The Slave Contract Starting from Me (2)
"Gyeon Gwan-im."
This news, of course, reached Heo Jin-ho, the governor ruling Daegu. As the one who had effectively usurped the Daegu regime and put an end to Heo Jin-ho's days as a warlord, the name Gyeon Gwan-im was one that naturally stirred hatred in the heart of the former warlord Heo Jin-ho just hearing it.
"I don't care either way."
"Is that alright?"
Heo Jin-ho's hatred toward Gyeon Gwan-im was surprisingly mild. When Serabeol delivered the news that they intended to strike a judicial deal with him, Heo Jin-ho simply nodded calmly, showing no signs of protest or disappointment. Park Cheol-gon, the National Assembly Speaker who had come to inform him, was so taken aback by Heo Jin-ho's nonchalant reaction that he asked if everything was truly okay. After all, having ended Heo Jin-ho's run as a warlord, it would have been natural for lingering attachments to his own faction to provoke some expression of resentment.
"Gyeon Gwan-im didn't massacre Daegu's citizens. He merely inherited the provisional government I had established. Back then, I didn't want to admit it, but as a warlord... I acknowledge that Gyeon Gwan-im was a gentlemanly sort."
"No personal grudges, then?"
In truth, Gyeon Gwan-im hadn't slaughtered Daegu's citizens or sent pursuit squads to finish off Heo Jin-ho. He had simply acted to carve out his own independent power base in Daegu as a warlord. Unlike Jo Sun-do's outright tyranny, he had openly inherited the provisional government and built his own administration atop it. So, aside from Heo Jin-ho's personal feelings, the reactions from Daegu's citizens weren't particularly negative. From Daegu's perspective, calling Gyeon Gwan-im an absolute villain who had to die was ambiguous at best. Yet Park Cheol-gon pressed the point, as if Heo Jin-ho's sentiments as governor were paramount.
"There's some love-hate mixed in, sure."
Naturally, Heo Jin-ho hadn't fully forgiven Gyeon Gwan-im. He immediately admitted to the ambivalence and continued.
"In the end, that bastard completely dismantled the Daegu provisional government. Sure, I've become Serabeol's governor in exchange, so things haven't really changed on the surface. But you know that well enough, don't you?"
From Heo Jin-ho's viewpoint, Gyeon Gwan-im was the one who had ruined everything he had built. Through that cunning scheme, Heo Jin-ho had been unable to stand independently as a warlord. After returning with Serabeol's aid, he had sworn loyalty to them as governor. The freedom of a warlord versus the constraints of a governor—which would anyone prefer? Naturally, the former tugged at his heart.
"A warlord can shape the world as he pleases. A governor can't."
As governor, he had to consult Serabeol on every matter. Daegu lived or died by their whims. As a warlord, Heo Jin-ho could implement policies freely—even ones that benefited only Daegu, without owing anyone an explanation.
"Daegu must now serve as Serabeol's shield. Even if the citizens don't want it. Serabeol will push Daegu to the front lines regardless. But how do you plan to address the suffering that causes our people?"
"That's unavoidable."
It was the same even now. Daegu had become Serabeol's shield at their behest, defending against invaders heading their way from the front lines. How many Daegu citizens had been wounded in the process? Still, Park Cheol-gon had his excuses.
"Pohang handles industry, so that's out. North Ulsan is little more than an empty military outpost. Daegu is the only region that can serve as Serabeol's shield."
"I know. In Serabeol's current territory, Daegu is the frontline."
With Serabeol's domain as it was, Daegu being the forward line was inevitable. They couldn't risk putting the economically vital Pohang up front, and North Ulsan was essentially uninhabited wilderness. By process of elimination, only Daegu fit the bill.
"In that sense, Gyeon Gwan-im's forces aren't a bad addition. Quite the opposite—they're welcome. For Daegu's smooth defense, we need more field commanders like him right now."
"Then..."
Freeing Gyeon Gwan-im to bolster Daegu's defenses wasn't a bad strategy. Heo Jin-ho knew his capabilities well and even looked forward to seeing such talent shine on the Daegu front. In this era, they desperately needed every competent field commander they could get, and Gyeon Gwan-im was exactly that.
"But he's still the one who destroyed the Daegu provisional government. As governor, in exchange for his release, I'll demand a stake in Daegu."
Yet his very competence bred suspicion. Heo Jin-ho warned that even a sliver of freedom might let him seize another chance at independence as a warlord, keeping betrayal in mind.
"That's simple enough. What are your demands?"
At the same time, as compensation for setting aside his personal grudge, Heo Jin-ho, as Daegu's governor, made a sort of request to Serabeol's cabinet.
"Increased funding for Daegu citizens' jobs and repairs to the walls."
"Wall repairs go without saying. Budget increases... I'll have the Heonmin Democratic Party raise it as an assembly agenda."
