Chapter 35
Assistant Moderator (2)
In the Gallery, the term armband usually referred to either the Moderator or an Assistant Moderator.
They were administrators granted the authority to manage the Gallery.
That made it sound as though they were expected to work hard at managing it, but that wasn't actually true.
It was perfectly acceptable for the Moderator to manage the Gallery carelessly.
Everyone had their own circumstances, after all.
In such cases, the Moderator could appoint an assistant manager—an Assistant Moderator—and share some of their authority.
***
Title: What’s Good About Being an Assistant Moderator?
Genuinely asking.
You can delete Gallery posts and ban users.
And?
That's it lol.
Then why would anyone become one?
Exactly. That's why nobody does.
If you manage the Gallery like shit, you can get fired too lol.
Isn't that also true for the Moderator?
The Moderator is fine as long as they occasionally log in. Assistant Moderators don't even get that privilege lol.
That's basically how serfdom started lol.
Fuck, talking about group projects reminds me of the academy. Being a commoner was miserable.
These days, nobles are practically forced to become group leaders. Apparently, nobles are supposed to set an example lol.
Society has finally improved.
The problem was that the rewards were pitiful compared to the authority granted.
It was practically unpaid volunteer work.
That was why users tried their hardest to avoid being appointed as an Assistant Moderator.
Even when they disliked the Moderator, a single question—
Do you want to turn blue?
—was enough to silence them.
***
Title: This Moderator Really Doesn’t Appoint Any Assistants
Isn't managing everything alone exhausting?
Yeah, that's why everyone keeps telling them to appoint an Assistant Moderator—as long as it isn't them lol.
Infinite selfishness at its finest lol.
Would you want to be an Assistant Moderator?
I'd do it if they paid me lol.
Basically, Assistant Moderator equals group-project leader. Understand now?
An Assistant Moderator was a necessary position that nobody wanted for themselves but desperately wanted someone else to take.
The authority to delete Gallery posts and ban users?
Even that wasn't much.
No reward came with doing the job well.
***
Title: This Reminds Me of the Old Days
Remember when the Moderator and Assistant Moderator met up in real life to fight and both died?
Oh, I remember that lol. It was fucking hilarious.
The surprising part was that one of them was a noble lol.
Why did they fight?
I think the Assistant Moderator demanded the Moderator's armband. Said they did all the work while the Moderator did nothing.
Fair reason.
So the Moderator said they'd hand it over if the Assistant Moderator won the fight lol.
And then they both died lol.
***
Title: What Authority Does the Moderator Have?
Everything an Assistant Moderator has, but better. They can also make trades whenever they want. I think they can have private one-on-one conversations too.
Can't they track users' locations as well?
Yeah. Someone once threatened to attack the Emperor, and the Moderator revealed their location so they could be executed. I think the Moderator even received a reward.
That's a dangerously powerful ability.
That's why one Moderator stalked some noble lady, had his eyes gouged out, and got thrown in prison lol.
It really was dangerous lol.
The Moderator's authority, on the other hand, was extremely powerful.
They weren't restricted by the rule preventing another trade for twenty-four hours after completing one, and they could interfere with various systems.
As a result, the atmosphere and direction of the Gallery largely depended on whoever held the Moderator position at the time.
The current Moderator, Don’t Abandon the Hero, was somewhat scatterbrained but principled and generally righteous.
To put it less kindly, he was stubborn and old-fashioned.
Fortunately, he possessed at least a little flexibility.
For some reason, however, he would occasionally disappear for long periods, causing the Gallery to descend into chaos.
An Assistant Moderator was needed precisely for situations like that, yet he had never appointed one.
***
Title: Why Won’t the Moderator Give Anyone an Armband?
Don’t Abandon the Hero: I can handle all the difficult work myself! Assistant Moderators don't even get paid!
Doesn't the Moderator also work for free?
Don’t Abandon the Hero: I receive transaction fees! I'm using them to improve the Gallery!
What exactly does “improving the Gallery” mean?
Don’t Abandon the Hero: I should be able to add minigames soon!
Moderators really do have all kinds of interesting abilities. So you're still not appointing an Assistant Moderator?
Don’t Abandon the Hero: You're right above me at the moment!
I'm not even a registered user lol.
Don’t Abandon the Hero: I can use the transaction fees to purchase the authority to appoint someone by force!
