Chapter 80: Rain (3)
Bz9STitle) The moderator is invincible.y3u
bM7qWildGrills5vIPco
tl5OnHer authority is absolute.oQbo
TKeMPraise the moderator.skjx
hnDgLqNow that the trade restriction is gone, I’m free!nCY
lbCpnMㄴHeavenlyDemon) Congratulations. At last, the chains oppressing your body have been removed.NAY
90GTㄴSwordmaster) Congratulations. So, no celebration gifts?YeDZb4f
siUJpㄴHeavenlyDemon) Tsk tsk. What a vile individual, trying to squeeze the liver out of a flea. Do you still have any conscience left?sgi3nM
ERIsZgIㄴSwordmaster) Can’t I even joke around? You’re so cold ;;gXOK
0UqwㄴHeavenlyDemon) Even jokes require knowing the proper timing. You lack tact.JMf6WV
FQVmㄴSwordmaster) I was a politician, old martial lady ;;dXU
f5fYㄴWildGrills) Alright, alright. Both of you calm down. When I cook the fish, I’ll share some with you. It really tastes incredible.4Hr
eLptX3rㄴDwarfPassingBy) Give me some too.Dde
Ts9ㄴWildGrills) You already ate it before ;;hPw
pnKCㄴDwarfPassingBy) Precisely because it was so damn good, I want more hahahaQ83
w5ISvMzㄴWildGrills) Don’t tell me you’re going to eat it with alcohol again.mIQi
KM4MDgㄴDwarfPassingBy) Isn’t that too obvious?Tgyp9Bl
M9qfEC4ㄴWildGrills) ;;9bU05
6HVOOㄴIs he really going to give fish to all the registered users?CbUmRm
PI5O6ㄴThat fish is gonna disappear insanely fast lmaol8T
HFuulㄴWildGrills) I have to give some to the people who helped me. Besides, there’s a ton of it, so sharing a little is fine.DaQ0
bAXjVㄴStarlightPrincess) I’m fine. I don’t like fish because of the smell.l7EK4tp
luqlㄴWildGrills) But this one doesn’t smell like fish. It tastes like meat.ENyxXpg
zjgYsㄴStarlightPrincess) Then that changes things a little. Is fish good for exercising?zsSK
iMHㄴDemonPrincess) Yeah! If you exercise, fish and white meats are better than red meats!ApikN
I3pVUㄴStarlightPrincess) Really?UQD
cDZmDㄴDemonPrincess) Yeah. Even athletes who suffer lots of injuries use diets like that to reduce them.9TMgJtA
3iE0gNㄴStarlightPrincess) I see. Thank you for the information!GP3yv
L8VWp7eㄴAllFather) Fish raised in the Forest of Four Seasons… I’m very curious about its flavor. Thanks to you, I feel like I’m expanding my knowledge.Obq
y6MMPXTㄴWildGrills) After everything you’ve all done for me, the least I can do is this.gi5
KlnrulㄴSunForEver) It must taste amazing. Later I also want to try the crabs, is that possible?gSo
xBOㄴWildGrills) I’ll try when I get the chance. Until I reinstall the traps, I might end up living only on crabs.HGBIz2
Qrs***PRDQJv
j7z“Hehe.”xOTbfk
lntbl3wAn extremely lonely alleyway.MWa
V8pRcHSomeone covered in a cloak that was practically in tatters let out a small laugh.VHRo
HMDAHer body was so covered that it was difficult to distinguish her exact appearance, though the outline revealed a few things.iLJkgD
FtHyOwSlightly narrow shoulders and the curves characteristic of a woman.y9Y
qbeAnd the orange hair escaping from beneath the hood made it easy to deduce.kIp
21wws‘I’m glad he’s so happy.’LpdVz5V
JZofdShe smiled while looking at the gallery window floating before her eyes.iQZqeCS
pIDxThe registered user who had recently been receiving enormous attention.0q8FySy
wuRpwWildGrills.K1XMOcE
D3ZRemoving his trade restriction had caused a huge controversy, but even so, he received an overwhelming number of votes in favor.m3UE
S1WThat proved just how much trust he had managed to gain from others.x2DTsbs
Xn03Wa‘Because we’ve never seen him break a promise.’CKAgm
GXHShe had also been closely following Grills’s movements.Ye99e
hD5YEIt wasn’t enough that he had fallen into the Forest of Four Seasons; he also kept encountering strange creatures one after another.9BH4
zf3BAt times he faced crises, but he overcame them thanks to the help of the registered users and his own abilities.Ix5i3s
