Ch.257257. Hero (1)

However, the problem was that dragon god summoning itself was strictly controlled, to the point where it was explicitly written into law by the Seorabeol Cabinet, and Yuna, the Dragon Priestess, had no intention of summoning the dragon god Bahamut without the Cabinet’s permission.

From the beginning, if this battle was truly important enough to warrant summoning the dragon god Bahamut, the Hwarang warriors escorting Yuna and Yuna’s own healing powers would have been sufficient to defend Namhansanseong Fortress without the dragon god.

Yes, that means they could have defended Namhansanseong Fortress without the dragon god Bahamut.

Considering the strategic value of a dragon god’s existence, this summoning was closer to a show of force rather than something with strategic value.

“Isn’t this too soon?”

Even the Cult of Immortality they were facing evaluated that this summoning of the dragon god Bahamut was too hasty. Despite such criticism from their archenemies, for Yuna… or more precisely, for the Seorabeol Cabinet, it was an unavoidable decision.

The reason the Seorabeol Cabinet rushed into summoning the dragon god was simple.

“I understand Kim Su-ho wants to give us the initiative. The problem is that the Seorabeol Cabinet cannot handle Kim Su-ho’s caliber.”

“That’s Godzilla. Godzilla.”

It was none other than because of Seoul’s hero, Kim Su-ho.

Before the dragon god summoning, the Seorabeol Cabinet had formed a wartime cabinet for the upcoming war, but inside the conference room, there was no energy—only heavy silence, and sighs escaped from the lips of every cabinet member.

Yes, the Cabinet had been able to announce the Seoul Race on the Korean Peninsula by exploiting Kim Su-ho’s name, and simultaneously gained the advantage of knowing that their archenemy, the Cult of Immortality, had infiltrated Seoul.

But who could have known that the name of Kim Su-ho they had used would be that of a national hero too overwhelming even for Seorabeol to handle?

“Public opinion across the Korean Peninsula has already escaped our control, hasn’t it?”

“Indeed. Numerous warlords are rising up or calling for justice in Kim Su-ho’s name. There are many opportunists, but there are also truly righteous people sympathizing with Kim Su-ho’s cause… The cause that Seorabeol proclaims has fallen to the ground.”

They hadn’t known that just the name Kim Su-ho would cause so many people to rise up and call for justice.

Seorabeol’s original expectation was that those following Kim Su-ho’s cause would be few, and that Kim Su-ho’s only ally would be Seorabeol, and they had formed their plans accordingly.

However, in reality, there were many warlords following Kim Su-ho’s cause, and even if they might oppose Kim Su-ho, they declared their support for him and claimed neutrality, as if they couldn’t ignore his cause even if they wanted to. This was the frightening part.

To deal with someone of such political caliber, it should have been the Dragon Priestess or the dragon god directly facing him, not the Seorabeol Cabinet.

“…If we, who are originally responsible for politics, ask the dragon god and the Priestess to handle this matter, our reason for existence disappears.”

“Indeed.”

Park Cheol-gon, the chairman of the wartime cabinet, sighed and said that in such a case, the cabinet’s reason for existence would disappear.

This meant that this country, which had been maintaining a delicate constitutional monarchy, would completely transform into an absolute monarchy or a theocracy—an option that the cabinet members, as parliamentary representatives, could never choose.

But at the same time, there was absolutely no one in the Seorabeol Cabinet who could stand against Kim Su-ho’s enormous caliber.

“Is there anyone in the cabinet as capable as Kim Su-ho?”

“…”

Moreover, Kim Su-ho himself was a superhuman befitting his political caliber.

Even Hwang Geun-chul, the head of the Dragon God Association and Prime Minister of Seorabeol, remained silent at Chairman Park Cheol-gon’s words explaining the situation, simply shaking his head.

No matter how they thought about it, there was no answer, and the cabinet concluded that they would inevitably be dragged along by Kim Su-ho, whether he wanted it or not.

“First of all, all Seoul citizens are united around Kim Su-ho. He already has a caliber that surpasses Seorabeol, and if we leave the current flow unchecked… there’s a possibility this trend could expand across the entire Korean Peninsula.”

