Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: The Mayor's Weekend
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Beep beep beep beep beep beep—
The apocalyptic trumpet blaring at five in the morning on a Saturday—an inhumane hour.
I writhed around under the blankets.
Desperately flailing to somehow stop that dignity-destroying mechanical noise.
"Ugh... it's the weekend... this is a violation of labor laws..."
Weekend.
WEEKEND.
The end of the week.
But why.
Why on earth.
For what reason.
Do I have to wake up this sacred Saturday morning?
Splat.
A soft sensation touched the tip of my nose.
Poke. Poke.
Followed by delicate pressure.
A pink jelly's attack precisely targeting the space between my eyebrows.
"...Nero. I'm tired..."
I opened my eyes, and a tri-colored furball filled my vision.
A cat occupying my face and gazing down at me intently.
Her Majesty Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.
Grrr...
Her Majesty looked extremely pleased.
Gazing down at me with narrowed eyes, purring contentedly.
'Rise, human. The time of our promise has come.'
That's what her eyes were saying.
Promise? What promise?
I'm a proud outsider who doesn't make plans with anyone on the weekend.
...Ah.
"Fishing."
Damn it.
A despairing word flashed through my mind.
The nightmare from a few days ago came vividly back to life.
The makgeolli gathering at the top of Gyeyang Mountain.
And Jin Yeonhwa's unilateral declaration.
'How about some deep-sea fishing this weekend? I know an amazing spot. Clear your schedule.'
I couldn't refuse.
Refusing felt like I'd end up as fish bait.
"Aaaah!"
I tore at my hair and screamed on the bed.
Human history is a history of struggle.
And the history of fishing is the same.
The first fishing must have been a desperate struggle for survival.
To escape hunger, to feed their families, humanity threaded sharp bones onto bait to 'trick' and catch fish.
Yes. The essence of fishing is deception.
The vile scam of intelligent beings against ignorant, innocent fish.
How did such barbaric acts get packaged under the noble name of 'leisure' and passed down to modern society?
Wouldn't spending that time leveling up in a game or binge-watching unread anime contribute far more to human civilization?
If you want fish, just go to the mart. Fresh, prepped, with clear origin labels.
Why ignore the pinnacle of modern distribution systems and regress to primitive hunting and gathering?
I can't understand it.
I don't want to.
As a pacifist before being mayor, I can't participate in such violent deception!
Meow!!
Nero let out a booming cry from under the bed.
'Cut the nonsense and let's go catch some fish already!'
A urging meow full of that meaning.
She was already dreaming of a fresh-caught fish party.
In the end, my pacifist convictions were mercilessly trampled before the cat's gluttony.
I trudged to the bathroom.
A weekend fishing trip, more horrific than weekend overtime, awaited me.
When I arrived at the pier, our meeting spot, I regretted my choice once again.
No, since I had no choice, I cursed my fate.
"Hey, slowpoke. Late again?"
"You call someone out at five a.m. and then call them slowpoke? I flew here like an early-rising pigeon."
"If you're a pigeon, I'm an eagle. Get on before I peck you."
Jin Yeonhwa greeted me, perched on the breakwater.
Tight black sleeveless top, cargo shorts, and a cap tilted on her head.
Unlike her usual intimidating aura, she looked like the sporty girl next door.
Of course, her eyes and tone were anything but neighborly.
And next to her... what the hell is that?
"Mayor! You've arrived!"
On the other hand, Hanasia overwhelmed me in the complete opposite way.
Head to toe in pro fishing gear.
Polarized sunglasses covering half her face, UV-blocking multifunction scarf around her neck, vest loaded with every kind of fishing tool imaginable.
Pro fishing rod case on her back, insulated cooler box and tackle box full of gear in her hands.
She radiated determination to deplete the West Sea's fish stocks.
"Miss Hanasia. You're here to fish, right? Not to crew an offshore trawler?"
"Huh? I just prepared a bunch of stuff 'just in case,' and it piled up! Hehe."
For reference, my outfit was a baggy gray tracksuit set.
The look of an office worker dragged out on a weekend morning cluelessly.
"Hahaha! Mayor! President! Over here! Wow, having both of you on my boat is an honor for the family!"
The captain of our boat came rushing over dramatically, bowing deeply.
Tanned skin and booming laugh—the quintessential seafaring uncle.
Jin Yeonhwa waved him off.
"Skip it, Captain. Good bite today?"
"Don't even ask! On a day like this, you'll pull up lunkers just dangling the line!"
He grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously, rattling off my recent exploits.
"That Magpie Village bat operation by the mayor! I watched it live and slapped my knee! Taking out both sides like that and revealing the truth—who else but you! The mayor's no ordinary guy!"
No, no.
I'm just an ordinary—no, below-average citizen.
I just did it hoping everything would crash and burn.
I smiled awkwardly and pulled my hand free.
As I boarded, the briny sea scent and diesel fumes hit me hard.
Vroooom—
With a roar, the boat left the harbor.
My precious weekend left with it.
