of arms, I will have to obey the established rules, they are the same laws, but local laws are not much different from those in my world. So my immediate goal is the coat of arms. And only then I will start to rise, which requires loyal people, and not just employees, as in my company. No, I will recruit people from there to the inner circle if they get caught, but there are not many loyal people, and you have to raise really loyal people, as my unforgettable Necromancer boss used to say. This, of course, is not entirely true, but the specifics of the Necromancer's work did not allow me to say otherwise. Ask, why should I show off at all and try to achieve something? Well, what about the usual human desire to be cooler than your neighbor? If you don't fuss, don't want something more, stagnation comes, and then regression. And this applies to everything. And given my supposedly long life, it even scares me somehow. But this is between us. Do you think that after my personal war against the states of my world and giving these damn oaths, I became an exemplary average family man? Ha! Three times. I earned money only on the way. I spun as best I could, but I could do a lot. Eh. Bastards. Such a life was deprived. To get to these... these… Okay, calm down, Max, calm down. Calm down.
Ahem, m-yes. People. The inner circle. The ones I can rely on in the future. It's never too early to look for them and collect them. I have a Wrapper, Akemi, Namoto Taro, I'm sure if I call, he will follow me, despite the danger. There are also Vasya-Vasya, strong-willed and loyal guys, they can also be pulled closer. Shotgun, if you think about it, for all its honesty and reliability, is not suitable. Just because he already has everything and he doesn't need anything more. Except for Natalia, heh-heh. He simply won't want to get involved in anything and change anything. At least you can rely on him in any case. Probably, there is someone in my company, but I practically do not contact those employees, so I hardly know anyone. As a result, there are ridiculously few people, half of whom still have to be pulled up. Although I must admit that this is decent for my age.
And so I look at this guy and think: and why not? There is willpower, there is a desire to rise higher, we will bring up loyalty, although the rudiments, judging by what he received, are also there. Um... yes, there seems to be. But this is not so important, although it is desirable. Now the main thing is not to arrange a kindergarten in the club, otherwise I have broken up. And don't forget to find out what's going on in his family. And then you never know.
While I was thinking, Vasya-Vasya came into the hall. Waving his hand towards the exit, he turned to the boy:
— I'm going away for a while. Now a woman will come here and take care of your bruises. Don't run away, I'll have to talk to you later.
— I understand, Sakurai-san, I'll wait for you.
Nodding to him, he went to the exit and, beckoning the guards after him, went to those lying in the alley.
— Grab it and let's go back.
"Are they even alive, boss?" Goro asked.
He used to address me that way most of the time. In rare cases by last name, with the suffix "san".
"They're alive, but the funny thing is, the one on the left is pretending.
Squinting at me, both Vasis headed for the bodies.
— Hey, freak, are you going to go yourself or do you want to break your leg too? — Rymov kicked the pretender, then turned to me and sniffed. — Silent.
— Do you want to drag a body that can walk by itself?
— It's true. If you really drag, then for a reason. Which leg should he break, boss?
But his "boss" is clearly in public.
— You can break both, so be it.
— Wait, don't. I... can we make a deal? We haven't done anything to you, we have no complaints. Yes, we didn't even see you, we just got lost, and then... we fainted.
— So get up, fainting, we'll take you to the hospital, — answered him Vasya-Russian.
— No, please, we... ah ... — Vasya kicked him again. — We'll pay, we have a day... ah.
— I really want to break your legs, but I'm too lazy to drag you. So the choice is yours. You have three seconds to think.
Goro sighed, he would have to drag his own.
— I'll break his legs myself right now.
— Break your own, and this one will go by himself. Is that right?
— Yes! Yes. I get up.
— And just try to run away. I like to run even less than I like to carry all kinds of freaks," said an individual who runs in the morning every day.
In response, the gopnik tried to get up, but he was clearly led, and he plopped down on the asphalt again. Apparently, I overdid the punch.
— Although you can try. What-no, but entertainment.
— And maybe, after all…
— This is my body, Vasya-chan, I want to break it, I want not.
— Eh, — Goro sighed once again, shouldering "his body".
That's how guys have fun. I mean jokes, not breaking bones.
We didn't go through the main one, Natalia is there now, and it's better for her not to see this, so we went to the service one.
"Is there anyone else in the kitchen?"
— No, it's empty yet.
— Then drag, hamsters, where you usually drag.
— Mister, can we agree after all? We don't know you, and we just happened to be here. — I just waved my hand, indicating that the guys hurry up. — Sir! For what? Have mercy, sir! — this jerk began to resist.
— These highly noble gentlemen will explain to you and your friend what's what. And if you finally shut up and don't resist, you probably won't even become a cripple. Everyone, drag them.
—My God-and-in!
That fool is a man. It looks like his life has been badly battered if he thinks I need corpses here. Or judging by himself. The first is better, of course, but most likely the second.
In the hall, Aunt Natasha was still treating Kazuki's bruises. He hissed and grimaced, but did not try to escape. Approaching them, I caught a sharp question.
— Who did this? the woman asked me.
To which Kazuki swerved his gaze. Everything is clear with him.
— He fell.
"I'm serious, Shinji. After this, you need to contact the police. First to the hospital, and then to the police. And this boy is silent, like a partisan. Everything fell and fell.
— Well, what do you think, Aunt Natasha? I asked in Russian. "A man can't show weakness and complain even to such beautiful women," I tried to remove the seriousness from her voice.
— He's a child!
It didn't work out.
— And, judging by the behavior and words, not only.
Turning back to the frozen boy, Natalia already grumpily asked me a question:
— I hope you won't ignore the fact that some scumbags are walking around here?
— He fell, Aunt Natasha.
— Shinji!
"That's why, outside of the Koyama quarter and the school, I am not perceived as an adult," I thought melancholically.
— Together with two men passing by.
"Men?" Two?! Yes, we just have to…
— Natalia Romanovna, — I interrupted her, — I will somehow sort out the problem of instability on the legs of this young man myself.
— Pf. - And this one there too. How everyone around me loves to snort. — Then that's it. Now to the hospital. And we need to inform his parents.
That's where the guy fidgeted.
—I—" he began.
— I'll deal with it. You gave me the phone, so it's okay. Aunt Natasha, his parents are at work now, can't you go to the hospital with him? The girls will cope without you for a while, won't they, if you stay late?
— I…
"Well, don't let him go alone. Surely he will run home right away, well, or crawl. Or somewhere else.
— Thank you, Aunt Natasha, — I smiled at her. — What would we do without you?
— They died of gastritis! Can you wait five minutes, Kazu-chan? I need to change.
— I…
— What is it, Kazu-chan, are you afraid to go to the doctor?
— Of course I'm not afraid! What is there to be afraid of?
— So you won't run away anywhere?
Squinting at me, he replied:
"I wasn't going to.
— Well, that's great. I'll be back soon," Aunt Natasha said and quickly disappeared through the door leading to the kitchen.
Kazuki couldn't stand it and spoke first:
— I owe you, Sakurai-san, you saved my life.
— Should I? Perhaps yes. Generally. Not life, of course, but it should. How old are you? Are you a member of the school club?
— Thirteen. — High school, then. — I'm not a member.
— Well, that's great. I just need an assistant for courier business. The fee is small at first…
— Yes, I'm free, Sakurai-san!
By the way, I didn't tell him my name. Not now, not before. When did you find out, you bastard?