29. Raiders (3)
Of course, the two politicians had no inkling of this fool of a dragon's inner turmoil, perceiving his words as something akin to a lament. At the same time, it seemed as though Bahamut had reached a noble resolution.
"Then what shall we do with them?"
The words that followed confirmed Park Cheol-gon's and Hwang Geun-chul's expectations.
"The root cause lies in the uniqueness of awakeners. If awakeners hold absolute power and authority in this disaster, a fundamental solution is impossible."
Park Cheol-gon ultimately argued that all problems stemmed from the special nature of awakeners, and as long as that uniqueness persisted, no true resolution could be found.
"Indeed, even now in Gyeongju, demand for awakeners overflows while supply is nonexistent."
Hwang Geun-chul nodded in agreement, noting that Gyeongju currently faced an excess of demand for awakeners with zero supply. Without hunting more zombies to produce additional awakeners, the value of existing ones would only keep rising indefinitely.
Bahamut pondered their advice for a moment before speaking.
"Then, what if awakeners were no longer special beings?"
He inquired what might happen if awakeners lost their exceptional status. It was an abrupt question, but one that offered a potential path to resolving the current crisis.
However, based on the information known to Park Cheol-gon and Hwang Geun-chul, the only way to awaken someone in Korea was by hunting zombies.
A trial sent to us?
Testing the abilities of bureaucrats isn't so unusual.
They first assumed this exchange was a form of trial or ordeal to gauge their capabilities.
But imposing a test in this situation feels off.
Then... it must mean he truly has a way to solve the awakener shortage.
Yet they found it strange to test them now, leading instead to the speculation that Bahamut possessed a genuine means to address the awakener problem. Considering the abilities he had demonstrated so far, it was the most logical conclusion. Once they reached that judgment, their decision was swift.
"First, Jo Sun-do would lose any justification for ruling North Gyeongju."
"Since he rules not by legitimacy or greater cause, but by force alone, the moment that specialness vanishes, Jo Sun-do becomes mere prey for the next overwhelming power."
If the awakener issue could be resolved, Jo Sun-do's reign over North Gyeongju would crumble. His position rested solely on being the strongest awakener among those in Gyeongju. But if the line between awakener and ordinary person blurred, his legitimacy would evaporate. In a world where only the strong could rule, Jo Sun-do would forever face challengers, and a single defeat would strip him of everything.
"Then it's simple. From now on, let us increase the number of awakeners."
Thus, by first eliminating the exclusivity of awakeners, Jo Sun-do's authority would be severely undermined.
Park Cheol-gon and Hwang Geun-chul fell silent at Bahamut's shocking declaration. Complaints already abounded about how hard it was to awaken even one more—how did he plan to increase their numbers?
A flurry of thoughts raced through their minds, but first, they needed to confirm if this was mere slip of the tongue.
"...Forgive my impertinence, but is there a method?"
"Indeed."
And so Bahamut affirmed it.
"Recently, I have learned a way to artificially create awakeners."
A method to artificially awaken people. If revealed now, it could set Gyeongju—not, perhaps all of Korea—abuzz.
"...Impressive. Far beyond what I imagined. I thought it might involve capturing zombies to force awakenings."
"If properly implemented, it would brilliantly resolve the awakener shortage."
Of course, Park Cheol-gon and Hwang Geun-chul might be making a fuss. The shortage only plagued Gyeongju's zombie-free interior; other cities in Korea still birthed countless awakeners. Tragically, as many died as were born. Still, the merit of safely awakening people was undeniable.
"It was a fortunate discovery. In any case, I now possess a means to artificially increase awakeners. What say you?"
"First, if I may speak boldly—announcing it without justification would likely breed discontent among the Balhut Cult's awakeners."
"I agree."
Yet Park Cheol-gon warned that without proper grounds, the cult's awakeners would harbor resentment.
Oh no. What's that? Sounds scary, I don't know.
