Every hunter runs into a wolf before they go into the wastes.
The wolf says: Mulberry wood makes sturdy bows, and stones can be sharpened into deadly blades; but you must shed the clothes on you to survive, for it is the only thing that does not belong in the barrens.
No one would believe it.
So the hunter who kept his long coat on... was caught by tree roots protruding into the corner of the coat, ensnared by vines so tightly he could not move until he heard the beasts encircling him.
Another hunter covered himself head-to-toe in armor... was washed away by the river current when the water rushed into the tiny gaps between the metal plates, dragged down into the mud on the riverbed.
Only one hunter took the wolf's advice, and received a gift from it. The wolf tore off its own pelt, and placed it on the hunter.
The fur fit him so well, as if he was born with it. It helped the hunter survive countless dangers unscathed.
The pelt was so smooth and clean. When the hunter left the wilderness, not a speck of blood could be found on it.
Even the hunter's descendants had a custom of wearing clothing so fitting yet comfortable... and slowly, it evolved into the suit you commonly see on Siracusans today.
Luchino
...Nonno, you've been telling me this story from when I was a baby, and I still don't get it. I've grown up and you're still telling it.
Umberto
...
Umberto
Luchino, I'm nearly done with these two suits. We just need to sew on these buttons.
Umberto
You accepted this order on your own accord, so we must be meticulous in our work, no matter who the client is.
Umberto
Go fetch the buttons from the back. You won't miss them, they have the Saluzzo's emblem.
Luchino
Shouldn't I first bring them to Signorina Lappland for a fitting, and then we adjust the clothes afterward? As you taught me—
Umberto
It's fine. That Saluzzo signorina doesn't need it, I'll decide if they need any alterations.
Luchino
But she didn't request to skip the fitting...
Umberto
I know what's on your mind, boy.
Umberto
Sometimes our clients request complicated designs, sometimes they don't even have a picture of it in their head, but it's not our place to probe too much.
Umberto
Remember, Luchino: Tailor de Montano did not gain our reputation purely from our precision tailoring.
Umberto
People and materials are the same—know them before making any move.
Umberto
Go get those buttons. It's time to finish this order.
Luchino
Oh... okay.
Luchino looks at the two beautiful sets of attire. They are completely different to any suit his grandfather has ever made.
A magnum opus to be sure, worthy of the 'Made by de Montano' labels. He just wishes to be a part of that.
Luchino subconsciously pats his pocket. Inside are a few buttons he privately made himself, also engraved with the Saluzzo emblem.
Luchino
I'll get them at once, Nonno.
Umberto
...*sigh*
Umberto
I kept you waiting outside for quite long, didn't I? Please come in.
Mafioso
You can't delay Signor Antonio's commission any longer, Umberto.
Mafioso
The old Don's about to arrive, if you start now you can still finish it in time before the Carnevale.
Mafioso
Push back your other commissions and come with me to Venezia Trucking. We won't take too much of your time.
Umberto
My current commission is also one I can't disappoint.
Luchino
Nonno! I heard someone come in!
Mafioso
Umberto, you don't actually have to make those measurements yourself.
Mafioso
Wanna go meet a real somebody, ragazzo?
Luchino
Huh? A—A somebody? Nonno, I—
Umberto
Luchino, give me the buttons.
Luchino
Y—Yes!
Luchino
Here.
The young tailor nervously looks at his nonno's face.
Umberto
...
Luchino
...
Umberto
Not bad.
Luchino
—!
Umberto
But not good enough for these two outfits, Luchino.
Luchino
B—But I compared them so many times! They're practically the same!
Umberto
Once you sew enough buttons, you'll be able to tell if they'll fit or not just by touching them. Go fetch mine.
Luchino
Here, here! All here!
Luchino
I—I just wanted to help you out!
Mafioso
Umberto, I think you're being too hard on the kid, personally.
Umberto
Keep practicing, Luchino.
Luchino
...
Luchino
Yes, practice. I'll be good and get back to it once I bring back your medicine!
Umberto
Signore, surely you can tell this boy is too reckless.
Mafioso
...You amuse me, Umberto.
