[161]
Bang!
“Answer… Answer it.”
The mayor, who had been anxiously pacing around the room, stopped abruptly at the disconnected tone, already dozens of times.
“Why aren’t they answering!”
Martha Chafnil gritted her teeth and threw the terminal.
Her chest rose and fell roughly.
Neither the heads of media companies nor the local dignitaries were taking her calls.
Not even her former secretary!
Unable to contain her temper, she swept everything off the desk, sending her autobiography, decorations, and projector flying to the floor.
The nameplate that tumbled down with them made quite a clamor.
Looking closer, it seemed to have cracked under her fit of rage.
Martha closed her eyes tightly upon discovering that the crack ran right between her title of mayor and her name.
At any other time, this would have been something she’d laugh off. But now, it couldn’t feel more ominous.
The secretary who used to clean up after her tantrums had long since quit.
No, not just quit—she’d held a press conference to expose Martha.
‘Abigail Chung…!’
A person who had struggled to get her brother out of the Colosseum.
Abigail, who showed full loyalty for just a bit of money, had been a truly easy subordinate to handle.
Slowly lifting her head, Martha saw her reflection in the dark window.
Her white curly hair, always perfectly set, was now completely disheveled.
Her attire wasn’t in much better shape.
Unbuttoned shirt opened in suffocation. Wrinkled formal jacket. Loafers carelessly thrown off and lying about.
Staggering toward the armchair, Martha clenched her teeth at the pain in her toes.
One of the commendation plaques had been made of glass, and it seemed its fragments had scattered when it broke.
She should show it to a doctor before the wound embedded deeper, but her body felt too heavy.
This is the problem with aging.
Even a little movement quickly exhausts you.
Ignoring the pain in her foot, Martha sat in the chair, covered her eyes with her arm, and took a deep breath.
While she held power, the world had been so sweet.
But now, as she was losing her support base, everything had turned upside down.
It was strange.
This whole situation was too strange.
Martha Chafnil was not someone to be disregarded.
She was someone recognized and revered everywhere. Everyone respected Martha, and she easily won favor just by smiling a few times and waving her hand.
Among the various cities of the spring continent, it was none other than Martha Chafnil who represented them.
Even council members with significant influence in the city council always checked Martha’s reaction.
She was also invited to give speeches at university graduations. Everyone looked at her with respect.
Even just taking a walk in front of her house would make the newspapers, described as the mayor spending her leisure time modestly.
Gossip magazines had even run special articles on Martha Chafnil’s ex-husband.
Even at restaurants fully booked for the year, the manager would rush out to welcome her if she said she wanted to visit.
Parents with children would give respectful looks when they spotted Martha Chafnil.
Too many things had happened in just a few days.
The first thing she noticed was the division in the city council.
They had been united in purpose to make the spring continent a better place to live, more developed than other continents.
Whatever their true intentions, they needed to develop what they had to enjoy more, right?
But the council members had begun to pursue their own interests.
It seemed like accumulated ill feelings had burst, but given the timing, it was suspicious.
Martha tried to keep this under her control somehow, but she couldn’t manage the fierce nerve war going on beneath the surface.
The trial was also a mountain of difficulties.
It was because of the testimony given by a Colosseum broker called as an additional witness.
“…The owner of the illegally operated underground gambling arena said there would be no disruption to business because the mayor was backing them.”
“When did I ever do such a thing!”
Martha objected with veins bulging in her neck.
The lawyer she had recently replaced didn’t even attempt to stop the mayor.
Martha knew too. How ugly a person could become facing downfall. She had once been confident that she wouldn’t look like that.
But when the ground she stood on began to shake, her mood fluctuated with anxiety that she had to do something.
That wasn’t all. Daily protests were occurring in the square in front of Babel City Hall.
“A mayor who treats human lives as entertainment must step down!”
“Pay for your crimes of illegally exploiting civilians from other continents and pushing them into dangerous situations!”
Although Martha had been re-elected without any major issues until now, the protests against her were growing increasingly large.
Martha responded by closing the curtains, but it was impossible to completely block out the humming noise.
On top of that, Northern Light had sent a formal letter of protest.
“You knew about the existence of unregistered Espers and turned a blind eye. Does the spring continent really intend to be at odds with Northern Light?”
The mayor of Ishtar was excitedly giving interviews about the abandoned factory district.
