Chapter 16
Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Saphartlantis
========================
< Chapter 16 >
The gallery was always flooded with all sorts of conspiracy theories.
ㄴHow can the Moderator be a female academy student?
ㄴHave you ever seen proof that they’re not a female student?
ㄴSo they are a female student?
ㄴJust thinking that they’re a female student is hot.
ㄴThe Moderator is a female academy student. OK? If you don’t know, just memorize it.
ㄴOh.
ㄴImagine a female student being the Moderator, lol.
ㄴThat’s a plot twist, lol.
ㄴThe Moderator is a female academy student? Lol, just wait. I’m going to apply to the academy now, lol.
ㄴWhat did the academy do to deserve this, lol.
ㄴThe academy headmaster is weeping, lol.
ㄴBearded old men flock to the academy… “Shocking.”
Title : The reason the Moderator is a noble is real.
They adapted too quickly to have come from another world, and they issued warnings right after the auction opened.
It’s suspicious that they thought of keywords like politics and war right away.
Who are the closest people to politics and war? Nobles.
The likelihood that they’re a noble is higher than them not being a noble and doing all this. It’s more plausible.
ㅇㅇ
ㄴHmm, is that so?
ㄴHmm. To that extent…?
ㄴAdapted quickly? That’s nonsense, ㅇㅇ. They adapted because they already knew how to manage a gallery to some extent.
ㄴIf the Moderator is a noble, where do you think they’re from? Marquis? Count?
ㄴAt least Count or above. Viscounts and Barons are ambiguous.
ㄴFor humans, that’s the standard… For elves, it would be the World Tree guardian, for demons, a mid-level demon, and for beastmen, a chieftain level.
ㄴCould they be an unexpectedly knowledgeable bum about continental politics?
ㄴFor real, lol. That could be the case.
ㄴA bum (greatly influences the continent, gallery Moderator).
ㄴHow can this be a bum, lol.
ㄴSo where does the Moderator live?
ㄴIt’s unclear if the Moderator lives in the west, central, or east.
ㄴTheir lifestyle pattern is like zero military, so they sleep and wake whenever they feel like it;;;;
ㄴWake-up time (east), bedtime (west).
ㄴLol.
ㄴThis guy is just like Demon King-chan 2, lol. Wakes up, and it’s morning, lol.
ㄴI think they’re from the west.
ㄴAn elf?
ㄴNo, they could be from an empire leaning towards the west.
ㄴSo, in the end, we don’t know.
ㄴBut the noble theory is the most plausible, lol.
ㄴFor real, lol. The academy female student theory is next, ㅇㅇ.
ㄴThe Moderator is an academy female student (big boobs, S-class beauty, virgin, gallery Moderator).
ㄴThe last element is the most exciting, lol.
ㄴHow can they say such crazy things so nonchalantly, lol.
ㄴHow can they be an academy female student, lol.
Title: Reasons Why the Moderator is a Noble ㅇㅇ;
This guy has almost no greed for money.
This can only be possible if he comes from a wealthy family.
ㄴHe could just not be greedy for money.
ㄴWould you say the same if you had tens of thousands of gold?
ㄴWhat he did with tens of thousands of gold: bought chicken skewers.
ㄴFor real, lol. If a sudden rich guy does this, he’s not in his right mind.
ㄴBut how do you explain the Moderator’s house?
ㄴIt’s extremely small even for a commoner’s house.
ㄴIt wouldn’t be strange to think he’s a weird noble living in a strange house.
ㄴHe could be a collateral branch of some noble family… we don’t know the details.
Title: The Thing That Made Me Sure the Moderator is a Noble
(A picture of a crab eating another crab.jpg)
They are all dead.
ㄴWTF, lol. What is this?
ㄴIt’s been a while since I wanted to eat crabs, lol.
ㄴWhat’s with this cannibalism, lol.
ㄴWhy is this true, lol?
Title: I Found Out the Moderator is a Noble
(Squirrel Thunder.jpg)
Squirrel Thunder
ㄴSquirrel Thunder is awesome, lol.