I'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorryI'm sorry.
LMAOOOOOO.
***
Title: How Does Someone Become the Moderator?
If the Moderator appoints Assistant Moderators, then who appoints the Moderator?
According to previous Moderators, it just happened one day. They suddenly received a notice saying they'd become the manager of the Continental Integrated Gallery.
So it's completely random?
Yeah.
Then how does someone else become Moderator?
When the current Moderator doesn't access the Gallery for a long time. Or when they die.
I'm pretty sure getting imprisoned also strips you of the armband.
One needed either an extraordinarily strong mentality or an absurd amount of free time and boredom.
As it happened, someone who satisfied those conditions had appeared.
There had always been interest in the armband, but nobody clearly understood how it worked.
Even the current Moderator had admitted that he didn't fully understand the Gallery's systems, which said everything.
Most authority in the Gallery was concentrated in the Moderator's hands, while Assistant Moderators were practically slaves.
Who would willingly become both the leader of a group project and a serf under a feudal system?
It was a thankless position where doing well earned nothing and doing poorly invited endless abuse.
Anyone who genuinely wanted the role had to be one of two things.
Don’t Abandon the Hero: Are you really certain?! I can handle all the difficult work alone!
Heavenly Demon: This Queen has already decided. However, only if you accept my condition. Are you not busy yourself? You do not seem to have visited the Gallery often lately.
Don’t Abandon the Hero: I've shaken off my pursuers, so I'm fine for now! And if I accept that condition, everyone else will criticize you!
Heavenly Demon: Do not worry. This Queen does not care.
It was a conversation between the Moderator, Don’t Abandon the Hero, and the Heavenly Demon, Yu Sowol.
Yu Sowol waited patiently for the Moderator to continue.
On the surface, it looked like they were negotiating a trade.
In reality, it was something similar.
The only difference was that this was not a transaction chat window, but a private one-on-one conversation.
The Moderator possessed every restricted authority.
Therefore, if the Moderator initiated the request, a private conversation became possible.
To make that happen, the Heavenly Demon had repeatedly sent him trade requests.
She had done it so often that even the Moderator could no longer ignore her.
Heavenly Demon: Rather than hiding it, I intend to reveal it openly. It is better to endure the criticism sooner rather than later.
Don’t Abandon the Hero: I see! I understand what you mean!
Heavenly Demon: Then, will you grant me the armband?
If she slowly investigated this authority, she was certain to find some kind of opening.
Don’t Abandon the Hero: Very well! I'll give you the armband! However, if you abuse your power, I will revoke it immediately!
Heavenly Demon: Do not concern yourself. This Queen shall govern with great tolerance. Besides, are private conversations not visible to you as well?
Yu Sowol waited in anticipation.
Would the Moderator truly grant her the armband?
She had two goals.
The first was to have private one-on-one conversations with Grylls.
Every time she left a comment, some fly-like wench named SwordMaster would swarm in, so she had decided that speaking privately would be better.
Her second goal was to understand the Gallery's structure more clearly.
An Assistant Moderator possessed less authority than the Moderator, but it still had some privileges.
Every private conversation in the Gallery was visible to the Moderator.
Normally, this referred to trade conversations between registered users, but the Heavenly Demon was about to receive administrative authority.
That meant the profound cultivation verses of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art might also be exposed to the Moderator.
However, she wasn't particularly worried about that.
The Moderator has already seen them once.
The Moderator even possessed the privilege of reading private posts.
There were no secrets one could hide from the Moderator.
In that case, it was better to speak openly through private conversations instead.
Don’t Abandon the Hero: That's right! It's unavoidable, even if only to prevent crimes! Is that a problem?!
Heavenly Demon: It matters not. In exchange, I shall grant you the honor of contemplating the profound meaning of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
Don’t Abandon the Hero: I'm fine! I already have a blessing from the Goddess!
When their conversation ended, a blue badge appeared beside the Heavenly Demon's username.
The moment she received it, she checked Grylls's post first.
Something seemed to have happened while she was persuading the Moderator.
The Heavenly Demon smiled in anticipation and left a comment.
Besides, nobody would believe her anyway.
Yu Sowol knew exactly how people regarded her in the Gallery.
She was a famous registered user who posted nonsense or shitposts every single day.
The important part was that those seemingly meaningless posts actually contained the enlightenment of the Heavenly Demon.
