Ch.258258. Hero (2)

After the Dragon God descended upon Namhansanseong, not long after, Yu-na received an invitation to the headquarters established there.

She naturally assumed it was about discussing the recent Dragon God summoning, but when she arrived at the headquarters, Kim Su-ho, who should have been in the seat of honor as the commander of Namhansanseong, was serving as an adjutant. In his rightful place sat a young man Yu-na had never seen before, waiting with a slight smile.

Yu-na smiled at the powerful aura emanating from the man, thinking that what was bound to happen had finally occurred, and spoke.

“Haha. You’ve finally arrived. The real Kim Su-ho.”

The real Kim Su-ho.

Not the stand-in who had been playing the role of Seoul’s hero, but the genuine Kim Su-ho was now face-to-face with the leader of Seorabeol.

When she called him the real Kim Su-ho, he scratched his head and grumbled about how quickly his deception had been discovered, then calmly looked at his stand-in who was quietly serving as an adjutant and spoke.

“So you knew this man was my stand-in.”

“He’s a capable person too, but still insufficient to support Seoul alone.”

When she bluntly mentioned the stand-in’s lack of ability, the stand-in Kim Su-ho couldn’t raise his face out of embarrassment.

In truth, he had been selected as a stand-in because his name and physical attributes matched, not because of his abilities.

If selection had been based on ability, considering that Kim Su-ho had superhumans exceeding level 20 under his command, Yu-na’s comment had effectively shredded the stand-in’s pride.

“Still, I believe he’s an excellent talent with not only the skills but also the courage to serve as my stand-in. Even now, isn’t he reassuring refugees and protecting Namhansanseong in my place? That’s enough.”

“Sir…”

Despite his shortcomings, he had indeed fulfilled his duties admirably.

He had faithfully performed his role as Kim Su-ho’s stand-in, comforting refugees and guiding them to evacuate to Gwangju while the real Kim Su-ho was active on other fronts.

Even in the face of the undead army advancing on Hanam City, he didn’t lose his nerve and faithfully acted as Kim Su-ho, resulting in many people not succumbing to fear and following Namhansanseong’s control.

In other words, he had diligently performed all the duties Kim Su-ho had required, so despite Yu-na’s harsh criticism, Kim Su-ho unhesitatingly said that was enough and praised his subordinate’s achievements.

“Yes. That should be sufficient.”

Yu-na also agreed that it was enough, seeing how firmly Kim Su-ho defended his subordinate.

But still, something seemed to weigh on his mind, as Kim Su-ho bowed his head and apologized to Yu-na first.

“First, I apologize for deceiving you with a stand-in. The Seoul front was so urgent that I had no choice but to send a stand-in to Namhansanseong to deceive everyone.”

“Um… was it to prevent panic among the refugees?”

“Yes. Refugees who can’t protect themselves would inevitably panic at the fact that I wasn’t there.”

Though necessary, it was true that Seoul had been negligent in its consideration for its ally by dispatching a stand-in to Namhansanseong without Seorabeol’s consent to prevent refugee panic.

From Seoul’s perspective, Seorabeol was the powerful ally they had long desired, and proper treatment was essential, but there had been conflict when the stand-in opposed Yu-na’s actions to demonstrate strong leadership to the public.

So Kim Su-ho personally requested an apology for closer cooperation in the future and to avoid potential conflicts. When Kim Su-ho apologized first, Yu-na seemed a bit flustered.

“Well, I guess it couldn’t be helped then.”

“Thank you.”

She accepted Kim Su-ho’s apology, understanding his serious explanation.

Seeing Kim Su-ho clearly showing genuine happiness on his face, Yu-na thought he was one of the most honest people she’d met in expressing emotions.

‘Well, unlike Seorabeol, which awakens ordinary people into Awakened through the Awakened Project, the refugees heading from Namhansanseong to Gwangju are all ordinary people.’

Bahamut, who had been observing Kim Su-ho from Yu-na’s perspective, found no contradictions in Kim Su-ho’s logic and fully understood his position.

