Slowly, the Inquisitor kneeled. —I'm sorry. I was wrong. The Shellmounts observed him from a distance, gasping in surprise. Finding out the truth didn’t erase the fact that they had been worshiping the Inquisitor—a transcendent entity who had cared for them since the dawn of time and a father who had granted them both victories and failures—for a very long time. The same god now kneeled before them. —I’m very well aware that I am far from normal. Well, I see myself as normal, but everyone else disagrees, especially the Death King. So... perhaps I’m not. But being a psycho could describe pretty well, just like you mentioned earlier! Saimeslam asked a question on the behalf of all the Shellmounts. —How? How did you become a psycho? —There is nothing unique about my story. The mafia kidnapped me when I was about three years old. I don't know if they took me away because my parents couldn't pay off their debts or if they picked a useful child from the orphanage. I've already killed all the people who could answer these questions. I was taught how to kill people, how to keep them alive, and how to charm them. I would sometimes dismantle a man of steel into hundreds of scrap iron so I could make him my subordinate. I learned this by watching organizations collapse from the inside after they were destroyed by external forces. This is all I know. It was inevitable for me to turn out this way. The Inquisitor sighed. His expression brightened when he turned to Saimeslam. —I thought I wasn’t supposed to teach you these things! —Well, these are my strongest skills, but I didn't want you to lead a life like mine. If too many people like me lived in the Tower, that would be quite troublesome. One of me is enough. The Inquisitor smiled widely. —But I couldn’t just teach you nothing. Shellmounts, this world is not easy; it’s genuinely frightening. Even if you did nothing wrong, that doesn’t stop others from attacking or kidnapping you. Take what happened to me as an example. I had to raise you all to be strong. The Inquisitor had advanced the civilization of the Shellmounts by using all his knowledge. —There’s no one you can trust no matter what. Well, there are some exceptions. Rare miracles that only happen once in a lifetime and are entirely dependable on your luck. So forget about finding someone like that. Forget all about it. Learn to control others before they turn against you. The Inquisitor had captured all the remaining species and enslaved them. To prevent them from betraying the Shellmounts, they were locked in caves divided into hundreds of isolated sections. The guards in the watchtowers always kept lookout over the slaves. —Then, there will be no need to fear this world. I'm sorry I’m a psychopath. I’m sorry I’m your father. A heavy silence enveloped the jungle. Saimeslam gradually looked up and gazed at the Inquisitor. —You're a psychopath, yet you still tried to teach only the most rational, valuable things about you. —Even though you didn’t have a lot you could work with, you made a home from planks and a hammock for a roof. It was so shabby that wind and rain could have easily destroyed it. Yet you still tried to build the best home for us, didn’t you? Saimeslam loosened up. She grasped the hilt of the greatsword embedded in the ground. —You tried to teach us your best abilities and hide your worst traits from us. You never asked us to understand. “I... I just hope you will become a better person than me.” —You just... did your best to care for us. You have many flaws, but I don’t want to curse or question you for bringing us into this world and raising us. Saimeslam retrieved her greatsword from the ground and rested it on her shoulder and shell. —I'm glad to have you as my father. She chuckled. The Shellmount, who had made history as the first non-Terra chairwoman of the Fire Water Council, had been reigning for several decades. She was often expressionless. Even when she laughed, it sounded as if she was mocking others rather than being genuinely amused. However, she now smiled brightly. —Perhaps I feel a bit happy right now. I appreciate that you apologized. Thank you very much, Father. [The quest is in progress.] [The Shellmounts’ voting has begun.] [Choice 1: I liked your guidance.] [Choice 2: I didn't like your guidance.] Fireflies lit up the jungle. Upon closer inspection, the Shellmounts realized they weren’t actual fireflies. They clung to the trunks of the palm trees. Some watched from the top of the trees. Others hid in the shady part of the jungle and listened to the conversation between Saimeslam and the Inquisitor. [Votes are being counted.] Bluish light came out of the Shellmounts, then flew into the sky. From a distance, the balls of light looked like fireflies. