When I got to North Exit at Central Station, I spotted Amygdala and Tray alone.

That’s unusual…

“Whassup baby!” Amygdala said and levitated towards me. Tray was silent.

I tried putting my hand up for a high five so I could get more sensations from his magic, but he pretended to not see it.

“Hello hello. Where is everyone?” I said.

“Oh, I gave them all tasks for the rest of the day. We got work to do,” he said.

“What work?“

“You’ll see… By the way, you said you were a dishwasher right? Where at?”

“Oh, just down at—”

“It’s Restaurant Helvado, five minutes from here,” Tray interrupted me.

So now he’s trying to intimidate me.

“Well, I really wanna check it out. Let’s go!” Amygdala said in a jovial way.

I don’t want to. I’m probably just gonna get dragged into more bullshit.

“Yeah, let’s go!”

While we were walking, I asked Amygdala, “Hey, so when am I gonna get my first magical lesson? I’m even fine with Tray over there showing me his small waterballs,” I said.

I heard a snort from Tray.

“Oh, you’re not ready yet. Just a little more time and you’re ready,” Amygdala said.

“Is that so? Sounds nice,” I said.

If I could, I would beat you up.

We made it to the restaurant.

“Well then, let’s head on in boys!“ Amygdala said as he levitated inside with me and Tray followed from behind.

“Is that the boss?” Amygdala said.

The restaurant was crowded and noisy. When Amygdala entered, everyone was shocked and staring at him using strange magic they’d never seen in their lives.

The owner immediately came up to us.

“What do you want? You’re disturbing my customers. Get out!” he said.

While smiling, I saw Amygdala’s face change and get slightly pissed.

“We’ve gotta talk.”

“Get. Out.”

Amygdala stopped levitating and squared up against the owner. Then he grabbed his hand as if pretending to shake it.

All the customers in the restaurant stopped talking and all eyes were on us.

“Hey, what are you doing?” I said.

Amygdala ignored me.

“Where’s your office?” Amygdala said.

I noticed my former boss was crying. I then looked down and saw that Amygdala was putting supernatural pressure on his hand.

This is my chance!

I walked over to Amygdala to break it up so I could touch the hand he was using strengthening magic on.

“Don’t even think about it,” Tray said and blocked my path.

“M-My office is this way!” the owner said.

Amygdala let go and we all went into the office.

***

“My boys are looking to trade,“ Amygdala said.

“What? Trade what?“ the owner said.

“You see… it’s starting to get pretty chaotic out there, you know? A lot of gangs are forming. Crime and violence. Lots of bad stuff. And you know, me and my boys we’ve lived here all our lives. We don’t like seeing this happen to our community. I love this place, Tyoto. It’s my city…”

Where’s he going with this bullshit?

“And we have to protect it! All of us! But the police are too weak! And the government is too weak! And the 5% have broken the entire system. That’s why we’re going to protect it! The community. But to do that, well… we need funding, you know, to pay for costs. That’s why I and my boys are going around collecting.”

“What the hell are you on about! Are you trying to extort me!“ the owner said, with shock on his face. He was still clutching his broken right hand.

“Of course not! Of course not, do you believe this guy,” Amygdala said and looked back at me and Tray. “Of course not. We aren’t criminals. We are a community! But try to see it in this way… I already know that you don’t pay your taxes. I mean, who can blame you! No one does, really… But you should. Because those taxes are needed to protect our community. That’s why you, and all other business owners in our community—”

By “community” he means the territory his gang has control over.

“— need to do what’s right! How does that sound to you?”

“I see…” the owner said.

Why is he always so indirect? Whenever he uses violence, he always clouds it behind a fog of mutual benefit.

“This is wrong,” I said.

“What you say!” Tray said.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you,” Amygdala said while turning his head towards me.

My former boss shot me a look of worry.

“Oh, that reminds me!” Amygdala pretended I didn’t say anything. “Precuneus here used to work here. I remember you saying that you were fired before the end of the month and didn’t receive your pay? Now, that’s not okay,” Amygdala said while facing the owner. “I don’t appreciate you robbing one of my boys.”

The whole time, Amygdala never dropped his carefree smile.

“Y-yes. I have it here!” my former boss said while rushing to gather a mana battery.

“Remember to add interest on that,” Amygdala said.

“O-Of course!”

I felt sick to my stomach when I saw my former boss rush over to me and hand me the mana.

So instead of punishing me for saying that comment, he simply… bribes me? I wonder what it would take to finally see him drop that mask and show his true nature. For now, I won't push it, since he's my only option for learning magic. And it'll probably have consequences that'd be annoying to deal with.

***

I got on the train, filled with emotions. And my tinnitus was raging as well from the stress.

“I hate him.”

But I still need to learn magic…

The train stopped and new passengers came in.

When I saw him, I stopped blinking and I got out of my seat.

“Hello hello!” I said.

“Wait, you’re that guy… Amygdala’s new project. Precuneus, right?”

“Yeah, nice to meet you again, Drago.”