Ch.182182. Meeting (2)

Bahamut waited at Mars Square for Phoenix to arrive, as they had arranged to meet through a letter.

Having arrived 30 minutes before the appointed time, Bahamut quietly observed the people walking around the street, examining each of their facial expressions one by one. Not long after Bahamut began his human observation, he noticed a small red-haired girl looking around nervously. Bahamut walked toward her with a relaxed demeanor.

“Excuse me. Are you the one who sent me the letter?”

To prepare for any unexpected situation, Bahamut didn’t use Phoenix’s real name but instead used a code phrase that Phoenix would recognize.

Of course, Bahamut had already realized that the girl before him was Phoenix.

His detection magic wasn’t wrong, and he had identified that the girl before him possessed tremendous power rivaling his own.

And because he had glimpsed her true form beyond her appearance, he could confidently ask her the coded question that only they would understand.

“L-letter!? A-are you… perhaps Mr. Bahamut?”

“Then are you the one who sent me a letter through a bird?”

The girl nodded at his words, confirming that she was indeed the one who had sent Bahamut the letter via bird.

At last, Bahamut and Phoenix had successfully met in human form for a peaceful encounter.

“Um. Yes. You can call me Phoenix if you want.”

“Well. I’d like to use my real name too.”

Phoenix seemed bothered by Bahamut’s indirect way of speaking and said she didn’t mind being called by her real name.

Bahamut also wanted to call Phoenix by her real name, but there was one problem.

“Aren’t our names quite famous? Dragon God Bahamut. Phoenix the Firebird. Aren’t both nicknames that circulate among Paris’s socialites?”

That problem was the fame of Phoenix and Bahamut.

After the clash between these two divine beasts, their names were constantly mentioned throughout Europe, and rumors spread quickly. Merchants were already trying to use their names as brands to sell related merchandise and products.

In this situation, if they openly called each other Phoenix and Bahamut, what would happen to the attention of the people in Mars Square?

‘They’d either think a good-looking guy has gone completely mad. Or they might consider the possibility that we’re real.’

If this were before the apocalypse, people might laugh it off as some kind of code names.

But now, in this reality where magic had become commonplace, citizens might very well suspect that these two were actually Phoenix and Bahamut disguised by magic.

After all, in these times when the mystery of magic performed countless miracles, transforming from divine beasts to humans would be considered a minor miracle.

The moment that happened, their planned secret meeting would be ruined, so it would be difficult to use their real names carelessly in such a crowded street.

“I-indeed. Certainly. Since this is a secret meeting… it would be difficult to reveal our real names.”

“That’s right. We might unnecessarily attract trouble. Above all, isn’t this a secret meeting behind your contractor’s back?”

Phoenix nodded in understanding, acknowledging that they couldn’t carelessly reveal their real names, and Bahamut also mentioned the possibility of trouble, adding that their meeting itself was meant to be secretive.

However, something about Bahamut’s explanation seemed problematic to Phoenix, who blushed and said:

“W-when you say ‘secret meeting,’ it sounds kind of… indecent.”

She said the term “secret meeting” somehow sounded indecent.

“…I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“I-I’m sorry! T-then… I think ‘secret meeting’ is an indecent term.”

It was certainly a term often used in the context Phoenix had mentioned.

Especially considering that a man and woman of different genders were meeting secretly, Phoenix thinking it sounded indecent was not entirely wrong.

‘Why would she think that?’

Did she really think that Bahamut, a coward, would have the courage for an actual romantic rendezvous?

Phoenix was simply over-interpreting; Bahamut was a virgin who didn’t even have the courage for such things.

If Bahamut had such courage, he would have had plenty of opportunities to enjoy secret meetings with Yu-na or Seol-hwa long ago.

In the current apocalyptic world, ethics and age-related laws could be easily ignored, and such cases were actually quite common in the Korean Peninsula.

“Anyway, from now on, please call me Mr. B. I’ll call you Miss P.”

“Yes! I’m Miss P. Nice to meet you from today, Mr. B! Somehow it feels like I’m on a blind date I’ve only heard about!”

In any case, Bahamut suggested using aliases, agreeing to call himself Mr. B and Phoenix Miss P.

Phoenix expressed joy, saying it felt like the blind dates she’d only heard about, but…

‘I’m not that much of a normie. There’s no way a meeting between two shut-ins could be called a blind date.’

Bahamut, who had zero experience with blind dates, could only wonder if a meeting between two shut-ins could really be called a blind date.

In truth, while their names carried tremendous weight, weren’t they essentially just shut-ins who spent all their time on the internet?

Well, Bahamut was also wondering if the Phoen—no, Miss P before him might not be a shut-in like himself, but rather an ordinary person who had social experiences.

“Haha. It’s not quite like that. But I believe today’s meeting will help foster our friendship.”

