Chapter 37 - Moderator (4)

These days, Sword Masta, otherwise known as Ashe, was what you might call an unemployed bum, forever getting smacked on the back by her mother. A bum who browsed the forum endlessly and snickered whenever something entertaining happened.

But she had most certainly spent time in the working world. And not an ordinary working world, either: the world of politics, where conspiracies and scheming were everyday affairs.

Since ancient times, politics had gradually developed as a means of keeping overwhelming power in check. Ashe, in particular, had been nothing more than a commoner until the emperor bestowed a noble title upon her. Until then, she had worked hard at navigating society, reading nobles' moods, flattering them, and agreeing with what they said to stay out of political trouble.

Marriage would actually have been the easiest option, but every prospect had fallen through because Ashe was so strong. And once she became commander of the Imperial Guard, there was no longer any room for political trouble anyway.

In any event, Ashe had experience with society—and with its dark, murky politics at that. That was why Heavenly Demon's rise to moderator put her somewhat on guard.

'They must have made a deal. Otherwise, that old fart would never have agreed to become a mod. And the admin wouldn't have agreed, either.'

The moment Ashe heard that Heavenly Demon had become a moderator, she started thinking. Unlike a certain someone, she had experience dealing with people. She grasped the situation faster than anyone.

'Just what kind of deal did they make?'

Ashe had been a fixture on the forum for a long time—nearly ten years, in fact. Unlike the previous admin, the current one placed great importance on rules and principles. What's more, that self-sacrificing streak had kept the admin from forcing anyone to become a moderator. For someone like that to appoint a moderator, especially a well-known registered user, there had to be something going on.

'Heavenly Demon probably proposed the deal first...'

In truth, Heavenly Demon becoming a moderator wasn't a major problem for Ashe. What if Heavenly Demon wielded that power however she pleased? She would immediately be stripped of her badge and banned for weeks. Heavenly Demon knew that too, and on the surface, she appeared to be working diligently.

But Ashe tried to read the intention beneath it. Why had Heavenly Demon become a moderator at this particular moment?

'The timing's far too convenient.'

Ashe had clashed with Heavenly Demon quite a bit lately, bickering over whether mana training methods or internal energy cultivation methods were better. But since it had mostly been Ashe picking fights, Grylls had sided with Heavenly Demon. Aware of how poorly she had behaved, Ashe had limited herself to advice and refrained from interfering further.

'Still, it would be such a waste...'

That didn't mean she intended to give up easily. It would be too much of a waste. It had been so long since she'd found someone with real promise.

Ashe had once trained countless disciples. Granted, her reason had been the decidedly impure motive of finding someone talented enough to marry, but never mind that. In any case, she could confidently say she had an excellent eye for people.

Those disciples had fallen for other women and married them, but Grylls was different. As she'd said before, his life might be in danger, but there was no fear of his eyes wandering.

'Even the ones I taught weren't this good. I have to find a way to teach him.'

Whenever she looked at Grylls, she felt as though she were seeing her younger self. Her constitution allowed mana to accumulate with every breath. In Grylls's case, his unusual environment did the same. Normally, circulating mana throughout the entire body was only possible for an intermediate sword expert.

'But I still don't want to become a mod.'

That was one thing she absolutely wanted no part of. Being a forum didn't make it free of politics. In fact, it was rife with something worse: political games. The difference? Those games involved rabble-rousing, fabrication, trolling, and finally, infighting.

Moderators, in particular, attracted attention more readily than other registered users. Just look at Heavenly Demon. She had faced all sorts of attacks the moment she became a mod. It had only blown over smoothly thanks to her characteristically headstrong nature.

Besides, mental fortitude wasn't the issue for Ashe. She just hated it. Ashe simply hated the idea of being a moderator!

'Whatever the case, I'm playing catch-up now.'

In the end, Ashe could only chuckle. Heavenly Demon had truly checkmated her. Who could have imagined she would become a moderator? Still, Ashe couldn't leave her curiosity unsatisfied. What had possessed the admin to give Heavenly Demon that position?

'Let's find out.'

Getting in touch with the admin was extremely simple. All she had to do was send a trade request. Since only registered users could send those requests, the admin generally accepted them.

Don't Abandon the Hero

Hello!

What can I do for you!

The admin greeted her enthusiastically the moment the request was accepted. Smiling at that unfailing energy, Ashe asked her question.

Admin, you made a deal with Heavenly Demon, didn't you?

Don't Abandon the Hero

Wha?!

