NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18
Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Saphartlantis
========================
< Chapter 18 >
The Dark Elf nation, Ardel, was located underground. They, too, were undeniably part of the World Tree and had their own duties. While the Elves managed the trunk and branches, the Dark Elves took care of the roots.
It was only natural for those who worked 24 hours in the darkness to become closer to it. Just as someone with 13 years of experience as a shut-in, or a writer who’s reversed their day and night cycle, likes provocative things, so did they.
Provocation meant something erotic and fun! For this reason, the Dark Elves couldn’t resist engaging in the gallery.
Title : How about this?
(Image of a shadow highlighting a large, beautiful chest.jpg)
ㄴOh wow lolol
ㄴThis is modern art lololol
ㄴShadow art at its finest
ㄴLook at the shape lolol
ㄴReally looks luscious
Title : How about this?
(Guy’s junk.jpg)
ㄴWhat the fuck
ㄴHey, you bastard
ㄴWhy do I have to see a guy’s junk while browsing the gallery?
ㄴWhere do you live?
ㄴArdel
ㄴFigures lolol
ㄴThese Ardel bastards get horny every night
ㄴlololol For real
Dark Elves, who lived in the shadows and stayed out of sight, were very active in the gallery. They loved provocative things and had all the bad habits, making the gallery their playground.
“Traditionally… an Elf should maintain chastity… and pay more attention to their conduct…!”
Unlike the Elven spies who pretended not to browse the gallery while sneakily lurking, the participation level of the Dark Elves was significantly higher. The Queen of the Dark Elves, Serendia, who was similarly inclined, frequently checked the gallery. However, right now, she was squinting her eyes as she stared at it.
“Moderator… is a dangerous entity.”
Serendia focused on the abilities he possessed. Tracking the location of auction houses and gallery users was a troublesome ability from Ardel’s perspective.
Identifying the location of specific individuals? If he randomly targeted users, it wouldn’t be hard to figure out they belonged to Ardel. If he gathered information in that way… eventually, the small points would come together to form a complete map. The threat of discovering Ardel’s hidden underground city or bases couldn’t be taken lightly.
“He is a threat to Ardel.”
For the Dark Elves, who hid their residence and took extreme precautions, Moderator was a ticking time bomb. If things continued like this, their painful history might repeat itself. Serendia immediately summoned members of the diplomatic department. Only three people gathered.
“Is this all?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Well, we don’t really do diplomacy, do we?”
A reclusive race that operates in the darkness of the underground city. Dark Elves.
They weren’t skilled at interacting with others or resolving issues through conversation.
Persuading with words? Not easy.
They were more accustomed to negotiating with a dagger.
“Oh. That’s true.”
“Plus, it became routine to take action first and report later, asking when there was time for diplomacy….”
The gradually shrinking Ministry of Foreign Affairs couldn’t perform its duties properly in the first place.
“That’s how it is.”
“Yes.”
Dark Elves manage the roots of the World Tree.
To manage the roots spread across the continent, they had to infringe on other nations’ territories.
For military activities, they had to exchange letters every time.
Communicating politely? That wasn’t easy either.
So at some point, they stopped doing diplomacy.
Why bother when they could move quietly and resolve things with force?
However, wielding power in the gallery is the role and authority of an administrator.
All Serendia could do, as a mere gallery user, was just talk.
“Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
“Yes.”
“What do you think about Moderator?”
“I think they’re interesting.”
“Not that.”
“Yes?”
“From Ardel’s perspective.”
“Oh ?”
He pondered for a moment.
“Hmm. If we use the tracking feature… wouldn’t that pose a threat to us in Ardel…?”
“That’s why you’re the Foreign Minister. So smart. Then what should we do?”
“Hmm.”
He pondered again.
“Should we instill fear?”
“Fear, huh.”
“That’s what we’re best at, isn’t it?”
Fear….
It seemed like a good method.
Serendia immediately posted on the gallery.
─Serendia
Title : To the Moderator.
If you don’t want to die, don’t mess with Ardel.
ㄴModerator : ?
Thus began Ardel’s abrupt diplomacy.
* * *
The limit to resolving things with force is in one-on-one situations.
If groups clash? It goes beyond what force can resolve.
It must be handled with conversation and politics. If not, it’s war.
But Ardel’s exceptional diplomatic ability transcended such methods.
So much so that they started with threats.
─Serendia
Title : Ardel’s stance.
