Ch.294294. Coin Money (2)

If Bahamut’s creation of Bahamut currency had established a new world’s key currency, built a new economic system, and perfected principles similar to oil money, then the argument that latecomers following Bahamut’s path could see sufficient effects was certainly worth considering.

In reality, there was only one country that could follow the currency money system that Serabol had established.

“The only one who can challenge the hegemony of our currency money system is Phoenix.”

“Phoenix, huh.”

Even the arrogant Lee Hyeon-a acknowledged that Phoenix was the only being who could challenge the currency money hegemony Bahamut had established, and she was keeping a close eye on Phoenix’s movements.

Equal to the Dragon God Bahamut, worshipped as a deity by the Phoenix Cult, and the noble immortal phoenix ruling over France, the current tyrant of Europe.

If she set her mind to it, she had the ability to absorb all of Bahamut’s designs as a latecomer to the currency money hegemony.

In certain skills, she even surpassed Bahamut, making her an opponent that could never be underestimated.

“Well, the design itself is very simple. If Phoenix wants to, she could certainly issue Phoenix currency. The moment she issues it, the European market will completely belong to Phoenix.”

“As expected.”

Bahamut also acknowledged that Phoenix could easily issue Phoenix currency, a Phoenix version of Bahamut currency, and simultaneously admitted that the moment Phoenix currency appeared, all its volume would be directed toward the European market.

This essentially meant that Serabol would lose its share of the European market, which translated to losing half of its current profits, but Bahamut reported this to Lee Hyeon-a as if it couldn’t be helped.

“But we can’t counter it. I can’t arbitrarily tell my friend Phoenix what to do, and Phoenix is also acting for those who follow her. And though the European market is valuable, we also have Alicia. We don’t need to worry about being driven out of the market.”

The fact was that Bahamut had no cards to restrain Phoenix.

Above all, as both Bahamut and Phoenix herself acknowledged, their powers were equal, and having recognized each other’s strength and become friends, they wouldn’t become enemies unless one betrayed the other first.

Bahamut himself had no desire to fight Phoenix, and even if Phoenix dominated the entire European market, he had confidence that as long as Alicia was there, there would be plenty of ways to approach the European market.

If necessary, they could enter the European market through Alicia, or with Phoenix’s permission, they could re-enter the European market. That seemed to be his thinking.

“That’s fortunate.”

“She’s an opponent even the Dark Lord had to risk his life to fight. From your position, it may be somewhat disappointing, but let’s see how Phoenix moves and act accordingly.”

“Understood, Lord Bahamut.”

From Lee Hyeon-a’s perspective, there was bound to be disappointment, but considering the global boom of Bahamut currency, Serabol wouldn’t collapse just because it lost the European market.

Rather, warnings were sounding about the possibility of bankruptcy due to continued trade surpluses, so it was undeniable that there was a need to share some stakes to avoid surplus bankruptcy.

“Should I issue currency like Bahamut? His is Bahamut currency, mine would be Phoenix currency! Perfect! For distribution… I’ll distribute through the Phoenix Cult like Bahamut!”

And as Bahamut predicted, the Phoenix Cult established in France also had the power to issue Phoenix currency with Phoenix’s help.

In reality, from the Phoenix Cult’s perspective, Dragon God Bahamut wasn’t the only deity in this world, and they believed that the immortal phoenix had authority comparable to Dragon God Bahamut. In fact, the Phoenix currency she experimentally created was already being distributed, albeit in small amounts, within the Phoenix Cult.

“Look at this bullet bestowed by the immortal Phoenix! This heat that incinerates all enemies! And the power to heal the wounded! It’s a power comparable to Serabol’s Bahamut currency!”

And the Phoenix currency she created was… certainly worthy of being called equal to Bahamut currency.

“We too can ride the currency money wave! Phoenix the immortal shall be eternal!”

Especially in certain situations, it showed higher performance than the Bahamut currency they had been using, so the opinion to issue Phoenix currency was first advocated by the Phoenix Cult.

If Phoenix currency were issued, like Serabol absorbing the world’s wealth with Bahamut currency, France could also rebuild everything destroyed in the civil war and be reborn as the proud, great France once more. That was the expectation.

Moreover, unlike Serabol with its limited trading partners, France could use its connections throughout Europe to trade with remaining former wealthy individuals and pioneer a new international order.

But…

“No.”

“As expected. Is it you?”

“Don’t you know? Even now, the French government forces and the Phoenix Cult aren’t cooperating. No matter how much we emphasize integration, blood spilled once can’t be forgotten in just a few months.”

The Saint of Orleans thought this currency money was a poisoned chalice, and Teresa was looking at her with an expression suggesting she secretly agreed.

Yes, if they got on the currency money bandwagon, France, devastated by civil war, could quickly amass enormous wealth and recover. However, the problem was…

“I’m not unaware. But…”

“If we could ride the currency money wave, we could gather wealth like Serabol, build an army, showcase welfare for citizens, and construct a new capital. Just like the great France I dream of. But now that the Lord Protector, who played the role of external enemy, has quieted down, there’s no more external enemy to play that role. Should we pick a fight with America instead?”

The point was that France, unlike Serabol, wasn’t a unified system.

It was a coalition government of the French government led by the Saint of Orleans and Teresa’s Phoenix Cult, and within it was a lawless zone where numerous factional conflicts occurred.

Moreover, since Teresa herself had broken down the Saint’s absolute authority, they could never return to the Saint’s dictatorship, and consequently, the interests from currency money had to be distributed to each faction, but…

“That’s a bit…”

The problem was how to distribute it.