ㄴI watched the whole Squirrel series; they’re cute, lol.
ㄴEvery time I watch this series, there’s something new.
ㄴRecently, Squirrel Hellfire appeared too.
ㄴHow can you resist Squirrel Archmage, lol?
Among them, most are useless or illogical incitements and fabrications.
The truth is just something useless in the gallery.
What matters is that interesting rumors are circulating.
Although it was a time of slandering the Moderator, the rumors gradually faded.
─Moderator
Title: Am I a Noble…?
(A photo of a studio apartment taken by the Moderator.jpg)
Isn’t this spacious enough for a house?
This is average for commoners ㅇㅇ;;
ㄴWTF, this is a house? Not just a room?
ㄴDamn it, lol. Don’t pretend to be a commoner.
ㄴCommoners have houses too, damn it, lol.
ㄴDo you think commoners live in a single room, lol?
ㄴCommoners weeping, lolololol.
ㄴThis guy lowers the average, lol.
ㄴDo you want to die? Don’t ever say you’re a commoner, lol.
ㄴEven a slave’s room is bigger than this, damn it, lol.
ㄴWTF, my house’s stable is bigger than this.
ㄴIs this a place for people to live, lol?
ㄴDoes this guy never come out of his bed? Lol.
ㄴOptimal house for gallery activities, lol.
ㄴWithout the gallery, it’s an empty place, lol.
ㄴIsn’t the Moderator trapped somewhere?
ㄴFor real, lol. Trapped and only receiving chicken skewers while managing the gallery, lol.
ㄴWow, lol. Didn’t realize that, lol.
### Title: Moderator Pretending to Be a Commoner ㅇㅇ;
An acting performance of a lifetime, lol.
He’s entering a doghouse and acting right now.
There’s no way that’s a person’s house, lol.
ㄴLol, I knew it.
ㄴI figured he was a noble pretending to be a commoner, tsk tsk.
ㄴOf course, lol. It’s so obvious, lol.
ㄴHow naive do you have to be to believe this?
ㄴFor real, lol. How can you believe this, lol?
ㄴHe might actually be a noble acting like that.
ㄴNo, he’s actually a commoner pretending to be a noble pretending to be a commoner.
ㄴNo, he could be a commoner pretending to be a noble pretending to be a commoner pretending to be a noble.
ㄴWhat are you guys doing, lol.
ㄴIs this some kind of commoner Matryoshka doll, lol?
ㄴBut what if… what if that really is the Moderator’s house? What if he really isn’t a noble? What if he lives in the smallest room and spends 20 hours a day on the gallery? What if he only barely goes out sometimes to buy chicken skewers…?
ㄴHey, lol. Stop kidding around.
ㄴThe Moderator, comfortably using the gallery from home, cries.
ㄴIs this a person’s life…?
ㄴIs this… a noble…???
### Title: Don’t Lie, lol
How can that be a person’s house and life, lol?
ㄴDo you think the Moderator is a joke? Of course, he lives in a grand mansion.
ㄴHe must have maids in bikinis all around, lol.
ㄴOf course, it’s a lie, you fools, lol.
ㄴPlease tell me it’s a lie, lol.
ㄴThere’s no way this is real, lol.
ㄴHe’s a noble pretending to lie, ㅇㅇ;
ㄴBut why doesn’t he say it’s a lie?
ㄴModerator, no way.
ㄴPlease, lol, you bastard!!!!!!!!!
ㄴShow us your actual grand mansion right now!!!!! We won’t say anything!!!!!
People chimed in on the conspiracy theory someone wrote as a joke.
And anyway, the Moderator must be lying too!
How can anyone live in such a bland, small and dirty place?
“All of you, get out.”
You are no longer gallery members.
The Moderator, who really lived in a studio apartment, was deeply hurt.
* * *
The gallery moderator might actually be a noble.
Everything they’ve shown so far is all lies! A performance!
