Chapter 94

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 94

Chapter Title: Encounter with the Mayor

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Morning sunlight slanted through the window of the mayor's office.

How long ago was it that Jin Yeonhwa smashed the window and it got replaced?

How long will this window hold out? Shall we make a bet? Three days? A week? Or right today?

And so, Lee Garam's day of receiving praise began once more.

As always. Just like it always had been. As if it would continue forever.

Internet news main page, decorated with reporter Moon Hyeji's article.

Her articles have now reached the level of hymns.

I once thought she was a journalist pursuing the truth. Now she's just the president of my fan club.

I let out a hollow laugh and scrolled down.

The comments section was a total festival.

"Haa..."

Now that MIGA word was completely a religious chant.

I couldn't stand it. I had to break this chain of misunderstandings.

I placed my hands on the keyboard. As an anonymous warrior, the guardian of truth, I would stand against this madness.

Tap tap-

Perfect. Concise, clear, containing only the truth. This was fact. Checkmate.

I smirked with satisfaction and hit the post button.

3 seconds later.

"Huh?"

It was gone. My truth hadn't lasted even a minute before being swept away by a wave of reports.

I hammered out another furious post. This time, I needed a more logical approach.

Enter!

0.5 seconds later.

"What?!"

Deleted at the speed of light.

"Account suspended?!"

My account had been suspended.

Democracy is dead. Press freedom has collapsed. Freedom of expression is already in its coffin.

I only spoke the truth!

I only shared the facts!

Why am I the only one getting blocked!

Bam! Bam! Bam!

I slammed my fist on the desk. It hurt. But my heart hurt more.

"This won't do..."

I needed a new plan.

Something bolder, more shocking, something that would definitively drop my reputation to the depths of hell in one shot!

But not now. I was too exhausted at the moment.

My brain felt like it was overheating and smoking. CPU usage 100%. Memory insufficient. Shutting down equipment.

I needed rest. Time to head to my sanctuary.

"Let's go, Nero."

Nyaa?

Nero, who had been flattened out like a pancake on the floor, lazily lifted her head.

"Time to inspect Catopia."

Catopia.

Paradise for cats descended to earth. Utopia for furballs built with tax money.

Citizens call this place "the perfect harmony of urban environment improvement and animal welfare," but I call it "the monument to my failure for reflection."

"Sigh..."

I sighed and entered the VVIP lounge.

Soft carpet and plush cushions. A massive cat tower reaching the ceiling. An aerial walkway connected by transparent glass tubes.

Cats enjoying their leisure in their own ways.

Peaceful.

So very peaceful.

"Alright, kids. Snack time!"

Rustle-

The moment I noisily shook the snack bag, that peace shattered in an instant.

Dozens of pupils turned toward me all at once.

Thud thud thud-

"Gahhh!"

Tsunami! Fur tsunami! Kitty tidal wave!

"Wait! Line up! Maintain order!"

The cat legion charging with ferocious momentum.

Useless. Before snacks, there is no order. No democracy. Only the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest.

At this rate, I'd be crushed for sure.

Right then.

Myaaong!

A dignified cry that overwhelmed all noise and movement.

As Nero raised her front paw, the cats charging toward me halted in place all at once.

Thud!

As Nero slapped the floor with her tail, the cats lined up neatly in a row as if nothing had happened.

Perfect order, like watching a military parade.

"As expected, only you."

Nero stared at me blankly, then flicked her chin as if telling me not to dawdle and distribute the snacks already.

I handed out snacks to the cats in line, starting from Nero.

"Here, slowly. There's enough for everyone, no fighting."

Nom nom nom nom-

The cats' happy munching sounds filled the space.

Watching their blissful expressions, I found a moment of peace in my heart.

I spent a peaceful time admiring the cats' antics for a while.

Then, my gaze drifted beyond the glass to the general visitor area.

It was filled with children's laughter and families' warmth. A scene of ordinary happiness.

But.

"Hm?"

Amid that scenery, two particularly out-of-place figures stood out.

A man and woman huddled on a bench in a shady corner under the midsummer sun.

The man looked early 20s, the woman late teens.

Both were head-to-toe black. Long-sleeved hoodies, baggy black pants, masks and sunglasses half-covering their faces.

The kind of outfit that screamed "I'm a suspicious person" to anyone who saw it.

They were whispering while glancing around. Then, sensing stares on them, they startled and jumped up.

As a patrolling security guard approached, the two bolted without hesitation.

But their escape was bizarre.

They ran toward a wall, then leaped vertically up the wall surface, defying gravity.

Once out of the guard's sight, they blurred like shadows and vanished into a CCTV blind spot.

"What? Yamakasi?"

But those movements were far beyond what any ordinary parkour enthusiast could do.

Ninjas, then?

No, ninjas in the 21st century? This wasn't the Sengoku period.

