Silver Edict and Turmoil

Back at the port of Mafia, Tsurumi Kawakami got off the car, yawning repeatedly. After saying goodbye to Mori Ougai, he carried a large bag of things and hugged his piggy bank back to his room.

Seeing the person sitting cross-legged on the sofa playing games, Tsurumi Kawaru's expression was slightly surprised: "Eh, Dazai, you're still awake?"

Dazai Osamu put down his phone, his gaze shifting to Tsurumi Kawakami. Seeing the piggy bank Tsurumi was holding and the other items he was carrying, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "What did you bring back?"

Mentioning Tsurumi Kawakami is like sharing a treasure; he puts a big bag on the sofa and rummages through it: "Found it! Look, I brought the canned food you hid!"

He presented two cans of food to Dazai Osamu as if they were treasures, then rummaged through the bag and laid out various odds and ends on the table.

While taking things out, Tsurumi Nagaru told Dazai about what had happened at the clinic, “I met three new friends today! Oda is a postman, and he likes reading Natsume Soseki’s books. Ranpo is a detective from the detective agency, and he’s amazing! Yosano isn’t very talkative, but that’s okay…”

When talking about the three new friends he met tonight, Tsurumi Kawakami chattered on and on, and also mentioned the fight between the Silver Wolf President and Mori Ougai.

Dazai Osamu listened with great interest, then paused at the end, put down the pried-open can of food, and asked, "Mr. Mori, did you lose?"

Tsurumi Kawaru folded the plastic bag and stuffed it into the cabinet. Hearing this, he nodded, still feeling a surge of emotion as he thought of that battle: "That Silver Wolf President's swordsmanship is amazing."

A hint of pleasure flashed in Dazai Osamu's eyes. He smiled slightly and then asked about the letter.

Tsurumi River was initially not very interested in the letter Oda sent, but after seeing Mori Ougai's reaction in the car, he suddenly became curious.

He had only asked him a few questions in the car, but Mori Ōgai hadn't told him. Tsurumi Kawakami shook his head, somewhat dejected, and said, "Dr. Mori didn't tell me."

Dazai Osamu stroked his chin, his eyes slightly narrowed. He didn't give up and pressed on, "Where did the letter come from?"

Tsurumi Nagare recalled that the envelope only seemed to have the clinic's address written on it. He shook his head and looked at him, saying, "The letter didn't have that address; it only had the clinic's address written on it."

Upon hearing this, Dazai Osamu nestled into the sofa, leaning back against the soft chair, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes: "Is that so? The messenger's name is Oda."

Tsurumi Kawakami nodded, yawned, rubbed his eyes, and, intending to end the conversation, urged, "Dazai, it's time to go to sleep."

After glancing at the time, Dazai Osamu fell silent, got up, and returned to the bedroom with Tsurumi Kawa.

-

The next morning, a rumor suddenly spread throughout the port's Mafia that the leader's personal physician was highly regarded by the leader and had even been given a "silver edict".

The Silver Edict is equivalent to a token of immense power. The holder of it is equivalent to a leader, and even subordinates cannot disobey its orders.

This news, which had spread from an unknown source, caused an extraordinary sensation in the port Mafia, to the point that everyone treated Mori Ōgai with utmost respect when they saw him walking around in a white coat.

This respect was different from when Mori Ougai was the leader's personal physician; it was a mixture of flattery and fear. The executives' reactions were much stronger, because they knew that the words of the person holding the Silver Edict were equivalent to those of the leader.

The earliest function of the Silver Edict was as a document for the transfer of authority, equivalent to the leader's designated successor.

Several cadres who knew the inside story were eager to make a move, and their attitudes toward Mori Ōgai varied. Among them, there was a rebellious heart. The cadre with a scar on his eye did not want his years of hard work to go to waste, so he decided to make plans ahead of schedule.

-

"What is the Silver Decree?" Tsurumi Kawaru asked, tilting his head to look at Dazai Osamu with a puzzled expression.

Dazai Osamu finished his Western-style meal by picking and choosing, put down his fork, wiped his mouth, glanced at him, and said, "Why do you think I would know?"

Tsurumi Kawaru stuffed a piece of steak into his mouth, his cheeks bulging, and looked at him with a slightly muffled voice, saying, "Well, because Dazai is very smart, he seems to know everything."

Dazai Osamu crossed his arms and scrutinized him from head to toe. He slightly raised his chin and said, "The Silver Edict is equivalent to the leader's own order. The person who receives it can command everyone except the executives. Of course, even the executives will not disobey."

