is it wrong to try to build a criminal Empire?

"Hey Mike, why are we here again?" asked one of the two guards, a human wearing light armor, probably an adventurer, as he leaned against the Wall next to the wooden door leading to their boss's private room.

The other man, also human, sighed heavily. "How many times do I gotta explain this to you? We're supposed to be guarding the door to the boss's room. She's been extra paranoid lately," he replied irritably, as if he'd already had this conversation more times than he cared to count.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Fang's dead, the boss is on edge, but why are we still here?" He said, waving a hand toward the surroundings—a gambling ring registered as a bar. Not that it mattered; laws didn't mean much in this part of the city.

While the place looked decent enough, the patrons were the lowest of the low. Not that the two of them were much better, but they preferred to be the only scum within a hundred meters of their own Radius.

"Because, Bob you idiot, we owe the boss a ton of money, and she's paying us to stand here and guard this door. Now shut up!" Mike snapped, clearly more invested in his job than his companion.

"But Mike! Now that Fang's gone, who's gonna make us pay that debt?" Bob, proving his stupidity yet again, grinned like he'd found a loophole in the system.

"Oh, I don't know? Maybe the guy who smashed Fang's Fucking head into the floor? Do you even hear yourself?" Mike was struggling to keep from strangling his idiotic friend.

Suddenly, a white-haired kid strolled past them without a word, opened the door, and walked in.

They both stared at each other for a full minute, trying to process what had just happened. Then, like fish flopping on dry land, they scrambled to the door, desperate to catch the punk who had just barged into their boss's room and made them look like idiots.

But when they burst in, they found their boss—blushing—Jaw held by the white-haired kid. Oh god. Did their boss like them young and aggressive? Were all elves like this?!

The kid locked eyes with them, and the boss's blush deepened. The kid didn't even flinch, standing still like a statue—not from embarrassment, but from sheer irritation at having their "private time" interrupted.

"S-sorry, boss! We'll leave you to... your work!" Bob stammered out what Mike probably should have said, and the two of them slammed the door behind them as they rushed out.

---

Ignoring the two incompetent lackeys his soon to be business manager had hired as bodyguards, All For One focused on the lovely Miss Lia, her Jaw still held firmly in his hand.

The recent addition of one million valis, a "compensation" from the Loki Familia, was already presenting excellent opportunities, such as expanding his gambling venture towards a more legal approach. And while holding poor Miss Lia like this might gets the wrong idea across to an outsider, for him, it was simply necessary. He was ensuring she understood the power she was dealing with.

"P-please! Business has just been bad lately! Fang was popular with the customers—that's why so many came here!" she stammered, her face flushed not just from his awkward grip position but from fear too.

Oh, don't worry, dear. I'm just making sure you comprehend the situation. I wasn't expecting full payment yet.

"I don't know, dear Lia. My patience is wearing thin," he said calmly, tightening his hold on her jaw slightly. Her skin was remarkably smooth.

She whimpered, fear and desperation swirling in her eyes. "P-please! I'll do anything! S-s-sensei!"

Ah, she's ready now.

"Anything, huh?" he replied with a sly smile, enjoying the way her emotions danced on a knife's edge.

Her eyes widened, and she nodded weakly, despite his firm grip on her jaw. He released her, and she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing softly.

He casually unstrapped the large pouch from his back and tossed it near her. "That's about 800,000 valis. From now on, I own this entire operation. Use that money to get an official permit for opening a casino, then use the rest to rent a small place and hire workers in the city's proper entertainment district. For now this is All we can Manage."

She remained on the floor, tears still trickling down her face. She had likely expected something... more physical from him. How disappointing.

He had no time for such trivialities.

"And keep this place running. Money is money, whether it comes from a beggar or a king," he added, watching as she nodded weakly, her tears still flowing.

"Did you understand all that?" he asked, wanting to ensure his instructions were clear.

"Y-yes..." she mumbled, still trembling. That wouldn't do. Respect was non-negotiable.

"Yes, what?" His tone sharpened, the unspoken threat hanging heavily in the air.

"Y-yes, Sensei!" she stammered frantically.

"Good," he replied, his voice once again calm and amused. "Now, have a lovely day, dear Lia."

