Liberi Reader

Recon complete. No hostiles sighted.

The route map they gave us sure is nifty. We actually managed to get here first without any real obstacles along the way.

All the tech used in the new city's design comes from Columbia.

It has lots of functionality that none of the mafiosi ever understood.

For example, the road leading directly to the control tower will be blocked off after we pass through.

They've also managed to block other intersections with various methods.

Not to mention, what we saw along the way.

The conflicts between the famiglie have been spreading. At this point, even if any of them wanted to attack the control tower, another famiglia would get in the way.

Most importantly, they'd never expect us to take it from right under their noses.

That's right. However, it's too soon to rest on our laurels.

The Bellones, Rossatis, and Saluzzos. Those three famiglie will never give up the secondary core area. They will definitely make an appearance.

With me and Texas here, you've got nothing to worry about.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to get you dragged into this mess.

I chose to do this.

Same here! And in exchange, I'll need you to tell me where I can get the best pizza!

Deal.

......

You said the tech here comes from Columbia.

That's right. Famiglia Rossati laid most of the groundwork, so I'm a little concerned they'll have some way of breaking through.

If there's one place they have no choice but to pass through, where would that be?

......

Something's not right here.

You feel it too?

It has something to do with the other famiglie getting in the way, but...

While it's possible that big gate over there might've been activated accidentally...

We've been taking detours for a while now, and I'm pretty sure these blockades were set here on purpose.

In other words... someone's one step ahead of us?

Yes, and they also happen to be very familiar with the area.

And only the Rossatis fit that bill.

The only other possibility would be those who helped in the conversion of the secondary core area.

Let's not worry about who it could be for now.

How do we break through?

I can give it a try. One of my soldiers should know how.

We're wasting too much time.

And...

If someone really set this up on purpose, they'll definitely have a backup plan.

I know what you're going to say.

Even though we haven't had the most fun partnering here, we're about to the part where our agreement formally ends.

Guess so.

......

You know, in a sense, we're brothers in misfortune.

We have nothing in common.

Am I wrong though?

I can already tell that you're a guy with a smart look to him, but you're actually a complete idiot, loyal to a fault. Same as me.

Don't bother trying to talk yourself up like that. Nobody's buying it.

I'm not looking for excuses here. I know what I'm doing, and I don't regret it.

But if what you said is true and your boss was the one who set all of this in motion, you're probably gonna find yourself standing against your own fratelli.

Are you prepared to do what you've gotta do?

Will you really get what you're looking for?

How about you? Did you get what you were looking for?

No, I've got a guilty conscience, but there's nothing I can do about it.

Your Honor, I found the control tower technicians hiding in one of the rooms.

They want to talk to you.

Deal.

You're... a judge?!

Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you.

I'm not here on behalf of any famiglia, or Signora Sicilia.

Then who are you here for?

Right now, no one.

Alright...

As long as you don't hurt us, we should be able to help you.

I want to ask you something first.

What?

Who told you to start the separation sequence of the secondary core area? Was it a mafioso from Famiglia Bellone?

He said he was the don of Famiglia Bellone, Bernardo.

It really was you... Bernardo.

Did you have to do this all for the sake of your so-called power?

He also asked me if I had ever imagined what Siracusa would look like without famiglie.

What did you say...?

Up ahead is the central facility that controls that gate, isn't it?

Yeah.

Then—

Life keeps bringing us together, doesn't it? Cellinia.

......

That's right. Only one of us can walk out of this alive.

Lavinia...? The judge?

Yeah.

We followed your instructions and not to break through right away. We took some detours and nabbed ourselves a government guy. That's what he told us.

She's already taken the control tower.

I have to admit, no famiglia would've thought such an insignificant judge could pull off something like that with just a few paper pushers.

But, even if she managed to stall those famiglie with her funny business, what good will it do, in the end?

Boss, bad news!

Out with it.

It's Lappland! She suddenly showed up at the estate and started chopping up our boys! She's making her way over to you!

......

Stop her.

You got it!

Lappland, you sure have gotten good at killing.

Back in the day, you would've taken a lot longer and picked up a few more scars on your way here.

You haven't changed at all. You don't even bat an eye at your own boys getting killed.

What's the point in crying over some incompetent associates?

What about an incompetent child? Oh, spiacente, I almost forgot that for you, there's no basically difference between an associate and your own child.

You know what I hate more than anything else, ragazza? Incompetent idiots who are also obedient.

I've been waiting a long time for you, ever since you came back home.

Waiting for you to bare your fangs at me.

And now, that time has finally come.

Tell me, figlia mia. All these years, what is it that has made you like this? What made you disobey me, rebel against me time and time again?

Speak up, so I can discipline you.

For the longest time, I've been thinking if I should try rubbing you out.

Oh?

Surely, killing your own father isn't something that would give you a moment's hesitation.

It's not the act that I'm conflicted over, more the meaning of it.

The meaning? A woman like you cares to go searching for meaning in things?

Meaning is pretty important to me. Like profit is to you.

Padre mio, do you know why I care so much about Texas?

You've never explained it to me.

From the moment I was born, I grew up a part of this famiglia.

You raised me with the most proper Siracusan education, and I met your expectations.

As a Siracusan, I am second to none.

And here I thought you never acknowledged who you were, ragazza.

When do you think I managed to wiggle out of your control?

Or I guess, not from your control, but from Siracusa. From the famiglia. From our blood. From the control of our rules.

