Chapter 33
"But before we go sightseeing, we need to find a place to stay first."
The most important thing in travel was usually accommodation.
When I said this, Billie, who was next to me, pointed somewhere and said, "There's a nearby lodging with good value for money and hygiene. We could go there..."
But...
"No? We can't stay in a cheap place when I'm in San Francisco after so long."
"...Pardon?"
I immediately shook my head.
Surprised by my quick refusal, Billie asked with a slightly confused face, "...Do you have a place in mind for accommodation?"
"Yeah, follow me."
With a grin, I led Billie and Emma to a place I had in mind.
When we arrived at the place not far from here...
"...You want to stay here?"
...We saw a splendid building with a name that remained synonymous with luxury American hotels even today.
"Wow~ It was still under construction when I left, but they've built it so magnificently."
I was about to go inside after looking at the hotel's exterior with satisfaction.
Billie stopped me.
"...Just a moment!"
"Huh? Why?"
"This is... a place where only the most distinguished of distinguished guests visiting San Francisco stay. Just the daily room rate is no joke..."
This was still an era where even trains were considered luxury transportation.
The concept of hotels, just starting to appear, was a place only the truly rich could go.
"Oh, I know. I'm also a distinguished guest among distinguished guests."
But I went inside without hesitation despite Billie's warning.
As I headed inside so confidently, the confused Emma and Billie hesitantly followed me.
"Welcome."
As expected of a luxury hotel, a well-dressed doorman opened the door for us as we tried to enter.
I received such service comfortably and headed to the counter.
"Welcome."
And to the counter staff who greeted me politely as well, I called out generously, "One suite room that can be used right now. For three people."
"...!"
"...!!"
As soon as I mentioned a suite room, both the counter staff and Billie flinched.
The only one not surprised here was the country girl Emma, who didn't know the meaning of a suite room.
Swish—
The counter staff quickly scanned our appearance and then said with a slight smile, "Sir, we do have one suite room available, but the cost is very high."
It sounded as if he was telling us to know our place.
Right... Do we not look like we could stay in a suite room right now?
He was right.
Emma and I were dressed neatly, but at best we looked like a young middle-class couple.
Billie also wore ordinary office attire.
Above all, why would I spend money wastefully on a suite room's accommodation fee?
But there was a separate reason why I insisted on a suite room despite this.
Even if I didn't pay the money myself, didn't I have a reliable backer who would pay instead?
Swish—
I immediately turned around, smiled, and asked Billie, "They say the suite room price is expensive, is that okay?"
"...Pardon? No, why are you asking me that..."
Billie waved her hands in genuine surprise.
I tilted my head at Billie and said glibly, "Hmm? Luke said you're the guide, right?"
"...What do you mean."
"If you're the guide, shouldn't you be responsible for the accommodation too? Isn't that obvious?"
Of course, it wasn’t obvious.
But I decided to be shameless.
At this, Billie didn't back down and exclaimed as if dumbfounded, "...A guide isn't someone who pays for accommodation, is it? And I was trying to introduce you to a place with good value for money, not here..."
"Ah, I don't know. I won't stay anywhere but here."
The South Brotherhood's tentacles extend throughout San Francisco.
The good value accommodation Billie recommended?
It would surely be operated by or deeply involved with the South Brotherhood.
They probably intended to thoroughly monitor and ensnare me.
I had no intention of falling for Billie's plan.
"Who knows what I might do if I don't stay here? Huh? I might cause some trouble?"
"What kind of unreasonable..."
Even the smartest person couldn't win an argument against a shameless troublemaker.
Soon thinking persuasion would never work, Billie shook her head, citing practical reasons, "...It's no use throwing a tantrum like that. What money do I have to pay for a suite room?"
But...
"Come on, you can just put it on Luke's tab or the South Brotherhood's name."
"...!"
I already knew too much about San Francisco.
As Luke's secretary, Billie could use the mayor's authority to a limited extent.
If that didn't work, she could use the South Brotherhood's name.
The South Brotherhood already had a huge influence in San Francisco, so they wouldn't be able to ignore a tab in their name.
"Don't argue unnecessarily and just pay for it. I came here riding first class on the train. Of course, I should sleep in a suite room too."
"..."
At my continued request, Billie sighed as if she had no choice and...
Swish—
"...I'm Billie Jean, chief secretary to the San Francisco mayor. Please bill it to the mayor's office."
"...!"
She showed her ID and badge indicating she was a San Francisco mayoral aide to the counter staff.
"I-I apologize. I'll prepare it right away...!"
I felt this when I heard from the coachman earlier too...
Mayor Luke seemed to mean a lot to San Francisco citizens.
The staff who had been subtly dismissive of our appearance until just now immediately guided us to the suite room as soon as Billie revealed she was Luke's secretary.
Step.
Following the staff to the suite room, Billie gritted her teeth and said to me, seeming a bit angry, "...We'll only cover the accommodation fee. If you push any further, we won't be able to do anything on our end."
"I know, I know. Thanks."
Actually, if the suite room accommodation fee was taken care of, there wasn't much else to spend money on.
I nodded with a satisfied smile.
"This is where the guests will be staying."
Meanwhile, the staff had guided us to the front of the suite room.
The door was elegant and luxurious, looking like something royalty or nobles would use.
And when the staff opened the door...
"Wow..."
"..."
A huge interior with several connected rooms and decor even more luxurious than the exterior greeted us.
"There are 5 rooms in total, with private bathrooms and baths, and if you pull that bell rope over there, our staff on standby 24 hours will come."
"..."
"Then have a pleasant stay."
Thud.
The staff who guided us bowed politely until the end, closed the door, and withdrew.
