Chapter 154
In fact, Seo Un-jae’s good-natured personality led him to describe the newcomers as refugees or displaced persons, but upon closer inspection, the reality was that the term “refugees” could not fully explain the situation.
Most people might think of refugees as people who, having faced the apocalypse, were forced out of their homes and were wandering aimlessly, homeless.
But now, everyone knew better.
‘By now, after more than a year, there’s no way these refugees are weak, helpless people.’
Many would think of refugees as powerless, homeless individuals, but in this apocalypse, refugees were more like powerful gang groups.
After all, how could someone who wanders without a home and refuses to settle be considered a refugee?
Among these people, there were definitely some weak refugees, but they were a minority. In fact, the powerless refugees were often eaten up by the stronger ones.
‘In reality, many people failed to retake the regime and were purged by the current government.’
Slowly but surely, proper forces were forming in each city, or, like the Balhut Cult and Immortal Cult, some were completing a solid one-party system.
So what was the first thing the ruling force in a city needed to do?
To activate the city’s functions and produce the necessary resources to survive the apocalypse?
No, what needed to be prioritized was eradicating the opposition forces, monopolizing the supplies left in the city, and controlling them to consolidate the city’s power for oneself.
To do that, eradicating the opposition was the quickest way.
‘Those who failed to recognize this are the refugees I mentioned earlier.’
Naturally, those who had not joined the main forces of the city often resisted their violent actions, and the fact that they could resist meant they were also powerful Awakeners.
“Is the problem the refugees?”
“Yes. There are criminal organizations and spies from other factions, but raiders also disguise themselves as refugees to infiltrate the cult’s territory. Of course, among them, there may really be some powerless refugees.”
Of course, some genuinely powerless refugees did exist, wandering aimlessly due to the violent actions of the ruling forces in the city.
Seo Un-jae could not deny this, and many came to the Balhut Cult, risking their lives just to survive.
However, the reason Seo Un-jae spoke negatively about refugees was different.
“But those powerless refugees are often attacked by other refugees like themselves before they even reach the Balhut Cult’s territory. They get their supplies stolen, and in the worst case, they end up as slaves or human trafficking victims.”
“…Isn’t that too extreme a view?”
Seo Un-jae knew that powerless refugees were often attacked by the stronger ones, who enslaved them or trafficked them, and this was not an extreme opinion, but Seol-hwa cautiously argued otherwise.
“Seol-hwa, the apocalypse is nearing its second year. It’s already hard to find ordinary people wandering outside. Our Balhut Cult’s Awakener project is producing new Awakeners, and the number of ordinary people is steadily declining.”
“Really…”
But now, the apocalypse was almost a year old.
At this point, everyone would realize that becoming an Awakener was essential for survival, and they would do everything they could to hunt zombies in order to awaken.
To begin with, becoming a refugee meant wandering in a lawless land, where monsters, zombies, and even other humans could threaten their lives.
Thus, the common trait of the refugees appearing now was…
“The most important thing is that they’ve tasted blood. They’ll act before they speak.”
“That’s just a raider, isn’t it?”
“Yes. The raiders have just turned into wandering refugees. When needed, they show their true nature as raiders. When necessary, they hide it and become weak refugees. That’s what makes them such troublesome beings.”
All of them had tasted blood.
This meant they could fight, and they preferred to take supplies from others by force rather than negotiating.
Raider groups also infiltrated the city, stealing from defenseless citizens and plundering supplies.
Despite the military’s attempts to capture and eliminate these raiders, it seemed they were replenished from somewhere, as raiders were never completely wiped out.
“These people are demanding the laws of the Republic of Korea from the Balhut Cult, but when necessary, they’re ready to break those laws under the guise of the so-called people’s right to resistance.”
The scariest part was that Kim Suho had left the banner of the Republic of Korea behind, and these people were using the argument of the people’s right to resistance to claim their rights.
The ironic part was that even if the Republic of Korea were still around, they were already planning to break its laws.
This hypocritical stance only further hardened Baek Seol-hwa’s expression.
“That’s why I’m still considering how to deal with them.”
It was a troublesome matter.
In fact, the raiders had power, just like the forces that protected Pohang.
Though technically, the soldiers guarding the Priestess of the Dragon were stationed there.
These forces wouldn’t just sit idle, and if they were mobilized, the refugees—no, raiders—wandering the Korean Peninsula could easily be wiped out individually.
However, Seo Un-jae could not bring himself to issue a command to eliminate them, and he seemed to be deep in thought.
To be honest, not all of them had chosen to become refugees or raiders. The real culprit was none other than the apocalypse itself.
“Is there a way to settle these refugees peacefully?”
“There is a way. We could educate them and help them realize that they can survive without resorting to plundering. However, this would require a lot of money and time… and the public opinion of the original Pohang residents is also a problem.”
Baek Seol-hwa hesitated for a moment before asking about a peaceful settlement for the refugees.
Seo Un-jae, as if waiting for this question, suggested that they could educate and reform the refugees while showing them that they could survive without resorting to plundering.
The downside would be that public opinion in Pohang could worsen, and a lot of money and time would be required.
In fact, Pohang, which was making enormous profits through trade with the United States, had no issue with the necessary funds, and if needed, time could be allocated for the education.
“But if we declare benefits for the refugees in the midst of the incidents they’ve caused, the public support for us might shift in the wrong direction.”
“It’s difficult.”
The problem was the public opinion of the people in Pohang.
