Losing Masks

by Nicholas Metelsky

  “Does Kagami rule the outskirts?”

  “Mmm... What? No, of course not. Everything that has to do with the neighborhood and the surrounding area is Uesugi's job. That's the head of security service in the neighborhood.”

  “And you have no idea what's happening right under your nose?” I was surprised.

  “Shinji!” Akeno got irritated. “Am I supposed to know everything about everyone? No one can know everything. Why would I even stick my nose where it doesn't belong?”

  “What about Kagami-san?”

  “When we had just gotten married, she was indignant about the clan being boxed in the neighborhood and surrounded by the State officials. She didn’t like that we didn’t have a single house outside the area. Knowing her, it's safe to assume that by now, we have property everywhere.”

  “You're right,” He finally took my pawn and was deliberating what I was going to do next.

  “Well, I suppose I have to talk to your wife,” I defended my rook by placing a bishop in front of it.

  “Go ahead. Talk to her. Who are you going to the reception with?” He attacked my bishop with his queen.

  “I doubt you know her.”

  I didn’t really believe that. She was the only female boss in Garagarahabi, after all.

  “Her name is Nakata Akemi.”

  “Who?” He immediately lost his focus on the board.

  “Nakata Akemi. We often go together to the club.”

  “That sounds like trouble.”

  “That's where we met.”

  “Umm, do you know what she does?”

  “Book business,” I replied, a little surprised.

  Akeno’s reaction was quite strange for someone who didn’t know exactly what Akemi does.

  “She's the perfect candidate to get on Chesuje's nerves. Is there something wrong, Akeno-san?”

  “I'm... not ready to talk about this now.”

  “Really?” I glanced at his face, showing my wish to learn what he wasn’t saying. “Fine. Check.”

  While we talked, I moved my knight, simultaneously putting his king in check and threatening his queen. Basically, he lost his queen.

  “I give up,” Akeno said after five minutes of staring at the board. “No luck in chess for me today.”

  Sure, sure. Let's assume this is why you gave up for the first time ever.

  As soon as Shina found out what I wanted from her, she got enthusiastic. We got home closer to eleven, after spending a ton of time at the store and trying on practically everything. We only bought a couple of outfits, though. I had a feeling that Shina was getting back at me for all the times I refused to go shopping with her before.

  In the end, SHE decided that I should go to the reception wearing a white jacket, a gray T-shirt, and blue trousers that looked like jeans. If you only knew what I had to go through before she made up her mind.

  I have to put an end to it.

  On Friday, I decided to skip class. In Japan here, and perhaps in my former Japan, attendance was taken based on presence at school not in class. That meant that you could come to school in the morning, have your attendance taken in the advisory, and then do whatever the hell you wanted. Officially, this seemed like the case, but in practice, class leaders watched everyone like hawks. I couldn't care less, but today I was doomed. I decided to stay for the first class. At recess, I had to drag Toremazu to the nurse.

  What is wrong with her? Knowing what's going to happen, she keeps coming to my class. Damn it!

  Eventually, when I went back to class, it had already started. I later realized that I could have left my things in the there, nobody would take them anyway. During the second recess, Rydon and I were asked to take some folders to the gym. I was too quick to get happy, thinking that I could take them there and then go on my way. That didn't happen, of course. At the gym, we had to help with equipment set up, which took the entire period. After that, they gave us an excuse note and sent us back to class.

  As I headed for the exit to finally get away from there, I ran into Shina. She told me that during the long recess, which was after the next period, her grandpa wanted to meet me in his office. If I left school after that, it wouldn't look good. That's what I thought before our meeting. But after I spent half an hour, just think about it – HALF AN HOUR, of listening to him preach to me about stupid clubs, I was under the impression that something terrible had gone wrong somewhere. I realized that when he changed the subject and started talking about the reception and then about my guest. The old man was nothing like Akeno, and he had much more experience than I did. Plus, he was somewhat eccentric. In the end, he let me go, and it seemed that I was even able to keep my secrets to myself.

