The Republic’s Assembly
Thud!
“What is the meaning of this?!”
One of the assembly members slammed the podium forcefully.
“An entire residential complex vanished in a single day! Yet, the Republic’s Paranormal Task Force did not intervene at all. Instead, the situation was handled entirely by the private soldiers of a corporation. They took the residents away as they pleased and admitted them into their own hospital! They claimed it was to treat the injured, but who’s to say they didn’t use that as an excuse for illegal human experimentation?”
“Representative James, that is an unfounded accusation.”
“Yes, that’s right! There is no proof! But does this even make sense? A huge incident occurs, endangering hundreds of our Republic’s citizens, yet public authorities are excluded, and a private company takes full control of the situation?”
Representative James, as he was called, continued his speech with his voice filled with agitation.
“Isn’t this suspicious? A monster suddenly attacks a civilian residential area without any prior signs, and within less than ten minutes, Diabel Corporation swiftly evacuates all the residents. The only explanation is that they knew in advance that the entity would appear!”
Deaths caused by paranormal entities were not uncommon.
Most of these creatures were uncontrollable and displayed extreme hostility toward living beings.
However, it was rare for a huge creature to appear and destroy an entire residential district.
And even rarer for such a large-scale incident to occur without a single death.
“That’s simply because Diabel Corporation responded swiftly. Their subsidiary, the Azamina Foundation, specializes in the containment of numerous monsters. It’s only natural that they were able to handle the situation effectively.”
“Doesn’t that make it even more suspicious? What exactly is their purpose in capturing and managing so many of these creatures?”
Representative James found Diabel Corporation far too suspicious.
Why was a mere private company directly managing such a large number of monsters?
Even if they were the ones capturing them, shouldn’t the Republic be responsible for their containment?
If they were using these creatures for some evil purpose, how could they possibly be kept in check?
The previous day, an entire residential district had been annihilated by a paranormal entity, yet the Republic had failed not only to stop it but even to determine which entity had caused the incident.
And the ever-so-reliable Diabel Corporation was refusing to share any related information.
“Diabel Corporation is a company that helps address the gaps left by our Republic’s administrative shortcomings. Are you really intending to undermine their contributions?”
The Speaker. The longest-serving member of the assembly stood up with a scowl.
Though old, his voice still boomed through the chamber.
“Without them, our citizens would have been exposed to even more of these creatures, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. Throwing unfounded accusations at such a good-natured company is not something we, as representatives, should be involved in.”
James clenched his fists tightly.
A mere corporation had been given full authority over matters directly tied to the Republic’s security and public safety.
And rather than stopping it, they were defending it?
“Is this country for its citizens, or is it for Diabel Corporation? Why are you trying to sell this Republic to the CEO of Diabel?”
“What nonsense are you spouting, Representative James?!”
“How dare you say such outrageous things!”
“Get that bastard out of here!”
“Hey! Do you even understand what you’re saying? Just because you’re a first-term representative doesn’t mean you can act recklessly!”
James’s outburst sent the chamber into chaos. Even the seated representatives sprang to their feet and grew agitated.
Countless fingers were pointed at him, accusations and scolding raining down, but James stood his ground.
He had entered this assembly with the trust and expectations of the people.
How could he bow to those who sought to sell out citizens’ lives just to line the pockets of corporate elites?
He would never back down.
“As a representative of this Republic, I hereby declare a special audit! The target is Diabel Corporation!”
“A-A special audit? Are you crazy?!”
“Are you planning to throw away your position?!”
He would use every means at his disposal.
Even if he lost his position, he could never betray the safety and trust of the citizens.
***
“Hmm… So, you’re saying this Representative James has filed a request to summon me for a special audit?”
“Y-Yes, Boss… My apologies.”
An old man worn down by age bowed at a full ninety-degree angle as he apologized to me.
I recalled that he was the Speaker of the Republic’s Assembly. Or at least, I thought he was. Honestly, I could barely tell these politicians apart.
Politicians were all the same anyway.
Even in Neon Nexus, dealing with them was so dull that they were barely given any screen time.
Of course, that didn’t mean I looked down on them.
Each and every one of their powers was more than enough to ruin my business.
That’s why I showered them with gifts and left all dealings with them to Rachel, ensuring we built and maintained a good relationship.
