It was a folk cafe.
Belza, the leader of the underground organization "Society", invited three young people: Douglas Steyer, Harry Eagle and Brian Hill.
Tea and Sachertorte were placed on the table. The three young men blushed and bowed to the beautiful ponytailed girl who brought the refreshments.
Dressed in a beige suit and looking like a typical British gentleman, Belza sipped his tea with elegance. At his urging, the young men awkwardly dug into their cakes. Belza watched them with his piercing blue eyes behind his shiny glasses and smiled.
Douglas, who had a weakness for chocolate, finished his meal, licked his fork clean, and smiled back at Belza. He stared at him from across the round table. Belza put down his teacup and spoke.
"Douglas, thank you for coming. I'm grateful to all of you."
"Oh, I'm a simpleton - simple and clear. I like things that are easy to understand," Douglas said, scratching his head.
"I see. You seem smart."
"I'm sorry, I was such an idiot. We were picked up by Stone Thunders and put to work, but we were also taken care of. We got plenty of food. Food is love, I guess."
"Food...huh?"
"Yes. But Thunders' business is a little too noisy. He plumbs the depths of people's hearts, deceives them, and steals from them. The Mafia is so well-planned, so complicated and mysterious."
"Yes. I don't agree with that, but Thunders is an ally. He also hates betrayal. There's a saying in this world that some evils are necessary. Sometimes they keep the balance by purging the vile people who prey on the weak. In fact, some people depend on them."
"Yes, I understand that. But at the end of the day, it's all about money. It's nothing but a profit-making organization. But you said otherwise. The underground organization, Society, exists to destroy the Napis family, right? They're dedicated to that one goal."
Napis was a merchant of death. On the surface, they appeared to be a heavy industry conglomerate. Behind the scenes, however, they were shady merchants selling weapons and ammunition to nations around the world. Napis was the mastermind behind the rampant wars.
Douglas had been told by Thunders that Society was an organization dedicated to eliminating groups that deceived and exploited people.
Douglas furrowed his brow, his piercing eyes fixed on Belza's face. His expression tightened in response.
Dressed in a black leather jacket, Douglas exuded a bad-boy vibe. But he spoke sincerely and earnestly. He was serious, humble and straightforward.
"Yes, Douglas. We are much simpler than Thunders. We are just here to defeat evil."
"That is easy to understand. That's why I followed you."
Douglas jerked his chin slightly in the direction of his companions, who had been listening in silence the whole time.
Harry rolled up the sleeves of his brown jacket and asked, "How are we going to move? Are we going to live underground?"
Belza replied, wagging his index finger. "Harry Eagle, you will be attending the police academy starting in April."
"Huh? Police? School?"
"Yes. Thunders' counselor has prepared a fictitious family register and resume for you. You will become a police officer in order to obtain the information our organization needs."
Harry's mouth dropped open. He looked at Douglas and Brian beside him in confusion.
Then Belza turned to Brian. "You will be the personal bodyguard for this girl. She's the one who brought the tea earlier. Her name is Christine and she's the only daughter of the owner of this bar."
Brian jumped to his feet, raised his hand to the girl lingering in the kitchen, and asked Belza, blushing. "Huh? Why a bodyguard, Belza? She's... special?"
"That's right. I'll tell you more one day, but her father, Bill, is here for a reason. I want you to protect her."
Brian straightened the collar of his off-white shirt and stammered, "I-I get it. I get it."
After assigning duties, Belza wiped his mouth and spoke quietly.
"The relationship between you and me is like a farmer and cowboys. Yes, the 'Vigilantes.' I bought your abilities, the 'Regulators'. You are my family now. To me, you are a gift from God."
Belza looked at the three of them.
"Our ranch is in darkness. But your daily life should be a place of sunlight. That's what I believe. I want you to live as normally as you can."
Douglas raised his hand. "So you want me to hide my identity?"
"That is correct. Our existence is already in the shadows. Our enemy, Napis, is trying to kill us. We must not let our guard down."
"Understood," the three replied, sitting up straight.
"Douglas, I have a special role for you. I'm counting on you to be my right-hand man."
"Yes."
Belza slowly rose from his seat, smiled, and patted him gently on the shoulder.
"And Douglas, don't lick your fork after you eat."
"Tahaha. Yes, I'll be careful."
---
In the capital city of Pretendia, where Society's hideout was located, the three of them left the cafe to buy groceries as Belza had instructed.
Harry scratched his head and muttered as they walked.
"But becoming a policeman feels like living a double life."
Douglas patted him on the shoulder. "That's okay. You're the best student among us, with a strong sense of justice. You're calm and collected."
Brian chimed in, "There's a fine line between the mafia and the police, but isn't the latter better? Leave your bodyguard duties to me, though."
"Calm down," Harry snapped back. "Oh, a bodyguard for such a pretty girl? You're a wimp. Don't mess with me!"
"Hey, you! Don't make fun of me!"
"You're acting all lovey-dovey."
"God damn it, you bastard!"
"Why don't you two stop it!" Douglas interrupted. "We have all been recognized and given this mission. We should be grateful. We don't know when we're going to die, so fighting among ourselves is pointless. At the very least, we should get along well. Cooperation is the shortcut to success."
Brian withdrew his hand and Harry adjusted his collar. Douglas nodded in agreement.
While they were buying groceries at the supermarket, a young man called out to Douglas.
"Oh, you're Douglas, right?"
"Huh?"
"It's me! McCloskey from the slums. Remember me? I'm the one who knows about your insanity."
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