[135]
Telekinesis.
Everyone’s gaze unconsciously turned toward Chris.
Telekinesis wasn’t a rare ability. However, this coincidence seemed rather peculiar.
“Interesting.”
Yuri muttered after moving his lips a few times.
“I think Rosenhauser must have seen some potential in that captain. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have mentioned taking him as an adopted son.”
Rosenhauser cared about others’ perceptions. This was because he had lived through the era when Espers were persecuted. Espers were ostracized solely for being Espers, and the weak ones were even beaten to death. So Rosenhauser’s focus on his public image was essentially a survival strategy.
Even after establishing Northern Light and gaining sufficient respect, Rosenhauser couldn’t let go of his obsession with reputation.
The problem was that due to his paranoid personality, he couldn’t keep the people he wanted to monitor at a distance.
As a result, Rosenhauser used his position as godfather to control Yuri. Who would doubt Rosenhauser’s sincerity when he claimed it was to protect his godson who had manifested as a Guide?
“Looking at how a person who tried to maintain both justification and efficiency first offered to adopt him but then canceled it…”
Yuri slightly furrowed his brow.
“There might have been some serious defect.”
“Hmm.”
Fortuna seemed lost in thought.
“Herbert Raine didn’t know much about the ‘Captain.’ Other than being an Esper, he didn’t seem to leave much of an impression.”
“What was the Captain’s name?”
“Umm…”
Fortuna’s face contorted with confusion at Yuri’s question.
She couldn’t remember.
‘I thought I had found a good loophole in the prohibition…’
“Never mind.”
“No.”
Fortuna shook her head.
“I clearly remember seeing his name. But I can’t recall it.”
Yuri clicked his tongue.
“We’ve been countered.”
“Yes. It seems they set up a safety measure in case someone tried to exploit the loophole.”
To think they anticipated someone would use a loophole in the prohibition and prepared countermeasures in advance.
An exceptionally capable mental Esper. And that thoroughness is remarkably impressive.
“What’s puzzling is… that someone with such abilities was under Rosenhauser. He must have been oppressive.”
“Just because someone is evil to me doesn’t mean they’re evil to everyone else.”
People change their attitudes depending on the person.
Someone can act like an angel to you but be a devil to others.
Even now, there were people who remembered Rosenhauser fondly. They refused to believe he had committed such crimes.
Some even said they should uncover the truth and clear Rosenhauser’s name, as he died bearing false accusations.
Not all of them were fooled because they were stupid. After all, Rosenhauser did care about how he appeared to others.
“You did well.”
“I’m ashamed I couldn’t remember just a few characters of a name.”
Fortuna murmured, covering her face.
“A result is a result.”
Yuri replied in a blunt tone.
“At least now we know the Captain is an Esper with multiple abilities, and one of them is telekinesis, which makes it easier to prepare.”
Fighting without knowing anything and getting caught off guard was the last thing they wanted.
“Wouldn’t we find out more if we interrogated more executives from the arena?”
Chase asked abruptly.
“We handed over the doped athletes and executives to Northern Light.”
Chris, who had thought they would negotiate to set aside one or two, cast a surprised look.
“Are you sure that’s okay? The Esper Alliance may be our ally now, but it’s only a temporary alliance…”
They’re shoulder to shoulder only until they deal with the Thorns Order. However, the conflict between Northern Light and Baekyah has always been deep.
They could gradually bridge the gap, but the animosity Northern Light’s agents held toward Baekyah wouldn’t disappear overnight.
“I gave the credit to Northern Light because I want them to amplify this issue.”
Yuri said.
“Now the side effects of guiding drugs will be properly exposed. And so will the existence of someone who tried to profit from it.”
To target someone, you need to hang them on a bullseye.
The mayor of Babel City smoothly covered up the factory incident like a snake crossing a fence. On the other hand, the mayor of Ishtar City has turned his back on the situation.
In such circumstances, what if another major scandal breaks out? And what if it’s revealed that the mayor of Babel City, Martha Chafnil, turned a blind eye to this facility?
‘Trust has already collapsed.’
Martha Chafnil won’t get a second chance.
After removing the public authority that cooperates with the Thorns Order, they will have no choice but to crawl out of their hiding places.
“The mayor isn’t stupid, so she’ll resist until the end.”
Peter said in a gloomy voice.
“A cornered beast typically does that.”
Yuri looked at him.
“For now, she’ll curl up to protect herself.”
For now. And for the time being.
