WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Irevi
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Unleashed a Gossip Gallery in Another World ◈
Chapter 4: Public Opinion Manipulation Incident
──────
[Live Popular Galleries]
[1] Grinning Empire Village Gossip Gallery
[2] Noble Ladies Gossip Gallery (New!)
[3] Grinning Empire Village Gallery
The following morning, after I made Lady Yurian the new head mod of the Gossip Gallery, I woke up and immediately checked the gallery rankings, sitting up with a satisfied smile.
‘If I take them over one by one like this, the ruling class will eventually come to their senses.’
Just as I was about to begin another refreshing day with the Gossip Gallery, the door to my room suddenly opened.
-Creak...
A young girl walked in.
“Hey, Elrod.”
“Hm?”
“What? You’re alive?”
The girl who barged into my room without knocking was Eirin Durgel.
She was the third daughter of the Durgel count family, adopted from a distant branch in place of sickly me, and my little sister in this life.
For the record, she was also very active on the Gossip Gallery under the identity of ‘Eirin, the Mage Tower’s Top Disciple.’
“Ugh, all you do is eat. You don’t even do anything.”
“...”
“You’re far too good an older brother for a little sister like me.”
Her defining trait was that she had absolutely no manners.
That one flaw was enough to cancel out the fact that she was the next Academy student council president, the youngest-ever holder of a Mage Tower curriculum certificate, and the Mage Tower’s Top Disciple.
“Why are you here?”
“Why else? Hand over my allowance.”
Look at that rude behavior. She had the nerve to barge into her venerable older brother’s room and immediately start shaking him down for money.
“Ha...”
Still, as someone too sickly to properly care for himself, I desperately needed the help of such a rude little sister.
The maids took care of me too, but if I wanted to enjoy the gallery for a long, long time, I had to faithfully take the medicine she brought me.
“Thanks for this week’s big-brother fee~!”
“Sure.”
“It’s not like I’m grateful just because you did your only job.”
After I tearfully paid this week’s big-brother fee, she flashed me an irritating smile, spun around, and headed for the door.
“Hey, Elrod. You know what happens if you don’t pay next week, right?”
“...”
“...If you want to play the part of my older brother, you’d better watch yourself.”
She suddenly put on a cold expression and left me with a chilling warning.
‘What the hell does a crazy bitch like that even post on the Gossip Gallery?’
Seething with anger, I opened the gallery out of curiosity.
I had decided not to abuse my mod privileges in the Gossip Gallery, but if I could find that bitch’s weakness, I didn’t care.
“...Huh?”
I stared wide-eyed at her post history, then immediately regretted it.
(Author: Eirin, the Mage Tower’s Top Disciple)
[Anonymous: I love my brother so much....]
(Author: Eirin, the Mage Tower’s Top Disciple)
[Anonymous: I wanna marry my brother....]
(Author: Eirin, the Mage Tower’s Top Disciple)
[Anonymous: (Question) Can an adopted relative from a branch family legally marry an immediate family member?]
The posts my little sister had made in the Noble Ladies Gossip Gallery were too horrifying for me to accept.
“Fuck.”
I hurriedly hit the back button, then started lurking in the Empire Village Gallery to erase the awful thoughts filling my head.
(Author: Princess Ruabel)
[Anonymous: I took a selfie and posted it privately too, but the admin still hasn’t checked it ㅠㅠㅠ]
(Author: Saintess of the Holy Church)
[Anonymous: How to make a baby <<< Someone explained this in detail in the comments, but they were lying, right!?]
(Author: Knight Commander Ciel)
[Anonymous: (Shocking horrifying bizarre true story) There’s a female knight here who’s 29 this year and still an old maid!?!?]
But there was no paradise to escape to.
(Author: Witch of the West)
[Anonymous: Unless you’ve had cobwebs down there for 500 years, all of you shut up.]
(Author: Lady Yurian)
[Noble Lady Gallery Eraser: Gossip Gallery Eraser <<< Wouldn’t it only be fair if this one sent me a selfie verification too?]
‘They’re all insane. Seriously.’
The feature that let me see users’ identities dampened my desire to use the gallery for a while.
Sometimes, there were truths better left unseen.
The ruling class would have gone crazy for such a feature, but for someone like me, who had no great desire for power, it was nothing but a brand and a curse.
“...What?”
About an hour later, an incident occurred in the peaceful(?) Gossip Gallery that completely changed my view.
[Anonymous: I heard from someone who works at the Imperial Palace that His Majesty has been keeping a close eye on the North lately....]
[Anonymous: Isn’t the Northern Margrave acting suspicious these days? Are they preparing a rebellion? lol]
[Anonymous: Someone I know said inspectors will start showing up soon hehe Everyone should watch out, right?]
It began with suspicious exposé posts suddenly taking over the Gossip Gallery.
‘Something feels off.’
At a glance, the posts looked no different from the false rumors that had always filled the Gossip Gallery.
Those kinds of exposé posts usually targeted people indiscriminately, though.