Unlike her smile, the question pulled no punches. The admin must have been quite flustered to send such a bizarre reply. The admin Ashe knew couldn't lie. That held true even on a forum where anonymity was the norm.

Don't Abandon the Hero

How did you know!

Did the moderator tell you!

No.

I just had a hunch and took a stab at it, and you confessed.

So what deal did you make?

Don't Abandon the Hero

They asked me to enable one-on-one chats!

Aha.

So that was it. What a greedy person. Ashe nodded at the admin's utterly honest answer. Now she understood what had happened. As expected, Heavenly Demon had become a moderator for Grylls.

'But couldn't she just use private posts? That's awfully one-dimensional thinking.'

Yet a question remained unanswered. What did she think private posts were for? Ashe wanted to know why.

Aren't one-on-one chats visible to you too?

Don't Abandon the Hero

Yes! I'm watching one right now!

What are they talking about? Internal energy cultivation methods?

Don't Abandon the Hero

I can't give you details, but I can answer yes!

That much was predictable. But it still didn't make sense. The returns were pitifully small compared to the duties a moderator had to shoulder.

Was Heavenly Demon the kind of person to wield power indiscriminately? No. She said her piece and wasn't swayed by what others said. If anything, she resembled the admin; she probably wasn't the type to turn tyrannical just because something displeased her. Besides, the admin was above her. The conditions simply weren't there.

'Suspicious. Far too suspicious. What exactly is she after?'

Ashe sank deeper into thought. Heavenly Demon's intentions were hard to decipher. Still, the conversation hadn't been entirely fruitless. She nodded and thanked the admin.

Thank you.

Is there anything you'd like, Admin?

Don't Abandon the Hero

No bribes necessary!

If you want to become a moderator, you can just ask!

No, I'll pass on being a moderator.

That isn't why I sent the trade request.

I was just curious about why that person was doing this.

Don't Abandon the Hero

I see! Understood!

Their conversation ended there. Ashe slowly sorted through her thoughts.

'It doesn't seem like there's any particular political motive.'

Given Heavenly Demon's personality, there surely wouldn't be any political intent. She had probably become a mod to help Grylls more easily while pursuing some other goal on the side. Ashe didn't know what that goal was, but at least it wouldn't harm her.

'Was I worrying for nothing?'

Heavenly Demon becoming a moderator was huge news in itself. Ashe, in particular, had even been sparring with her. She couldn't help being concerned.

'This is hard. So hard.'

Perhaps she was overcomplicating things. She hadn't abandoned the idea of helping Grylls. All she needed to do was quietly lend a hand whenever he ran into trouble.

'Internal energy cultivation methods use a lot of terms that are hard to understand unless you're from the Central Plains. He's bound to post about how difficult it is.'

She would seize that opportunity to share her mana-training know-how. Since mana training methods were designed for training others, there were plenty of handy tips. She just had to wait for the right moment. Ashe focused on the forum, refreshing it every ten seconds as she waited for Grylls to post.

Internal energy cultivation is too hard.

'There it is!'

Before long, Grylls posted. And it was exactly what Ashe had hoped for: a post complaining about how hard internal energy cultivation was. She opened it immediately.

Internal energy cultivation is too hard.

Wild Grylls

I'm learning cultivation from Heavenly Demon, but there are so many words I don't know that it's hard.

Apparently these are the basics. If even the basics are like this, I'm scared to see the advanced stuff;;

└Heavenly Demon taught you? How? There haven't been any posts.

└Wild Grylls Sent me a one-on-one chat request?

└Mods can do that? The admin allowed it?

└Wild Grylls Yeah, apparently the admin approved it. Said it was fine to tell people.

└Wow;; Look at that special treatment. I'm getting spiteful already.

└For real lol. Makes me want to troll.

└Don't Abandon the Hero I can appoint you as assistant managers if you'd like!

└That threat doesn't work anymore lol. Figured out anonymous users can't be managers.

└Anonymous users can't do it anyway lol.

└Don't Abandon the Hero Then I'll come find you and threaten you in person!

└I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry

└Fuck, it's actually scary when the admin says it lmaooo.

└Reminds me of that admin who used to stalk people lol.

└Hear those handcuffs clicking?

"..."

Ashe couldn't hide her deflation as she read the post. She had gone so far as to send the admin a trade request to figure it out, only for the people involved to openly reveal it themselves. Everything she'd done felt like wasted effort. Typical of Heavenly Demon, perhaps.

