"Anyway, we already have to go," Rudeus said, tapping the stack of papers against the table and putting them into his briefcase before standing up. "I just want you to know, Ryan, that even though your father is no longer with us, for one reason or another, we still respect his legacy and we will certainly honor our word."
He coughed."You still have the right to join the Savant Mafia as an associated member rather than just an affiliate and I really hope you do so. But even if you don't want this life, know that you will always have a place at the table. None of us will ever mistreat you, that I promise you personally… So, what I just want to say is… Whenever you want someone to have a coffee with, just call me and I'll come as quickly as I can."
Ryan listened in silence, feeling a strange sensation beneath Rudeus's words and his sincere gaze.
There was an unusual solemnity in his speech, sounding less like something rehearsed for orphaned children and more like a promise that would never be broken. The weight behind those words was something Ryan had never seen before. But above all, it was something he deeply respected.
"I'll say the same… even if I'm not as intense as this old man," Alex said, lacing his fingers behind his head in a casual posture. Despite his light tone, his words carried just as much weight as Rudeus's. "Think of us as family from now on… well, I guess you already do, since you called Rud 'uncle'… that's pretty much it, just keep it that way. Remember your big brother Alex whenever you have problems!" He pointed his thumb at himself with a wide grin.
"Sure thing, Uncle Alex," Ryan said with a teasing smile, making Alex's grin falter.
"I—I'm not that old… I'm only twenty-seven." Ryan nodded with a smile.
"Twenty-seven is almost thirty. That's uncle age." Alex scratched the back of his neck nervously, then sighed, temporarily accepting his defeat. Still, he made a mental note to change Ryan's mind and convince him to call him 'big bro' instead. "Take care, Ryan. We'll be in touch."
They said their goodbyes with waves, and soon the two of them left, leaving Ryan alone in that café. Which was now his as well.
Ryan sighed before turning to John, who had been silently watching until that moment while cleaning some glass cups with a calm expression.
"I needed to pick up some things from my old apartment… would it be possible to send someone to help me with that? You know, I don't have a car, let alone a moving truck."
John didn't move, only replying nonchalantly, "I'm already taking care of it. Just rest for now." He then raised his gaze slightly. "The apartment upstairs already has everything you need, so you won't have any problems. As for managing the Manhattan Café, leave it to me for now. Observe and learn, then take over when you feel ready. And of course, I reiterate, whatever you need, I'm entirely at your disposal."
Ryan nodded, realizing that despite being quiet, John seemed exceptionally observant and reliable. "I'll do as you suggest." He then walked toward the hallway, turning his back to John, who suddenly spoke softly.
"Your father did a lot for me…" He sighed. Ryan stopped but didn't turn around. "So much so that it truly brings me joy to serve his son… Ryan… you are not your father, but even so… know that every vow I once made to him now extends to you… this is a promise I make."
Ryan didn't know how to respond, so he simply nodded. Feeling there was nothing more to say, he continued down the hallway, which soon led to a wide, empty staircase ending at a lonely door.
He stared anxiously at the door, his body trembling.
Ryan had just joined the Mafia in order to get this apartment, even though he was only acting as an affiliated member, an administrator for the Manhattan Café, instead of being an associate member who dealt directly with the dirty work. At most, they would ask him to launder money or act as a spy for high society meetings inside the establishment.
Putting it aside and swallowing hard, with sweat trickling down his forehead, Ryan unlocked it and opened it, coming face to face with an apartment frozen in time.
He closed and locked the door behind him before inspecting the place.
"Okay… maybe I died and this is Heaven."
The apartment was well-lit, with an entire wall made of tinted glass overlooking the city center streets and all the people passing by. It had an open-concept design, similar to Ryan's old apartment, though his had been that way out of necessity, while this one was by choice, in an elegant way.
The living room had a large black sofa, extremely luxurious and comfortable, positioned at the perfect distance from a massive television that, given its size and placement, resembled a cinema screen. In front of it was a sunken area for a coffee table and some cushions, possibly for a more casual setting.
On the opposite side, there was a black marble table with a glass chessboard. Sixteen chairs with black cushions and golden frames were lined up, and at the end of the table stood a throne… Ryan's father clearly wanted to feel special like a child on their birthday, everyday.
And of course, a well-polished black marble counter separated the kitchen from the other rooms. Wine bottles were stored vertically above it in what looked like a honeycomb structure, while bottles of various alcoholic drinks were arranged behind glass shelves on the opposite side, creating a sense of asymmetry.
