Chapter 119
A new challenge emerged: the revival of the international organization.
Coupled with the political reforms within the Balhut Cult after the dissolution of the grand coalition.
Despite still being at war with the Immortal Cult in Ulsan, the Balhut Cult continued to struggle, seeking a new path forward.
None of these issues could be resolved quickly.
Even the revival of the international organization required unanimous acceptance by all of America’s allies just to break ground on its establishment.
Similarly, internal political reforms within the Balhut Cult post-grand coalition required significant time to address.
The apocalypse allowed for rapid legislative and administrative actions, but there was one special event that couldn’t be expedited.
“For this reason, our Bahamut Association formally requests the dissolution of the Parliament at Bahamut’s discretion.”
“The Constitutional Democratic Party agrees. We similarly request the dissolution of the Parliament by Priestess Yuna.”
Following the dissolution of the grand coalition and the conclusion of this latest meeting of the tacit grand coalition, an official request was made to dissolve the Parliament.
This wasn’t a forced dissolution due to a vote of no confidence—it was an autonomous decision by Parliament to dissolve itself.
The Parliament had already unanimously agreed to the dissolution, leaving only Bahamut and His representative, Priestess Choi Yuna, to grant approval for this decision.
“We accept your proposal. From this day forward, the current Parliament shall be dissolved.”
“Next Sunday, on New Year’s Day, January 1st, we will hold the first general election for members of the National Assembly. Does anyone object to this?”
“None at all.”
Bahamut and Choi Yuna immediately approved the parliamentary dissolution, and the decision was finalized.
As of that day, all members lost their parliamentary seats, and the first historic general election for the National Assembly would be held on New Year’s Day, January 1st.
“Let’s see how the competition plays out.”
“Yes, and use this as an opportunity to gauge public opinion internally.”
However, the tacit grand coalition they had established didn’t come to an end.
The decision to dissolve the Parliament and hold general elections wasn’t just about securing legitimacy for the political factions—it was also aimed at clearly understanding the Cult’s internal public sentiment.
Even though individual reporters and polling organizations were already gauging public opinion, their data didn’t necessarily reflect the entirety of internal sentiment.
The evidence lay in the fringe parties advocating for “Dragon Slayer” as a core policy or labeling Bahamut as a dictator, revealing bizarre factions emerging from within.
To properly understand the internal sentiment, the two major factions believed this step was necessary.
“More importantly, we can emphasize that we’re restoring democracy.”
“To maintain a long-term alliance with America, we must also highlight the restoration of democracy on the Korean Peninsula.”
The second objective was the restoration of democracy.
Before the apocalypse, democracy was a universal ideology and governance system.
South Korea itself was a democratic nation.
Returning to a familiar governance system signaled reform to move away from being perceived as a religious sect, both domestically and internationally.
Moreover, this was a step toward strengthening relations with America, which valued democracy, and rehabilitating the Balhut Cult’s reputation on the Korean Peninsula.
A nation based on democratic ideals, rather than a cult-like theocracy, was expected to gradually eliminate the Cult’s infamy.
“Of course, this alone won’t resolve everything.”
“Still, holding a general election will prove to the world that we’re a democratic nation.”
To this end, the upcoming general election in Yeongnam was heavily publicized in online communities, and even before the meeting, the Bahamut Association and Constitutional Democratic Party had begun their public opinion campaigns and electioneering efforts.
Party members had already taken to the streets, conducting campaigns and presenting numerous pledges to garner citizens’ interest.
“To preempt any potential conspiracy theories of election fraud.”
“We should entrust the election commission to someone absolutely impartial. How about Bahamut?”
To prepare for potential contingencies, Bahamut was asked to oversee election management.
Every election season, conspiracy theories about election fraud arose, even with logical counterarguments to debunk them.
Despite being proven wrong repeatedly, the term “election fraud” had seeped deeply into societal consciousness.
Thus, the simple yet seemingly foolproof solution was to entrust the election management to someone as impartial as Bahamut.
“That’s actually a good idea.”
“Now that you mention it, it makes sense.”
If the elections were managed by someone not human but Bahamut Himself, everyone would be able to trust the process.
And if conspiracy theories about election fraud still arose afterward… well, they’d deal with that when the time came.
‘I’m already so busy as it is!!!’
Of course, with this unexpected new responsibility, Bahamut could only clutch His head in despair.
To be fair, Bahamut already had an overwhelming workload that left no room for overseeing election management.
“My daily schedule begins with providing water and electricity to Gyeongju and Pohang. Then, I need to mint Bahamut coins for use by the Balhut Cult and America. After that, I must review reports coming into the Cult and offer advice. On weekends, I counsel Cult members visiting this place. If emergencies arise, I borrow the visions of Yuna or Seol-hwa or use magic to monitor nearby regions. I also conduct reconnaissance for dangerous enemies near Gyeongju and Pohang. On top of that, I oversee research to implement practical magic for civilian and military use by the Cult’s Awakened members. And now election management?! Oh no! Oh no! I’m going to die! I’m dying!”
Indeed, His current responsibilities were overwhelming.
When discussing the busiest individuals in the Balhut Cult, the Priestess of the Dragon and Bahamut Himself stood at the forefront.
Bahamut’s responsibilities began with supplying energy resources to Gyeongju and Pohang, followed by the production of Bahamut Coins for internal use or trade with America.