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of “fireflies” swept through the palm trees and the jungle, rising into the night sky. They twinkled, giving the illusion that they were floating in the middle of a galaxy, not a jungle. A small voice rang out in the forest of the galaxy. [All votes have been counted.] [Choice 2 Voting Percentage: 22.5%] [Choice 1 Voting Percentage: 77.5%] [Choice 1 has earned the majority vote.] The Inquisitor stared at the night sky where the galaxy swirled blue and green. Fireflies danced, starlight fell, taking away his breath. —I'm glad to have you as my father. Maybe what Saimeslam just said shook the Inquisitor to the core. As long as the Inquisitor stayed by my side, I would find out at some point. [The fortieth floor has been cleared!] A Sylvan shrugged. She wasn’t the only one. —You’re right. Money is everything. —Life without money is terrible. —We may not be cool, but we have money. The Sylvans seemed rather enthusiastic about agreeing on this factor. Before my regression, they used to be bloodthirsty fanatics under the reign of the Fire Emperor. Now, they were fanatics, apostles, and preachers of the omnipotent gold. Hmm. This species has some serious issues... —Mother, your words are so profound that we can’t refute them. To be honest, we were just curious about what the fu—what you were thinking when you made us stingy misers. The Countess chuckled. —I feel relieved that I seem to have satisfied your curiosity. If you knew how much it costs to talk to me, you would be even more grateful. After all, every second is money for me. Well, since I've been watching and raising you as if you were my biological children, I'll offer you a parental discount and not charge you this time. The Sylvans bowed gracefully. —We always appreciate discounts. Thank you. —Now that you aren’t charging us for the seconds we spend talking, we want to ask another question. —Who taught you guys to be so thrifty? Sure, go ahead. —Why are you still so desperate to earn money? The Countess blinked. The Sylvans blinked back in response. —Hmm. What do you mean? —You said money makes many things easier, Mother. If you want to learn music, you can follow that dream as long as you can pay your tutor and buy yourself an instrument. This applies to many dreams. You can even contemplate your life from the comfort of your luxurious home. We totally agree with that. The Sylvans tilted their heads. —How long are you going to do that? It seems like you have a lot of money. Can't you just live leisurely without worrying about money? You can already live any life you want, right? —Why do you want to earn more money? —What are you planning? —What do you want to do with your life? —What are your dreams? The jungle was dark, so the Sylvans’ questions seemed to come from all around. —What are your plans? —Is there something you really want to do while alive? —Are you worried about something? —Isn’t your life better now? The Countess folded her fan, revealing her expression. She stared ahead, her face expressionless, yet there was a rage underneath that had been consuming her from inside out for so long, a rage she did not want to reveal. There were only drags left of her anger, but it still gave off a foul smell. She barely managed to filter through those drags to string together a sentence. —Those scumbags... I’ll change the world. There’s too much scum in this world. Even after filtering the bad bits out, the Countess’ voice was still too poisonous for the Sylvans to handle. Aura waved over her shoulder. She used to have some difficulty handling aura, but was now somewhat used to it after experiencing the previous floors. With her heightened aura mastery, the Countess revealed the colors of her heart. —Listen. I realized something after being born on a garbage mountain, growing up in a garbage town, and moving to a garbage city. It’s the only lesson I learned. Thanks to it, I considered being born surrounded by garbage somewhat lucky. —What is this lesson? —Whether trash washed up from the ocean, fell from the sky, was buried underground, or was rolled around before being thrown away, it’s still less dirty than humans. The Countess flashed a mocking smile. —But I couldn’t find any professional cleaners that specialize in humans. So I thought, shouldn’t I be the first to take over this vast market? I’m going to clean up every scummy human using money. She crossed her arms and laughed. —Of course, I don’t think all humans are scumbags. Not at all! On the contrary. I believe many people shine brighter than the stars. And, just like stars, good people are too far apart from each other to often meet during their lifetimes. If I look from afar, countless stars decorate the night sky. Was the Countess thinking of someone in particular? Her smile seemed genuine. —For them, a janitor like me is needed. The Sylvans had more questions. —How would you