Ch.6464. White Snow Flower (1)

Son Sang-hui returned to the Balhut Cult’s main temple in Gyeongju with Baek Seol-hwa, whom she had chosen as the Dragon Priestess.

Upon her return, she immediately met with politician Park Cheol-gon, who had negotiated with Seo Un-jae of Pohang, and informed him about the current situation.

It was essentially a consultation about the Dragon Priestess chosen by Pohang and what the Balhut Cult should do next.

“Hmm, I’m not sure if this will work out.”

“What do you think, Mr. Park?”

After hearing Son Sang-hui’s explanation, Park Cheol-gon looked at Baek Seol-hwa sitting quietly in her wheelchair with a subtle expression.

She was a young girl whose entire body was disabled, with her face and eyeballs melted, wrapped in medical cloth.

To be frank, she should be resting or receiving treatment in a hospital right now, but could even Gyeongju’s best medical staff treat such old wounds?

Park Cheol-gon wondered if even Yu-na could heal something like this.

It was a situation where one could interpret that Pohang had explicitly shown its intention to use the Dragon Priestess as a puppet, so naturally, the Balhut Cult had reason to be suspicious of Pohang’s intentions.

At least Son Sang-hui had relayed to Park Cheol-gon exactly what she had heard from Seo Un-jae for the sake of her hometown Pohang, and Park Cheol-gon nodded with a subtle expression after hearing it.

“…Since they’ve fulfilled the treaty as written, we’re in no position to complain. The issue will be Lord Bahamut.”

“What do you think will happen?”

“Since she’s been selected, given his personality, even if he has doubts, he’ll likely accept Pohang’s choice willingly. Rather…”

He stated with certainty that in the case of Bahamut, given his personality, he would accept whoever was legitimately selected, regardless of who they were.

This was the best news for both the Balhut Cult and Pohang. The remaining question was how the Balhut Cult and its leader Choi Yu-na would respond to Pohang’s political maneuver.

Although the new Dragon Priestess to be born in Pohang had not yet been announced to the public, if Baek Seol-hwa were to rise as both Dragon Priestess and mayor of Pohang, her appearance would eventually be revealed to the public.

It remained to be seen how public opinion in Gyeongju and Pohang would develop.

“It’s fifty-fifty.”

“Pardon?”

“Perhaps it’s our responsibility for not detailing the treaty regarding the Dragon Priestess more specifically.”

Park Cheol-gon gave an ambiguous answer, saying it was fifty-fifty.

Only he knew what that meant, but he greatly regretted that the treaty regarding the Dragon Priestess should have been explained in more detail than other matters.

“At least since Seo Un-jae made the decision, Pohang won’t be divided, and the cult can govern it, which isn’t bad.”

“Is… this really a decision?”

Park Cheol-gon evaluated that Seo Un-jae’s decision was at least a good one.

Son Sang-hui looked at Park Cheol-gon with a questioning gaze, as if surprised by his words.

Frankly, how could using a young girl be considered a decision?

Seeing her gaze, Park Cheol-gon explained the reason in detail, as if embarrassed.

“There’s a national perception that politicians have no blood or tears, commit heinous crimes easily, and hold enormous power. But in reality, politicians must care about others’ views and their own reputation more than anyone else. If it becomes known to the world that a politician exploited and used a child who isn’t even an adult yet, what do you think people would think of such a politician, Ms. Son?”

“Well, they would be morally and ethically ruined, wouldn’t they? People would find them completely untrustworthy.”

Park Cheol-gon spoke about the public’s perception of politicians, saying that while they’re commonly thought to have tremendous power, politicians are also human beings with their own hardships.

As politicians enjoy the most powerful authority in society, their actions are inevitably scrutinized by society.

Numerous media outlets mention and cover politicians, and in the name of public interest, they easily suffer defamation, personal information leaks, and privacy invasions.

Yes, politicians were the ones most watched by people, so the person who would receive the most criticism in this matter was none other than the politician Seo Un-jae.

The reason being, as Son Sang-hui said, what he did was morally and ethically ruinous.

“Yes. Even without invoking pre-apocalyptic partisan logic, the very act of exploiting a 14-year-old child with severe disabilities for political reasons is morally and ethically bankrupt. Seo Un-jae will someday face massive consequences for this choice. If this fact becomes properly known to Gyeongju and Pohang, Seo Un-jae’s political career might end.”

“But, the other camps also agreed, didn’t they?”

“However, the one who led this meeting as the representative of Pohang’s three major camps was Seo Un-jae, wasn’t it? To others, it will appear that Seo Un-jae took the initiative and sacrificed Baek Seol-hwa to gain power. In other words, Seo Un-jae will inevitably be seen as the main culprit and responsible party in this situation.”