52ypEvery day he discovered even more incredible creatures, and Grills’s strength also gradually increased.u2B5
Kcka3OIt was an extreme reality, something rarely seen in the gallery, which was why it was so fascinating.52d9F
GrPBN‘Grills won’t abuse the trading system.’3RgaJ
ZDyGrills basically belonged to the group of good people.lT2l
Gm7And quite a good person at that.0F2
RU57Even in a gallery where anonymity was guaranteed, he still remained respectful and didn’t insult others without reason.GHpN
w9yVGOyOf course, if someone attacked him first, the story changed, but that was practically an exception.JR47km9
in209H5Nor did it seem like he was hiding some strange intention.OgN
OE3QREsAfter all, he was trapped inside the Forest of Four Seasons.XjF8
V7OswTAll of his attention was focused solely on “survival.”T1EmIS2
cN6ad5c‘And he also said he’d give up the privilege as soon as he escaped.’vo9NXva
u5GtJShe was someone attached to principles.yIeQM
leY8TNormally, she never tried to break established rules.wShN
DNn3sBut Grills hadn’t asked for “equality,” he had asked for “equity.”qSv
zN83And on top of that, his arguments were quite convincing.xCekl8
YcohEspecially because the Forest of Four Seasons was an extremely special environment.ocK
6JO6JXGA place where only Grills could open the gallery.1yT9lB
4XWHThe moderator, HeroDontThrowAway, decided to observe his movements even more closely.10OK
8Ay‘He also gave me this.’vpai89V
1wMeKEShe took a small round sphere out of her pocket.ok1zs
QgpjIt was the gift Grills had given her.N22JuF
WWudThough rather than a gift, it practically felt like a bribe.I4N5
JxJlix‘Do things like this really abound in the Forest of Four Seasons?’MWt9O
KpNShe observed the sphere with admiration.5nGOjY
LjE3CThe energy emanating from it was abnormal.0m2
GO9Just by consuming it, anyone could gain a tremendous amount of power.Lm8zCeF
cjoqC‘Though for me, it doesn’t mean much.’bfR
QePnFAfter all, whenever people spoke of the strongest beings in the world, she was always among them.b88
Bd9DcAn existence blessed by the Goddess.J93T
3nT92And a sword personally forged by the Church to face the Demon King.8tS
bLUThe Heroine, Asella, observed the inner core for a few moments before placing it into her mouth.KZ9xeAG
iWJg‘It’s better to consume it now than to sell it.’lFY
XYhpXHThe energy of an inner core weakened over time.SzrHXm
ayjhAnd selling it didn’t seem especially worthwhile either.oYloc
tLhPxWBesides, right now her mana was nearly depleted, so consuming it was best.xTlAUK
tucoWy“Haa…”Dysn
jDsM146Asella let out a deep sigh.HrdFR
lOw5f3The energy of the core began spreading throughout her body.15emK
uZwoMana quickly filled the empty mana hole—her dantian—and the fatigue vanished as though it had been ripped away by the roots.xP2IZSz
eAqYtLately she couldn’t even sleep properly, so this would let her endure a little longer.1ZT
aNeXH5C‘When will this misunderstanding clear up?’aSyJB
pIMAsella discreetly looked outside the alleyway.VD7Xx
pr9Unlike the dark and deserted alley, outside there were countless people.RbCQ
OzRiGPChildren running around.UVG
9SuParents laughing while telling them to be careful.sDPSEYI
pjEVmVfAnd all kinds of sounds filled with human life.gT6t
L9Y‘They still haven’t reached this city.’fYzlzc
XO0Do9Asella felt relieved.Fss3xUv
z0tAt least for a little longer, she would still have some breathing room.1vm2
JfjThHfThough she couldn’t lower her guard.6cb
qT1HuShe had no idea when the Church’s pursuers would appear.yf2vs4c
djf3ZOz‘May the Goddess grant her blessing. Surely all of this is due to a misunderstanding.’GQ85
Fc4She murmured that to herself before entering the gallery.QzTv