Ryan couldn't help but take it all in and remember his old apartment. The layout was incredibly similar, if not for the poverty of one and the luxury of the other. In a way, that made him feel more at ease in the new space. He wondered if that had been his father's intention all those years ago.
He quickly checked the other rooms and soon found his bedroom.
Ryan whistled as he entered, a king-size bed awaited him, with incredibly soft and comfortable pillows. He immediately threw himself onto it, the mattress molding perfectly to his body, drawing a pleased sigh from him.
Looking around, he spotted the air conditioner with surprise and turned it on right away. The cool air hit his body, making him melt with comfort.
"Now this is living! I'll never sleep in that damn infernal heat with all that infernal noise and back pain ever again!" Ryan laughed in delight before walking into the bathroom, which, unsurprisingly, was large.
But something still managed to surprise him, making him rub his chin.
"Why the hell are there two showers in the same bathroom?"
Ryan studied the two showers on opposite sides for a few moments; there was also a bathtub in the middle… after some time, he shook his head and corrected himself upon noticing small holes along its surface. It was a bit different from a conventional bathtub. It was a jacuzzi, according to what he looked up on his phone… though he wasn't entirely sure what the real difference was.
Ignoring it for now, Ryan returned to the bed with calm steps, his eyes slowly scanning the room, his expression thoughtful.
"Now…If I know well that damn old man…" Ryan quickly crouched down and pulled the blanket hanging off the edge, revealing what was underneath. "Found it." A wide smile spread across his face as he spotted some rags wrapped around a large box.
At first, he tore off the rags, causing a letter to fly out, but he quickly caught it with agile hands. He briefly examined it before placing it on the bed for later inspection, turning his attention back to the box. He tried to grab and pull it, but it was extremely heavy. Quickly leaving him breathless.
"Damn… what is inside to be so heavy?Titanium?"
In the end, he stopped trying to grab it and pull it out from under the bed, and instead started grabbing and pulling the bed to get it out from underneath.
Finally, he sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Okay, that was harder than I expected…" He picked up the letter again. "And now… about this…"
The red wax seal reflected in his eyes for a moment. "I hope it's not some dramatic farewell," he muttered before opening it without ceremony. Immediately, he read its contents.
[ Hey, Ryan! I know you asked me for a video game for Christmas/Birthday/Anyday, but they're not even that great and they're waaaaaay too expensive! Have you ever seen the price of one?! Look at it from my perspective! Don't be such a spoiled brat! ]
Ryan frowned looking around briefly, but continued to read.
[ However… even if it's not a 'video game,' I managed to get something just as cool for you… I think you'll want to open it before finishing reading. ]
Without thinking much, Ryan grabbed a box cutter and opened the large box. Inside there was a lot of foam, styrofoam and plastic to protect the content. The reason was clear, there was no proper box holding everything together. It wasn't a finished "product," but rather a mess of loose cables, metal boxes, and random parts scattered inside.
Ryan frowned at the sight until he suddenly noticed a small piece of paper, which he quickly grabbed and examined.
"You've got to be kidding me." It was a step-by-step guide to assembling… whatever this was. No drawings, no images, no labels. Just vague instructions telling him to connect this to that.
Ryan had no idea what "this" or "that" was.
[ This, my friend, is the future! Fully immersive virtual reality! Don't ask me where I got it, or how… Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that… well… this technology is still being tested, which is both good and bad… the helmet I gave you wasn't made for the public or even regular beta testers. It was made only for internal testing by a select group of competent scholars and researchers. We'll call it the Alpha Helmet. And yes, it's a bit dangerous. I admit that. ]
"That damn old man wants to fry my brain?!" Ryan cursed, nearly tearing the paper.
[ However… I still want you to use it. Why, you ask? Why would a father tell his only beloved son to risk his life for a stupid game? And the answer is… none of your business! Mwahahaha! I don't owe you any explanations, you damn brat! ]
Ryan clicked his tongue, looking away. "Knew it would be like this… you never change, you damn old man!"
[ I don't owe anyone explanations! So just die of curiosity! Even so… I'll tell you something, Ryan… In one year the world will be turned upside down. Do whatever you want with that information.]
[ And one last thing… I know you have questions, Ryan, about this, about my personal life, about my work… and I will never tell you anything about any of that! Mwahahaha! but I'll also be there, on the other side, on the Unnamed Game. If you want to pry the answers out of me… I won't wait for you, but if you try, you might catch up. ]
Ryan swallowed hard as the words came to an end.
[ Otherwise, this is our farewell. Whatever you decide. Good luck, damn brat! ]