Of course, producing the coins was a task easily completed with a simple click and supported by a well-established system.
Yet, Bahamut had to juggle this alongside various other duties.
Although not explicitly mentioned, Bahamut also had to personally handle emergency requests or proposals from Special Ambassador Steven.
Other tasks continually piled up, and handling this backlog became a daily routine for Bahamut.
“Well, there’s no choice.”
Despite all this, the timid dragon found it impossible to refuse their requests.
If they had tried to pass the responsibility to Him without justification, He would have outright rejected it.
However, the reasoning presented revolved around preventing potential conspiracy theories about election fraud.
Even Bahamut was aware of how conspiracy theories about election fraud had ignited fierce debates in online communities before the apocalypse.
In this apocalyptic world, the consequences could be unpredictable.
Before the apocalypse, such online discussions could be laughed off or ignored.
But now, those same armchair theorists were likely Awakened, and if they gathered en masse to shout election fraud, it would be a nightmare to deal with.
“Let Yuna manage the Central Election Management Commission.”
“As you command, Lord Bahamut.”
“If needed, seek advice or support from America.”
Fortunately, Bahamut had someone to delegate this task to: the Priestess of the Dragon, Yuna.
Bahamut immediately entrusted Yuna with overseeing the election commission.
Realistically, with His current workload, managing the general election would have been impossible to handle perfectly.
‘Everyone already sees Yuna as my representative anyway, right? This should be fine. Yeah.’
More and more within the Balhut Cult began recognizing Choi Yuna as Bahamut’s representative.
This perception even led to the formation of the Constitutional Democratic Party, centered around this belief.
Thus, Bahamut decided to support Yuna further as the Priestess of the Dragon.
‘Anything more, and I’ll collapse! I just want to live!’
Frankly, Bahamut feared the ridiculous prospect of overworking himself to death.
“Additionally, to avoid potential conflicts, both the Priestess of the Dragon and I will abstain from voting. Let’s ensure the Priestess remains neutral at all times.”
“As you command.”
However, this wasn’t a thoughtless delegation.
Precautions were taken for unforeseen circumstances.
While Bahamut was perceived as a deity, Yuna was human and could potentially favor one side over the other.
Aware of this, Bahamut advised the Priestess of the Dragon to always abstain from voting and strive to maintain political neutrality.
“But I don’t have voting rights yet. I’m 17, so I’m still a year short according to the Balhut Constitution.”
“Oh.”
One issue was that Yuna, tasked with election management, lacked both voting rights and eligibility to run for office.
The general election was scheduled a week later on New Year’s Day.
By then, Yuna would officially be 17 years old.
Like South Korea’s constitution, the Balhut Cult’s constitution only granted voting and candidacy rights to citizens aged 18 or older.
Thus, Yuna would not be legally eligible to vote on election day.
“Similarly, Seol-hwa doesn’t have voting rights. She’ll be 15 on election day.”
“Oh.”
This also applied to Seol-hwa, who was younger than Yuna.
While Seol-hwa might be commanding fleets for the safety of the East Sea on election day, she, too, lacked voting rights.
Currently, both Choi Yuna and Baek Seol-hwa, as the Priestesses of the Dragon, were underage and ineligible to vote in the upcoming general election.
‘What? That’s… terrifying.’
Realizing for the first time that his contracted Priestesses were just 17 and 15, Bahamut looked utterly dumbfounded.
While they always responded maturely and were treated as adults, they were, in reality, minors still requiring adult supervision.
At the same time, they were also governors and rulers responsible for Gyeongju and Ulsan.
“Let’s consider this as a preparation for any future Priestesses.”
“Ah, so that’s what it’s for.”
Considering this, Bahamut announced that measures would be put in place for future Priestesses.
Although it was more of an excuse than a genuine explanation, Bahamut’s statement was reasonable—it was better to establish rules early to avoid disputes later.
With the election management successfully delegated to Yuna, Bahamut still faced one glaring issue…
“There’s still work left to do…”
Despite delegating, His workload remained overwhelming.
The development of magic had been well-established within the Magic Circle Club, which continued advancing with minimal intervention.
Occasionally, Bahamut provided advice or showcased original spells, leaving them to refine and adapt.
Currently, Bahamut’s top priority was clear.
“We need to win the war.”
Winning the war against the Immortal Cult was paramount.
While international diplomacy and internal reforms caused considerable confusion, survival in this apocalyptic world was the most critical goal for the Balhut Cult.
This meant defeating the undead and ensuring victory by any means necessary.
“Our opponents are zombies, so things like poison gas don’t work. America also hesitates to use drones or lethal weapons due to public perception.”
The primary issue was the limited effectiveness of conventional weaponry against the undead.
While the Turn Undead spell was an effective counter, only Yuna, Seol-hwa, and Bahamut could cast it within the Balhut Cult.
This necessitated the development of new weapons to counter the undead’s advances in areas where these individuals weren’t present.
“Finally, the first prototype is ready.”
Bahamut had managed to import various rare minerals through cooperation with America.
Using Magic Craft, he sought to create magically imbued materials, akin to the highly effective Bahamut Coins.
“This could be the trump card we need to win the war.”
Finally, after much effort, Bahamut succeeded in creating a material he deemed satisfactory.
Holding a piece of eternally untarnished silver, Bahamut smiled, feeling that all His hard work had finally paid off.
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