Umberto
Apologies, but my recent Carnevale commissions leave me no time at all to go with you.
Umberto
I promise you, I'll personally go over to apologize once I'm done here.
Umberto
Of course, I'll pay for any subsequent expenses as well.
Mafioso
You really think Signor Antonio cares about all that? All I care about, is that I can enjoy the Carnevale in peace, Umberto—
You lost your Fang and this round, so you ought to return to the barrens and wait for the next round to begin.
Zaaro
Calm down, Caesar.
Zaaro
I know you have the best odds of being the alpha of this round, but there's no way I can just sit and wait.
Caesar
...
Caesar
I smell a strong human scent on you. Have you already picked up a new toy?
Caesar
If you did, then why did you come find me? Were you hoping I console you, Zaaro?
Zaaro
I'm fed up with how you deceive and trick your little pup, Grandma.
Zaaro
I summoned you here to share an interesting secret—where the last unidentified Fang is hiding.
Caesar
You're out of the game, yet you still try to interfere?
Zaaro
Outsiders make the most eager audience.
Zaaro
Caesar, the bloody stench beneath your merciful appearance and your thirst for victory... I've always been able to sniff them out despite your efforts.
Zaaro
Besides, I don't care if you're interested in my information or not. I'm merely relishing it.
Caesar
...
Zaaro
Your pup has a keen sense of smell. A pity our unidentified Fang has spent decades cleaning the scent of wolf off himself.
Zaaro
Umberto de Montano. A pathetic tailor.
Caesar
Zaaro, I guarantee you that when this round ends, you'll savor the pain of our bite.
Zaaro
Caesar, your anger is delicious as ever.
Zaaro
Unfortunately, I'm not even the first wolf to challenge our rules.
A Vulpo? You a tourist? Sorry, Tailor de Montano's all stuffed up with orders right now, so commissions are closed.
Smiling Signora
You're the boss here?
Mafioso
Who cares if I am or not—
He does not dare to finish his sentence.
Because he has just seen the blade in her hands.
Right. How long has it been since anyone in this city walked around freely with a weapon in their hand?
A smile remains on the woman's face, but he has a feeling: one more word from him and her blade will surely stab through his throat, even if they are in Nuova Volsinii right now.
Umberto
*cough* Signora, this man is an employee of the Venezia Trucking.
Smiling Signora
Trucking? The famiglia sure has changed a lot since I left.
Mafioso
...
Mafioso
(A Vulpo... the scar on her face... this suit, and that blade—)
Mafioso
(The homicidal lunatic that defected and left the famiglia... but six years ago, didn't she already...?)
Umberto
You should go, signore. Please send Signor Antonio my regards. Of course, my prior promise to you remains true.
Mafioso
Tch... You... I... cazzo.
Mafioso
(Grazie, Umberto.)
Umberto
Signora Venezia, you don't seem to have changed much.
Ingrid
You know me?
Umberto
Your photos were always on the newspapers. Dominated the headlines for a long time.
Umberto
I thought you would have informed your family first about your return to Siracusa.
Ingrid
I left them many years ago—I came here looking for you.
Umberto
Yet you're not here to kill me. There's a familiar scent on you.
Umberto
Vargo?
Ingrid
Yes. He found me in Higashi through his connections, and we made a deal.
After I came back to Siracusa, I also met with the Signore dei Lupi. You, Umberto de Montano, I honestly could not have imagined he really chose someone like you if he hadn't stated your very name...
Umberto
A humble tailor like myself?
Ingrid
Mhm.
Umberto
I don't know how Vargo described me to you, but we do subtly differ in our views on some matters.
Ingrid
You don't look so good, Umberto.
Ingrid
Vargo told me the wolves always choose humans with some sort of impressive talent, but your health is quite poor.
Ingrid
That ragazzo who just left, he's your...
Umberto
Luchino is a bright boy, but he just can't accept the fact that time is unbeatable.
Umberto
I'm old, Ingrid. Simple as that.
Umberto
Is Vargo well?
Ingrid
I can't tell with them... Did he not come to you?
