The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

After a few days, Leo had become very familiar with the roads in Marzamemi.

Carrying a pot of crabs, he chose to take a shortcut to save some distance, but the downside was that it was a bit remote and would pass through an old residential area.

Leo was reassured that Marzammi was perfectly safe, so he wasn't afraid to cross the sparsely populated area alone.

If we absolutely must point out any safety hazard, it's probably himself...

While walking along a narrow path, I came across a little girl, about six or seven years old, feeding a stray cat.

Upon seeing Leo appear, the child nervously leaned against the stone wall, not daring to move, his big eyes fixed on Leo, his lips bitten tightly.

"I was just passing by," Leo explained, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

A woman carrying a fish basket suddenly rushed out from behind him; she was one of the villagers who had set up a stall at the fish market that morning.

She carried the little girl into the house next door, slammed the door shut, and then heard the sound of the door being locked.

Immediately afterwards, Leo overheard a very quiet conversation between two people behind the door.

"How did you end up here?"

"They came with the kitten."

"Don't come to such remote places to play in the future. Go to squares or places with lots of people. Wait here for a bit, I'll take you home in a little while."

"Thank you, Aunt Rosalia."

Leo was taken aback.

The woman was so nervous, yet she wasn't the little girl's mother?

No, aren't the villagers of Marzamemi quite enthusiastic?

Why are you so cold to me?

In fact, the villagers of Marzamemi are not only enthusiastic but also very kind-hearted, because there are many plump and healthy stray cats in the village.

For example, the person in front of Leo...

"Meow meow meow—" The big fat cat protested at Leo, seemingly complaining that he had lost his breakfast.

......

After eating seafood for several days in a row, Leo was finding it hard to eat anymore.

There are still some crabs left from the ones I brought home this morning.

Thinking of the stray cat's 'venomous' eyes, Leo decided to go and give it a good meal.

If you can't find a 'victim,' you can feed other cats. There are plenty of Marzamemi cats out there, so don't waste them at home.

Retracing his steps, before he even reached the narrow path, Leo met the man on the shore.

It was leisurely sunbathing on the shore, looking as content as a retired old man compared to the busy fishermen on the fishing boats behind it.

Leo broke the crab apart and placed it about a meter away from it. Perhaps because it had been fed this way, the little guy wasn't afraid of people at all. It sniffed the crab a few times and then started eating.

"I was worried that you'd become picky about food since you eat seafood every day and wouldn't eat what I brought." Leo tentatively touched it, and surprisingly, it didn't dodge.

He petted the cat for a while and soaked up the sun for a bit before leaving the coast, heading to a coffee shop.

Seafood is free, but you can't eat it every day.

I need to find a way to make money quickly.

The mission to investigate the Sandro family's background would allow him to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the fish market environment in Marzamemi and see if there was an opportunity to get involved.

The system-issued task had a time limit, and since the fish market was already closed and it wasn't peak time for the tavern, Leo had no choice but to go to the coffee shop.

......

Pubs are during the evening rush hour, while cafes are during the morning rush hour.

When Leo went there at noon, there weren't many people inside.

However, he then encountered a truly retired old man—Andrei.

Today, this retired history teacher is going to tell everyone about the history of cappuccino.

"A cappuccino, please," Leo said to the shopkeeper.

While washing the cups, the boss Marco replied:

"no."

Leo looked over in confusion.

This answer is just as shocking as the fact that Marzamemi's restaurant doesn't sell seafood.

But last time he came, he clearly saw someone order it.

"You're late, young man. We don't drink cappuccino after eleven o'clock; that's the rule." Andrei, who was giving a lecture, took a break to answer Leo's question, and then continued to tell the old men around him, "Don't worry, after I finish talking about the origin of cappuccino, I'll tell you right away when Sicilians started not drinking sweet coffee in the afternoon."

Leo wasn't there to attend the lecture. He ordered a regular coffee, went to Marco's vicinity, and asked him:

"Could you tell me about Sandro?"

Today was a bit of a bad day; all the customers in the café were gathered around Andrei listening to his stories, so the only way to get information was to ask Marco.

Marco is also someone who changes his mind faster than turning the pages of a book.

He saved his son, but only showed Leo enthusiasm for a few minutes.

Marco turned off the tap, looking wary.

Why are you asking this?

Leo understood that the Sicilians would not lower their guard without a reasonable and convincing reason.

But he couldn't tell the other side that he was there to gather intelligence on the enemy.

Even answering "I want to go out to sea to fish" would be inappropriate.

One of the rules in Sicily is to avoid answering questions about yourself unless you are talking to someone you trust very much.

Leo looked angry:

"I went to the fish market to set up my stall this morning and heard that Angie and Sandro had another argument. That kid, why does he always cause his father so much trouble?"

Marco didn't understand what Leo was angry about; he wasn't Angie's father. But from Leo's description, it seemed that other villagers had told him something, so he casually added:

"Sandro brought this on himself."

After saying that, he wiped his hands and prepared to go out for a smoke.

Seeing the 'prisoner' trying to escape, Leo immediately used his newly acquired [Torture and Interrogation] skill and banged on the table:

"I'm afraid it's not that simple."

1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...

Marco, who had reached the door, suddenly stopped, feeling uncomfortable all over his body, as if he were under immense pressure.

Although Andrei's voice was loud enough for the neighbors to hear, all he could hear was the thumping of his own heart. Then, he opened his mouth and uttered a string of words:

"Sandro shouldn't have let Angie go to school in the city. His other sons are all so filial and obedient, but this youngest son makes him angry every day. Isn't he just asking for trouble?"

Leo pointed to his chest and replied quite naturally:

"That's right... Don't I know? You can't learn anything in the city."

Marco's discomfort subsided, but his brain was racing, trying to recall what had just happened. Without much suspicion, he replied:

"You can't say that. Learning other things might be useful, but fishing still requires hands-on learning. Just because someone has read a few books doesn't mean they can do everything and can't do anything. They start pointing fingers at their father. Who wouldn't be angry?"

"Yeah, I was furious when I heard that!" Leo continued to probe, "What were Angie's brothers' reactions?"

More, more!

Marco, fully recovered, took out a cigarette, pushed open the door, and went out, returning impatiently:

"How would I know? Go ask them yourself."

......

[Torture and forced confession] There's still time left, and it's impossible to pry any more useful information out of Marco's mouth in a short time.

But there were also gains.

Leo learns that Angie is Sandro's youngest son, with several older brothers, and also understands the reason for the father and son's argument.

But this was not enough to complete the mission; Leo had not yet figured out the full details of the Sandro "family".

He carried his coffee cup to the vicinity of the old men, looking completely absorbed in the moment.