Cracking Down on Real-Life Trolls
An oracle. It was a sacred ritual where the chief deity of the Goddess Cult spoke directly to the representative of humanity.
Since only the Emperor of the Ared Empire, recognized by the Goddess as the representative of mankind, could receive it, the Emperor had been busily preparing since early morning before heading to the imperial cathedral.
'Please, grant me the wisdom to overcome this crisis.'
The oracles had always benefited the Ared Empire in numerous ways.
The legitimacy of the statement, "The Emperor of the Ared Empire is the representative of humanity recognized by the Goddess," not only solidified the Emperor's power but also prevented any rising hegemonic power from easily invading the Empire.
If some foolhardy nation dared to invade the Goddess-blessed Ared Empire? They would instantly turn every country on the continent that followed the Goddess Cult into their enemy.
Thus, the Ared Empire had used the backing of the Goddess Cult to manipulate the continent as they pleased, while the Cult expanded its influence across the land, bolstered by the Empire's authority and the Emperor's endorsement.
Through this long-standing symbiotic relationship, both the Empire and the Cult grew incredibly wealthy and powerful.
The Ared Empire became the preeminent human nation, and the Goddess Cult established itself as the undisputed, sole faith of humanity.
The oracle was the very ritual that cemented this symbiotic bond. The Emperor only hoped that today's ceremony would further solidify their mutual trust.
While the preparations for the oracle were in full swing, the Emperor maintained a calm exterior, though his mind was in utter turmoil.
The situation on the front lines was bleak, and the Hero, who had been the backbone of their supply lines, had gone missing.
The allied forces were in such a wretched state that it was a miracle they had held out this long, while the enemy's morale was sky-high.
Compounded by consecutive defeats and his own political missteps, the Emperor's standing within the imperial court was plummeting by the day.
That was why today's oracle was of paramount importance to him.
'Through this oracle, I will turn this crisis into an opportunity.'
Once the golden ritual vessels were set in place and the high priests of the Cult finished their preparations,
“Withdraw. I shall offer my prayers to the Goddess.”
Dismissing the high officials, guards, and servants, he stepped forward alone and knelt before the altar.
Clasping his hands in prayer until the Goddess answered, his preparation to receive the oracle was complete.
How much time had passed?
Finally, the space above the altar split open, and a voice of ethereal clarity, impossible to belong to this world, echoed out.
—My children, have you waited long?
“Ah, Goddess!!!”
The Emperor prostrated himself flat on the floor.
Even the nobles and bureaucrats who harbored deep resentment toward the Emperor found themselves reflecting, 'Perhaps I was wrong about him,' so noble and sublime was the sight before them.
However, unlike the usual oracles that consisted of only a brief word or two, the rift opened wide this time.
“Ah... Ah!!!”
Wearing a benevolent smile, the Goddess herself descended, floating down right in front of the Emperor.
With everyone's eyes locked onto the altar,
—I bestowed a grand mission upon you, yet why have you disappointed me so?
“T-That is...”
Instead of the encouragement, comfort, and hope for a better future that the Emperor had desperately prayed for, the Goddess delivered a harsh rebuke.
—Did not the three races who revere order gather and swear before me to sweep away the wicked enemy? Yet, why have you acted so recklessly and disrupted that order?
The tips of the Goddess's pink hair slowly drifted upward, and her halo flushed a deep, angry red.
“P-Please, just one more chance—”
—A chance? How dare you speak of a chance?
The Goddess's brow furrowed.
—Answer me, then. What became of the Hero I bestowed upon the Empire?
“...”
—Speak!
“...We lost her.”
At the Emperor's shocking admission, the bureaucrats and nobles who had not yet heard of the Hero's disappearance gasped in horror.
“B-But Goddess! We can simply make another Hero—”
—Silence!
The wrathful voice of the Goddess reverberated through the cathedral. As the echoing hum subsided, she continued.
—Before you were the Emperor of the Ared Empire, you should have acted with the awareness that you are the representative of humanity and my proxy. Yet you failed utterly. You fell far short of my expectations—no, you were a complete disappointment!
—I shall bestow no further oracles upon you.
“T-That cannot be!”
—Or do you have more excuses to make?
“...”
—High Priest, open the doors. The current Emperor has lost his qualification. Today's scheduled oracle shall be bestowed upon another.
And stepping proudly into the cathedral was none other than—
“T-This cannot be...!”
“Silence, sinner!”
It was the Saintess of the Cult.
The Saintess's sharp voice rang clearly through the cathedral. After her harsh rebuke, she stepped aside to clear the path.
“Please, enter.”
“Thank you.”
The Crown Prince appeared, followed by a long line of the Empire's key administrative officials.