If there were an external enemy, they could use that as justification to distribute under the agreement of the Saint and Teresa, but now even the Lord Protector, the external enemy, no longer existed.

This meant that each faction would demand interests from currency money, and France didn’t have the ability to distribute those interests in a way that satisfied all factions.

Rather, each faction would fight and create conflicts to seize the interests held by other factions, and since the government could get involved in these fights, it was truly a poisoned chalice.

“If not America, the only candidate for a new external enemy would be Queen Alicia, but neither you nor I want to antagonize her, right? Especially since the moment we do, the Dragon God would have justification to intervene.”

“Hmm.”

Yes, the foundation of integration was perfectly achieved because the Lord Protector played the role of external enemy.

With the fear of invasion by the Lord Protector, all ideological differences were covered up, and those who had been pointing swords at each other could become comrades in an instant.

However, with the downfall of the Cult of Immortality, the Lord Protector’s momentum began to crumble, and as the Lord Protector began to fall, France, which had united against an external enemy, started to show cracks.

From the beginning, it was a government formed because of an external enemy, so now that the external enemy had disappeared, wasn’t it natural to disband? Such claims were not uncommon.

“The lie of integration is coming to an end. But you know too, don’t you? The moment we divide, this country falls.”

“I know, Saint of Orleans.”

The problem was that if they disbanded thoughtlessly, France would collapse.

There was no way those two forces would disband with smiles, and they would clearly restart the war they had postponed, and if France, just beginning reconstruction, entered civil war again, it would face a situation from which it could never rise again.

The leadership knew this fact, but the problem was everyone else.

“No longer needed. This republic’s phoenix game is over now.”

Even officers, who could be considered the elite, were pointing guns at Phoenix Cult officials, showing early signs internally.

If this were an isolated incident, it could somehow be excused, but the problem was that such individuals weren’t few.

Even the other side wasn’t much different.

“We were different from the beginning. Now that the external enemy is gone, we’ll only destroy the hateful republic!”

Forces that hated France had joined the Phoenix Cult and were trying to destroy France.

In the end, this proved that these forces could only unite because of the anxiety of an external threat, and France had not yet completely ended its civil war.

“There are no more invaders! Now let’s see who’s superior! Let’s settle it with swords and guns!”

The Lord Protector was no longer rampaging and remained silent, and even Queen Alicia, the Dragon’s Priestess who had been somewhat threatening, was more concerned with the Lord Protector in front of her than getting involved in Europe.

In other words, virtually all external enemies that could invade France had disappeared, and as the crisis vanished, hardliners began to gradually regain influence.

So now the only issue left was how they would tear each other apart.

Even…

“We are a religion. Should religious people dare to covet wealth and offerings? Above all, does Phoenix want the issuance of currency? And if currency is issued, can all factions in France laugh and share the interests?”

“No! This is precisely when we should reform France in the name of God! Yes! In the name of the Phoenix!”

Even the Phoenix Cult was walking the path of division internally, with moderates and hardliners.

The moderates were in favor of issuing Phoenix currency but expressed concern that if they did, the Phoenix Cult could no longer remain a religion, and they were a faction that prioritized Phoenix’s will above all else.

At the same time, they argued that all forces in France couldn’t amicably share interests, so they were currently opposing the issuance of Phoenix currency.

Even if France could be rebuilt through economic gains from currency money, if civil war broke out again in the rebuilt France, it would be a meaningless act!

“That’s right! We should monopolize currency money and rule France!”

Conversely, the hardliners harbored ambitions to monopolize currency money and use the wealth gained from it to dominate all of France.

No matter how much the cult leader called for integration, they claimed they could never coexist with France and were eagerly waiting for civil war to approach.

“A phoenix can’t represent the country! The Saint of Orleans was ultimately a false savior! We are the true democratic heroes who will save France!”

There were even hero appeals claiming to be heroes themselves, saying they too could become the Saint of Orleans.

Calling themselves the true heroes who would save France, they were inciting civil war, so both the Saint and Teresa were bound to be fed up with the current situation in France and were cooperating in resolute purges and reforms to prevent civil war from breaking out.

“Huh? If I intervene here, it seems like France will be engulfed in the flames of civil war again…?”

Of course, Phoenix wasn’t a fool either, and she realized that the current situation in France wasn’t a good time to issue Phoenix currency.

She had already handed over some to the Phoenix Cult and the government for performance testing, but given the situation, Phoenix also had to pause the construction of mass production facilities for the currency and keep an eye on the outside.

The fortunate thing was that the most fearsome opponent, Dragon God Bahamut, wasn’t hostile to Phoenix’s currency issuance and rather told her to do as she pleased, so there was no chance of Bahamut turning into an enemy.

‘If I mess this up, I might get beaten by both sides!’

If she thoughtlessly issued Phoenix currency here?

She realized there was a high probability of receiving resentment and criticism from both sides.

They had only maintained an alliance outwardly under the name of Phoenix because of external enemies, but internally, only distrust and hatred remained between them.

Moreover, there was bound to be at least one Awakened among them who thought like the Saint of Orleans.

“Just a little bit. If I wait just a little bit, I can become a hero.”

“I’m the one who deserves the presidency…!”

Those who had gathered under that flag were just hiding their dark intentions and quietly rejoicing in the current situation.

“…I think the policy of not issuing Phoenix currency should be in place for at least a year.”

“I suppose so.”

The fortunate thing for France was that its two heroes at least knew that the moment civil war broke out, it would be over.

Even in a situation where civil war was about to break out, the Saint of Orleans and Teresa, the leader of the Phoenix Cult, began to emphasize integration more than anyone else to maintain their alliance and prevent France from dividing.