Daegu Provisional Government (2)
The one silver lining, even with the Daegu Provisional Government in ruins, was that the intelligence network Lee Hyun-ah had built inside Daegu was still intact.
"The Dragon Priestess is calling us!"
"National Tax Service, assemble!"
In other words, the National Tax Service still had the means to contact the remnants who had formed the provisional government. Baek Seol-hwa, as the Dragon Priestess, demanded their cooperation.
The National Tax Service, populated solely by agents loyal to the Balhut Cult, immediately obeyed the Dragon Priestess Seol-hwa's command. They began gathering in one place at her summons.
"Dragon Priestess, here is the information you requested."
"Thank you, National Tax Service agent."
Using the intelligence network Lee Hyun-ah had established as a foundation, they compiled data on Daegu and handed it over to Seol-hwa in document form. Even amid the grueling workload of tax collection, the agents had neatly organized the intel on Daegu from their network and presented it in tidy files. Seol-hwa thanked the agent who brought them, but...
"No need, ma'am. If it's an order from the Dragon Priestess, the proxy of the Dragon God, we must follow—even if it leads to death."
The agent replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, stating they would obey the Dragon Priestess even unto death. Deeply influenced by the ideology of their founder, Lee Hyun-ah, the National Tax Service agents approached their duties with utter devotion to nationalism.
The Balhut Cult—more precisely, those who had sworn absolute loyalty to the great Dragon God Bahamut—treated even the Dragon Priestess, his proxy, with the utmost reverence, as if facing the Dragon God himself.
"No, thanks to all of you, I can proceed a bit more smoothly than starting from nothing."
That remark was proof the National Tax Service was evolving into a dangerous organization, but Seol-hwa—who knew that in the apocalypse, such radical groups were necessary to get things done—had no intention of criticizing them.
Heh heh. I'm truly fortunate to have such devoted believers! Why do so many people hate such good folks?
Far from it—Seol-hwa couldn't understand why everyone feared and reviled the National Tax Service. Where else could you find believers this loyal? As a Dragon Priestess serving Dragon God Bahamut, she was immensely satisfied with their faith and devotion to him.
And the next organization Seol-hwa sought out was none other than...
"The military..."
"The military has compiled information on the surveillance lines along the regular routes."
Naturally, it was the military, which had cooperated with the National Tax Service on the Daegu issue. Especially since they had deployed troops to the Daegu border for security and enforcement even before the police were established, they could track refugee movements toward Gyeongju using those border guards. Above all, being in a district close to Daegu meant they could grasp the provisional government's movements at a glance—making the military Seol-hwa's top priority for contacting the remnants.
"Then, may I conduct investigations based on this intel?"
"Yes, Mr. Han Seong-geun. I leave it to you."
She passed the gathered intel to Police Chief Han Seong-geun, letting the police handle the investigations. That wrapped up Seol-hwa's tasks; the rest was up to Han Seong-geun and his team.
Handing over the credit to the police. Essentially, it's an investment in me.
To fully establish the police, Han Seong-geun needed to rack up achievements. This mission was practically a gift. It was a clear gesture of how much the Balhut Cult was investing in him, and he had to prove his worth in return.
At this overt boost to police prestige, Han Seong-geun gave a wry smile, bowed deeply to Seol-hwa, and spoke earnestly.
"Leave it to me. I'll deploy police forces for the search operation."
Thus, the National Tax Service agents, military, and police—all key organizations under Balhut Cult influence—joined forces for the investigations across the region. With the cult's military might united, failure would prove their incompetence. It wasn't long before Han Seong-geun tracked the Daegu remnants' escape route and whereabouts.
"Wh-who are you?"
"I'm with the Balhut Cult police. You've crossed into Balhut Cult territory. What is the purpose of your visit?"
"W-well, you see..."
Soon, Han Seong-geun made direct contact. The ragged Daegu remnants, who had fled all the way to Gyeongju, stared at him in dismay. No one would believe they were officials anymore—they looked like beggars. Exhausted, they realized escape from his pursuit was impossible.
As despair filled their faces, Han Seong-geun smiled warmly.
"If you've come seeking asylum due to the recent refugee crisis from Daegu, please follow our instructions."
"A-asylum! Yes, asylum! We were officials of the Daegu Provisional Government!"
He opened a path for them, and the remnants instantly revealed their identities, shouting that they sought asylum.
Some might call Han Seong-geun naive, suspecting he was impersonating police to trick them. But from their perspective, his mention of "asylum" meant he already knew of Daegu's fall and had been sent to handle the fleeing officials.
"Understood. Please write your names here. Yes. Yes. We'll verify. Ah, yes—you're indeed with the provisional government."
As if proving their choice right, Han Seong-geun maintained a polite demeanor, verified their identities, and escorted them to safety. It was a recovery camp set up by the police for Daegu remnants. There, they quickly reunited with missing comrades, confirming their decision was spot-on.
Relief supplies filled their empty stomachs, wounds were treated, chaos subsided, and order was restored.
"Mr. Heo Jin-ho is still alive! I saw him!"
"Heo Jin-ho? Wasn't he the head of the Daegu Provisional Government?"
"Yes. Even as the courthouse fell to those raider scum, Mr. Heo and his awakener followers were fine. They could've escaped to safety like us."
