Chapter 42 - The Swindler (3)

The Demonic Strategist, Wi Seorak, had weathered countless crises in his life. The greatest of them had been persecution by the powers that be. His extraordinary mind posed a threat to them.

Wi Seorak, a mere commoner, far outshining the scions of those proud houses? Unthinkable. So they kicked away the ladder whenever they had the chance.

But he had clawed his way up through sheer grit and determination. He needed no ladder. By then, they might have acknowledged him, but unfortunately, he had never had much luck with people. All he received was ruthless persecution, which filled him with bitter resolve.

With that bitterness in his heart, he had joined the Demonic Cult and used his exceptional mind to rise to the position of Demonic Strategist.

"What is the matter? Do you use the forum as well?"

"Well..."

And today, Wi Seorak faced the greatest crisis of his life once again. An order from the Heavenly Demon, the being who stood in the heavens above all others. Hearing her command, he worked his brain at full speed. It produced exactly one answer.

'I'm f*ed.'

He really was screwed. For the most absurd reason imaginable, he found himself confronting the greatest crisis of his life.

As an avid forum user himself, he understood the current situation. Word was that an inner core listed at the auction house had been fake. The incident involved Grylls, who had been causing quite a stir lately.

'Wild Grylls. She must be stepping in to help him.'

Yu Sowol had surely summoned him to help Grylls. That much he could easily have predicted. Being told to log on to the forum, however, had caught him completely off guard.

His thoughts racing, he opened his mouth. Even a second's silence would arouse her suspicion.

"Your Eminence. By the forum... do you mean the Continent-Wide Forum?"

"I do."

"I shall obey your command. However, my dull wits struggle to grasp the situation. Pray enlighten me as to the reason."

Even as he stalled for time, his mind never stopped working. If he obeyed, logged on, and made a proof post, every post in which he had insulted Yu Sowol would be exposed. Worse still, he had been posting as a registered user, not even a semi-registered one.

'I only registered out of necessity. How did it come to this...?'

Why had he registered an account? For trading and the auction house. The Demonic Cult was situated in a rather remote location, making supplies a crucial concern. In the past, it had been all but neglected, and many had gone hungry. Things had improved considerably thanks to his reforms and Yu Sowol's subsequent foray into the martial world.

'I have to resolve this without getting caught, if at all possible.'

He had thought little of registering at the time. It had been necessary. But who could have guessed Yu Sowol would outright demand that he reveal his username? His mistake had been failing to anticipate just how differently her mind worked from everyone else's.

'Will Her Eminence respect my privacy?'

Yu Sowol, the Heavenly Demon, was domineering and imperious. She did as she pleased without caring what anyone thought. With the martial might to back up that temperament, she inspired awe in the demonic practitioners.

'She has to. Otherwise, I'm dead.'

The Heavenly Demon on the forum, however, was subtly different. Her imperious manner and self-centered personality remained, but she had a human side. The endless accommodations she made for Grylls were proof enough.

He desperately hoped she would extend that same consideration to him, Wi Seorak. Otherwise, he would die both socially and physically.

"The reason...? Must I explain even that to you?"

"..."

"Or is there some truth about your forum activities you must keep hidden?"

"I do not use the forum, Your Eminence."

"You lie without so much as blinking."

"..."

Fuck. Wi Seorak cursed inwardly. He had kept his voice as steady as he could, but she had seen through him.

Yet he had no choice but to lie. Only then could he hope for her understanding. If Yu Sowol had been a reckless tyrant, his head would already have rolled. Fortunately, she was no tyrant. At the very least, she knew how to respect her subordinates. Otherwise, she would have ordered them to force their way through the Forest of Four Seasons.

It was unreasonable to expect understanding after lying to her, but he had no choice if he wanted to seize even the slimmest chance. The moment he logged on, his literal death was certain. He was gambling with his life.

"I shall accept your lie. But you would do well to tell the truth next time."

"I shall bear that in mind."

"Good. You asked why, did you not? I shall explain everything."

Thank goodness. Thank goodness for that. He heaved an inward sigh of relief. His gamble with his life as the stakes had paid off. That did not mean he was out of danger.

"My benefactor is being falsely accused. Lend me your wisdom so that I may resolve the situation."

"All my wisdom belongs to you, Your Eminence. You need only command me."

"The situation is as follows..."

Yu Sowol's explanation was simple yet packed with the salient details. Of course, Wi Seorak already understood the entire situation, so he was mostly pretending to listen. He had already formed countless hypotheses. Laying them out one by one would not be difficult.

"Do you understand?"

"I do. To think someone would not only question your judgment but tell lies as well. They deserve divine punishment."

"..."

Yu Sowol narrowed her eyes at him. Her look said, Who are you to say that, after lying to me just now? Bowing at the waist, he could not see her expression, but he could read the atmosphere.

His conscience did not merely prick him; it felt as though a dagger were stabbing it repeatedly. He did his best to ignore it. A single lie was a remarkably small price to pay for his life.

"May I offer my opinion?"

"Speak."

"First, we cannot rule out the possibility that the auctioned inner core was indeed an ordinary lump with no effect whatsoever. We know the one you gave me was genuine, but we cannot be certain the other was an inner core as well."

"Hmm."

