87. National Tax Service (1)
The direction for the Balhut Cult's expansion had been set, and now it was time for the bureaucrats in charge of each organization to carry out their assigned roles in line with the conference's decisions.
"You called for me, Ms. Lee Hyun-ah?"
"Yes. I have something to ask."
Lee Hyun-ah, the Balhut Cult's top economic bureaucrat, had summoned Jeong Dong-gun, the head of military affairs, to her office right after the meeting ended. They dove into a discussion on the strategy for the upcoming Ulsan campaign. It was odd for an economic official like her to lead talks on a military operation against Ulsan, but since she had proposed it first and the other bureaucrats had agreed, she might have called him here to fulfill her responsibility.
"What did you want to ask?"
"I have a plan. Would you cooperate if we go ahead with it?"
"Of course. But that'll depend on hearing the details of this plan first."
Or perhaps she had some scheme in mind that she was keeping close to her chest.
"Before we get into negotiations with them, how do you assess the Pohang coalition government that the three major Pohang camps presented to inflate their size?"
"My adjutant, Son Sang-hee, would know more about that than I do. But according to internal military sources, the facade looks unified, but inside it's a total mess—no cohesion at all. They banded together, but couldn't align their opinions and nearly erupted into civil war."
Jeong Dong-gun responded to Lee Hyun-ah's summons without suspicion. She started by asking about the old Pohang three camps, which had once formed a coalition like Daegu. He deferred to Son Sang-hee for details but confirmed the internal chaos, nearly leading to open conflict.
"A total mess, huh."
"Each group was chasing different interests."
It was a coalition government in name only, with each faction prioritizing its own gains. Cooperation was nonexistent, and civil war loomed because if one camp profited, the others inevitably suffered. Internal strife was inevitable. Still, despite those flaws, it allowed them to puff up their apparent size. During negotiations with the cult, Seo Un-jae had leveraged that inflated presence, arguing Pohang could secure and protect its vested interests.
Daegu had likely formed its provisional government the same way—embracing the drawbacks of a coalition to project a larger, balloon-like stature from the outside.
"Internal conflicts. Makes sense. Even we, who merged relatively smoothly, split into North and South Gyeongju, effectively sparking a civil war during Gyeongju's unification. So that means Daegu's provisional government is probably drowning in massive internal chaos too, right?"
Thinking back, the Balhut Cult itself had gone through a civil war between Gyeongju factions. Even with Dragon God Bahamut personally meeting Gyeongju's survivor leaders for candid talks on the future, half refused to join while the other half did. If division happened despite Bahamut's direct involvement, unification elsewhere without him would inevitably spill far more blood.
Of course, leaders like Pohang's Seo Un-jae could achieve bloodless unity through bold social consensus—but such courageous politicians weren't common. Gyeongju's politicians hadn't praised Seo Un-jae's gutsy decision for nothing.
"But community chatter suggests Daegu hasn't spiraled into total hopelessness like Pohang did. Seems like strong, visionary leaders or powerful awakeners have a firm grip on governance there. And compromises are yielding real results."
"So even after we take Ulsan, Daegu to the west could hold steady."
"Yes. That's what I think—high likelihood."
Forming a provisional government implied some social consensus had been reached internally. Jeong Dong-gun noted this positively, suggesting tangible achievements. As his assessment rose, Lee Hyun-ah's expression grew icily cold, leading her to voice that Daegu could remain intact post-Ulsan.
She seemed envious or irritated by Daegu's resilience, but Jeong Dong-gun answered her straightforward question honestly, without a hint of doubt.
"I don't like that."
"Pardon?"
Her face hardened further, displeased by Daegu's show of strength. Only then did Jeong Dong-gun sense something off, but before he could comment, she spoke first.
"No, never mind. What if we support Daegu instead?"
"Support Daegu, you say?"
Her face even colder now—contrary to his hunch of jealousy over Daegu's revival—she proposed aiding them. Jeong Dong-gun pondered briefly.
"Fair point. From our perspective, it'd be trouble if Daegu fell to zombies before we tackle Ulsan. We'd inherit their front lines. Right now, Daegu and Gyeongju are in a classic lips-and-teeth situation."
