America (1)
America. If you mention the word "America" to the general public, everyone immediately thinks of the United States. Of course, the American continent includes Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries besides the US, so America couldn't monopolize the term alone. But as the superpower famous for its massive global influence, people couldn't help associating "America" with the United States.
That was exactly why, when the crowd disembarking from the airship that had landed at Pohang Airport announced they were from America, the Balhut Cult soldiers instantly thought of the US in line with common perception.
"Yes. We're from the United States. We're not here to fight the Balhut Cult. We've come to talk with you."
"R-right away. I'll fetch a superior officer."
The soldier was baffled—not here to fight, but to dialogue with the cult, all the way out here? He lowered his rifle and rushed off to Baek Seol-hwa, the person in charge of Pohang and its mayor.
"Guests from America have arrived."
"Wha—the United States!?"
Even Baek Seol-hwa, who had just subdued the three major Pohang camps and started reconstruction, was stunned by such an enormous visitor.
She felt a twinge of bewilderment, but fortunately, she had the treasure Bahamut had given her: the Mirror of Farsight. Through it, she could contact Bahamut anytime, anywhere. Baek Seol-hwa used the mirror to relay the news.
"Dragon God. Guests from America have come."
[…From America, indeed. People from the White House?]
"I'll… look into it myself."
At Bahamut's question, Baek Seol-hwa hurried to Pohang Airport where the American guests waited. By the time she arrived, a tense standoff had developed between the visitors and the Balhut Cult soldiers.
The Americans stood relaxed, hands raised to show they had no intention of fighting. The cult soldiers eyed them suspiciously.
From the soldiers' perspective, there was no manual for handling sudden visitors from the outside in this apocalypse.
"Enough with this pointless standoff!"
"Yes, ma'am."
The tension broke only when Baek Seol-hwa arrived at the landing zone. At her shout—the Dragon Priestess herself—the soldiers dropped their wary glares toward the unidentified guests. The visitors, relieved that someone in charge had finally shown up, lowered their raised hands with sighs and looked at her.
'Sh-she's younger than I expected? Is she… baby-faced?'
Steven David, the special envoy plenipotentiary dispatched from the White House, couldn't hide his rising bewilderment at her unexpectedly youthful appearance. He'd assumed the local leader would be a mature man or woman, but here was a girl who looked no older than 14 or 15.
Watching the Balhut Cult soldiers obey her without question only deepened the Americans' shock.
"Don't let your guard down. I sense tremendous power from her, Steve."
"Really? Anna?"
"Yes."
Apparently, one of them was a detection-type awakener. The woman called Anna confirmed the immense power emanating from Baek Seol-hwa. The man, nicknamed Steve, had questioned her, but Anna nodded gravely, her face pale with genuine fear.
Only then did Steven understand why this young girl was in charge.
"Greetings. We are the special envoy delegation from the White House. Or, to put it simply, diplomats."
"So… you're from the US government?"
"Yes. We're diplomats dispatched from the White House to this place."
With fluent Korean, the man introduced himself. Baek Seol-hwa wondered if he was truly from the US government, but considering the apocalypse—this apocalypse—and how boldly they'd landed transport planes and escorts at Pohang Airport, it had to be something only America could pull off.
Korea had lost control of its military, but America hadn't. They were still wielding their full might.
'Even if I wanted to doubt it… no other country could operate that many transports and escorts. It has to be the US.'
Baek Seol-hwa judged the claim true based on the envoy's bearing and the planes behind him—transports guarded by fighters. It was too concretely proven to be bluffing.
"I'm Baek Seol-hwa, mayor of Pohang under the Balhut Cult. What brings you all the way here today?"
"We've come to meet the Balhut Cult—the sole government on the Korean Peninsula."
Baek Seol-hwa's small mouth fell open at Steven's words. The superpower known as America had recognized the Balhut Cult as a government.
It wasn't just her; the escorting soldiers were equally stunned, gaping dumbly at the diplomats as he called them the peninsula's sole government.