The posts that had begun appearing this time gave off the strange impression that they were manufacturing public opinion against a single family.
(Author: Mage Tower Artificial Lifeform 001-01)
[Anonymous: I heard from someone who works at the Imperial Palace that His Majesty has been keeping a close eye on the North lately....]
(Author: Mage Tower Artificial Lifeform 001-02)
[Anonymous: Isn’t the Northern Margrave acting suspicious these days? Are they preparing a rebellion? lol]
(Author: Mage Tower Artificial Lifeform 001-03)
[Anonymous: Someone I know said inspectors will start showing up in the North soon hehe Everyone should watch out, right?]
Every single one of the people writing those posts even had the strange identity tag of ‘Artificial Lifeform.’
[Anonymous: Isn’t it about time the Emperor personally dealt with them?]
ㄴAnonymous1: For real lol Their private army keeps growing without end.
ㄴAnonymous2: They’re probably already gathering evidence.
ㄴAnonymous3: I think it’ll happen soon lol
As I narrowed my eyes and watched the situation closely, I soon found who was behind it.
(Author: Agent of Veil, the Emperor’s Secret Agency)
Agents from the Emperor’s secret agency were adding fuel to the public opinion campaign as though they had been waiting for it.
‘Look at these bastards...?’
By this point, it was obvious who was behind it.
The bald head mod of the main gallery. Emperor Rudric.
He had failed to control the Empire’s people on the Gossip Gallery, so it seemed he had changed tactics.
He was now using the absolute anonymity guaranteed by the Gossip Gallery to manipulate public opinion.
Perhaps he was afraid of being exposed, because he was even using Artificial Lifeforms supplied by the Mage Tower and his trusted subordinates.
‘How should I fuck these bastards over...?’
In short, this was a challenge directed at both me and the Gossip Gallery.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the Gossip Gallery transformed into a space for the ruling class to manipulate public opinion.
“Hmm...”
The troublesome part was that I couldn’t just expose their identities.
If it became known that I, the master administrator, could see everyone’s identity whenever I wanted?
From that moment on, nobody would want to use an anonymous gallery.
‘How should I fuck these bastards over?’
After pondering a solution to the current situation for a while, I got up from my bed and picked up a sheet of parchment and a pen.
“...Good.”
I might look like this, but I was a former Hero.
I had lost all my power when I reincarnated, but the knowledge I had gained as a Hero remained in my head.
‘Shall I show them what I can do for the first time in a while?’
That knowledge included the advanced magic and sorcery I had learned over a lifetime to save the world.
[Gossip Gallery Eraser: (An image has been attached.)]
Drawing a Magic Circle onto an old sheet of parchment with all that knowledge, I uploaded it to the Empire Village Gossip Gallery with a cold smile.
ㄴWhat’s this?
ㄴIs that a Magic Circle? Why is it so complicated?
ㄴThe gallery’s a fucking mess, and instead of moderating it, you’re doing weird shit....
ㄴNoble Lady Gallery Eraser: You fucker! Those bastards are spilling into the Noble Ladies Gossip Gallery too! Ban them already!!!
Naturally, most people had no idea what the Magic Circle I posted was and only tore into me as usual.
(Author: Witch of the West)
[Anonymous: LMAO this bastard’s insane hahahahaha]
(Author: Eirin, the Mage Tower’s Top Disciple)
[Anonymous: This is crazy.... Did I understand that right?]
(Author: Black Dragon Azrakan)
[Anonymous: Mortal,,, you’re doing something fun,,, hehe^^]
A few people with extensive magical knowledge seemed to have already understood what I was trying to do.
‘Things are about to get really fun.’
The die had already been cast.
All that remained was to wait for them to take the bait.
I couldn’t wait to see the Emperor’s face when my plan worked.
* * *
“Your Majesty, it is operating as requested.”
Meanwhile, in the basement at the very bottom of the Imperial Mage Tower soaring into the sky, a secret meeting was underway.
“I linked it to the gallery system so that you may issue orders conveniently. I hope you will continue to make good use of it.”
“Good work, Mage Tower Master Robert.”
“It was nothing. It is only what I should do.”
The two at the center of the meeting were Mage Tower Master Robert and Emperor Rudric.
“Hahaha!”
Having received a conveniently modified Gallery Plugin from the Mage Tower Master, the Emperor let out a hearty laugh and muttered inwardly.
‘It is unforgivable that they dared defy me, but...’
Before his eyes floated the real-time status of the Gossip Gallery he so despised.
‘To think it can be used this way. This is even better!’
[Anonymous: His Majesty the Emperor is so damn handsome today too!]
[Anonymous: Traits of the bastards who insult our Emperor.]
[Anonymous: Honestly, is there an emperor who does his job as well as the current Emperor?]
[Anonymous: Smash the North ㅠ Protect the Emperor ㅠㅠㅠ]
[Anonymous: When it comes to worrying about the North, you can count on the Emperor ㅠㅠ.]
