Changing Masks

by Nicholas Metelsky

  I won’t describe the mess. One thing though — Akemi confessed later that she had been very worried about me at the time. That's because when my first and last client in the Three Sakura childcare business condescendingly waved his hand and pronounced 'Kill him,' I was very vulnerable. A flash bang grenade and Akemi's team of international gang bangers dealt with their task at top-notch level, which is why I am able to have the honor of telling you this story now.

  Everything was done according to the codes of the underworld, as they'd say in my former world. In my world, I did not confront the underworld, and I did not know 'their code.' So, I had no problems with the head of the guild of Pelamida, Robo's boss. The lawsuit on the childcare center, which lasted all this time, was over. Akemi was finally able to register the land in her name, after which the documents, which turned out to be the culprit, became nothing more than simple paper. We paired up with the 'young beautiful girl' and solemnly burned them. I earned fame, a solid reputation, and the nickname of Tack, the Tokyo Dwarf. Oh yeah, and I got three million, six hundred yen per eight orders. For the ninth and last one, the freak Robo did not even think to bring any money. What a shame, for he had promised to pay me decently.

  Half a year later, Serge died. Akemi unleashed a new intrigue, which was meant to actively raise her status in the hierarchy of Garagarahbi and in her guild in particular, but, evidently, she did not take everything into account. Serge was caught in a moment when he was completely alone in the team’s office. I do not know exactly what happened there, but the damage was considerable. When Akemi returned, she found the rout inside the building as well as eighteen corpses, not counting Serge. Three were identified as Veterans. In your name, for your glory, Serge.

  At that time, the foolish woman almost kicked the bucket, back to the wall. Friends turned into business partners, all acquaintances disappeared into nowhere, and her people... No, they didn't run away but they couldn't show themselves. All she had left was money, stashed, and there were now four giants left.

  All hope lay on a casket, located at that time in the State Imperial Bank. The thing did not belong to her, and you’ll already have guessed who she turned to. It turned out to be more than just a story— a whole saga, which is not particularly relevant and could be completely ignored. Let’s just say that I had to open up to Funtik. The old man, it turns out, had a lifelong dream—to rob the SIB. Without him, I didn't stand a chance, at least not then. A distraction maneuver wouldn't cut it. Yes, by then, I had mastered the skill and could trick two townsfolks but that was about it. After the incident in question, Akemi ended up owing me her life, not because of my accomplishment, but because I agreed to take her order at all.

  I still don't know what was in the casket. The client has not said a word about it even now. Funtik was caught, but he didn't hand me in. Two years later, I got myself into another epic adventure and freed him. At about the same time, my affairs with Zanoza, Akemi's ridiculous nickname, were so intertwined that I considered it possible to reveal to her my name and address.

  Chapter 3

  Closing the lid on a pot of stewed meat, I turned off the stove. At that moment, the phone rang. I rinsed my hands, grabbed a towel and picked up the phone.

  'Hello, boss. Can you talk?' The voice coming from the cell phone said.

  'What a silly question. I am talking already, Tarosan.'

  'Your pedantry has no limits, boss.'

  'I'm gonna fire you if you don't tell me what's up.'

  Nemoto Taro holds a position at the department of public relations in Shidotemoru but is informally engaged in legal affairs that I want nothing to do with.

  'It's about Somatsu. He finished the draft of the first chapter of your new manga and is asking for a meeting. It’s about the title.'

  'Do you know what it’s about exactly?'

  'I don’t think he likes 'Naruto' and wants to suggest his own version.' Yeah, yeah, call me a plagiarist why don’t you. Now I have to meet with the illustrator who works on yet another manga of mine and explain to him why it can't be changed. Somatsu is actually the one who reaps the benefits of being the author. I only take the rights to the manga. I am a thief, remember? That's what thieves do—they steal the ideas of his world.

  'Oh,' I sighed. 'Okay, tell him I'll meet him ... hmm ... on Friday around six o'clock.'

  'Whatever you say, boss.'

  'That's all, I hope?'