Discontent from the cult's awakeners! To Bahamut, it was thunder from a clear sky.
He had found a new awakening method to solve the shortage—how could they complain?
"Why is that?"
Bahamut masked his bewilderment, asking coolly for the reason. Though his exterior remained composed, his inner turmoil was another matter.
"Awakeners are a form of privilege in this era, much like how you hold them dear. In essence, they are the vested interests of our time."
"Your declaration, Lord Bahamut, could be seen as stripping away those vested privileges."
"I see."
Vested interests! That single phrase made it all clear to Bahamut. Asking humanity to relinquish privileges was no easy task. They spoke of shortages sending awakeners into the field, but being an awakener alone granted countless perks within the cult. Thus, they might resist to preserve those privileges.
Of course, no awakener would dare openly defy Lord Bahamut.
But that discontent could turn toward us.
Realistically, no one would voice complaints to the savior of Gyeongju. Bahamut preferred dialogue and overlooked minor issues, but he could enforce compliance by force if needed—a fact not to be forgotten. Moreover, for every opponent, there would be supporters of his plan.
"Of course, this assumes proceeding without justification."
"With a compelling rationale, even opponents would hesitate to refuse."
"Justification, you say. Then what justification do you propose?"
It was solely about acting without basis. With a rationale that convinced the masses, opposition would falter. Park Cheol-gon and Hwang Geun-chul explained that blind announcements were inferior to those backed by public buy-in. Bahamut nodded and inquired about their idea.
"We use the zombie apocalypse itself."
"This disaster can serve as powerful justification."
"Hmm?"
The apocalypse, now routine, could be leveraged as justification. It was so clear and simple that Bahamut himself felt caught off guard.
"Merely commanding obedience without explanation might breed quiet resentment. They would submit to absolute power, but not forever."
"Thus, our justification for convincing them is straightforward: a theme we all share—the zombie apocalypse."
Yet its familiarity made it universally relatable. Peace reigned now, but beyond Gyeongju, cities suffered under the apocalypse, with zombies still infiltrating occasionally.
"They feel safe pursuing daily life under your protection, Lord Bahamut. But without it?"
"Crimes occur covertly, ignoring boundaries between inside and out. Naturally, people crave means to protect themselves. If you then declare the awakener project, ordinary Balhut Cult followers would all rally to you."
Peace existed solely due to Bahamut's shield. Without it? If trouble struck in unprotected areas? Rumors of awakener crimes within Gyeongju already circulated among civilians, fueling their desire for self-defense.
"But wouldn't vested awakeners resist that logic?"
That convinced civilians, not entrenched awakeners.
"They require their own persuasion. Of course, their loyalty isn't so shallow now—we could push through regardless—but more justification is always better."
"Convince them like this: In reality, amid this zombie apocalypse, we need every awakener possible."
To sway them, confront field awakeners with harsh truths. Gyeongju desperately needed more; shortages already caused issues.
"Dispatch awakeners feel it acutely, as do expedition teams: too few awakeners."
"Our limited territory hides the strain now, but public opinion holds that unification and expansion will hit limits soon."
The issue was already voiced in many places. Solving it by awakening more would mute complaints, even if grudging.
"Not all awakeners can fight, anyway. Some awaken but remain unfit for battle."
"Family awakeners would flip to supporters if they could awaken their loved ones."
Nor was that the only angle. Awakeners with parents or families to protect could be swayed, becoming key backers.
"So some can be convinced handily."
"True, some harbor chosen-one arrogance, or hole up complaining."
"But in this crisis, we lack leisure to indulge every grievance. For stable rule, draw in all possible supporters and suppress the rest."
Humans inevitably disliked some policies. The Balhut Cult couldn't afford to accommodate all; it must maximize allies and contain dissent.
"No policy satisfies everyone; tastes vary."
"We'll consider it thoroughly."
No policy pleased all. Politics is tricky, Bahamut thought, resolving to deliberate the policy's direction carefully.