Hearing Dazai's explanation, Tsurumi Kawakami blinked, understanding the meaning of the Silver Decree. He swallowed the food in his mouth and said with sudden realization, "Then in that case, isn't Dr. Mori now the most powerful person besides the leader?"

Dazai Osamu nodded and said, "Yes, that's right."

Tsurumi Kawakami exclaimed, leaned forward, and whispered, "Then, could Dr. Mori be the leader?"

Dazai Osamu paused, his expression somewhat subtle, and looked at him strangely, asking, "Who told you that?"

Tsurumi Kawakami shook his head, his eyes sparkling, and said with a silly grin, "Nobody, I just think Dr. Mori would be a good leader."

After he finished speaking, he put a piece of steak in his mouth.

Dazai Osamu's lips twitched, instinctively feeling that Tsurumi Kawaru only came up with this idea because he wanted to eat.

-

Top floor of the port's Mafia.

Dr. Mori, who was the envy of everyone and looked glamorous in the eyes of outsiders, was now in a sorry state. He knelt on one knee, bowing his head and silently enduring the old leader's anger.

"I don't care what method you use, you must bring him back!" The old leader, whose condition was getting worse, became emaciated in just a few days. His bulging eyes and high cheekbones made him look even more mean and unpredictable.

Upon learning that Yosano Akiko, who was in a sanatorium, had been taken away, the old leader, whose hopes for healing the gifted were dashed and who was tormented by death and illness, went mad.

Mori Ougai knelt on one knee, head bowed in silence. After the old leader vented his anger by smashing a lot of things, he spontaneously stood up and took a step back to avoid the water cup that was thrown at him.

"Yes, Chief." The doctor in the white coat said calmly, then turned and left the furious old chief behind.

Upon leaving the room, Mori Ougai's calm and composed demeanor instantly changed, and he forced a bitter smile as he gave the approaching executive: "Lord Ito, the leader is not in a good mood right now and may not see anyone."

The man with a scar near his eye and a fierce face glanced at Mori Ougai with a smug look, then grinned and sneered: "Hmph, Dr. Mori is quite the star these days, but I wonder how long that stardom will last."

Mori Ougai's smile froze, but he dared not argue back because of the other party's status as a cadre. He simply stepped aside to make way for him.

The man named Saburo Ito glanced at him disdainfully, walked straight to the bedroom, and pushed the door open without even knocking.

Mori Ougai stood in the corridor watching his back disappear behind the door. He composed himself, straightened his cuffs, and suddenly looked up at the surveillance camera working in the corner.

A slight smile played on his lips, his face radiating composure, a hint of pleasure flickering in his deep, dark red eyes. He listened to the arguing coming from inside the slightly ajar door, chuckled softly, and turned to leave.

After leaving the top floor, Mori Ougai took the elevator to the basement where the intelligence department was located.

He pushed open the office door of Ozaki Koyo, an intelligence officer, greeted the person sitting behind the desk with a smile, and then sat down comfortably.

"Lord Ougai." Ozaki Kouyou, dressed in a maple leaf kimono, smiled elegantly as she looked up from the pile of documents on the table.

Mori Ougai casually picked up a piece of intelligence, glanced at it a few times, then closed it and put it back on the table. He said with a deep smile, "Kurei-kun, we may need to speed things up. Ito Saburo can't wait any longer."

Ozaki Koyo paused, a dark ink dot appearing on the paper. She put down her pen, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes, and covered her mouth with a soft laugh, saying, "I understand."

-

Two days later.

On an ordinary day, Tsurumi Kawakami got up at the usual time, washed up, and returned to his bedroom to call for Dazai. A pillow was thrown at his face, which Tsurumi Kawakami skillfully dodged and caught.

"Dazai, I'm going downstairs now. What would you like to eat? I'll bring it up for you." The black-haired, golden-eyed boy knelt on the tatami mat, clutching a pillow. He looked at Dazai Osamu, who was completely covered by the blankets, with only his head showing.

"Whatever." Dazai Osamu's voice came from under the covers, muffled and deep.

Tsurumi Kawakami nodded, put the pillow back, and got up to leave.

Just as he stepped outside, he bumped into Mori Ougai from next door. Tsurumi Kawakami greeted him cheerfully, "Good morning, Dr. Mori! Want to come down for breakfast?"

After exchanging greetings, Tsurumi Kawakuri suddenly noticed that Mori Ougai was not wearing a white coat today, but a black trench coat, and was not carrying a silver medicine box.

Mori Ougai nodded with a smile and said, "Good morning, Ryu. Is Dazai still sleeping? We won't be together today. I have to go out."

