WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 35: Moderator (2)
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In a typical gallery, the moderators were the Head Mod and assistant moderators.
They were administrators granted the authority to manage the gallery.
That made it sound like they had to manage the gallery diligently, but that was not the case at all.
It was fine to manage the gallery halfheartedly. Everyone had their own circumstances.
In that case, the Head Mod could appoint an assistant moderator and share the authority.
[Post title] What's so good about being an assistant moderator?
[Post] Seriously don't know.
└ You can delete gallery posts and ban users.
└ And?
└ That's it lol.
└ Then why be an assistant moderator?
└ Exactly. That's why nobody does it.
└ If you manage the place like shit, assistant moderators get kicked out too lol.
└ Isn't that the same for the Head Mod?
└ Nope. The Head Mod is fine as long as they log in. Assistant moderators do not even get that much lol.
└ That's how serfdom came about lol.
The problem was that the reward was far too small for the authority involved. It was practically volunteer work.
That was why users wanted to avoid being appointed assistant moderator whenever possible.
Even when they disliked the Head Mod, one question, "You wanna turn blue?" was enough to shut them down.
[Post title] Why isn't this Head Mod handing out mod badges?
[Post] Wouldn't managing it alone be tough?
└ Yeah, that's why everyone tells the Head Mod to appoint an assistant moderator. Anyone but themselves lol.
└ Infinite selfishness, seriously lol.
└ Would you want to be an assistant moderator?
└ I'd do it if you paid me lol.
└ Assistant moderator = group project leader. Got it?
└ Fuck, group projects remind me of the Academy. It really sucked being a commoner.
└ These days, nobles are practically forced to be group leaders. They need to set an example, apparently lol.
└ A proper society.
An assistant moderator was a position everyone knew was necessary, but nobody wanted for themselves. They wanted someone else to do it.
The authority to delete gallery posts and ban users?
Even that was lacking. Doing the job well did not earn any real reward.
[Post title] This reminds me of the old days.
[Post] That time the Head Mod and assistant moderator got into a real-life fight and both died.
└ I remember lol. That was fucking hilarious lol.
└ The surprising part was that one of them was a noble lol.
└ Why did they fight?
└ I think the assistant moderator told the Head Mod to hand over the badge. Like, "I'm doing more work than you, so why aren't you doing anything?"
└ That's a fair reason.
└ So the Head Mod said they would hand it over if the assistant moderator won a real-life fight lol.
└ Then they both died lol.
[Post title] What authority does the Head Mod have?
[Post] Title says it all.
└ They're an upgraded assistant moderator. They can make trades whenever they want, too. I think they can have one-on-one chats?
└ Can't they track user locations too?
└ Yeah. Someone once threatened a terrorist attack against an emperor, and the Head Mod gave up their location, so the culprit was executed. The Head Mod probably got a reward too.
└ That's pretty dangerous.
└ Which is why a Head Mod once stalked some noble lady, got their eyes gouged out, and was thrown in prison lol.
└ That really was dangerous lol.
The Head Mod's authority, on the other hand, was quite powerful.
They were not subject to the rule that prevented trading for twenty-four hours after a trade, and they could tamper with various systems.
As a result, a gallery's atmosphere and direction tended to be decided by whoever the Head Mod was at the time.
The current Head Mod, DontAbandonTheHero, had a screw loose, but was generally principled and righteous.
Put less kindly, that meant stubborn and old-fashioned. At least DontAbandonTheHero had some flexibility.
For some reason, though, the Head Mod occasionally did not show up for a while, often leaving the gallery in chaos.
Assistant moderators were needed for situations like that, but the Head Mod had never appointed one.
[Post title] Why doesn't the Head Mod give anyone a mod badge?
[Post] Title says it all.
└ DontAbandonTheHero I'll handle the hard work alone! Assistant moderators don't even get paid!
└ Doesn't the Head Mod not get paid either?
└ DontAbandonTheHero I get fees! I'm using them to help the gallery grow!
└ What exactly does helping the gallery grow involve?
└ DontAbandonTheHero I might be able to add minigames soon!
└ The Head Mod has all sorts of neat stuff. So you still won't appoint an assistant moderator?
└ DontAbandonTheHero You're right above me!
└ I'm not a registered user though? lol
└ DontAbandonTheHero I can buy the authority to forcibly appoint someone with my fees!
