Ch.317317. Busan (1)

However, victory is victory, and the perfect triumph of the Yamato-Seorabeol alliance was prestigious enough for news of their victory to spread throughout Asia.

With this, no one could deny the Yamato alliance, and Seorabeol was able to establish itself as the hegemonic power coordinating the order in Asia.

But this victory didn’t just enhance their prestige.

“Seorabeol is dangerous.”

Including Chu, Wu, and Yue, and despite their involvement extending to the South China Sea, the Yamato-Seorabeol alliance alone had destroyed the anti-Yamato coalition. This naturally heightened everyone’s vigilance.

Of course, due to their arrogance, they had lost all the troops dispatched to the anti-Yamato coalition and significantly weakened their power. The unfriendly gaze directed at Seorabeol was inevitable.

Since the anti-Yamato coalition had been thoroughly defeated, the kings of Chu, Wu, and Yue faced challenges and tests within their own countries. They found themselves in a position where they needed to emphasize external threats and redirect all discontent elsewhere to guard against potential usurpers.

“This time, we must cooperate with each other.”

“We should at least fight in a world without Seorabeol. Fighting in a world where Seorabeol exists is foolish!”

So these three countries formed close relationships to counter Seorabeol and succeeded in establishing a true alliance.

Originally, considering the achievement of unifying the world, they were destined to kill each other. However, the sense of crisis that they might be killed by the powerful force of Seorabeol before achieving that unification bound together those who couldn’t normally coexist.

At the very least, they needed to teach Seorabeol a lesson so it couldn’t intervene in China before completing the unification of the world. Since all the kings shared this thought, their alliance was miraculously formed.

And then…

“It’s dangerous. We’re pirates. They’ll definitely dispatch a united fleet and issue an order to hunt us down.”

“We had some backing before, but now that our backers have been destroyed, we don’t have much support left, do we?”

“We must resist Seorabeol’s tyranny! Free citizens! Rise up!”

This sense of crisis wasn’t exclusive to Chu, Wu, and Yue. The pirates in the South China Sea quietly shifted their gaze from Japan to Southeast Asia, began talks with the warlords there, and decided to form a free pirate alliance to counter Seorabeol’s tyranny.

In this way, those hostile to Seorabeol were inflating their forces and making efforts to resist Seorabeol’s attacks, but…

“What do we do now?”

“After making such bold claims, you want to back down now? The voters might kill us!”

“That’s it! Neutrality! Let’s declare that we’re maintaining neutrality by saying we have no interest in this war!”

Taiwan, having witnessed the strength of the Yamato-Seorabeol alliance, found itself unable to back down after making such bold claims.

As a makeshift solution, they were declaring their neutrality to the international community, stating they had no intention of starting a war. However, Taiwan’s biggest problem was that its citizens were responding positively to the government’s bellicose statements.

It was essentially a self-inflicted predicament due to poor judgment, but Taiwan’s politicians had no intention of admitting it, nor did they have any reason to. Rather, if they admitted it, they would have to be prepared to face the wrath of their own Awakened.

Instead of actually going to war, Taiwan was perceived as a noisy country in the international community for repeatedly making bold verbal declarations. And so, Seorabeol, having emerged victorious…

“We’ve been put to the test by the international community.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Except for our blood ally, the Yamato alliance, all other countries will be watching Seorabeol closely.”

Contrary to expectations, they were feeling a sense of crisis.

After the war ended and returning to Gyeongju, Seolhwa expressed doubt at her aide Seo Un-jae’s words. Seo Un-jae advised that countries other than the Yamato alliance would not view Seorabeol favorably.

In fact, the hegemonic structure in Asia that Seorabeol had envisioned was being put to the test. Many questions were being raised about whether Seorabeol and the Yamato alliance alone could maintain this hegemony.

Could they maintain this hegemony, or would it spread as another spark of war amid surrounding attacks and unrest?

“I will go up to the Blue House.”

“As you command.”

After carefully considering Seo Un-jae’s point, Seolhwa’s answer was to directly address the court. Accordingly, she went up to Seoul and scheduled a meeting at the Blue House court.

Having won a long war, Seolhwa and the Hwarang she led were given a splendid victory ceremony under the pretext of winning the war. With the cheers and welcome of Seoul citizens, she entered the Blue House.

Thus, as Dragon Priestess Baek Seolhwa entered the court with the Hwarang’s escort, Choi Yu-na, also a Dragon Priestess and the ruler of Seorabeol, came out personally to greet her.

“You’ve worked hard, Seolhwa.”

“Yes, Sister Yu-na. I’ve come personally today because I have something to propose to the court.”

The core cabinet of the Seorabeol court, established at the Blue House, was all gathered in one place.

Centered around Dragon Priestess Choi Yu-na were the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense, and even the representative of the Awakened Union, all gathered in one place, with all eyes on Baek Seolhwa.

“Silence. We will now hear the report.”

After Choi Yu-na called for silence from the court, they decided to hear Baek Seolhwa’s report upon her return to Seorabeol.

With Yu-na setting the stage, Seolhwa quietly took a breath and then began to speak.

“Seorabeol’s status has risen incomparably compared to before. It’s not simply seen as the winner of a war, but as the center of the Asian order.”

Her voice was clear and distinct, and it was praise that naturally evoked pride.

