There may be numerous factors contributing to the downfall of a forum, but I know well which among them is the most fatal.
It’s none other than cliquishness among the users.
While I tend to handle trolls and snipers with a lenient approach in running the forum, I generally prefer anonymity.
But when I see cliques forming to the extent that it disturbs others or individuals trying to cross personal boundaries, I slip in with alternate accounts to sow discord among them, often resulting in members permanently blocking each other and breaking up the clique.
Seeing them giggling and excluding me from their conversations doesn’t sit well with me.
The Witch Notes did an excellent job of keeping the gallery in check with the socialites who thought it was a dating app.
“The mana movement detectable by spirits was nonexistent.”
“It wasn’t even a whisper…”
“We’re the only ones around. If someone outside my detection range received healing, it must have crossed at least five floors.”
That mindset still holds true, and I wanted to avoid getting too close to the cliques or the sycophants.
I don’t pry into their names, where they live, or their schools.
While ugly folks find joy in just seeing each other, I had the confidence to flip them off and disrupt their gatherings to the point of them becoming enemies for life.
“Everyone seems to be getting along well. I haven’t even heard your introductions yet.”
“…!!”
Three people who were murmuring at my words suddenly fell silent.
Then, they carefully placed their Witch Notes on the table.
Now, I could check their IDs.
The women in the forms of wolves, deer, and owls were respectively ThunderLightningEmperor, BlessingsToYou, and OwlOwlOwl.
“I, I am from the Kaleid-…”
“ThunderLightningEmperor.”
“What, what did you say?”
I immediately cut off the introduction of the individual who wanted to introduce themselves as “ThunderLightningEmperor”.
It was long and unnecessary.
Meeting face-to-face, they might want to exchange greetings as if they’re old friends, but meeting among mere 10-floor folks, they’d only feel awkward bumping into each other at the cafeteria.
I moved on promptly.
“And next to Thunderstruck?”
“I am Cecil…”
“BlessingsToYou.”
“I-I’m BlessingsToYou…”
Still, someone with a bit of tact, appearing to be from the Divine School, “BlessingsToYou”, immediately acquiesced.
There was no need to hear an introduction from the last concept enthusiast.
“And now, the owl. Thank you all for coming this far.”
“Oh no! I’m…”
“OwlOwlOwl.”
“Why, why?”
“Bang!”
“……Yes?”
“You should call yourself Owl.”
The frozen owl hesitated for a moment, then blinked rapidly.
It seemed like she was contemplating whether she should adhere to the concept of the forum or her real self.
Initially, she seemed hostile towards me among the three, but after Mariel fell asleep, she appeared somewhat deflated.
I gazed at her and asked.
“Do you dislike it?”
“Heh… I-I don’t mind, Hoot.”
After hesitating for a while, she eventually acquiesced.
The sight of the owl trembling but following my words left the others unable to hide their surprise.
“I never thought I’d see the day when Lin… Owl, would bow down.”
“Recognizing a hierarchical relationship with someone you haven’t even contracted with is unprecedented for spirits, isn’t it?”
Was Owl part of the Spirit School?
Regardless, they all seemed to have introduced themselves, so traffic control was complete.
I decided to move on to the main purpose of this gathering, which was essentially to observe the Sub-Managers firsthand.
“We’ll often hold gatherings like this in the future, but today there’s only one reason I’ve called you all here.”
I didn’t intend to delve into present-day affairs, but I wanted to touch on this.
Pointing to everyone’s Witch Notes on the table, I asked.
“I know everyone’s busy, but don’t you have any plans to pay more attention to this?”
Why aren’t you all managing the forum?
*
An elder of the Kaleidos School and former Seven Sages.
Currently targeting the 117th floor, which can be considered the top of the Magic Tower, Claudia Anescott followed the gaze of the Administrator with her eyes.
Despite the disgraceful nickname “ThunderLightningEmperor”, she had some experience with demons.
The dusty fragments of what was originally the Gate of the Underworld hinted at it.
The Administrator’s intention to present it to themselves on the table was clear.
‘Are you all unaware that demons have entered my Magic Tower?’
Initially, with nobody knowing his true identity, Owl denied, and BlessingsToYou affirmed the notion that the Administrator was the Tower Master.
Claudia had hesitated before, but now, with his question, she was certain.
The Administrator was asking.
‘Why are you allowing these demons into “my Magic Tower”?’
“We’ll pay attention.”
“Actions speak louder than words.”
“We’ll enforce it as soon as we leave here. I promise on my name.”
“Are you going to create more alt accounts again?”