If all those refugees fell into confusion, it would be a challenge to manage, and having a trustworthy figure protecting them would greatly help with refugee transport.

Thinking of it that way, Kim Su-ho’s deception was a kind of white lie for the citizens, and that white lie could be a source of comfort for refugees at each front, but…

[He seems smarter than I expected. Good abilities too.]

“That’s true. Hmm.”

Unlike the rumors of him being naive that had spread throughout the Korean peninsula, as a commander responsible for the front lines, he appropriately carried out civil operations to comfort citizens, maintained public order, gained citizen support, and despite all of Seoul being a battlefront, they hadn’t been pushed back significantly and were even launching powerful counterattacks. In reality, he was easily fulfilling a role beyond what Seorabeol had expected.

This led Bahamut to warn Yu-na that Kim Su-ho was not an opponent to be underestimated, and Yu-na took that warning seriously as she looked at him.

“And that power. It seems you won’t be able to use it well in the future.”

“Pardon?”

Kim Su-ho’s next words could only raise his evaluation another level.

“My adjutant tells me that Seorabeol has been struggling quite a bit by underestimating my political weight. Isn’t that right? You’ve even broken your own legal restrictions on Dragon God summoning, imposed after the Ulsan disaster, all because of me.”

[It seems our opponent knows Seorabeol’s internal affairs well.]

“Hmm.”

Kim Su-ho openly revealed to Yu-na that he was well-informed about Seorabeol’s internal affairs.

This information could essentially become a threatening blade against Seorabeol, yet instead of leveraging this advantage, he disclosed it. This could have made Yu-na wary that Kim Su-ho might have something more up his sleeve, but seeing him speak so nonchalantly as if there was no problem, she asked with a skeptical look.

“There’s no need for you to tell me about Seorabeol’s internal affairs, is there? If anything, you’re pointing out weaknesses to me, your rival.”

“I have no choice but to point it out. First of all, I’ve acknowledged Seorabeol as the legitimate government to rule this Korean peninsula. So I can’t just stand by and watch Seorabeol fall.”

[“Eh?”]

It was truly an unexpected statement.

Excluding Seorabeol, Kim Su-ho was closer to the presidency than anyone else—perhaps even more so than Seorabeol—as the inheritor of the Republic of Korea’s legacy, yet he was declaring himself a fervent supporter of Seorabeol?

From Yu-na’s perspective, the Korean peninsula’s strongest rival had just openly declared an unexpected coming-out that he actually liked her.

“But… considering just the intelligence you’ve shown, couldn’t you establish your own country, Mr. Kim Su-ho?”

“Why would I? I’m already struggling to protect what I have in my hands. Even if I declared the founding of a nation here… I know better than anyone that a declaration from someone without power is futile.”

The conversation had awkwardly shifted to Yu-na seemingly encouraging Kim Su-ho to establish a country.

But Kim Su-ho calmly maintained that his claim would be a powerless declaration, leaving Yu-na beyond bewilderment and approaching a loss for words.

“I can’t deny that argument. But for you to say you’re powerless… isn’t that rather unconscionable?”

“Haha. Let me correct myself then—even for someone with power, a declaration of nationhood by an ordinary mortal is futile.”

When Yu-na pointed this out, Kim Su-ho seemed to have no rebuttal and referred to himself as an ordinary mortal, causing Yu-na’s expression to gradually sour.

It was truly an unconscionable statement.

Who on earth could call Kim Su-ho an ordinary person?

‘Wow. Does this guy seriously think he’s ordinary? Could that cursed mouth be the cause?’

Bahamut was beginning to think that mouth might be the cause of all the conspiracies in Seoul—it was truly a cursed mouth.

Modesty should be moderate, but with an Awakened of Kim Su-ho’s caliber being so humble, it could appear as nauseating deception to those dealing with him.

But that was Kim Su-ho’s sincere belief, and one had to wonder how many influential figures he had reduced to ordinary mortals with such words.

“But why tell me about our weaknesses?”

“For your trust, Yu-na.”

