Chapter 126
The United States and the Balhut Cult arrived in London, but the reconstruction meeting for the international organization did not begin immediately.
Before the apocalypse, all leaders could arrive at the meeting location within a day, or two at most.
However, in the current apocalyptic era, even having the main representatives arrive at the venue took time.
The United States and the Balhut Cult used air travel, but nations unable to use passenger planes had to rely on sea routes to reach London.
“The reconstruction meeting will be held two days from now. Please take this time to recover from your travels.”
“Thank you.”
Even though they had delayed their departure as much as possible due to access to air travel, not all representatives attending the reconstruction meeting had arrived yet.
As a result, the meeting was scheduled to take place two days later.
This essentially meant staying idle in London for two days, but neither the United States nor the Balhut Cult thought that Britain was deliberately stalling for time.
Before the apocalypse, such delays would have triggered complaints.
However, the unique circumstances of the apocalypse made physical travel inherently time-consuming.
For the Balhut Cult, without the help of the United States, God Bahamut himself might have had to cross the Pacific Ocean—a scenario they were glad to avoid.
“By the way, I have a question. Have the Atlantic pirates been dealt with?”
“If we had resolved that issue, the meeting would already be underway.”
“I see.”
The representatives attending the reconstruction meeting also had to deal with Atlantic pirates.
These were not the romanticized pirates of old, but scavenger-like groups seeking ransoms or goods.
Due to the loss of national authority and administrative orders in the wake of the apocalypse, the navy tasked with protecting the seas had effectively vanished, leading to a rampant rise in piracy.
Bahamut, already aware of this situation through Steven, was still somewhat surprised that the issue had not yet been resolved.
“This isn’t a problem that can be solved in a day or two. The chaos is driving people to piracy just to survive.”
“That makes sense. Looting even one container ship could feed a small survivor camp for half a year.”
While the Pacific had its infamous ghost fleets, the Atlantic had pirate fleets, preying on vessels attempting to maintain international trade.
The existence of Atlantic pirates posed a significant problem for the United States, which valued its control over the Atlantic.
Anna sighed as she explained to Bahamut that the problem remained unresolved.
Hearing this, Bahamut simply nodded in understanding.
“Then I’ll see you in two days.”
“Yes.”
Without further comment on Anna’s response, Bahamut accepted Britain’s hospitality and retired to the hotel assigned to the Balhut Cult for a comfortable rest.
The hotel, designed to accommodate foreign dignitaries, posed no issues for the Balhut Cult delegation to recover from their travels.
Of course, after a day of rest, only the working-level officials would be called for negotiations on the reconstruction of the international organization.
This was a responsibility for Lee Sua and Lee Hyuna, the two sisters accompanying the delegation, not Bahamut or Yuna.
The two sisters deliberated deeply about the upcoming discussions, considering what the Balhut Cult could gain from the establishment of the international organization and what intangible benefits they might secure.
“I hope we can use this meeting as an opportunity to make new friends beyond the United States.”
“I understand. I’ll inform the working-level staff.”
The Balhut Cult also sought to use the international organization to find new friends or allies with whom they could collaborate.
Relying solely on the United States was effectively placing themselves at its mercy.
Bahamut wanted to use this meeting to activate new diplomatic channels with other nations, and his intentions were conveyed to the working-level staff through Yuna.
“New growth drivers are definitely necessary. I agree.”
“In that case, I’ll draft a roadmap for this.”
The Lee sisters, leading the working-level discussions, agreed without hesitation, fully convinced by Bahamut’s rationale.
After all, they too recognized the need to diversify diplomatically and economically, moving beyond reliance on a single country.
Developing partnerships with multiple nations would help the Balhut Cult find new growth opportunities.
Realistically, the Balhut Cult was heavily dependent on the United States.
If the United States were to collapse, the Balhut Cult would suffer catastrophic damage or even collapse alongside it. Reducing this dependence to a certain degree was essential.
Though they were close allies, it was unreasonable to let the fate of the Balhut Cult hinge entirely on the United States.
Naturally, it was necessary to prepare contingency plans.
“Japan might be a good candidate. If we leverage Jina Ahn’s connections…”
“Or Southeast Asia.”
“That could work too.”
Using the reconstruction meeting as an opportunity to identify new countries to collaborate with could bring significant benefits to the Balhut Cult.
“Hm. This kind of trip isn’t so bad! It really feels like I’ve reconnected with the world!”
Meanwhile, Bahamut, having left all the work to the working-level officials, simply enjoyed the luxurious accommodations provided by Britain.
To Bahamut, this experience was nothing short of a miracle—a rare chance to stay in a five-star hotel and enjoy VIP treatment, something unthinkable before the apocalypse.
‘If I don’t enjoy myself now, when will I? This is my first vacation in eight months!’
Having spent more than half a year living in a dreary cave, Bahamut feared that if he missed this opportunity, he would have to return to the monotony of working in the shrine.
Believing in the saying that even ghosts look better after a good meal, Bahamut resolved to make the most of this chance, indulging in the hotel’s services alongside Yuna.
“Yuna, take it easy and rest as well. You’ve worked hard managing the cult recently.”
“I’m so happy to be with Lord Bahamut! Yes! I’ll rest comfortably!”
Yuna, seeing Bahamut enjoying himself, did not try to stop him.
Instead, she agreed with his reasoning and fully indulged in the room service provided by the hotel.
For Yuna, who came from an ordinary household, when would she ever have a chance to experience such luxury?
Of course, as the leader of the Balhut Cult, she was receiving treatment and respect befitting her position.
However, compared to this hotel, which maintained the civilization of the pre-apocalypse world, it was on a whole different level.