She never expected to be scolded even in her position as a former Sage because of the incompetent Tower Administration and its underlings.
Even though she paused her ascent for a moment, she resolved to thoroughly punish those responsible for this situation.
As Claudia made her decision, someone who had always regarded the Administrator as Tower Master from the beginning rose from their seat with evident joy.
“That’s right! Honestly, I’ve been too neglectful until now. I’ll focus on defense for the time being and suspend expeditions!”
BlessingsToYou, Cecilia Page.
With a gentle smile, she smoothly moved to the other side of Mariel, only to be stopped by the Administrator.
“If there’s an urgent matter, it’s okay to step aside for a moment. And, could you step back a bit?”
“A-Are you displeased with me, Administrator?”
“Your antlers are bothersome. Go sit down.”
“…”
Of all things, she had to be transformed into the cursed form of a deer.
Unsure whether solving it would offend the Administrator, she hesitated, circling around them.
The Sage of the Divine School, who even the saints of the world ask for help, was struggling to solve the fog of the labyrinth.
Lindsay Stribling, the Sage of the Spirit School who had been snorting, woke up in surprise at the words that called to her.
“Owl, come here.”
Me? All of a sudden?
Even in front of three mages who had reached the end of magic, there was no hesitation in the Administrator’s imposing presence as an absolute authority, along with his inexplicable magical prowess.
As she approached cautiously, his hand rose above her head.
The moment his hand touched her, all the spirits in her body began to scream as if they had been electrocuted.
Spirits are highly sensitive to the death of life.
The more blood one has on their hands or the more they are tainted by the outside world, the more difficult it becomes to form contracts.
That’s why the Spirit School was the most powerful among all the schools in the Magic Tower, with its dominance over pure-blooded families.
This was because they painstakingly nurtured their offspring from birth to become untainted by the world.
“In the old movies, they always had one of these animals by their side to receive letters.”
As his hand descended from her ears to caress her neck, she couldn’t help but tremble.
When all the spirits hid within their marks, Lindsay felt as if she had been stripped bare.
“You’ll stay by my side from now on.”
She no longer had any doubts that the Administrator was the Tower Master.
No, she was better off believing he was the Tower Master.
“Hoot, hoo-t…!”
Even the Great Princes of the Spirit Realm, representing the Six Attributes, held their breath and tensed.
She didn’t want to even think about what kind of creature he had killed.
*
Despite some lack of preparation, the first banquet ended successfully.
Even though they seemed like stereotypes from a forum such as “Braindead Vending Machine” and “Concept Addict”, they turned out to be good guys when met in person.
First impressions mattered, as they often set the tone for future interactions.
Since they would also get tired if they stayed in the labyrinth for too long, I suggested meeting again next time before seeing off the two.
After they left, ThunderLightningEmperor asked me.
“Administrator.”
“Yeah?”
“What does the gallery mean to you?”
It was a serious question from ThunderLightningEmperor, who seemed more earnest than the other two. I felt bad just brushing it off.
The gallery, now residing in my Witch Note, was originally a kind of status window I obtained during my reincarnation.
Before entering the Magic Tower, I used it to exchange trivial messages with my adventurer comrades.
The fact that I had accumulated 9 billion points was probably due to that.
Even I wouldn’t have been able to accumulate that much in just five years.
“It’s the most precious thing to me.”
“Is that so?”
After hearing my answer, ThunderLightningEmperor hesitated for a moment and then asked something else.
“And what about the Magic Tower?”
“…”
Today marked the third day since I entered the Grand Labyrinth.
On the first day, I couldn’t distinguish between people and monsters, and from the second day onwards, I started hearing hallucinations.
Soon, when I go blind, despite having Prina’s doll with me, the world will darken as if enveloped in darkness.
Even now, when I look up at the lightless ceiling, I hear a nostalgic voice for echoing in my ears.
‘The Holy Lord has ascended. The torch that protects adventurers has gone out.’
‘We must usher in a new era. Although there are no longer any individuals with the qualifications of masters left on the continent, we still have to do it.’
‘I’m sorry, Clark.’
‘I’m sorry for burdening you so much.’
‘Gunshot’ could only be communicated through writing, so these were all through ‘Flash’.
Immediately after inserting the spear into the Demon Dragon’s heart. These were the words the mage I loved most in the world said to me.
At that time, I was ignorant about magic, but I knew exactly where to go after bidding her farewell.
“My everything.”
As I hold onto the spear, beyond the dark ceiling it points to, is the top of the giant tower erected hundreds of years ago.