0rhBecause when she was in the gallery, she wasn’t the Heroine.Tn8zA
NGSfgShe was the moderator.SBpP
bckmEven though she was being pursued and barely had any time, she still fulfilled her duties and responsibilities.n8h
qKm‘Perhaps this too is a task the Goddess entrusted to me.’sDynL
fMikyiYThe day the Church began pursuing her while calling her a “traitor.”hXCH
EyZL6nThat same day, just after escaping, Asella became the gallery’s moderator.HGpQ2
ACIdSince she hadn’t even known of the gallery’s existence, at first she had been quite confused.q1w
zBPcBut by now she had grown used to it.JYa8pn
TNO3Well.EzK0o
7eyVThough she still had trouble enduring the horrible images that occasionally appeared.FxQXY
KcAEvery time she saw them, she ended up praying to the Goddess.CQjF4LK
ml586[WildGrills has sent you a trade request. Do you wish to accept it?]bE7SI
arGHlMU“Huh?”MHk
C7aIt was time to fulfill her duties as moderator while following the Goddess’s guidance.CAcu9kT
XhOSvAnd then, the registered user who had recently been causing such a commotion, WildGrills, sent her a trade request.V0J4y
AH0For a moment, Asella thought perhaps he had sent it to the wrong person, but she quickly accepted the trade.LcYH
j1mCG7[WildGrills: Hello, Moderator. The truth is, I wanted to give you one more thing.]ROtm9
9Jc[HeroDontThrowAway: Give?! What do you mean by that?! Bribes are not allowed!]W63CK6
VsIpQUnlike the depressing reality surrounding her, Asella always spoke energetically.bakaQi
OjLShe was confused about what Grills wanted to give her.wZ2Y9
QKNluyaShe had just received an inner core, so it didn’t seem like he had anything else to offer.W0l
Dh9[WildGrills: I want to give you some of the fish I caught. It seriously tastes incredible.]Py7
xKiOEhF[HeroDontThrowAway: Huh?! But shouldn’t you eat it yourself?! And you probably already distributed it to other people too!]txbv
8guLcwo[WildGrills: This is fine. Thanks to you, things are much more comfortable for me now, so please accept it. Though if you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to accept.]9JjrAC
iFIFBut what Grills offered her wasn’t a gift or a bribe.OHRCG
TL4zq2It was pure “goodwill.”ZsFNJd
ST17Asella was quite bewildered by such an uncommon display of kindness, something rarely seen even in the gallery.saFmYU
XlBzMJSWhat was the gallery?KUG88tw
XDtByA place where everyone devoted themselves to biting at one another and venting their desires whenever they found the chance.Mjp
KteZDnPAnd on top of that, she was the moderator.LRls
0AdShe possessed enormous authority, yes, but at the same time she ended up becoming everyone’s punching bag.pRJp
WMDFWhenever certain anonymous users started bombarding her with horrible images, she felt like abandoning everything.21DT
3Ld‘How strange.’Zk0
PaIEven considering that, the moderator’s power was still enormous.Oh8JAl
ND5jA3And that was a truth impossible to deny.MbQTqyN
u5dBGMThat was why many users tried to get close to the moderator in order to gain benefits.eHq6
67kmYAnd when that intensified, it eventually turned into favoritism.YoYu
HlABYFavoritism that could easily degenerate into abuse of power.SWK9vxX
FpVIn fact, many problems had arisen precisely because of that.3C78u
dpBBI9SAnd normally, the first step toward that favoritism was exactly this kind of favor.WMfG
Bff‘But Grills can’t even engage in favoritism?’UTi
h14xoH3Grills was trapped in the Forest of Four Seasons.MMAmUPE
N6sEven if they became close within the gallery, in reality they could never form that kind of relationship.CwcBo
xkiynzThat was why Asella could accept his gesture as a genuine show of goodwill.wtQtN
FKDA kindness difficult to receive even outside the gallery.anw
KGwzGrrr.HCh2Uy