Meanwhile, we looked around every corner of the suite room where we would stay for the next few days.
"I said we should come, but this is really crazy..."
It was my first time in first class, and of course, it was my first time in a suite room too.
I was looking curiously at the sparkling chandelier hanging from the ceiling when I approached Emma, who had a blank expression like me.
"How is it, Emma? Don't you think it was a good idea to follow me?"
"..."
I always saw Emma's cold face in Justice Town, but coming out like this, I could see her various expressions.
This time too, Emma smiled as if she couldn't help it and answered, "Yes, I don't want to admit it, but I definitely think it was a good idea to come to San Francisco with you, Boss."
We rode first class on the direct train to San Francisco to get here, and our accommodation was a suite room in a luxury hotel.
On top of that, if the South Brotherhood caught Django and Josephine, we could earn 10,000 to 20,000 dollars for free...
This is really sweet.
Earning money and enjoying a hotel vacation.
Actually, I was quite reluctant until we came to San Francisco, but...
Now that we're here, it's like killing two birds with one stone.
***
Kid.
There was no gang member in the South Brotherhood who didn't know that name.
It was the same for Billie, Luke's chief secretary.
Especially since she had a connection with Kid a few years ago...
— ...Mayor. I want to be that person's supervisor.
—You…? It will be dangerous work.
— ...Still, I really want to do it.
...Billie had volunteered herself to be Kid's supervisor.
— Nice to meet you. Your name was... Michael Jackson?
Of course, Kid didn't seem to remember her at all, but that didn't matter.
Billie wanted to watch closely and see what kind of person Kid was while monitoring him by his side.
And Kid... or rather Noah, seen up close was...
— They say the suite room price is expensive, is that okay?
— If you're the guide, shouldn't you be responsible for the accommodation too? Isn't that obvious?
...just a complete scoundrel.
When she saw him before... and when she heard about him from others, it seemed like he had a serious side...
But seeing him in person, he was just a scoundrel and a brat.
"Well, now that we've unpacked... shall we go out and play a bit?"
Billie was looking a bit disdainfully at Noah, who spoke as if he was going to a playground, when...
No... all of this could be an act...
She soon followed him, suspecting that he might be acting meticulously.
Luke, Billie's benefactor, superior, and boss, had entrusted her with monitoring Noah.
So Billie intended to watch Noah thoroughly to prevent him from doing anything rash in San Francisco.
But...
"Well then, I'll go this way, so Billie, please take good care of Emma and guide her."
"...Pardon?"
Billie couldn't help but be confused by what Noah said as soon as they left the hotel.
"...You want me to take care of Ms. Emma? What are you going to do..."
"Ah, I have somewhere I must go. So I'll leave it to you."
"..."
Noah said this and boldly walked away.
Billie, who was momentarily stunned seeing this, quickly came to her senses and grabbed him.
"Wait a moment!! Mr. Noah! Isn't this different from the agreement with the mayor!"
"Hmm? What agreement?"
"As the supervisor appointed by the mayor's order, I have reason to monitor you. You should have agreed to this too!"
"Right, so guide Emma while monitoring her at the same time. I'll be back after going somewhere for a while."
"No... the one I'm supposed to monitor is you, not Ms. Emma...!"
Noah moved on without even pretending to hear Billie's cries.
Eek...! He's too strong...
Unable to overpower Noah with simple strength, Billie considered drawing her gun as a last resort.
Sensing this, Noah sighed, stopped walking, and looked down at Billie.
"Come on, I'm not running away. I don't intend to break my promise with the mayor. I swear to God I won't cause trouble and will just take care of some business and come back. Is that still not okay?"
"..."
Noah pleaded to Billie, pretending to be innocent and making a sad face.
Billie hesitated but...
"...It's not okay. The mayor's orders take precedence over everything else right now."
Of course, she refused Noah's request.
At Billie's firm refusal, Noah drooped his body as if genuinely disappointed and then...
"...Alright, then..."
Swish—!
"...!"
Taking advantage of Billie's momentary lapse in attention, he suddenly got up and started running.
"W-wait a moment! Mr. Noah—!!"
At Noah's escape, Billie chased after him at full speed, but...
Pitter—patter—!
W-why is he so fast-!
She couldn't catch Noah who was escaping at an insane speed.
"Stop! If you don't stop, I'll shoot!"
Although there were people passing by on the street, Billie had no choice but to draw her gun to stop Noah.
But...
Pitter—patter—!
That place is...!
As soon as Billie drew her gun, Noah hid himself in a back alley.
The place Noah headed to was a famous slum in San Francisco called Saint-Michel.
Even Billie with her gun couldn't help but be very reluctant to enter that place.
"...Haa, damn it."
As Billie inevitably stopped her steps, Noah's voice was heard echoing from somewhere:
"I'll be back in the evening, Billie! Oh, and since it's Emma's first time in San Francisco, make sure to show her around properly! Please! See you later!"
"...That dog."
Billie felt like swearing, but Noah had already disappeared along with his voice.
As Billie held her head at Noah's sudden disappearance, Emma finally caught up and approached her.
Seeing Emma, Billie asked in a slightly angry voice, "...Is that person always so reckless and unreasonable?"
The legendary figure of San Francisco, Kid, had already become “that person” in her address.
Emma, also seeming embarrassed by Noah's behavior, answered with a slightly reddened face, "...He has matured a bit these days though."
"...Isn't it a bit strange to be maturing now at his age? And you call that matured?"
"...I'm sorry."
In the end, it was Emma who apologized for Noah's childish behavior.
Anyway, Noah had run away like that... and only two awkward women were left there.