153. Refugee Problem (2)
In truth, Seo Un-jae had politely described them as displaced people or evacuees because of his good-natured personality, but a closer look revealed that the term "refugee" couldn't encompass them all. Most people would imagine refugees as those driven from their homes at the end of the world, wandering aimlessly without shelter. But everyone knew by now.
'At this point, over a year in, any so-called refugee can't be some frail weakling.'
Many assumed refugees were powerless wanderers without a home, but in the apocalypse, they were more like packs of tough thugs. How could you call awakeners who roamed restlessly without settling down—purely for survival—mere refugees? Sure, powerless refugees existed among them, but they were a tiny minority. In reality, the weak ones got devoured by the strong.
'Especially those who failed to seize power and got purged by the current regimes.'
By now, proper factions were emerging in cities one or two at a time, or solid one-party systems like the Balhut Cult or Immortal Cult were taking hold. So, what was the first thing a ruling faction in a city had to do? Revitalize urban functions and produce survival goods? No—before that, they had to eliminate opposition, monopolize remaining resources, control them tightly, and consolidate power firmly in their own hands.
The fastest way was purging anyone who opposed them.
'Those who couldn't accept that and lost are the refugees we're talking about.'
Naturally, those who hadn't joined the city's main faction often resisted instead of surrendering to such tyranny—and being able to resist the main faction meant they were powerful awakeners themselves.
"So, you're saying refugees are the problem?"
"Yes. Besides criminal organizations and spies from rival factions, looters disguise themselves as refugees to infiltrate cult territory. Of course, there might be truly powerless ones among them."
Of course, there were cases where truly helpless people, victimized by a ruling faction's brutality, ended up wandering homeless. Seo Un-jae couldn't deny that, and countless souls had staked their lives on the Balhut Cult just to survive. But his negative stance on refugees stemmed from something else.
"But those powerless ones usually get raided by other refugees before they even reach Balhut Cult territory—stripped of their goods, or worse, turned into slaves or trafficking victims."
"...Isn't that a bit extreme?"
Seo Un-jae knew the harsh truth: weak refugees got assaulted by the strong, enslaved, or sold. Seol-hwa cautiously raised an objection, but...
"Lady Seol-hwa, the apocalypse is nearly a year old now. It's getting hard to find unawakened civilians wandering outside. Our Balhut Cult is producing new awakeners through the awakener project, and the civilian population is steadily declining."
"I see..."
But with the apocalypse approaching its first anniversary, everyone knew awakening was the key to survival. They'd hunt zombies however they could to make it happen. Becoming a refugee—leaving cities or villages—meant traversing lawless wastelands, constantly threatened by monsters, zombies, or even other humans.
So, the common thread among these refugees?
"Above all, they've tasted blood. Actions will come before words."
"That's just looters."
"Exactly. They're looters who've turned into wandering refugees. When they need to, they reveal their true nature and loot. When they don't, they hide it and play the pitiful refugee. That's the tricky part."
They'd all tasted blood—meaning they could fight. And preferring to seize goods by force over talk made them no different from the usual looters. Those scum infiltrated cities to extort helpless citizens and steal supplies. Even with the military arresting and exterminating them, they kept getting reinforcements from somewhere, never fully eradicated.
"They demand the Republic of Korea's laws from the Balhut Cult, but if push comes to shove, they'll invoke some bullshit 'right to resist' and break those laws faster than anyone—classic hypocrites."
The scariest part was how they exploited the Republic of Korea banner Kim Su-ho had desperately preserved, claiming "citizen resistance rights" to assert their own. Yet they'd be the first to violate those laws even if the country still stood. It was peak hypocrisy, and Baek Seol-hwa's expression hardened as she heard it.
"That's why we're agonizing over how to handle them."
It was a real headache. Pohang had its own divisions guarding it, plus troops escorting the Dragon Priestess. Those forces wouldn't sit idle—if deployed, they could crush these rootless looter... refugees scattered across the peninsula one by one.
But Seo Un-jae couldn't bring himself to issue the extermination order, so he was deep in thought. After all, they hadn't chosen to become refugees or looters willingly—the root cause was the apocalypse itself.
"Is there a way to settle them peacefully?"
"It's possible. Educate and reform them, show them they can survive without looting. But it requires a ton of money and time... and Pohang's residents' sentiment is already an issue."
Baek Seol-hwa pondered briefly before asking about peaceful integration. Seo Un-jae, as if he'd been waiting, suggested education and reform to make them realize the safety here. The downsides: bad public opinion in Pohang and massive costs/time.