She called Seorabeol the center of the Asian order, which was both praise and pride directed at the Seorabeol court. However, her next words… made everyone in the court tense.

“But… while we were fighting this war, China’s Sixteen Kingdoms, Taiwan, the South China Sea pirates, and even the United States were indirectly involved. It wasn’t a gaze of friendship, but the gaze of latecomers toward a competitor who had risen first.”

The air in the meeting room instantly became heavy.

“China moved with Wu, Chu, and Yue simultaneously. I understand that the South China Sea pirate alliance and Taiwan used the Japanese civil war as a pretext. Are you saying that their eyes are now turning toward Seorabeol?”

“Yes. And the United States is also one of those gazes, incidentally.”

“Ah, I see.”

Especially at the fact that the United States had been covertly involved in the civil war, the Minister of Foreign Affairs couldn’t help but break into a sweat.

He wasn’t the Minister of Foreign Affairs for nothing, and he secretly knew the identity of the Americans who had intervened in Japan.

At this point, antagonizing the United States would be very disadvantageous for Seorabeol, and the sense of being surrounded from all sides was overwhelming. Nevertheless, as if there was something he needed to ask, he carefully questioned Baek Seolhwa.

“Dragon Priestess, are you concerned about sanctions or diplomatic pressure from other countries?”

“That has already begun. We just didn’t know it.”

With those words, silence fell over the meeting room.

The heads of each department wrote something on their notepads or whispered, while Dragon Priestess Choi Yu-na calmly looked at Baek Seolhwa.

“That’s not wrong. Seorabeol has rebuilt the fallen Seoul into a city, and now it seems it’s time for a new fight.”

And she acknowledged Baek Seolhwa’s words, declaring that a new fight was approaching.

The fight that was about to begin wasn’t the spectacular struggle of the Awakened, but a behind-the-scenes war that would start in invisible places.

Understanding the implication, the Seorabeol court all nodded heavily.

“Then let’s end today’s meeting here. Thank you all for your hard work.”

With Yu-na’s declaration that a new war was beginning, the Seorabeol court disbanded to formulate countermeasures in each department.

After all, if a new war was beginning, thoroughly preparing for it was the way to survive this apocalypse, and that was Seorabeol’s specialty, so there was no particular problem.

Each department entered into thorough restructuring to fight with all their might in the new war, and thus Yu-na and Seolhwa had the leisure time to enjoy the night in Seoul.

“How’s the night in Seoul?”

“It’s quieter than what I saw before. But…”

The night in Seoul was incredibly quiet.

The lights of the rebuilt streets illuminated the city’s silhouette, and from above, even the faint starlight seemed to settle down in admiration of people’s daily lives.

And from the Bahamut Temple where the Dragon God resided, all of Seoul’s scenery could be seen.

“It feels like I’m heading toward the paradise I desire.”

“Paradise. Paradise, indeed.”

Seolhwa expressed her impression as if dreaming of bringing about her dream of paradise while looking at the scenery.

At those words, Yu-na smiled brightly as she looked at Seolhwa, and after a while, she spoke.

“Seolhwa, you have two choices.”

“Two choices?”

“Yes. You’ve made great contributions in this war, right? Don’t you think you deserve some rewards for your merits?”

It was time to settle Seolhwa’s contributions in this war.

“No, no. I didn’t fight for rewards.”

“Lord Bahamut has been considering this matter.”

“Ah, then I should accept.”

Seolhwa showed humility at Yu-na’s words, but only for a moment.

Since the Dragon God Bahamut had declared that he would settle her contributions, there was no reason for Seolhwa to refuse.

Rather, thinking that refusing the Dragon God’s reward would be disrespectful, Seolhwa began to secretly look forward to the reward that would come from Yu-na’s lips.

“First, you can receive the reward and return to Pohang. You’ve been governing Pohang as governor before. With the support of the court, you can create a gateway to the Pacific that encompasses the south, centered on Pohang.”

“That doesn’t sound bad.”

Seolhwa nodded at the not-so-bad proposal.

Pohang was the land where she had shed blood and put down roots, and many people had found refuge under her command.

Pohang was undoubtedly the city of Dragon Priestess Baek Seolhwa, and if she returned to Pohang with the rewards promised by Seorabeol, she might also be able to fulfill her dream of bringing paradise.

However, Yu-na presented another option.

“But Busan is also an empty city now. There are survivors, but no order, and there’s an industrial base, but it’s buried in chaos. With Kim Su-ho taking office as the academy’s headmaster, you’re the only one who can take charge of Busan.”

At that moment, Seolhwa’s eyes wavered slightly.

She was presented with the stable path as the governor of Pohang, and the uncertain but possibility-filled path of Busan, so her deliberation deepened.

But that deliberation didn’t last long.

“If that is the trial given by Lord Bahamut, I want to bring paradise there. If Busan is a city where it’s difficult for people to live, I will make it a city where people can live as people with my own hands. A paradise where one doesn’t have to fight, where no one is discriminated against, where not only the strong survive, but where people can lean on each other and stand up… such a paradise.”

From the time she contracted with Bahamut, Seolhwa had always been a priestess who dreamed of bringing paradise, and although the target had changed from Pohang to Busan, her belief remained unchanged.

“I will go to Busan.”

The choice had already been made long ago.