“Indeed…”

“By the way…”

Still, he wasn’t tactless enough to ruin the good atmosphere, so he responded positively to Phoenix’s words, saying he was looking forward to it.

Phoenix’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Bahamut with an expression full of anticipation, and Bahamut gazed back at her…

‘S-so big. If Jin A-yeon saw this, she’d definitely exclaim “Kut!” at the size!’

He calmly observed Phoenix’s human form.

Phoenix was a small-framed girl with red hair.

Her appearance wasn’t just human—it was as if a beautiful character from anime or games had been brought to life, and her small frame was elevated to the charm of being cute and beautiful.

Above all, what Bahamut marveled at was her overwhelming motherliness that would instantly provoke jealousy from Jin A-yeon, who was level 72, if she were to see Phoenix.

‘I can’t believe that loli with huge breasts actually exists in reality!’

Bahamut could even understand the feelings of men secretly stealing glances at Phoenix, given her good figure that contrasted with her youthful appearance.

“Now, about our schedule…”

“Ugh. I’m already feeling tired.”

Despite her appearance, she was actually a shut-in who was already complaining about feeling tired.

But Bahamut was fine with that.

A girl who looked like a social butterfly on the outside…

‘What’s this… she’s an even bigger shut-in than me. A formidable opponent!’

He was secretly relieved to discover she was an even more reclusive loner than himself!

If he thought of it as an internet meetup between people with the same hobby, the tension he had been feeling began to ease considerably.

“Hmm. You said you wanted to consult with me about something. That’s why you asked to meet in person, right? How about we have a cup of tea at a café?”

“Ah. Yes. That’s fine. But… do you have money? I don’t have any.”

“Money, huh.”

Bahamut suggested going to a café that would be good for conversation, but Phoenix asked somewhat awkwardly if he had money.

Well, it would be strange if Phoenix, who had only recently revealed herself, claimed to have personal spending money… The Saint of Orleans, who might give her some allowance as a contractor, would not tolerate her acting on her own.

She was essentially penniless, and Phoenix said she had no money, asking if Bahamut had any.

In fact, asking if Bahamut had money was almost a rhetorical question.

“As for money, I do have Bahamut coins.”

“T-those are magic coins issued by the Balhut Cult.”

Bahamut had Bahamut coins, which were essentially the reserve currency in this apocalyptic world.

These magic coins, used as materials for Awakened weapons and catalysts for magic, were now in such high demand that they were used for various purposes.

The Bahamut coins had spread from America to France, both in name and function, and were being distributed in France through America.

These mysterious magic coins quickly became superstars among the Awakened in France, and many Awakened were competing to obtain them.

Phoenix knew the name well enough, as they had now gained fame beyond France throughout Europe.

“Yes. To be precise, they’re items I mint myself.”

“…Huh? Are you perhaps rich?”

It was actually ambiguous whether to call him rich.

“Well, if the value of Bahamut coins remains constant in this world, then I, who can produce them infinitely, would be rich.”

“That’s basically the Federal Reserve.”

Indeed, Bahamut had acquired the power to make all Awakened either smile or cry depending on how he adjusted the money supply of Bahamut coins.

He essentially wielded the dignity and authority of a Federal Reserve System… or Fed, targeting the Awakened.

The more the Awakened increased their value and trust in Bahamut coins, the more Bahamut’s intangible value rose along with them.

“Wow. My respect for Mr. B is growing rapidly.”

Phoenix’s respect for Bahamut was skyrocketing at the realization that her fellow divine beast was an incredibly wealthy individual.

After all, if someone you know is essentially the Fed itself, wouldn’t your pride naturally swell?

Not just pride—you’d want to cling to this acquaintance’s feet just to learn a bit of their know-how.

“R-really?”

“Of course! You’re incredibly successful! Whereas I… even messed up my first contract…”

Moreover, Phoenix herself had selected the wrong contractor and was now entangled in a troublesome contract.

Seeing Phoenix’s gloomy expression, Bahamut thought only one thing:

‘The problem is that it had to be the Saint of Orleans!’

It was just that her contract partner was too problematic!

In fact, if it weren’t the Saint of Orleans with her overly strong sense of self, but a contractor Phoenix could control, she could have maintained a relatively problem-free contract.

So Bahamut was about to tell Phoenix that the problem wasn’t her contractor selection when…

‘…But come to think of it, I wasn’t exactly proactive in my contract either.’

In reality, Bahamut didn’t have much ground to act superior to Phoenix.

To be honest, when Bahamut first contracted with Yu-na, he was quite desperate himself, so he contracted without asking questions or thinking much, and it just happened to turn out that his contractor was an SSR—a lucky result.

If it hadn’t been Yu-na but someone with a strong sense of self like Jo Sun-do, Bahamut might also have been unable to control the situation and might have been manipulated instead.

