Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: The Mayor and Nero
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Is peace this boring?
Is success this hollow?
Sprawled on the sofa in my office, scrolling through Catopia-related SNS posts, my mood was like that of an elementary school kid midway through summer vacation.
All the homework's done, but school's still far off, and there's nothing particular to do—that subtle ennui.
Of course, my "homework" had been getting impeached, and my report card was a failing grade called the highest approval rating in history.
Approval rating? Don't ask. It'd make me cry.
Anyway, people were obsessed with the cats, and through the cats, obsessed with me, Lee Garam.
Catopia was thriving. Incredibly successfully.
It had become more than just an animal shelter—Neo Incheon's new landmark and cultural hub.
The cats napped in the catnip garden, and people healed their weary souls watching them.
Insimdang's Sugar Girl had developed jelly bread shaped like cat paws, securing exclusive supply to Catopia and grabbing wealth and fame in one go.
People were happy. Heroes found solace. The cats got plump and round.
A world where everyone was happy.
Except me.
The whole city was happy—how could I alone be miserable?
This was blatant group bullying.
Of course, my Nekonomics Phase 3—"Sowing the Seeds of Division and Hatred"—was steadily progressing beneath the surface.
In the anonymous petri dish of the internet, spores of discontent sprouted vigorously.
We deeply regret Mayor Lee Garam's discriminatory animal welfare policy biased toward cats. Dogs are humanity's oldest friends.
Stop oppressing the lords of the sky, pigeons! Invest just 1% of Catopia's budget in our nests! Coo coo!
Emergency Diagnosis! Is Neo Incheon okay like this? Biased animal policy fixated on cat welfare—the truth behind it! Mayor Lee Garam, wake up!
That's right. That's it.
Fight. Fight more fiercely.
Cat faction, dog faction, pigeon faction, even the mysterious reptile faction.
Divide into four and tear each other apart.
And in that vortex of hatred, denounce me, Lee Garam, as the common enemy.
A beautiful picture. The dystopian landscape I'd dreamed of.
But reality's peace was far too solid.
Citizens' rage melted away with one cat paw print, and Catopia tickets sold out daily.
"Mayor, emergency report."
"Emergency? Another company wanting to use Nero as an ad model? Pet food ads are getting stale."
"No. Report says the Magpie Village redevelopment protesters are marching on City Hall."
"Really? Let 'em come. It's a free country. I'm too busy to meet them."
Magpie Village. That place I passed by last time. Still fighting, huh. Persistent bunch.
"But, Mayor."
"What."
"Their destination isn't City Hall. It's Catopia."
"...What? Must be a mistake. Why would redevelopment protesters go to Catopia? It's all cats there. Protesting to the cats?"
Seria didn't answer. Instead, she picked up the remote and turned on the large screen on the office wall.
Pop.
Dozens of split screens showed CCTV feeds from around the city.
The central screen displayed the scene at Catopia's main gate.
Weeeeng—!
A faint noise from beyond the screen.
At first, I thought it was just everyday city noise.
But as the screen zoomed in, the situation became clear.
Catopia's main gate.
A dump truck was parked, blocking the road.
Its bed was plastered with tattered placards scrawled in red letters.
[Oppose Magpie Village Redevelopment!]
[Your cats are nobles and our kids are slaves?!]
[Citizens' lives worth less than cats! Lee Garam, wake up!]
Red headbands. Determined faces.
It was a chorus of rage.
Raw fury amplified through megaphones.
Finally, it had burst.
My hate mileage was exploding.
But the interest rate was a bit much? This was usury levels.
And protests are supposed to be at City Hall! Isn't that the social contract?
Why come to someone else's business—no, the city's business—and cause a ruckus!
This violates business etiquette!
"Was it because I just passed by that protest site last time?"
"You completely ignored the citizens, Mayor. Then you launched the Nekonomics project on a massive scale. From the residents' perspective, they felt treated worse than cats. That led to action."
"Action? That's not action, it's blackmail. And the nasty kind."
Yes. Since you're protesting anyway, broadcast my incompetence and indifference to the world!
Shout to overthrow the cat-favoring tyrant Lee Garam!
But the situation spiraled far beyond my expectations in a radical direction.
Vroooom!!!
The truck's engine roared.
"...Huh?"
Belching black smoke, its tires scraped the asphalt.
[Stop filling cats' bellies and fill ours too!]
[We'll make you pay for ignoring us!]
[Lee Garam! We'll destroy what you cherish most!]
The voice from the megaphone was filled with deranged madness.
This wasn't a protest. It was a terror threat.
I'd wanted political theater, not physical destruction like this.
"Those crazy bastards!"
I bolted up from the sofa without thinking.
Being hated is fine. Impeachment is even better.
But not this! They've crossed the line!
Catopia's first floor.
It was a wide playground with floor-to-ceiling glass where visitors could interact freely with the cats.
Citizens and kids were spending a peaceful afternoon with the cats.
And there, among the other cats, one calico stood out especially.
"Huh? Nero?"
Why was the guy who should be eating churu parfait in the VVIP room down on the first floor?
Screech!
The truck swerved sharply.
And without hesitation.
It charged straight at Catopia's front.
No brakes.
"Danger! Seria, do something...!"
Inside Catopia on the screen, chaos erupted in an instant.
Nyaaah!
"Kyaaah!"
"Run! Get away!!"
"Help! My child!!"
People's screams.
Kids' cries.
Cats scattering in panic.
Staff tried to evacuate people, but there wasn't enough time.
10 meters.
5 meters.
The truck's front barreled toward the glass wall.
The driver's hate-filled face was clear in the driver's seat.
Everyone on screen squeezed their eyes shut, bracing for the horrific crash.