But Kim Su-ho had a sufficient reason for pointing out Seorabeol’s weaknesses and honestly revealing his true feelings.

It was to gain Seorabeol’s trust.

“What?”

“I want to earn your trust. And I have a favor to ask of you, not the Dragon God Bahamut. Consider this observation a groundwork for receiving your help.”

Kim Su-ho himself called it a kind of groundwork, but in reality, Yu-na’s favorability had rapidly decreased due to his breathless deception.

Nevertheless, seeing the sincerity in Kim Su-ho’s demeanor, Yu-na nodded heavily, forming an impression of what kind of person Kim Su-ho was, and spoke.

“You’re really honest. So, what help do you need?”

“I want to use that healing ability.”

“Healing ability? Don’t you have healers under your command, Mr. Kim Su-ho?”

Kim Su-ho said he wanted to use Yu-na’s healing ability, and Yu-na countered that with so many citizens under his command, he must have healers.

Kim Su-ho nodded, unable to deny her point, and continued.

“Yes, we do. But patients receiving treatment in the rear need the help of a skilled healer.”

“Let’s go to where the patients are then.”

In response to Kim Su-ho’s earnest words, Yu-na, as a healer fulfilling her duty, suggested going to the hospital where the patients were, and Kim Su-ho quickly guided her to the field hospital he had set up.

The field hospital was established in Seongnam, Kim Su-ho’s base, and when they arrived, the situation was…

“…more serious than I expected.”

It was utterly devastating.

Every Awakened healer assigned to the field hospital, as well as doctors and nurses who had survived the apocalypse, were all treating patients without exception.

However, compared to the number of patients being treated, those needing treatment kept increasing, and the personnel assigned to the field hospital couldn’t handle the influx of patients coming from all directions.

The emergency room beds were already full, and although Kim Su-ho had expanded the field hospital to try to treat the incoming patients…

“Our healing mages are doing their best, but it’s difficult to improve beyond this point. With Seoul’s current situation, we have no means to devise fundamental countermeasures.”

They were essentially just maintaining the status quo, with no way to improve the situation further.

But today, Yu-na, who had demonstrated tremendous healing power, had arrived in Seoul, and her abilities had been proven at Namhansanseong.

“But I believe Yu-na can heal all of these people.”

So Kim Su-ho thought it was more important for Yu-na to treat the sick in the rear than to go to the front lines, and guided her to the field hospital. Seeing so many patients, Yu-na herself wanted to start treating them immediately.

But thinking that Kim Su-ho’s explanation should come first, Yu-na quietly listened to him, and Kim Su-ho began explaining the field hospital’s situation without lengthy preamble.

“The biggest problem is epidemic disease. Once it breaks out, it’s natural for many people to die.”

“Epidemic disease.”

With so many people gathered, vulnerability to epidemics was common knowledge.

He informed her that they were struggling with the problem of epidemics, with many people apparently dying, and Yu-na seriously listened to Kim Su-ho’s words to understand the situation.

“Our healers are doing everything possible to isolate patients and prevent the spread of disease, using cleanliness measures and even magic when necessary, but unfortunately, it’s not enough to stop epidemics from spreading among the refugees.”

Kim Su-ho had already taken measures, but maintaining cleanliness and preparing for epidemics during evacuation was very difficult.

Diseases were occurring among refugees and spreading through them, making refugee management more challenging than expected, but he believed Yu-na was the only one who could resolve this situation.

“Then… who is staying over there? I can sense considerable magical power.”

“That’s where veteran heroes who fought on the front lines in the past are staying.”

However, Yu-na pointed to a building near the field hospital and asked who was there, and Kim Su-ho closed his eyes and informed her that veteran heroes were staying there.

“Are they Awakened?”

“Yes. They’re people who retreated from the front lines due to serious injuries and are now serving in the rear.”

He said “serious injuries,” but they were essentially Awakened who had acquired disabilities preventing them from participating in the next battle.

No matter how Awakened they were, losing arms and legs inevitably reduced their combat effectiveness, and this applied even to high-level Awakened.

