[162]
“They’re scheduled to be released after the investigation,” Peter said, his face flushed.
“That’s good.”
Yuri replied calmly as he set down his glass.
“Though it’s somewhat surprising they withdrew without a struggle.”
At this thoughtful addition, Peter asked in a horrified tone:
“…Did you think they would struggle after being cornered so thoroughly?”
It was something he was only now realizing, but this man was truly ruthless.
‘It’s fortunate that he’s on our side, but…’
Peter gradually backed away.
Yuri, for his part, didn’t seem to think much of that reaction.
“I agree with Yuri,” said Chris, who had been listening quietly.
“A cornered rat isn’t quiet because it’s given up. It’s quiet because it’s waiting for the right moment to bite and leave a fatal wound.”
“…Hmm.”
Peter frowned.
“Now that you say that, I’m getting a bit worried. I should go check on the detained members of Barrel Society.”
Peter sighed, muttering that new executives were there too.
Yuri showed his agreement with a slight nod.
The enemy was indeed in a good position to attack.
Right at their softest, weakest point.
“Ask them to assign a separate guard.”
“Will that work?”
“What if some good citizen reports hearing that the mayor is threatening them and trying to frame them for crimes they didn’t commit?”
By the way, that “good citizen” was going to be Susanna Godrin, who had been running her own business in the Spring Continent for several years.
No matter how quietly she lived, paying her taxes promptly, old habits die hard.
Therefore, Susanna had various connections to the upper echelons of Babel City.
‘I never seriously thought about taking over Babel City or anything like that.’
Yuri snorted as he recalled Susanna who had adamantly denied this.
What nonsense.
If Miya Luciano hadn’t passed away as she did, Susanna would have more than enough capability to become the shadow ruler of Babel City.
Now she was just a boat drifting on water, having lost her life’s driving force. Swayed by this wind, pushed by that wave.
Unconsciously, Yuri glanced at Chris.
If Susanna Godrin had become so docile after losing Miya Luciano, what would become of him if he lost Chris?
‘I really don’t know.’
Honestly, Chris had left Yuri’s side once before, faking his death.
But at that time, Yuri hadn’t really felt that loss.
He had only felt anger.
But what if Chris died in a truly irreversible way, like Miya Luciano?
And if he witnessed it with his own eyes?
‘I really don’t know.’
Wasting time on useless fantasies was never Yuri’s preference.
But the thought that suddenly occurred to him settled in a corner of his mind.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Chase was standing on the other side.
Chris’s face was stiff when he returned after striding over to check what Chase wanted.
When Yuri gave him a look as if to ask what was going on:
“It’s a message from Obl Chung,” Chris said in a blunt voice.
But Yuri could tell he was tense.
“He says he’s lost contact with Abigail Chung.”
It was a whistleblower crisis.
***
Abigail Chung had made a deal for Obl Chung’s freedom.
After much deliberation, she decided to take Yuri’s outstretched hand and expose the mayor’s corruption.
After confirming the venue prepared for the press conference and the names of media outlets that would attend, Abigail burst into a hollow laugh.
“I didn’t know it would be this easy to report.”
When they met again, Abigail was still dressed in a perfect suit.
It was clear she wanted to be fully prepared for this negotiation.
“It’s thanks to the cooperation of Abigail, who has useful information,” Yuri said with a blank expression.
“Because I’ve handled all the mayor’s dirty work.”
Abigail unbuttoned the top button of her shirt, as if feeling suffocated.
“You probably don’t trust me much, but I was never comfortable working under the mayor.”
Abigail, who had shown no signs of tension since entering, clenched her fist on her knee.
“But I thought it was something I had to endure.”
People tend to prioritize certain values over others.
Money and power are important, but family and affection also play significant roles.
Humans cannot live on greed alone.
Yuri silently observed Abigail Chung.
On the surface, the Abigail Chung who first came to hire stowaways and the Abigail Chung now sitting before him looked identical.
But now, Abigail was in the same boat as them.
Life truly unfolds in unpredictable ways.
“It’s the least I can do for my brother who was sold.”
Abigail contemplated that belief quietly.
Looking back, the person who had the biggest influence on her beliefs wasn’t Obl.
It was Martha Chafnil.
She didn’t know how the mayor knew she was looking for her brother whom she had separated from as a child.
But the mayor had said something about how proud her brother would be if he saw his sister grown into a representative talent of Babel City.
