Chapter 18
“Only after seeing the gentle blue eyes did he seem to muster the courage, and Hwang Seung-man boldly asked the question he had prepared for this moment.
“Then, trusting in your promise, I will ask! What is your purpose?”
What was the purpose of the first dragon?
Depending on that purpose, the fate of the citizens of Gyeongju… or even all of South Korea could change.
“To grant Choi Yuna’s wish. Her wish to me was the restoration of Gyeongju. In other words, the reconstruction of order.”
The answer was surprisingly gentle.
The reconstruction of order meant restoring the order that had collapsed in this country, didn’t it?
Many survivors already wanted to rebuild the broken order and return to their everyday lives, so there was no one who opposed the cause of rebuilding order.
“………”
…Of course, there were those who harboured dissatisfaction deep down.
Do Josoon glared at Bahamut with a displeased expression, but he had no choice but to turn his head away at the sight of the dragon’s immense figure.
“Does that include your own will?”
Hwang Seung-man’s second question was whether Bahamut’s actions carried its own will.
If it was solely Choi Yuna’s wish and not aligned with Bahamut’s own intentions, they would have to reconsider everything they had planned.
“Of course, my will is also included. I have rescued those in distress and deeply sympathize with the plight you all face.”
Fortunately, the dragon’s actions were not solely driven by Choi Yuna’s will.
Bahamut’s will was clearly present.
This dragon had a genuine desire to help people.
“Are you saying you pity us?”
“Yes. From your perspective, you might see my actions as pity. But since our perspectives differ, I cannot provide a definitive answer on that.”
Bahamut deeply sympathized with the plight of ordinary people facing the disaster of the zombie apocalypse and showed pity.
Thus, it had lent its power to Choi Yuna without hesitation and wiped out all the zombies in Gyeongju.
At the same time, Bahamut left room for interpretation, acknowledging that its viewpoint might differ from that of the survivors due to differences in species and beliefs.
‘Things are going better than expected. It’s actually quite favourable toward us.’
Hwang Seung-man found this openness appealing.
He felt hopeful about the dragon that was far kinder and more sympathetic than he had anticipated.
“Then, may I proceed with my own question?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Satisfied, Hwang Seung-man stepped back, and next, a woman raised her hand.
The woman, who introduced herself as Lee Hyuna, ignored her frightened sister’s whispers to stop and asked the dragon a question.
“Why are you trying to recruit us? More specifically, why did you incorporate Gyeongju Support?”
“That is to establish the principles and rules that people should follow.”
When Lee Hyuna asked about the reason for integrating Gyeongju Support and the other survivor camps, Bahamut unhesitatingly mentioned the establishment of rules and principles for people to follow.
This implied the revival of law, and Hwang Seung-man, who was quietly listening, was greatly surprised to hear that a non-human like Bahamut had an interest in human laws.
It was a surprise shared by Lee Hyuna, the questioner, who continued to speak.
“Then, there is the existing law of South Korea. Isn’t that law as well?”
“But that is a law from a time of peace. The world has changed drastically, and it has crumbled. I thought a new law suited to the present times was necessary.”
When she argued that the laws of South Korea were still laws, Bahamut countered that those were laws of a time of peace.
It explained that with the drastic changes brought by the zombie apocalypse, and the collapse of South Korea’s order, a new law fitting the current situation was necessary.
‘It’s a valid point. All of it is true. I can’t deny it.’
…The dragon’s words were not wrong.
The laws of South Korea were established before the zombie apocalypse… before the disaster.
Naturally, they were not laws designed with the zombie apocalypse in mind.
Hwang Seung-man, listening quietly, deeply resonated with Bahamut’s statement that a new law was needed for the apocalyptic conditions.
New wine for new wineskins, as they say. Hearing Bahamut’s words, Hwang Seung-man was convinced that a new law was necessary for these times.
“…Then, do you intend to rule over us?”
That question wasn’t far from Hwang Seung-man’s thoughts, but it was the most critical one remaining.
It might have been the most crucial question for survivors who once lived in a democratic nation.
The question was: did Bahamut intend to rule over them?
“Are you asking if I intend to govern?”
“Yes.”
“No, I do not intend to rule over anyone. However, if people wish to see me as a symbol and desire my presence in that capacity, I would accommodate that. But I have never harboured a desire to rule over others.”
Bahamut answered without the slightest hesitation, saying it had no intention of ruling over anyone.
It was up to Hwang Seung-man and the other survivor camps to judge whether those words were truthful.
However, Lee Hyuna, the questioner, was convinced that Bahamut’s words were true.
‘If it had intended to do that from the start, it would have done so already.’
Considering the dragon’s past actions, if it had wanted to rule, it would have already done so.
There would have been no need for such a troublesome meeting; it could have forced compliance through sheer power.
There were many ways it could have ruled easily, but the dragon before them had not chosen that path.
‘That dragon prefers resolving matters through dialogue rather than force.’
Even now, isn’t he answering each of Lee Hyuna’s impolite questions without showing discomfort?
It was clear that Bahamut had a gentle disposition, preferring to resolve issues through dialogue rather than with force.
“I am not one to dominate others from the start.”
“Then, may I ask something?”
Lee Hyuna stepped back, satisfied, and next, Jung Dong-gun raised his hand to ask a question.
Jung Dong-gun was known among the survivors as a retired soldier, a leader of a group that gathered other retired soldiers living in Gyeongju, and showed strength in the area.
“If a situation arises where you must fight, what will you do?”
When faced with a situation where a fight is inevitable, what choice would this dragon make?
Other survivors did not fully understand the intent of the question, and some suspected that this soldier might be seeking a place where he could fight.
