That guy is so incredible stubborn and unwilling to thing. Those are the mayor traits, that make him an idiot. Oh please author-san, don't give him a redemption arc, that ends with him being the main LI of MC. He is unsalvageable at this point. If he can reach a point, at which he is so blinded, that he sides with a criminal, because it fit his superstitions, even though he clearly is obligated to invest this, than his character is bad enough to never be able to change enough, you can see him as a good fit for MC. He'll always stay a moron of a degree, that disqualifies him. He simply can't leave that zone.