"Alright, this is our battlefield today."
The boat stopped in the middle of the vast ocean.
The faint island in the distance was probably Deokjeokdo.
Jin Yeonhwa assembled her rod deftly and pulled a lugworm from the bait box.
"Watch closely, newbies. For bait, thread it like this... head first so the hook peeks out just a bit. That's the trick."
She impaled the wriggling lugworm on the hook without batting an eye.
I quietly turned my head away.
"When casting, use a wrist snap like this!"
Whoosh—
The line arced perfectly and plopped into the sea.
Perfect cast.
She hummed as she set the rod in the holder and cracked open a beer can.
Pssht—
"Ahh—beer on the open sea is the best."
Is this woman here to fish or to drink?
"Um, let me try too!"
Hanasia stepped up with a determined look.
She pulled pro pliers from her vest and gingerly picked up a lugworm.
But freaked out at its violent wriggling and dropped the pliers.
"Eek! S-sorry! I'm not great with bugs..."
In the end, Jin Yeonhwa tsked and baited her hook for her.
After some hassle, Hanasia cast her line.
Her eyes burned with serious intensity today too. The gaze of a hero facing a villain.
Meanwhile, I'd given up on everything.
I hunkered down in a corner of the deck, staring at the distant sea.
Nero sat beside me in loaf position.
'When do the fish come out, human?'
'Beats me, Your Majesty.'
We conversed silently with our eyes.
Then it happened.
"Got one!"
Jin Yeonhwa's rod bent like a bow.
She grinned leisurely and reeled in.
Soon, a decent-sized rockfish with gleaming silver scales broke the surface.
"Ooh! Nice keeper!"
"Wow! Amazing, President!"
Hanasia exclaimed enviously.
Her rod hadn't twitched.
I sighed and picked up my rod.
If I have to do it anyway, better get it over with quick.
No way I was touching lugworms, so I slapped on a lure haphazardly.
Swung my arm and flung it out carelessly.
The sinker barely flew and plopped right in front of the boat.
"Pfft. What was that?"
Jin Yeonhwa snickered, but whatever.
I sat and stared blankly at the horizon.
5 minutes... 10 minutes...
As boredom peaked.
Tap. Tap tap.
Huh?
The rod tip trembled faintly.
Wind?
Tap, tap tap!
Suddenly, the rod bent violently as if about to snap and lurched forward.
"Gah!"
I grabbed it reflexively.
Incredible force.
Something huge from the depths was pulling me in.
"Wh-what!"
"Hey! Set the hook! Reel!"
Jin Yeonhwa yelled.
I reeled frantically.
My arm felt like it'd rip off.
Is this a fish or a submarine?
"Mayor! You got this!"
Hanasia cheered from the side.
After minutes of struggle, something massive surfaced.
"Wh... a rockfish!"
The captain shouted.
Twice the size of Jin Yeonhwa's.
"Lucky break. Beginner's luck, huh."
Jin Yeonhwa tossed out casually.
"Th-this... I caught it?"
I stared dazedly at the flopping rockfish.
Fishing.
This... might actually be fun?
"Mayor, incredible!"
Hanasia clapped like it was her own catch.
Hm, not bad after all?
I rebaited and cast again.
And in less than a minute.
Tap tap tap!
Again!
This time, a hairtail.
Cast again.
Flatfish.
Again.
Sea bass, croaker, flounder...
Glancing aside, Hanasia looked ready to die.
"Ugh... why only me..."
She tried all sorts of fancy techniques, but her bait was thoroughly ignored.
"...What the hell is this guy."
Jin Yeonhwa stared at me in disbelief.
"You got some superpower? Like fish attraction or something."
"The only power I have is wasting budgets."
I just cast.
And fish bit on their own.
Every fish in the West Sea was courting me.
The sea folk respect the mayor too, huh.
In under an hour, my bucket was overflowing with all kinds.
No point catching more.
This wasn't fishing; it was harvesting.
I gazed at the bucket contentedly.
My trophies. My achievements.
Is there any act that demonstrates labor's value so clearly?
Maybe I'm a fishing genius?
Should've been a fisherman, not mayor?
Called 'Master Angler Lee Garam' or something.
Then, Nero, who'd been quietly by my side, moved.
She sauntered to the fish-filled bucket.
And casually dipped her fluffy tail in.
"...Hey, what're you doing."
Meow.
Nero swished her tail.
A fat flatfish latched on and got dragged out.
Nero leisurely grabbed it and started eating in a corner of the deck.
"Hey, that's my catch."
I yelled, but she didn't even glance back.
Nom nom.
Nero just munched happily.
I laughed hollowly.
"Fine. Take it. Take it all."
I leaned on the rail, watching Nero leisurely fish from my bucket.
Noisy gulls, gentle waves. Briny but not unpleasant sea air.
Not a bad weekend, maybe. Not as good as bed, though.
Hanasia's rod remained peaceful.
"Wow! The mayor's a fishing genius! Forty years on boats, and I've never seen anyone fill half the deck that fast!"