I hated it, all of it. But in the end, I couldn't actually escape any of it.

All those things are like the strings of a marionette over my head.

No matter how much I rebelled, in the end, I'm still dancing in the palm of your hand.

There's no way out.

Only you would look at Siracusa and see an inescapable swamp.

And everybody—including you, padre—you're all scum, whether you realize it or not.

Of course, I didn't realize it, at that age.

The old me thought she was crazy enough, rebellious enough. But looking back, I was just in denial.

And you thought I'd grow out of it after a few years. Isn't that right?

That goes without saying.

I was well aware of your rebelliousness, but I never understood where it came from.

From you being so totally convinced that your way of life, and your actions, were completely right.

You never doubted for a second that I would eventually become you.

And that's... when she appeared.

At first, it was because there was someone out there, in far-off Columbia, who was better than me.

Cellinia Texas, the granddaughter of Salvadore.

Cold. Strong. Honorable and loyal.

After popping back over here, she quickly became the most famous Siracusan among all the famiglie.

Even though she was Columbian.

You're just as good as her.

Hah, of course.

But that's not the important part.

The important part is, she clearly was a Siracusan, thoroughly poisoned by the swamp of this city.

But in the end, she chose to turn her back on her blood, letting her entire famiglia get liquidated.

The blame for that rests only with Giuseppe. Where is Cellinia's sin in the righteous judgment of her kin?

Not like betrayal is particularly rare among wolves.

But she chose to turn her back. She chose to get out.

Can you imagine, padre?

That day, when I found out she wanted to leave Siracusa, to leave everything behind, I was so...

Exhilarated!

You figured it was an act of rebellion, and a successful one?

She didn't succeed. I knew from the beginning that the land itself wasn't going to let her go.

So, why are you standing here in front of me again, for her?

For her?

No, padre mio. No.

I'm here not because I learned anything in particular from her successes and failures.

But because she taught me that the choice exists in the first place.

I knew she would eventually return here. And I looked forward to seeing what she would do once she came back.

And she did absolutely nothing.

No. You don't understand.

She made up her mind.

Cellinia, what do you think you're doing?

You don't need to know. And you're not going to.

You ran away from Columbia before, and from Siracusa. You ran from it all.

And now, you have the stones to stand on this soil again.

Isn't that kind of ridiculous?

This land isn't a lost cause.

So, I'm not running away anymore. Simple as that.

You stopped running, so you came back.

But what about the people you left behind?

Go tell that to them!

Blame it all on me.

You decided you had to kill Giovanna, so you pinned the blame on me.

I'm not that shameless yet.

But, you will pay for it all the same.

You're gonna have to die, Cellinia.

Don't worry, death is where I belong.

Damn... you...

Now, it's my turn.

This used to keep me up at night.

But when I finally stood in front of you, face-to-face, I realized—

This was never such a difficult thing in the first place.

Turns out, it's not that I wanted to rebel against you, or kill you.

All I need to do is say goodbye. To you, my dear father, to this famiglia, to this swamp.

That's why I'm here.

You want to become an enemy to all of Siracusa.

No.

Siracusa became my enemy.

......

Goodbye forever, padre.

Are you sure letting Cellinia go alone was the right call?

Don't sweat it.

She asked to go herself, so she must've had a reason for it.

You don't want to find out what that reason is?

Lemme give you a little tip. One of the prerequisites for being a good partner is to never ask your counterpart about stuff she doesn't wanna share!

You two have a great relationship.

You betcha!

What?

What is it?

You've got somebody coming up on you. He's moving really fast.

Just one?

Yeah, just one.

Black hair, dressed like a really flamboyant mob boss, holding two pistol-shaped wands.

...Leon?

Lavinia... I knew it'd be you.

Leontuzzo, why did you come here?

I'm looking for you. But you cut all communication with the famiglia, so I haven't been able to get through.

While I was looking around, I overheard wise guys from another famiglia talking about how someone had blocked off some passages in the secondary core area, which didn't sound like something any of us would do.

Which is why I came here.

That's right... You were with Carracci so long, you must've known this was the best place to break through.

But, I have nothing more to say to you, Leon.

Wait, Lavinia...

I'm here to—

Leon?! Lavinia, and the court guys too...

Alright, so you're the one who's been messing around with the secondary core area behind our backs.

......

Leon, where the hell did you go after that meeting? Don't tell me you've been with her this whole time.

......

No, I went looking for my father.

What?

Why didn't you tell me?!

Because when I was face-to-face with Alberto, when I heard the things that carwash worker had to say about me, I finally realized—

I've been wrong my entire life.

That's why...

That's your answer, huh?

Correct.

From now on, I am no longer Don Bellone.

Leon... you know what this means, don't you?

I do.

No matter how grand the Don's ideals were, he still chose to abandon his famiglia!

And you, no matter how grand your ideals may be, you're gonna do the same?!

We're a famiglia, goddammit, Leontuzzo!

Look me in the eye and answer me!

We grew up together. We've been through so much together.

Does all of that mean nothing to you?!

My father saw the famiglia as nothing more than a match to light the fuse of a new era in Siracusa.

He was wrong in his ways, but...

In the end, I'll stand against all famiglie.

Since it's bound to happen sooner or later—

Let's not drag out the suffering, Demetri.

......

What... is this...?

Urgh... There's a voice... in my head...

It's freezing cold...

I remember this feeling...

Watch out, there's something off about that stuff!

...Il Signore dei Lupi.