Chapter 29: The Cost of Power
Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust
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To the two politicians—Park Cheol-gon and Hwang Geun-chul—Bahamut’s thoughtful remarks sounded almost like a sigh, a lamentation. At the same time, they interpreted his words as a noble decision made with deep conviction.
“So, what should we do about them?”
Bahamut’s next question only solidified their suspicions.
“The root of the problem lies in the unique status of the Awakened. As long as the Awakened hold absolute power and rights in this apocalyptic world, fundamental resolution will be impossible.”
Park Cheol-gon declared that the special status of the Awakened was the core issue. As long as the Awakened retained this exceptional power, any attempt at a true solution would be futile.
“Exactly. In Gyeongju, there’s high demand for more Awakened, but absolutely no supply,” Hwang Geun-chul added, nodding in agreement.
The value of the existing Awakened would only continue to rise as long as the means to create new ones—by hunting zombies—was no longer viable within the city limits. This left the Cult facing a scarcity they had no immediate way to address.
Bahamut listened to their counsel and then, after a moment of contemplation, asked a startling question.
“Then… what if the Awakened were no longer a rare, special existence?”
The abruptness of Bahamut’s question caught them off guard, but it hinted at a possible solution to their current dilemma.
Given the information Park and Hwang possessed, the only way they knew of for someone to Awaken in Korea was by killing zombies. Bahamut’s question implied an alternative, but that seemed too good to be true.
“Is this a test?” Park wondered internally.
“It’s unusual for him to test us now…” Hwang thought, feeling equally unsure.
The more they pondered Bahamut’s question, the more they began to wonder if he actually had a solution to the Awakened problem. Considering the extraordinary abilities Bahamut had demonstrated so far, the idea wasn’t too far-fetched.
Having reached that conclusion, they quickly came to an agreement.
“If we could eliminate the Awakened’s special status, then Cho Sun-do’s rule over North Gyeongju would lose its justification,” Park reasoned.
“Indeed. Since he rules through sheer power, the moment that power becomes less unique, he becomes vulnerable. Without his special status, he’ll be just another strong man in a world of strong men, always at risk of being toppled,” Hwang elaborated.
If they could create more Awakened and make that power more accessible, Cho Sun-do’s dominance in North Gyeongju would crumble. His claim to authority relied on being one of the strongest Awakened in Gyeongju. If that distinction disappeared, so would his legitimacy.
“Then it’s simple. Let’s increase the number of Awakened,” Bahamut announced decisively.
Park and Hwang fell silent at his unexpected proclamation. They’d been racking their brains about how to handle the scarcity of Awakened, and here Bahamut was, declaring he could solve it.
“With all due respect, do you… actually have a way to increase the number of Awakened?” Park asked cautiously.
“Yes,” Bahamut replied calmly.
“Recently, I discovered a method to create Awakened artificially.”
The revelation was earth-shattering. If such a technique became public knowledge, it would shake not only Gyeongju but potentially all of Korea.
“Incredible. I assumed you meant capturing zombies to help people Awaken, but this…” Park muttered, his voice trailing off in awe.
“If we can implement this method effectively, it would solve our shortage of Awakened in a straightforward way,” Hwang agreed, his mind racing.
The lack of Awakened was a pressing issue in Gyeongju, where zombies had been driven out of the city. Meanwhile, in other parts of Korea, new Awakened were still emerging in response to the ongoing battles. Unfortunately, for every newly Awakened person, there were many more casualties. Still, the idea of safely producing Awakened carried undeniable appeal.
“I stumbled upon this discovery by chance. Regardless, I now have a method to artificially create Awakened. What do you think?” Bahamut asked, observing their reactions.
“Well, my lord… if I may speak bluntly, an announcement without proper justification may provoke discontent among the current Awakened within the Cult,” Park cautioned.
“I agree,” Hwang added, nodding.
To Bahamut, the idea of discontent among the Awakened Cult members was a thunderbolt. He’d been focused on solving the scarcity issue, but the possibility of internal backlash had not crossed his mind.
“And why would they be displeased?” Bahamut asked, maintaining a calm facade despite the apprehension brewing inside him.
“The Awakened, as they are now, hold a unique status. In this age, being Awakened is a kind of privilege. They’ve become the elite,” Park explained.
“If Bahamut-sama announces a policy to create more Awakened, it could be seen as an attempt to strip them of their exclusive power and privilege,” Hwang added.
“I see…”
The idea of an “elite class” of Awakened resonated with Bahamut. It made sense. In human society, privileges were rarely surrendered willingly. While the Cult was struggling with a shortage of Awakened, it was also true that the current Awakened enjoyed certain benefits and authority.