Shadows. Ninjas.

A name flashed in my mind.

"The Kurokumo Clan!"

The Japanese assassin family that Jin Yeonhwa had captured a few weeks ago. The ones released on protective surveillance since they had no criminal record in Korea yet.

My heart started pounding.

They seemed like perfect material to tank my approval ratings.

'Kurokumo Clan Neo Incheon'

'Ninja sightings'

'Suspicious people in black clothes'

The search results came up surprisingly easily. There was a tip on an urban legend community.

Yes, even in the 21st century, ninjas are urban legend fodder.

The place I tracked down after asking around was a rundown redevelopment zone slated for demolition soon.

Narrow alleys where even sunlight barely reached, the sour smell of mold stinging my nose.

I stood in front of the semi-basement entrance of an old multi-household building, my destination.

Knock knock.

No signs of life from inside.

"I know you're in there."

Creeeak-

The rusted iron door opened reluctantly. An elderly man with white hair appeared through the gap.

And behind him, the young man and girl in black from Catopia earlier glared at me with wary eyes.

But why did they look so pathetic? In the original story, they were fearsome assassins ruling the city's shadows.

"What do you want? From the Association again?"

The old man asked in a hoarse, raspy voice.

"No, I'm from city hall..."

"We haven't done anything! We just want to live quietly!"

Before I could finish, Nero hopped down from my shoulder.

Myaaong.

At that moment, the old man, young man, and girl's faces filled with shock. Their gazes alternated between Nero and me.

"Th-that cat is definitely Neo Incheon's divine beast...!"

"Then that person is...!"

"Neo Incheon's daimyo...!"

Thud!

The old man dropped to his knees. No, more like slammed his knees into the floor.

"Daimyo Lee Garam-sama!"

With his shout, dozens of people poured out from the dark house.

Old, adults, children, without exception.

The moment they saw me, they prostrated themselves all at once.

Dogeza.

Perfect-angle dogeza.

Before that majestic sight, I was momentarily speechless.

"Lee Garam-sama! Spare us!"

"We haven't done anything yet!"

"Please, at least our lives!"

Even the Japanese know me? Wait, more than that, daimyo? Why am I a daimyo?

I peered past their backs into the house.

In one corner of the room, a pile of empty ramen packets.

In the midsummer heat, children were listlessly slumped, sweating profusely.

In the living room, only a single old fan struggled to turn.

"Um, everyone, please get up first."

At my words, they pressed their heads even harder to the floor.

"We unworthy ones dare not raise our heads before the daimyo!"

No, that's why I'm asking, why am I the daimyo!

Daimyo. Feudal lord.

Ruler of the feudal era.

Of course, I am Neo Incheon's mayor, but that's just a public servant elected through democratic process.

Since when did Neo Incheon become my personal fiefdom?

I do tend to think of the city budget like my own money, but that's just a mindset thing.

"P-please, get up and talk. The floor's dirty."

At my words, they only bowed deeper.

What kind of collective submission was this?

In this incomprehensible situation, the old man at the front of the dogeza line slowly rose.

Quiet movements. Efficient motions. A dignity that didn't match his worn clothes.

"Pardon my impertinence as I behold your noble face. First time meeting you. I am Genji, elder of the Kurokumo Clan."

The old man bowed his waist politely.

Then slowly raised his head.

He removed his old sunglasses covering his face.

"!"

His revealed eyes.

Sclera black as pitch, pupils eerily pure white.

Reverse Eyes.

The symbol of the Kurokumo Clan from the original story. No doubt.

As our gazes met, I felt a delusion of my body hair standing on end.

"Frightening eyes, aren't they."

Genji smiled bitterly.

"Because of these eyes, we're not welcome anywhere."

"Ah, no, that's not..."

Actually, they're cool. Total chuunibyou vibe.

"We just want to live."

Genji the elder's voice resembled the snap of a dry twig.

"The younger generation hasn't started the 'family business' yet."

"Family business, specifically...?"

At my question, Genji smiled bitterly again.

"Just as the world calls us. We are a clan that makes assassination our trade."

Honest, huh.

But "yet"?

"Yet" means they could become assassins someday.

"But these children have learned assassination techniques but never harmed a single person. They only inherited the clan's traditions, yet the world already sees us as murderers. We're treated as criminals just for being born."

The story was getting more and more intriguing.

Learned the skills but haven't used them?

Learned assassination techniques? That means they can do it!

Like getting a license but it's still gathering dust.

Latent murderers who could cause a massive accident on the road at any time!

"So you can do it anytime?"

"No! That's not it!"

Genji panicked.

"We love peace!"

"A peace-loving assassin family, huh..."

What a deceptive declaration of pacifism.

In my head, I pictured the Kurokumo Clan handing out congratulatory rice cakes under a neon sign.

Family business succession! Assassination Inc. grand opening!