Nobody believed that.
The Moderator was no exception.
Yu Sowol had already taken that into account.
Don’t Abandon the Hero: I look forward to working with you, Assistant Moderator!
Heavenly Demon: Likewise.
Heavenly Demon: Ah. I nearly forgot. From now on, you may address me as the Assistant Moderator.
Why all of a sudden?
What the hell happened?
We're fucked. They gave the armband to someone with nothing but free time. ;;
EMERGENCYYYYY!
Excellent reactions appeared one after another.
Everyone seemed utterly shocked that Yu Sowol had become an Assistant Moderator.
This feels strangely satisfying.
Yu Sowol's chin lifted slightly.
Look at them trembling in fear.
Normally, they treated her like some outdated martial-arts old-timer.
But look at them now.
The moment she obtained great power—the blue badge—the Gallery users began quaking in terror.
In reality, the Heavenly Demon Yu Sowol could wipe out entire groups with a single gesture.
Yet receiving this sort of treatment in the Gallery made her strangely happy.
It felt as though she had stepped out of the shell of the Heavenly Demon and obtained power and authority as an ordinary human being.
This was why she couldn't quit the Gallery.
For Yu Sowol, whose days had once been endlessly dull, it was an enormous source of stimulation.
I should proudly announce my emergence.
In the martial world, it was customary to openly declare one's name and origin when making an entrance.
The Gallery was no different.
She happily announced her emergence.
However, she restrained her arrogant tone as much as possible.
She might otherwise upset the Moderator.
***
Title: Hear Me, My Subjects
Heavenly Demon
By the grace of the Moderator, this Queen has received the armband.
However, merely possessing the armband does not mean I intend to oppress you like an emperor.
I shall only ban those for justified reasons, so you need not worry.
Ask whatever you wish. For today alone, I shall graciously permit it.
She really got the armband? The world is ending. ;;
Why did the Moderator give it to that old fossil?
Isn't she going to ban anyone she dislikes?
The Moderator wouldn't have appointed her if she were like that.
Should we start begging for mercy now?
SwordMaster: Why did you become an Assistant Moderator? I don't understand.
She could ignore the other comments, but not SwordMaster's.
Yu Sowol began writing a response, then quietly deleted it.
An amusing idea had occurred to her.
After thinking for a while, she smiled and replied.
Heavenly Demon: You may ponder that question yourself.
SwordMaster: ??? You told us to ask questions. ;;
Heavenly Demon: I said I would answer. I never said I would give you the answer you wanted.
SwordMaster: Are you messing with me right now?
Heavenly Demon: This Queen is entirely serious.
SwordMaster: I already want to impeach you. ;;
That was something she could worry about when the time came.
She possessed time in abundance, like the vast sea.
There was no shortage whatsoever.
Then the Heavenly Demon noticed another comment.
What color are your panties today?
“Hehe.”
This was the experience she had been waiting for.
Yu Sowol let out a faint laugh.
Truthfully, she wanted to inflict heavenly punishment—meaning a permanent ban—upon SwordMaster.
That registered user was constantly filling her benefactor's head with strange ideas.
But she endured it.
With mercy as vast as the heavens, she refrained from delivering divine punishment.
The initiative was now hers anyway.
There was no longer any need to concern herself with SwordMaster.
Unless that woman also receives a blue badge.
The urge to deliver heavenly punishment surged again.
But who was she?
“Hehe.”
Yu Sowol forgave her with boundless generosity.
Compared to the others, that comment was relatively mild.
This place truly is overflowing with idiots.
Once again, she realized just how extraordinary the Gallery was.
***
The news that the Heavenly Demon had become an Assistant Moderator spread throughout the entire Gallery.
With the blue badge displayed prominently beside her username, it was impossible not to notice.
To make matters worse, she had even created a post, and the comment section was overflowing.
The problem was that a considerable number of those comments were idiotic.
Questions about the color of her panties were practically mandatory.
That was normal everyday behavior in the Gallery, but the appearance of a new Assistant Moderator seemed to attract even more people than usual.
She must be lonely in her old age.
Judging by all the strange posts she regularly made, that seemed likely.
I'd heard that old people tended to spend their days reminiscing about the past.
Otherwise, there was no explaining how she managed to attract so much attention.
Or maybe she's starved for attention.
In that case, I should treat her with a little more courtesy from now on.