Park Cheol-gon listened quietly to Heo Jin-ho's requests. The latter was feasible, but the former seemed trickier, so he promised to submit it to the assembly. Heo Jin-ho, dissatisfied, pressed harder.
"Can't you report it to Lord Bahamut?"
From Heo Jin-ho's perspective, Bahamut—the Dragon God who kept promises without fail—was preferable to an assembly that might not fully deliver.
"Lord Bahamut is currently preparing merits for the Hwarang. I can't give you an immediate yes."
"That's a shame. Then, if you swear on the Dragon God's name and promise it, I'll let the Gyeon Gwan-im matter slide."
Heo Jin-ho brought up Bahamut first, so Park Cheol-gon, looking troubled, backpedaled by mentioning the god's current status to persuade him. Heo Jin-ho relented from insisting on Bahamut's direct promise and instead asked Park Cheol-gon to pledge in the Dragon God's name...
"...I promise in the Dragon God's name."
"Good enough."
Park Cheol-gon fell silent for a moment but ultimately swore by the Dragon God. Satisfied, Heo Jin-ho moved on.
"Now, about Gyeon Gwan-im's treatment post-release. You're not planning to just let him go free, are you?"
"Of course not. He's a proper warlord. We've prepared a leash to keep him in check."
Next came the matter of how to handle the newly freed Gyeon Gwan-im. Heo Jin-ho objected to releasing him without safeguards and probed for some scheme. Park Cheol-gon confirmed they had a leash ready.
"A leash?"
"This."
What he showed was none other than a Geas Scroll. Heo Jin-ho, having seen them since joining Serabeol, eyed Park Cheol-gon skeptically.
"Isn't this the standard Geas Scroll circulating on the market? The magical contract that enforces promises between companies as precepts. It's imposing in terms of restrictions and penalties, but if someone's determined to break it, they can."
True, it bound actions and compelled fulfillment, but if someone was dead set on defying it, they could—though at great cost. There had even been cases where the penalties were deemed worth ignoring for sufficient gain. Relying solely on this scroll felt shaky, so Heo Jin-ho looked at Park Cheol-gon doubtfully.
"Yes. The market versions are downgraded for sale after certifying an item's performance."
"Meaning..."
"This is dozens of times stronger than those. An original contract crafted directly by Dragon God Bahamut."
"Lord Bahamut!?"
Park Cheol-gon affirmed it was possible and revealed that Dragon God Bahamut himself had made this contract. The commercial Geas Scrolls were downgraded versions of Bahamut's creations, so a military-grade one wielded unimaginable power...
"Right. Market contracts enforce terms and precepts, but not overwhelmingly so. A mage with Dispel could even nullify a sealed one. But this prevents such loopholes. It's a special contract."
"Then it can stop Gyeon Gwan-im from acting out. What's the penalty?"
It blocked common exploits, making it a reliable leash—and thus, the penalty had to be terrifying.
"Unlike standard Geas Scrolls that impose physical or mental pain or restrictions, this inflicts a level down with every precept broken."
And that penalty was a level down—the most horrifying punishment imaginable for any Awakener.
"...That's brutal. Paying with levels more precious than life?"
"Yes."
Back when the apocalypse raged, a level down might not have seemed worse than death—monsters and undead were everywhere, and levels could be regained through hunting. But now?
"A level down in this calmer era? Where do you recover lost levels?"
"Who knows? Monsters threatening Serabeol lurk deep in the mountains. Undead around rural villages are nearly wiped out."
Unlike games, foes didn't respawn endlessly. In this subdued apocalypse, hunting meant trekking into the wilds yourself.
Sure, outside Serabeol's domain, undead and monsters overflowed, offering hunting grounds—but...
"This isn't a one-time contract, right?"
"No. It triggers the instant a precept is broken. It has some flexibility befitting such a harsh penalty, but genuine violations unleash repeated level downs."
"Hell for high-level Awakeners."
Even past level 15, a few hits would drop you to single digits in moments. And it wasn't once—it chained. Even if Gyeon Gwan-im fled Serabeol's borders mid-betrayal, surviving as a low-level Awakener amid undead, monsters, warlords, and raiders was near impossible. No guarantee of level recovery out there either.
In this situation, asking if Gyeon Gwan-im would betray at the cost of his precious levels...
"A solid binding contract. Approved."
Gyeon Gwan-im, ever calculating for maximum odds, wouldn't even consider it. Heo Jin-ho deemed the leash reliable and endorsed using it to bind him.
"Then let's take this to Gyeon Gwan-im for the judicial deal."
"He'll accept for sure. To preserve his own value, it's his only option."
With the biggest hurdle cleared, Park Cheol-gon now just needed Gyeon Gwan-im to take the deal. Heo Jin-ho assured him he would—Gyeon Gwan-im would willingly don the leash Serabeol prepared.