Above all, Yuri was always prepared for contingencies.
The meeting disbanded with that.
Northern Light revealed the existence of the Colosseum. The illegal matches fought by unregistered Espers, the gambling involved, and the existence of guiding drugs were all exposed in detail.
With successive special reports, the mayor imposed restrictions on reporting. In response, the Esper Alliance publicly disclosed all investigation records on their channel.
As the final ledger was released, Martha Chafnil came under suspicion for knowing about the Colosseum but turning a blind eye to it.
Thus, the enemy decided to make a move.
***
Babel City investigators swarmed the Barrel Society’s Babel branch.
“Move everything in the containers. Detain everyone who operated and used this black market. Find the ledgers!”
Abigail Chung was at the forefront, personally directing the investigation.
After being released, Abigail had returned to work as if nothing had happened and was once again serving as the mayor’s faithful subordinate.
“Guiding drugs were distributed through this place! Arrest these criminals who illegally entered the Spring Continent and distributed smuggled items!”
Activists affiliated with the Barrel Society were systematically arrested.
Illegal immigrants who had come on business were treated the same way.
“Ahhh!”
“Let go, please let me go!”
“I was just passing by… ugh.”
They roughly forced people to kneel and handcuffed them. Some even kicked those who tried to flee.
The suppression unit sent by the city wielded their hands without restraint.
Peter could see anger freezing in the eyes of those who had docilely curled up.
It was a situation that could explode at any moment.
Peter bit his lip. He couldn’t just stand by and watch. Since he was the only executive present, he had to step forward and do something.
As he was about to move forward, someone grabbed Peter’s wrist from behind.
“Stay still.”
“Mrs. Grandis.”
“I’ll go.”
“But this isn’t a situation you can resolve.”
Moreover, Mrs. Grandis’s situation wasn’t very comfortable either.
About half of the items she had diligently collected during the flea market incident had burned down. Her already thin cheeks had become even more gaunt from her busy efforts to restore them.
“I know you don’t have a good solution either, Peter. So…”
There was a strange light in Mrs. Grandis’s eyes as she looked straight ahead.
It wasn’t the look of someone who had given up, even in jest.
“I’ll do what I can.”
After pushing Peter towards the secret passage, Mrs. Grandis walked forward with determined steps.
Gun barrels moved toward Grandis as the new figure appeared.
Mrs. Grandis’s hands, raised to indicate surrender, trembled. So did her body.
“We will cooperate!”
However, Mrs. Grandis’s voice remained dignified.
“The Barrel Society’s flea market will cooperate with the city’s investigation!”
Her voice, articulating clearly in case the other party hadn’t heard, was thick with the accent characteristic of people from other continents.
“Ma’am!”
A young man who had been slowly gripping a wooden stick from a collapsed tent called out to Mrs. Grandis.
“They pushed in first! We have to fight!”
“Stay put!”
Mrs. Grandis shouted. It was hard to imagine where such spirit came from in that small body.
“Do you think I’m not angry? We were just starting to recover from the last incident, and now this?”
Her voice was almost like a growl.
“Do you think I don’t feel the injustice? Watching my neighbors being dragged across the floor like this?”
She felt wronged. Wronged and angry.
Babel City was deliberately trying to criminalize the people here.
A black market formed secretly by outsiders, they claimed.
No one would acknowledge that it was a space created by exiles to ease their homesickness. Nor that it had grown from a simple barter system.
‘But drugs were distributed there, weren’t they?’
Only that story would remain and circulate.
Then people would find it easier to reject illegal immigrants. They already did, but with a legitimate reason, they would discriminate and push back more enthusiastically.
They were already being called thieves. Now they would be labeled smugglers and drug addicts too.
Inevitably isolated, gathered on a remote island, they would be driven into the sea. No one would care whether illegal immigrants sank or swam.
So they had to stop. They had to maintain boundaries.
“…”
A chilling silence descended.
Mrs. Grandis continued.
“I stepped forward because I’m angry and wronged. If I feel this way, how must you all feel? That’s why I’m asking you to remain calm. If we lash out in the heat of the moment and some of you get hurt in the ensuing chaos, then what?”
The young man pressed his lips tightly.
“You might feel better after venting your anger with violence. But that won’t protect you.”
Finally, the young man dropped the wooden stick to the floor.
Only then did Mrs. Grandis turn to the suppression unit.
“We will fulfill our duties!”
Her resolute voice echoed.
“So the Babel City suppression unit should also maintain minimal boundaries!”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
