Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Mayor and the Investigation
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In the name of justice, I will not forgive you.
With the Magical Power (authority) of Neo Incheon's Mayor Lee Garam!
For the crime of disturbing my personal peace and upsetting the feelings of my lovable and incomparably cute mascot cat Nero.
Just for that crime alone, Magpie Village, you deserve to disappear from the map.
Of course, if in the process I end up bearing the stigma of a 'cold-blooded man who stole citizens' homes' and get impeached, that would be the perfect scenario.
This is a revenge drama and a self-destruction show. A two-birds-with-one-stone fantastic project. Named Project: Smash the Magpie Nest.
"Mayor, are you sure you're okay with this? Going alone without the security team could be dangerous."
The driver's voice was filled with worry.
I sat arrogantly in the back seat, legs crossed, and replied.
"This is a top-secret inspection of the people's livelihood. If we make a big fuss, we won't hear the true voice of the people. And besides, don't I have this guy with me?"
Nero was sitting in the seat next to me. He yawned lazily, showing no interest in the scenery outside.
This guy was my elite security team and a one-cat army secret weapon. A super cat that could turn a 15-ton truck into scrap metal with one swipe of his paw.
"Don't worry. That one guy can handle three A-rank villains with ease."
"Ah, yes... If you say so, Mayor."
The driver didn't ask any more questions.
Of course. Anyone who had seen the live broadcast of a giant cat blocking a dump truck wouldn't dismiss my words as nonsense.
The car gradually slowed down. We had arrived at the entrance to Magpie Village.
Old tiled roofs pressed shoulder to shoulder, forming narrow alleyways. A space that existed in a completely different time from the rest of Neo Incheon, where cutting-edge skyscrapers pierced the sky.
The beauty of Korea.
The beauty of tradition.
People would say it's a cultural heritage that must be preserved.
But to me, it was nothing more than an obstacle to be demolished.
"I'll walk from here. Wait until I call you."
"Yes, sir."
As I got out of the car, the unique smell of an old, quiet neighborhood hit me all at once.
The scent of earth, aged wood, and somewhere the rich aroma of soybean paste.
"Alright, let's go, Nero. Time to enact our justice."
Meow.
Nero let out a short, annoyed meow and followed behind me.
As soon as we entered the village, Nero's behavior subtly changed. He lowered his head, sniffing the air intently, scanning the surrounding smells.
This was a clear alert signal.
Had the cat's instincts detected something?
As expected, this village has something. Nero's senses are reliable.
"Oh my! Mayor! What brings you to our village!"
An old man spotted me from afar and came running over in a fluster. He was wearing an armband that marked him as the village head.
Grab.
"Ah!"
He seized my hand. Who knew an old man could have such a strong grip!
"Oh, Mayor! Please save us! Hear our voices, I beg you!"
The village head's appearance was just the beginning.
As if they had been hiding somewhere, dozens of elderly residents suddenly swarmed around me, wailing.
"I've lived here my whole life! My dying wish is to die here!"
"Hand us a few bucks and tell us to leave? Does that even make sense?!"
"The young ones formed their own group and stole all our dojang! We've been scammed!"
In an instant, I became the protagonist of a melodrama.
This wasn't the picture I wanted...
I was supposed to shove them aside with lines like 'Get lost, you lowly peasants!' That would complete the image of the villainous mayor.
But look at their eyes. That desperation. That earnestness.
'Wait a minute. Why are they begging me to save them? I'm not the demolition foreman here to tear down your houses!'
Ignoring my inner turmoil, the old man gripping my arm—the village head Park Chunbae—began his tearful plea, snot and all.
"Mayor! It's not about the money!"
No, it is about money. They're opposing because the redevelopment compensation is too low.
"This house! This land! It's our ancestral home from my great-grandfather's time! I raised my kids here, buried our family dog Soon-dol under that persimmon tree over there! It's not about money! It's the memories! The history embedded here!"
Dangerous.
Memories, history. These words are dangerous.
The worst emotional attack that paralyzes logic and calculation, evaporating reason.
I have to block it. Somehow stop this wave of melodrama!
"Exactly!"
"You think we can leave just because they hand us a few bucks?!"
"We'll hold out to the end! Even if we die, we'll die here!"
My move to break the emotional sales pitch.
"Then who was it that drove a dump truck into Catopia a few days ago?"
Village head Park Chunbae raised his voice as if he hadn't been crying moments ago.
"That wasn't any of our residents!"
"Where would old folks like us go to pull off something like that? It was definitely those developer thugs planting evidence to frame us—hired punks!"
"That's right! What kind of people are they? Ruthless bastards who'll do anything to make our lives hell!"
"We're gentle folk who couldn't hurt a fly!"
"Look at our little doggy Nero here! How could anyone harm something that cute?!"
