[160]
Martha Chafnil returned from court.
The trial was postponed due to a newly broken case. This was thanks to her lawyer pleading for consideration that the jury would be heavily influenced by the media due to the incident that broke that day.
Though their relationship had soured, he still did his job until the end.
‘But now he’ll probably withdraw.’
Martha Chafnil gritted her teeth.
It was all the worse because Northern Light was currently staying in the Spring Continent using the abandoned factory district incident as an excuse.
‘There are so many people to keep an eye on.’
She ground her teeth.
She had contacted Thorns Order to capture Abigail Chung immediately, but they were reluctant.
– With so many eyes on you right now, you want us to act openly?
The man who had visited Martha Chafnil’s office to apologize was now being quite slippery.
– I don’t want the ship we’re both on to sink. You understand, don’t you?
“Yes. I understand. Because when I die, I certainly won’t die alone.”
The leader unconsciously whistled.
The old woman’s eyes were so fierce that if he had been in front of her, she might have thrown a punch.
– Do what you do best. And wait.
At those words, Martha irritably ended the communication.
But she agreed with the leader’s words.
If she couldn’t immediately drag the traitor in and make them kneel, she needed to do something else.
Her hands trembled from anger, but Martha made calls as calmly as possible.
She planned to rally her supporters.
Spring Continent natives. Those who had shared interests with her. People who had financially backed her or were entangled in her policies…
But Martha didn’t realize.
That someone else’s dark hand had already reached here too.
***
“It won’t do any good.”
Yuri muttered, absently tapping his terminal a few times.
As he massaged the back of his neck, Chris, who was watching, reached out.
“May I do it for you?”
“If you’re confident you can control your strength.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Chris had no intention of going down in history as an Esper who crushed his Guide.
It was a strangely peaceful afternoon.
While Yuri moved his hand, Chris also moved his.
Thinking the silence might become boring, he casually opened his mouth.
“I didn’t expect Abigail Chung to step forward.”
In response to Chris’s words, Yuri, engrossed in the screen, answered:
“She has Obl Chung with her.”
“Obl wouldn’t have been willing to cooperate with us.”
“That was on the surface. Inside, he was probably a bit shaken. But what’s important isn’t Obl Chung.”
At Yuri’s words, Chris blinked.
“What’s important is Abigail.”
“Because she knows about the mayor’s corruption?”
“That’s why we’re utilizing Abigail this time. But Abigail Chung’s own motivation lies with Obl Chung.”
“Hmm.”
“Her blood relative, who had just escaped from the Colosseum, is now in the hands of the mafia.”
Yuri quietly added:
“She must be anxious.”
Honestly, it was Abigail Chung who made contact first.
Yuri had put Obl’s matter on hold. He was doing the groundwork before returning to the Winter Continent after coordinating with Northern Light.
“Ah. So that’s why.”
“I promised to release Obl Chung if she exposed the mayor’s secrets. That’s all.”
Abigail would now be under Northern Light’s protection.
By connecting the unregistered Esper Obl to them, the siblings would naturally reunite.
“I see…”
Chris murmured with lowered eyes.
Now that he understood the flow of events, he was newly impressed by Yuri.
While his master manipulated conspiracies and human emotions, Chris massaged Yuri’s skin.
It was a bit rough for a massage, but his brow was furrowed with concentration as he carefully controlled his strength.
It was then that Chris glanced at the terminal screen.
“If you want to look, just look openly.”
Chris’s eyes met directly with Yuri’s eyes reflected in the glossy panel.
“…I wasn’t trying to peek.”
Multiple messages were coming in simultaneously.
Chris spotted a familiar name among them.
‘Edgar?’
He was definitely the broker from the Colosseum.
“I know.”
Yuri answered briefly.
Actually, it was Yuri who had been peeking at Chris reflected in the dark part of the screen.
He was in the middle of contacting Edgar, the broker they met at the Colosseum, and several other “investors.”
That’s when he noticed Chris’s face as he massaged his neck.
He saw a deeply furrowed expression, as if it were some great task.
He didn’t understand why Chris was so serious. It’s not like his neck bones would snap like toothpicks, even if Guides were more fragile than Espers.
However, he felt that Chris valued him in his own way.
When he saw him trying so desperately in moments that didn’t necessarily require such delicacy.
“Are you contacting that broker again?”
“I’m feeding him some information.”
Yuri murmured.
“Isn’t it strange?”
“In what… way?”
“That underground gambling arena was supposed to be hidden. We only learned about it through January.”
“Yes.”
Chris nodded.
“Then… where did all those people watching the matches come from?”
“…Maybe through word of mouth introductions?”
Chris, gauging Yuri’s reaction and feeling this wasn’t sufficient evidence, added:
“Don’t rumors spread quickly in the underworld?”
