WVKWnovel Chapter 178 : Popularity Poll - 3
Chapter 178 : Popularity Poll - 3
I looked at her in confusion.“What? What do you mean it won't have any effect? If it's the authority of an MVP...”
“The monsters living in our territory are mostly dragons that became monsters. Just like how Odline's territory is inhabited by Celestials who became monsters, and Helena's territory by Elves who became monsters.”
I nodded and replied.
“I know that. But once they became monsters, all the traits from their previous lives should have disappeared.”
“Their traits disappeared, but their fundamental nature didn't.”
“What do you mean?”
“For example, dragons are all highly individualistic. Becoming monsters didn't change that aspect of their nature.”
It felt as though I'd been struck in the head with a hammer.
Come to think of it, Odline had been the same.
According to the encyclopedia, back when he was still a Celestial, Odline had been an eccentric who wandered the world in search of love.
That bizarre nature hadn't changed even after he became a monster.
His ability to fly through the skies like a Celestial—the 'trait'—had disappeared.
But his 'nature' of longing for love remained.
Armelia, who had been listening silently, spoke.
“Come to think of it, Louis is the same.”
“Me? What about me?”
“You were deceived by Edgar in your previous life, and even after becoming a monster...”
“Are you picking a fight?”
“I'm saying your gullible nature remained even after becoming a monster.”
“So you are picking a fight.”
Versium spoke.
“So you're saying that the monsters in this territory have also retained that individualistic tendency of not interfering with one another?”
“That's right. Even during the last war against Odline, the monsters of our territory each fought and survived on their own.”
“They never joined forces.”
Thinking back, Drod had only protected this palace—his own home.
I had never seen him act as an MVP trying to protect all the monsters living in this territory.
Drod spoke.
“That's exactly it. Sorry about that.”
“This has nothing to do with the matter at hand, but was your daughter quite the glutton in her previous life as well?”
“I'd rather not answer that.”
Beat tilted her head.
She already seemed to have lost interest in our conversation.
What should I do?
As I was wondering, an idea suddenly came to me.
“Do dragons have any other common traits besides being individualistic?”
I could probably find the answer in the encyclopedia inside the diary, but there was no need to take the long way around when the person himself was standing right in front of me.
After thinking for a moment, Drod answered.
“Well. If I asked you what human nature is like, how would you answer?”
“Hmm... You're right. That's difficult to answer.”
“We're much the same. Every individual has a different personality.”
Just then, Renia casually interjected.
“Still, don't they all like shiny things?”
“Shiny things?”
“For example, jewels. There were plenty of dragons who piled them high inside their own lairs and simply admired them.”
“Even though they never used them.”
“Your daughter seems far more interested in food than jewels.”
Beat immediately replied.
“I like shiny things too.”
“I just like food even more.”
“I see.”
“During the last Intermediary Trade Quest, Lady Magireta told us to buy whatever suited our tastes the best.”
Shiny things.
Jewels.
'Should I spend all the gold coins we've collected so far?'
...
No, wait.
I've got something even better!
A smile spread across my lips.
I hurriedly turned toward Drod.
“You said you couldn't order the High-Ranking Monsters, but you could at least make a suggestion to them, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then would it be possible for you to gather all the monsters here?”
“They'd gather for something like that, no matter how individualistic they are...”
“Excellent.”
“Then that's exactly what I'd like to ask of you.”
My companions immediately turned to look at me.
Aina asked,
“Gather them... and then what?”
“Isn't it obvious?”
I answered without hesitation.
“I'm going to bribe them.”
Drod immediately returned to his true form.
Then he sat atop the palace roof and let out a mighty roar.
-ROOOAAAR!
'So that's how he summons them?'
Suppressing our impatience, we waited.
A few minutes later, one or two monsters appeared.
They settled down in the palace's vast garden.
As more time passed, they became dozens.
Then hundreds.
Around half a day later, thousands.
A few hours after that, tens of thousands.
'What an enormous crowd.'
By the time darkness fell, Versium illuminated the surroundings with magic.
Under the bright magical light, the monsters finally became visible.
Every one of them had a human appearance.
From the way they chatted among themselves, they all appeared to be High-Ranking Monsters who retained both reason and self-awareness.
Drod spoke.
“It looks like every High-Ranking Monster in my territory has arrived.”
“There are fewer than I expected.”
“A great many of them must have died during the previous war against Odline.”
Even as he said that, Drod's expression showed no trace of sorrow.
Was that also because of dragons' individualistic nature?
“Well, gathering them was one thing.”
“But what now?”
“I'll take it from here.”
I stood atop the palace roof, overlooking the garden below.
Every monster's eyes turned toward me.
“Big Brother. You can cast Voice Amplification Magic, can't you?”
“I cast it long ago.”
“Thank you.”
Ahem.
After clearing my throat, I spoke.
“Greetings, everyone.”
“My name is Mason Giard.”
According to what I'd heard from Orcus before, my name had become fairly well-known even throughout Hell.
I could see interest appear on the monsters' faces.
“I asked Lord Drod to gather all of you here.”
“Thank you for taking the time to come.”
“……”
“My companions and I are Participants in Magireta's game.”
“We're currently taking part in the Tenth Quest.”
“As for the details of the quest...”
I calmly explained the entire situation.
Even though I spoke with genuine urgency, the monsters' reactions were far from enthusiastic.
Most of them looked bored.
Some yawned.
Others even nodded off.
I raised my voice.
“Among those gathered here, there should be some who were selected by Magireta as voters.”
“If that's you, would you please raise your hand?”
The monsters slowly raised their hands.