  'Yes, thank God. It's just that this freak... He is just nuts. He's really getting under my skin with his calls. First, I tried to explain that he should only do what the boss tells him, but he just doesn't listen!' He is simply too young for mangaka, but in general, the guy is extremely competent with sheer determination. Yet the twelve-year-old in him shows through once in a while. In addition to that, he looks two years younger which gets in the way sometimes. As strange as it may seem, it's easier for me. At business meetings, people know that I am the main child. In Japan, the attitude towards authority is special. A person vested with power has the right to small shortcomings, for example, age. Although the attitude towards a young person in charge is not the same as the attitude toward an adult, there is no place for complete neglect, as in other countries. Also, there is the fact that I am from another world, as well as the fact that the Japanese here pay no attention to the limitations of age once you hit fourteen. Despite that, adulthood still comes at eighteen. Apparently, this is due to the total dominance of some kind of aristocracy— most importantly, the children of the aristocracy. So, I’m not surprised that Tarosan has never shown any disdain for me despite the four years between us.

  'We'll figure it out. Tell him about the meeting, but say that it is my initiative. Otherwise, he'll walk all over you.'

  'Whatever you say, boss. Thank you.'

  'That's all for now. Call if there’s anything.'

  'Later, boss.'

  I hung up and went into the living room. I had no urgent business to attend to; dinner was cooked, so I went to visit my neighbors. I had a talk with them. I wanted to sort out a few things; otherwise, my head would simply explode from excess thoughts. It boggles my mind that for so many years of living next door to them, I still couldn't put two and two together and work out that my neighbors Koyama and the Koyama clan are the same people. That's what the elephant in the room means. Dang, I'm ashamed of myself. They share the surname of one of the oldest and strongest clans in Japan, ha! How did I not notice their coat of arms hanging everywhere? I didn't really know what the Koyama coat of arms looked like, but how could it have been anything else? How could I have thought that this family with their own coat of arms simply shared the same surname as another family like them? This was the aristocracy: no one had the same name; they would not be given a coat of arms so easily either. This was not my world, and here, the family name, like their own blood was taken very seriously. Why do you think aristocrats never swear in public, except within the clan? It's because, God forbid, you might say something like 'son of a bitch.' It's just 'son of a bitch,' but even I know about the two wars created by those few words. In one case, two families fought, and in the other, two clans. I don't believe that the insults were accidental, but the lesson is that insulting a whole family may not turn out very well for your own family, while personal insults are resolved between two individuals.

  Of course, it didn't really make sense for aristocrats to settle in this area. What about the servants that were taken for granted by big dogs like them? I also had psychological reasons for my obliviousness: I couldn't imagine that the family I'd known my entire life, the family that was wealthy but very modest, could be one of the most high-born families in the empire. Now I was overwhelmed with questions.

  To hell with it! There is no sense in turning these ideas over and over in my mind. I must go and find out. I turned off the computer and put away my future dinner and breakfast. I was almost ready to leave but it did not happen. The old man was one step ahead of me ringing the doorbell just as I was putting on m
y shoes.

  'Hello Kenta-San. Come in, please. Coffee, tea?'

  'Hi Shinji. Coffee please.' His choice did not surprise me. The old man actually liked tea, but my tea-making skills were so poor that his choice was predictable. However, his willingness to have a drink meant only one thing—he had something serious to talk about. That was interesting. For example, Akeno, Shina's father, always said yes to both— a drink and a bite. The old man Kenta, on the other hand, only accepted an offer if he wanted to talk about something, and his habit has never changed. I was really interested to know what was on the agenda.

  I led him into the living room noting that he was dressed in a traditional kimono that was black and grey. I offered him a chair there and went into the kitchen. I'm no expert at making coffee either, and I didn't even understand the solemn ceremony of brewing coffee or tea. So, I quickly made a cup with my coffee machine and returned to the living room.

  'How was your first day at school? Did you make any friends? How do you like Dakisyuro?' Taking the first sip, the old man began to question me.

  'It's an excellent school with a great degree of elitism. It's hard to make friends in one day, but I've made some acquaintances. Generally speaking, the day was just okay and could have been much better.'

  'Friends, acquaintances... you're a bore,' I heard a murmur in reply. 'I heard that something unpleasant happened to you at school today?'