└ SorrySorrySorrySorry
└ lolololololololol
└ lolololol
└ lololololol
[Post title] How does someone become Head Mod?
[Post] Assistant moderators are appointed by the Head Mod, but what about the Head Mod?
└ Past Head Mods all said it just happened suddenly. They got notified that they'd become the administrator of the Continent-Wide Gallery.
└ So it's completely random?
└ Yeah.
└ Then when does someone else become Head Mod?
└ When the current one doesn't access the gallery for a while. Or dies.
└ It's certain that getting thrown in prison strips you of the badge.
Interest in moderator badges remained steady, but nobody knew the details for sure.
Even the current Head Mod said they did not know much about the gallery's system, which said it all.
That was the nature of the gallery. Most authority was concentrated in the Head Mod, while assistant moderators were little more than slaves.
Who would want to be both a group project leader and a slave under a serf system?
Doing well merely meant breaking even. Doing badly meant getting cursed out from every direction.
Anyone who wanted the job had to be one of two things.
Either they were mentally unbreakable, or they had so much time to waste that they were bored.
As it happened, someone met those conditions.
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "Are you really going to do it?! I can handle the hard work alone!"
[You]: "I have already decided, provided you accept my condition."
[You]: "You are busy as well, are you not?"
[You]: "It seems you haven't been able to enter the gallery much lately."
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "I've shaken off the people tracking me, so I'm fine for now!"
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "And if I accept that condition, other users will criticize you!"
[You]: "Do not worry. I do not care."
The conversation was between the Head Mod, DontAbandonTheHero, and Heavenly Demon, Yu Sowol.
Yu Sowol waited patiently for the Head Mod to continue.
It looked as though they were making a deal, and in truth, it was similar.
The difference was that this was a one-on-one chat window, not one for trading.
The Head Mod possessed every available authority.
That meant a one-on-one chat was possible if the Head Mod initiated it first.
To make that happen, Heavenly Demon frequently sent trade requests to the Head Mod.
After receiving so many, the Head Mod had no choice but to pay attention.
"Rather than hide it, I intend to reveal it openly."
"Better to get cursed at sooner rather than later."
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "I see! I understand what you mean!"
[You]: "So, will you give me the badge?"
Yu Sowol waited in anticipation. Would the Head Mod truly make her an assistant moderator?
She had two goals. The first was a one-on-one chat with Grylls.
Whenever she left a comment, some fly-like bitch (Wild Grylls) swarmed in, so she decided a private chat would be better.
The second was to gain a clearer understanding of the gallery's structure.
An assistant moderator's authority was narrow compared to the Head Mod's, but it still existed.
If she examined that authority closely, there was sure to be an opening somewhere.
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "All right! I'll give you the badge!"
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "But if you abuse your power, I'll take it back immediately!"
[You]: "Do not worry. I shall manage things with great generosity."
[You]: "More importantly, aren't one-on-one chats visible to you as well?"
Every private conversation in the gallery was visible to the Head Mod.
Normally, that referred to trades between registered users, but Heavenly Demon would soon be granted authority.
That meant the profound mnemonic verses of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art could be exposed to the Head Mod.
She was not particularly worried about that.
'The mnemonic verses have already been exposed to the Head Mod once.'
The Head Mod even possessed the privilege of viewing private posts.
There was no secret that could be hidden from the Head Mod.
In that case, it was better to say things openly through a one-on-one chat.
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "That's right!"
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "It can't be helped, especially for crime prevention!"
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "Will that be a problem?!"
[You]: "It makes no difference."
[You]: "In return, I shall grant you the honor of comprehending the profound meaning of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art."
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "I'm fine!"
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "I have the blessing the goddess gave me!"
Besides, the Head Mod would not believe her.
Yu Sowol knew exactly how she was viewed in the gallery.
A famous registered user who posted nothing but nonsense and shitposts every day.
The important part was that those shitposts actually contained the enlightenment of the Heavenly Demon.
Nobody would believe it. The Head Mod was no different.
Yu Sowol had calculated everything up to that point.
[DontAbandonTheHero]: "I look forward to working with you, Assistant Moderator!"
[You]: "Likewise."
Once the conversation ended, Heavenly Demon gained a Blue Badge beside her username.
The moment she received it, she checked Grylls's post first.
Something appeared to have happened while she was persuading the Head Mod.
With an expectant smile, Heavenly Demon left a comment.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Ah. I forgot. From now on, address me as Assistant Moderator.
Footnotes:
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