Chapter 76
The alliance has been established, and the remaining treaties will be thoroughly handled through internal discussions with the working team.
Therefore, the roles of Choi Yuna, the leader of the Balhut Cult, and Steven, the U.S. special envoy, are essentially completed.
Indeed, all official matters could be considered finished.
“Then, Now, there really is someone you need to meet.”
“Meet? Who do you mean?”
Steven dropped his demeanor as a special envoy, looking at Yuna with an eager expression.
Seeing the thirty-something man gazing at her with such anticipation, Yuna took a step back, seemingly overwhelmed by the intense gaze, and questioned Steven’s words.
“I mean God Bahamut, the Dragon God worshiped by the Balhut Cult.”
“Do you all believe in him?”
Steven was the one to mention Bahamut first.
Since Yuna had rarely encountered anyone who brought up Bahamut unprompted, she narrowed her eyes and asked if he truly believed in Bahamut.
“Some among us still doubt the video, but considering an apocalypse has occurred, what’s so surprising about a dragon appearing now?”
Then, smiling just as Yuna expected, Steven answered that in a world where apocalyptic scenarios had become reality, a dragon or two wouldn’t be that surprising.
There were indeed those in the U.S. who doubted the existence of Bahamut.
Claiming it was unrealistic or impossible.
‘But if you exclude all impossibilities, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. The Dragon God Bahamut does exist!’
As if quoting the words of a globally renowned detective, investigations and data collected in America ultimately led them to acknowledge that Bahamut’s existence was indeed real.
While many within the White House still doubted Bahamut, Steven David truly believed in his existence.
This belief was what allowed him, at a young age, to be appointed as a special envoy and cross the Pacific to meet the Balhut Cult.
‘My actions were not wrong!’
Seeing Steven’s faith, Yuna reconfirmed that her own actions had not been in vain.
Indeed, she had worked hard, and now, someone who believed in Bahamut had appeared from a faraway land!
There would be no regrets in this lifetime!
“Heh, I knew at least one person like this would show up.”
“Yes. The current reality defies all of our logical explanations, with even magic and mysteries manifesting. That’s why I genuinely believe in the dragon from the video that circulated on the Korean community. In fact, if a dragon hadn’t appeared in this situation, it would have been even more disappointing. In any fantasy, after all, a dragon is the ultimate being.”
And Steven, referencing the magic and mysteries that awakened ones could wield, declared his genuine belief in the dragon, as the pinnacle of fantasy.
In fact, he admitted he might have been disappointed if there hadn’t been a dragon, causing Anna, standing nearby, to sigh.
The dragon, known as the final boss and supreme existence in a fantasy world.
And Steven…
“So. Would it be alright if I met God Bahamut in person?”
“Of-Of course… Oh, just a moment.”
Steven desperately wanted to confirm the existence of the dragon with his own eyes.
As he asked Yuna with a voice full of earnestness, Yuna was nearly compelled to give an immediate answer, but a tiny sliver of patience held her rationality in check.
As per her habit, she took out the Mirror of Perspective, intending to contact Bahamut and get his answer.
She believed that Bahamut, watching this scene, would surely give a favorable answer.
[It doesn’t matter. Since we’ve formed an alliance anyway, there may be a need to meet face-to-face with the special envoy.]
Bahamut replied that it wouldn’t be a problem.
Thinking he should personally meet with Steven now that the alliance with the U.S. was formed, Bahamut granted permission for Steven’s group to enter the Shrine.
“I’ve received permission. I’ll guide you. Seol-hwa, let’s go together.”
“Yes, Sister Yuna.”
“Oh! So, you were able to communicate with God Bahamut in real-time?”
With Bahamut’s permission, Yuna selected Baek Seol-hwa, the Priestess of the Dragon, as her companion, and Seol-hwa followed Yuna without hesitation.
Seeing the swift decision to visit the Shrine, Steven asked in amazement if real-time communication was possible.
“Yes, it is.”
‘Lies!? I didn’t detect any magic signals at all!’
The one surprised by this was Anna.
Steven’s group had approached this meeting seriously, preparing countermeasures against magic interference, as well as blocking waves.
However, Yuna was conversing with Bahamut in real-time, completely bypassing Anna, the magic detection agent.
Steven glanced at Anna, who shook her head in response.
As a magic detection agent accompanying them, Anna, even at this very moment, felt nothing, detecting no traces of magic.
“I see! So, the reason the Balhut Cult was able to act in advance… was because information about us was transmitted to you in real time through Priestess Seol-hwa.”
“Yes. That’s why we welcomed you without doubt.”
“That’s… quite remarkable. Had we been harboring ill intentions, it might have been dangerous, don’t you think?”
It felt as though every tension they had felt until now was being released.
If they had monitored this situation in real-time through Bahamut’s mediation, Yuna’s composed demeanor so far made sense.
Though Steven, with a wry expression, acknowledged that things could have been risky if they had harbored ill intentions…
“God Bahamut said so, and we trust and follow.”
“In other words, God Bahamut directly guaranteed our identity?”
“Yes.”
The Dragon God himself had personally vouched for Steven’s group.
Bahamut had already grasped the intentions and inner thoughts of Steven’s group, allowing Yuna to receive them in real-time and respond accordingly.
Realizing why Yuna had been so rational and quick to grasp the situation, Steven remarked,
“Haha. To think that the Dragon God vouched for us. It’s both exciting and a bit frightening, but I consider it an honor.”
“Shall we get going, then?”
“Yes, let’s.”
Though he claimed to be frightened, his eyes sparkled more than anyone else’s.
All the little tricks had been revealed, and Yuna led Steven’s group to the Shrine of Bahamut.
By Yuna’s side was the Priestess of the Dragon, Baek Seol-hwa, and Steven only brought along Anna as they arrived at the Shrine’s entrance.