That was when it happened.
A small shadow darted from one corner of the screen.
A familiar cat silhouette.
Nero.
My cat, Nero.
He strolled out leisurely and blocked the path of the oncoming truck.
The moth to the flame.
A tiny cat facing a 15-ton steel behemoth.
"No! Nero!"
As the truck's shadow loomed to swallow Nero's small body.
Nerorong!
The cat let out a bizarre cry.
The signal of change.
Shrrk—
Nero's body began to swell.
Bones and muscles expanded exponentially.
2 meters.
The little cat surpassed an adult man's height.
5 meters.
Now the size of a small car.
10 meters.
Finally, he transformed into a being far larger than the charging dump truck.
"Huh...?"
My mouth hung open dumbly.
My brain refused to process the scene.
"Wha-wha-what?!"
Citizens' shocked screams followed.
People filming with smartphones dropped them; crying kids stopped mid-sob.
Everyone gawked up at the colossal calico cat.
"What is that...? Gigantamax?"
The gigantified Nero lightly extended his front paw.
The pink jelly pad at the end, condensed essence of all cuteness in the world.
That pad met the dump truck hurtling at 80 km/h.
Kwajik.
A crisp yet somehow chilling rupture.
The rupture of common sense. The rupture of physics.
The 15-ton steel mass charging at 80 km/h crumpled pathetically.
The front crushed in, engine bay shattered, frame twisted, tires flew into the air.
My cat Giganta-Nero stood unmoved.
Expressionless, like swatting an annoying bug with a paw.
"Wha... what the hell is that?!"
A protester's scream voiced everyone's thoughts.
What?
I don't know either.
I'm the one dying to ask.
Nero didn't stop there. He stepped toward the crumpled truck.
And then.
Poke.
Like toying with a ball of yarn, he lightly tapped the truck with his paw.
Kurururung—!
The 15-ton hunk of metal rolled sideways.
All noise ceased.
Protesters' chants, citizens' screams, even the city's white noise.
The world held its breath before one cat.
I, too, in the office, couldn't close my mouth at the surreal scene on screen.
Giganta-Nero, as if mission accomplished and nothing happened, began licking his paw.
That elegant, leisurely motion.
Breaking the silence was modern tech.
Click. Click. Clickclickclick!
Starting with one, everyone whipped out smartphones in unison.
Citizens captured the unreal before them on tiny screens.
*
Weeeeng—!!
Sirens sliced through Neo Incheon's skies.
By the time I arrived, the situation was already resolved.
The Special Task Force had swiftly deployed, subdued the protesters, arrested the truck driver, and set up a perimeter.
Truly competent. My loyal dog—no, Neo Incheon's shield.
All protesters neutralized and hauled away; the wrecked truck removed by some super-strong esper.
Catopia Street restored to perfect normalcy, as if nothing happened.
This was Neo Incheon's crisis response system. Impressive.
Catopia's front was packed with people.
Citizens, reporters, plain gawkers.
Their eyes fixed on one spot.
"Nero..."
I pushed through the crowd, walking slowly.
At my call, the little calico cat in the center of gazes turned its head.
He was back to normal size, not the 10-meter giant.
Hard to believe this ordinary-looking cat had just saved countless lives.
Nero trotted toward me as if nothing happened.
Then rubbed against my leg familiarly.
Purrr~
A satisfied rumble from his throat.
In front of my eyes, this soft furball didn't connect at all with the monster from the CCTV.
"You... what are you?"
Was that really Nero just now?
This tiny, cute furball the same as that colossal beast?
"Is that... a cat?"
"How... how did it get so big?"
"Is it registered as a hero?"
"Does it get bigger if you feed it churu?"
Click! Click! Click!
Hundreds of smartphones aimed at Nero.
[Live] Identity of Giant Cat Appearing at Neo Incheon Catopia?
[Breaking] Hero Cat Nero Stops Terror Truck... Citizens Cheer
[Video] Shocking! Moment Cat Grows to 10 Meters Captured!
[Urgent] Truth of Nekonomics. Actually a Military Project?
#GiantCat
#Hero_Nero
#LeeGaram_SecretWeapon
#CityHall_GuardianDeity
#The_Great_Nero
#MaybeMyCatToo
Hashtags conquered SNS timelines at tachyon speeds.
Real-time trends 1 through 20: all Nero-related.
Nutube already had "Nero's Feats 10-Hour Loop" uploaded.
With a confused mind, I retraced the days from meeting Nero to now.
What had I been doing? Raising a monster at home?
Am I a monster tamer? Monster trainer?
Aaah! My head's a mess!
I'd thought of him as just a smart, cute cat.
So I'd messed with him a lot. Really, a ton.
Bored, I'd bury my face in his plump belly and fart.
His soft tail looked fun, so I'd grab and wag it gently.
'Treat? Or no? Treat? No?' Tease him forever, then give churu.
Lure with fishing rod for play, sneak him to the bath for a wash.
How did Nero react each time?
A lazy 'nyang,' a gentle nibble (never painful), or resigned acceptance of my antics.
Gasp.
What had I done? What horrors?
I thought humans—I—were superior to Nero.
I'm the owner, you're the cat.
What can you do besides bite and scratch?
But actually... Nero had been putting up with everything?
Revenge...? Surely not...?
I slowly bent down and picked up Nero.
Grrr...
Held in my arms, Nero rubbed his cheek against my chin happily.
As always.
"Yeah, Nero's a good boy. Dinner tonight is premium Norwegian salmon."
Nyaang?
Nero looked up at me intently.
"Okay, okay! Adding bluefin tuna belly and a whole caviar tin! Happy now?"
Aeong!
This guy's totally a cat thug!