Chapter 118
Steven… or rather, the proposal from the United States, was shocking.
This proposal gave the Balhut Cult an opportunity to participate in the historic moment of reconstructing an international organization, as well as a chance to make a proper debut on the international stage.
Above all, though nations were struggling to survive in this apocalypse, the fact that talks about reconstructing an international organization had already begun was astonishing.
‘But the proposers are the issue here. I can’t make this heavy decision alone. I’ll have to consult the cabinet.’
Of course, the proposers were none other than the Lord Protector and the Saint of Orleans, who seemed even more dubious than the Balhut Cult.
Thus, Bahamut decided not to agonize over it alone.
“For that reason, Special Envoy Steven asked me to assist in the establishment of this international organization, saying that humanity needs light.”
“The fact that the Lord Protector and the Saint who proposed the reconstruction are riddled with ulterior motives is undeniable. However, this matter isn’t necessarily bad for the Balhut Cult. It’s a golden opportunity for us to become one of the founding members of a new international organization. The issue is what these proposers think of us. From what I’ve heard, both have plenty of issues. Are we truly fine collaborating with them?”
Bahamut gathered not only Choi Yuna, the leader of the Balhut Cult, but also all available senior officials to discuss Steven’s proposal for the reconstruction of the international organization.
The first to respond to Bahamut’s explanation was Han Geun-chul.
While he seemed to find the proposal attractive, he also expressed concerns about the problematic reputations of the proposers.
No matter how beneficial it appeared, if the proponents were dubious, it warranted serious deliberation.
“I still believe there’s hope for humanity. Even if the proposers have issues, as Han Geun-chul mentioned, their ideals themselves aren’t necessarily bad, are they?”
In contrast, Park Cheol-gon disagreed with Han Geun-chul’s concerns, arguing that even if the proposers were problematic, the ideals they presented weren’t inherently wrong.
The crux of the matter was that while the actions and tendencies of the Lord Protector and the Saint of Orleans were concerning, their goals of establishing an international organization and the ideals they advocated were admirable.
Even if such lofty ideals invited skepticism, they couldn’t be outright condemned.
While it was uncertain whether the two factions would adhere to those ideals, Park Cheol-gon believed that with so many eyes watching, they were unlikely to act recklessly.
“I think it’s a good idea too. Ultimately, it’s proof that the world is moving toward normalization.”
Choi Yuna, the leader of the Balhut Cult, also agreed with Park Cheol-gon, expressing her candid opinion that the proposal wasn’t bad.
Considering the wish Yuna made when contracting with Bahamut, the reconstruction of an international organization symbolized the normalization of the world Yuna had longed for.
Even if the proposers were questionable, refusing to support the reconstruction of an international organization might mean indefinite delay in achieving the normalization Yuna dreamed of.
“I wholeheartedly agree with this proposal.”
Thus, Yuna declared her support for the matter, as if to persuade Bahamut.
‘If there’s an issue, we’ll fix it.’
Moreover, if the proposers turned out to be problematic, they could always be dealt with.
Believing that cooperation with the United States and the presence of Bahamut would resolve any issues, Yuna placed her trust in Bahamut.
“But what do you think, Lord Bahamut?”
However, Yuna refrained from pressuring Bahamut to participate.
Bahamut was her absolute deity, and even if the current choice didn’t align with what she wanted, she trusted that it wouldn’t be a wrong decision.
Still, it was clear that she fervently wished for the world to normalize as quickly as possible.
“If the international organization is reconstructed and we participate, should we ensure the Balhut Cult’s name is prominently listed?”
Hearing Yuna’s remarks, Bahamut, who had been quietly listening to his advisors, finally spoke about the reconstruction of the international organization.
His tone conveyed a sense of certainty about the reconstruction and sought opinions on how the Balhut Cult should proceed once the organization was established.
‘Is Lord Bahamut already certain about the reconstruction?’
‘It seems Lord Bahamut believes the reconstruction itself isn’t an issue. But I’m not sure whether the reconstructed international organization will function properly.’
The two political representatives interpreted Bahamut’s statements as a confirmation of the international organization’s reconstruction.
Believing that Bahamut’s divine wisdom and foresight had once again predicted the future, they began deliberating on how the Balhut Cult should act when the organization was established.
“I believe we should ensure our name is included. If the reconstruction succeeds, this organization would legitimize us as the sole nation of the Korean Peninsula.”
“I agree with Han Geun-chul. If the reconstruction succeeds, we should cooperate from the start to solidify our presence.”
Both political representatives strongly supported joining the international organization.
If the reconstruction succeeded, it would be a tremendous opportunity for the Balhut Cult.
By securing recognition as the legitimate government of the Korean Peninsula, the Balhut Cult could assert its authority over the region.
Negotiations with the member states of the international organization would be necessary, but both factions were confident of success.
‘We have…’
‘The Bahamut Coin.’
This miraculous coin, born of the apocalypse, would play a crucial role in future negotiations.
While there were rumors of new minerals being developed at the Shrine of Bahamut, these hadn’t been officially disclosed by Bahamut himself.
Thus, the Bahamut Coin remained the most practical resource for negotiations.
The two representatives believed this alone would give them a strong advantage in discussions with other nations.
“It seems both of you share similar views. Now that the grand coalition is over, is there really a need to present identical opinions?”
“Haha. Sometimes our factions do align.”
“For this matter, I genuinely believe it’s beneficial, which is why I agreed with the Bahamut Association’s stance.”
