NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20
Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: Saphartlantis
========================
< Chapter 20 >
A single word can repay a thousand nyang debt.
What if it’s the opposite?
A single word can incur a thousand nyang debt.
Serendia felt dizzy!
“…Just with words?”
Nothing in the world is free.
Seeing the Moderator’s reaction, Serendia’s worries deepened.
If words alone won’t work, it means he wants something.
What on earth could he want?
Out of numerous possibilities, what could he want the most?
After pondering, she took out a photo artifact from her subspace and wrote a post.
─Serendia
Title : Will this do?
(Photo showing a slight cleavage.jpg)
ㄴModerator : Whoooo, let’s goooo !!!!
ㄴOMG XDXDXD
ㄴCrazy bastard rolf
ㄴCleavage alone lifts the ban lolol
ㄴPrepare more cleavage from now on lolol
ㄴBut seriously, it’s really pretty ^ ^
The response was good. A photo like this wasn’t even embarrassing.
She was willing to roll in a mud field if it meant survival.
But then Serendia remembered she was forgetting something.
‘I didn’t come here to give him cleavage photos, did I?’
Wasn’t she supposed to lift Ardel’s ban and perform some sort of political maneuvering?
An opportunity to create ties by baiting the Moderator with favors! Turning crisis into opportunity!
She successfully loosened the atmosphere with a single cleavage photo.
Should she completely reveal her chest now?
No matter how much she thought about it, it didn’t seem right.
If she showed her chest….
─Haha thanks lolol
It was clear it would end vaguely with just such a response. That was absolutely unacceptable.
It’s already a widely known fact that men like it more when they don’t see bare skin.
Serendia posted another photo.
─Serendia
Title : How about this?
(Photo with tongue out and showing cleavage.jpg)
ㄴModerator : Ohhh~
ㄴThat’s it~~
ㄴAwesome lololol
ㄴClearly not a rookie at this lolol
ㄴThis is the dignity of a queen lololol
Amidst the heated reactions,
Serendia racked her brain hard.
“Hmm….”
Queen Serendia did not ascend to the throne using her intellect, and while the method may not come easily, maintaining her position wasn’t just for show. Serendia’s attitude was to accept advice from others better than anyone else.
She needed to bestow a favor upon the Moderator with a suitable promise. How should she make the promise…?
She took out a piece of high-quality parchment from her subspace pocket. Carefully, she began writing down sentences filled with her thoughts. The elegant cursive, honed through years of practice, embodied the queen’s dignity.
─This document is guaranteed by Queen Serendia of Ardel.
─It offers the current Moderator of the gallery, who is also the auction manager, an opportunity to request any favor once.
─Ardel promises to continue providing favors to the current Moderator of the gallery.
─This promise remains valid as long as it doesn’t harm either party.
─The promise is established when they meet face-to-face.
“Hmm.”
Isn’t this perfect? Finally, she sealed it with a mana imprint at the bottom. Setting it so only the Moderator could purchase it, she posted the document in the auction house.
[Queen Serendia of Ardel’s Promissory Document]
─Starting Bid: 1 Silver
─Serendia
Title : I told you not to expect anything for free
Please check the auction house.
ㄴOh lol
ㄴWhat’s this?
ㄴIt’s real lol
ㄴHey, what’s this?
As expected, the hyenas circling the auction house began to gather.
ㄴI’m itching to bid lol
ㄴI’ll easily pay up to 300,000 gold lol
ㄴCan’t resist official Ardel merch lol
ㄴArdel merch, seriously lol
ㄴHey, why can’t I bid?
ㄴOnly the Moderator can.
ㄴOnly the Moderator can buy it.
ㄴModerator, please buy it for me, I’ll pay 5 million gold.
ㄴDamn lol
ㄴWhat’s this, direct purchasing services? lol
ㄴIn the end, the Moderator bought it.
ㄴIf I were the Moderator, I would’ve bought it too, damn lol
ㄴAh, this is the difference in power.
Title : Is that real?
ㅇㅇ?
─Moderator : Yes.
ㄴWhat’s it about?
ㄴModerator : Not telling.
ㄴToo bad.
ㄴNo matter what, it’s a national secret document. It must be difficult to reveal the content.
ㄴDifficult content?
ㄴSerendia wrote such a document?
ㄴSerendia (airhead, big boobs, pretty)
ㄴHmm;
ㄴDefinitely evidence of an airhead;;
ㄴTrinity indeed lol
ㄴIndeed, the perfect balance, the more her cleavage grow, the smaller her brain get XDXDXD
“This damn bastards!”
Serendia wasn’t that much of an airhead! While she was getting angry, the Moderator finished handling everything.
─Moderator
Title : After reading it, it’s okay
Alright, I’ve lifted Ardel’s ban
ㄴWow lol finally
ㄴArdel’s liberation!!!!
ㄴTime has finally started to flow…
ㄴDamn, I thought I was going to die holding my breath
ㄴIs this what air feels like…?
ㄴSo this is what it feels like to breathe
ㄴDamn lol, now I’m consciously breathing, it’s annoying
ㄴWhy did you have to say that!!!!!!!