  Finally, I left school. I didn't have lunch. I just got my things and quietly got out of there. Rydon had known I was going to leave since morning, and I didn't have to tell anyone else. It was good that my house was close. Living next to the school was very convenient.

  I dropped my things off in my room, took a shower and changed. After that, I sat down in the living room chair and started drinking tea. I didn’t understand why my neighbors didn’t like my tea. But oh well, they were the ones missing out.

  I have to decide if I want to go to the club on my own or call someone and ask them to come and get me. It'd be faster if I went with the first option, but then I’d have to bear the public transport once again. I'm not in a hurry anyway.

  When I arrived, there were three more hours left before the opening of the club. Therefore, I talked to Goro and was able to reschedule the meeting for an earlier time. My first candidates were about to show up. It took half an hour to get everyone together. So I spent this half an hour in my office, teasing Kazuki. He was a very tolerant dude and just did everything I asked him to do.

  When I walked out into the hall, I was pleased to see sixty or eighty strangers, Vas-vas, and Shotgun, who was standing in his usual working spot, polishing a glass and gloomily looking at the crowd. Look at that, aunt Natasha was there too with four girls. Seeing that, Honda got more intense. Natasha went up to Shotgun, while the girls started to deliver drinks to the men, running between them, carrying overloaded trays in their hands.

  “Hello, Shotgun, Madame Melik,” I bowed to the woman with a smile.

  “Enough clowning around,” Honda frowned. “I thought there would be maximum of twenty people. Where did this crowd come from?”

  “Nowhere. Why are you so grumpy? Twenty, sixty, who cares? I'll take care of them.”

  “You? Take care of five dozen men?”

  “Yes, me. Yes, five dozen Warriors,” he almost choked at my “Warriors” comment.

  “Did you reach Virtuoso already?”

  “There is a thing called brains. It allows one to be better than and beat even Virtuosos. Enough about that,” I turned to Rymov, who had just come up to greet me, and addressed him in Russian. “Good day, Vasya. Could you point out the strongest and bravest guys here?”

  “These are the most trusted,” he replied in Russian. “They know how old you are, that they will have to actually fight and not just guard an entrance to some building, and of course, they know that you pay decent wages and on time. So we’re vouching not only for them.”

  “Are you implying something? Rymov, you're hurting my feelings.”

  “Sorry about that. I got excited,” he blurted out. “It's such a crucial moment. The guys are great. I really want them all to join your forces.”

  “My apologies.” I said looking at him. “Are they all Warriors?”

  “That one is a Veteran. He used to be a command sergeant major in the army until something happened. The guy is very worthy, and he doesn't want to work for criminals, but after being dishonorably discharged, nobody wants him anywhere.”

  “Dishonorably discharged?”

  “It's better to ask him. It sounds like he didn't get along with some aristocrat. I'm not exactly sure.”

  “Okay, I'll double check. Any other interesting people?
”

  “They're all interesting,” Rymov chuckled in response. “Goro and I know about ten people from the crowd really well, and the rest—we just know.”

  “Okay, you can give me the names later. What's the lieutenant’s name?”

  “Takaki Saw.”

  “Well, I'll go chat with the crowd. In the meantime, you can make the rounds and tell the most trusted guys that I'd like to get to know them better. They should stay when the rest start leaving.”

  “Will do.”

  I walked away from the bar counter, clapped a couple of times, and addressed the crowd.

  “Okay, people! Get over here!”

  I waited five minutes for the men to get around me and then continued.

  “Hey there, killers! Are you ready to sacrifice your own life for the sake of the greater good?”