'New branch opening! Kurokumo Assassination Services! 50% off first commission!'

"We thought Neo Incheon would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be different. We heard it's a city where you're judged by ability alone. A land of opportunity for the powered."

Genji's gaze reached me.

"We sent our job-capable youth to companies."

Oh, job hunting challenge.

"But it was the same here. No one would hire us."

As expected. The world, especially Korea, isn't that lenient.

"They asked at interviews, 'What are your specialties?'"

"...You said assassination?"

"Yes."

"......"

I could imagine the interviewer's face.

"So in the end, we tried to live our way here too. Taking on dirty jobs for entrepreneurs. But even that fell through. Because the daimyo purged all the city's corruption."

According to him, they had received a few commissions from Neo Incheon's companies.

But because of my great "corrupt company sweep operation," all potential clients vanished, and now even the little money they brought from Japan was gone, leaving them starving.

Even assassination can't escape the laws of supply and demand in a capitalist society, huh.

"One thing I'm curious about."

I got to the point.

"Why come all the way here instead of just continuing in Japan? There must be more work there."

Shiver-

The moment my question ended, Elder Genji began trembling.

No, not just the elder.

The young man, the girl, everyone in the room was trembling.

The air in the room froze instantly.

Genji hesitated for a long time, biting his lip until his teeth showed white.

"......Because of Susanoo."

The moment that name was mentioned.

"Eek!"

One young man in the back screamed and fainted on the spot.

Others rushed to support him, but their hands trembled like aspen leaves.

"Waaah!"

The children huddled in the corner burst into tears all at once.

"Tokyo main house turned to ashes."

"Kyoto branch wiped out."

"Osaka too!"

Someone wailed.

"It was divine judgment on sinners like us."

The whole house turned into a sea of sobs in an instant.

Just hearing the name causes collective hysteria. Is Susanoo that bad?

"Japan is harsh on people like us."

The adults finally spoke up.

"Japan... values 'wa' (harmony)."

"Wa?"

"It means everyone harmonizes and unites as one."

Ah, that famous Japanese collectivism culture.

"The nail that sticks out gets hammered twice. Our entire clan is that nail."

The whole clan poured out their individual tragedies.

"These eyes! Because of these reverse eyes, we can't hide anywhere! Can't even open a bank account!"

"Couldn't even go to public baths. Explaining it was congenital tattoos didn't help."

"We haven't even started the family business yet... This is guilt by association!"

Order in the name of "wa." Those who disrupt harmony are rejected. Eliminated.

They looked different from birth, with shadow tattoos on their bodies. The entire clan was a protruding stake.

"Waa! It's Nero-sama!"

Then one crying child spotted Nero and her eyes sparkled.

"Saw it on NyuTube!"

"Real Nero-sama!"

"Cat with 5 million followers!"

The atmosphere flipped 180 degrees in an instant.

The children swarmed over.

Myaa?

Nero flicked her tail lazily but didn't avoid the children's touches.

One child timidly held out a notebook and pen.

"Autograph please!"

Nero gave me a look of disbelief, like "Ever seen a cat write?"

"There's an inkstone over there!"

A smart kid brought an inkstone and ink.

Nero dipped her front paw in the ink resignedly.

Squish.

And pressed it onto the child's notebook. Squish.

A cute cat paw print stamped.

"Wooow!"

The children cheered.

Nero coolly shook off her paw and began grooming, as if she'd bestowed a great favor.

Watching quietly, Elder Genji bowed deeply to me again.

"I beg you, Lee Garam-dono."

"At least let the clan's children live normal lives."

"An old man like me can pay any price, but please have mercy on the children..."

I quickly calculated in my head.

Anti-Japanese sentiment is etched into Korean DNA. No politician survives touching that.

Especially the elderly! The old swordmasters whose blood pressure explodes at the mention of Japan—would they stay quiet?

The Kurokumo Clan, Japanese assassin family.

What if it got out that I was protecting and supporting an assassin clan from Japan?

Just imagining it made me laugh.

'Mayor shielding Jap assassins!'

Japanese assassin clan + mayor's protection = ?

The answer was clear.

Political suicide!

One rumor like that would end my political life.

Plus... I couldn't just let those kids starve to death.

Since they haven't committed any crimes yet.

Yet.

I resolved.

'Good. Let's use them.'

Shake hands with the assassin clan!

'Lee Garam colluding with Japanese assassins!'

'Shock! Ninjas appear in Neo Incheon!'

'MIGA? No, NINJA!'

Support them and smash my approval ratings!

'Pro-Japanese traitor, branded Neo Incheon's Hokage, impeached!'

Pro-Japanese. Ninja lover. Hokage.

Combine those keywords—what result?

Obviously, my long-cherished wish: massive approval rating plunge.

"Understood."

I said with a benevolent smile.

"I, Lee Garam, will be your backer."