Pohang was raking in huge profits from U.S. trade, so money wasn't an issue. Time for education? They could spare as much as needed.
"With all the incidents refugees are causing now, declaring benefits for them could redirect support away from us."
"Tricky."
The real problem was public opinion. Refugees were already disrupting Pohang's security, turning sentiment against them increasingly radical. Announcing favors now could shatter the trust built so far.
"Very tricky. We can't monitor the entire border. Building walls would take huge resources and manpower."
"Fixing security alone won't cut it, huh."
"Yes. It's just a band-aid. Not a fundamental solution."
So, mere security crackdowns wouldn't resolve this. They had to address the influx itself for true resolution.
'Easiest way is expulsion. Deport the troublemakers immediately. But it could hurt our already low reputation, and HQ might complain.'
Seo Un-jae considered expulsion. If they followed Balhut Cult admin orders, it could end smoothly—but would these refugees even listen? They'd likely scoff, underestimate, and show their true colors.
'This is beyond my paygrade, so I reported to Dragon Priestess Seol-hwa. But honestly, I can't expect much.'
As Baek Seol-hwa's proxy, Seo Un-jae couldn't order expulsions on his own—that authority rested solely with her. The moment he prepared to suggest it to the Dragon Priestess...
"Three strikes."
"Pardon?"
"Give them three chances. After that, they're out. We'll use force."
Baek Seol-hwa declared they'd give refugees exactly three chances. It wasn't pure mercy—it was building justification. Once those chances were blown, force would be unleashed.
In other words, securing ironclad grounds to wipe them out. The Balhut Cult had powerful magic weapons to crush them in one go.
"They say even Buddha's face turns three times. I'll tolerate three. Beyond that, hardline response. Of course, murder or serious crimes mean instant out."
"Is... that alright?"
"Pohang residents are suffering from the refugee issues. Plus, some might genuinely want to settle here. We keep those, expel or suppress the rest."
The issue was that harsh suppression could tank the Balhut Cult's reputation further. Already sensitive about their image, they'd hesitate. Seo Un-jae, mindful of that, double-checked, but Baek Seol-hwa stood firm.
"We could embrace them with policies and aid."
"Do we have the friendly public opinion or admin capacity?"
"Neither. No sympathy left—just worries about our rep dropping."
Of course not. That's why Seo Un-jae couldn't handle it alone and consulted her.
"I know hardline is harsh. Expelled ones might take extreme measures. But we'll warn them first. If they ignore and waste all chances, that's undeniable guilt. If needed, I'll handle it myself."
"So resolute."
"Exactly. If they rampage after warnings, they didn't come to respect Pohang—they came to mock it."
It was a firm declaration, ready to spill blood if necessary. A rough policy that might draw criticism, but Baek Seol-hwa spoke with hatred in her eyes.
"They're looters come to plunder Pohang. And for the record, I really hate looters. If one were in front of me, I'd deal with them right now."
'Ah.'
Come to think of it, Baek Seol-hwa herself was a girl scarred by looters' cruelty. That's how she contracted with Bahamut, but those painful days lingered—she was unleashing that raw hatred now.
The looters who tormented her had become model citizens after Bahamut's descent, leaving her revenge unfulfilled. Now, this was a chance to settle that grudge.
Even if the policy stemmed from personal vendetta, the justification was solid—no one would deny her or call it wrong. They'd praise her as heroic and decisive, supporting her choice.
'Her grudge runs deep. Before becoming Dragon Priestess, she was basically their magic staff slave.'
Only Seo Un-jae caught her true intent, but he had no intention of pointing it out or stopping her. The looters who'd tormented her had renounced their past and gone straight, so she'd shelved revenge. But from an outsider's view, her ordeals were so brutal you'd wonder why she hadn't gotten payback then.
Seo Un-jae, knowing some of that truth, realized this policy was revenge-fueled but also trusted her to discern right from wrong.
'Most are human scum anyway. And she's thorough in judgment.'
Her targets were irredeemable looters; she'd never swing her immense power at truly helpless refugees. Classic picking on the weak while crushing the strong—and as Seo Un-jae predicted...
"But deciding this solo is too big. I'll consult Prime Minister Hwang Geun-chul at HQ first."
Even proposing the policy first, she prioritized no personal revenge, declaring she'd inform and discuss directly with Hwang Geun-chul.
"As you command."
For a follower like Seo Un-jae, that meant preparing to make Baek Seol-hwa's vision reality, come what may.