The theory that the moderator is a noble, which started from a small suspicion, began to sound plausible to many people.
“Has a lot of money, but doesn’t spend it? Not interested?”
“Already a wealthy noble?”
“No way, how could they live in such a house? They’d go insane.”
“Of course, this is a staged photo.”
So, the moderator must be a noble.
A social gathering was held to find the gallery moderator.
If someone finds the moderator at the social gathering, they would seize the opportunity to control the world.
Some attended the social gathering daily, driven by raw ambition, but not everyone was like that.
Arcela, the Queen of Majeros and the current Demon King, read through the gallery.
“Moderator is a noble? Hmm… I don’t think so.”
The moderator seemed too familiar, too down-to-earth to be a noble.
It was a smell of life far removed from authority.
So Arcela, half-concluding that the moderator was not a noble, didn’t pay much attention to it.
What did it matter whether they were a noble or a commoner?
In the end, the important thing was to somehow make connections and bring them to Majeros.
She chuckled softly.
She didn’t know the truth, but such conspiracy theories were simply amusing.
She acted like a pleasure seeker chasing fun, but deep down, a question lingered.
So where on earth was Moderator?
The pure curiosity lingered in Arcela’s mind.
She wanted to bring the moderator, who was far more impactful than others.
Did they know their own worth? They hid their information better than anyone.
Or… were they just used to such a life?
She could only wait for him to reveal something about themselves.
To show familiarity or give a hint to pinpoint their location.
Either way, she would bring the moderator for the prosperity of Majeros.
‘But this is too much.’
Hadn’t they hidden their information too well?
Even if it was a lie, how could anyone believe they lived in such a small room?
Is this even a place where someone could live?
Thinking they were exceptionally skilled at lying, Arcela posted as usual.
──Demon King-chan
Title : The moderator lives in a wonderful place~~
It’s a cardboard house~~ It collapses when it rains~~
“Heh heh.”
She laughed softly.
* * *
At that moment, a meeting was being held in the Kingdom of Ossen.
A cold silence pervaded the royal conference where most of the nobility had gathered.
Queen Beatrice let out a small sigh.
“…Does anyone know who Moderator is?”
She voiced the question that had been on her mind.
The moderator, who had wielded significant influence through the gallery, had greatly aided the kingdom.
From the kingdom’s perspective, the sheer size of the empire was an oppressive force.
With the empire suffering damage and its influence becoming slightly smaller, it was a boon for the kingdom.
Despite the good news, Beatrice’s expression did not relax.
“Could they be from the kingdom…? Or else….”
Why do they continue to help the kingdom?
Her mind was filled with questions.
They had prevented the kingdom from being overturned by starting a war.
They had struck the empire and assisted the kingdom.
Yet, she still had no clue who the moderator was.
‘If only I could thank the moderator….’
Even now, she was ready to arrange a private dinner.
Would that be all? She would have openly bestowed a title and requested personal guards to assist her hero.
Moderator was a person worthy of such gratitude.
Alone, with no one by his side, they had shaken the very flow of the continent.
A moving, massive tidal wave.
Despite that, their identity remained unknown.
“I encourage you all to freely express your opinions. If need be, I am considering making a wish.”
“A wish… that is.”
“Isn’t that too great an expense?”
“The kingdom has already received two great favors from them. Even so… it would be against our principles not to express our gratitude. I want to be the first to find Moderator.”
Beyond acting politically,
She wanted to express her personal gratitude.
The only problem was not knowing where the moderator resided.
“Otherwise… where might Moderator be? Please share your guesses.”
“Erm….”
Everyone remained silent.
Queen Beatrice, though charismatic and intimidating, was not inflexible.
Free opinions. She truly meant they could speak their minds.
As long as they didn’t cross the line.
But it wasn’t easy to speak.
Where could be the moderator?
How could they talk about what they didn’t know?
The first to raise a hand and offer an opinion was Viscount Arien.
“To me, it seems highly likely that they’re from the Empire.”
