Chapter 7 - Let's Make a Deal (2)
[1:1 chatroom has been opened!]
Head Moderator☆: Hey
Fallen Noble Daughter: (Photo from the front of a pink canopy)
Fallen Noble Daughter: (Photo from an angle above the pink canopy)
Fallen Noble Daughter: (Photo taken from the floor, looking up at the canopy)
Head Moderator☆: ?
Fallen Noble Daughter: Please, don’t leave. I’m still taking pictures of the canopy.
Drawn by the unusual nickname, I entered the chat out of curiosity.
The moment I did, a barrage of canopy pictures greeted me, almost as if she had been waiting.
Each photo was taken with great care, with an obvious effort to make them look as vibrant as possible.
Some photos had the canopy blowing in the wind through an open window.
There were even dynamic shots she had taken while throwing herself onto the bed to emphasize its fluffiness.
Head Moderator☆: Alright, I’m not leaving, so calm down.
Fallen Noble Daughter: …O︿O Really? You’re really not going to leave?
Head Moderator☆: Yeah.
Each of her messages had an oddly pitiful tone.
However, the bed’s condition wasn’t just well-maintained; it was downright luxurious.
Is she really a noble lady, just like her nickname suggests?
Head Moderator☆: You have a nice place? That bed’s quality is no joke.
Fallen Noble Daughter: Hmph, of course! I’m the princess of the Ophelia Duchy.
But just so you know, I’m not looking down on you or planning to be uncooperative with this deal.
Head Moderator☆: Okay;
Fallen Noble Daughter: Wait a bit, I’ll take a few more pictures for you.
Head Moderator☆: Ah, that’s okay; I think I’ve seen enough.
Fallen Noble Daughter: Huh?
In truth, I had already made up my mind.
“Bartering is god; points are invincible.”
The canopy Fallen Noble Daughter posted was straight out of a fantasy novel.
A massive bed, big enough to stretch out fully with room to spare.
The softness of the bed was clear as she threw herself onto it in the photos.
All it would take is some tweaking of that floaty pink curtain to make it perfect.
“This will do.”
But maybe she thought I would refuse?
Fallen Noble Daughter: W-Wait a second!
There’s really no bed as good as this one.
If you try it once, you’ll think, “Buying this was a great decision!” Really!
She desperately clung to me with her messages.
Before she could say anything else, I clicked the deal button, and a system message appeared.
[The deal has been completed!]
[1,000 cans of tuna have been safely delivered!]
Fallen Noble Daughter: O◇O Thank you!
Thud!
[The delivery has been completed.]
“Ooh…”
And there it was—a huge canopy, now delivered to one corner of my warehouse.
Just as I was about to leave the Marketplace after the transaction, a question popped into my mind.
“But didn’t she mention there were supposed to be three canopies?”
The countless photos she’d sent all appeared to be of the same canopy, taken in the same room.
Head Moderator☆: But where are the other two beds? Why did you only show me one?
Not that I needed three beds; I was just curious.
When I asked, Fallen Noble Daughter seemed as if she were a mouse cornered in panic.
Fallen Noble Daughter: Ah, well…
Head Moderator☆: ?
Fallen Noble Daughter: Actually, the other two belong to my father and my brother… I’d have to go upstairs to take pictures of them.
Head Moderator☆: Alright.
Fallen Noble Daughter: But there are demon beasts that occasionally roam around in that mansion…
Fallen Noble Daughter: Do you want to see pictures of the other beds? Should I go take them…? ㅠㅠ
“What, is she trapped or something?”
Maybe her situation was similar to mine.
I could imagine her trembling in the chat.
If I told her to go, I was worried she might never come back, so I typed quickly.
Head Moderator☆: Nah, that’s fine; I’m happy with just this bed.
Fallen Noble Daughter: ^^
For some reason, I had a feeling I’d be seeing her a lot from now on.
*
“Wow, this thing is amazing.”
GOAT.
The canopy, now stripped of its cumbersome curtains, was truly the Greatest Of All Time.
Just lying in its cloud-like softness made me feel happiness spread through me.
Plus, with the Gallery window floating in the air, it felt like heaven here.
After the satisfying trade, I browsed through the Gallery, seeing reactions from people disappointed to have missed the deal.
-My tuna cans!!!
-I don’t care about the deal, I’m just here for the entertainment, lol
-Why did you reject my haystack bed?
-I curse you, Head Moderator! Go trip and eat dirt!
Then I found a particularly popular post with a familiar name.
Concept Post) I’m a Tuna Can Tycoon Now.
Fallen Noble Daughter
(Photo of a stack of tuna cans in the corner of the room)
I sold off that space-hogging canopy and got a thousand cans of tuna. Heh.
I don’t have to worry about food anymore.
If you come by, I could share a few cans with you.
Oh, and thanks a ton, Head Moderator. If there’s something you need, I’ll look for it next time.
You saved me, ovo
(A picture showing only a “V” sign)
“Oh, she’s going to get so much hate for this.”
It was great that the deal had gone well, but in the Gallery, bragging posts were a big no-no.
People here had no qualms about doxing you if you went too far.
But contrary to my expectations, the comments section was surprisingly clean.
Actually, there were a lot of congratulatory messages.
ㄴ I was worried for her every time, but congrats!
ㄴ I used to feel sorry whenever I saw her posts, but it’s nice to see her happy for once.
ㄴ Whoa, what a food supply. Congrats!
ㄴ Why is everyone so cheerful here?
ㄴ Why would you be unhappy? Lol
ㄴ Can’t bring myself to insult her when she’s so genuinely happy.
ㄴ Yeah, if you did, you’d be an idiot.
ㄴ Exactly, you’d be a fool.
The reason, as it turned out, was her usual gentle tone and past posts.