Moderator, stop hostile actions against us Dark Elves.
You look like a lackey of those damn Elves.
If you stop now, I will forgive you.
ㄴ??
ㄴ?
ㄴ?
ㄴ¿
ㄴIs this person crazy?
ㄴHey, based on the verification, they’re really from the Dark Elves?
ㄴIs this really a statement from the Dark Elf representative? Lololol
ㄴIt’s really Queen Serendia lololol
ㄴBut who hit the Dark Elves?
ㄴWhat did Moderator do?
ㄴDid they hit the Dark Elves?
ㄴWhat kind of hostile actions?
ㄴModerator : I didn’t do anything;;
ㄴlolololol
ㄴIt seems like they just exploded on their own lolol
ㄴSeriously lolol spontaneous combustion is still an explosion lolol
ㄴㅅㅂlolol if spontaneous combustion starts a fire, how do we avoid the sparks? lolol
ㄴI don’t know about hostile actions, but isn’t the Moderator an elf lackey?
ㄴOld elf’s lackey lololol
ㄴThat elf is holding a staff lolol
ㄴIf you’re holding the staff for them, isn’t that volunteer work?
ㄴCut them some slack at that point lolol
ㄴVolunteer Gallery lololol
Title : Not Really Sure
The old elf needs to apologize for this.
ㅇㅇ;;;
ㄴThat’s right
ㄴIf the elf elder hadn’t just made the Moderator his lackey…
ㄴThey got screwed because the elf cartel got exposed ㅇㅇ;
ㄴIt is a trigger button lolol
ㄴElder cartel lolol
ㄴIs this a senior center? lolol
ㄴThe old elf, who is the representative, should apologize ㅇㅇ;;
ㄴWhen did they become the representative?
ㄴJust seeing their face often and wearing an armband makes them the representative lolol
ㄴlolol Seriously, there’s no reason
ㄴSigh, they should have managed things better
ㄴㅅㅂlolol Blaming something from way back
ㄴElf elder, explain yourself quickly
ㄴExplain yourself
ㄴExplain yourself
ㄴㄱㄷ Typing might be slow
ㄴAh lolol
ㄴWe should wait then lolol
ㄴThey’re typing as fast as they can lololol
─Plant Druid
Title : Explanation…?
I don’t know what to explain,,,
I didn’t do,,,anything,,,!!!!
I never bullied the Dark Elves,,,!!
ㄴPeople who bully others always say this
ㄴPlant Druid : Eeeek…!!!!
ㄴGrandma is angry lololol
ㄴlololololol
ㄴToday, the elf elder who was posting plant photos is crying in frustration lololol
ㄴWhat could they have done lolol
ㄴDidn’t they scold them for not managing the World Tree roots?
ㄴDamn lolol Are they gangsters? lolol
ㄴLining up the Dark Elves and scolding them lolololol
ㄴThey must have quite a temper lololol
The gallery users laughed off the Plant Druid’s reaction.
It was clear they weren’t the type to instigate or order anyone.
The users then started to speculate based on the contents of the Dark Elf’s post.
Title : So Why Is Serendia Angry?
ㅇㅇ?
ㄴWhat did the Moderator do?
ㄴModerator : I said I didn’t do anything;;
ㄴThen why
ㄴYeah, why
ㄴWhy are they freaking out.
ㄴHmm…
ㄴUmm…
ㄴHuh;;;
ㄴAh?
ㄴOh. I get it. They’re afraid of the gallery’s location tracking, so they’re blaming the Moderator?
ㄴBut why
ㄴBecause they live in hiding?
ㄴㅇㅇ
ㄴBut seriously, who would go around checking locations one by one?
ㄴThey’re worried it might be dangerous if their location is exposed lolol
ㄴWhy?
ㄴThey’re crazy about ensuring their safety
ㄴ?
ㄴWhy are they like that
ㄴPeople who don’t know Dark Elf history wouldn’t understand ㅇㅇ;
ㄴBecause they were persecuted by elves?
ㄴThat’s why they split off to form Ardel
ㄴThat’s why Dark Elves are so tight-knit
ㄴElves?