Moreover, with Lord Bahamut himself telling her to relax, Yuna could finally let herself rest as an ordinary girl, not as the leader of the Balhut Cult.
“It’s unfortunate that once the meeting ends, this extravagant vacation will also be over. Truly a pity.”
“Does that mean this is the last time you’ll walk around in this form? That’s a bit disappointing.”
The slightly unfortunate part was that in two days, this splendid vacation would come to an end.
Hearing that, Yuna seemed to interpret Bahamut’s words as if this would be the last time he took on a human form. She looked at him with a slightly disappointed expression.
‘Huh? Is that how she understood it? Wait, what? Does this mean my subtle plans to sneakily transform into a human in the future are over?’
Bahamut was flustered by Yuna’s statement.
After all, he had gone through the trouble of using Polymorph Magic, and it would be a waste if this was all there was to it!
Honestly, while he had a mountain of tasks waiting for him back at the shrine, he still wanted to enjoy some hobbies in his human form.
But here was the Priestess of the Dragon, guiding her god onto the path of being a workaholic!
Ah, what’s the point of transforming further if this is how it ends!
“This time is a special case. If you really want to call on me, summon me directly.”
“Fufu, I know. Thank you for humoring my whining.”
“Haha… Hahaha….”
However, to maintain his image, Bahamut couldn’t bring himself to say, “That’s not what I meant.”
Silently shedding tears in his heart, Bahamut simply replied that Yuna could summon him directly if she wished.
And so, the foolish dragon, once again bound by pride, lost his chance for freedom….
“Lord Bahamut, this is Anna.”
“Come in.”
Anna, Steven’s deputy, knocked on the door and came to visit.
Since she was someone Bahamut knew, an agent dispatched by the United States to support the Balhut Cult, Bahamut allowed her to enter without hesitation.
As the door opened, Anna entered the room where Bahamut and Yuna were staying.
“What’s the matter? Is there something the United States wishes to convey to me?”
“We’ve come to introduce someone to you. They were quite insistent about meeting you.”
It seemed that the United States had something to communicate to Bahamut.
Upon entering, the first thing Anna mentioned was that she was here to introduce someone.
Hearing this, Bahamut initially wondered if it was a member of President Arthur’s cabinet.
‘But President Arthur and the cabinet members are already meeting with our staff, aren’t they? That’s unlikely. Then, who could it be?’
Realizing that the cabinet members were already in discussions with the Balhut Cult’s working-level team, Bahamut dismissed the possibility of introducing a U.S. official.
So, who could Anna be here to introduce?
Curiosity piqued, Bahamut shifted from his earlier smiling demeanor to a serious expression, questioning her with a genuine tone.
“If you’ve come all this way, does that mean the person you’re introducing isn’t affiliated with the United States?”
“Yes, would you like to meet them? For now, I must inform you that I can’t disclose their identity at this time. Please understand.”
When asked directly if the person was from the United States, Anna admitted it wasn’t and asked for understanding, as she couldn’t reveal their identity right now.
Considering that Anna, who had considerable authority as Steven’s deputy, took a step back, it could be inferred that the person she was introducing held a significantly high status.
Hearing Anna’s words, Bahamut’s expression grew more serious as he continued to question her.
“So, is this a confidential meeting?”
“Yes, it’s confidential.”
As Anna confirmed the confidential nature of the meeting, Yuna’s face also turned cold.
Her expression briefly froze, then she returned to smiling brightly as she shifted from an ordinary girl back to the leader of the Balhut Cult, Choi Yuna.
Looking at Anna, who boldly declared it was a confidential matter, Bahamut spoke again.
“Does this mean they’re not from the United States?”
“They’re not from the United States.”
Though it was confidential, Anna clarified that the individual wasn’t representing the United States.
Feeling something was off, Bahamut fell into a moment of contemplation.
‘If not the United States, it’s likely France or Britain. If I consider who might want to meet me directly, it could be the Lord Protector or the Saint of Orleans. But I doubt those individuals would come to me.’
Currently, the Lord Protector of Britain and the Saint of Orleans of France were prominent figures with established power.
While they might consider a confidential meeting with the Balhut Cult to solidify their power dynamics, Bahamut didn’t believe they would personally seek out the cult.
‘Both are preoccupied with immediate issues. There’s no reason for them to come to us, who are based in Asia. Moreover, why would they request a meeting through the United States?’
Considering that the United States held a negative view of the Lord Protector and the Saint of Orleans, Bahamut judged it unlikely that they would facilitate a meeting request from either.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll meet them.”
“Then….”
Unable to identify the confidential meeting’s counterpart, Bahamut decided to meet with them.
After all, it was the only way to find answers, and he was confident that there were few in the world who could physically challenge him.
“Lead them here. This place will soon become impervious to any surveillance.”
“Is that magic?”
“It is magic.”
For the sake of the confidential meeting, Bahamut transformed the room into a sealed space using Silence Magic and Blind Magic.
With a simple snap of his fingers, the magic automatically activated.
“…For it not to trigger my senses, it must be quite powerful magic.”
“I can show you visually if you’d like.”
“No, thank you. I’d rather not risk my sanity.”
Even Anna, who specialized in surveillance, was astonished that she hadn’t detected anything.
Smiling at her reaction, Bahamut offered to demonstrate visually, but Anna firmly declined.
Recalling the panic and terror she felt during their first encounter, Anna had no desire to experience Bahamut’s true power again.
“Ah, my apologies.”
“Then, I’ll guide them here.”
Following Anna’s guidance, the person who arrived at Bahamut’s room was a young girl with doll-like features, accompanied by a maid attending to her.
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