Chapter 650 – Dismissal
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A leisurely afternoon.
Today, I faithfully went to work at the Guardians headquarters and stayed there.
-Rattle!
“Hmm?”
I heard a commotion out of nowhere and looked behind me to see the window rattling open.
A somewhat harsh wind was blowing outside.
‘It’s such a needless detail…’
In any case, the natural environment of this underground world returns to an artificial system.
Whether the sun or the moon rises… Or the rain or the wind blows.
You may think it’s an unnecessary weather effect, but… I think it’s a pretty important factor in people living underground.
Even though it is artificial, this natural effect allows you to forget that this is an underground world and live there.
In fact, I spent more time forgetting that this place was underground.
I closed the rattling window and sat down again. Not long after, her secretary, Emily, came into her president’s office with refreshments.
Let’s pick up the teacup Emily brought,
The teacup’s handle fell off with a “Click…” Sound and fell to the floor.
-Clink!
“Hmm?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
It’s not Emily’s fault.
It was common for ceramics such as teacups to break.
Come to think of it, I can’t see Eleanor today.
“What about Eleanor?”
“She hasn’t come to work yet.”
Is it late?
It’s surprising that Eleanor is late.
It was a normal day with nothing special, but as unusual things happened one after another… It felt a little chaotic.
In the past, it was said that if something that bothered people like this kept happening, it was an ominous sign.
Of course, I don’t believe in superstitions.
“I’ll bring you a new car.”
Emily said after cleaning up the broken teacup.
“Emily, wait a minute. More than that…”
I pulled Emily’s waist.
As a secretary, Emily noticed what I wanted and sat on my lap.
My hands tried to move up her smooth thighs and under her skirt, but they stopped before reaching her destination.
Emily looks at me with puzzled eyes, perhaps feeling suspicious of my hands not moving any further.
“Ugh… Someone is coming.”
I felt the sound of many footsteps approaching noisily.
Emily must have heard the sound, too, and raised her body from where she was sitting on my lap.
I had a doubt.
The only ones who can freely come and go on the 4th floor, where the president’s office is located, are my secretaries and Rania.
Even if you were a high-ranking executive, you had to first apply to the secretary waiting on the 3rd floor before you could meet me.
There is no way that so many celebrities are approaching.
Surely?
I heard that Rania has been recruiting new secretaries on a large scale?
-Boom!!
The door to the chairman’s office opened harshly, as if it would break.
And instead of the new female secretaries I was expecting, men with a scary look poured in.
The faces of the four men in front are familiar.
They were high-ranking executives managing the Guardians, and Shepard was also seen.
“What… Is this happening?”
For some reason, their atmosphere was unusual.
“Chairman Bark… I need you to step down.”
A sudden notice of dismissal.
Besides, I am their boss.
This could also be said to be a hypocrisy.
“Is it betrayal? Shepard. Did you covet my position?”
Surely the atmosphere wasn’t very good until not long ago?
Shepard even shed tears of emotion at my kindness.
This guy treated me so well…
“Betrayal…? You did the betrayal. You have changed. Furthermore, you, who used to be just, are no longer there.”
“I… Changed?”
Is that so?
I don’t think so…
Karaz was too peaceful for me to turn black.
〈Shepard, he’s funny too. Change, what changes? That stupid guy had a sprained eye from the beginning. I was originally this kind of person.〉
Cosmos was on my side for the first time in a while, but for some reason I felt strangely bad.
“Chairman Bark! You’re shameless! We already knew. You tried to purge us!!”
The executive next to Shepard is yelling at me.
“Purge…?”
Purge? What kind of nonsense is this again?
“…”
Did Rania have another strange accident?
Just when I was about to have that doubt,
Shepard’s unusual eyes came into my field of vision. I can feel the immense resentment towards me in his bloodshot eyes.
I could tell through his male instincts that the Shepherd was not doing this simply because he wanted my space.
Surely we were in harmony until not long ago? I did it.
That a person can change so suddenly…
… No way?
‘… Did you get caught?’
〈 I think that’s right? When you see your eyes turn like that… There’s only one thing that pricks you, right? 〉
Cosmos seemed to have the same thoughts as me.
My mind becomes complicated.
Could it be that Eleanor confessed because she couldn’t overcome her guilt?
Even so, doubts arise.
But why me… ?
Me, Rania, and Eleanor.
If we understand the causal relationship between the events that occurred between the three, it is Rania, not me, that Shepard should have a grudge against.
Could it be that Rania has already been dealt with?
She didn’t seem like a woman who would be taken lightly.
Moreover, Rania has tremendous items that can be said to be Eleanoa’s weaknesses.
If Shepard knew that, he wouldn’t be able to move around like this.
But looking at the atmosphere, it didn’t seem like that.
Could it be that Rania planned this?
If she had secretly told Shepard about my relationship with Eleanor, it would be somewhat understandable that this would happen.
