Ch.126126. London (2)

However, the arrival of the United States and the Balhut Cult in London did not mean that the international organization reconstruction conference began immediately.

Before the apocalypse, all heads of state could arrive within a day or at most two days at the meeting venue, but in the post-apocalyptic world, even the arrival of key representatives took time.

The United States and the Balhut Cult had used commercial aircraft, but countries without access to air travel had to reach London by sea.

“The reconstruction conference will be held in two days. Please rest from your journey until then.”

“Thank you.”

Despite using air travel and delaying their departure as much as possible, not all representatives for the international organization reconstruction conference had arrived yet, so the meeting would proceed only after two days.

This essentially meant staying idle in London for two days, but neither the United States nor the Balhut Cult thought that Britain was stalling for time.

Before the apocalypse, this would have immediately sparked complaints, but the singularity of the apocalypse genuinely made physical travel time-consuming in many cases.

The Balhut Cult, without America’s help, might have had Bahamut himself crossing the Pacific Ocean—that said it all.

“I have a question. Have the Atlantic pirates been dealt with?”

“If they had been resolved, the conference would have started already.”

“I see.”

There was also the matter of dealing with the Atlantic pirates—not the romantic kind, but rather vagabond pirate groups targeting representatives attending the international organization reconstruction conference for ransom.

With the apocalypse causing nations to lose their administrative authority and navies physically disappearing, the proliferation of pirates was only natural.

Bahamut knew this fact through Steven but was somewhat surprised that the issue remained unresolved.

“This isn’t something that can be cleared up in a day or two. The real problem is the chaos driving people to piracy just to survive.”

“True. Raiding just one container ship could feed a small survivor camp for half a year.”

While the Pacific had ghost fleets, the Atlantic had pirate fleets, and piracy targeting vessels attempting to maintain international trade was rampant.

The presence of pirates in the Atlantic seemed to be a headache for the United States, which considered Atlantic hegemony important. Anna sighed as she told Bahamut that they had not yet resolved this issue.

With an expression of complete understanding:

“Then I’ll see you in two days.”

“Yes.”

Without further response to Anna, Bahamut took comfortable rest at the hotel assigned to the Balhut Cult, as if accepting London’s hospitality.

The hotel appeared to be one that welcomed foreign dignitaries, as there was absolutely no problem for the Balhut Cult delegation to recover from their travel fatigue.

Of course, after one day of rest, only the working-level staff would be called separately for discussions on the reconstruction of international organizations, but that was the responsibility of the Lee Su-a and Lee Hyeon-a sisters who had accompanied them, not Bahamut or Yu-na.

The two sisters were deeply contemplating what would be discussed at tomorrow’s working-level meeting, considering what the Balhut Cult could gain from the establishment of international organizations and what intangible benefits they could secure.

“I hope we can make new friends besides America based on this meeting.”

“Understood. I’ll inform the working staff.”

They needed to find new friends or allies who could cooperate with the Balhut Cult through the international organization.

Relying solely on the United States essentially meant being led around by America, so Bahamut wanted to activate new diplomatic channels for mutual exchange at this conference. Bahamut’s will was conveyed to the working staff through Yu-na.

“Indeed, we need new growth engines too. I agree.”

“Then I’ll prepare a roadmap accordingly.”

Lee Hyeon-a and Lee Su-a, who led the working staff, followed Bahamut’s logic without a hint of doubt, as if they found it reasonable.

In fact, they too recognized that rather than depending solely on the American economy, they needed to find new growth engines through diplomatic diversification and exchanges with various countries.

Honestly, the Balhut Cult was currently so dependent on the United States that if America collapsed, the Balhut Cult would either collapse with it or suffer devastating damage. Therefore, they needed to reduce that dependency to a certain level.

Though they were close allies, the Balhut Cult couldn’t afford to collapse just because the United States did, and naturally, as a nation, they needed to devise at least one or two contingency plans.

“Maybe Japan? If we use Jin A-yeon’s connections…”

“Southeast Asia is also an option.”

“That’s not bad either.”

If they could find new countries to exchange with the Balhut Cult through this international organization reconstruction conference, that would be a gain in itself.

“Hmm. This kind of travel isn’t bad at all! It really feels like I’ve returned to the secular world after a long time!”

Having entrusted all matters to the working staff, Bahamut simply enjoyed the luxury hotel room service provided by England and lived a lavish life.

Honestly, wasn’t this kind of experience a once-in-a-lifetime miracle?

Being treated as an honored guest in a 5-star hotel that would have been absolutely inaccessible before the apocalypse, receiving top-class room service never experienced before!

‘That’s right. If I don’t enjoy myself now, when will I? This is my first vacation in 8 months!’

Especially for Bahamut, who had lived in a dreary cave for over half a year, there was a sense of urgency that if he missed this opportunity, he would have to work again in the gloomy shrine within the cave.

As the saying goes, “Even a ghost who died after eating well looks good,” Bahamut thought it was best to enjoy himself thoroughly while he could, and began to frugally enjoy the services provided by the hotel together with Yu-na.

“Yu-na, you should rest comfortably too. Haven’t you been working hard managing the cult recently?”

“I’m so happy to be with you, Bahamut! Yes! I’ll rest comfortably!”

Far from stopping Bahamut, Yu-na also agreed with his logic and was thoroughly enjoying the room service provided by the hotel.

When would an ordinary household girl like Yu-na ever have the chance to receive such luxurious service?

Of course, now that she had become the leader of the Balhut Cult, she was receiving protocol and precious treatment befitting her position, but it was on a completely different level compared to this hotel that maintained pre-apocalypse civilization.

