35. Trial (1)
Jo Sun-do's gang and all their collaborators had been captured by the Balhut Cult before they could escape Gyeongju. Of course, some remnants had slipped into hiding underground beneath the city, but the cult had no spare resources to hunt them down.
Above all, the executives were already nursing splitting headaches over the atrocities committed by the captured Jo Sun-do and his crew.
"More than we imagined. It seems Jo Sun-do was behind all sorts of crimes in North Gyeongju."
"I pray that the horrors I witnessed were all lies. Is this what a beast wearing human skin does?"
War correspondent Kang Jae-wan had compiled interviews with numerous citizens, along with testimonies, video footage, and audio recordings—all laid out before the executives. They detailed every crime Jo Sun-do and his gang had perpetrated in North Gyeongju.
"It's common in other regions for powerful awakeners to exploit the weak."
It was a system often derisively called a "rape drug regime." All resources and supplies flowed to Jo Sun-do and his inner circle at the center, while the rest were squeezed dry. That was how Jo Sun-do had become Gyeongju's strongest awakener.
Of course, if it had stopped there, Yu-na or the other executives wouldn't have batted an eye.
"A self-proclaimed king doesn't usually plunder his own territory. But Jo Sun-do did."
"………These are end times."
Yes, plunder. Jo Sun-do, who styled himself as king, had no intention of ruling or governing Gyeongju. He treated it like a doormat. Using his gang and collaborators, he seized all of North Gyeongju's supplies for himself. The amassed wealth left even Yu-na and Jeong Dong-gun speechless.
According to Lee Hyun-ah's calculations, the vast stockpiles in Jo Sun-do's warehouses could replenish the Balhut Cult's wartime expenditures and still leave a massive surplus. For a cult shifting to a currency economy, Jo Sun-do's treasure trove was a jackpot—both a symbol of completing their monetary system and a hoard of tangible valuables.
"We won big."
"We got Jo Sun-do's warehouses, after all."
Undeniably, the Balhut Cult had crushed Jo Sun-do. They'd arrested the self-proclaimed king of North Gyeongju, captured most of his gang, and seized his entire treasure hoard. It was no exaggeration to call it a resounding victory.
But a reality they couldn't celebrate was closing in.
"So… how do we govern North Gyeongju?"
"Don't ask us."
Now, the cult had to clean up Jo Sun-do's messes: refugee crises, his thoughtless policies and accidents, and even the underworld gangs that had fled as his dubious legacy.
Everything fell on the Balhut Cult's shoulders from here on.
"Even drugs. Reports say they're circulating."
Even worse, Jo Sun-do's gang had spread drugs throughout North Gyeongju. Yu-na, an ordinary citizen at heart, covered her face in horror.
The executives averted their eyes at her lament.
"And drug addicts too. Yes, Jo Sun-do's handiwork again."
"Damn it!"
According to the reports, North Gyeongju was rife with addicts hooked on Jo Sun-do's narcotics. When Park Cheol-gon relayed this, Hwang Geun-chul spat a curse without thinking, his face a mask of disbelief. No one called him on it—the profanity captured the cult's collective frustration perfectly.
"Well, at least Jo Sun-do eliminated all his rivals?"
"That means the only strong awakeners left in North Gyeongju are his followers or collaborators."
"…Sigh."
Of course, by purging anyone who could challenge his throne, Jo Sun-do had left only small survivor camps and his own lackeys. No forces remained that could sway Gyeongju's balance of power—a silver lining, at least.
All that was left for the cult was to stabilize their new acquisition in North Gyeongju and unify the city. It wasn't all downsides; the war had serendipitously solved the cult's chronic unemployment issue. Yoo Soo-seong was already leading reconstruction crews into North Gyeongju.
With clear gains and losses, the Balhut Cult deemed the battle a net positive.
"What's the state of North Gyeongju's citizens?"
"I'll handle that."
When Yu-na asked about the citizens, Han Jun-woo—the hospital director at the cult's medical center—raised his hand to report directly.
As director of South Gyeongju's sole large hospital, he managed citizen health with full cult backing and his medical team. While Yu-na oversaw expedition health, Han Jun-woo handled the general populace, earning her utmost trust.
"They can't return to daily life right away. Most need at least a month of rest, plus psychiatric care. Jo Sun-do left them with scars that won't fade."