While there was implicit consent from the other camps, how could society accept the very notion of politically exploiting a child who should be protected?

Even in this apocalypse, children were still the future that adults should protect.

He casually committed an act that appeared to arbitrarily decide a child’s fate, exploit her politically, and even use her as a puppet.

Son Sang-hui objected that the other camps had also agreed to this, but Park Cheol-gon pointed out that since Seo Un-jae had led the talks between the Balhut Cult and Pohang as the representative of the three major camps, he would inevitably be seen as the representative and responsible party of Pohang’s three major camps.

“Of course, since we’re in an apocalypse now, he might later be evaluated as having done this to avoid civil war, but for now, he’ll be heavily criticized and lose much of his leadership within Pohang’s three major camps. He might not even be treated as human anymore.”

“Hmm.”

Of course, there was plenty of room for reevaluation later.

If the details of Pohang’s internal situation were fully disclosed, Seo Un-jae’s decision might be evaluated as an unavoidable act to prevent civil war in Pohang.

However, Seo Un-jae was a person living in the present, and naturally, it wouldn’t be strange if public opinion in Gyeongju and Pohang viewed him as a heartless scumbag who sold a child for power.

“Of course, that could be considered the proper role of a politician. Politicians don’t present pure moral standards to society; they run the country and government and lead social compromises on important issues. Seo Un-jae was willing to sacrifice his reputation to achieve social compromise, showing negotiation and agreement with Pohang’s three major camps. I don’t think that courage is necessarily bad.”

“I understand… somewhat.”

But that was precisely the role of a politician.

Rather than causing civil war in Pohang for the sake of his own morality, he had to discuss how to compromise realistically to shed less blood.

Pohang had already lost much blood to zombies and experienced many tragedies.

If more blood were to be shed due to internal conflicts among Pohang’s three major camps, Pohang might not be able to rise again even with the cult’s help.

“Of course, even though I understand this intellectually, I can’t help but feel bad about it. Even if it’s an act to achieve social compromise, using a 14-year-old child with disabilities… it bothers me. Because there are lines people shouldn’t cross.”

However, despite understanding the reasoning, Park Cheol-gon also felt that it might be too cruel.

With questions like whether they had even explained this to the child being exploited, he looked at Baek Seol-hwa, who was quietly listening to their conversation from her wheelchair.

‘Or perhaps, she should be satisfied with the opportunity to live as a Dragon Priestess for the rest of her life?’

She couldn’t walk properly, had injuries to her eyes and face, and had lost her vocal cords.

Perhaps living as a puppet might actually be fortunate for Baek Seol-hwa.

‘She has no one to take care of her. And while she knows Son Sang-hui, Son Sang-hui has no obligation to care for her.’

From what he heard, this girl was an orphan with no connections, a true outsider with no ties to Pohang’s three major camps.

The fact that she had survived until now was because Baek Seol-hwa had the ability of a mage, which allowed her to exert magical abilities even in such a terrible state.

However, now that Pohang had been liberated, she could no longer use those magical abilities, and even if she went to an orphanage in Gyeongju, it would be difficult to find a sponsor to care for her in this condition.

Her only acquaintance was Son Sang-hui, but Son Sang-hui had no moral obligation to take care of Baek Seol-hwa.

“What was Yu-na’s reaction?”

As Park Cheol-gon was lost in thought, trying to find some moral element, Son Sang-hui asked about Yu-na’s reaction with a serious expression.

This report would have quickly been passed to Choi Yu-na, the leader of the Balhut Cult, and there would be a reaction accordingly.

Son Sang-hui seemed tense at the thought that Pohang’s fate could change depending on her reaction.

“Yu-na said there’s no problem.”

Contrary to Son Sang-hui’s concern, she had apparently accepted it without issue.

“Yu-na says that Baek Seol-hwa was chosen and elected by Pohang as their Priestess. And since she was chosen as the Dragon Priestess, she asserts that there must be some destiny in it.”

“Some destiny?”

Park Cheol-gon suddenly spoke of fate, different from his previous rational statements.

It sounded like a cultish statement about destiny, but considering that the apocalypse had come and the mysteries wielded by the Awakened had emerged, it was possible that fate was no longer superstition but could become a field of study.

Moreover…

“Yes. Bahamut reportedly told Yu-na this in the past.”

“Lord Bahamut did?”

He said it was a statement from Bahamut, the dragon deity of the Balhut Cult.

Son Sang-hui, who had witnessed Bahamut’s appearance, tensed at Park Cheol-gon’s words and waited for what came next.

