When the sun was setting on Martial Island, Kaito found his way into a loud casino with a popular bar and restaurant. His appearance did not stand out from the common people in the establishment. However, he did not completely blend into the environment of the normal patrons.
He looked at the groups of people shouting, laughing and cursing as they played casino games with enthusiasm. His eyes drifted to the others at the bar and restaurant drinking and eating while listening to music or watching games on the large screens.
This place was the most normal place he had visited on Martial Island.
In the past few days, he had tried his best to find the centre of illegal operations on Martial Island with little success. Martial City was quite clean with an image of the aristocracy. Even the outskirts of the metropolis were quite good with a golf course, a horse ranch and other fun things.
After a lot of considerations and misses, Kaito realised that he was going about his search in the wrong way. He was focussing on the places where people of the upper and middle class went. Those people had everything, from money to status and from combat power to a long life.
His focus needed to be on the lower class and normal people without combat power on Martial Island. Those were more likely to engage in the pŀėȧsurės of life, including nefarious things. These people were more likely to be interested in illegal supplies like that rare material.
In life, those who were lacking the best in life took one of two paths. They would either accept their fate and try to live their miserable life to the fullest. Or, they would struggle with their dying breath to change their destiny.
Regardless of their choice, both types of people could be found in a place like the Inferno Casino.
Kaito walked to the bar and ordered a drink. He had the air of someone who was fussy about the things he drank. He took a sip of the delivered whiskey before making a face of displeasure. He turned to the bartender with anger.
"Don't you have anything better?" He asked with annoyance.
The bartender's lips twitched at the customer's question. The liquor he had given him was not the best in the market, but it was appreciated by most whiskey drinkers. However, that was not the only issue that bothered him.
The man did not seem like one of the wealthy young masters from the aristocracy who came to enjoy the life of commoners on occasion. The bartender wondered if the customer was someone who had just won some money and was looking to spend it quickly.
The guard bowed respectfully to Kaito before speaking.
"We apologise for not having anything better from our bar. The boss would like to invite you to share a bottle from his private collection if you do not mind." The tall man said.
Kaito could see that the person was quite strong. He did not seem like a complete commoner without martial strength. He was probably not at the same level as the aristocratic families, but he also had an aura of violence.
Kaito smiled in his heart. His efforts in the last few days had paid off. He had found the local underground boss. His deliberate appearance at the casino without concealing himself and his unreasonable behaviour was an attempt to draw the attention of the boss.
However, he did not expect that he was such valuable bait.
He also planned to win a few games in the casino and cause the house to incur losses. The action would, without a doubt, attract the attention of the owner. He would be invited for a chat about cheating. After meeting the boss, he could present his request.
Now, it seemed like he did not have to go through the motions.
He followed the tall security guard to the restricted area on the third floor. He was welcomed into a lavish office that looked like it belonged to a TV set for a mafia gangster movie. From the animal pelts on the floor to the collection of old guns, everything seemed tacky.
The man at the desk was brawny, and his presence was enhanced by the fedora on his hairless head and the cigar in his mouth. However, none of those things was as memorable as the strange bumps covering his face.
"Where is the promised drink?" Kaito asked as he sat down on a velvet couch.
The boss was unhappy with the attitude displayed by his visitor. He was sure that Kaito had a request for him, and he planned to make things a little difficult. Unfortunately, the man did not follow the script, such as being horrified by his appearance.
If he had reacted to his face, the boss would have begun a fight with him. By the time they negotiated, he would have had the upper hand.
"Do you expect me to serve you a drink?" He asked, removing the cigar from his mouth.
"Do you expect me to serve myself a drink?" Kaito asked like a rich young master.
The boss was annoyed by the stubbornness of the person. He looked at him from top to bottom and wondered the reason why things seemed to work out for Kaito. Of course, as a guy who worked in the underworld of Martial Island, he knew what happened in major families.
The information helped him take advantage of the weaknesses in the aristocracy to earn more money. And the stories about Kaito were surprising and shocking to the entire island. Everyone was talking about it. Kaito was already the exception when he was released from the Training Centre as an outsider.
But that was not all…