America had acknowledged the Balhut Cult as a government.
"Us? Not the Republic of Korea government?"
"The Republic of Korea government has gone silent. Are we being ignored? Or is it comatose? In this apocalypse, we assume the former. So we've come to the only organization operating as a government on the peninsula."
This was tantamount to declaring the Korean government utterly finished. Baek Seol-hwa pondered Steven's explanation for seeking out the cult.
"One moment. Could you speak with someone higher than me?"
"Of course."
Judging it beyond her authority as Pohang mayor, she contacted Bahamut via the Mirror of Farsight.
"Dragon God. They're really diplomats from the White House."
[Is that so.]
"Yes."
'Whoa, America is interested in our cult? What's the reason?'
Baek Seol-hwa wasn't the only one shocked; Bahamut was too. He shared the common perception: America was a mighty superpower, hegemon of the First World.
He knew they'd slipped from superpower to great power through failures, but common views still rated them overwhelmingly superior.
As an ordinary young man unbound by that perception, Bahamut was stunned that America had sought out the Balhut Cult.
[But why would America come to us?]
"I… have no idea."
America had specifically named the cult and come to the peninsula. That meant recognizing them as a government, but what did they want? Bahamut looked puzzled at Baek Seol-hwa, who looked equally baffled—sharing that common perception.
[For now, inform the Gyeongju headquarters and prepare countermeasures. Guide them there.]
"Understood."
Unable to decide, they opted to alert the cult and plan. Baek Seol-hwa was ordered to escort them to Gyeongju headquarters and bowed in agreement.
[Guests from the White House have arrived.]
"The… White House?"
[America.]
"Eh?!"
Bahamut relayed the news to Yu-na, whose reaction mirrored Baek Seol-hwa's. The one country holding together in the apocalypse had come calling—she gaped in shock like a mute.
Yu-na, an ordinary girl with common perceptions, was floored that the superpower had sought the cult.
But she didn't forget her duties. She immediately summoned all cult executives and informed them of the White House contact.
The Balhut Cult in Gyeongju had two reactions to the news.
"Why would America come to us? Have we become valuable enough to catch their eye?"
Skepticism first. America was the sole nation maintaining government and military in the apocalypse, overcoming monster assaults and presidential death—the VP had succeeded, reclaiming territory.
Busy fighting monsters, yet sending such a grand delegation? One side voiced doubt.
"Are you truly from the White House?"
The cult's intel was limited to public knowledge. With the peninsula's situation paramount, they had no need for foreign details.
"America's recognized us as the peninsula's sole legitimate government!"
"S-sis, calm down."
Others were excited. Lee Hyun-ah, deeply devoted to Bahamut's power, rejoiced, claiming America affirmed them as the true government.
"It's not wrong! We're the only organization forming a government here."
"Makes sense."
Self-proclaimed successors dotted the peninsula, but only the Balhut Cult wielded administrative, military, and control power. The pretenders hadn't escaped large survivor camps. America logically saw them as legitimate.
Lee Hyun-ah's claim was bold, but many executives agreed.
"Anyway, Seol-hwa's escorting the diplomats to Gyeongju. Can we guess what America wants before they arrive?"
Yu-na's follow-up silenced the room. It was genuinely baffling.
"D-do they want something from us?"
"No idea."
"America has overwhelming resources, territory. We'd beg them for aid."
"If anyone's initiating, it's us, not them…"
Puzzlement reigned. Executives brainstormed reasons but drew blanks. The gap was vast.
America had immense land and resources for self-sufficiency, even importing pre-apocalypse. They wouldn't beg a cult fresh off conquering Pohang.
"Military power?"
"They still have armies. Fighters operational."
"…True."
Need mercenaries? Logical, but America was the world's top military power pre-apocalypse, with mechanized forces guarding the homeland and modern jets flying.
Why need the cult's forces with such arsenal? Executives found it bizarre.
"What on earth do they want from us?"
"………………"
The contact brimmed with mystery. Objectively, the cult reaching out first made sense—not America initiating.