“‘…The fact that you have reached this place means you have the potential to grow into a being that will someday have a powerful influence on the entire world.'”

…To be honest, at that time, Bahamut had just been spouting nonsense, and there was no meaning or symbolism in it, but Yu-na truly believed that some destiny had come to her.

Naturally, that scene was still in her mind, and she believed that her fate had greatly changed because of that encounter.

So she seriously believed even the meaningless words that Bahamut had spoken to her at that time.

It wasn’t as if there was really anything to it; it was just nonsense that Bahamut had blurted out when he was desperate, unable to find a contractor at the time!

“Whether that will benefit the world or destroy it, Bahamut says he knows nothing about that. The choice is… the Priestess’s will.”

That embarrassing history was being dug up and used to persuade Son Sang-hui. If Bahamut knew about this, he would probably want to hide under the covers right now.

In fact, if he saw this scene right now, he might declare that those words had no meaning at the time and become a shut-in dragon, claiming that the outside world was dangerous.

Embarrassing history is just the right term to ruin a person… no, a dragon!

“And just as Yu-na, who was chosen by the dragon, transformed Gyeongju, she thinks the new Priestess might change Pohang as well.”

“…Indeed. But will Lord Bahamut contract with a Priestess who was selected regardless of her own will?”

However, the psychological exploration of Bahamut through his past embarrassing history continued, and in response to Park Cheol-gon’s concern, Son Sang-hui nodded as if she understood and worried whether Lord Bahamut would contract with a Priestess who had been selected regardless of her own will.

“Bahamut says that if the contractor proves her own justice and beliefs, there’s no problem. Even if she has disabilities, if the child chosen as Priestess proves herself to Bahamut, she can certainly contract with him.”

Of course, even that was refuted by Bahamut’s meaningless words.

It was the pathetic end of a foolish dragon who had tried to sound cool by coming up with the most plausible words possible.

“Rather, I’m afraid. If the contract is established, how will the new Dragon Priestess act?”

“…Will she act for Lord Bahamut’s sake?”

However, Park Cheol-gon and Son Sang-hui, completely unaware of this fact, worried about the new contractor.

How would the new Dragon Priestess act?

“That would be natural. But what feelings will she have toward Pohang? That’s what I’m curious about. If we’re not careful, the new Priestess who will rule Pohang could end up destroying it.”

“That’s…”

Son Sang-hui couldn’t answer Park Cheol-gon’s concern.

Even now, because she had no vocal cords or eyes, Baek Seol-hwa’s ability to express herself was very limited.

So Son Sang-hui had no idea what emotions Baek Seol-hwa was feeling or what she was thinking.

At least she could express her intentions with her hands, so Son Sang-hui knew what Baek Seol-hwa wanted, but even that had its limitations.

“All we can do is pray she bears no grudge against Pohang.”

“That’s right. Then will you take the child to the temple?”

Son Sang-hui avoided answering Park Cheol-gon’s question, saying she would pray that there would be no grudge against Pohang.

As if understanding her feelings, he nodded and told her to take Baek Seol-hwa to the temple.

“Oh, is it okay for me to go too?”

“There are no officials with free time. We’re discussing various aspects with Pohang, not just negotiations but also economics and administration. And there are also problems that have arisen during Pohang’s reconstruction.”

Son Sang-hui was surprised that she, who had just joined, was allowed to enter Bahamut’s temple, but Park Cheol-gon said it wasn’t strange and explained the current situation of the Balhut Cult.

The Balhut Cult was currently suffering from unprecedented administrative burdens and staff shortages.

With negotiations, economics, administration, and Pohang’s reconstruction issues, there wasn’t a single official who wasn’t busy.

“Your superior, Jeong Dong-geon, is very busy controlling the eastern part of Gyeongju, so you, who have newly joined as his deputy, should meet Bahamut at the temple in place of Jeong Dong-geon.”

Even her superior, Jeong Dong-geon, was busy controlling the eastern part of Gyeongju using the navy that had recently joined.

There were no officials with free time, so she, who had joined as Jeong Dong-geon’s deputy, was chosen.

“Is… is it okay for me to have such an honor?”

“From our perspective, we want to send a political message that we’ll stand by Pohang until the end, while also showing that we’ll use people regardless of their origin.”

Of course, there was an undeniable political message.

Utilizing Son Sang-hui as an official was both a political message that they would stand by Pohang until the end and a statement that the cult would use people regardless of their origin.

“I understand.”

Son Sang-hui bowed her head in response to Park Cheol-gon’s words and said she understood.

And…

“……..”

Baek Seol-hwa, who had been selected as the Dragon Priestess, remained motionless, simply listening to their conversation.