-Left alone in a mansion / 1 year ago
-I miss my dad and my brother… / 7 months ago
-I’m out of food. Am I really going to die like this? / 2 weeks ago
Due to her survival journal that tugged at everyone’s hearts, there was an atmosphere of support.
ㄴ Urgh, that should have been mine!
ㄴ I’m so annoyed! Why me! I’ll curse you, Head Moderator!
ㄴ Hey, you can’t just be like this here!
ㄴ Somebody move these noisy ones away.
ㄴ Typical El-speak.
Of course, there were a few hateful comments like these, but they were extremely rare.
Moreover, thanks to Fallen Noble Daughter’s popular post, interest in bartering had surged.
-Head Moderator, what don’t you have?
-It’s endless; there’s always something new.
-Do you have anything else?
ㄴ Head Moderator☆) Pretty much everything? Whatever you ask for, I could probably get it.
ㄴ Oh, I was wondering where you were. Here, I see.
ㄴ Post something new, shopkeeper!!!
“Is it time to add a new item?”
I opened the Marketplace every morning and evening.
Previously, I’d only been selling baguettes, bottled water, and energy drinks, but I decided to add tuna cans.
[Level Up! 3→4]
“Plus, I have so many Mana Pellets now.”
This would also significantly increase my point earnings at level 4.
If I kept using the Gallery all day, I could even reach ten thousand points.
[You have registered tuna cans in the Marketplace.]
[Remaining registration slots: 1]
Title: Yes, it’s me
Added tuna cans to the Marketplace
Buy them all, please.
[99+ Comments]
ㄴ MAR-KET-AD-DED!
ㄴ Damn!! Knew I could count on you!
ㄴ A deity of moderation?
ㄴ Haha, now I’ll be eating tuna morning and night.
Laughing at the Gallery’s excited reactions, I suddenly felt my eyes straining.
“Come to think of it, it is really dark in here.”
The warehouse was spacious, but since there was no natural light, it was quite dark, and my eyes felt strained from relying only on the system’s light.
Good health was essential for long-term Gallery activities.
Since I’d obtained a bed through bartering, I naturally thought about what to get next.
“Maybe I should try to get some lights this time?”
With mana, life in this world had advanced significantly.
Of course, it was now in ruins, but surely, someone out there would be willing to trade.
[Buying/Selling]
[Need: Light, lamp]
I posted the request immediately.
[23 trade requests have been received.]
The system alert sounded, as if it had been waiting for this.
*
It was only my first day using the bartering system.
I hadn’t met many Gallery members yet, but there was one thing I could tell.
Head Moderator☆: The lamp looks fine. Is it okay if I pay in tuna cans?
Vincent: Tuna cans are fine. But I’d rather have something else.
Head Moderator☆: Oh? Is there something else you want?
Vincent: I’m not sure.
Head Moderator☆: ?
My current trading partner was an artist named Vincent.
Unlike the other traders, this man was quite unusual.
Vincent: My life is filled with agony.
Vincent: I long for something to burn away my intense emotions.
Head Moderator☆: Uh…
One Gallery member, renowned as an artist before the fall, had made an unusual request.
I could look for another trading partner, but for some reason, this request didn’t feel like trolling.
“Something to burn away intense emotions…”
I fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.
Then naturally, I remembered something from my own life that fit the description.
It was addicting but not a drug.
It was something with a refreshing kick that could hit you with just one sip.
Head Moderator☆: Alright, I know just the thing.
Vincent: Oh, as expected of you, Head Moderator. I knew you’d resolve my dilemma. So, what is it?
Head Moderator☆: This.
A fierce, red liquid with a stark, dark color.
Head Moderator☆: Try drinking some cola.
I had just introduced cola to this otherworld.
*
Concept Post) New Artwork Exhibition
Title of Work: People Drinking Cola
(Oil painting of people drinking cola by lamplight in a dark room)
Head Moderator. You and cola have awakened me.
Likes 99+ Dislikes 0
[Comments 99+]
ㄴ Cheers! Another masterpiece from Vincent!
ㄴ We’ve been waiting for this, teacher.
ㄴ Whoa, the atmosphere here is intense.
ㄴ But what’s everyone drinking?
ㄴ They look like they’re grimacing, but they’re also drinking eagerly.
ㄴ Cola? What’s cola?
ㄴ Isn’t this the new item Head Moderator brought in?
ㄴ I heard he traded it with Vincent recently.
Concept Post) Anguish and Cola
(Video of Vincent on a hill, drinking cola while admiring the view)
Likes 99+ Dislikes 2
[Comments 99+]
ㄴ Wow, that’s intense.
ㄴ Where was this filmed?
ㄴ Teacher, what are you drinking?
ㄴ Cola? It’s in this piece, too.
ㄴ Honestly, I kind of want to try it now.
ㄴ According to another post, it supposedly brings you out of heavy lethargy with a rush of refreshment?
ㄴ Whoa, a bubbling black liquid? You can actually drink that?
Head Moderator, give us the right to know!
Head Moderator, are you going to keep hoarding it?
I stared at the sudden burst of comments.
“This is… what?”
I’d been awake for only an hour out of my segmented five-hour sleep cycle when I noticed this.
Why does everyone know about the cola I haven’t even registered in the Marketplace?
The answer wasn’t long in coming.
Concept Post) Cola is like the embrace of the devil.
Filled with an irresistible temptation.
But if cola devours my depression and hatred, I’ll gladly throw myself into its arms.
Likes 71 Dislikes 2
[Comments 83]
ㄴ What kind of taste could it have?
ㄴ At this point, I’m going crazy wanting to try it.
ㄴ Ugh, Head Moderator!
“Oh.”
Vincent had created an artwork centered on cola, effectively turning it into a massive advertisement.