The potential backlash was clear. In their quest to protect their privilege, the Awakened might resist any policy that threatened to dilute their status.
‘Realistically, they wouldn’t openly oppose Bahamut-sama. But that dissatisfaction might be redirected toward us,’ Park thought, understanding the nuances of power dynamics.
In truth, none of the Awakened would dare confront Bahamut directly. He had saved Gyeongju, and his might was unquestionable. But simmering discontent among the ranks could create complications that might ultimately spill over to those around him.
“Of course, this would only happen if the policy were implemented without a proper rationale. If we provide a compelling justification, even the opposition would find it difficult to reject,” Hwang advised.
“A justification, then. What do you suggest?” Bahamut asked, genuinely curious.
Both advisors understood that policies needed to be carefully framed to gain public support. They explained that having a clear justification was essential to prevent backlash, especially from those who might otherwise resist change.
After a moment of contemplation, Park spoke up.
“We could use the zombie apocalypse itself as the justification. This disaster can be a powerful rationale.”
“The apocalypse… as a rationale?” Bahamut echoed, intrigued.
It was such a simple yet profound solution that even Bahamut found himself momentarily taken aback.
“If we simply command them to accept the policy without any explanation, resentment will naturally arise. Sure, people may submit to overwhelming force, but that submission won’t last forever,” Hwang elaborated.
“So, we leverage something everyone understands—the apocalyptic disaster we’re all living through. This is a topic everyone can agree on,” Park added.
The apocalypse was a daily reality, a shared experience. Though Gyeongju was relatively safe, the rest of Korea was still besieged by zombies, and occasionally, the undead found their way into the city as well.
“Thanks to Bahamut-sama’s protection, people in Gyeongju feel secure enough to go about their daily lives. But what if that protection were suddenly gone?” Hwang posed rhetorically.
“Even now, there are occasional incidents within and outside the city. Naturally, people want a way to protect themselves. If Bahamut-sama announces the Awakened Project as a solution, all those who follow the Bahamute Cult will rally behind it,” Park concluded.
Peace was only possible because of Bahamut’s protection. If people feared losing that, they would eagerly support a plan to create more Awakened to ensure their safety.
“But according to you, the existing Awakened—the elite—may not support this,” Bahamut pointed out.
That was a persuasive argument for the common people, but what about the Awakened, who already held power?
“They’ll need a different kind of persuasion. While we could ignore them and proceed anyway, having more justifications only strengthens our position,” Hwang replied.
“We could appeal to practicality. In
this ongoing disaster, we need as many Awakened as possible to secure our survival,” Park suggested.
To persuade the elite, they needed to ground the argument in the harsh realities of their world.
Gyeongju’s need for more Awakened was no secret. Even now, a lack of manpower led to constant issues in security and resource gathering.
“Awakened who are involved in frontline operations or expeditionary missions are acutely aware of the shortage. They know we need more manpower,” Park continued.
“Right now, our territory is limited, so we’re managing. But if we unify Gyeongju and expand, we’ll soon reach a breaking point,” Hwang added.
The shortage was frequently discussed among those on the ground. Introducing new Awakened would address these issues, making it harder for anyone to publicly object.
“Besides, not every Awakened is a fighter. Some still lack the courage to face danger despite being Awakened. Those with families might even support the project, seeing it as a way to protect their loved ones,” Hwang suggested.
This wasn’t the only angle to sway them. Some Awakened had family members they wanted to protect. For these individuals, the Awakened Project could offer a personal benefit.
Such Awakened could become the policy’s most fervent supporters.
“So, there are ways to bring them on board,” Bahamut mused.
“Of course, there are those with elitist mindsets who might complain, and some who will grumble from the safety of their homes,” Park acknowledged.
“But in this disaster, we don’t have the luxury to entertain every complaint. For stable governance, we must rally as many as we can and suppress the rest,” Hwang concluded.
In any society, it was impossible to implement a policy that pleased everyone.
The Bahamute Cult wasn’t so powerful that it could afford to appease all dissenters. They needed the support of as many as possible and would suppress those who couldn’t be satisfied.
“No policy can satisfy everyone. There will always be those who disagree,” Park said with a resigned smile.
“I’ll give it careful thought,” Bahamut replied, nodding.
As he considered their advice, he found himself reflecting on the complexities of governance.
Politics truly is a difficult game.
But for the sake of stability and the future of the Cult, he would proceed carefully, weighing every angle.
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