Chapter 128
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: The Mayor and the Assassination
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Darkness had fallen over Seoul's night.
Kim Jin-su, the Vice Mayor of Seoul, leaned against a bridge pier and lit a cigarette.
He lit another one. This was already his third.
Chiiik-
The glowing tip of the cigarette mirrored his anxious heart.
"Hoo..."
Lee Garam's face flickered in the smoke drifting into the air.
One month. A time filled with humiliation and rage.
It was all because of that bastard. The punk mayor of Neo Incheon.
The memory of that day, when he'd fallen for the welfare competition trap and lost, only to receive a mocking phone call at the end.
The frivolous laughter echoing through the receiver still rang vividly in his ears.
'How can I get audited too? Tell me the secret!!'
Kim Jin-su ground his teeth.
He had to get revenge. No matter what.
And in the most certain, cruel way possible.
That's why he'd called the Black Knight.
The top fixer in the underworld, whose name alone struck fear into everyone.
The legendary hitman with zero failures.
An assassin whose identity remained unknown.
When he learned Lee Garam would attend the award ceremony, Kim Jin-su had cheered inwardly.
Jin Yeonhwa, the association president, was absent. Even the monster cat Lee Garam doted on was nowhere in sight.
"Lee Garam, today is the day you die."
Swoosh.
At that moment, a shadow detached itself from the darkness.
No sound. No presence.
There he stood, clad in pitch-black armor.
Kim Jin-su swallowed dryly without realizing it.
His heart raced anxiously, but anticipation overpowered his fear.
He tossed the smoldering cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his shoe.
"You're here! How'd it go? What about Lee Garam?"
His voice trembled with excitement.
The Black Knight halted and slowly turned his head.
The black visor stared at Kim Jin-su.
[Failed.]
A low, dry voice, as if filtered through a machine.
It took several seconds for Kim Jin-su's brain to process the words.
And then.
"What? Failed? What the hell does that mean!"
Kim Jin-su's face flushed red.
He bellowed at the Black Knight in disbelief.
"This was the perfect chance! That crazy bitch Jin Yeonhwa wasn't even there! Neither was that monster cat Lee Garam always keeps with him! It was an award ceremony where everyone was relaxed and boozing it up! Security was minimal!"
Rage paralyzed his reason.
"And you failed? The underworld's top hitman? The one with no failures? It's all bullshit! Your reputation is a lie!"
The next moment.
Whoosh.
"Guhk...!"
A choking pressure gripped his throat.
He couldn't breathe.
The Black Knight's steel grip seized his neck and hoisted him up.
Kim Jin-su's feet dangled about 30 centimeters off the ground. He flailed desperately, clutching at the iron wrist.
"Kek, guhk, kek...!"
His oxygen-starved brain screamed. His vision flickered white.
Then, a cold voice emanated from the helmet.
[Don't give orders.]
The grip tightened on his neck.
He felt the agony of bones crunching.
[I don't obey the weak.]
Thud-!
The Black Knight hurled Kim Jin-su to the ground like trash.
"Guhek! Kholok, kholok! Haa, haa..."
Kim Jin-su sprawled on the cold, damp concrete, gasping desperately for air.
He thought he was dead.
Terror dominated every cell in his body.
[Don't misunderstand. I targeted Lee Garam for my own reasons, not your request.]
The Black Knight turned away.
[This is my personal revenge.]
With those final words, the Black Knight melted back into the darkness.
Without a sound, just as he'd arrived.
Kim Jin-su lay prone on the ground for a long time, breathing raggedly.
He didn't dare lift his head.
Was that really human?
His entire body trembled like an aspen leaf.
With shaking hands, Kim Jin-su pulled out a fresh cigarette from his pocket.
But he couldn't light it. His hands wouldn't stop trembling.
The clear handprint on his neck felt ice-cold.
It's Monday.
Monday for the man who'd nearly been assassinated last Friday afternoon.
After the nightmare of last week, he more than deserved to melt into the sofa and enjoy a full day of rest.
No, he absolutely should. Civilized society doesn't force labor on assassination survivors suffering from stress disorders.
That would be a crime. A human rights violation. A breach of the Geneva Convention.
Suddenly, the Aesop's fable of the town mouse and country mouse came to mind.
The country mouse, wearing a rustic straw hat, invites the town mouse to his simple home for a modest meal.
But the sophisticated town mouse mocks the rural fare and extols the glamorous city life.
In the end, the country mouse falls for it and heads to the perilous city.
What an idiot.
I never would have gone.
Safety first. Pacifism. Peaceful mediocrity.
Rural life might be boring, but at least you won't die chased by cats.
Sure, the city has mountains of delicious cheese and sweet cakes.
But all that comes at the cost of cats, humans, and sticky traps that could appear anytime.
What cuisine in the world is worth risking your life for?
"In that sense, I fully support the country mouse."
Roll roll.
Gnawing corn safely at home and napping peacefully.
That's the ultimate lifestyle all creatures should pursue.
I asked the tricolor furball baking bread on the desk.
