Chapter 527: You Owe Him

[Mafia Headquarters]

The screen mounted on the far wall showed the same broadcast looping over and over.

Mike stood closest to the screen, his arms crossed, his weathered face unreadable.

Ariana stood a few steps back, her hands empty at her sides for once with no sign of her katana.

Edrin had taken his glasses off and was cleaning them on his shirt.

Zavier leaned against the doorframe, his jaw tight.

Ronan hadn’t said a word since the broadcast started, which for him was its own kind of loud.

Lysa sat on the arm of a chair, her knees pulled up.

Mike let the silence sit for a while before he broke it, his voice rough.

"All of you already know why he did what he did to you, don’t you?" It wasn’t really a question. "Your willpower’s grown more in the last few days than most awakeners manage in years. You shouldn’t hold it against hi–"

"Old Mike."

Zavier cut in before he could finish, straightening off the doorframe.

"We aren’t fools." His voice came out steady. "Boss’s methods have always been extreme. They always push us past what we think we can handle."

He looked at the others, seeing the same understanding in their eyes.

"But we know he looks out for us in his own way. We know he’s preparing us for something we can’t see yet..."

Lysa’s arms tightened around her knees.

"And there’s something else." Her voice came out quiet, almost like she didn’t want to say it out loud. "Something we’ve all been realizing since we watched that."

She nodded toward the screen without looking at it directly.

Edrin finished it for her, his mind having reached the same conclusion.

"We aren’t talented enough to be his followers."

The words landed like stones dropped into still water.

"We can’t provide him any help, we can’t stand beside him when it matters and we can’t do anything except watch while he fights the battles alone..."

His hands clenched tighter.

"The gap between him and us isn’t something training can fix. It’s something we’ll never bridge no matter how hard we push ourselves..."

Silence crashed down again, heavier this time.

Mike studied their faces, seeing the weight settling into their shoulders.

’They’re not wrong...’

The thought came honestly.

’Damian operates on a level that normal awakeners can’t reach... Even talented ones...’

Then his weathered hands opened.

"There is a way you can help him."

Every head snapped toward him.

"Before Damian left, he gave me an artifact that can track treasures forming across the world..."

Light flashed as Mike materialized the artifact, intricate engravings covering its surface.

"The Federation’s Aura levels are rising and natural treasures will start appearing in greater numbers."

His eyes tracked across each of them.

"You might not be able to stand beside him in combat right now. But you can build the foundation he’ll need when he comes back." He paused. "You can gather resources, strengthen the Mafia and prepare for whatever is coming..."

His voice became harder.

"That’s how you help him. By becoming strong enough that he doesn’t have to carry everything alone..."

The five of them stared at the artifact, understanding settling with cold clarity.

They couldn’t match Damian’s combat power, but they could build the empire he’d need.

Ariana’s voice emerged quiet but certain.

"When will the treasures appear?"

Mike’s weathered face showed the ghost of a smile.

"Already started. The artifact detected three potential locations within our region alone." He paused. "But you’ll need to be ready. Other groups might be searching as well, and not all of them will be friendly."

Edrin adjusted his glasses, his mind already mapping possibilities.

"Then we prepare. We train harder than before, coordinate better, and when opportunities arise..."

Ronan’s deep voice finished, carrying conviction that shook the air.

"We take them all. No matter what stands in our way."

The chanting outside continued, a constant reminder of what Damian had accomplished.

"GODFATHER! GODFATHER! GODFATHER!"

And inside the headquarters, five warriors who’d been broken by their own inadequacy found something new to hold onto.

The smallest sliver of hope that maybe, someday, they could truly earn the right to call themselves his followers.

****

[Capitol City - Chairman’s Office]

The massive screen dominating one wall showed Damian’s damaged form walking through snow.

The Chairman stood in front of the display, his hands in his pockets, his face showing nothing.

Behind him, Gia’s emotionless voice emerged from the room’s speakers.

"Preliminary reports indicate the civil unrest has decreased by seventy-three percent in the past few minutes."

Her tone remained absolutely neutral.

"Stock markets across all five regions have stabilized and begun recovering. The Eastern Exchange already shows positive momentum."

The Chairman said nothing, his eyes tracking Damian’s retreating form.

"Emergency services report protest activity dropping to manageable levels. Police personnel are being reassigned from riot control back to standard duties."

Still no response.

"The entire chaos pattern that emerged following the Hell Portal revelation and Lufen attack has started settling into acceptable parameters."

The Chairman’s eyes never left the screen, listening silently until Gia finished.

"Gia."

His voice came out quiet.

"Doesn’t he remind you of someone?"

Silence fell between the human and AI, the question hanging heavy.

The Chairman’s head tilted slightly, his unremarkable features remaining calm.

"Was he truly adopted from a random northern city?"

His hands shifted in his pockets.

"Or is he..."

The implication sat unspoken between them, heavy and unavoidable.

Gia remained silent, her presence felt but her voice absent.

The Chairman’s eyes closed, his breath escaping in a long controlled exhale.

"Since how long have you known?"

His voice stayed level.

"You probably knew from the start, didn’t you?"

His eyes opened, finding the screen again.

"Everyone thinks your powers are limited to just monitoring through electrical devices. They believe surveillance cameras and communication networks are the extent of your reach."

His lips curved slightly, something that wasn’t quite a smile.

"You act so well in front of everyone that they always believe they have the upper hand against you. Playing the role of the limited AI, constrained by hardware and code."

He turned away from the screen, walking toward the window overlooking Capitol City.

"But everyone seems to have forgotten a simple fact."

His hands came out of his pockets, one rising to press against the glass.

"How can an all-knowing Admin AI be so useless?"

The city stretched below, lights spreading like stars brought to earth.

"Even that kid probably doesn’t realize the real reason why you keep helping him."

His hand pressed harder against the window.

"After all, you owe his bloodline more than anyone else in this Federation."

Silence spread through the office, heavy and unavoidable.