Approaching the side of the deposed Emperor, the Crown Prince knelt before the Goddess. Smiling warmly with a face completely different from before, the Goddess spoke.
—I ask you, are you the Crown Prince of the Ared Empire and its rightful heir, Gideon Ared?
“Yes, Goddess.”
—I shall bestow my oracle upon you.
The Goddess bestowed her blessing upon the bowed head of the Crown Prince.
—Rescue the Hero and eradicate the wicked demon race. However, as the current Empire bleeds and suffers from the wounds inflicted by your incompetent predecessor, I shall declare a Holy War across the entire continent to aid you.
—With the combined strength of all humanity, bring this long war to an end.
“I shall obey your command.”
Having finished her brief oracle, the Goddess's form faded, dissolving into particles of light that vanished along with the rift in the air.
Silence filled the cathedral.
Standing up, the Crown Prince thrust his clenched fist into the air.
“Long live His Imperial Majesty!”
“Hooray! Long live the Emperor! Hurrah!!!”
Amidst the roaring cheers of his loyalists, he exited the cathedral.
Meanwhile...
“Follow us.”
“L-Let go of me! Do you know who I am—”
“We know very well. You are the deposed Emperor whom the Goddess herself ordered to be stripped of his crown! Escort him to the detached palace!”
The former Emperor was dragged away by his once-loyal Imperial Guards and confined to the detached palace.
“Not yet! Not yet! My revenge... I must kill that vile demon who snatched Lady Louvet from me—!”
He screamed with all his might, his voice filled with bitter anguish, but no one paid heed to the words of a ruler dragged down from his throne.
“Phew! Seriously, I can't keep doing this!”
A woman deactivated various safety devices and tossed aside a thick, heavy, translucent defensive artifact. Her pink hair was revealed, completely drenched in sweat from her crown to the nape of her neck.
“Lindsy...”
“This is all your fault, senior! If you're a has-been, you should act like one! What kind of wealth and glory were you even hoping for when you set up this whole mess? Were you trying to screw me over?”
The Human Part Leader, Lindsy Gaiel, scowled fiercely as she glared at Eleanoa.
Eleanoa, the Demon Realm Part Leader—known to the Head Mod as the Operator of the Cheerful Demon Realm Village Gallery—replied cautiously.
“It wasn't trolling... I offered to help, but you told me to stay out of it...”
“Oh, so you're saying this is all my fault? You really don't know your place, do you—”
Lindsy raised her right hand, but quickly lowered it at the sound of the door clicking open.
“Ahem, humph. What are you two doing?”
“Mind your own business. We're handling it just fine.”
“Right... Well, the reaction from the Empire's side isn't bad. Comments like 'Finally, the Ared Empire is ready to avenge its defeat,' or 'The ultimate victor of the Human-Demon War must be the Empire' are...”
“I told you to mind your own business, didn't I? Director, do you not trust me? I'm Lindsy. Lindsy Gaiel. Have I ever failed majorly? I'll climb right back to the top in no time, so please refrain from unnecessary interference, okay?”
“...Understood. I'll leave the organized documents here.”
Since her career was indeed so stellar that no one could easily challenge her, the Director had no choice but to clear his throat uncomfortably and withdraw.
Thud!
“Senior.”
“...Yes?”
“Is that Head Mod guy or whatever really that precious to you?”
“!”
“Your reaction says it all. But what can he possibly achieve on his own? You heard the instructions from above too, didn't you?”
To make up for the slump, wage a bigger and more spectacular war. Set the stage for it.
Lindsy had welcomed the lifting of restrictions from upper management with open arms and had delivered the oracle to order a total war for humanity.
Eleanoa tightly clenched her left hand behind her back.
“Well, whatever, do your best. And you don't need to come to my office anymore starting tomorrow.”
“...Huh?”
“Didn't you hear me? Get the hell out of my sight!”
“I-I'm sorry...”
Eleanoa slunk out, looking utterly defeated. In this place where performance was everything, she was completely powerless.
'To protect the Head Mod and the Demon Realm, I have to bow my head. I can do it as many times as it takes.'
She had thoroughly suppressed her pride in front of Lindsy.
She desperately wanted to contact the Head Mod and look into the Demon Realm, but she held herself back.
As a result, Lindsy had finally written her off as "an incompetent fool not even worth keeping an eye on," allowing Eleanoa to return to her own office after a long time. And then...
“Now, let's see what the Head Mod is up to...”
With a fluttering heart, Eleanoa opened her admin panel for the first time in ages.
“Huh?”
There was the Head Mod, staring at the gallery with a deeply furious expression.
“What on earth is going on...?”
Feeling it was an awkward time to speak to him, the Operator decided to just watch for now.