Yu Sowol nodded. In truth, that point had been troubling her too. She had let his lie slide precisely because the matter could not be resolved with simplistic thinking. Her plan had been to establish whether he knew about the forum, then seek his wisdom. Her habitually imperious manner had turned that into a demand to reveal his username, but she did not realize it.

'It seems he has something to hide.'

In any case, she understood. The forum was an ideal outlet for desires and stress. He had surely engaged in activities he would be embarrassed to show others. All forum users did. It was perfectly understandable.

"Then there is nothing we can do?"

"Since the other side has seized upon uncertainty, we must turn it to our advantage as well. It is a matter of credibility."

"I would think my benefactor has greater credibility."

"It is not so simple. Forum users are like a pack of wild dogs. Once they spot prey, they tear into it without considering the circumstances."

"Wild dogs..."

Yu Sowol nodded at the comparison. Whenever something entertaining happened, the users swarmed it like mad. Truth or falsehood meant nothing to them. They bit and tore simply because it was fun. Conversely, win their trust, and that pack of wild dogs could become allies.

"The accuser likely has a single aim: to reach an amicable settlement with your benefactor."

"An amicable settlement?"

"If your benefactor were banned, his life could be endangered. That is the vulnerability the accuser is exploiting."

"So they are playing games with a man's life."

Yu Sowol assumed a displeased expression. She would have liked nothing better than to track the culprit down and wreck them. But location tracking was a privilege reserved for the admin. She doubted the admin would grant her that power, especially in a case like this.

"Is there a solution?"

"There is a simple, easy way."

"What is it?"

"You need only make your formal debut on the forum, Your Eminence."

A formal debut on the forum sounded comical, but his point was this: verify her identity. Prove that she really was the Heavenly Demon. Prove that Yu Sowol, the registered user who was forever churning out shitposts and had now become a moderator, was the real Heavenly Demon.

"You refuse my command, yet dare suggest I do the same? What utter hypocrisy."

"My apologies, Your Eminence."

"Tell me what you truly think, without a single lie. Have you no intention of posting proof yourself?"

"I would sooner hang myself."

"Hmm."

He was that averse to it? Yu Sowol nodded. She had no desire to lose a man as capable as Wi Seorak over something so absurd.

"Besides, even if I posted proof, it would mean little. They could claim we had coordinated our stories."

"True."

"What would you..."

"I refuse."

Her answer was firm, an unequivocal refusal. He wondered why, but did not dare ask.

'Is she embarrassed?'

That was a distinct possibility. After all, he knew what Heavenly Demon, the forum moderator, had been up to. That must be why she had been so lenient about his lie. Empathy was the first step toward understanding.

'If I reveal my identity, there is no point in using the forum.'

But his guess was completely off the mark. Yu Sowol hid her identity on the forum out of embarrassment? Absolutely not.

'People treating me however their instincts dictate, without a shred of formality or decorum. How could I give that up?'

On the contrary, she had nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of. Her words and deeds were exactly the same on the forum as in real life.

The pleasure of being a person, free from the confines of the Heavenly Demon. She loved that life. That was why she was reluctant to reveal her identity. Living as the Heavenly Demon even on the forum would be more than monotonous. It would be dull.

'Some would approach me solely because of my prestige.'

Goodwill directed toward the Heavenly Demon, not the person. No different from real life. If that happened, she would quit the forum immediately. She could therefore never relinquish her anonymity. Most used anonymity as a shield, but for her, it was a way to show exactly who she was.

'Though my benefactor seems not to care who I am.'

That was why she liked Grylls. Consideration and respect born of genuine goodwill. And courtesy. It was a warmth she had never felt in all her life, and it made her want to help him.

"If all else fails, I can stake my name on it. But I question whether it is worth that much."

"You are absolutely right."

So even the Heavenly Demon was human after all. She knew shame. As Wi Seorak continued down his not-quite-mistaken line of reasoning, Yu Sowol parted her lovely lips.

"Is there no other way?"

"There is. We need only turn the pack's attention toward the liar. Your benefactor has already earned their trust, which should make things easier."

"Let me hear—wait a moment."

With that, Yu Sowol looked into empty air. Wi Seorak stole a glance at her and immediately logged on to the forum. Something must have happened there. Otherwise, she would not be acting like that.

'Nothing's changed, though?'

The forum was the same as ever, still full of posts insulting Grylls. A few people defended him here and there, but they were a small minority. The deluge was practically spam; even the admin had issued a warning.

"Demonic Strategist."

"Yes, Your Eminence."

"My benefactor says he has obtained another inner core."

"Pardon?"

Wi Seorak's head shot up. His wide eyes spoke volumes. But he was Wi Seorak. Regaining his composure, he set his mind racing. He quickly reached a conclusion and offered Yu Sowol a proposal.

"Your Eminence. A good plan has occurred to me."

"Speak."

"Is there perhaps a subject on the forum who is not only credible and skilled, but also of sound character?"

"Hmm..."

Yu Sowol tapped a finger against her cheek, then stopped and frowned. Her expression suggested that the mere thought was unpleasant. With her looks, even that was beautiful.

"There is. Why do you ask?"

"Because we will need that person's help. Though I do not know whether they will be willing."

"They will help. I guarantee it."

"Understood. In that case..."

Bowing his head even lower, Wi Seorak made his proposal.

"Please persuade your benefactor to give the inner core he found to that ally."