With a quiet chuckle, he left the room, thoroughly entertained by the evening's events.

---

Now that his legal business operation was headed in a clear direction, All For One could refocus on dungeon dives again.

It had been a few days since his last venture, where he was nearly killed by that minotaur if not for that Wallenstein girl. Just the thought of her made his hand twitch with the urge to slap something—preferably a blonde figure.

After his leg was healed by the elf girl—which, if he were being honest, was a rather ordinary spell, nowhere near some quirks or his Ultra Regeneration Quirk, he quickly made his way to his ever-concerned guild advisor.

Cutting off her frantic concern over his well-being and instead shifting focus to the three members of the Loki Familia he'd encountered.

Riveria Ljos Alf, or "Nine Hells" her Alias (a name he found rather ridiculous), a level six adventurer and elven royalty from what he understood from Eina, who still commanded a great deal of respect towards her, despite her half-elven heritage. There was something about elven arrogance that always amused him.

Then, of course, there was Aiz Wallenstein. Eina couldn't resist a light jab, teasing him about whether he had a crush on the Sword Princess, to which he replied with a blank stare.

In truth, Wallenstein was an interesting figure—fast, strong, and the record holder for the fastest adventurer to reach level two in just one year. As much as he despised admitting it, her achievement was indeed impressive.

As for the mutt, Bete, he didn't bother to learn much. The beastman was more of an irritant than anything else.

These were intriguing people—potential pawns or adversaries, depending on how things played out.

But back to the more pressing matter: he needed new equipments. He had been trying to track down this "Welf Crozzo" but hadn't had any luck so far. His works were scattered among the overpriced rubbish produced by Hephaestus Familia's newer smith recruits, filling market shelves with mediocrity.

His stomach growled, pulling his thoughts back to the present. Ah, he had skipped lunch, hadn't he? Perhaps it was time to treat himself to something decent for once in this world.

Heading toward the Hostess of Fertility, he wasn't in the mood to see more dreadful fried potatoes.

---

"Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility," greeted the blonde elf—Ryuu, if he remembered correctly from hearing Syr call her. She didn't wait for his response before continuing.

"We're sorry to inform you that all the tables are occupied. Would you be okay with sitting at the counter?" She gestured toward the bar. Two people sat there already, but that was hardly an issue for him.

"It's okay," he replied, moving to the counter and seating himself in the middle. Almost immediately, a large woman with a smirk locked eyes with him.

"Well, well, look who's back! Syr, your boyfriend's here! Come say hello—and make sure he spends a lot of money!" she bellowed with a hearty laugh.

From the back of the restaurant, where the food was likely being prepared, Syr emerged with a red face. "He's not my boyfriend! Mama, stop spreading rumors!" she whined.

This was getting tiresome. Perhaps he should consider finding a more professional place to dine in the future.

Syr quickly approached him with a smile, holding a small notebook to take his order. "Bell! Welcome back. What are you having today?"

"A rare steak with wine will suffice," he responded, ignoring her pleasantries. He was here to eat, not engage in meaningless chatter.

"Oh~ Someone's been making good money, huh?" she teased lightly.

His eye twitched, but he chose to say nothing.

Syr sighed, her smile fading a bit. "You should try to be more talkative, Bell. I like it when you talk." With a small shake of her head, she walked off to relay his order.

As if he'll fell for your ridiculous acting.

He waited for his steak and wine to be prepared—finally, a proper meal—suddenly the Brown haired obnoxious cat girl at the door announced, "Customers with reservations have arrived, nya~" and swung the door open for none other than the Loki Familia.

What a coincidence.

He kept his gaze fixed on them. He wasn't hiding, after all. Scanning the group, he recognized a few familiar faces.

There was Aiz, of course, along with the mutt and Riveria. The rest? Less familiar.

A pallum, probably Finn Deimne, captain of the Familia, stood in the middle. He had blonde hair, wore a yellow vest over a purple long-sleeved shirt, and carried himself with an air of confidence.

Then there was a red-haired girl in revealing clothing—tight shorts and a shirt that barely covered her midriff, reminding him of the tomboyish strippers he'd seen in Japan. Oddly, she was trying to grab Wallenstein's back.

A brown-haired dwarf, still clad in armor, looked like he hadn't taken a break from work.

