Arknights story · I Portatori dei Velluti
PV-ST-2 'Prohibition on Revenge'
Venezia Senior decides to let the old tailor and his grandson leave as a testament to the famiglia's creed of 'decency'. Ingrid returns the family crest to him, officially leaving the Venezias, and bids farewell to the old Venezia who have treated her as his own daughter.
1 scenes, 200 lines
1. Interlude
200 linesSignor Antonio, I'm done taking Signor Fabrizio's measurements.
We have the fabric he wants in stock, so if we hurry, the suit can be finished in time. We won't interfere in your affairs.
...Papa?
(Nods)
I'll be taking Luchino home now.
Nonno, they're definitely not planning to let us go...
Doesn't matter.
Just go. I'll take care of it.
Signora Venezia, what about you...?
I'm afraid I have some family affairs to settle.
Anton, I think you know what the Don's thinking. Send your men away.
You can't settle it like this, Papa.
Umberto made me a promise. We can't keep our guest in here forever, Anton.
But Ingrid—Your actions have indeed embarrassed us.
Mi scusi.
It's important to me that they live.
(Go.)
*sigh* Ingrid, I've been hoping to meet you from the moment I stepped into this city.
But not like this.
We Venezias never point our blades inward.
*cough* Come, Luchino.
Oh no!
What's the matter?
The medicine!
I left them in the room inside, and the goods I was supposed to deliver... they frisked me when I was brought here—Nonno, I-I'll go retrieve them.
Forget it, boy.
The Venezia residence is several blocks away from our shop. It's a long way back.
Luchino turns around, and does not see any mafioso come out from the residence.
He feels the old tailor's hand on his shoulder. He can feel the wizened hand trembling, as if he had exhausted his strength during the meeting with the old Venezia earlier.
To make matters worse, he realizes his own arms are still so scrawny. If his nonno falls, he might not even manage to hold him up.
Nonno...
Hm?
N-Nothing.
Luchino has questions in his head that he can't voice. But suddenly, he recalls a vague image in his mind resembling their current walk back home on an equally strange road.
Was he three, or four?
He remembers a vehicle driving by the farm. An old man jumps down, fails his landing, and falls clumsily.
The old man then walks up to him. He stares at the mud on his face, a pair of scissors, and a ruler on his waist, and bursts into tears from fear. The old man panics, frantically trying to soothe him—
There were far fewer wrinkles on his face then.
The old man takes him by the hand and leads him away from the farm. Uncertain of where they're going, he cries even louder in fear. The noise startles nearby fowlbeasts, sending them flying into the distance.
'Hush, Luchino. Don't cry.'
'Umberto, say something, anything... Ah, Nonno will tell you a tale...'
'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...'
'Haha, you really stopped crying. Did you like the story, bambino? I know many, many more...'
Nonno.
Hm?
Can you teach me how to sew buttons on again?
I'm glad you're willing to listen to this vecchio's suggestion to stay here and catch up on old times, Ingrid.
I thought you would have left like you did the last time, with your blade in hand without looking back.
I also thought traveling to Higashi would bring me calm. But as you can see, I could not escape.
From the moment I set foot in here, I knew it would not be easy to leave.
So you are set on leaving, Ingrid?
You can try to stop me.
The Don is right, we Venezias never point our blades inward.
The Vulpo takes something out from her coat.
Antonio knows too well what it is—the family crest. He received one just like it when he decided to follow Fabrizio.
Are you sure?
Forgive me. I have a feeling you won't approve of what I want to do next.
If this crest is stopping me from untangling the knot in my heart, then I have no other option.
...You're being selfish, ragazza.
I know.
Why did you throw a stone at me, ragazzina?
Accident, I swear. I was trying to hit those stronzi that ran away and then you, you got in my way...
The wound on your face... did they do that to you?
They say my ears are big and weird. They say I'm not a Lupo and don't belong here in Siracusa.
Did you see their injuries? They ended up worse than I did. Why run their mouths if they can't defeat me? I'll pull out their teeth the next time they try me again!
Haha, you're more of a Lupo than they are.
Where's your family?
Dead. We came here as refugees, but papa and mama encountered a gang brawl when they went to ask the government for help.
Do you have anywhere else to go?
No.
Do you want to come with me then?
You need me to fight for you?
We can talk about that when you're older.
My daughter, Bella... she's sick and doesn't really go out, so she could use a playmate...
If she's fine playing with a Vulpo, I don't mind.
That's it?
I'm weak. I've been staying here in the park, but I can't beat everyone up.
Take this.
What is it?
Famiglia Venezia's crest. Take it, and you become one of us.
But I'm not a Lupo.
Many in the famiglia aren't either, but we're even closer to each other than the other famiglie. You'll understand in time.
Don't hide behind your mother like that. She can block your body, but I can already see your tails.
...
So this is Lisa?
She's a complete contrast to you when you were a girl, Ingrid.
Sorry. For not telling you before I brought her back here.
The vecchi at the shrine discovered this child, and I couldn't let her stay in Higashi any longer.
Because having the blood of the so-called nine-tails means spending your entire life inside the shrine, living a life like her father. Worshiped like a mascot that grants every request, è ridicolo.
We've tidied up a room for her. Once she gets used to life here, she can go to school with the other children in the famiglia.
I hope Lisa will stay far away from the farce in Higashi, but I don't want her to learn the so-called Siracusan way to survive either.
...
Arrange this with Anton and hire professional teachers for her. Music, literature, art, astrology, Originium Arts... Let her study whatever she likes.
You're not mad at me?
You're still here, Ingrid.