ㄴYou are breathing through your nose. Your nose bridge is itchy.
ㄴYour foot is itchy… You feel a bug on your back…
ㄴWow, you can use magic in the gallery lol
ㄴText illusion magic lol
ㄴYou bastard lol
Title : But
Banning the gallery for a whole country was too much ㅇㅇ;
ㄴSeriously lol
ㄴI couldn’t breathe lol
ㄴIf it were me, I would’ve killed myself lol
ㄴI held my breath until the gallery reopened
ㄴI threw all the tomatoes in the market until the gallery reopened ㅇㅇ;
ㄴDamn lol, why would you throw tomatoes, you crazy woman
ㄴThe fruit shop owner is crying lol
ㄴTomato festival on lol
Title : Ardel situation
(Ardel underground city fireworks gif)
Everyone’s having fun
ㄴFestival in the gallery lol
ㄴDid we really become independent lol
ㄴDamn lol, now I know what gallery closure feels like
ㄴIt’s probably similar to when a country cuts off ties and then restores them lol
Title : Curious question
What was written in that document?
ㄴWaking you up every morning?
ㄴIs she your mom? lol
ㄴImagine Serendia as your mom
ㄴ*Moved to tears*
ㄴ*Crying tears of joy* lol
ㄴSob… I didn’t even know…
ㄴIf Serendia is my mom, does that mean she could become my wife?
ㄴWhat nonsense is this damn lol
ㄴI’m really losing it lol
ㄴI asked Serendia to give me a little sister lol;
ㄴA wife born from my mom ㄷㄷ
ㄴDamn lol, are you guys crazy
ㄴCan you live a normal life?
ㄴDear sir, go touch grass;
ㄴBut seriously, I’m curious about what was written
ㄴThe content might not be the important part?
ㄴWhat does that even mean
Title: The Importance of Ardel’s Official Documents
These guys absolutely won’t break anything written in official documents like ‘contracts’ or ‘agreements.’ They’ve been betrayed by elves before, so they’re really sensitive about this stuff, seriously lol.
So they have very few official documents. It means they truly believe it. It’s as good as a guarantee. Whatever the content, its value is hard to measure.
ㄴWow, they’re nuts.
ㄴSo what’s the content? lol
ㄴContent revealed!!!!!!!!
ㄴReally?
ㄴJust kidding lol
ㄴYou piece of shit!!!!!!!
ㄴ? It’s actually revealed?
ㄴYeah, it’s true.
Moderator
Title: They’re Curious About the Content
I’ll get help once. I’ll treat them favorably. That’s the gist of it.
ㄴWow, crazy.
ㄴWhat’s crazy?
ㄴThere’s no exchange with dark elves, yet they say they’ll help.
ㄴSeems like the only friendly gesture they made in the last three centuries?
ㄴWow lol
ㄴArdel’s official gallery support ㄷㄷ
ㄴArdel’s only friend, the gallery lol
ㄴLoser friend’s gallery journey lol
ㄴWill they have meals together?
ㄴHeh… meals together…
ㄴAh lol
ㄴDamn lol reminds me of academy days
Title: I’m Curious About Something
Can you ask for a personal favor? How about asking to see their chest?
ㄴThat kind of request isn’t even a request, is it?
ㄴWhat the hell are you talking about now?
ㄴDark elves don’t care about things like shame.
ㄴSurvival is what matters lol
ㄴSeriously lol not like elves lol
ㄴThey live in a different world from us.
ㄴHow to survive in Ardel: “Get rid of shame.”
ㄴContinental chest gallery lol
ㄴBut why just ask to see their chest?
ㄴ?
ㄴJust ask them to marry you.
ㄴIf you marry them, that’s easy, isn’t it?
ㄴSeriously, if you marry, it’s easy lol
ㄴThey’d probably do it every day lol
ㄴThe queen who threw lamb skewers at an official event… a legal wife at night?!
ㄴDamn lol
ㄴIt’d be a miracle if you don’t die at night lol
ㄴIn more ways than one too XDXDXD
In the midst of talking about Serendia being the legal wife, Serendia also posted something.
Serendia
Title: Moderator, I Have a Question.
Are you a man?
ㄴ?
ㄴNow that you mention it.
ㄴDidn’t say they were a man, did they?
ㄴWhat if it’s a woman?
ㄴWhat do you mean ‘what if,’ you have to rub until a fire starts lol
ㄴRub until the Arctic ice melts ㅠㅠ
ㄴPolar bear: You bastards
ㄴPolar bear sobs lol
The more comments were posted, the more complicated Serendia’s feelings became. She had many fleeting thoughts, but if it was a woman, the situation would be different.
‘A woman…’
Serendia had no intention of rubbing against another woman. She hoped it was a man. It was a small wish and a kind of expression of confidence.
‘Men are nothing special, right?’
Just by showing a bit of cleavage or acting a little seductive, they become all smiles. That’s what she had seen in the gallery most of the time. She had almost won them over just by showing a hint of her cleavage a moment ago. If the moderator was a man, it would be the same.
‘For now, I’m just pretending to be considerate. How foolish.’