Umberto
We haven't seen each other for many years, I thought he'd long abandoned me.
Ingrid
Maybe he just didn't want to taint you with his scent and risk putting you in danger. That's my guess.
Umberto
...Is that so?
Ingrid
To be honest, I've no interest in finding out what happened between you and Vargo.
Ingrid
I'm just here to solve a problem for you.
Ingrid
He told me how to distinguish the other Fangs. I was thinking, why not take the first move and give them hell instead?
Ingrid
What do you think?
Umberto
It seems you can't refuse the conditions he gave you.
Umberto
But this swamp is difficult to leave, once you make even just half a step into the mud.
Uh... I'll meet Signor Alberto soon. Should I explain the suit design in detail?
Luchino
—I can't, Nonno will get mad if he finds out.
Luchino
But if Signor Alberto asks me about it, surely I can't refuse to answer.
Luchino
Becoming acquaintances with the don of Famiglia Saluzzo could be good for us...
Luchino
I might even manage to get better medicine for Nonno. Or maybe I could even bring him to Columbia to see even better doctors.
Luchino
...
Luchino
Huff. Stop spiraling, Luchino.
Luchino
The address from Signorina Lappland... it was this way, if I'm not wrong—
Luchino
Uh... A truck?
Luchino
Why is it so fast?! It'll hit the—
Luchino
Hey!!
Luchino hugs the intricate box containing the suits as he stands on the street corner, and witnesses the accident happen.
A truck fully loaded with goods suddenly crashes into a car that was just about to turn at the intersection.
Glass shards scatter all over, the vehicle frames wrecked out of shape. A tire pops out from the truck.
Luchino
...H—Help... Help them out!
Luchino
Merda, everyone's gone to the main street for the show...
Luchino
Hey, just hold on in there! I'll get you out—
Luchino
Um, what are these... hidden inside the tires?
Capone
Here, Gambino! The car we had our sights on!
Gambino
That was just a damn coffee break, what the... We're done for!
Gambino
We were unlucky enough getting assigned the dirty work, with none of the credit...
Gambino
And now something just had to happen to the goods under our eyes—
Capone
Much worse than that, I'm afraid. Look at the car that got hit. Look familiar to you?
Gambino
Why do you even care who the hell got hit—
Gambino
Wait. That's. Leontuzzo's...
Gambino
...
Capone
...
Gambino
I gotta say, what you said about going back to Lungmen wasn't so terrible after all.
Gambino
Let's get outta here before the cops and boss find out. We'll slowly settle the accounts between us after we're back there.
Capone
We toiled to get a sliver of hope here. There's no way we can just throw in the towel now, don't forget why we came here to Nuova Volsinii, why we joined Venezia Trucking!
Capone
No Signora Sicilia, no Grey Hall, and no restrictions from the other famiglie.
Capone
Who knows, we might even manage to make up a famiglia of our own, Gambino.
Capone
See the kid across the street with the box? He's the only witness—maybe he caught a glimpse of the goods stashed inside the truck too?
Gambino
...I got you. Up to us to decide if he saw anything. You're such a scumbag, Capone.
Capone
Just trying to keep myself alive, and leave a good impression on the boss at the same time.
Capone
Let's go. Take him, and tell them we got the sole witness with us.
Gambino
And the goods...?
Capone
That's for the recipient to think about. Don't forget, the boss stressed again and again we're just cover.
Capone
As for Leontuzzo... Hmph, hope he's fine.
Gambino
Andiamo. We gotta get that kid before someone else does.
Luchino
Uh, you are here to help?
Luchino
Over here, someone's still inside the car—
Capone
Lights out.
Gambino
I'll carry him.
Capone
The box he was carrying...
Gambino
Take it with us. Don't leave any clues behind.
Gambino
You sure no one saw us?
Capone
Obviously. The first thing I did here was to survey the surrounding area.
The cafe is quiet, save for the occasional electrical 'buzzing' from the shop sign at the entrance.
'Closed for three days. Customers new and old, do vote for my daughter Ophelia at the show contest—A week of free coffee for everyone if she wins the right to light up the parade cars on Carnevale!'
