My Servant Is An Elf-Knight From Another World

Chapter 7

For the longest while, there was nothing but this profound silence in the air where no one moved and no one spoke.

Not the remaining guards, standing pure in bafflement over what just transpired. Not me, who was at a complete loss for words, and certainly not the mob boss, who had somehow managed to regain his composure and was staring at Ash like never before.

It was only after Ash tried to take another step towards him that his bodyguards finally spurred into action, immediately surrounding her in a circle with drawn weapons and pointing their guns at her.

Ash, unamused by this, slowly folded her hands into closed fists, I saw her braced into a stance... any second now she was about to move, but then...

"Stand down!" The man barked, slamming the end of his cane to the ground. "This woman had a gun to her head, was shot, and it barely even fazed her and still you're going to try and riddle her with bullets? Are you people truly idiots?"

I'd have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire, especially afterward when all the guards started fidgeting uncomfortably in place, lowering their heads and mumbling stuff like "My bad, boss" and "No, of course not boss, sorry boss" before walking dejectedly back to their positions.

After a weary sigh, the man's eyes confronted Ash's once more.

"Well, I'll admit it. I confess myself to being impressed by you." He said, nodding his head at her. "Ash, was it? I'll be sure to remember you."

"Withhold your flattery, you fiend, for they'll only serve to enrage me even further," said Ash, her nostrils flaring. "Instead do what is wise. Free my master now, before further trouble ensues."

"Master?" Said the man, raising a brow towards me. "Really now? Is that what she calls you?"

I narrowed my lips. "She's only here to help me out."

"Hmm... Well, now I'm curious as to what you have done to earn the loyalty of someone of her capabilities. Do you mind sharing?"

"I was kind," I simply said. "Try being that for once, it might just surprise you."

"Perhaps..."

"Enough talk!" Ash shouted, taking another step. "Will you concede, or will you not? Answer now!"

The man slowly shook his head and walked off to the left of us. "Do I even have a choice?"

From out of a file cabinet in the far corner of the room, he pulled out a sheet of paper, and then as he slowly made his way back towards us, the paper was held out in front of Ash and me to see.

"Yours, yes?" The man said.

It was my contract. My name, my address, my number... everything about me was all contained in that little piece of paper. I tried to reach for it, but the man withdrew his hand back before I could take it.

"I can get rid of it. Tear it to pieces in front of your eyes if you want, I'll even forget about it," said the man again. "But the people above me? My superiors, well they - they have a far better memory than I do."

Ash scoffed. "A small loss in the grand scheme of things, I'm sure. Why does it matter if a single debt goes astray? I doubt they'd even cared nor know of my master's existence and involvement in these affairs."

"Oh, you'd be surprised."

She made a confused frown. "Explain yourself."

I didn't need an explanation. Slowly through the course of the conversation, I was starting to understand. The mob had deep roots in the city's lifeline. It all made sense to me now. How I was scammed, how I could never hold onto a job here, how I eventually got into debt with the mob.