The Confession Troll (Part 2)
The village chief held out a large sheet of paper. However, it was unlike any paper the villagers had ever seen. The official documents occasionally brought by administrators from the neighboring cities were coarse, thick, and yellowish. This, on the other hand, was as pure white as the wings of a butterfly fluttering through a flower bed. It was covered with a transparent, smooth film that protected it even if water splashed on it. It looked like a rare treasure that even most nobles could not afford.
"W-What is this?"
"Yurix, you know how to read, don't you? I believe I taught you myself in the past."
"Y-Yes, I do."
The village chief flipped the paper over and held it out to Yurix.
"Then see for yourself."
Hello. This is the Head Mod of the Cheerful Demon Realm Gallery.
We recently identified an individual causing a public disturbance in our gallery. Upon investigation, we discovered that he is younger and more worldly-naive than expected.
Rather than administering direct punishment, we have written this letter to inform the villagers so that you may discipline him yourselves.
The identity of Guest Anon (913.111) has been confirmed as young Yurix of Labidin Village.
We have excerpted and attached some of Yurix's posts and comments below for your review. We would appreciate it if you could take appropriate measures to ensure this does not happen again.
"W-What in the..."
Yurix felt an indescribable chill run down his spine. Not only had the Head Mod figured out exactly who he was, but they had also secretly come to the village, printed his entire history on this wide sheet of paper, and posted it right on the central bulletin board.
Yurix, who had spewed whatever crossed his mind behind the shield of anonymity, was now completely exposed. This was the moment his shameful secrets were laid bare before the villagers—a tight-knit community of barely ten households who were practically family.
His face flushed bright red with sheer embarrassment.
But there was a problem. The titles at the top were actually the mild part.
The village chief, seeing Yurix's eyes freeze, said in a solemn voice, "Read all the way to the bottom. Now."
As his eyes drifted lower, the comments where his filthy desires had been unleashed in text were laid bare.
"Is this truly the truth?"
The village chief glared at him with narrowed, sharp eyes.
Yurix was terrified and trembled violently.
"W-Well..."
"Yurix! Tell the truth!"
"I-It's the truth!"
Startled by his father's roar, Yurix shouted and squeezed his eyes shut.
The gathered villagers began to murmur.
"I never would've thought... he's more dangerous than he looks."
"Honey, make sure our daughter stays away from Yurix from now on."
"He likes foot odor? I can't believe it."
"Keep an eye on your shoes. Wait, could the ones I lost a few days ago be..."
Yurix felt his heart shattering at the realization that the entire village had read his posts and comments.
And...
Whoa...
I, with my hood pulled low, watched the downfall of the neighborhood bully who had tormented me for years, right next to him in real-time.
The previous night.
I was looking through the Gallery Shop to buy a large drawing paper.
Why drawing paper?
"I'm going to write down a selection of Yurix's most embarrassing comments on it."
And then?
"I'm going to post it on the bulletin board in front of the town hall. Let's see how he likes being humiliated."
I didn't know if the villagers used the Gallery. But...
"The Gallery has been super hot lately, right? Even if it's a deep mountain village, outsiders still come and go. They must have heard rumors about the Gallery and the Head Mod."
If I wrote that the Head Mod posted it themselves, people would be curious enough to grill Yurix or try to access the Gallery to find out what was going on.
Then...
"It's basically like having his entire post history exposed to everyone he knows. Do you think he can still act like he used to?"
I guaranteed it. This was the worst punishment imaginable, one that even the most mentally resilient person couldn't survive.
Head Mod...
"Yeah, Operator. Now you finally see me as the selfish, wicked person I am—"
As expected, you really are a good person, Head Mod.
"...Did you even listen to a word I said?"
The Gallery is still a bit of a harmful community for young boys and girls who lack mature judgment to access without guidance.
So you're trying to discipline this boy 'Yurix' to make an example out of him, right?
I know everything! You're just pretending not to care while secretly trying to help people.
No, this time it really wasn't.
"Seriously, I'm not."
Yes, yes, of course. But if that's the case, you don't really need to write it by hand, do you?
"If I don't write it by hand, what else am I supposed to do? Does this primitive world have computers or printers?"
You can use the 'Printer' function you mentioned.
[Print / Output]
Cost: 20 pt per use
"...Why is this actually a thing?"
I screenshotted and compiled only the parts I wanted from the Gallery, packed them tightly onto a large drawing paper, and even wrote a letter to the villagers.
"But to post this, I have to go secretly before sunrise..."
If it got ruined by the morning dew after I put it up, it would all be for nothing.
"Is there laminating too, by any chance...?"
[Lamination / Coating]
Cost: 30 pt per use
"Wow, they really have everything."
There was literally nothing they didn't have. Long live the Point Shop.
Since I had plenty of points saved up anyway, I spent them generously. Spending a little here wouldn't lead to a critical financial blow.
"Let's add this too, and expand the sentences a bit more—"
Finally, the ultimate weapon to socially euthanize Yurix from the village was complete.
And.