Hold on. Since when did our Nero become your doggy?
In an instant, Nero became the village idol.
Grandmas showered him with all sorts of snacks, from dried pollack and silverfish to homemade anchovies.
Nero accepted it all without a hint of refusal, gobbling them up as if it were his due. He even purred contentedly.
You ungrateful furball.
I felt pathetic for having called him my security team and secret weapon just moments ago. He's nothing but a fat cat who sold his soul for treats.
Village head Park Chunbae clung to my sleeve, practically howling.
"Mayor, please do something! You know how vicious those corporate bastards are? They come at night making noise, scaring people! It's like they want us dead! You're our only hope! Save us, please!"
The situation was going sideways.
I had lost my revenge target.
I came to be the villain, and suddenly I'm a citizen complaint counselor.
If they weren't the terrorists, my justification for crushing them fades away.
No. There's no guarantee their claims are true. They could just be making excuses.
Right. For now, pretend to listen and observe the situation.
"Everyone, calm down. Let's at least show the Mayor around the village first."
"Sure. It'll be better to see for yourself."
I nodded as if I couldn't refuse the village head's suggestion.
The village looked peaceful on the surface. Old squash vines climbed the walls, and red peppers ripened in sunlit courtyards.
But as we walked, odd details started catching my eye one by one.
"Is that house empty?"
I pointed to a hanok with its front gate wide open.
"Ah, yes... They moved out recently. The corporate thugs came harassing them and drove them away... Kept them up all night... They couldn't take it and left..."
The village head's answer sounded natural. But laundry was still hanging on the line in the yard, untouched, and a half-read newspaper lay on the porch.
It looked like people had lived there until yesterday and fled in the night this morning. Too contrived.
"What's that? A CCTV camera?"
This time, I pointed to a brand-new surveillance camera at the alley corner. It didn't fit in with the rundown village at all.
4K high-res with night vision—a top-tier model. Installing one would cost at least a million won.
"Oh, that. Things have been so unsafe lately... We pooled our money and put them up for security."
There were too many for mere security.
They were densely placed at every alley and intersection, leaving no blind spots. It only made sense if the purpose was surveillance.
Grrr... Grrowl...
Right then, Nero walking beside me let out a low growl.
He stopped in front of the village well, fur bristling all over as he went on high alert.
"Nero, what's wrong?"
Meow. Meow.
Hmm... What is he asking permission for? Like, can I smash this place? Nah, no way...
"Heh heh, must be the unfamiliar surroundings."
But... he's not an ordinary cat that reacts like that to new places. If Nero shows that much interest, it means there's really something at that well—or beyond it.
This village is hiding a secret.
Screw impeachment and all that—for now, curiosity surged up about what's under that well.
Damn it. Why do I keep getting dragged into these annoying messes?
I'm supposed to be the villain mayor! I'm not curious about citizens' hidden secrets at all!
Just bulldoze through, get hated, and get booted—that's my simple role!
"Alright, I've got a good grasp of the situation. I'll take the residents' opinions back to city hall, review them thoroughly, and do my best to resolve this in a positive direction."
Review. Positive. Effort.
The essential trio for any bureaucrat.
Combine these three words, and you can respond to any complaint.
A textbook-perfect answer.
"Then I'll head back now."
"Thank you, Mayor!"
"We believe in you, Mayor!"
I hurried out of the village.
The thanks echoing behind me pricked my conscience, but I ignored it.
I'm not a mayor who serves the people—I want to be impeached.
As soon as I got in the official car, I snapped at Nero.
"Hey, you. What exactly did you see back there? It was just a normal well."
Instead of answering, Nero jumped onto my lap and pressed his paw against my chest.
Meow.
"What are you saying? Speak human."
Myaaow...!
He glared at me as if I was ridiculous.
"Fine. One more chance. Multiple choice this time."
I extended my fingers one by one.
"Number 1: An ancient relic sleeps under the well. Number 2: A villain's secret base is under the well. Number 3: You were just thirsty and wanted a drink. Meow the number of the correct answer."
Meow.
Nero meowed once.
"1? An ancient relic? What kind? Lost treasure of cat civilization? Or some cursed item?"
Meow.
Once more.
"Huh? Wait, then 2? Villain base? Which villain? Are the village elders all secret villains in some clichéd twist?"
Meow.
Damn. Again.
"Then 3? Thirsty? No, then you should've meowed three times from the start! Why one at a time? You're confusing me!"
Meow. Meow. Meow.
Nero meowed three times in a row as if to say 'see?' and flopped down in the next seat.
Is this guy messing with me? Treating the city mayor like a toy?
"Haa."
A deep sigh escaped me.
How did my life end up so twisted?
When I was an ordinary office worker, I never stressed over not being able to talk to cats.