ㄴElves kicked Dark Elves out of Elan lol
ㄴAh
ㄴElves again lolol
ㄴThe hate is understandable lolol
ㄴMost of the continent’s problems can be blamed on elves lolol
ㄴPoor them lolol
ㄴThey got chased out by the elves and founded Ardel for real
ㄴThey don’t want to lose their home this time
ㄴThey just want to protect their home ㅠㅠ
ㄴSniff, and we didn’t even know
Title : Why Dark Elves are Pitiful
Because they were backstabbed by their own race in the past, they obviously can’t trust other races either lolol
Moderator’s take? It’s obvious lolol They won’t be able to trust.
ㄴThat’s just unavoidable…
ㄴNo matter what, it looks like they’ll get betrayed lolol
ㄴThat’s why they’re so prickly towards other races.
ㄴEven when you’re nice to them, they still complain.
ㄴ??: Why are you being nice to me…?
ㄴ??: Damn, this is full of ulterior motives… This can’t be right…
ㄴI’m interested in you. Maybe a drink…?
ㄴ??: That’s not possible…
ㄴBut isn’t this just a typical loser?
ㄴsigh lolololol
ㄴA loser who’s never been loved lolol
ㄴDon’t talk about me…
ㄴDamn, that hit hard suddenly
ㄴFor real lololol
ㄴThey just have no trust in other races
ㄴI wouldn’t either, damn lolol
ㄴAfter being abandoned by their own kind, who would they trust, you fool?lolololol
ㄴSeriously, everyone except their allies is an enemy lolol An elf they believed to be neutral backstabbed them lolol
─DarkElfIsTheBest
Title : The Problem with Dark Elves
They only move at night and stay underground all the time. Think about it from an elf’s perspective, seriously.
ㄴWow, look at this shitty personality lolol
ㄴElf…
ㄴThis guy’s username though lolol
ㄴElfPervertGay…
ㄴCome on, this is too much lolol
ㄴSeriously, what a toxic country
ㄴElf, please lolololololololol
ㄴBut no one knows where Moderator is, can they even be assassinated?
ㄴTheir assassination skills are top-notch, so they might find them first.
ㄴFor real
ㄴI heard they use dark magic to find people?
ㄴThere’s not much known about dark magic, so there’s no info on it.
Elves use magic, while dark elves use dark magic.
Since information about dark magic isn’t spread across the continent, no one knows what they’re capable of.
However.
They might really find him. Surprisingly, many believed that.
“Dark magic…”
This is a bit scary.
I shivered in fear.
The thought of them actually finding and chasing me made my legs go weak.
Wait… turning a crisis into an opportunity…?
What if a beautiful dark elf woman came and I welcomed her as my wife?
………
Stop daydreaming and start writing.
─Moderator
Title : I think there’s a misunderstanding
I didn’t antagonize the dark elves;;
Anyway… I’m sorry ㅇㅇ;;
Should I delete the pictures of dark elf women I saved?;;
ㄴSurrendering like a dog lololol
ㄴSo you were looking at pictures of dark elf women alone ㅉㅉ
ㄴNo wonder Ardel got mad
ㄴHurry up and release the dark elf collection, you bastard
ㄴHow can you resist dark elf women lololol
ㄴIs it for real that he’s surrendering a few minutes after the post went up lolol
ㄴFrom Moderator’s perspective, it doesn’t matter what he does lolol
ㄴFor real lolol Whether he antagonizes, ignores, or surrenders, it doesn’t matter
As he waited, another post went up.
─Serendia
Title : Lacks Sincerity.
Prove it
ㄴModerator : How am I supposed to prove that?
ㄴSerendia : Do we have to spell that out for you too?
ㄴlolol What a crazy idea lolol
ㄴYou figure it out lol but if we don’t like it, we’ll go ballistic lol
ㄴNo lol I’m telling you, it’s not sincere enough lol
ㄴWhat’s sincerity even lol
ㄴModerator : What if I can’t?
ㄴSerendia : Then I’ll take your head. There’s no reason to keep Ardel’s threat alive.
ㄴHey hey. I’m here to collect your head~~
ㄴSuddenly, they’re taking his head lol
ㄴDid you borrow a head? lol
ㄴPay it back quickly lolol
ㄴscrew you lololol
ㄴWho borrows a head lolol
ㄴDoes the Moderator have two heads?
ㄴJust give one then
ㄴYou’ll still have one left, so it’s fine lol
ㄴCrazy people lolol
ㄴIf you have only one head, can’t you borrow and return it later?
ㄴ?
ㄴWhat is this lol
ㄴHow do you borrow a head, you crazy person lolol
ㄴLet’s negotiate lol;; with zero heads lol;;
ㄴHow do you negotiate?
