Ch.50[Episode 50] Reversal Hearing

“Please, could you help us in the revival of the tanker class?”

“I’m afraid that would be difficult. Gachaland is still too overwhelming for me.”

“I see… That’s unfortunate. If you change your mind, please come find us.”

“That’s it! I knew it!”

Before the hearing began, in the senator waiting room near the hearing chamber.

Pot-bellied Trom smiled victoriously as he listened to the conversation coming through the wiretap operated by his aide.

To think they were plotting such things while pretending to cooperate on the surface.

Contacting the nerf candidate and leaking information. Isn’t this contrary to the attitude of a senator who should prioritize fairness?

In reality, Trom was the person furthest from fairness, but now wasn’t the time to worry about such things.

Since wiretapping was illegal, he needed to keep the current situation hidden, but later he could use it as leverage against Senator Muscleman.

Above all, discovering the tanker faction’s position and strategy was his greatest achievement.

In this hearing, the tanker faction would maintain the position they just mentioned, and knowing this fact in advance, he would refute their opinions and capture everyone’s attention.

“I was a bit suspicious when I received support from the boss, but now I think it turned out well.”

He hadn’t always displayed such hatred toward other classes.

When Trom first hit the high walls of politics, he met a man.

The man introduced himself as a member of Mountain Bridge Marsh and said he came from the distant central plains.

He supported Trom to a suspicious degree, applauding his praise of melee dealers and boosting Trom’s self-esteem.

Thanks to that, Trom recovered and rose to his current position. Recently, the boss came to him asking for repayment for his help and made a proposal.

To overthrow the current system and make Trom the number one figure in Gachaland.

And a request to be rewarded proportionally to the help provided.

The man from Mountain Bridge Marsh promised that if Trom accepted the proposal, he would spread “advertisements” to help with the next presidential election.

Trom liked the proposal. With recognition built through advertisements visible everywhere, his election victory would be certain, and perhaps he could look beyond that.

“Finally, a world exclusively for melee dealers will come.”

And the moment he reached beyond power, classes other than melee dealers, led by tankers, would disappear.

“Um, Senator? The hearing is about to begin. If you leave now, you can avoid drawing attention.”

Pot-bellied Trom, who had been dreaming of a brilliant future, was awakened from his fantasy by his aide’s words.

Trom looked at his aide with displeased eyes, having been immersed in pleasant delusions, but seeming to agree with the aide’s point, he hurriedly grabbed his coat and opened the door.

“I trust you’ll clean up well. Understood?”

“Don’t worry, Senator.”

Trom closed the door with a smiling face.

And as soon as the door closed, he changed his expression.

Trust? Ha. There’s nothing in this world worth trusting.

Although Trom had been working with his aide for quite some time, he still didn’t trust him.

Go ahead and betray me. Everything is already prepared. Trom fingered the recorder in his inner pocket.

If necessary, he had already prepared a way to escape by manipulating this recording.

He could overcome any trial that came his way.

Trom headed to the hearing chamber with a confident, yet vile smile.

But Trom didn’t see it.

The even more vile smile of someone behind him.

…

“The hearing will begin soon.”

Sir Dominic and Muscleman headed toward the hearing chamber.

The corridors of the Executive branch were intertwined like a maze, making it difficult for Sir Dominic to find his way alone.

“When the hearing begins, don’t try to defend yourself awkwardly. Instead, be confident. The moment you show weakness, they’ll pounce on you and try to take more than they initially planned.”

Although I’m a senator myself, senators are seriously strong against the weak and try to gain the upper hand by negotiating with the strong, Muscleman said.

“Ah. And one more thing.”

Muscleman, seemingly remembering something, smiled mischievously and advised Sir Dominic.

“If you happen to see things flying around, breaking, and shattering, don’t be surprised. Move away from your seat and stick to the wall. It’s good that you’re participating, but if you stand there blankly, you might end up in a worse situation.”

Sir Dominic looked at Muscleman with a puzzled expression at this ambiguous statement, but Muscleman didn’t seem inclined to explain further.

“We’ve arrived. This is the hearing chamber.”

Sir Dominic looked at the gate that appeared taller than the corridor they had just walked through.

A gate that seemed to lead to the realm of gods, with fog-like smoke flowing out.

Muscleman stood in front of the door, looking at the handle with familiarity.

The doors on both sides opened, finally revealing the hearing chamber.

…

“Why do I have to do this of all people…”

Johnson Lee, the head of operations and representative of System Industries, sighed almost to the point of lamenting his fate.

System Industries had a strangely twisted time axis, causing the president to still be in an “Unborn” state.

As a result, whenever a representative was needed, they decided to send someone on a rotation basis.