O9gzAnd right at that moment, her stomach growled at the perfect timing.vWh
fmcRTrSAsella hesitated for a few seconds before reluctantly accepting it.NvDfRi0
Y0r‘Perhaps this too is the Goddess’s will…’5D3XzC
cmRKofAnd as soon as she accepted the trade, a skewer appeared in her hand.Xl2hG
Mpax4On it were thick chunks of fish threaded together like kebabs.b5epLt
OCmxAnd there wasn’t just one.CgoAdfA
BwCxexThere were three pieces.xULpmk
CztTiqJust looking at them was enough to stimulate the appetite.mMOaRx
nTZ“…Nom.”cnJ5
FEhAsella didn’t hesitate and took a bite.TstJ
PVuFirst she tasted the salty flavor of the seasoning.CAob
FvLAnd immediately afterward, a deep and savory taste filled her entire mouth.Lf8
fyvcgi7There wasn’t even the slightest fishy smell.hwG
S3BxThe flavor was as rich and delicious as meat, making a smile naturally appear on her face.H2UQV
kFd3K8d‘It’s delicious!’JgF2VYe
Jq8OgyIt really was.4TO9FDt
bAbmEven more so because she was hungry.ZOp
YsiOn top of that, she could feel energy returning to her entire body.ty0gsb
kwFG“Nom nom nom. Nom!”pM6r
ly4Asella quickly finished all the fish with shining eyes.jZzVAhl
5qFIt wasn’t enough to completely fill her stomach, but that didn’t matter.xbmgoY
cuwVXAfter such a long time, that kindness alone was enough to make her feel comforted.d2pUWs
rG3uX3‘What a shame there isn’t more.’s2eJCE
dOeKATeAsella finished Grills’s gift and, although she felt a little regretful, she immediately sent him a message with a much more cheerful expression.v8u0Na
Wvd[HeroDontThrowAway: Thank you for the meal! It was truly delicious!]QVFeiRc
jAOTrI[WildGrills: Right? Later, when I catch more, should I give you some again?]puHJwIb
GSZ[HeroDontThrowAway: No! I still have my pride! But thank you!]bIZYYlh
73Pj1He truly was a good person.EJwa95c
yEsVnSThat was what Asella thought.IhJtVaw
NQ6But even someone like that had a flaw.Mmf0
cslGFNMHis lack of faith.oLlVJ
ICkQUSHe had done it before too.Tkb
UeAIGrills had committed blasphemy several times.GhVw4D
b0asVT2And that was only inside the gallery.68Fxl
MR34rG6If he had said those things in reality, he could easily have been arrested as a heretic.V2f0U8
BTTeAEven Asella had been horrified and scolded him, but she knew perfectly well that he hadn’t paid attention to her at all.BiY
Kzuzr7j‘Precisely in situations like this, one should have even stronger faith…’iCZU9t
ltocg8As the Heroine, her devotion to the Goddess rivaled even the Pope’s.ExfR
BBWs7SEven now, burdened with the title of “traitor” and being pursued, she had never abandoned her faith.CzemFW
V8el‘Yes. I’ll take this chance to try converting him.’jpaEj
8fvGrills had suffered greatly.Wx0m
hdh3X3And he was still suffering even now.BN6Ju9m
20oy3QAsella had also gone through countless hardships since childhood, growing up without parents.T7s
DgSBut thanks to Goddess Aris’s blessing, she was able to become the Heroine.AwkxnE
Ra5kAIf one has faith, one can endure anything.A3s5Jb
RWGiIt is precisely in difficult moments that people should believe in the gods.RZSS
gpq[HeroDontThrowAway: Grills! Wouldn’t you like to worship Goddess Aris?]oiv1XC
PKQh[WildGrills: No. Ah, by the way, can I insult her?]LDfQn
SIZbY99[HeroDontThrowAway: Insulting is not worshipping!!]ezHp
PC3[WildGrills: Then I don’t want to.]Juqd
wzE0Grills remained the same as always.SeGj
9FbRHe didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of worshipping a goddess.EuJNg
fDwiRTo Asella, that was impossible to understand.Le6A3Em
zAsWFoDThe gods truly existed in this world.NQ9rZl
BVCrHhAnd yet Grills’s behavior was not only strange, but outright absurd.vY6I
sqS[HeroDontThrowAway: Why do you speak like that?! Don’t you believe in the gods?!]C6AYCr
r7q[WildGrills: Of course I believe they exist. I just insult them.]vgduGH