Just like this old Speaker who was now treating me with more kindness than my own grandfather ever had.
“James… James…”
It was a name I had never heard before.
“He’s a newly elected first-term representative. He was once a hero, and thanks to the good image he built back then, he gained the support of the lower class and managed to get elected.”
The Speaker held out a file folder with both hands, offering it to me.
“I see. A first-term representative, huh…”
So that’s why I’d never seen him before.
Well, I had left all political matters to Rachel and paid no attention to them myself.
A special audit… Did that mean I had to appear before the Assembly?
Because of what happened yesterday?
How annoying.
It was good that my company was thriving, but getting entangled in politics and attracting too much external attention was never good.
Being in the spotlight like that was always a hassle.
This was turning into a real headache.
And I hadn’t even resolved the issue on this side yet.
“Abua… Abubu.”
The little girl squirmed as she clung to my side.
“Hey!”
Rachel hurriedly scooped her up and stepped back.
“He’s not ‘Daddy’. He’s ‘Boss.’”
“Bawss?”
Ugh, my head hurts.
That kid.
She kept trying to stick to me.
Silvie had explained that she saw me as the leader and was trying to gain my favor to survive. It was a basic survival instinct. I understood, but it would be nice if she kept some distance.
She kept doing this even when I was meeting with other people, making things look weird.
More than anything, her Blink ability was the real problem.
Even if I locked her in the underground tank and returned to work, she would just Blink right back to me. The only solution was for Rachel to keep peeling her off me.
“Mr. Speaker, this is…”
“I didn’t see a thing!”
The old Speaker bowed his head deeply.
“…You’re quite perceptive.”
Was he just pretending not to notice anything?
I suppose someone who had climbed all the way to the position of Speaker was bound to be different.
“Anyway, thank you for letting me know. Representative James, huh…”
I flipped through the file I had received earlier.
Inside, every detail about this James person was meticulously recorded.
“…It looks like I should have a chat with him.”
If I delayed and the special audit request actually went through, it would be a real hassle.
Vwoooom!
With a flash of teleportation, Rachel and I appeared in the same office.
The building was completely empty.
This was the office of that Representative James.
“Hmm… Are we too late?”
It was already late at night.
Did that James person already go home?
If so, should I go find him at his house?
But showing up at his home unannounced could get complicated if I ran into his family.
“Target is approaching, boss.”
“Oh, is that so? Thanks, Rachel.”
“I’ll hide in the back room for now.”
Rachel held on tightly to Fir. She covered her mouth with one hand and pointed with the other in the direction of the office break room.
“Mmph! Mmph! Mmmph!”
Fir’s muffled protests leaked out slightly from beneath Rachel’s hand.
Normally, I would have asked Rachel to stay with me, but… there was no way I could have a conversation while dragging that troublemaker along.
“Alright, please do.”
The door to the break room shut behind Rachel.
Bang!
The office door swung open, and a tall, handsome man walked in.
The same man from the photo in the file earlier. James.
“…So it was you. The one who called me.”
His expression hardened as he glared at me.
…Called?
What was he talking about?
“My apologies for the late hour, Representative James.”
Did Rachel contact him separately?
“I’m Diabel Diessire, a businessman running a small company.”
“…President Diabel.”
“Please, have a seat.”
I gestured toward the sofa opposite me.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I came here because there’s something I really wanted to discuss with you, Representative.”
…Wait.
Now that I thought about it, this wasn’t even my sofa. Was it really okay for me to say that?
I must have done it out of habit from running my own company…
“I see. So, you wanted to talk to me.”
James frowned slightly as he sat down on the sofa.
…Was he annoyed?
Because I acted like I owned the place when I wasn’t even the one in charge here?
I had come to ask him to cancel the special audit request caused by a misunderstanding, but it seemed I had already made a poor first impression.
I quickly racked my brain for a way to recover.
I needed to win him over before getting to the main point.
That was when I noticed the photos scattered around his office.
Pictures of him with his family.
His beautiful wife and adorable daughter were captured in them.
That’s it!
I should start with a conversation about his family.
Talking about family would help set a warm, friendly atmosphere!
“Your daughter is a really cute child.”
James’s eyes widened in an instant.
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
Ah, Fir, please…. just stay quiet for now and don’t interrupt.
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