Honestly, if they had appointed a permanent representative, there would be no need for such troublesome arrangements, but the employees of System Industries all avoided the position.

While becoming a representative granted strong authority, it also came with heavy responsibilities. Moreover, the company atmosphere of refusing even with substantial authority was a significant factor.

Above all, there was the opinion that since the president would “be born” in the future, there was no need to create a representative and cause confusion within the company.

Anyway, the representative of System Industries, which ranked first as the most avoided position for various reasons, decided to live by accepting his predetermined fate.

Operations Head Johnson Lee thought that since the representative would change again tomorrow anyway, as long as he handed over properly, it didn’t matter what he did today.

In the meeting hall where senators with gold badges were beginning to gather one by one, this ordinary representative lowered his head and started fiddling with his smartphone.

“Chairman, I’m not sure if you needed to come in person—”

“Quiet. No more of that talk. You’re giving advice after I’ve finished everything I’ve talked about, right?”

The sound of high heels echoing in the corridor stopped.

Morgana Black, the head of the Black Company, lowered her dark sunglasses and glared at her secretary.

“Of course. It seems to have been done independently. I’ve asked an expert for detailed information, so you should be able to receive an accurate report by this evening.”

The secretary spoke confidently.

Seemingly pleased with that confidence, Morgana Black raised her sunglasses again and looked straight ahead.

“If it’s by this evening, everything should be over by tomorrow.”

She resumed walking.

The thin, high sound of her heels spread through the corridor.

What was she plotting that made her attend the hearing in person?

…

“This is…”

Sir Dominic thought the inside of the hearing chamber was spacious and intimidating.

In the center was a circular stage-like space, with senator seats surrounding it in a tiered formation, allowing those further away to view from increasingly higher positions.

“I heard it was modeled after Greek amphitheaters.”

As Sir Dominic was wondering where he had seen something like this before, Muscleman added an explanation.

“Do you see that elevated place over there? The highest point here.”

At Muscleman’s words, Sir Dominic looked at the place opposite to the entrance where he was standing, a high spot that could overlook everything in this place.

“That’s the chairman’s seat. It’s a position that every senator both desires and curses.”

The chairman must always maintain neutrality, so they tend to be elected from minority parties, Muscleman said as he looked around.

“By the way, there aren’t many people yet. The hearing will start soon—”

“Oh my! Isn’t it Senator Muscleman?”

The door opened, and pot-bellied Trom entered with an artificial smile spread across his face.

“Senator Trom.”

Muscleman also looked at Trom with a fake smile.

“You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Of course, things are going smoothly today, aren’t they? Haha.”

There’s no way he could be in such a good mood. Muscleman was suspicious.

Everyone in the senate knew that Trom was a melee dealer supremacist.

Although they were nerfing one tanker this time, Trom wouldn’t be satisfied until he put everyone except melee dealers in coffins.

Trom became a senator through recognition.

Conversely, everyone knew that without recognition, he was an incompetent dealer. Everyone except Trom himself.

“Is this the person who will be the focus of this hearing?”

Trom looked Sir Dominic up and down unpleasantly with a sly smile.

“Please cooperate for the balance of Gachaland.”

With those final words, Trom walked to his seat.

“It seems he’s plotting something. But maybe not right now.”

Muscleman guessed that Trom had some strategy in mind from his appearance.

However, given Trom’s personality, it clearly wouldn’t be a strategy he’d reveal immediately.

Trom had a habit of saving the best for last, often delaying until it spoiled.

Since he couldn’t immediately know Trom’s strategy, it wasn’t good for a senator to be preoccupied with plans that would eventually be revealed.

Soon, Muscleman, having stopped paying attention to Trom, spoke to Sir Dominic, who was still admiring the interior of the hearing chamber.

“After the hearing begins, they’ll immediately start discussing your nerf. Other agenda items have long been dealt with.”

Muscleman straightened the collar of his suit, stood up straight, and put on a bright smile.

The light shining through the window reflected off his white teeth, making them sparkle.

“Above all, let me remind you once more: even if things start flying around, breaking, and shattering, don’t be surprised. Instead, either participate confidently or stick to the wall to avoid getting involved.”

At that moment, a thin, sickly-looking old man with a long beard, who had entered unnoticed, struck a gavel from the highest point in the hearing chamber.

“Silence! Silence! The hearing will begin shortly, so any senators outside, please enter quickly. The entrance will be closed until the end of the hearing.”

At those words, senators began to take their seats one by one.

Finally, when no more people were entering, the staff at the entrance closed the door and put a large lock on it.

“Now, in accordance with the balance regulations of patch note 2.13.0104.1, I declare the opening of the hearing regarding Sir Dominic’s performance.”

Bang, bang, bang. The gavel sounded.

The hearing had begun.