The captain's rough but skilled knife work filleted my big flatfish, revealing pristine white flesh.
Beautiful? Or brutal?
Either way, it looked delicious.
"Ta-da!"
Hanasia opened her cooler.
Chili paste, fresh wasabi, soy sauce basics. Ssamsauce natural. But tsuyu, ponzu, all sorts of dips.
Washed and perfectly dried lettuce and perilla leaves. Neatly sliced garlic cloves and crisp green chilies.
"In case we didn't catch any... I grabbed some sea bream and sea bass from the market yesterday! Hehe."
Bringing fish to a fishing trip.
Peak pessimism? Distrust in comrades?
Or a hero's professionalism for optimal results in any situation?
"Heroes always need to be fully prepared!"
She beamed proudly with a V-sign.
"Wow, miss, you're thorough! Let's make spicy stew with those!"
The captain grabbed Hanasia's fish and headed to the cabin kitchen.
Soon, hearty, savory aromas wafted on the sea breeze.
I loaded two slices of flatfish on perilla, topped with garlic, chili, ssamjang, and stuffed my mouth.
Chewy yet tender texture.
Umami deepening with every chew.
Perilla's fragrance and garlic's pungency enveloping the tongue.
Is this the taste of my victory?
Yes, this is art.
A collaboration between nature and man.
No—nature and me, more precisely.
Have I been underestimating fishermen?
Desperate survival? Vile scam?
No. Fishing is sport, art, a noble test of human limits.
"Ahh—"
Jin Yeonhwa paired sashimi with a beer swig, uncle face on.
Nom nom—
Nero had polished off her sashimi plate.
Belly full, sprawled on deck drying her fur in the sun.
She's today's real winner.
I labor, you reap the joy.
Learning capitalism's ills from a cat.
Once here, it wasn't as awful as I'd thought.
No, honestly, it was pretty good.
Cool sea breeze. Tasty food.
And above all, no paperwork tormenting me.
Of course, my suite with plush bed and OLED TV is still the universe's best spot.
But occasionally—very occasionally—straying like this might not be bad. A dangerously heretical thought crossed my mind.
"Time to head back?"
Jin Yeonhwa said, draining her last beer.
"Huh? Already? I... I haven't caught a single one yet..."
Hanasia stared mournfully at her rod, on the verge of tears.
Her bait had socially distanced from fish all day. Like an emergency alert: 'Don't bite that bait.'
"We can come again."
Jin Yeonhwa tossed out indifferently.
"Really? We can hang out with the mayor again next time?"
Hanasia's face lit up.
Her sparkling eyes turned to me.
No, wait. 'Next time'?
I never promised next time.
She just said it on her own.
"Yes! Next time for sure! I'll practice hard and catch more than the mayor!"
No, listen to me.
I couldn't open my mouth.
I wasn't cold-blooded enough to tell those pure eyes 'I never planned a next time.' Seria could, maybe.
"Haha, sure. Sometime next time for sure."
I just smiled awkwardly. My commoner survival tactic.
That moment.
The blazing sun vanished like a lie.
Clear blue sky shrouded in thick storm clouds instantly.
Whoosh—
Wind picked up fiercely.
Gentle waves swelled like raging beasts to swallow the boat.
"Huh, this is weird. Forecast said clear skies all day..."
The captain's smile faded.
He rushed to the wheelhouse and checked instruments.
Screee—!
Gauges spun wildly.
GPS lost signal, radio spewing static.
Rumble...!
Seawater around us swirled into massive vortexes.
Not just one.
Multiple waterspouts shot skyward simultaneously.
Spouts.
But too eerie and artificial for nature.
And finally, it emerged from the vortex center.
A colossal head rising from the surface.
Malevolent eyes like abyssal voids.
Eight writhing tentacles vast enough to blot the sky.
S-Rank monster. West Sea Dragon King Kraken.
The super-giant sea beast from the original comic that nearly wrecked Neo Incheon.
Wait a sec.
Hold on.
Why is this thing popping up here now?
Per the original timeline, it should sleep two more years in the depths.
And why is a Western myth monster called 'Dragon King,' the Eastern fantasy final boss?
Is the underwater kingdom R'lyeh instead of Dragon Palace?
Rational doubts and irrational fears churned my brain to mush.
"Now that's a lunker."
Jin Yeonhwa muttered flatly.
She crumpled her beer can, tossed it into the sea, and stood.
Her boozy old-man eyes shifted to those of an S-Rank hero safeguarding the world.
"Mayor, don't worry! Polaris will protect you!"
Hanasia stepped in front of me heroically.
Stardust light leaked from her fingertips.
Whoosh—!
Flames erupted over Jin Yeonhwa's body.
Flash—!
Stellar aura exploded around Hanasia.
And.
Rooooar—!
A massive tentacle leg slammed toward us.
Vision went black.
Thunderous crash as the fishing boat crumpled like paper.
"Aaaah!"
See? This is why outside is dangerous!
Human paradise is the bed alone!