  “Alright, I'm just kidding. My name us Sakurai Shinji, and I'm not a great speaker, so don't judge me based solely on that. I hope that everyone here was aware of my age and clearly understood what is required of them before showing up tonight. I also hope that you realize why I want to hire you. I don't need this many guards. I need soldiers. Ones who are ready to kill and die. Perhaps not die, but you will sure get to bust a cap. I realize that everyone here does not want to become a criminal, and I can assure you that's not my plan either. I'm not going to stoop down to that level. You should realize that sustaining a legend about why I need so many fighters is not easy. That's why a lot of times we'll have to act covertly. For some, it may look like a crime. That's not what it is, though. I hope you're mature enough to understand the difference.”

  “Next. What are you going to get if you join me? Consistent wages for sure. I haven't checked on the amount yet, but I can promise you right now that it's going to be above average. Full benefits package, if you understand what that means. Also, whenever your relatives have any problems, illness or just getting old—come to me, and I'll do what I can. In case you don’t understand this, if you are taken prisoner, I need you to just quietly die and not worry about your families. Obviously, they will be getting compensated. The details will be in your contracts. I don't abandon captive comrades, by the way. I'll do everything I can to get you out of there, so 'quietly dying' is an extreme situation.”

  “Gear. It'll be the best I can offer and the best you can get. I can't promise MTD, but if you know what CP 3/7-3p is, you might get excited. No idea? Hm. That's a pretty sweet armor suit straight out of Russia. I have fifty of those, so only the best guys will get them.”

  “Prospects... Soon I'm going to become an aristocrat. As soon as I turn eighteen, I'll get on that. I see some movement in the crowd. Yes, if everything works out good, you'll be an aristo army—the ones who can handle me, anyway.”

  “All you are expected to be is loyal and diligent. Gods see that if any of you cast a shadow on my reputation or my name... I may not sound convincing right now, but eventually, you'll understand that I CAN make your life a living hell. If anybody betrays me, you'll find out what my imagination is capable of. Ugh, I'm kind of tired of talking. Any questions?”

  In response to my words, one of the men raised his hand as if he was a disciplined schoolboy.

  “Managing people in combat is quite a difficult task. I would like to know if you already have people who will be in command or if they will be recruited from the ones here?”

  “I don't have appropriate people. Hopefully, only for now. Some of you will be assigned to the commanding roles. The general command in battle will be on me in any case,” noticing that the man who asked the question frowned, I added, “yes, a sixteen-year-old boy will command you in the battle. If it's not okay with you, you're free to leave.”

  I took a short pause to make sure everyone heard and understood me.

  “However, let me assure you that I know a great deal about it and possibly more than anyone in this room. Your right is to believe me or not. My right is to not reveal how I obtained such knowledge. Any other questions?”

  One more hand rose. I wonder if that’s normal.

  “Go ahead.”

  “As everyone else is in this room, I am a civilian. I only know how to fight. According to you, we will have to work with not just our hands. Are we going to have an instructor of some sort?”

  It was a double-meaning question. Any respected firm that employs fighters has instructors or provides regular training and professional development. But Garagarahabi ignores such things.

  “Absolutely. I won't send you into a battle without appropriate skills.”

  One more hand.

  “I know this is going to sound weird, but are we going to have time for self-improvement?”

  “Good question. There are many fighters in the army but not many Warriors. To answer your question—this is not an army. Your main task during your free time is the so-called self-improvement that you're asking about. The stronger you are, the stronger I am.”

  “Where are we going to... work?” This one looked like he was no older than eighteen. “I mean, we're not gonna be training here. Will there be... a training site? And what about the work schedule?”

  “Officially, you'll be employed by my company as the security team. The work schedule has not been determined yet. It won’t be a nine-to-five, I can tell you that. A training site... Yes, you'll have one. The land for my security services has already been bought, and it just needs to be fixed up. It needs fencing, buildings, etc. If you want, you can live there. There will be barracks and gyms there, too.”

  In the next moment, two different hands went up. I first decided to answer the one who looked older.

  “You mentioned that officially we'll be employed as members of your security service. Will we possibly be required to do that kind of work?”