Tsurumi Kawaru gave a somewhat disappointed "oh," and unusually, didn't ask any further questions. After parting ways in the elevator, he went straight to the cafeteria.

Mori Ougai, who said he was going out for a while, did not leave the port Mafia. Instead, he went to the basement level, met Ozaki Kouyou, and the two exchanged a brief conversation.

Then, Mori Ougai, dressed in a black trench coat, took the elevator to the top floor.

-

Port Mafia, canteen.

Tsurumi Kawakami, holding his bowl, casually found a seat and sat down. He looked around and noticed that the cafeteria was nearly empty today. A hint of doubt flashed in his bright golden eyes, and he muttered something under his breath before putting the matter out of his mind.

"Mmm—the fried meat patties are so delicious today. I'll get some for Dazai later too." Tsurumi Kawa quickly finished off the plate of meat patties in front of him. He picked up his miso soup, took a sip, and continued eating.

Just then, a flurry of footsteps sounded outside. With a loud bang, the glass door of the cafeteria was kicked open, shattering into pieces that crashed to the ground.

A group of men in black suits rushed in, armed with weapons. Some people in the cafeteria reacted and also drew their weapons, pointing them at the intruders.

"Koizumi Taro! What are you doing!"

The man in the black suit, called Koizumi Taro, was slightly shorter. He entered arrogantly and swaggeringly, looking down on everyone. After surveying the crowd, his gaze settled on Tsurumi Kawakami.

He said to the others behind him, "They're over there!"

Hearing the commotion, Tsurumi Kawakami, who was enjoying his breakfast while watching the commotion, was surprised when the group of people came in and headed straight for him. He blinked, watched the approaching group of men in black suits, and stuffed the last piece of meat pie from his bowl into his mouth.

Seeing this scene, the other people in the cafeteria shrank back cautiously, while the fearless stepped forward.

"Koizumi Taro, who gave you the right to arrest people at the port!" The one who spoke was the one who had called out Koizumi Taro's name at the beginning.

Koizumi Taro glanced at him disdainfully, then pulled a silver warrant from his pocket, held it high, and shouted: "Look carefully! This is a silver warrant from the boss to our Executive Ito. That quack doctor from Leibo Street was discovered to have poisoned the boss, and Executive Ito has ordered us to arrest him!"

Upon hearing his words, the cafeteria erupted in chaos. The clamor grew louder and louder, leaving even the man who had spoken out momentarily speechless.

Tsurumi River listened to the entire story from beginning to end, as if it were a tale, while enjoying his meal with miso soup.

At this moment, the men in black suits also came to him. One of them reached out and grabbed Tsurumi Kawaru's arm, while the other reached for his shoulder.

Someone found the table in the way and flipped it over. The soup and liquid on the table spilled all over the floor, and two desserts fell to the ground, where they were then trampled to pieces.

Tsurumi paused, swallowed the food in his mouth, and looked up at the man in the black suit who had overturned the table. In the bright light, his clear, amber-like golden eyes seemed to deepen in color for a moment.

Has no one ever told you not to waste food?

The burly man in the black suit met Tsurumi Kawaru's eyes, and for a moment the thin boy in front of him seemed extremely terrifying, his deep golden eyes like those of a large hunter.

The burly man in the black suit, startled, swallowed hard and reached out to shove Tsurumi, saying in a fierce but weak voice, "Are you trying to lecture me, kid?!"

The next second, a shrill scream came from his mouth.

Drawn by the screams, everyone's attention turned to this spot, and when they saw the black-suited man's right arm twisted at an unbelievable angle, some people in the room gasped.

All the burly men in black suits surrounding Tsurumi Kawakami instinctively took a few steps back.

Because no one saw how he made his move.

It was at this time that some people suddenly remembered the rumors that Mori Ougai had when he came to the port Mafia. It was said that the two students he took in both seemed to have superpowers and were superhumans.

Although Yokohama is a gathering place for people with superpowers, they are not as common as cabbages, and they are everywhere.

The Mafia organization tries every means to recruit powerful superhumans, and these superhumans, in certain ways, determine the organization's strength. Otherwise, Ozaki Koyo wouldn't have been so easily released after being caught and brought back after eloping.

Koizumi Taro was stunned for a few seconds, then ignored the person challenging him and waved to call the others to join him in capturing Tsurumi Kawa.

"What are you standing there for! If you can't beat them, why don't you shoot?! Are the weapons in your hands just for decoration?!"

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Two-thirds complete! Bonus chapter for every 1000 favorites – 1000 words short!