Perhaps because Drod had gathered them, they seemed unwilling, yet willing enough to humor him.
There were roughly forty-five thousand of them.
'Forty-five thousand voters from the Second Territory.'
What percentage of the total voters did that represent?
Would that be enough to stop Edgar's overwhelming lead?
'...I have to try.'
Taking a deep breath, I announced,
“Everyone except those who raised their hands may return home.”
“Thank you for coming.”
The monsters who weren't voters looked toward Drod.
He gave them a slight nod of approval.
Some grumbled.
Others lazily wandered away.
The garden quickly became much emptier.
I looked at the remaining voters and spoke again.
“I have a proposal for all of you—”
Just then—
Tap.
Tap, tap.
A small bulletin board suddenly appeared before me and every one of my companions!
■ Popularity Poll in Progress
※ Total Voter Turnout: 1%
1st. Edgar Tyler (1%)
2nd. Mason Giard (0%)
2nd. Armelia Ker Deniroom (0%)
2nd....
'Damn.'
'It started.'
Edgar was in first place with one percent of the vote.
Everyone from second place onward had zero votes, so they were all listed as tied for second.
Behind me, I heard Armelia's voice.
“M-Mason.”
“It's started.”
“Yes.”
“We have to hurry.”
I replied before looking down once more.
Then I nearly froze.
Every single voting monster also had their own small bulletin board floating before them.
They lazily reached out to touch them.
I shouted until my throat nearly tore apart.
“Stop!”
“What?”
“Stop the hand you're about to vote with!”
“My, my...”
One of the monsters scratched his head as he spoke.
“I intended to watch and see where this was going.”
“But you've crossed the line.”
“……”
“You have no authority to order us around.”
“To be honest, not even Lord Drod has that authority.”
“Wait—”
“We've watched your performance over the past two weeks.”
“You're remarkably arrogant.”
His eyes gleamed.
“I never intended to vote for you from the very beginning.”
“And now...”
“I want to vote for you even less.”
“Please.”
“Just wait a moment.”
“I have a proposal for all of you.”
“A proposal?”
“I'll buy your votes.”
The monsters immediately began murmuring among themselves.
Some looked displeased.
Many others, however, seemed intrigued.
One of them spoke.
“Let's hear it.”
“I've heard that all of you were dragons in your previous lives.”
“And that dragons all love jewels.”
“That's not entirely wrong.”
“But it's not entirely right either.”
“Even if we like jewels, we don't like them enough to sell our votes.”
“What if the jewel were unimaginably rare?”
“Heh heh heh.”
One monster let out a low chuckle.
“Kid.”
“How long do you think we lived in our previous lives?”
“……”
“Longer than your short-lived race could ever imagine.”
“And after that, we've spent over five hundred thousand years as monsters.”
“……”
“Yes, we like jewels.”
“But over those nearly endless years, we've obtained every jewel in both Hell and the world.”
“There are no jewels left that could move our hearts.”
Instead of answering, I glanced at the small bulletin board.
'Damn it.'
■ Popularity Poll in Progress
※ Total Voter Turnout: 2%
1st. Edgar Tyler (2%)
2nd. Mason Giard (0%)
2nd. Armelia Ker Deniroom (0%)
2nd....
The Popularity Poll had started less than a minute ago, yet turnout had already reached two percent?
The voting period lasted an entire month.
And yet two percent had already voted in less than a minute.
As expected, the monsters from the Third and Fourth Territories were all casting their votes for Edgar.
They had no reason to hesitate.
'The moment that reaches thirty percent, the game ends.'
Feeling my mouth go dry, I shouted,
“Give me five minutes.”
“……”
“Just five minutes.”
“If the jewel I present doesn't satisfy you after that, then you're free to vote however you wish.”
“There's no reason for us to agree to that—”
Just then, Drod let out a growl so deep it seemed to shake the very bones.
“You can wait five minutes.”
“Lord Drod.”
“Do I not have enough authority for you to wait five minutes?”
“...That isn't the issue.”
“Good.”
After saying that, Drod gave me a meaningful glance.
I bowed my head slightly in gratitude.
Then Aina asked,
“Mason.”
“What kind of jewel are you planning to offer?”
“We don't even have any jewels.”
“Besides the gold coins Magireta gave us.”
“Do you think human currency would interest dragons?”
“No.”
“I won't be offering gold.”
'What I'm offering is something else.'
Taking a deep breath, I shouted into the night sky.
“Big Sister Magireta!”
“Yes, Little Brother.”
Swoosh.
Magireta descended as though stepping out of thin air.
A trace of tension appeared in the monsters' eyes.
No matter how powerful they were—even if they had once been dragons—they instinctively shrank before Magireta.
“What are you plotting this time?”
“You already know.”
“I'm planning to buy their votes.”
“You know, that's not something you should announce so openly.”
“But if I'm going to buy them, I need a jewel valuable enough to tempt them.”
“Little Brother.”
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Then give me a jewel.”
“Let's make a deal.”
A broad smile spread across Magireta's face.
“And what makes you think I have a jewel like that?”
“I don't know about the others.”
“But I know you have one.”
“……”
“You still have the treasure Edgar gave you during the last Intermediary Trade Quest, don't you?”
Behind me, I heard my companions gasp.
Louis, who didn't know the details, asked,
“Arcane handed over a jewel?”
“That bastard doesn't seem like the type to carry jewels around.”
“I'll explain later.”
“Mason... don't tell me that treasure is...”
“Yes.”
I looked directly at Magireta.
“The Goddess's Tear.”
“I want you to give it to me.”