The people of Ardel wanted the gallery to normalize. As their queen, she had only bent her knee for that reason. This didn’t really mean she had ‘submitted’ to the moderator!
‘I’ll pretend to be nice… and win their favor.’
She aimed for the moderator’s weak spots. If she became the true power behind the gallery, she could extend her influence across the continent. Serendia envisioned a grand future.
She easily brushed off the momentary shame and humiliation. Bending her knee was to gain momentum! Next time, it would be the moderator kneeling.
‘If that happens…’
Ardel would become an unassailable stronghold. It would be possible to overthrow the elves and reclaim the throne of the World Tree’s queen!
The era of the Dark Elves was coming. The whole world would be Dark Elves. Serendia engraved her bold aspirations in her heart. While she imagined a world in awe of her, humans trembling, and elves courting her,
“….”
Elan’s queen, Eris, was also deep in thought. It was because of Serendia, who had become a hot topic due to this incident.
“Dark Elf….”
What kind of race are the Dark Elves? Unlike elves, they are impulsive and unpretentious. Conversely, this means they can do the dirty work that elves would never touch.
While elves belong to the light and manage the branches and leaves of the World Tree, Dark Elves manage the roots, which are its foundation.
Therefore, Dark Elves were important to elves as well. Despite their different skin color and culture, they were a race born from the same root of the World Tree. So Eris wanted to take better care of the Dark Elves and recover their long gone harmonious relationship.
‘…The old fogies won’t understand, though.’
The old fogies naturally delighted in the separation of the Dark Elves. Would they really understand? They despised the Dark Elves, calling them filthy and lowly even though they were the ones betraying them first.
Eris shook her head.
No one would agree with her position.
Even though she was the queen, there was truly no one supporting her.
She had to fight alone, in solitude.
She hid her true intentions more than anyone else while she bided her time.
When she finally solidified her position to a point where no one could challenge her,
At that time, Eris planned to execute the strategy she had laid out.
But would Elan truly remain safe until then?
In this situation where other countries were rapidly advancing, Elan stood still. Could it truly remain safe?
A slow suffocation was underway.
Even Ardel was trying to somehow connect with the Moderator!
The elders, who were oblivious to the current state of affairs, clicked their tongues.
“Argh…!”
Why can’t they read the flow of the world…! These damned old coots!
Confiscate all their staffs! From now on, no magic—just walk everywhere!
Eris pressed her throbbing head with her hands in anger.
“Why…! Why aren’t you riding the fucking trend!”
If we officially declare our support for the Moderator, we could have a powerful backer.
What is the Moderator? Isn’t it a position that can influence the entire continent?
If we join forces with him, we could potentially become a powerful nation that influences the entire continent!
‘This is the chance right now…!’
From Eris’s perspective, now was the perfect opportunity.
When other countries haven’t yet made a connection with the Moderator!
We need to use a natural approach!
‘But still, they keep saying the Moderator is dangerous and we need to avoid it!’
Maybe it’s because they’re old. They kept repeating conservative talks like trephined fishes in the council.
‘Tsk… How can we declare support for someone without knowing who the Moderator is?’
‘Heh heh, if now, when it’s uncertain, is an opportunity, it could also be a crisis, right…?’
‘There’s also the possibility that he’s not one of us noble and blessed elf….’
‘Oh, for us to bow to a filthy foreigner breed, how outrageous !!!’
‘A high-risk endeavor… Moreover, getting involved with those dirty Dark Elves…?’
‘This is not right… tsk tsk….’
‘Hmph…! We have done politics too! Queen! What do you take us for…!’
In the end, it boiled down to not knowing if the Moderator was trustworthy. How could they support someone like that?
If the Moderator turned out to be a villain who eats away at the continent?
Those who supported him would become trash who funded a villain!
It was a perfect setup to be criticized by the continental society.
Thus, the old elf elders didn’t move, entrenched in their racism and hubris.
“Haa… hahaha.”
Eris let out a hollow laugh.
She had been watching the Moderator from the closest position.
The gallery Moderator was indeed annoying… triggering… greatly affecting her mental state….
And she disliked the position he forced on her for various reasons, but one thing was clear.
Moderator was a strange guy who didn’t care about anything other than gallery matters !
He even did sessions longer than a full day, and only ate a few chicken skewers with the gigantic amount of money he accumulated with the auction house !
But if I were to mention that I’m one of the admins and an elf elder from the gallery to persuade the old coots?
They would probably rebuke me, saying the queen has tarnished the dignity of the elves and still holds her head high.
“Ugh….”
Today, Eris particularly loathed the old coots.
【Administrator Chat】
─Demon King-chan: Grandma~~
─Demon King-chan: Wah~~ I’m hungry~~
─PlantDruid: I’m,,, not a grandma,,,,!!!!!!!
─Demon King-chan: Grandma~ Your pretty granddaughter Demon King-chan wants some boiled pork~~ > <
─PlantDruid: Eek…! Go,,, eat some dirt!!!!!!
Of course, as usual, Demon King-chan was also annoying.
‘…This can’t go on.’
She devised a small plan.