  I wonder if he knows about Shina's 'public speech'. Was he watching me? Too bad if he wasn't. Rumors about his granddaughter indemnifying me have even reached the principal. Great! In one day, I managed to become notorious throughout the entire school. Of course, I knew that it would spread around fast, but hadn’t realised it would be so fast! Now it was clear to me what he had come to discuss with me. He was going to apologize.

  'Do not worry, Kenta-san, I'll deal with this.'

  'You’re the one who needs to worry.' Huh? I don't get it.

  'Excuse me? ...' I could feel my eyebrows raising but there was nothing I could do about it.

  'I don’t understand your surprise. Do you seriously expect to deal with the head of the Ishikawa clan on your own? How, if it isn’t a secret?' The guest asked with a snort. His voice was full of venom. Fidgeting himself into a comfortable position, he set his eyes on me curiously, demonstrating with his whole look that he wasn’t going to wait for my response. I looked around the living room in a stupor.

  'You’ve lost me completely, Kenta-san. What are you talking about?' This time the surprised look was cast at me.

  'Ishikawa Kisho, forty-four years old. Head of the Ishikawa clan. Married, father of four children. Two sons, two daughters.' What an old ferret, trying to add pressure to the situation. 'It's one of their daughters you insulted today. The eldest. The most beloved, I dare say.'

  What a ... witch! She has such an amazing skill. She’s almost brought me to the edge twice in the same day! She isn't even anywhere nearby this time. I can't even... Calm down, Max, just calm down.

  'If I didn’t know you, I wouldn’t interfere. If I didn’t know you so well, I would insist you make a public apology.' Calm down, Max, stay calm. 'But I know you well enough to come here and clarify what exactly happened between the two of you.'

  'In short, she insulted me three times and then made it clear that she considers us lower than servants — a nonentity.'

  'Harsh. And without good reason?'

  'The reason was that we were standing in the middle of the road and were in her way. In fact, she ran into me when we were standing by the curb. We stepped aside for a reason.'

  'You keep saying ‘we’. Who are you referring to?' Kenta deliberated.

  'Okhayashi Raydon.' The old man raised his eyebrows slightly. 'Yes, yes, that one. The son of the head of the clan.'

  'Well, well, well. The girl has got herself in trouble.' The old man could really change his communication style. 'May I assume that your... acquaintance will confirm everything you have said? I see no reason for him to lie, even if these two clans were allies, which is beyond the bounds of possibility. Well, you don't have to worry about this problem, but there is another,' he said, glaring at me.

  'What else?' I asked after a short silence trying to end the staring game.

  'You tell me. You didn't remember about the incident with the girl, but you said that your day wasn't great. I wonder why.' At some point, I was going to tell him about his granddaughter’s setup, but I didn't want to look like a tattle-teller. So I uttered the story with some uncertainty under his strict gaze as if I were a teenager fighting for my independence.

  'Shinji-kun,' The suffixes were back in action, 'you are attending a school with a very special demographic basis; one careless word could backfire on you. It'll be best if you tell me everything.' I gotta tell you, these words made me a little enraged. Why on earth had he put me in Dakisyuro then? Did he think I was suffering from a lack of adrenaline in my life or what? Did he expect me to fall supine before everyone? Perhaps, he was making a servant for his granddaughter out of me. What was I going to do, write him daily reports?

  In my mind, I realized that this was unlikely, and that 'the truth was somewhere there,' but my outbursts of irritation and indignation were currently too strong. I had to get up and go get my cigarettes, pacifying myself on the way. Being rude to the old man was not good but lighting up a cigarette would work. At one time, the entire family of Koyama put a lot of effort into weaning me from the habit. It was quite a battle. I even got a beating from Shina. It all finished with their capitulation and a treaty: no smoking in the presence of the venerable family. The exceptions were my house and other causalities. Then the cold war entered a stage of allusions and accusing glances, so I tried not to smoke in their presence even at home, in order to avoid provoking a new wave of hostilities. Since then, it's become a tradition: if one of them gets on my nerves or comes close to setting me off, I just light a cigarette. I know it annoys them.