“Mmm.”
I absolutely detest getting angry.
On days when my anger truly peaks, I get so exhausted and drained that I end up in a vegetative state of mind, completely blank.
That's why I distance myself from people who can't be reasoned with, and try my best to cut off communication with rude individuals.
After all, if you eliminate the source of anger, you never have to get angry in the first place.
Perhaps because I pursued such an isolated lifestyle, I found solace in an anonymous online community like the gallery.
Anyway.
The reason I was indulging in these pedantic, boring, and intellectually pretentious thoughts was simple.
The "Anti-Head Mod Coalition." Just thinking about them made my blood pressure spike.
“The more I think about it, the madder I get. What did I ever do to them?”
They were basically a bunch of weirdos who formed a group to kick the Head Mod out of the Demon Realm and reclaim "their" Demon Realm.
I didn't even know the specific reason they hated me. Honestly, I didn't care if they just disliked me.
It wasn't like this was my first rodeo; I'd dealt with this kind of stuff all the time as a mod in my past life.
Multi-accounting, trolling with alt accounts, spamming insults, flooding the board with disgusting images, or running automated spam bots? None of that was enough to actually hurt my feelings.
However...
“A systematic plan to render the gallery permanently unusable?”
That was the document they had enclosed.
◈ Systematically dismantle the gallery, and once its existence is forgotten in the Demon Realm, capture and secretly eliminate the Head Mod...
◈ First, to paralyze the Gallery Shop, secure funding from organizations such as the Merchant Coalition and the Alchemist Guild to launch aggressive counter-measures...
◈ Track down, torture, and execute not only the Head Mod but also his family, close associates, and acquaintances to ensure they can never mount a comeback...
“Huh, this actually makes some sense.”
In other words, it wasn't just some delusional fantasy.
“You want to cut off my livelihood and my hobby at the same time, and target the people around me?”
I couldn't forgive the first two, but the last one was absolutely unforgivable.
I glanced over at Liv, who was playing with Reddy, and Reina, who was currently busy managing the Exchange.
Reina's guard had softened significantly compared to when we first met, and her stuttering had decreased quite a bit.
And Liv, who had spent a horrific time enslaved by the Ared Empire's army, was finally living a decent, human life.
When I saw the plan to brutally punish not only them but also the gallery's sub-mods and prominent fixed-nicks, my head spun with rage.
Did we post political flame bait? Did we betray the Demon Realm? What did we even do? Why are they being so cruel to a bunch of shut-in forum dwellers?
This was the most malicious trolling I had witnessed since becoming the Head Mod. And it was the worst kind of trolling—real-life trolling, where they actually tried to cause physical harm in reality.
“Those motherfuckers! This is crossing the line!”
“Head Mod! No bad words!”
“...Shit.”
“Ah! You just swore in that otherworld language!”
“...No, I didn't.”
“Geez, I really need to learn that otherworld language too. Right, Liv?”
Even though they couldn't understand each other's words, the two of them seemed to share some sort of telepathic bond. They made eye contact, grinned, and nodded in unison.
“Still, the Finance Minister wasn't involved, right?”
When Reina had checked his emotions using the Gallery's Eye back then, the Finance Minister's claim of "I really have no idea" had proven to be entirely true.
“We have the Gallery Barrier, so our location won't be easily discovered either. So take a deep breath, wait for the Finance Minister to contact us, and then let's figure out a solution together, okay?”
“Sigh... Right. I should wait. Waiting is all I can do for now.”
The Finance Minister had promised to investigate and let me know the results. However, three days had already passed, and there was still no word.
I let out a deep sigh and flopped onto the sofa.
“Huh?”
Finally, a message from the Finance Minister. I immediately activated the Gallery's Eye and continued the conversation.
“Did you find anything out?”
You can't know unless you join and take the oath? Then just join.
“Could you perhaps participate in the Anti-Head Mod Coalition meeting?”
In other words, while he could join and see who was participating and what kind of nonsense they were barking about, he wouldn't be able to convey any of it to me. But...
“You don't need to convey it to me.”
“Just participate, and I will observe through the gallery. Wouldn't that work?”
I had the "Gallery's Eye" after all.
“If I adjust the transparency slider all the way down like this... Can you see it?”
“We can just participate like this. What do you think?”
The Finance Minister pondered for a moment before replying.
“Excellent.”
How should I crush them to make it a legendary tale?
With that thought, I opened the Point Shop.
There's a saying that if you try to screw someone over, you should be prepared to get screwed over yourself. If there isn't such a saying... well, let's just pretend I made it up.
“I'm going to prepare to the absolute teeth and crush you all.”
You guys messed with the wrong person.