“But what about the people making big bets? How did they know?”
“Hmm.”
“Someone might have leaked it casually. But rich people bringing large sums of money to a place crawling with unregistered Espers without concern for their safety?”
Yuri snorted as if the thought alone was absurd.
“…Could the mayor have introduced them?”
“She probably vouched for its reliability, at least initially.”
Chris sighed.
“Even if the mayor of Babel City isn’t involved, it’s fine. Many of those caught spending money at the Colosseum are trying to get out on bail but still can’t. Most are under house arrest, but still.”
Yuri had also heard this from Edgar.
“Normally they would have slipped away easily. They’re local community leaders with solid relationships with those in power. But now, Northern Light is in the Spring Continent. Everyone is being cautious, keeping an eye on the Ability Users Alliance.”
“That’s true.”
It was originally to keep the mayor of Babel City in check that they had brought in Anong.
“We need to redirect the arrow toward the mayor.”
“How?”
“Say they can’t release them because they’re watching Northern Light. That Mayor Chafnil herself is being careful not to show any flaws because she’s on trial for misconduct.”
It was flawless instigation.
Chris admired Yuri’s storytelling.
“Amazing.”
“And now we’ll leak other information through the independent channels we’ve established with them.”
“Surely not…”
“Yes.”
Yuri smiled coldly.
“The identity of John Doe is quite useful.”
The story about the mayor watching Northern Light would be leaked through the broker.
And “John Doe,” who had met them directly, would inform them that the mayor was in league with the Colosseum’s operator.
People are more shaken when different people tell different pieces of information than when just one person tells a story.
Those with power and money in the Spring Continent will become angry with Martha Chafnil.
Even if they can’t use their power directly, they’ll at least spread the word.
‘The mayor shouldn’t be trusted.’
“But it won’t be easy for them to unite.”
“We’re shaking the mayor’s foundation. And it’s fine because a new force will intervene.”
“You mean the mayor of Ishtar City?”
A glint appeared in Yuri’s eyes.
“Smart. And?”
“And…?”
Confused by Yuri’s question, Chris simply repeated his words.
“There’s one more.”
One more besides Ishtar City?
“Give me a hint.”
“Hmm. It’s where the runaway dog stayed.”
At Yuri’s answer, Chris closed his eyes tightly.
“…Do you mean Northern Light?”
He nodded without further teasing.
“Honestly, I thought you’d mention Northern Light first. For Ishtar City to pop up immediately in that situation—you’ve become quite smart.”
Yuri murmured, touching his chin.
“Before… didn’t Yuri explain to me? That Ishtar City wants to take the initiative in the Spring Continent.”
“You remembered.”
“Yes.”
He swallowed the obvious response of “because you told me.”
“Soon, the story about the guiding drug and fake Guides will break. Everyone will learn the truth about the drug made in that abandoned factory district. This creates an opening for Northern Light to intervene.”
“Ah.”
Chris recalled January at the mention of fake Guides.
Would he be alright?
“The mayor of Ishtar has decided to support Northern Light. With these two forces coming forward, the people of the Spring Continent will have choices…”
He wrinkled his nose and murmured:
“It might even be good to build a new Alliance building here. There’s no need for Espers and Guides to gather only in the Summer Continent anymore. Some will have the Spring Continent as their hometown.”
“…That’s true.”
Chris nodded.
“Besides, numerous unregistered Espers have been discovered here.”
At Yuri’s quiet addition, Chris thought of the Esper competitors they had met at the Colosseum.
‘…I’m glad I didn’t destroy it.’
Chris recalled the time when he had planned to bury the entire Colosseum underground to escape.
The one who stopped him from committing that terrible act was none other than Yuri.
There was blind devotion in his blue eyes as he looked at his master.
Yuri’s purple eyes gleamed coldly.
“Until now, Martha Chafnil has been able to unite people’s opinions under the banner of developing the Spring Continent.”
Martha Chafnil.
An ambitious woman who advanced stagnant development and sought the Spring Continent’s progress.
She had received strong enough support to be re-elected as mayor of Babel City. Despite her advanced age, she actively proposed various agendas and had the drive to push them through.
But what if the voices that had been supporting her until now were divided?
For this purpose, Yuri exposed Chafnil’s corruption and increased people’s options.
‘Ah, so that’s why the Babel story.’
Chris suddenly recalled what Yuri had mentioned about Babel.
Humans who could no longer communicate due to different languages scattered.
They could never move for the same purpose again.
Yuri, who seemed to read Chris’s understanding just by eye contact, whispered:
“Those who support the mayor, those who doubt the mayor’s path, those who have been persuaded by Northern Light…”
The man smiled, showing his teeth.
What Yuri was really targeting wasn’t just Martha Chafnil alone.
“Let’s tear it all to pieces.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