ㄴIf it’s a sincere negotiation, it’s possible
ㄴlolol If it’s a sincere negotiation, it can’t be helped lol
ㄴDo you think that’s possible? lol
ㄴDark elves rarely negotiate in history lol
ㄴThey would never yield
─Moderator : Why are you doing this?
ㄴDesperate look lol
ㄴFor real lol Moderator did nothing, but is getting death threats
ㄴThey’re just preemptively eliminating potential threats from Ardel lol
ㄴThey’re just paranoid, what can you do lol
ㄴThis is their daily life
ㄴLook at the neighboring countries, they don’t even mess with Ardel lol
ㄴFor real lolol
ㄴThat’s why they don’t mess with them lolol
Why is Serendia like this anyway.
Should I just ban everyone and wipe out the gallery? As I was pondering, an alert rang.
【Gallery management level has increased!】
【You can choose a management perk.】
【Pre-screen gallery photos】
【Add one more gallery auction manager】
【Enhance gallery search function】
【Customize gallery banner photo】
【Gallery…】
Gallery, you’re on the Moderator’s side.
Is there anything useful here?
Let’s find a good option among them.
Something useful for dealing with the dark elves…. Ah, this seems good.
The Moderator chose a perk.
***
Queen of Ardel, Serendia, smiled with satisfaction after posting in the gallery.
“Now they’ll understand the terror of Ardel.”
“Yes. I’m sure they do.”
Her aide chimed in, deepening her smile.
Moderator. After such a warning, nothing more would happen. She was certain.
‘No one will dare to mess with Ardel.’
Even if they tracked auction personnel and found their location, they wouldn’t dare to say it aloud.
That much was enough.
The information about Ardel, a small underground city, leaking to someone else is the worst-case scenario. Where the underground bases are and the locations of the underground cities must remain unknown to other races. Ardel… can no longer trust anyone.
‘As long as I’m here, Ardel must not suffer such indignities.’
Ardel being dismantled or weakened by someone? That’s a sight she couldn’t bear to witness. Serendia, while active in the gallery, hated even imagining the dark elves trembling in fear.
‘But if he does speak out….’
She was ready to take Moderator’s head immediately. No matter how well he hid, shadows and darkness exist everywhere. Using dark magic to locate the enemy was slow but surely possible. Even if he was hiding thoroughly.
Ardel trembling in fear would be a thing of the past. Serendia believed so, but a new post appeared in the gallery.
─Gallery Notice
A new notice in the gallery?
Serendia clicked on the post, her eyebrows twitching.
─Moderator
Title : Gallery Notice
In respect for Ardel’s wishes.
To ensure that I, the Moderator, cannot track Ardel members, I will block Ardel members from accessing the gallery.
Your gallery activities have been replaced by Serendia’s protest,
Always be thankful to her.
ㄴWhat the hell are we thankful for, damn it
ㄴWhat is this, a regional lockout?
ㄴWhy only Ardel?
ㄴDamn it, what the hell!!!!
ㄴIf I can’t use the gallery, I’ll die!!!!!!
ㄴPlease open the door, please open the door, please open the door, please open the door
ㄴIs it because Queen Serendia said something?
ㄴProbably lol
ㄴInstead of letting them cause chaos in the gallery, it’s better to prevent them from using it at all lol
ㄴBlocking Ardel, the source of the danger, to protect Serendia lol
ㄴWhat’s the mood like in Ardel lol
ㄴArdel’s public sentiment is going to be really bad
ㄴTargeting Ardel openly is very bold lol
ㄴSerendia is a woman, so is she a “bold woman” instead?
ㄴWhy not “bold inferior”?
ㄴInferior gay…
ㄴDark elves and the Moderator are having a standoff
ㄴStandoff on lol
ㄴIsn’t the Moderator strong in standoffs?
ㄴThis guy begs for lewd pics lol will he lose a standoff lol
ㄴHaven’t seen a regional lockout in a while lol
ㄴWhen was the last time?
ㄴCan’t remember, it’s been years
ㄴWas it a divine punishment or something? It happened once
Regional lockout?
“Hmph. Let it be.”
Serendia dismissed it openly. Ardel wouldn’t be shaken by such a thing. In fact, completely blocking the threat to Ardel might not be a bad thing. She believed so.
The next day, a riot broke out in Ardel.