“So, you’re saying that someone from the Empire helped our kingdom? What could be the reason for that?”
“Considering the aggressive response, that’s my assessment.”
Even though it could have been expressed indirectly, they immediately and publicly attacked the kingdom.
A so-called snipe.
By framing the incident in the gallery, the Osen Kingdom had no choice but to bow.
“However… despite the aggressive response, this person probably doesn’t want a war.”
They responded aggressively, but it wasn’t with the intent to attack.
If they had intended war, they would have waited for it to break out and leaked information to the Empire.
They issued a stern warning and prevented the outbreak of war. It’s highly likely that they prefer peace.
“So, are they a noble?”
“It’s not certain, but the likelihood is high.”
There was no trace of nobility in their speech, but it was precisely this that raised suspicions.
They claimed to be a commoner with such boldness that it made one consider the possibility of a shadow.
Someone who knows noble etiquette hiding behind the mask of a commoner.
‘To step out of noble dignity…’
You need to know what noble dignity is.
You can’t avoid everything just by being ignorant.
To fail every question on a test, you need to know quite a lot.
However, the current actions of the Moderator were a perfect mistake for a noble.
This led to the prediction that they were closely related to nobility.
“If not a noble… they must have spent their entire life using only vulgar language.”
“Could such a person exists…”
“That’s impossible.”
“How could anyone…”
Everyone agreed.
A person would still interact with the outside world.
Can someone who lived like that… be called a person?
Thinking that way, it reinforced the certainty that they were acting behind a mask.
“Though it raises suspicions, the damage to the Empire from the auction incident is immense. Are you saying an Empire noble attacked the Empire?”
“Yes. To expand their own influence. Or someone within the Empire who harbors resentment.”
“…I have a few suspects in mind.”
Several individuals came to mind.
There were people who raised suspicions.
Those who knew noble etiquette, were well-versed in continental affairs,
and harbored resentment towards the Empire despite being within it.
While not confirmed, there were too many points of suspicion.
“And Moderator likes chicken skewers.”
“…Excuse me?”
“They like chicken skewers. It’s a famous dish in the Empire, rather than the kingdom.”
So, the likelihood is high that they are from the Empire.
Logically speaking… it essentially points to a noble within the Empire who harbors resentment towards it.
That was practically the conclusion.
If not that,
Then it would be a noble within the kingdom who is loyal to the kingdom…
Beatrice frowned.
‘Why aren’t they revealing themselves?’
The fact that they weren’t showing their face was greatly troubling.
It could be that they had no choice but to hide their identity.
Or perhaps they were in a position where they couldn’t reveal themselves.
Either way, it left a knot in Beatrice’s heart.
‘I would rather… they were someone from the kingdom hiding their identity.’
If that were the case, as the queen, she could shower them with boundless affection.
How could she hate someone who brought benefits to the kingdom?
This moderator does not hide their power.
Rather, they display even greater power, suppressing everyone.
They exert influence across the continent, leading everything with their flow.
Indeed, they were the eye of the storm. They were the one who called the storm.
And they were working for the kingdom.
‘How could I hate them… Especially since they don’t seem to flaunt their power.’
The worry that they might threaten the royal authority was not insignificant.
If Moderator liked power, they would be acting tyrannically by now.
But there was no such behavior from him.
However, that was only if they revealed themselves.
Since they weren’t showing themselves… it seemed wiser to think of them as an Empire person.
“If the Moderator is from the Empire… do you have any suspects?”
“I do. There’s Viscount Whisen…”
“Viscount Whisen…”
“They are known to be very knowledgeable and have a lot of information. It’s said they don’t have excessive greed but have many peculiar hobbies.”
“That certainly sounds suspicious.”
Queen Beatrice reached a conclusion.
The likelihood that the Moderator wasn’t from the kingdom was high.
Thus, somehow, they had to bring the Moderator to the kingdom.
“…We must bring the Moderator to our kingdom. No matter what.”
To somehow keep the kingdom’s lifeline intact.
Beatrice clenched her fist tightly.