Ulsan Negotiation (3)
It was a piercing question. Undead truly didn't consume food, which could be an overwhelming advantage in a prolonged war. The Balhut Cult was continuously depleting vast amounts of supplies just to carry out operations and endure the cold wave. This resource drain had even sparked near-heretical arguments within the Dragon God Association cabinet, questioning whether the war was truly meaningless.
That much food and materiel was needed to weather the cold.
But if we're struggling like this, they must be too. They're living humans, after all. In the end, they can't avoid consuming resources either.
Yet while the undead didn't need food, the leadership commanding them were all living humans. They too required massive amounts of supplies to conduct operations and survive the cold.
"…We categorically refuse any ceasefire. Propose other terms."
The Immortal Cult delegation seemed stung by Jeong Dong-gun's logic, falling silent for a moment. Their only available resistance was outright rejection of a ceasefire. Then, stepping back slightly, they urged the Balhut Cult to offer alternatives excluding a truce—showing a cautious demeanor.
At that sight, Jeong Dong-gun raised his voice toward the Immortal Cult envoy with the certainty of a man who had them figured out.
"Why? Wouldn't a ceasefire be a cheaper price than demanding supplies, a real way to ransom your valuable officers?"
It was the truth. The value of supplies was rising steadily, and as the apocalypse dragged on, reliable food would become a luxury brand in itself. Especially now, with war devouring resources even as production struggled in the opposite direction—the Immortal Cult must have been feeling the same crushing burden as the allied forces.
Thus, securing precious officers with just a temporary ceasefire could indeed be seen as a bargain. And during that truce, they'd gain time to regroup. On reflection, it wasn't a bad deal for the Immortal Cult at all.
"Regardless, we refuse a ceasefire! We absolutely cannot agree to one. War is the only path! If necessary, execute those officers."
"Is that the stance of the Immortal Cult leadership?"
But the envoy rejected the ceasefire outright. They warned that agreeing would render the negotiations pointless and even threatened execution of the prisoners held by the Balhut Cult.
Jeong Dong-gun hadn't expected such firm refusal; he felt a momentary setback. Still, he pressed the envoy on whether this was truly the leadership's will.
"…Yes. It is the will of one whose name I dare not utter."
"How troubling. Can you truly claim that the mages we've captured hold no value to you?"
"……."
The Immortal Cult envoy couldn't deny Jeong Dong-gun's words. Sure, they'd strongly warned against a ceasefire, but if pressed on whether they valued the captured awakeners, they'd want to scream that losing them was maddening.
Just as high-level awakeners were rare in the allied forces, they were scarce in the Immortal Cult too. Could they proudly declare they'd execute such precious assets over refusing a mere truce? Was that truly rational?
"Interrogations show the mages average levels 15 to 17. That's leader material for an entire district—not to mention, with proper training, they could reach superhuman realms. You're saying they're not worth it?"
"……."
Bluntly put, at that level, with sufficient time and investment, they could absolutely ascend to superhuman status. In other words, these were awakeners with the potential to reach the heights Jeong Dong-gun and Jin A-yeon had achieved—figures whose war contributions needed no elaboration, their value immense.
Four such potentials captured. Jeong Dong-gun sharply asked if they could really abandon them lightly. The Immortal Cult fell silent.
"No answer? Then, if I order their immediate execution right here—what would you do?"
"Th-that…"
As soon as he threatened execution per their own rhetoric, the envoy reacted instantly. Their stance had been mere bluff, and this hesitation gave Jeong Dong-gun one firm certainty.
From the look of it, this envoy truly regrets losing those prisoners. Well, anyone would want to accept any terms to retrieve talent like that.
Judging by the envoy's behavior so far, they'd accept any proposal except a ceasefire. Which meant they'd deliberately chosen the harder path over the easier one.
The one they called 'the unnamed one' must be the driving force behind demanding continued war.
