Chapter 20: The Currency of Gyeongju
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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Money.
That’s what Lee Hyun-ah had just suggested: a form of currency. Yuna’s brow furrowed as she tried to comprehend the need for it.
“You mean… money?” Yuna asked, her confusion evident.
“Yes, if by money you mean something that can be exchanged for goods and services, then yes, I’m talking about currency,” Hyun-ah explained, her tone measured.
Yuna nodded, still puzzled. Why would they need money when they already had the old currency?
“We already have the South Korean won, right?”
Hyun-ah shook her head. “That currency has already lost all its value. Is there anyone here still using Korean won for transactions?” she asked, turning to the other officials in the room.
There was silence.
“Of course not. In other regions, they’ve started using alternative currencies like canned food or instant noodles for trading,” Hyun-ah added.
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. The South Korean won had indeed lost all value, even before the apocalypse had fully set in. Now, even if someone had millions of won, they couldn’t even buy a single can of food with it.
“The only currency that still holds some value is the US dollar, but even that’s barely hanging on. According to news from outside sources, even the US is facing hyperinflation,” Hyun-ah continued.
“The US, huh? Even they’re struggling now…” someone muttered.
“Yes. The US is doing everything it can, even deploying its military to regain control of the situation. But no one knows when—or if—they’ll recover,” Hyun-ah said, her voice heavy with the gravity of the situation.
Yuna listened quietly, then asked the question that had been on her mind. “So why do we need money now?”
Hyun-ah smiled gently, as if anticipating the question. “It’s simple. We have nothing to reward the workers with.”
“Reward… the workers?”
“Yes. The laborers working on the reconstruction of Gyeongju. We need a way to compensate them for their work. Currently, we’re distributing food and supplies to them as payment, but it’s inefficient and unsustainable in the long run,” Hyun-ah explained.
Yuna’s eyes widened. “But we’re the wealthiest group in Gyeongju now! We took control of the markets, the supermarkets, and all the supply caches. How can we be lacking in resources?”
Hyun-ah nodded. “We are wealthy in terms of resources, but even those have limits. Plus, many workers are finding the current barter system inconvenient. Lee Soo-ah, as the one handling complaints from the workers, can confirm this,” Hyun-ah said, gesturing to her sister.
“Yes, it’s true,” Soo-ah agreed. “We’ve received many complaints about the distribution system. Transporting supplies like food and energy resources for daily payments is labor-intensive. We could simplify things by issuing a currency, or vouchers, that workers can exchange for goods at stores we control.”
Yuna took a moment to process their words. So we’re rich… but it’s not enough. The act of distributing physical goods as wages was proving cumbersome, even though they had enough resources for the time being. Transporting the goods alone required a significant amount of manpower, and workers were struggling to carry their daily rations back home.
“Hmm… So what you’re saying is, we need something like vouchers or tokens that can be exchanged for goods?” Yuna asked, trying to simplify the concept.
“Exactly. But those tokens need to have real value. We could print simple paper vouchers, but they would be too easy to counterfeit,” Hyun-ah explained.
“Someone could just go to a copy shop and print out fake vouchers,” Soo-ah added.
Yuna sighed. It made sense, but there was still the issue of trust. “So, you’re saying we need something more reliable. But what will give it value? What will make people trust it?”
Hyun-ah had anticipated this question. “In terms of value, the old coins from South Korea were made from pure copper or nickel alloys. We could melt down those coins and create a new currency from the metal.”
Yuna raised an eyebrow. “You think people would trust coins made from old metal?”
“It’s not about the material itself,” Hyun-ah explained. “Copper might not seem valuable now, but eventually, it could become crucial for things like bullet casings. The value of the material will increase as we restore civilization.”
Yuna considered this for a moment. She didn’t fully understand the intricacies, but she could see the logic in it.
“But the real issue,” Hyun-ah continued, “is establishing trust. We need a strong guarantor for this currency.”
“Trust… where do we find that?” Yuna asked, frowning.
“That’s exactly the point. Someone needs to guarantee the value of the currency,” Hyun-ah said.
Yuna paused, then her eyes lit up. “Bahamuth. We can ask Bahamuth for help with this.”
Hyun-ah smiled. “Yes, if Bahamuth were to back this currency, it would immediately be trusted.”