Currently, the refugees were disturbing the peace in Pohang, and as a result, the public opinion in Pohang toward the refugees was becoming more and more extreme.
In such a situation, if benefits for the refugees were declared without care, it was highly likely that the trust that had been built until now would collapse.
“It’s difficult. We can’t monitor the entire border. We can’t build a wall, and even if we did, it would require a lot of resources and manpower.”
“It seems the issue can’t be solved just by restoring peace.”
“Yes. Restoring peace would only be a temporary measure. It won’t be a fundamental solution.”
So, this crisis could not be solved simply by restoring peace.
To fully solve the problem, the incoming refugees needed to be dealt with.
‘The easiest method would be to expel them. Expel the refugees who are causing problems immediately. But even then, it could negatively affect our already poor reputation, and there might be talk about it from the central government.’
Seo Un-jae thought about expulsion.
If these refugees followed the administrative orders of the Balhut Cult, this could be resolved without conflict. However, would the refugees even listen to those orders?
It was far more likely that they would look down on the orders and reveal their true nature.
‘This is a problem I can’t solve on my own. That’s why I reported this to Priestess Seol-hwa. To be honest, I can’t expect much from it.’
Moreover, Seo Un-jae, who was acting as Baek Seol-hwa’s deputy, couldn’t unilaterally order the expulsion of the refugees. Only Baek Seol-hwa had that authority. So, when Seo Un-jae tried to suggest the expulsion to Priestess Seol-hwa…
“Three chances.”
“Pardon?”
“We’ll give them three chances. But beyond that, they’re out. We’ll use force if necessary.”
Baek Seol-hwa declared that the refugees would be given three chances.
This wasn’t out of mercy, but more for building a justification, and she declared that if they wasted all three chances, force would be used.
In other words, once they had a legitimate reason to deal with the refugees, she would wipe them out in one fell swoop. The Balhut Cult had powerful magical weapons capable of overpowering them.
“The Buddha’s face is three times, so I’ll give them three chances. If they don’t improve, I’ll respond harshly. Of course, if it’s a murder or a serious crime, they’re out immediately.”
“…Is that alright?”
“The citizens of Pohang are already suffering from the refugee situation. Besides, some of the refugees definitely want to settle in Pohang. In that case, we’ll keep those who want to stay and expel or suppress the rest.”
The problem was that this strong suppression could cause the reputation of the Balhut Cult to drop further.
Especially since the Balhut Cult had many inconveniences due to its reputation, they would find it difficult to carry out a strong crackdown, knowing it would further damage their standing.
Seo Un-jae, mindful of this, asked if it was really okay, but Priestess Seol-hwa only firmly declared that they would take harsh action.
“There’s also the option of drawing them in through policy and support.”
“Do we have the public opinion or the administrative power to do that?”
“We have neither. The public already has no sympathy for them. They’re just afraid that their reputation will be further damaged.”
Of course, they had neither.
Because of this, Seo Un-jae couldn’t solve this problem on his own and was left to struggle, eventually consulting with Seol-hwa about what to do.
“Taking harsh action is cruel, I know. The refugees we expel could make extreme decisions. However, we’ll warn them first, and if they ignore our warning and waste all their chances, they will have committed an undeniable crime. If that’s what’s necessary, I’ll step in personally.”
“You’re resolute.”
“Well, if they’ve been warned and still run rampant, it’s clear that they didn’t come to Pohang to respect it but to ridicule it.”
Seol-hwa’s declaration was firm, and she added that if necessary, she would take violent action.
Despite the severity of the policy, Seol-hwa seemed willing to follow through if the situation required it.
“Those who are like raiders are more than welcome to show their true colors when needed.”
“Ah.”
Upon reflection, Baek Seol-hwa herself had suffered at the hands of raiders in the past.
Because of that experience, she was able to form a contract with Bahamut, but it seemed she had never forgotten the pain inflicted by the raiders. Now, that hatred was beginning to surface again.
Even the raiders who had tormented her had turned into law-abiding citizens after the descent of Bahamut, and although she had never had the chance to take revenge, this was her opportunity.
Even if this policy was driven by personal vengeance, no one would criticize her because the justification would be strong enough.
On the contrary, people would praise her as a hero for making a quick decision and supporting her choice.
‘It seems the grudge is really deep. After all, before becoming the Priestess of the Dragon, she had practically served as a magic staff for the raiders.’
Only Seo Un-jae, who could sense Baek Seol-hwa’s true feelings, was aware of the underlying motives but had no intention of pointing them out or stopping her.
The raiders who had tormented Seol-hwa in the past had completely erased their past wrongdoings and become ordinary citizens, and Seol-hwa had decided to move on without taking revenge, but now, it seemed that her hatred for them was being resolved.
Even though Seol-hwa’s actions might be seen as personal revenge, the justification was strong enough that no one would oppose her actions. Rather, they would support her quick decision.
‘She must have really hated them. Before becoming the Priestess of the Dragon, she was practically a tool for the raiders.’
Seo Un-jae, having guessed the underlying motivations, made sure not to mention it, realizing that the policy wasn’t just a form of vengeance but also necessary for maintaining order in Pohang.
“The matter is too big for me to decide alone. I’ll consult with Prime Minister Han Geun-chul first and then make a decision.”
Seol-hwa declared that she would first consult with Prime Minister Han Geun-chul and then make a decision, without prioritizing personal revenge.
“As you wish.”
For Seo Un-jae, his job was only to help turn Seol-hwa’s thoughts into reality.
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