Then she tipped her off that Obl was in an underground arena.
When Abigail found Obl, she saw his injuries with her own eyes.
She couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge him. Her heart pounded.
Thinking about how he had been fighting other Espers underground while she lived in luxury with the money from selling her brother made her heart race.
She spent sleepless nights. As Abigail rapidly became haggard, Mayor Chafnil extended a helping hand.
Asking if she wanted to get her brother out of there.
Saying it was normally impossible, but if she put in a good word, they might be able to extract him even as an unregistered Esper.
‘But you’ll need to prepare a ransom.’
Abigail said she would do anything at those words.
While living as the mayor’s tool, she didn’t need to think. No, she tried not to think on purpose.
It was something she had to do anyway. What good would value judgments do except cause her pain?
Thus, Abigail became the mayor’s perfect confidant in every way.
Thanks to this, she was able to uncover all of Martha Chafnil’s secrets.
“Northern Light will send an Esper.”
“Why? Because of my brother?”
Abigail anxiously asked.
Her chest tightened at the mere mention of Northern Light, given that Obl Chung had worked at an illegal arena as an unregistered Esper.
“No. For protection.”
At those words, she relaxed.
“…Anyway, the moment I decided to expose the mayor, I was essentially putting my neck on the line. The mayor’s sponsors, supporters, and Martha Chafnil herself will come after me with everything they’ve got.”
It was actually a relief.
There was no sense of mission or goodwill in this exposure.
From the beginning, Abigail never thought she was doing something good.
While Obl was imprisoned, Abigail had kept Martha Chafnil’s secrets more securely than any vault.
Ironically, that’s why she had the evidence to expose the mayor’s corruption in detail.
She was simply making another selfish choice.
For her brother whose life was mortgaged because of her.
And to escape the guilt that had captured her soul.
Yuri replied in a low tone:
“Then we need to move quickly. We need to bring down the opponent before anything happens to you.”
“Do you think you can do it?”
“I don’t know.”
At that answer, Abigail let out a hollow laugh.
She hadn’t expected great comfort, but his resolute response actually made her snap to attention.
Abigail steeled her wavering heart.
“…Please keep this secret from my brother.”
“After you expose the mayor, the news will be everywhere… Are you saying we should lock your brother up somewhere again?”
“Please, just until then.”
Yuri didn’t answer.
But Abigail instinctively knew he would grant her request.
She held the press conference and went through a chaotic time.
She repeated the exposure of the mayor of Babel City’s corruption without any contradiction or exaggeration, multiple times. In front of prosecutors. In front of reporters. And in front of unknown citizens.
After all, exposing Martha Chafnil’s evil deeds was also exposing the things Abigail herself had done.
People either condemned or praised Abigail.
For having the courage to do what no one else had done.
Surprisingly, as if Abigail’s press conference was a signal flare, exposures of the mayor’s corruption continued throughout Babel City.
And the more the mayor became a demon, the more people elevated Abigail.
She was photographed standing awkwardly as if wearing ill-fitting clothes. She also hesitated, unable to grasp the hands of those who offered handshakes.
‘This will die down once the mayor is punished anyway.’
Today was another such day.
When Abigail opened her eyes, she was standing in an all-white space.
‘Winter Continent?’
No. It was too constricting to be a snow-covered field.
The air touching her cheek wasn’t cold, and above all, the ceiling and floor were completely indistinguishable.
The moment she closed her eyes and opened them again.
A man was sitting in front of Abigail with his legs crossed.
The face of the person looking up at her from a white metal chair was clearly Obl Chung.
“Brother…?”
“Abigail, my sister.”
Questions like ‘What are you doing here?’ or ‘Where is this?’ were about to rise up her throat but stopped.
“Who are you?”
Obl was someone who adamantly denied that Abigail was his sister.
Saying that family ties were severed long ago, that he would live his own life, and that she shouldn’t feel guilty.
It was Abigail who was holding on desperately and stubbornly.
“Oh dear. I’ve been found out too quickly.”
Obl’s face, after shrugging his shoulders, slowly changed.
Abigail’s face instantly went pale.
She had seen this person before.
“Pleased to meet you. I apologize for the late introduction.”
A visitor who had come to see Martha Chafnil.
“My name is Gabriel. I humbly serve as the leader of Thorns Order.”
The man extended his hand.
“Now, please tell me everything you’ve seen about Yuri Sobolev.”
Without missing anything.
Everything.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