Through these recoveries, Han Seong-geun gleaned unexpected intel from the remnants: Heo Jin-ho, the provisional government's leader, had survived—and could plausibly have escaped.
Heo Jin-ho was capable enough to actually run the provisional government; even Lee Hyun-ah had sabotaged Daegu's growth with drugs out of wariness toward him. His survival could be a major boon.
According to testimony, Heo Jin-ho was late level 10s—nearly 20. High chance of survival if he escaped.
Of course, only if he'd succeeded in fleeing and lasted this long. Still, a late-10s awakener had good odds, Han Seong-geun judged. He reported Heo Jin-ho's survival straight to Dragon Priestess Baek Seol-hwa, who looked genuinely relieved.
For the Balhut Cult, it was a golden opportunity to hire a near-level-20 awakener on the cheap—practically snagging him for pennies.
"Good news. If Mr. Heo Jin-ho's alive, we can make friendly contact. The National Tax Service network lists him as a good man."
"Planning to approach him?"
"Yes. He's more than qualified for cooperation."
His personality was solid too—a man they could negotiate with. Seol-hwa nodded at Han Seong-geun's question, confirming her intent to reach out.
"Then, our National Tax Service agents could—"
"No. No need for the National Tax Service to step in."
A dispatched agent volunteered, but Seol-hwa waved it off.
"He was a district leader. Someone of equal status should handle it personally."
Instead, she insisted on going herself—Pohang's governor meeting Daegu's. It respected Heo Jin-ho's lost position, a declaration of full commitment.
"Understood. May I have the honor of escorting you, Priestess?"
"Of course."
Viewing the Dragon Priestess's words as Bahamut's decree, the agent led her without complaint to Heo Jin-ho's hideout. They soon reached an abandoned house, finding Heo and his remnants inside.
"Someone's here. Battle stations, everyone."
"Heh. They're solid."
Heo Jin-ho and his group were recovering from battle wounds in the ruins when Seol-hwa's sudden arrival prompted them to grab weapons and assume combat stances. Seeing them obey their leader without hesitation, Seol-hwa noted their potential and stepped forward with a relaxed smile.
"Bolder than expected. Or do you trust your strength that much? We of the Balhut Cult sincerely welcome you. But unfortunately, you're uninvited guests right now."
"...This is it, then."
She revealed their Balhut Cult affiliation, and despair clouded Heo Jin-ho's face and those of his followers. Even in Daegu's heyday, they'd avoided the cult despite knowing they were neighbors—too formidable. In their current state, it was like facing the final boss demon army.
Defeat was certain in battle. Heo gripped his weapon, face set in grim resolve.
"But it won't end easily. I'll leave you scars you'll never forget..."
A desperate fight could still wound them. Like a cornered beast, Heo was dangerous now—his resistance might kill or injure Seol-hwa's police escorts.
"Stop, Mr. Heo Jin-ho. Unlike my sister Yuna, I'm not confident in subduing without casualties. And..."
She raised a hand, signaling no fight—and hating the idea of more harm.
"I don't want to injure you further when you're already hurt."
Subdual was possible, but death loomed. Losing their top recruit would be devastating; Seol-hwa urged him to stand down for a safe recruitment.
"You mocking me?"
"Hey, old man. Suspicious? Nah, that's a fact... I mean, no way we're suspicious. This is our turf! Anyway, coppers here. Illegal entry—arrest on the spot... or somethin'?"
Heo bristled at the perceived slight, but Jin A-yeon scratched her head irritably, thumped her spear on the ground, and stated their pretext. She even muddled "illegal entry" with "emergency arrest," but...
"No. This is negotiation."
"Negotiation?"
Han Seong-geun clarified it was talks, not arrest. Heo lowered his weapon slightly, eyeing the cult warily.
"Yes, negotiation. We're envoys here to parley with you."
"Parley? What value do we hold now that Daegu's lost...?"
Without Daegu, he was just a fugitive leader with ragged followers.
"You could've just branded us raiders and exterminated us, no issue."
True enough—he had no retort if labeled raiders. In this apocalypse, human rights were a joke; raider hunts ended in massacres, no questions asked.
"Even without Daegu, you still have value."
"What should we believe to follow you?"
Seol-hwa insisted they retained worth, but Heo countered: why trust her in a betrayal-filled world? Understandably suspicious, he demanded reasons. Seol-hwa smiled, turning it back.
"Then what should I believe to negotiate with you? You're no longer Daegu's leader—just illegal refugees or warlords invading Gyeongju. Isn't that right, Mr. Heo Jin-ho?"
By his own logic, he lacked credibility. Treat him as a refugee and purge—no grounds for complaint. Heo laughed bitterly.
"Refugee, huh. Haha. Guess that's me now. No time for pride. You know our situation too well. Too well—it's chilling."
"Of course. Neighbors hear things inevitably."
Heo admitted his disadvantage cleanly but shivered at their intimate knowledge. Unavoidable—the cult monitored him closely as Daegu's top target, with infiltrated agents reporting real-time. Even blindfolded, they knew Heo Jin-ho inside out thanks to their active operatives.
"Haha. So you came all this way knowing everything."
With a wry smile, Heo abandoned resistance, dropping his weapon. His followers followed suit—white flag raised.
"We surrender. But we have nothing left. Just these bodies. They were capable in admin and such—spare them, even if you kill me."
Heo surrendered to the Balhut Cult, begging mercy for his men's lives in exchange.