“With powerful healing magic, arms and legs can be regenerated. The healers working at the field hospital seem to be high-level too.”

But considering the level of the healers working here, they could heal the Awakened assigned to rear duty and reassign them to the front lines.

Yu-na pointed this out, and Kim Su-ho was aware of it, but…

“But that consumes a lot of magical power. With so many people to manage, we have to be careful about healers’ magical exhaustion.”

The issue was that for every resource used that way, more refugees would die.

“This is a difficult situation.”

As Yu-na said, it was truly an extremely difficult situation.

If they prioritized treating Awakened, refugees would die; if they prioritized treating refugees, Awakened who needed to go to the front lines wouldn’t receive timely treatment.

“Yes. That’s why we only treat urgent wounds and then assign them to the rear. If the Dragon Priestess would help with their treatment, I’m willing to provide ample compensation.”

“Compensation?”

This was why, now that Yu-na with her healing prowess had arrived, it made sense for Kim Su-ho to request her healing services even if he had to pay a price.

Kim Su-ho said he would provide ample compensation, creating expectations for Yu-na.

“I will wholeheartedly help expand the influence of the Balhut Cult.”

“Ugh!?”

He openly offered a reward specifically targeting Yu-na.

Moreover, the structure wasn’t just beneficial for Seorabeol alone, but more advantageous for Yu-na, so she looked at Kim Su-ho with a startled expression upon hearing the proposal.

Seeing this, Kim Su-ho smiled brightly and slowly explained his proposal in a way Yu-na could easily understand.

“Interestingly, Yu-na, you’re not a politician but a religious figure interested in expanding your influence. So rather than offering something beneficial to Seorabeol or its civilians, I made a proposal that would help the Balhut Cult that you lead.”

“Expanding influence… expanding influence… You’re saying the cult’s influence will expand?”

“Yes. I will wholeheartedly help you proclaim the influence of the Balhut Cult throughout the Korean peninsula.”

With those words, Yu-na’s mind was already made up.

Although she was the leader of Seorabeol, Yu-na herself identified much more strongly as the leader of the Balhut Cult than as Seorabeol’s head.

Isn’t this beneficial for Seorabeol?

While telling herself that although it might not be immediately beneficial, the Balhut Cult’s gain would eventually become Seorabeol’s gain, Yu-na slowly began to take Kim Su-ho’s outstretched hand.

‘Yu-na fell for it, but this isn’t a bad thing. It’s actually good. So I don’t need to stop her.’

Bahamut sighed seeing Yu-na instantly fall for Kim Su-ho’s proposal, but ultimately maintained an attitude of indifference.

After all, this choice was clearly Yu-na’s own, and from Bahamut’s perspective, where the contractor’s will was more important than Seorabeol’s interests, there was room to allow it even if Seorabeol didn’t benefit much, as long as his contractor benefited.

Moreover, the requested task wasn’t illegal; rather, it was an act of positive influence, so there was no particular resistance.

In fact, Bahamut thought that someone with Yu-na’s powerful healing abilities would have voluntarily accepted this task even without such an offer.

“Of course, I had other proposals prepared, but judging by your expression, your mind seems made up.”

“Where are the patients?”

However, it was certain that her wariness toward Kim Su-ho had increased one level due to his accurate understanding of Yu-na’s tendencies and his persuasiveness.

Whether this was Kim Su-ho’s own ability or the skill of his subordinates was unclear, but at minimum, he was clearly a formidable figure that the Seorabeol cabinet would struggle to handle.

Even if it were the skill of Kim Su-ho’s subordinates, the final decision-making authority clearly belonged to Kim Su-ho, and properly accepting subordinates’ skills was undeniably a ruler’s ability and competence.

That’s why Bahamut wanted to ask Kim Su-ho directly:

‘Why didn’t you establish or usurp a country?’

Why, in all this chaos, did he remain as the last hero of the Republic of Korea instead of founding his own country?

From Bahamut’s perspective, the Lord Protector who had settled in England seemed like an insensitive commoner in comparison.