Chapter 60 — Mafia’s True Face I

Damian arrived at the shooting range where he usually practiced his Omega Point weapon art, the familiar grounds now serving a completely different purpose today.

When he stepped through the entrance, he saw almost thirty students already gathered and waiting for him, including Edrin, Lysa, and Ronan standing prominently at the front of the group.

The moment the students noticed Damian’s arrival, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.

"Boss has arrived!"

"Good afternoon, Boss!"

"Even though I’ve reached E-minus rank now, I still feel completely overwhelmed just standing near Boss’s presence."

"I wonder what rank he’s currently at. He must be way beyond us by now."

"Is it just me, or does Boss get more handsome with each passing day?"

"Stop drooling, girl! That’s embarrassing! Ew!"

As soon as the assembled students saw Damian enter the shooting range, they all became visibly excited as they greeted him with genuine enthusiasm and respect.

It had become genuinely difficult to find Damian around campus these days. He was like a ghost, appearing only when absolutely necessary and vanishing just as quickly.

So seeing him in person felt almost like a rare privilege.

Damian acknowledged everyone with a short, curt nod before moving to sit in the instructor’s chair positioned behind the main desk.

It was the exact same spot where Professor Salazar had first taught him the fundamental principles of Omega Point all those weeks ago.

The symbolism wasn’t lost on anyone present.

Edrin, Ronan, and Lysa stood directly in front of him like lieutenants awaiting orders, while the other gathered students formed a loose semicircle around them, all eyes focused intently on their leader.

The casual chatter died down immediately, replaced by attentive silence.

"Good evening, everyone."

Damian’s voice cut through the quiet like a blade, commanding instant attention.

"I sincerely hope all of you have improved yourselves quite significantly over the past few weeks. I know the training has been intense, but that’s exactly what we need."

He paused, letting his crimson eyes sweep across the assembled faces.

"I know almost all of you personally by now. We’ve trained together many times, shared meals, gotten to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

And I think by this point, everyone has realized exactly why I haven’t been giving direct orders or missions to anyone during this interim period."

Several students nodded slowly, understanding dawning on their faces.

"Frankly speaking, all of you were pathetically weak when we first started.

You’d just awakened your abilities and had no real combat experience whatsoever. And honestly? You’re all still relatively weak compared to what you need to become."

Some students flinched at the blunt assessment, but nobody protested because they knew it was true.

"But at the very least, almost everyone gathered here today represents the absolute top tier of our organization.

I specifically only called those who have advanced to at least E- rank for this meeting. You are the elite of the Mafia, the ones I can actually rely on."

Pride flickered across several faces at being recognized as elite.

"And my goal for today is not about practice or casual training. Today marks something far more significant."

Damian leaned forward slightly, his presence somehow growing heavier.

"Today is about the official start of the Mafia’s first real mission. Our first step into the wider world beyond these Academy walls."

Excited murmurs rippled through the crowd, students exchanging glances filled with anticipation and nervousness.

Damian raised his hand, and silence fell immediately.

"But before we begin, since this marks the official operational launch of our organization, I need to tell you the complete truth about what kind of organization the Mafia really is. What we’re actually going to become."

The atmosphere shifted again, becoming charged with tension and curiosity.

Everyone leaned forward unconsciously, hanging on his every word.

They’d always wondered what exactly the Mafia truly represented beyond just protection and mutual support. Now it seemed Damian would finally reveal the full picture.

"One simple question for all of you: What does any organization need to become genuinely stable and permanently established?"

"Money and people."

Edrin replied almost instantly, his sharp mind already working ahead.

He was already widely considered one of the most intelligent students in the entire current first-year batch, possessing not just book smarts but genuine strategic thinking ability.

He also had a rare innate tactical-type skill that made him exceptional at planning and coordination.

That was precisely why Damian had already quietly handed over the day-to-day management and organizational duties of the Mafia to him weeks ago.

"Absolutely correct, Edrin. We already have loyal people, talented people who believe in our cause. But what we desperately lack is money. Substantial financial resources."

Damian’s expression darkened slightly.

"And the Clubs Committee will never, ever allocate us any official funding. They’d rather burn their budget than give us a single coin.

So I don’t even want to waste time bothering with those pathetic bureaucrats."

Everyone’s faces became noticeably ugly at the mere mention of the Clubs Committee.

Indeed, it was precisely that committee which controlled all official funding allocation for student organizations.

And their head, Gareth Blackwood, who’d violently clashed with Damian previously, would absolutely never give them a single penny no matter what.

The political reality was crystal clear.

"So that leaves us with only one viable option for acquiring the resources we need."

Damian’s voice dropped lower, more dangerous.

"We acquire it ourselves. Through our own means, our own methods, our own power."

He stood up slowly, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the assembled students.

"And the method we’ll use to acquire money is actually quite simple. In fact, it will become the entire foundation of what the Mafia truly is.

This is the real nature of our organization, stripped of all the noble rhetoric about justice and equality."

The tension ratcheted higher. Students held their breath.

"We will start by collecting protection money from legitimate businesses operating in Tranquil City.

We will drive away any underworld gangs that are already extorting money from these establishments through violence and intimidation, and then we will take a reasonable share of profit from their businesses as payment for our protection services."

Shocked silence.

"Not a fixed amount that might bankrupt smaller operations, but an actual percentage share of their profits.

So even small family businesses can survive and prosper under our protection. We’ll scale our fees based on their success."

Edrin, Lysa, and Ronan exchanged genuinely surprised looks with each other.

They clearly had not expected that their student organization would extend its reach and operations so far beyond the Academy campus into the actual criminal underworld of the city.

This was far more serious than they’d imagined.

"But Boss..."

A visibly anxious-looking, somewhat chubby student spoke up in a trembling, low voice.

His name was Zavier Wells. He belonged to Section D and was actually that section’s top-ranked student despite his nervous disposition.

The only reason he’d ended up in Section D instead of a higher tier was because during his entrance examination, he’d literally fainted halfway through just from looking at the intimidating question paper.

The only reason he’d managed to rank decently at all was due to his natural talent being a respectable A-rank.

He was chronically anxious and painfully timid by nature.

But ever since he’d started regularly interacting with Damian and the other Mafia core members, he’d been slowly, gradually gaining small amounts of confidence.

But clearly he wasn’t confident enough yet to feel comfortable about fighting actual criminals in the dangerous underworld.

"We’re just students, Boss. Underworld gangs are absolutely ruthless. They kill people over pocket change.

They have no morals, no hesitation. How will we possibly manage to actually protect these businesses from professional criminals?"

His voice cracked slightly with fear.