Two dark-skinned girls, one with short hair and one with long, also stood out. Both wore quite revealing outfits, though the one with longer hair was noticeably more... ahem endowed than the other.

Modesty seemed to be a foreign concept in this world.

And then there was the little elf hiding behind Wallenstein—blonde-haired, wearing a pink cape over a white shirt and corset dress. Far too fancy for a place like this. It wasn't exactly a party, after all.

The chatter around the restaurant grew louder, as if gods had just walked into this otherwise mediocre establishment. All For One simply stared at them blankly. Aiz caught his gaze, tilting her head slightly, but she did nothing more.

---

As everyone settled in, his order arrived. Ignoring Syr's attempts at small talk, he focused on his meal, eating slowly and with precise manners. There was no rush; table etiquette wasn't a burden for him.

"So, Bell, what's the furthest floor you've reached?" Syr asked, her relentless pursuit for information still going strong.

He decided to throw her a small bone. "Sixth floor. I'm planning to head to the seventh soon." He continued his meal, undisturbed.

"Wow! And you've only been an adventurer for a week? You're amazing, Bell!" Syr exclaimed, her voice full of admiration. The sparkle in her eyes seemed genuine—She was a good actress, he had to admit.

Suddenly, the mutt's grating voice broke through the air.

"Hey, Aiz! Why don't you tell us what really happened on the sixth floor!?" The mutt, clearly drunk, barked out, his words slurred and loud.

Aiz tilted her head slightly, confused. "What really happened?"

"You know!" The mutt laughed dumbly. "We were dealing with that minotaur breakout, right? You chased down the three we couldn't catch. What happened with that tomato boy? You killed all the minotaurs, and he was crying like a baby, wasn't he?"

Ah, so they were twisting the story to make themselves look like the heroes. Typical.

Still, he had no intention of disrupting the narrative. It wouldn't be wise to make enemies of people who could snap him in half with a flick of their fingers.

"I already told you, Bete," Aiz said, her voice even, "He killed two, and I killed the last one."

"That's enough, Bete. You're drunk," Riveria cut in, clearly uncomfortable with the embarrassing scene Bete was making. This was a subject best left in the past.

"Shut up, old hag! That wimpy brat couldn't kill a damn rat, let alone a minota—" Bete's drunken rant was cut short by a half-filled glass of wine splashing over his back, the liquid staining his clothes. Laughter erupted from a few patrons, while others stifled their amusement.

Oops. His hand slipped.

It wasn't as though anyone saw him do it, except for Syr maybe, and Bete was far too drunk to have sensed it coming.

"Who the hell did that?!" Bete roared, standing and looking around furiously. "Show yourself, you coward!"

His eyes landed on All For One, who was sitting casually at the counter with a smirk, one hand resting on his lap while the other propped up his head as if watching an entertaining show. Bete's rage tripled.

"It's you! Tomato brat! I'll kill you for this!" Bete started to lunge at him, but was swiftly restrained by Riveria and Finn, who held him back firmly.

"That's enough, Bete," Finn said, his tone calm but amused. He clearly didn't want the situation to escalate.

Bete continued to struggle, his anger palpable, but calmed down when he noticed the serious look on Riveria's face. He seemed to remember that they had essentially bribed him to keep quiet about the incident. Good timing to finally use his brain.

With a final glare, Bete sat back down, his murderous intent fading.

Finn shot All For One a knowing glance, a slight smirk tugging at his lips, before returning to his seat at the table.

Aiz, on the other hand, simply stared at him blankly from afar, not saying a word.

Finishing his meal, All For One stood up and paid for his food. Syr cheerfully called out a "Goodbye!" which he ignored, walking past the Loki Familia's table without a second glance, as if nothing had happened.

What an amusing night.

---

As the white-haired boy exited the restaurant, Finn turned to Riveria. "Was that him?" he asked quietly.

Riveria gave a simple nod in response.

So, this was the Level One who had supposedly defeated two minotaurs. At first glance, the boy appeared frail, easy to deceive—his innocent look making him doubt Riveria.

But his eyes told a different story. There was no innocence in them, only cold, sharp calculation.

Finn made a mental note. He would definitely need to keep an eye on him.

---

AN: Next chapter will be hopefully better.