With that, Yuna made her decision. “Alright. I’ll talk to Bahamuth about it.”
Hyun-ah nodded. “If Bahamuth endorses this currency, then it will be credible, and we’ll have the foundation for a functioning economy.”
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Meanwhile, Bahamuth was less than thrilled by the proposal.
[Currency, huh…]
After hearing Yuna’s report, Bahamuth couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Everything had been going smoothly so far, but the idea of creating a new currency threw him off balance.
In the Vision Mirror, Bahamuth could see Yuna’s expectant gaze, filled with trust and admiration. She was certain that Bahamuth would have the perfect solution to this problem.
“I have no idea how to solve this!” Bahamuth thought, panicking internally. “I was a shut-in who only cared about video games! What do I know about economics?”
Though Bahamuth understood the importance of currency, he had no idea how to go about implementing one. He had spent his previous life in isolation, far removed from anything resembling real-world financial systems.
[I know how important currency is, but asking me to design a whole system? That’s way beyond my expertise!] he thought, feeling overwhelmed.
“Bahamuth-nim?” Yuna called out, sensing his hesitation.
[Hmm…] Bahamuth grunted, trying to buy time as he thought. He couldn’t outright admit that he didn’t know how to solve the problem—Yuna was staring at him with those big, trusting eyes.
He could feel the weight of her expectations. She truly believed he would have the answer, that his wisdom would provide a clear path forward.
[This isn’t something I can solve alone,] Bahamuth finally said.
Yuna blinked. “Then…?”
[I will need to speak with Lee Hyun-ah directly. We must discuss the matter in detail to find a proper solution.]
After much deliberation, Bahamuth decided to defer to the expert. Since Hyun-ah had brought up the issue, it made sense to consult her directly.
Though it might seem like a simple decision, Bahamuth felt a surge of relief. Consulting with a professional was always better than pretending to know everything.
“You want to meet with her in person?” Yuna asked.
[Yes. This matter is important enough to warrant a face-to-face discussion.]
Yuna nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. “I’ll arrange it right away.”
She was confident that Bahamuth’s decision to meet with Hyun-ah meant the matter would be resolved soon.
“Bahamuth-nim has summoned you,” Yuna informed Hyun-ah later that
day.
Hyun-ah didn’t seem surprised. If anything, she looked pleased.
“I see. Then I’ll prepare to meet him,” Hyun-ah said, her voice calm.
Yuna nodded. “Yes, he’ll be waiting for you at the temple.”
As Hyun-ah prepared for the meeting, her sister Soo-ah watched curiously. She knew her sister well enough to suspect that Hyun-ah had orchestrated this entire situation.
“You planned this, didn’t you?” Soo-ah asked.
“What do you think?” Hyun-ah replied, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
“I knew it,” Soo-ah muttered.
Hyun-ah didn’t bother denying it. “I pushed for this knowing full well what it would lead to. The reconstruction hasn’t even fully begun, and yet I demanded we address the currency issue.”
“Why? We already have canned food and ramen as barter items,” Soo-ah pointed out. “Ramen’s practically been the unofficial currency since before the Balhut Cult even took over.”
Hyun-ah nodded. “True. We have enough supplies for now, and the workers don’t seem to mind too much. They’re willing to endure the inconvenience because they understand the situation we’re in.”
“So why force this issue now?” Soo-ah asked, puzzled.
“Because it’s necessary,” Hyun-ah said firmly. “I want to show the people of Gyeongju that the Balhut Cult is their only hope for survival.”
Soo-ah frowned. “Isn’t Bahamuth’s power proof enough? I mean, we saw what he did. It was terrifying.”
Hyun-ah shook her head. “Half of Gyeongju’s survivors still rejected Bahamuth’s protection.”
“That’s what’s bothering you?”
“Yes. It’s unacceptable. So, I’m going to do what I can to make sure that every trade, every deal in Gyeongju, is conducted using our currency. That way, even if they don’t want to follow Bahamuth, they’ll have no choice but to rely on us.”
Soo-ah blinked, surprised by her sister’s determination. “That’s… pretty extreme, isn’t it?”
“Extreme times call for extreme measures,” Hyun-ah said, her eyes gleaming with ambition. “Soon, all of Gyeongju will be trading in the name of Bahamuth.”
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