However, despite the suspicions, Jung Dong-gun earnestly asked the dragon how it would handle such a situation.
“I would like to resolve it through dialogue as much as possible. I wish to present ideas, engage in conversation, and find points of compromise wherever possible.”
Bahamut chose dialogue.
Other survivors thought that his statement would disappoint Jung Dong-gun, as he expressed a preference for resolving matters through discussion rather than force.
“I believe that resolving conflicts through force is ultimately akin to tearing one’s own flesh.”
Without hesitation, Bahamut explained that using force to resolve conflicts would be a form of self-destruction.
He expressed a desire to seek dialogue and compromise through conversation rather than fighting.
It was a statement that might seem luxurious amidst the calamity of an apocalyptic disaster.
“If compromise fails, I would try persuasion. If persuasion fails, I would accept a peaceful surrender. Is this answer sufficient?”
“I will follow you.”
Yet, as soon as Bahamut finished speaking, Jung Dong-gun declared his allegiance without hesitation.
It was as if all the doubts that had taken root in Jung Dong-gun’s mind had vanished, and he bowed his head to pledge loyalty to Bahamut.
“I-I will follow you too!”
After Jung Dong-gun bowed and pledged loyalty, Hwang Seung-man also bowed his head and shouted that he would follow Bahamut.
Others were no different.
Survivor leaders or survivors who had shown their influence or reputation in Gyeongju also began to declare their allegiance to Bahamut, one by one.
“Is this for real?”
“Yes, I… No, we of Gyeongju Support will align ourselves with Bahamut and the Balhut Cult!”
“Have you no pride?”
Of course, half of them accepted and pledged their loyalty, while the other half could not accept it.
The group of survivors who followed Bahamut without hesitation comprised exactly half, while the other half, with displeased expressions, criticized those who pledged their allegiance, accusing them of having no pride.
“No. I believe this is the best decision for the survival of Gyeongju’s citizens. Josoon Do, the reason your group cannot follow Bahamut is because you don’t want to let go of that small piece of power you currently hold.”
“How dare you insult me!?”
Retired soldier Jung Dong-gun turned the tables on survivor leader Do Josoon, who accused him of having no pride, suggesting that he only refrained from surrendering because he couldn’t part with his current power.
Some survivors took the comment as an insult, while others felt ashamed.
There were also those who, with a shameless expression, silently calculated how they could use this situation to their advantage.
“Silence. I did not permit meaningless disputes here.”
Opinions were divided, and the survivors split into those who accepted Bahamut’s terms and those who did not.
The reason the two factions did not clash was that Bahamut intervened as a mediator to prevent conflict.
‘With this, the power dynamics of Gyeongju have been established. The Balhut Cult in the southern part of Gyeongju, led by Bahamut, and Do Josoon’s group in the north….’
‘In that case, I should join the side with the best chance of winning.’
The two politicians who had been watching the situation quietly also made up their minds about which faction to join.
‘The safe bet is South Gyeongju!’
Naturally, it was the Balhut Cult led by Bahamut.
***
The many survivors leaving the shrine.
The survivors were able to have in-depth discussions with Bahamut, and through those conversations, they gained a lot.
From Bahamut’s perspective, it was a great opportunity to bring many survivor camps under the influence of the cult without significant conflict.
With just one conversation, the cult gained control over half of Gyeongju.
“Half of the survivor camps agreed with us, but the other half did not.”
However, only half of the survivor camps, centred around Gyeongju Support, led by Hwang Seung-man, agreed with Bahamut’s opinions, while the other half could not agree with Bahamut’s proposal and chose to fend for themselves.
To Choi Yuna, it seemed like a disappointing outcome, but Bahamut shook his head at her dissatisfaction and began to speak.
“I never expected everything to be resolved perfectly from the start. If we calmly proceed with compromise, they will eventually join us.”
“I hope everything goes according to the will of the God. Those people… they still deny the existence of the God.”
“Hoho, I am not bothered by it.”
Of course, there were survivor leaders who continued to deny Bahamut’s existence despite witnessing it firsthand.
But the decisive reason was…
‘It’s hard for people to easily give up the power that comes with being a leader.’
It was too much of a loss to give up the power they gained through the disaster.
Some survivor leaders quickly grasped the shifting tides but were holding out to sell their allegiance at a higher price.
In other words, they were staging a form of protest, dissatisfied with the conditions Bahamut had proposed.
‘In any case, it’s a relief that everything ended smoothly.’
Whether it was due to the rehearsal’s effect, the foolish dragon felt genuinely proud of himself for answering all their questions without fear.
However, it was true that he had achieved significant results, to the extent that he could not be called a foolish dragon this time due to his great success.
‘The rest is… starting the reconstruction project through them. And then, persuading the remaining survivor camps that we couldn’t recruit. That will be tough.’
However, the reconstruction project had not yet begun, the city remained in ruins, and the remaining unrecruited survivor camps were like embers waiting to ignite.
With the task of starting the reconstruction project and persuading the remaining survivor camps ahead of him, Bahamut tapped his head as if it were aching.
“It’s going to get very busy from now on.”
It was going to be truly busy.
That applied not only to Bahamut but also to Yuna Choi, who had become the leader of a faction.
“No! On the contrary, I’m looking forward to it.”
But to her, armed with faith in Bahamut, this was merely a trial.
She spoke as if she had no concerns and even looked forward to what was to come.
‘Hmm. Before Yuna causes any trouble, I need to establish the laws quickly.’
Bahamut resolved to set up the legal framework as quickly as possible before Yuna could cause any incidents.
No matter how positively Bahamut tried to view it, it was clear that Choi Yuna’s mind was filled with ideas for causing trouble with a well-intentioned heart.
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