  I came back with a lighted cigarette, put an ashtray on the glass table, and plopped down on the sofa. I had to take a different course of action. Fortunately, old man Kenta knows me as a fully grown-up person; after all, I've lived alone since I was ten. Although at first, I had some trouble: it wasn't easy to play a child. With him, I don't have to pretend to be a sixteen-year-old boy. The occasional hormonal imbalance is proof of that. The venturer Akemi still gives me strange looks from time to time, and she has dealt with an interworld traveler from the beginning.

  'I'm not going to ask why you sent me to Dakisyuro then. What happened is in the past, and time will tell whether you were right. As far as the trouble, I'll try and figure it out myself. I don't think it's as bad as you describe. I'll make a mental note for the future, and I’ll try to look back more often. Perhaps, that way, I’ll avoid the dangers,' I finished, throwing my head back and exhaling smoke into the ceiling. I deliberately stirred the situation up. I wanted to shame him so that he would stop trying to intimidate me.

  'Shinji, you clearly misunderstood me. I'm not talking about dangers. I meant ordinary school problems.' Now that's quite a change.

  'So, the enraged Head of the Ishikawa clan is just an ordinary school problem?' I snorted.

  'Shinji, Ishikawa Kisho turned to me with his problem, not to you. I want to emphasize that Kisho is a respected person, and not only because he did not deal with the issue himself. Don't be mad at him: someone else would have just stuffed your face in for insulting his beloved daughter without finding out what had gone on, or they would have sendt someone else to deal with it.' That's true!

  'I'm not so sure, Kenta-San. 'My position is too uncertain,' he raised his eyebrows in response. 'Oh, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You know all too well. I am nobody, just a neighbor of the Koyama family and clan, who arranged for me to be admitted to the elite school.' The old man was motionless but only for half a moment.

  'On the one hand, you're nobody; on the other hand, your Koyama Kenta's protégé.'
r />   'One more question. If every word is taken so seriously in school, how is Shina supposed to help me?' I asked with a grin, trying to ease the situation, 'She can't follow me around all day.'

  'You think too little of yourself. I believe you have enough brains to stay out of trouble,' the old man replied with a smile. 'Yes, Shina is a smart girl, and she'll find a way out.'

  'Come on,' I drawled. 'Ask her what happened at school today, and then we will discuss your granddaughter's acumen.' I was sure the old man would go home and cross-examine her. Even if Shina had mentioned the event at the stand right away, the old man would still force her to tell him about every second of her day. It was petty revenge, but still revenge.

  'Well, well, so that's it! Okay, we'll come back to that later. Now, would you mind putting down all that smoke and stop creating evil spirits?' he waved his hand in front of his face trying to disperse the smoke from my cigarette.

  I put down the cigarette and pondered for a moment. The old man didn't interfere; evidently, he had much to think about as well. At the moment, I was bothered by the issue of whether Koyama knew about my parents. It wouldn't be the same if they were just an ordinary family, even a wealthy one. However, they were the reigning international clan and certainly one of the first in Japan. It would not be hard for the head of the Koyama clan to find out where my parents were, where they went, and why they abandoned their son. All he had to do was snap his fingers, and the massive machine, called an international clan, would be sent off to find my prodigal parents. In a day or two, he would have a thick file lying on his desk. How curious the old man was.

  By the way, I should clarify the difference between an ordinary clan and an international clan. I already mentioned the relationship between clan and head of State, but I want to reiterate it. These are equal partners, roughly speaking. Clans live on the lands of the sovereign, pay somewhat inflated taxes and obey the laws of the State, but they have a sovereign education. I'm not going to explain all the benefits received by the clans as I don't even know them all, but even the ones that are obvious to see are pretty significant. Their rights are similar to the ambassadorial. Some laws generally do not apply to them at all. For example, the average person will be tried for murder while the head of a clan is able to get off in most cases, certainly in cases such as another clan member's death. Possession of weapons is another one. Members of the clan can own, store and carry, any weapon. That applies to anything from a 6 mm 'whoopee cushion' to a fully-armed battleship. One thing I've never heard of any clan owning more than six torpedo boat destroyers. Owning ships and maintaining them isn’t cheap even for the wealthy.