'... I'll just pass on some tips.'

Still, there was work to be done. Ashe collected herself and typed a comment, ready to offer all sorts of useful tips.

└Sword Masta Which part is giving you trouble?

└Wild Grylls It's hard to figure out the route. Heavenly Demon even explained it with a drawing, but I guess I'm too much of a dumbass to get it.

└Sword Masta I see what you mean. I can help you.

└Wild Grylls Thank you.

Ashe smiled at his polite thanks. Unlike internal energy cultivation methods, mana training methods were breathing methods specifically designed for teaching others. They would be perfect for learning the fundamentals in detail.

'But why isn't Heavenly Demon objecting for once?'

Normally, she would have objected by now. Yet Heavenly Demon was nowhere to be seen. Just what was she up to? Suspicious though she was, Ashe wrote her reply.

└Sword Masta Mana training methods and internal energy cultivation methods may have different trunks, but they share the same roots. Start with your breathing.

└Wild Grylls I'm doing that.

└Sword Masta Keep that up and send the energy in your lower abdomen to your perineum. You know where that is, right?

└Wild Grylls More or less?

└Sword Masta More or less won't do. Since you're a man, Grylls, think of it as the spot between your balls and your butthole. Send your energy there, and you should feel something.

└Wild Grylls Hmm... Yes, I feel it. It's itchy. Can I scratch it a little?

"..."

This was strangely frustrating. Ashe's lovely brows drew together. It wasn't because Grylls was having trouble understanding her. Nor was it because she had to cram words into this narrow little comment box...

└Teach us too~

└Not fair, keeping all those great tips to yourselves.

└Sword Masta, I've hit a bottleneck. Can you help me?

└Make the replies public make the replies public make the replies public

The jackals had caught the sweet scent of honey and come flocking. They were breaking her concentration. With them intruding between Grylls's comments at every turn, teaching him was rather difficult.

'Could this be why Heavenly Demon did it too?'

A reasonable suspicion began to grow.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Demonic Cult.

'I can feel the frustration.'

Yu Sowol smiled as she read Sword Masta's private replies. The moment she had received her moderator badge, she had gained the ability to peek at private posts as well. That was only a natural privilege. It meant she, too, could see the tips Sword Masta was passing on.

'Too fragmentary to call advice.'

Sword Masta's tips hardly even qualified as tips. They were no different from what Yu Sowol had already taught him.

This was a consequence of Sword Masta—Ashe—being far too gifted. Unlike swordsmanship, which she had learned from the ground up, mana accumulated in her body simply by breathing. Swordsmanship was one thing, but she had little aptitude for teaching breathing methods.

'Is it only working because my benefactor has such outstanding potential?'

Still, geniuses had ways that worked for other geniuses. Grylls was steadily absorbing what Sword Masta considered useful tips. Though even Yu Sowol had dismissed the approach, Grylls was happily gobbling it up.

'Sword Masta. This one is no ordinary individual either, as I thought.'

But that didn't matter. Yu Sowol shifted her gaze to the message window where she had been chatting with Grylls until just moments ago. Unlike trades, one-on-one chats allowed real-time conversation. The conversation history remained intact, too, so she could view it whenever she wished.

'To bear fruit, the roots must be strong.'

What Yu Sowol wanted was simple: for Grylls to grasp all the insights of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and bear fruit. She planned to use Sword Masta's advice to shore up his weak roots.

'In the end, people think of the sweet fruit, not the roots.'

Even if Grylls received advice, his foundation was still the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. That hadn't changed. Eventually, he would realize its greatness, and respect would naturally well up within him. Sword Masta was merely a helper. The one imparting everything to him was ultimately the Heavenly Demon, Yu Sowol.

'It is only right that I do this for my benefactor.'

Now it was time to carry out her duties as moderator. Yu Sowol turned her attention back to the board. But there was something she had yet to realize.

└Wild Grylls Oh? It works? My sword's all lit up!

└Sword Masta Wow. Fuck. Really? How did you do that?

└Wild Grylls What am I supposed to say if you're asking me?;;

└Sword Masta I'm more amazed that you can do everything just from me telling you about it;;

When the roots changed, the trunk was bound to change little by little as well. Especially since Sword Masta's real expertise lay not in breathing methods, but in swordsmanship itself.

└Sword Masta With a little practice, you'll be able to carry just a sword instead of a shield. But seriously, how did you do that?

└Wild Grylls I told you, I don't know either;;

Little by little, that influence was seeping in.