“Why did you contract in the first place, Miss P?”

“Huh?”

“For me, I had personal circumstances and certain beliefs that led me to contract. But contracting isn’t exactly mandatory, is it?”

So he first asked Phoenix why she had contracted.

Of course, Bahamut had contracted with Yu-na to achieve his own bucket list, and he had his own beliefs about the contract, which made him quite satisfied with this contract life.

However, Phoenix looked at Bahamut with a puzzled expression and then…

“Huh? Is that so? I thought it was the trend these days…”

“You made such an important contract for such a trivial reason?”

“Eek!? I’m sorry. That was a lie. I was wrong.”

She confessed that she had thoughtlessly made the contract because she thought it was the trend.

Phoenix seemed to realize how absurd her statement sounded, as she fidgeted with both hands, lowered her face, and spoke in a tearful voice.

“…Well, honestly, I wanted to escape being a shut-in! I… I wanted to be recognized and accepted by others like everyone else!”

In conclusion, she wanted to escape being a shut-in and fulfill her desire to be recognized by others.

“”………””

It was such a trivial reason for a self-proclaimed divine beast to contract that Bahamut silently stared at Phoenix, and Phoenix also remained silent, giving a hollow laugh as she stared back at Bahamut.

“Ah. I see.”

“What’s with that look?”

“Well. Being recognized by someone isn’t a bad thing. Yes, it’s not bad. Miss P. Everyone has the desire to be recognized.”

In truth, Bahamut wasn’t in a position to criticize Phoenix, as he himself had devised strategies to appear dignified and cool to others right before contracting with Yu-na.

What Phoenix had just confessed could apply just as well to Bahamut.

“I want to go back! I want to go back to 10 minutes ago!”

“Ahem. In any case, are you saying you need advice?”

But when Phoenix realized that the dragon known as the Dragon God had completely seen through her trivial motivations, she cried in embarrassment.

She actually shed tears, saying she wanted to go back to 10 minutes ago, and Bahamut moved on to the main topic before Phoenix could become more agitated.

“Yes. I’ve been too passive… it feels like I’m being dragged along.”

“Indeed. If we’re not careful, we might end up fighting again.”

“I don’t want that! I don’t think I can beat you, Bahamut!”

In fact, due to the Saint’s plan, Phoenix and Bahamut had unintentionally clashed head-on, giving them a chance to gauge each other’s abilities.

Bahamut had assessed it as an even match, thinking it was a decent fight, but Phoenix seemed to have a completely different view, avoiding conflict by saying she couldn’t beat Bahamut.

‘Oh dear, with that personality, she won’t win fights she could win.’

Only then did Bahamut properly understand the personality of the Phoenix before him, and while thinking “oh dear, with that personality, she won’t be able to win fights she could win”…

“So you need to clearly express your opinions to your contractor from a position of authority. You are lending your power to your contractor in exchange for compensation, and while the contractor’s safety is important, you cannot go beyond your own established beliefs.”

“I-indeed…!”

He didn’t hold back on giving sincere advice to Phoenix.

In the end, he advised that Phoenix was in a position of authority, and as such, the authority Phoenix could exercise would inevitably be significant.

“And you should only respond to summons when they’re struggling to overcome something alone. If you always respond to summons, your reputation will only diminish.”

“R-really!?”

“Yes. When kindness continues, people start to take it for granted. Clearly express your opinions.”

Clearly, the Saint of Orleans seemed to think of Phoenix more as an easy-to-handle tool than as a companion or advisor.

If Phoenix could assert herself even a little here, the Saint of Orleans would have to be more careful in handling Phoenix, which would incidentally benefit Bahamut’s contractor, Alicia.

While Bahamut was advising Phoenix, he was also pursuing the interests of his contractor Alicia, but Phoenix looked at Bahamut, who had given meaningful advice, with a pure face.

“I understand! That was really good advice, Mr. B!”

“Haha. It’s not much of advice. The rest depends on Miss P’s choices.”

She bowed her head in gratitude.

At this, Bahamut seemed a bit guilty and embarrassed, starting to scratch his cheek with his finger, but…

“Well. Now that we’ve met like this… how about considering each other friends?”

Conversely, thinking that with this kind of personality, it wouldn’t be bad to become friends, he first proposed friendship to Phoenix.

“F-f-f-f-friend!? Is this my chance to become popular as a loner!?”

‘No, you won’t become popular just by making one friend.’

Unless she was a hero summoned from another world, even a shut-in would have 2-3 friends.

Even if not, wouldn’t she at least have internet friends?

“Well. If that’s what you consider a friend, then we’ll be that kind of friends!”

“Yes! Let’s be friends.”

So they shook hands and became friends, but…

‘Is this really a good idea?’

Bahamut felt an inexplicable sense of unease.