“That’s…”

“It’s not impossible. The slogan ‘If it’s Kim Su-ho, it’s possible’ has spread among refugees to such an extent, and he’s a monster who has actually shown such miracles several times.”

Yes, Seorabeol had lost the power to control public opinion.

The agitation that the Seorabeol Cabinet had started by using Kim Su-ho had now become a sharp blade pointed at the cabinet.

If Kim Su-ho had even slightly different thoughts, Seorabeol would immediately become a pushover—such was the intensity of this blade.

“But with such ability, why hasn’t he usurped power or founded a nation?”

“Frankly, he’s had the power and ability to do so for a long time.”

“I don’t understand what Kim Su-ho’s intentions are!”

Conversely, the only question accelerating was why someone with such power hadn’t usurped authority or founded a nation.

In fact, the cabinet members were in such awe of the abilities Kim Su-ho had shown that they would have held a hearing asking why he hadn’t founded a nation if he were present.

At this point, there was no need for a democratic republic, nor was there a need to claim a dynasty that wasn’t really a dynasty like the Kim family in the North.

Kim Su-ho had simply given up the opportunity to establish a new Kim dynasty that anyone would acknowledge with his own power.

“The problem is that this makes things even more difficult. It might have been easier if he had usurped power or founded a nation. But he has remained a hero.”

“A hero…”

The problem was that this was actually more poisonous for Seorabeol.

If Kim Su-ho had harbored thoughts of usurpation or nation-founding, his ideology and beliefs would have been tainted with mud, and he wouldn’t have been able to exert this level of influence.

However, he had remained a loyal servant of the Republic of Korea, if not officially recognized as such, and he had become the symbol of Seoul and the only hero of the Korean Peninsula.

At the mere two words “a hero,” someone let out a sigh of lamentation.

“First of all, do you all acknowledge the fact that the hearts of Seoul’s people are with Kim Su-ho?”

“We acknowledge it.”

Finally breaking the silence in the meeting hall filled with sighs was Prime Minister Hwang Geun-chul.

Cautiously asking all Seorabeol members if they agreed that Seoul’s public sentiment was with Kim Su-ho, he was able to gain the agreement of all members.

“Seorabeol has the dragon god, so the fundamental initiative will be Seorabeol’s. But conversely, no one in the Seorabeol Cabinet can stand against Kim Su-ho. Even Jeong Dong-geon and Jin A-yeon, whom we proudly defied, are now under Kim Su-ho’s command. How many superhumans does he have?”

“How many superhumans does he have!? Even the guild masters of Seorabeol’s three major guilds have barely reached level 19 after training at Bahamut’s training grounds.”

“And it has been revealed that he has quite a number of those level 19s.”

At Hwang Geun-chul’s words, all members were astonished, yet once again harbored the fundamental question of why he hadn’t usurped power.

The table had been lavishly set, but Kim Su-ho had flipped it over, making them wonder if this situation was actually Kim Su-ho’s fault.

Even the Seorabeol Cabinet, which had indirectly tasted Kim Su-ho’s abilities, was experiencing brain freeze—how much more bewildered must the Seoul politicians who directly met Kim Su-ho and engaged in political battles with him be?

Though they didn’t sympathize with him now that he had been revealed as a traitor to humanity, the cabinet could somewhat understand his feelings.

“Surely, Prime Minister, are you thinking of proposing a dragon god summoning to the cabinet?”

And a member who mentioned the dragon god summoning appeared in the cabinet.

Belonging to the Constitutional Democratic Party, he mentioned the dragon god Bahamut just in case, and when that great dragon god’s name came up, all members tensely stared at Hwang Geun-chul.

Hwang Geun-chul closed his eyes briefly under the cabinet’s gaze, but then opened them as if making a decision.

“Yes. I, Prime Minister Hwang Geun-chul, propose a dragon god summoning to the cabinet members.”

“I want to ask the Prime Minister if he has already received permission from Lady Yuna, but more than that, I want to ask if you intend to repeat the Ulsan Tragedy again? It hasn’t even been a year since the Ulsan Tragedy occurred! Ulsan is being rebuilt every day thanks to the dragon god’s blessing, but still, I think the Prime Minister’s words are highly problematic.”