isK4[HeroDontThrowAway: That makes no sense at all! How can you believe in them and still insult them?!]FjD36Mx
S2MPeople like that appeared from time to time.hz9Tz
WJ0o3People who said that if the gods truly existed, then they should send divine punishment.im0qL
vNtR1TBut Grills was different.Q58s
mUnBHe believed in the existence of the gods, and still hated them.0NQ6O
ethICMjIt was so contradictory that it was hard to understand whether he truly believed or not.F54
fyb[HeroDontThrowAway: Then why do you think that way?! Does that mean you also hate all believers?!]k8R
xuRyVO[WildGrills: I hate the gods, not people.]v8k
eStdfA firm and clear answer.HS5r
eohRh9And one that left Asella completely stunned.DEXPQLe
clJ6NKHe hated the gods, but not people.pR2
CHsWhat exactly did that mean?XjCXQA
AZGzp9At first glance it sounded contradictory, but if you clearly separated gods from humanity, the logic could be understood.Opzp
HX9uLWhile Asella’s mind filled with confusion, Grills added one final sentence.uycGa
MjTI[WildGrills: I don’t want to hate people, so I hate the gods. I’m the kind of person who needs to hate something in order to feel at peace.]3GhXqp
cWHFlIW[HeroDontThrowAway: Couldn’t you just stop hating altogether?!]ZpxTAe
NIV[WildGrills: If someone stopped hating completely, would they still be human? Envy exists for a reason.]aAN
GBvGN[HeroDontThrowAway: Is that why you hate the gods…?!]AhX4c
avQNIQn[WildGrills: Yes. It makes me feel calmer.]QpC
NC7A[HeroDontThrowAway: And what if the gods sent you divine punishment because of that?!]PqG65
h8sn[WildGrills: What kind of god can’t even tolerate being hated? That would be a narrow-minded god.]rWOPiK
K5FDV6“Hiek!”lfV7wZ4
TNJBTRAsella let out a strange cry while nervously looking around.tq2rPV
t2EXAs though she feared someone might have overheard that.2KBk5
E46TqOnly those participating in the gallery could see it, yes.CwBy
MP7GXRBut with gods, one never knew.4oS
zqzLvCMaybe they were watching everything.h6OPg
PHZ8fqE‘T-this is terrible blasphemy…! What kind of way of thinking is that?!’Mbx
shtwXyAsella stared at the conversation with trembling eyes.e3204
zuGrHPkThat was no longer simple disrespect.ZexJcj
uYzIt was pure blasphemy.MG1hyt
uusdSomething for which a god could very well send divine punishment.pJg
0EBJMk‘B-but… if you think about it, this is also a form of faith…’RVvePM
3947CHMBelieving in a god in order to hate them.9qLvgtI
W2H6zPParadoxically, that too was a form of faith.25U
cAQeQThough one filled with irreverence.RE1xd
WiaaZXAsella couldn’t understand it.ypEI60p
VFNPlop!Us0J
dmafWhile trying to organize her thoughts, thick raindrops began falling onto her head.0X8
irpShe looked up.ypxNgL
4KSO9zThe sky was covered in dark clouds, and the rain was gradually intensifying.FxpWzYp
KToA‘First, I should find shelter from the rain.’UbF
gsk5IAsella began walking.rcxsxrD
IkgBut her head remained filled with Grills’s words.A12zv
s4GZ8s“I don’t want to hate people, so I hate the gods.”atp
jOZ2w95It was a phrase that lodged itself deeply into her mind.ZAMWJff
tbE3Ejj‘He truly is an impossible person to understand.’ebtx3
1gSYAnd yet.iPTHJ
nYcyK5h‘He’s a kind person, though strange.’vAL
AysF3His kindness had managed to warm her heart.Aydpcj
dLPZ***6X8OEtX
XJJo12JShhhhhhh—f8pF0p
dh5“Ah, seriously…”2gVU
rg9WQIs it because I insulted the gods earlier?7NpBX
pmdRrkhThe rain started falling again.pKmfF
gk89HB4I looked outside while muttering to myself.sEYz
fPY‘If it really were because of that, then they truly would be narrow-minded gods.’YjO3M0L
E8SGy3QKraaaash!!8s9B7
zGX9And right after saying that, a deafening thunderclap exploded across the sky.UVk
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