Has your blade slowed? Have you completed fewer missions?
No.
Then you remain the most reliable person to take over my responsibilities.
Si.
Besides, I find myself fond of this bambina.
So the most important thing to do right now is show her I'm not scary. Haha.
Still nothing?
I snapped the tendons in that stronzo's limbs and tail, but he still refused to confess who planned the assassination. He just kept saying he didn't know anything...
Same as the other seventeen before him.
Lisa just fell asleep a moment ago.
Her Oripathy is quite severe. The crystals have spread to her shoulder, there's no need for you to look after her yourself.
I've taken my precautions. Besides, she got infected because of me. Ingrid, you've been silent on this.
Lisa's an innocent girl. She doesn't know how bad things are outside, but she can instinctively pick up the tension in the house.
When you went to rescue Antonio, she wanted to stay with me so you could worry less.
...
The people from Rhodes Island are here.
So you already found a place better for her.
The famiglia can find the best Oripathy doctor for Lisa. You didn't have to contact that Rhodes Island company behind my back.
Ingrid, there's no need for you two to leave.
Signora Sicilia will visit Terni herself tomorrow. The Tancredis and the Venezias will have no choice but to sit at the negotiation table.
You need to wipe my name off the famiglia records by then. Insist I was expelled, like how the Tancredis refused even at the brink of death to acknowledge they planned your assassination.
I remember discussing this before.
Indeed.
I'm sorry, Don Venezia. The famiglia crest, take it back.
No, Ingrid. Keep it.
I have approved of you taking revenge for Lisa. I am fond of her. Why else do you think no one from the famiglia has stopped you these past two weeks?
We are family, Ingrid.
'We are family.'
This emblem has been a blessing from you, but also a shackle for me.
...
How is she doing on Rhodes Island?
She's considered an employee now. A few years ago, she even went to Leithanien and helped them investigate an incident about missing Infected.
She even kept it a secret from me and never mentioned it in her letters. I talked to her friends when I went to see her, and they were all saying how well she did on that mission.
I miss Lisa so much.
If she's willing to come back, I won't stop her... You know I'm not here to reminisce about old times.
Perhaps you had many plans for me when you insisted I keep the famiglia emblem—
Ingrid glances at Antonio standing silently on the side.
Keep it, Ingrid. Papa was telling me how we could all visit Montelupe together after Carnevale is over.
Hm?
Anton, it's too early for that.
Didn't you say Signora Sicilia might relent?
...
She used to loathe Carnevale, and now it's back in Siracusa with a brand new look. Compared to that, Ingrid's violations are not even worth mentioning.
I mean, it's been six years. Famiglia Tancredi today is no longer worthy of Signora Sicilia's concern.
In these six years, I used the single vehicle factory I held onto and ate up all of their businesses in Terni.
Signora Sicilia values results. So I showed her.
Is that how you see it, Anton?
Yes, papa.
Antonio's done very well by your side. The family no longer needs me here.
Anton... After Bella's passing, I could feel him becoming wary of me.
...
How much value did he have as a son-in-law after Bellas's death? That's probably what he was thinking at the time, and how he got himself so busy after.
Papa, I—
I don't want to give you too much pressure. We already have enough territory, even in this newly-built Nuova Volsinii.
You've done very well, Anton.
Seeing Ingrid leave and Bella die... what I truly care about is the few 'family' I have left... After all, I am an old man.
I don't want to lose any of you anymore.
...
...
Ingrid looks at the old man whose hair has turned entirely gray, and does not say anything else.
She puts the crest on the table.
Ingrid, you heard what he said. At least for now—
Ingrid turns and leaves before Antonio can even finish.
Mi dispiace, Don Venezia...
I know it's hard for you, but... I can't do it.
Ingrid?
There's never been much I could do for you, besides killing.
But even the best killer is still just a killer, not 'Venezia Junior'. Antonio fits that role better than I can, so my departure isn't such a big loss.
You must have realized it in the past six years. Deep inside you're disappointed with me.
...
But wasn't I disappointed too, when I failed to find out the truth about her injury?
Oripathy is incurable. You know better than anyone else why I came back to Siracusa.
I intend to find the culprit I couldn't track down six years ago... and end his life. That's the only thing I want to do.
But you know what it means to abandon the emblem and leave.
Yes. We might end up as oppositions.
...
I can't guarantee that I won't harm any of the Venezias.
Even so, I'll make things decent, for your sake. This is the only thing I can promise you.
Papa, I can try and talk to her more...
No.
The old man runs his fingers over the famiglia crest, and puts it in his chest pocket.
We all know what kind of person she is.
She's not easily swayed when she's set on something. I'll keep this emblem for now. When she comes to her senses, I'll return it to her.
...
Keep a low profile for now; consider it keeping me company at home.
But the company...
Do you not trust the subordinates you hired yourself?
I understand.
I may not interfere with your work here in the city, but it doesn't mean I'm in the dark.
Umberto de Montano is an old friend of mine, and he has always acted with decency. So leave them be.
Yes, papa.
I heard that Ingrid asked you about how Lisa got hurt. Did you find out the truth?
Just some clues. So much time has passed, after all.
Is that so? Anton, there are some matters you can judge on your own to be right or wrong...
But when it involves the famiglia's reputation, think carefully before you act.
Yes, papa.
...
Antonio! We got news!
According to intel from Capone and Gambino, we found the lost shipment at the port.
B-But... Someone stuffed it in a parade float and set it on fire.
Who did it?
Not sure.
The cops took the Truckers' Union's boss away for an investigation. The one called 'Eirene', she...
...