Jo Sun-do's tyranny and exploitation had broken most North Gyeongju citizens. Malnutrition, brutal labor, sexual abuse—they were physically and mentally shattered. The doctor prescribed a minimum month of rest and therapy.
"A month. Short in peacetime, an eternity now."
"They'd normally need prolonged intensive care. A month accounts for the disaster."
"What the hell did that bastard do in North Gyeongju?"
Jeong Dong-gun called it a long-yet-short span. Han Jun-woo countered gravely, factoring in the apocalypse. A month felt endless in crisis, yet essential—their condition was that dire.
"And North Gyeongju citizens are still flooding the hospital, begging for help. Emergency rooms are overwhelmed; beds are short."
"That's trouble."
A medical crisis was brewing. South Gyeongju's lone major hospital couldn't handle the influx—virtually every North Gyeongju citizen qualified as a patient. Untreated deaths loomed, tarnishing the cult's reputation.
"Overflow patients go to the Balhut Cult's main temple."
"You sure?"
Yu-na decided swiftly: she'd take the rest. Han Jun-woo's grim face brightened as he double-checked.
"Yes. I'll treat them in my spare time. But it'll burden the expeditions, so no external ops for now. Idle expedition members join security."
"Of course. Stabilizing North Gyeongju security comes first."
"Please."
It would strain expedition healers, so Yu-na halted external missions, redirecting them to security. Jeong Dong-gun nodded in agreement.
"Speaking of, how's North Gyeongju security? Bad enough for expeditions?"
"…Chaos incarnate. Jo Sun-do's remnants hide among refugees, alongside his underworld allies. Punishing them to set an example will take cult effort."
"Whoa. Can we handle this?"
"We must."
With their king gone, wolves vied for North Gyeongju. Deploying expeditions seemed inevitable. Yu-na turned to Hwang Seung-man at Jeong Dong-gun's reply.
"Mr. Hwang, when can we hold Jo Sun-do's trial?"
"Fifteen days? North Gyeongju witnesses should recover enough. Plus…"
He gestured to the stack of handwritten statements before them—citizen testimonies and accusations detailing Jo Sun-do's crimes. Videos and photos too. Hwang Seung-man had to witness the horrors firsthand.
"Even with Kang Jae-wan's crime evidence, sorting this with limited staff is grueling. Is Jo Sun-do really human?"
He sighed, face pale from glimpsing fragments that nearly made him vomit. More awaited from the correspondent's footage and interviews—their job to review it all.
"I kept repeating 'this can't be real.' Circumstances might excuse it, but it's lamentable."
"It's the Balhut Cult's first trial. Do your best."
He pitied that, cornered himself, he might've stooped low too. With cult support, he thrived in law—without it, he might've mirrored Jo Sun-do. 'No, not that far.'
Still, Jo Sun-do had crossed the line. Humanity demanded condemnation.
Thus…
"Just in case, could Bahamut attend as judge?"
"Why?"
"Better the masses see an impartial Dragon God deliver solemn judgment, purging evil, than us staging a judicial murder. Not that it's murder or fabricated charges."
This time, not humans but the cult's Dragon God must judge Jo Sun-do. Even legitimate proceedings would spark backlash from him and sympathizers, forcing endless fights against opposition.
"One misstep, and it sets a bad precedent. We must use extremes this once—make him atone fully."
Public pressure could derail justice. To avoid that, invoke Bahamut decisively.
Hwang Seung-man resolved: judge Jo Sun-do in Bahamut's name.
"Understood. I'll ask God."
Yu-na nodded casually. It showcased Bahamut's majesty and mercy—why refuse?
With Jo Sun-do settled, the meeting ended. As always, Yu-na contacted her divine contractor, Bahamut, with updates.
"So much happened."
[Indeed. But harder trials lie ahead.]
"I know. Oh, Hwang Seung-man wants Bahamut as trial judge."
[Huh? Er… why?]
"To show the masses an impartial Dragon God solemnly purging the sinner's evils."
'What? Sounds cool. Awesome.'
Yu-na's words stirred Bahamut. The dragon replied with excited fervor.
[Ahem. True, the Balhut Cult's pivotal first trial. Gracing it honors my contractor.]
It was just cool phrasing. No deeper thought from this fool dragon.
[I'll attend the trial.]
Chilly. A dagger to the heart.
Is this trial really okay?