do that? —Do you save those who shine with money? —Do you drive out bad guys with money? The Countess burst into laughter. There were no traces of mockery in her laugh, only genuine amusement. —Sure! I don't have to be a hero. I don't have to put on a bat costume and precariously straddle the line between what’s legal and what isn’t, weave webs to save poor victims from crimes, or hold up a giant shield to stop evildoers. I just spend money! It was all so simple. —Just let people make money! Good companies and bad companies. Good organizations and bad organizations. Good businesses and bad businesses. Good people and bad people... Yes, many people have difficulty distinguishing between these two simple categories. People mistakenly believe that human nature gets revealed only during extreme situations. That is why they artificially stage such situations, but they’re wrong. Do you understand? Listen carefully. The Countess spent money to establish a sound economy and praise for the undistorted cycle. After all, bad money drove out good. —You can see one’s nature when they have everything, not when they have nothing left. When I throw money in the air, good people reveal their good nature, but the trash begins to stink. Still, my work remains the same! I give everyone money and make them earn money! I fatten them up until they’re plump and juicy. Then, they end up rotting after committing crimes. Until then, I will continue investing my money in them. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. The person who trusted people more than anyone was the Countess. —And, if all humans or companies turn out to be rotten pieces of garbage... Well. Those heroes I have been sponsoring with a lot of money will take care of it. For that, I am constantly earning money like crazy, as you all said. Sometimes, I break some laws. Such is the inevitability in life. The MA Master smiled as she shrugged. —That is why I make money. Without realizing it, the Sylvans were staring at the Countess. Their gazes were a bit hazier than when they worshiped her as their goddess. They weren’t very zealous in their faith to begin with as they were more faithful to the goddess’ command to make money. The Sylvans were the most carefree of all the species when it came to their faith. —And that’s also why I raised you. Today was different. Divine faith appeared in the Sylvans’ eyes. They idolized the Countess because she was greater than them and had guided them. —You are all much more capable than most of the merchants in my Tower. Well, duh. They live their lives and make money, but you live to make money. Getting to enjoy life is a bonus to you guys. Do you understand? You were born to be merchants. I have been waiting for people like you to come to my Tower. I really mean that. The Sylvans flinched when the Countess stood up. Regardless, she stepped down and walked toward her people —I’ve been looking for people who know how to make money, people who see through the flow of money and goods. The Countess walked in front of the Sylvans, gently lifting the Sylvans’ chins one by one with her fan before locking eyes with each and every one of them. The Sylvans seemed dazzled by her eyes and were unable to avoid her gaze. —People who find pleasure in making money but aren't obsessed with it. People who ponder what money is really for. People who find joy in pondering. In short... People like me. The jungle was dark, so her whispers seemed to come from all around her. The Sylvans’ breathing slowed down. —My children, follow me. This continent is small. It is but a corner of the universe. Even if you are well versed in logistics and monopolize some villages and cities, what is the point? Follow me, climb the Tower, and grasp all the money that flows through the universe. Tear and trample everything, from a single gold coin floating around the world to a handful of wire thrown into the trash can. Let the money of the universe flow unhindered. I need you. The Sylvans’ eyes were bleary. Their breath was hotter than their body temperature. —I will love you all. I am the leader of all merchants and the master of MA. You will become my children. You will sweep away all the world's garbage with me. The Sylvans looked in amazement at the woman who had once been their goddess and was now their mother. It didn't take long for the Sylvans to speak. Under the shadows of the dark jungle, they all spoke at the same time. [The quest is in progress.] [Votes are being counted.] [All votes have been counted.] The Countess smiled brightly. [Choice 2 Voting Percentage: 11.60%] [Choice 1 Voting Percentage: 88.40%] [Choice 1 has earned the majority vote.] She spread out the fan to cover her lower face, but her smile remained. —Thank you all. Join me to rid the world of garbage. [The forty-first floor has been cleared!]