“The people rescued from the abandoned factory district were all suffering from malnutrition. Not to mention various diseases due to excessive labor, and the psychological shock was so great that they are undergoing continuous counseling. In our Ishtar City, for their treatment and settlement…”
Seizing the moment, various newspapers reported follow-up coverage on the stowaways found in the abandoned factory district. Some media outlets even linked this to the Colosseum.
Because public attention was focused on it, newspapers were selling out as soon as they were printed. There were even rumors that the lights at the printing house never went out.
‘I thought we had covered it up well…!’
Needless to say, the flea market incident was half-buried.
Someone had even come from Orum City across the sea in the November continent.
They claimed to have confirmed that the source of the drugs distributed there was Babel City and demanded compensation.
When compensation issues arose, the city council wanted to cut off the tail.
In other words, they didn’t hide their wish for Martha Chafnil to sink alone, bearing everything.
“It’s true that Mayor has dedicated herself to Babel City and the spring continent all this time.”
Martha knew that voice. It belonged to the deputy mayor who had always firmly supported her.
“But given Mayor Chafnil’s age, I think it’s about time for her to rest.”
‘Lobel, you… how dare you aim for my position…’
The mayor’s lips trembled.
The first accusation arose from her secretary’s betrayal.
Added to that was the situation where the deputy mayor, whom she had trusted as a close aide, was trying to push her out by shaping public opinion behind her back.
‘I’ve lived my life in vain. In vain.’
The back of her head was numb.
By this point, more than feeling dejected, her insides were turning over from bitterness.
But Martha Chafnil didn’t even have the leisure to ruminate on this anger.
Events were hitting without pause.
Block one hole, and another would burst. Block that one, and the next would open.
As soon as Martha scrambled for excuses, a new witness would step forward and testify as if they had expected it.
‘At this rate, it’s inevitable downfall.’
With bloodshot eyes, she pulled out a box from under the new sofa.
Inside was a black terminal.
The mayor stared at the terminal screen, which didn’t light up when turned on.
The terminal had discharged due to continuous calls since morning.
They say it charges automatically over time, but until then, it wouldn’t even turn on, so she had to wait.
This device connected only to the leader of Thorns Order.
Thorns Order had drawn a line with Martha amid the daily incidents.
At first, Martha also thought it was wise to distance herself from them.
Thorns Order was the organization that committed terrorism against Northern Light headquarters and Orum City.
The moment people found a connection between them and Mayor Chafnil, they would rush in like a pack of crocodiles.
‘And they’d tear me to pieces.’
In such an unfavorable situation, it was impossible to escape by putting all the blame on them.
However, the longer the leader’s silence continued, the more anxious Martha became.
‘What if they abandon me like this?’
Since the mayor knew more than a thing or two, they wouldn’t dare make such a choice.
Nevertheless, Martha felt the need to put some measures in place just in case.
It was when the eyes of the seasoned politician darkened with conspiracy.
The terminal lit up.
Martha, who had hastily tried to press the receive button but slipped, forced herself to calm down.
This time, after calmly attempting to receive, Martha opened her mouth as soon as she confirmed the connection was properly established.
“Leader? Is that you?”
Though she tried to stay calm, the mayor felt ashamed of her inevitably trembling voice.
– My, aren’t you too happy to hear from me?
A slimy voice was heard from the other end.
The mayor, who had been straining to speak in a sweet tone, changed her mind.
“After making people wait because your side didn’t handle things properly, what? Happy?”
Martha Chafnil sneered.
“At this rate, I’m heading for complete downfall. Leader. If I’m going down like this, I absolutely won’t fall alone.”
For someone making threats, her voice was quite calm.
If anything, it gave the impression that she had made a decision.
– I’m sorry for making you wait so long. But I was preparing, so please don’t misunderstand too much.
The leader waved his hand as if calming an excited bull.
– Above all, I’m glad to see you as passionate as ever.
The mayor’s eyes narrowed.
The man whispered in a secretive tone.
– I have an excellent solution to resolve this matter.
***
“Mayor Chafnil is resigning!”
Peter threw open the door and shouted as he entered. His urgent voice had forgotten even to knock.
Yuri didn’t even rise from his armchair, as if he had already anticipated this.
As the one who had unleashed the pack of dogs, what was there for him to be surprised about?
Taking the coffee cup handed by Chris and sipping it, Yuri spoke.
“What about the Barrel Society people who were caught at the flea market?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