"Ah, while I'm printing..."
Head Mod? What are you doing? Is there still more to print?
"Hehehe."
!!!
Why are you printing THAT!!!
"Because I want to?"
The proof photo the Operator had sent me with a blushing face. I had saved the original file, and now I printed it out as a massive, laminated poster and hung it on my wall.
"Oh, it really brightens up the house."
It's embarrassing, take it down right now!!!
"What are you going to do about it?"
You can only click-clack and send messages. What can you actually do, Operator?
Grrrr!!!
"But why are you mad?"
...What?
"I hung it up because it looks nice. Why are you mad?"
W-Well, because... it's embarrassing...
"What's the big deal? Whether I hang it on the wall or secretly and creepily look at it in the Gallery's image storage, isn't it basically the same? Actually, wouldn't the latter be way creepier?"
......
Fine. You can keep it up.
She looked pretty cute when she resigned herself to her fate.
"You're the best, Operator."
Anyway, get ready to head out.
Night fell. I bought a large lantern from the Point Shop as a final touch.
"Let's go~ Let's go~"
And left the house for the first time in a while.
Through this series of events, we arrive at the present.
Yurix was currently caught in a pincer attack by his father and the village chief, getting verbally pummeled.
But.
Looking at him now, he seems a little pitiful.
Stay strong, Head Mod.
Bringing a child who has strayed onto the wrong path back to the right one is always difficult and painful.
I told you, that's not what this is.
I wanted to tell the Operator she was wrong, but I held back out of fear of getting caught by the villagers if I made a sound.
"Yurix, I am deeply disappointed in you."
"We are fortunate that the Head Mod is merciful. Do you realize that your wicked behavior could have turned our entire Labidin Village into a sea of fire?"
"...Huh?"
Is this for real? The old village chief started spouting some wild headcanon that even I didn't know about.
"It is no lie. Your brother told me of the Head Mod's recent deeds. He easily subdued a Legion Commander of the Demon King's Army and effortlessly drove away the enemies who dared to invade."
Well, technically that's how it turned out, but... did I really do that?
"Do you think such a powerful figure couldn't wipe out a tiny mountain village like ours? Have you not heard of the tragedy of Bueri Village?"
The tragedy of Bueri Village.
Apparently, there used to be eight villages on our mountain. Now, there are only seven.
"Just because they slightly offended the Ghoul Count at the foot of the mountain, Bueri Village—the largest in the area—was reduced to ashes overnight. The high nobles of the Demon Realm are far more ruthless and powerful than that."
"And the Head Mod is someone of such immense status that he can look down on an ordinary Count as if they were a stray dog."
...I am?
Wow~ Even I didn't know that.
"Fortunately, the Head Mod stated in the very last line of the paper that he would forgive all your sins. That is, if you lay bare your transgressions before the villagers and show true repentance. Is that not an incredibly generous act?"
The villagers murmured and nodded in agreement.
And.
Realizing that his reckless words and actions had almost brought ruin upon the entire village...
Yurix shed thick tears and sobbed.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
I hadn't exactly hoped for this kind of ending. I just wanted Yurix to be moderately embarrassed in front of the villagers, go home, and kick his blankets in frustration while screaming.
I thought it would end with giving him a lifetime of cringe memories.
"Once your ban is lifted, apologize to the Head Mod, and make sure you never do such a wicked thing again."
"Yes, I will keep a close eye on him, Chief."
"Good, good. Now, everyone, go back to your business."
Since they were dispersing, I quietly slipped away from the village.
I couldn't tell if I had caused his social death or guided a community-obsessed troll back to the path of a normal human being, but...
"It all worked out... right?"
Of course~! Didn't you see him just now? He looked genuinely repentant.
"I suppose he did."
In any case.
I quickly hurried back home before anyone could spot me.
The path leading back home.
People rarely came up this far. So, as I was strolling along at a leisurely pace right in front of my house...
"Argh!"
I tripped over some rock and fell.
Head Mod! Are you okay?
Fortunately, it was just a light tumble, so I wasn't cut or bruised.
"What the hell was that... Huh? This is..."
A rock that felt strangely familiar. There was a scab-like bloodstain on its rounded part.
"Wait, is this the rock I got hit with back then?"
The very stone that cracked open the back of my head, awakened my past life's memories from the depths of my subconscious, and started this whole journey when the Operator made me the Head Mod.
"Tsk."
I was about to hurl it away in disgust, but...
STOP!!!
The Operator blocked me by expanding her message window to a massive size.
"Ah, jeez, you scared me. What?"
Why are you throwing that away!
"What? It's just a rock."
It's the Stone of Fortune!
"What?!"
The Stone of Fortune?
I stared at it intently again, but it was just a gray, rough pebble. Overall, it looked like a lump of clay that a child had played with half-heartedly before tossing into a corner.
And above all...
"What the hell is that, you nerd?"
The Stone of Fortune. I had never heard of such a thing.
This is important, so listen carefully.
What the Stone of Fortune is...
I watched the Operator's message window with rapt attention.