Jeong Dong-gun inferred that this negotiation heavily reflected the personal views of that "unnamed" figure the envoy mentioned. Thus, the envoy couldn't accept generous terms because the Immortal Cult leadership—no, precisely that unnamed one—preferred escalating war over salvaging the battle.
"I think I grasp your situation. Ah, you want to keep fighting. How inconvenient."
"Urk."
Exaggerating as if he'd pieced it all together, Jeong Dong-gun projected confidence at the envoy. Of course, he hadn't grasped everything—just inferred the envoy's plight through insight. But in negotiations, bluff and poise were key, leaving the envoy convinced Jeong Dong-gun had seen through their internal affairs.
"We no longer wish to fight. We'd even declare an armistice by dividing North and South Ulsan."
"We'll acknowledge this battle as a Balhut Cult victory… so please, propose terms excluding ceasefire or armistice."
Jeong Dong-gun slyly suggested an armistice via division instead of truce, but the envoy's utmost resistance was conceding the win while begging for other conditions.
"Would intelligence work?"
"Intelligence? Intelligence… Yes. Excluding a few items, we can provide it."
Jeong Dong-gun promptly demanded intel, and after brief hesitation, the envoy accepted—better than before. This fulfilled the unnamed one's demands without truce, and if they fed plausible lies, no issue; Jeong Dong-gun lacked verification means anyway.
"Then let's settle the terms: For each Immortal Cult prisoner the Balhut Cult releases from this battle, you provide one piece of intelligence. But you swear this intel contains no falsehoods."
"Th-that's fine. Yes. Go ahead and ask what I can reveal…"
"However, to guard against lies, sign a Geas Scroll here swearing to speak only truth in these negotiations."
Yet in the apocalypse, there existed a foolproof way to prevent lies. Even pre-apocalypse had lie detectors; here, magic served that role. Jeong Dong-gun simply deployed it.
He demanded a geas—an oath of unswerving truth—for the talks.
"Geas?"
"Yes. We're already prepared."
A contingency plan, for if ceasefire failed. Jeong Dong-gun presented a contract and explained.
"This is a magical contract developed by the Balhut Cult. Upon signing, magic binds both parties to faithfully fulfill its terms. Anti-forgery and dual-contract wards included—simply adhere to what's written."
One crucial fact Jeong Dong-gun omitted:
Of course, it's a contract personally crafted by Dragon God Bahamut.
This was Bahamut's own creation, a byproduct of mithril development. Deeming it useless for himself, he'd handed it to the Balhut Cult, which used it for critical magical pacts.
No prior Balhut Cult use of true geas scrolls; they'd distributed downgraded versions to civilians, popular for fraud prevention.
And this is one made directly by Bahamut.
Jeong Dong-gun's was a special edition from Bahamut himself—essential with major war looming and potential talks ahead.
The envoy eyed the contract warily.
"So if it says 'speak only facts'…"
"Only facts must be spoken. Breach incurs penalties."
Sensing potent magic as a mage, the envoy realized Jeong Dong-gun's demeanor wasn't bluff. If true… the threat held weight.
"P-penalties!?"
"No need to worry. Not death. Just… a penalty as good as death for an awakener."
Not some grotesque instant-death clause—Bahamut would never allow it, nor distribute such a thing.
But fatal to awakeners, yes.
"Level down."
"What."
For awakeners, more precious than life—forced level loss, a abomination.
Civilian versions used milder penalties to prevent abuse; only Bahamut's originals inflicted true level down.
"Violate the oath, and level down occurs forcibly. Tested already. No instant kill, but long-term devastation. Oh, don't think stats stay intact— they drop with the level."
"…."
Test subjects were low-level awakeners; even the Balhut Cult couldn't find high-level volunteers, faces paling at "level down" alone.
No proper high-level tests, but the term alone crushed the envoy psychologically. Their face drained of color at the mere possibility.
"So, what'll it be? Sign? Or not?"
"Ah, damn it all!"
Without signing, no prisoner release. Eyes squeezed shut, the envoy had no choice but to sign…