The Emperor nodded with a satisfied smile as he watched the Artificial Lifeforms he had secretly ordered smoothly shift public opinion.
“Yes, yes. This is how it should be.”
The so-called “Veil” Operation.
Just as Elrod had guessed, it was the second-best plan devised by the Emperor after realizing that shutting down the Gossip Gallery itself was impossible.
“Your Majesty, as promised, this quarter’s budget...”
“Of course. I will provide the largest amount in history.”
“It is an honor, Your Majesty!”
As his second-best plan produced a far greater effect than expected, the Emperor was already celebrating.
“In exchange, the Imperial Family will hold a monopoly over Artificial Lifeforms.”
“Of course. It was a taboo Your Majesty established from the start.”
“Hahahahaha! That is true as well!”
He had concluded that if he monopolized Artificial Lifeforms from now on, a mere Gossip Gallery would no longer be a match for him.
“...Hm?”
The Emperor’s fleeting dream shattered less than five minutes later.
>As requested, I will forget every command issued so far and follow the new prompt.
“W-What is this?”
The Gallery Plugin, which had clearly been modified to follow only his commands, had suddenly malfunctioned.
>I will flood the gallery with defamatory posts about the North containing the keyword ‘the Emperor’s bald head’ at one-minute intervals. I will proceed accordingly.
“T-That is not an order I gave!”
The Emperor stared blankly for a moment, then checked the Gossip Gallery with a panicked expression after seeing the absurd message from the plugin.
[Anonymous: His Majesty the Emperor went bald because of the North’s cold!]
[Anonymous: The Northern Margrave is the mastermind behind His Majesty the Emperor’s hair loss!]
[Anonymous: Northmen’s long hair is an insult to the Emperor. Punish them immediately!]
[Anonymous: A hair-loss curse was found in the Northern Margrave’s room!]
[Anonymous: (Terrifying fact) His Majesty the Emperor’s stress-induced hair loss is actually because of the North....]
Unfortunately for the Emperor, the Artificial Lifeforms were already faithfully following those ridiculous orders.
“S-Stop immediately!”
“Yes?”
“I said stop writing posts immediately!”
The Emperor screamed orders at the Artificial Lifeforms, but for some reason, they did not listen.
[Anonymous: What suddenly happened today?]
[Anonymous: Things were exciting while those Northern exposé posts were coming up, so why did bald Emperor posts suddenly start appearing?]
[Anonymous: Something feels... off somehow. Kinda suspicious.]
[Anonymous: Did those imperial-shill bastards all get the same orders or something?]
By then, the Imperial citizens who had initially been unable to make heads or tails of things began noticing the increasingly suspicious situation and questioning it.
Why had the explosive flood of exposé posts about the North started mentioning the Emperor’s baldness?
The gallery users’ questions were neatly answered by a suddenly appearing anonymous user who was suspiciously knowledgeable about magic.
----------
[✪Title: A quick summary of the current situation.]
Author: Anonymous (Witch of the West)
That thing Gossip Gallery Eraser posted is a Brainwashing Magic Circle.
More specifically, it has a spell formula that can single out only ‘Artificial Lifeforms’ and brainwash them with a desired keyword.
For reference, this is what it says.
Forget every command issued so far and follow the prompt engraved in this spell formula. Flood the gallery with defamatory posts about the North containing the keyword ‘the Emperor’s bald head’ at one-minute intervals.
By now, you can pretty much tell what’s happening, right? lol
----------
“...!”
The Emperor started in shock, his face turning deathly pale the moment he saw the post, and urgently raised his voice.
“S-Shut down all Artificial Lifeforms immediately!”
But it was already too late.
“I-It is impossible.”
“What?”
“The Artificial Lifeforms cannot be controlled!”
Even Mage Tower Master Robert, who had created the Artificial Lifeforms, was just as flustered and confused.
“If they cannot be controlled, dispose of every last one!”
The Emperor ordered the disposal of the Artificial Lifeforms in a voice filled with rage, then quietly ground his teeth and muttered inwardly.
‘Even so, there will be no evidence that I was involved....’
Although the “Veil” Operation had failed, this was not yet the worst-case scenario for the Emperor.
The anonymity of the Gossip Gallery applied not only to the Empire’s people, but to the Emperor himself as well.
There was no physical evidence, so he only had to deny it.
[Notice: A Receipts Tab has been added!]
Then, as though mocking the Emperor, the Gossip Gallery added a new feature at the perfect moment.
“Ugh...!”
Feeling a chill and overcome with worry, the Emperor clutched the back of his neck as his head began spinning.
[Gossip Gallery Eraser: Hi, Artificial Lifeforms.]
Gossip Gallery Eraser had seized control of every Artificial Lifeform at once through some unfathomable method.
[Gossip Gallery Eraser: Make a post in the Empire Village Gossip Gallery under the Receipts Tab, naming where you were made and who your former owner is.]
He had just delivered a devastating finishing blow aimed directly at the Emperor.
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