“A cave here? Fascinating.”
“…But why are there power cables and water channels?”
The path to the Shrine had been carefully constructed by the Balhut Cult to make it easily accessible, but the numerous power cables and water channels made them doubt their eyes.
It was an odd sight for a Shrine where the Dragon God resided.
Of course, it was also unusual to see such a large-scale installation of power cables and water channels in a mountain valley.
“Haha. Those are Bahamut’s arrangements to supply electricity and water to Gyeongju and Pohang.”
“…In a way, that’s quite surprising. He doesn’t seem like the dragons you’d read about in stories or comics.”
When Yuna explained that Bahamut was providing electricity and water for the Balhut Cult members, Steven responded with a peculiar expression, noting that it wasn’t the kind of behavior one would expect from a dragon in a fantasy tale.
“Are you disappointed?”
“Well, it feels like the mystical aura is diminished with these realistic elements.”
He had envisioned a grand entrance to a Shrine, but seeing the too-realistic setup at the entrance erased some of the mystical atmosphere he had imagined.
Yes, Steven felt a bit disappointed.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get to see the mystery soon.”
“Really?”
Reassuring Steven, who looked disappointed like a child, she told him that the mystery would soon unfold.
At her words, Steven brightened up like a child again, eagerly asking if it was true, while Anna sighed and spoke up.
“We’re on duty, Steven.”
“But we’re about to meet a fantasy dragon in person! I’m excited!”
“Sigh.”
Though the official matters were concluded, they were not in America but in Gyeongju on the Korean Peninsula.
And as the special envoy assigned to this place, he was supposed to display dignity, yet he was as giddy as a child, causing Anna, his companion, to sigh understandably.
However, Steven argued that he couldn’t help but look forward to meeting a fantasy dragon in person, and he followed behind Yuna and Seol-hwa as they walked ahead.
“This place…”
“It’s a chapel for religious activities. A gift from God Bahamut.”
“Hmm. Such a huge building inside a cave. If you consider practicality, it seems quite pointless. Did he really give it as a gift?”
What came into view was a massive structure inside the cave, built for the Balhut Cult members’ religious activities.
When Yuna explained that all of it was a gift from Bahamut, Steven inspected the buildings one by one with a look of amazement.
Seeing the grand architecture, inspired by cathedrals and temples, Steven remarked that it was a shame to have such buildings inside a cave, and he asked if Bahamut truly gifted them.
“Yes. A priest who witnessed it said that God Bahamut snapped his fingers, and the building appeared like a miracle.”
“WOW! I would love to see that in person!”
With a light laugh, Yuna quoted the words of the priest who had witnessed that sight to describe it.
Calling it a miraculous act, Steven exclaimed that he would have liked to see it for himself as they ventured deeper into the cave.
“Ah. This way, please.”
“Oh, this is mystical.”
Guided by mysterious flames that welcomed visitors to the Shrine, they proceeded slowly to where Bahamut resided.
“Ugh. Stairs. This looks like it’s going to be a hassle.”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. Just stand here.”
However, when he saw the steep hill and stairs leading up to the altar, Steven made a slightly bothered expression, but Seol-hwa reassured him and guided him to stand in a certain spot.
Then, a magic circle formed under Steven’s feet, slowly moving him up the hill to the altar like an escalator.
“Is this magic, too?”
“Yes. It’s a magic installed by God Bahamut for the convenience of visitors.”
“Haha. Convenience is definitely guaranteed.”
Acknowledging the guaranteed convenience, Steven arrived at the altar.
“Seven dragons… but they aren’t alive.”
He observed the seven dragon statues before him, initially overwhelmed, but then felt relieved upon realizing they weren’t living creatures.
However, Anna, standing next to Steven, turned pale as she finally felt the immense power present.
“Oh, my God.”
“Hey, Anna. What’s wrong?”
Calling out to a heavenly god, Anna collapsed to her knees, trembling and tearing up.
Overwhelmed by the violent energy emanating from the presence before her, Anna couldn’t maintain her composure.
The presence before her was so overwhelming that it made her own existence feel insignificant.
“L-Look down. Look down!”
Despite the non-hostile nature of the being, Anna managed to maintain enough composure as an agent to complete her duties.
She shouted at Steven to look down, and though confused by her frantic tone, he followed her gaze.
“Down? What the heck!?”
Now he understood why Anna had screamed so desperately.
Beyond the transparent barrier, a massive dragon was smiling gently as it looked at Steven.
Bahamut appeared to be smiling playfully, though Steven couldn’t possibly realize this.
He, too, froze in shock, mouth agape, as he looked at Bahamut.
“Welcome to my Shrine, foreign visitors.”
“Uh, uh, uh… uh.”
With an almost playful demeanor different from his usual solemn self, Bahamut welcomed the visitors with a hint of amusement.
At his appearance, Yuna and Seol-hwa quietly bowed, and Steven could only stare in awe, realizing that the being before him was indeed Bahamut.
But he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
The dragon before him was far too enormous, and its immense presence threatened to overwhelm him.
“My name is Bahamut. There’s no need for you to fear. Isn’t today a day to celebrate the forming of our alliance?”
“Th-That’s right, isn’t it?”
“Yes, yes! It’s a good day!”
Bahamut, assuring them that there was no need to fear, warmly mentioned that today was a joyous day for their alliance, speaking graciously.
With the oppressive atmosphere easing, Steven and Anna responded to Bahamut with slightly relieved expressions.
‘Wh-what a gigantic presence!’
Finally, Steven properly took in the magnificent sight of the dragon, and his long-dormant boyish fantasy sparked to life amidst the gloomy circumstances of the apocalypse.
A giant robot, no, a giant creature—this was every man’s fantasy.
—
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