Moreover, with the dragon god Bahamut telling her to rest comfortably first, Yu-na could truly rest as an ordinary girl, not as the leader of the Balhut Cult, for the first time in a long while.

“The sad part is that when the conference ends, this splendid vacation will end too. It’s really regrettable.”

“Do you mean this is the last time you’ll walk around in that form? That’s a bit disappointing.”

The slightly disappointing point was that in two days, this splendid vacation would be completely gone.

At those words, Yu-na seemed to understand that this would be the last time Bahamut would take human form, and asked him with a slightly disappointed expression.

‘Huh? Can it be understood that way? Oh no? Is my plan to sneakily transform into a human ending with this?’

Bahamut was flustered by Yu-na’s statement.

After using polymorph magic like this, isn’t it too disappointing to end with just this!

Honestly, when he returned to the shrine, there was a mountain of work waiting for Bahamut himself! But he still wanted to enjoy some hobbies in human form!

But now our dragon priestess was guiding her god down the path of workaholism!

Ah! What’s the point of transforming more!

“This is a special case. If you really want to call me, summon me directly.”

“Hehe. I know. Thank you for listening to my whining.”

“Haha. Hahaha…”

However, to maintain his image so far, he couldn’t possibly respond to Yu-na’s statement with “That’s not what I meant.”

Bahamut was shedding tears of blood in his heart, only responding that if Yu-na wanted it so much, she should summon him directly.

And so, to this foolish dragon who missed another opportunity for freedom because of unnecessary pride…

“Bahamut, it’s Anna.”

“Come in.”

Anna, Steven’s adjutant, knocked on the door from outside.

Since she was someone they knew and an agent dispatched by the United States for the Balhut Cult, Bahamut granted her entry without question, and as the door opened, Anna entered the room where Bahamut and Yu-na were staying.

“What’s the matter? Does the American side have something to tell me?”

“Our side has someone to introduce to you. They insisted quite strongly.”

It seemed that the American side had something to discuss with Bahamut himself.

In fact, the first thing Anna mentioned upon entering the room was that there was someone to introduce.

Bahamut’s first thought was whether they were introducing cabinet members assembled by President Arthur, but…

‘The President Arthur and their working staff are already meeting with our working staff, right? That can’t be it. Then who?’

Realizing that the cabinet members were currently in contact with the working staff to adjust agreements, Bahamut understood that Anna had not come to introduce American officials.

Then who was Anna going to introduce?

Curious, Bahamut changed his expression from one full of laughter to a serious one, and asked her with a grave demeanor.

“If you’ve come like this, does that mean the person you’re introducing is not from the American side?”

“Correct. Would you like to meet them? I apologize that I cannot reveal their identity here at the moment.”

When Bahamut explicitly asked if they weren’t American personnel, Anna cleanly admitted it while also asking for understanding that she couldn’t immediately disclose the identity of the person she was introducing.

Despite being Steven’s adjutant with considerable authority, she had taken a step back, suggesting that the person being introduced was likely someone of very high status.

At Anna’s statement, Bahamut’s expression gradually hardened as he continued to question her.

“Is this a secret meeting?”

“Yes. It’s a secret meeting.”

When she explicitly confirmed it was a secret meeting, even Yu-na, who had been relaxed, rapidly cooled her expression.

After briefly turning cold, she returned to her role as Choi Yu-na, leader of the Balhut Cult, with a bright smile, transforming from an ordinary girl.

And Bahamut addressed Anna, who had brazenly declared it a secret meeting.

“Does that mean it’s not the United States?”

“It’s not the United States.”

It was a secret meeting, but the other party was not the United States.

Bahamut felt something strange and fell into thought for a moment.

‘Then it must be France or England. If I think of people who want to meet me directly, it would be the Lord Protector or the Saint of Orleans, but I don’t think they have any reason to come to me.’

If there were individuals who had firmly established their power, they would be England’s Lord Protector and France’s Saint of Orleans.

These two might seek a secret meeting with the Balhut Cult to solidify the power structure, but honestly, Bahamut didn’t think either of them would approach the Balhut Cult first.

‘Both of them are urgently dealing with immediate issues, so why would they come to us who are based in Asia? Besides, they wouldn’t arrange a secret meeting through the United States.’

Given that the United States had also negatively evaluated the Lord Protector and the Saint of Orleans, Bahamut judged that the Americans wouldn’t accommodate their requests.

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s meet them.”

“Then…”

Unable to identify who the secret meeting was with, Bahamut decided to meet them.

He thought that was the only way to find an answer, and he was confident that there were very few who could physically defeat him anyway.

“Guide them here. This place will now be a location where no surveillance eyes can penetrate.”

“Is it magic?”

“It is magic.”

For the secret meeting, the room where Bahamut was staying transformed into a sealed chamber with a barrier applying silence magic and blind magic.

The magic activated automatically with just a snap of his fingers.

“…Judging by the fact that it didn’t register on my detection, it must be incredible magic.”

“I could show you visually.”

“That’s alright. I’d rather not have my SAN points depleted.”

Even Anna, who was a surveillance type, was astonished that she couldn’t sense a hint of it.

Bahamut smiled at her statement and said he could show her visually, but Anna firmly declined.

Honestly, considering how she had fallen into panic and anxiety when they first met, Anna didn’t want to sense the power of Bahamut’s true form with her abilities.

“Ah. Sorry.”

“Then I’ll guide them here.”

And following Anna’s guidance, those who came to Bahamut’s room were a young girl with doll-like features and a maid who assisted such a girl.