Hearing both factions agree, Bahamut commented that now that the coalition had ended, they could afford to express differing views if needed.
Although both political representatives found sufficient elements of benefit, they both expressed their approval of the proposal.
‘More than anything, it’s just that the grand coalition has officially ended.’
‘Implicitly, the grand coalition hasn’t really ended yet.’
In fact, the “grand coalition” Bahamut mentioned earlier hadn’t truly ended internally.
The two political factions had reached a tacit agreement to maintain the grand coalition state unofficially, even though they officially returned to a two-party system, as was the case before the apocalypse.
Considering that everything outside the Cult’s domain was still in ruins, it was wise to retain the united decision-making structure of the grand coalition officially.
Why go through such hassle to maintain this implicit grand coalition?
‘Damn fringe parties… no, they even made treason their official party policy.’
‘Dragon Slayer, seriously? Dragon Slayer? Have they forgotten that the deity we worship is the God Bahamut? Don’t they have any shame?’
This was due to the reckless actions of fringe parties desperate to gain political participation.
To seize power, they began making extreme far-right or far-left remarks, including some utterly insane statements about slaying the God Bahamut.
Initially, the two major factions dismissed such claims as mere attention-seeking rhetoric to attract public interest.
They didn’t take these statements seriously, believing them to be harmless expressions of free speech.
However, things changed when these fringe parties officially declared their madness as their party platform.
One such declaration reached Bahamut’s ears: a sincere call to kill the God Bahamut.
“What? That’s freedom of expression? Isn’t democracy about such things as well? Fine, let’s just brush this off as trivial… huh… this is scary, though.”
Luckily, Bahamut chose to laugh it off, attempting to protect freedom of expression. But let’s be clear—this was treason, plain and simple.
Not only did these groups disregard the founding ideology of the Balhut Cult, but they also called for the assassination of the state’s sovereign deity, Bahamut.
At the time, the grand coalition was shaken to its core by these developments.
This wasn’t scripted WWE entertainment—it was more like a sincere UFC punch aimed squarely at the Balhut Cult.
Though Bahamut didn’t take it seriously and let it slide with a laugh, the coalition couldn’t afford a repeat of such events.
“If Bahamut laughed it off, but… this is treason.”
“Exactly, treason. That statement is outright an assassination threat against the head of state.”
Clearly, this was treason in every sense of the word.
The grand coalition couldn’t ignore the reckless actions of the fringe parties any longer.
As a result, the two political factions decided to divide their roles, aiming to control extreme opinions from both the far-right and far-left, agreeing to unofficially maintain the grand coalition.
“Arresting every person who made such statements isn’t feasible. We can’t prosecute them all.”
“We need to frame these remarks as embarrassing youthful mistakes and move on!”
Moreover, many of these individuals represented the younger generation, who were crucial for the Cult’s future.
Instead of arresting them for treason, efforts were made to guide them toward constructive activities for the Cult’s benefit.
After all, imprisoning young people for treason would be tantamount to selling out the nation’s future.
“At least, let’s stick close to a bipartisan system or the grand coalition.”
“Always consult Bahamut first on significant matters.”
“No kicking each other’s balls.”
“Wait, do we even have balls left at this point?”
“That’s a good point.”
This is how the two political factions came to be.
There were no clashes of opinions or factional fights—it was simply that a fringe party, expected to play WWE-style theatrics, suddenly threw a real UFC punch, forcing an undesired division.
“The Bahamut Association supports the revival of the international organization. If the organization recognizes us, our rule will be firmly established!”
“The Constitutional Democratic Party feels the same. Although the proposers are unsettling, their ideals shine brightly. Pursuing these ideals in this apocalypse isn’t a bad thing for us.”
Thus, the pre-apocalypse Conservative Party rebranded itself as the Bahamut Association, while the Democratic Party became the Constitutional Democratic Party.
Since they had already divided, they decided to rebrand themselves as political entities suitable for this apocalypse. This included carefully selecting party names to reflect their renewed focus, as seen in their preparations for this matter.
“We hope Lord Bahamut personally participates in this venture and endorses it with His name.”
The Bahamut Association was a party formed under the ideology of worshiping God Bahamut as the supreme sovereign.
Although the Bahamut Association valued the Dragon Priestess, they prioritized the God Bahamut above all else, seeking His direct involvement in political affairs whenever possible.
The party’s support was instrumental in its formation, reflecting the voices within the Balhut Cult’s internal structure.
“No, we would prefer if Priestess Yuna and Seol-hwa represent us instead.”
Conversely, the Constitutional Democratic Party placed more importance on the Dragon Priestess than on Bahamut Himself.
However, this didn’t mean they disregarded the God Bahamut entirely, as they would consult Him on crucial matters.
But their approach focused more on prioritizing the Priestess’s decisions.
Bahamut sent out the Priestess of the Dragon as his representative, and it was concluded that they were a type of monarch chosen by the Dragon God.
In reality, there were many who supported Choi Yuna, the Priestess of the Dragon, over Bahamut, and this was also a faction born from voices well-reflected within the cult.
‘Could the international organization really be the legitimate one? Then, we should just follow the legitimate one!’
However, Bahamut, as if he completely failed to understand their profound intentions, simply thought, “So, the international organization is legitimate,” with a relaxed mindset.
Admiration is said to be the furthest emotion from understanding.
It seems that was a fact.
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