  “Most likely. Not only that kind of work, though. Security, escort, and representation. Anywhere where I need guys with weapons by my side.”

  “I have a question regarding the weapons. I have the rank of Warrior in martial arts, and I'm not allowed to carry even a pistol. Where do things stand on that?”

  “It all depends on the annual turnover of my company. Its net profit, to be exact. In this regard, everything is fine. Security of Shidotamoru—yes, that's my company—is entitled to arming up to an average MD. Actually, we can have two medium-sized mobile armors. Or one light BR. However, that sounds like a mockery because we can't use heavy equipment in the city anyway. By the way, the heaviest MD in the world is made in Japan and is equated to an average combat robot. They have stronger protection and more powerful weapons. The heaviest BR in the world is a 36-foot long monster of the German Reich weighing 220 pounds called ‘Buffalo’. Anyway, after I get my coat of arms, the limit will depend on my solvency and connections.”

  “How big is the chance you’ll get the coat of arms?” A man from the first row asked after raising his hand.

  “Anything can happen, so I estimate the chances to be eighty percent.”

  The rustling started again. Serving an aristocrat had always been prestigious here. It was also beneficial because if you served an aristocrat, your status went up several times.

  That's how we spent the next two hours. The questions were different. Important and not so much, silly and serious. Most importantly, I think I convinced almost all of them to accept my proposal. If not for my age, it would have been simpler and faster.

  Finally, the questions were over. The people started to leave, and Honda rejoiced. After all, the opening of the club was delayed by an hour. When there were only eleven people left, I waved at them to follow me to one of the VIP rooms, and Shotgun went to open the club.

  “So, gentlemen? As Rymov told me, everyone who was here is a great guy, but the ones in this room are the best. First of all, my question is, would you work for me? What are you leaning towards?”

  They exchanged glances, and I got my answer.

  “We are in,” said the man who had asked the first question out in the hall. “Takaki S
aw, by the way.”

  He stood up from the sofa and bowed.

  “My lieutenant. That’s what I thought when I heard your questions.”

  “Excuse me... lieutenant?” The man tensed up a little.

  “Yeah, the only Veteran among everyone in the room. Or am I mistaken?”

  “Yes, that's right,” he said, looking away.

  Then he sighed and looked me in the eyes.

  “You gotta know. For fifteen years, I served in the army of the Emperor and was dishonorably discharged.”

  “Yes, I know. I don't really care,” I demonstratively looked at Rymov, who was also in the room.

  “Um... okay. I am glad. Thank you for the trust,” the man bowed again, even lower this time, and then sat back down.

  “You're welcome. I should probably warn you that I'm planning to use you for a variety of tasks. Accordingly, the degree of secrecy will be higher than for most other people. Think and decide for yourself what you want to do. For example, I have a rugrat running around the club, and he dreams of becoming a pilot in BR or MD. For that, he needs specific training, and I’m thinking it’s best to start that training early. Shidotamoru doesn't need MDs, but, as I said, my plan is to shoot for the coat of arms. The situation will drastically change then. Note that I don't require you to choose martial arts. If someone wants to be an economist, choosing an educational institution should be done early on. I'm just saying. No hurry, think it through. Any questions?”

  “I’ve already thought about it,” Saw replied. “You said the land for the base is getting prepped, and there are no instructors just yet. Maybe I could start training people? I have some experience in that—I was a training instructor my last three years in the army.”

  “I'd appreciate that. Honestly, I'm not sure where to look for the right person. But that's temporary, and I'll figure it out. Your offer is very timely. The guys shouldn't stand idle.”

  “Sorry if it sounds insolent, but I have a few retirees that could be excellent instructors.”

  “Who are these people?” I showed interest.

  “Old men. One is my father's friend, and the other one is his colleague. They served more than I did, but because they are commoners without connections, they could not rise high in rank. They wouldn’t be useful in a battle, but they'd be good instructors. I know what I'm talking about. Just three of us will be enough for now, and then we'll see.”