“Then, what is your opinion, member?”

“I, Kang Moon-hee, believe that the dragon god should no longer be used as a political tool. The dragon god told us: ‘Rule but do not govern!’ According to those words, the dragon god only shows the way, but the task of following that path has always been left to us. As he said, it’s time for us to forge our own path with our own strength.”

‘The intention isn’t bad. Though it’s idealistic by apocalyptic standards.’

Prime Minister Hwang Geun-chul nodded heavily at the young member’s passionate voice.

It was certainly an idealistic opinion, but the task of following that path had always been Seorabeol’s alone.

However.

“Conversely, without doing this, can’t the Seorabeol Cabinet not defeat the idolized Kim Su-ho?”

“Oh Seok-hoon! Are you trying to insult the cabinet!”

A sharp observation flew at that ideal.

Oh Seok-hoon, a young member belonging to the Dragon God Association, concluded that the reason Seorabeol was advocating for a dragon god summoning today was because the Seorabeol Cabinet could never defeat Kim Su-ho alone.

At those words, the member called Kang Moon-hee called out his name with an expression suggesting humiliation, but many members sympathized with that claim.

Yes, it’s true that the Seorabeol Cabinet is trying to use the asymmetric force of a dragon god summoning because they can’t defeat Kim Su-ho alone.

“No. Rather, I think it’s time for the dragon god we serve to directly guide Seorabeol. Let’s all speak honestly. Between us working to revitalize Seorabeol and the dragon god using his power to revitalize Seorabeol, we all know from experience which would be more effective.”

“No! No! Now is the time to defeat people with human power, not with the help of the dragon god! We cannot always depend on the dragon god!”

The words were heating up, but the atmosphere was rapidly freezing.

It was blatantly obvious that both the Dragon God Association and the Constitutional Democratic Party, which had been cooperating for a year, were now falling apart due to the ideologies held by each member.

It could be seen as the collapse of what was essentially an implicit national unity cabinet, and Park Cheol-gon sighed at the miserable sight, but thinking that it had been maintained for over a year, which was enough.

“Enough. Now is the time to discuss Seorabeol’s future, not for members to fight. Let’s decide by member vote instead.”

As the chairman, he organized the chaotic cabinet, and the members who had been quietly listening nodded heavily.

Thus, a secret vote on the dragon god summoning was conducted, and the result was…

“The cabinet has approved the dragon god summoning.”

Most of the cabinet acknowledged that they could not defeat Kim Su-ho.

Since they couldn’t surpass Kim Su-ho, they had no choice but to display the majesty of the Dragon Priestess and the dragon god in Seoul to diminish Kim Su-ho’s influence.

“But it’s a summoning limited to specific circumstances. Let’s remember that it’s not a summoning to annihilate Seoul.”

“Of course it should be.”

However, with a final conscience, Bahamut’s summoning was limited, and perhaps thanks to that last conscience, the dragon’s breath was not directed toward Seoul. The dragon god’s breath summoned to Namhansanseong only devastated the area heading toward Namhansanseong, leaving Seoul unscathed.

However, for some members who had trauma from the Ulsan Tragedy and felt burdened about the dragon god summoning:

“It’s something we couldn’t avoid. Let’s leave the current evaluation for future generations.”

“Now that it’s known that Seorabeol is shaken by Kim Su-ho alone, the cabinet can no longer avoid responsibility! The cabinet’s karma will someday be settled!”

“Is this truly the right path?”

They began to experience much mental anguish, including agony and shaken beliefs.

The Ulsan Tragedy was such a traumatic event for cabinet members that they even went to the dragon god’s temple to pray that another Ulsan Tragedy would not occur.

They sighed in relief at the fact that only the path toward Namhansanseong had collapsed, but to ensure it wouldn’t be forgotten like the Ulsan Tragedy, they took measures to record it in history and pass its evaluation to future generations. In this way, Seorabeol also began to be knowingly or unknowingly influenced by Kim Su-ho’s positive influence.

“Was this era Kim Su-ho’s era, or as we in Seorabeol claim, the era of the dragon god? Future generations will decide.”

That’s what the cabinet thought, and this was the inside story of the dragon god summoning that descended upon Namhansanseong.