“…”
Rania mixed her body with mine quite a bit.
That means that Rania has also built up quite a bit of favor towards me.
It’s not like there’s absolute obedience, but… Was there really a need for Rania to frame me?
“… What about Rania?”
“Rania won’t be able to help you.”
I looked at Shepard’s expression.
Even in Rania’s story, I don’t feel any great resentment.
There are a total of 6 senior executives leading the Guardians.
Excluding Rania, the remaining 5 people are part of the group.
There are 4 executives here.
One person is vacant.
Can we say that one of the executives moved to tie up Rania?
Looking at the situation roughly, I come to the conclusion that Shepard was moving with only me in mind.
It seems that Shepard doesn’t know what Rania did to Eleanor.
‘I don’t know.’
As of now, I couldn’t know for sure how the situation was twisted.
Except for Shepard, the others don’t seem to know what’s going on either.
They say I’m trying to purge executives…
Is this Shepard’s instigation?
Shepard probably wanted to cover up his wife’s secrets… That may be why I came with the strange reason that I was trying to purge the executives.
“…”
I felt a pain in my head due to the strangely twisted situation.
Shepard doesn’t seem to have any intention of backing down.
Her wife’s affair is already causing a stir.
What if we deal with these guys?
“…”
Then, the absurd story of the purge that these guys told becomes reality.
Electing new executives.
Reorganize the organization.
My head hurts just thinking about it.
Is there really a need to protect the position of boss of this shabby slum?
In the first place, I had no intention of ruling the slums.
It just happened because Shepherd blew on it.
That doesn’t mean I blame him.
Thanks to you, I sucked the sweet honey, so I have no regrets.
However, if a tiring situation occurs like this, it is a different story.
Giving full authority to the organization to the Shepherd gang was also to avoid unnecessary stress that arises from managing the organization.
They don’t know, but I was going to leave Karaz within a few months anyway.
I don’t like the idea of destroying these guys and reorganizing the organization… But it’s also ugly to bring up what happened with Eleanor and have a muddy truth fight with Shepard.
What is a slum?
I didn’t want to go that far.
At this point, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to cut off Shepard’s hands as if he was giving her alimony.
“Can I step down from the position of chairman?”
“Yes? Well, that’s…”
Contrary to their expectations, when I showed my intention to step down, the executives looked at each other in confusion.
“You’re not saying you’re going to slit my throat, are you?”
Shepherd flinches at my words.
It seemed like he didn’t want to leave me alive.
“I think you’re doing something wrong… Do you think I’m trying to back out because I’m afraid of you guys? Really? What would you do if I jumped out of here?”
When I gently point my chin at the window behind me, Shepard and the others startle.
Of course, I am not talking about committing suicide by jumping out of a window. Although this is the 4th floor, it is not a height where a human with awakened magical power would die.
What if I run away and start retaliating against them by waging a guerrilla war?
It was no different from a disaster for them.
Shepard and the others had already seen that precedent. How the organization that previously ruled the slums collapsed.
Conflict appears on Shepard’s face.
“How can I trust you!”
One of the executives shouts with an anxious face.
I said, laughing at that scared puppy-like appearance.
“What can you do if you don’t believe it? Don’t you think that the fact that I brought up this story is something trustworthy?”
If I hadn’t wanted to step down as chairman in the first place, there would have been no reason to talk at such length.
“Shepherd?”
The executives’ anxious gaze turns to Shepherd.
“… Promise me you will never appear in the slums again.”
Shepherd’s self-control was amazing.
You’d know if I was my wife’s affair partner…
Nevertheless, it shows that revenge is suppressed for the greater good.
“What do you plan to do with Rania?”
“If you just quietly step away, nothing will happen.”
“… I see. Oh, and I hope you leave my female secretaries alone.”
“… I understand.”
Shepherd nodded quietly, probably thinking that the female secretaries who served me were not a threat.
I approached the guys blocking the door. They are startled and flinch.
“You have to get out of the way to get out.”
The gang members who were blocking my words split apart like the miracle of the Red Sea.
I walked leisurely between them.
I thought Shepard might suddenly turn and pounce on me from behind, but that didn’t happen.
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As I gave up my position as chairman and left the slums, the sound of small footsteps followed me.
It was Emily.
Even though she followed me out of the building safely, she was still chasing me.
“How far will you follow me?”
“Do you not want me to follow you?”
Emily’s face was expressionless as usual, but she looked somewhat sullen.
“That’s not true. I’m no longer the president of the Guardians. That means I’m obsolete. Still, do you plan on following me?”
“Yes.”
Emily nodded her head as if there was nothing to think about.
“Do whatever you want.”
With my permission, Emily came closer. For some reason, the corners of her mouth seem to have gone up.
I glanced towards the entertainment district managed by Rania.
“…”
Rania is a clever woman.
Perhaps this incident was also planned by her.
‘Well… I guess I’ll take care of it.’
I left the slums with Emily.