As a military expert, he warned that Daegu's fall meant Gyeongju next. Geographically intertwined, Daegu's collapse would burden Gyeongju massively—taking over their front would stretch the eastern defenses thin.
"Haha, exactly. If Daegu truly falls to zombies, we'd be their next target."
Lee Hyun-ah smiled brightly, echoing his logic as if piecing it together herself. Daegu down, then Gyeongju.
"If these zombies are closer to undead than the apocalypse hordes we knew, something even stronger is likely commanding them. Capable of wiping out Daegu."
"Agreed."
She amplified Bahamut's hinted suspicions, claiming Daegu's fall would be catastrophic. With the Dragon God's warning invoked, Jeong Dong-gun accepted without question—for the Balhut Cult, it was prophecy.
"In short, Daegu's provisional government must survive. Even if it dies, the Balhut Cult will forcibly revive it."
Seizing the moment, Lee Hyun-ah declared Daegu's government essential. Even in ruin, the cult would pull its strings.
"Planning to use Daegu as a buffer zone against the zombies beyond it?"
A classic buffer state between powers. Though neither the cult nor zombies had founded nations, territorially, Daegu shielded the cult from peninsula-wide zombie hordes. Better for Daegu's provisional government to buffer than direct border contact.
"Yes. Daegu itself, and the zombies coming from beyond—like a buffer zone."
Zombie swarms from Sejong or Gwangju past Daegu? The cult wasn't ready to shoulder them yet. A brutal proposal: Daegu as Gyeongju's shield.
"A buffer zone. Not a bad idea. Conveniently, we have massive stockpiles of food and building materials from selling Balhut Cult weapons. We can supply what Daegu needs easily."
Surprisingly, Jeong Dong-gun approved. 'I can redeploy troops from the western border checkpoints to the expedition force.'
For him, it freed western garrison awakeners for Ulsan—every one counted. 'We're not responsible for Daegu's people. Nor their rulers.'
The cult ruled Pohang and Gyeongju, not Daegu. If influence reached there, he'd fiercely oppose and report upward. But it hadn't—Daegu had its own citizen-backed government. Its people answered to that, not the cult meddling blindly.
Supplying inland Daegu—lacking farmland, struggling for food—could foster trade ties.
"Yes. Inland Daegu has zero foreign trade routes. Sure, there's an airport, but we don't know if zombies overran it."
"Haha. Then as their close neighbor, the cult should help Daegu."
Lee Hyun-ah slyly noted only the cult could supply isolated Daegu. Jeong Dong-gun bought it as pragmatic trade.
"Right. Gyeongju should aid Daegu. Supply them, and in return, they handle incoming zombies. Mutually beneficial, no?"
"Haha. Then we need to contact Daegu's provisional government reps."
"I'll handle that."
She smoothly claimed initiative.
Daegu reps were there—how without military aid? But...
"From what I hear, Daegu's provisional government built a network via their community site. Mostly hazard alerts by region."
"Still, the community platform should suffice for contact."
No direct access needed; the apocalypse internet lingered, sharing intel in and out. Proven during Pohang.
"Then what Daegu needs is..."
"Food, right?"
"Food."
Obviously.
"Half a year in, even ramyeon's shelf life is hitting limits. Cans and dried goods have margin, but Daegu lacks production sites."
Unlike Gyeongju and Pohang's Hyongsan River granary belt, Daegu had few farms. Lotus roots, apples, cucumbers famous—but outskirts only, not inner city.
"They're nearing the brink. If we're supporting, act fast."
"Ah. I know."
Gyeongju and Pohang self-sufficient via river plains; Daegu needed imports.
'The moment despair peaks, dramatic timing to seize their leash.'
Lee Hyun-ah smiled, plotting to collar Daegu via food crisis.
"Then our military can assist." As Daegu talks wrapped, Jeong Dong-gun offered troops.
"Ah, no issue."
"Pardon?"
"Our agents will handle it."
She brushed it off—self-sufficient.
"...Huh?"
Now Jeong Dong-gun caught the oddity.
Because...
"Y-You're not thinking of using that organization, are you?"
The National Tax Service she mentioned was the Balhut Cult's most ruthless, terrifying arm.
Terror dawning, he glared: truly deploying the forbidden one?
"The Balhut National Tax Service!"
Huh?