"Nero, which do you prefer? Country cat or city cat?"
At my question, Nero lazily opened one eye.
The guy yawned long and looked at me pityingly.
"Answer seriously. Stake your cat life on it. Would you live peacefully hunting mice in a quiet countryside, or take on all sorts of dangers in chaotic Neo Incheon?"
Nyaah.
'City cat is best. Churu and 6 million Nyanstagram followers.'
Right. This guy's already a fully adapted celebrity city cat.
"City cats are dangerous. Roadkill, mean humans bullying you, getting kicked out of territory and starving."
Aeong-
A short reply.
Danger? What's that? Food?
All city dangers are under the claws of Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.
Of course the city wins, overflowing with delicacies, churu, and top toys.
That was the gist.
"Yeah. You're not just any cat; you're a 15-meter giant cat."
For normal cats, city life is survival, but for Nero, it's a buffet.
Other city cats should flee to the countryside to avoid Nero.
Creeeak-
The door opened, revealing Monday's demon.
Seria Park, the prim secretary.
She approached with a tray of aromatic coffee and a stack of documents.
"Are you feeling better, sir?"
"Not at all! I'm in pain everywhere! My whole body feels broken!"
"You look fine on the outside."
"Appearances aren't everything! Can't you see the wounds on my soul?"
I switched to full ham mode instantly.
"Forgot what happened last Friday? A black blade whizzed right in front of my eyes! Terror! Assassination! I'm extremely weakened mentally and physically from fear! Look! My heart's still pounding, limbs shaking uncontrollably! This is clear PTSD! Don't you get it?"
"Doesn't this happen every Monday, sir?"
I shuddered exaggeratedly, acting on the verge of collapse.
Seria gazed down at me silently.
"I saw you just now, chatting happily with Nero."
Damn. Busted.
"Th-that was animal therapy! Psychological healing through pets! Nero's soft fur and warm body heat were soothing my wounded soul!"
But backing down here means defeat.
"At least a week. No, a full month of absolute rest for complete recovery! I need to halt all duties and recuperate! I can't even eat properly from fear!"
"Did Nero eat both chickens you ordered as late-night snacks yesterday?"
"...Nero's sick."
Nyaah-
"The city cat over there seems happy munching cheese."
True enough.
The horrific experience of the Black Knight's blade at my throat.
It was scary. Legs weak, chills down my spine.
But that was it.
Seria was there anyway.
The final boss of the original comic. Leader of the secret society Erebos.
No one in this world could match her, except maybe Jin Yeonhwa.
And that black curtain still needs me. So she won't let me die.
As long as I have utility value, I'm safe.
What a twisted, contradictory trust.
"More importantly, sir, the city is in an uproar over the attack."
Seria pointed out the window.
The plaza in front of city hall was packed with crowds again today.
'We'll protect the mayor!'
'You dare touch our mayor?'
'Surrender and find the light!'
The citizens held pickets with menacing slogans.
This is weird.
The incident happened Friday.
Why are they resting all weekend and only raging Monday morning?
Does anger follow a five-day workweek too?
Weekends off. Rage is labor. Get paid to rage during work hours.
What rational Neo Incheon citizens.
TV covered the attack nonstop.
[Breaking News! Lee Garam Assassination Attempt – Who's Behind It?]
The anchor solemnly condemned the terror targeting Neo Incheon's heart, and citizens vented fury in interviews.
[Whoever the lunatic is, this is a declaration of war on all of Neo Incheon!]
[Unforgivable! Must be vested interests jealous of Mayor Lee Garam's reforms!]
[Or corrupt corporations and villain scum!]
The crime psychologist panelist speculated on the culprits.
Retaliation from organizations resentful of corrupt company purges.
Conspiracy by rival politicians envious of Lee Garam's popularity.
Or a lone mad villain craving attention.
All possibilities were floated.
And every arrow pointed to their respective domains.
"All Special Task Force personnel, emergency assembly. Commence indefinite, unrestricted sweep of all villain organizations in Neo Incheon starting now."
Kang Jiyeong's chilling command went out to the entire force.
"Audit Office, all hands on re-investigation of all suspect companies, including the 15 implicated in prior bribery. Trace fund flows, connections—even the president's driver's cousin's uncle. Report anything suspicious immediately."
The Audit Team's undead-ghost duo mobilized.
"Scour every back alley, informant, black market in Neo Incheon. Bring the head of the fool who insulted the Daimyo."
At Genji's order, the Kurukumo ninjas scattered silently into the shadows.
The media splashed it all across headlines in unison.
[Neo Incheon Declares War on Crime!]
[Lee Garam's Fury Targets Corruption!]
[Silent Lee Garam... Quiet Rage Before the Storm?]
I stared at the headlines, dumbfounded.
"War on crime? When did I say that? I gave no orders!"
I'd just been rolling on the sofa, praising the country mouse's life.
Seria smiled faintly at my words.
"They're moving on their own. For you, sir."
"I really want to be a country mouse."
"Impossible."
Seria stated firmly.
"You've already become the king of the city."