The serfs were hopeful until the UN inspectors arrived.
Could they get out of this hellhole based on the results of the inspections?
If the UN pressured the Korean government and the Korean government pressured TTG Temple, they might be free?
Faced with that hope, they formed a plan in whispers.
-Let's collect evidence. Proof that we are being mistreated.
-A video record would be the strongest evidence. Don't we have something similar here?
-There's a smartphone that the knights carry and works even in the gates.
-Okay, let's steal one and record.
They're all set, and they're planning to contact the UN inspectors in secret. But──
"The UN inspectors are coming. Forbidden to speak to them."
From then on, Yapppy would dictate the behavior of the serfs in minute detail, and enslaved by the power of the sun and judgment, they could not disobey the orders of their Higher Power.
Thus began Operation I Am Happy.
The serfs were not allowed to say anything in front of the inspectors who had come to save them.
'Ugh…!'
'You evil bastards…!'
No words could describe their inhumane treatment and unreasonable conditions, so they were forced to put on this cheap play.
'Please notice!'
'Please!
While everyone looked desperate to be spared, the head inspector, Louise, frowned.
'Is it my mood?'
She was about to speak when she sensed something was wrong.
-Whirr.
"Hiccup!!!"
The mechanical sound of the Yakt Spinner, which had appeared like a ghost, stiffened them.
"Yakt…Lord Spinner, huh?"
Louise greeted the survivor Yakt Spinner, the subject of her latest inspection.
"United Nations Officer Louise Foster. Pleased to meet you."
-It's mealtime..
"Ah… I see."
She didn't object to the idea of meals being prepared in the TTG Temple, but it was faster than she expected.
What Louise didn't realize was that the steel spider had a camera eye on its back and was terrorizing the serfs with skull emojis from a blind spot she didn't see.
The protruding machine gun was a bonus.
"Hiccup…!"
The serfs shuddered and clamped their mouths shut. Meanwhile, the UN inspectors were brought in to eat.
"What an unusual dining facility."
The dining hall of the TTG Temple is not a neat interior of an intelligent building, but a scene of a rural feast.
It was indeed rural.
-There's a lot of food, so active eating is encouraged.
Yappy shared one meal after another with the villagers, and then Louise said.
"We're going to eat with the serfs."
She had come to investigate their conditions. She wasn't looking for a special treat reserved for dignitaries.
"I hope you don't mind, Lord Yakt Spinner."
-No matter.
Louise strode confidently to the serfs' table, followed by the UN staff of the Inspectorate.
If they think the serfs are being treated unfairly, they'll do anything to fix it.
She's seen dictators and backward nations impose harsh conditions on savage survivors who think dog food is good enough, and she's fought for human rights.
She would soon find a place at the table of the serfs.
"This is...."
The meal was more authentic than she expected.
Rice and locally grown vegetables. The lack of meat-based dishes was a bit surprising, but not surprising given the country's food culture.
"Oh, you want to eat here? I've prepared some gochujang and ssambap today."
"Ssap, ssambap?"
Whatever it was, the meal didn't seem strange. Louis and the inspectors took their seats and ate a meal that was meant for serfs.
Miso ssambap was a strange dish for her as a German, but… if she thought of it as a healthy diet meal, wouldn't it be okay?
"Huh?"
As the vegetables and rice melted into her mouth, Louise felt a rush of freshness that seemed to clear her head.
The warm rice and the saltiness of the fermented miso in it were in harmony with the fresh green vegetables.
If that were all there was to it, she would have called it orientalism and hailed the mysteries of the East but this meal was different.
'Come to think of it… the Blessed Crop, the biggest specialty of TTG Temple....'
The miracle food, which is said to cure cancer and make you healthy just by eating it, is also famous in Europe.
In European markets, small amounts of blessed crops are sold on a reservation system.
However, she heard that it is a luxury product that costs millions of won per kilogram due to its scarcity.
After trying it, Louise's impression was indeed indescribable.
'My head is clear, my fatigue from the long flight is gone, and I feel like I've just had a full three-hour massage.'
Famous internet testimonials claimed that one bite was enough to make a difference.
'They're feeding their employees this precious food and they don't care.'
King Lionheart… what the hell are you....
Reports of the human rights abuses of the serfs were that they were being fed horrible sugar-salt water but they must have been wrong.
Even if this is just a trick of the eye, the blessed crops in front of them are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A truly abusive employer with a history of human rights abuses would have served a more colorful and normal meal.
Not these seemingly humble, yet incredibly valuable, ingredients.
"...."
"...."
At that moment, Louise's gaze fell on some of her coworkers, who were looking sheepishly at the meal in front of them.
"You guys won't eat? The food tastes amazing and it's also healthy."
"Well, it's...."
When asked, Dennis held up his palms in humility.
"It's just that I can't eat fermented foods...."
"Oh, I see. How about everyone else?"
"Me neither...."
"I don't like the taste."
Several employees didn't eat, perhaps because they were intolerant of Eastern vegetarian diets, and those who did, including Louise, marveled at the benefits.
"Did everyone enjoy the meal?"
Ha-ri asked crisply and Louise replied.
"Yes, it was invaluable."
"Ah, I'm glad to hear that. If you don't mind, would you like to take a walk and talk? His Majesty is waiting for you."
"Of course."
Louis gets up to leave with the Inspectorate staff. She was confident that the report was false, especially for a temple that served such a fine meal at every meal.
Of course, she still needed to investigate further.
'Wow, that was really satisfying. On the way back, a bag of rice…No, that's a bribe, let's buy it when it's on the market.'
Because the meal was satisfying Louise didn't see it but several of the serfs, who were enjoying the meal more than anything else in the world, fell face down on the table.
-Yikes!
Their fallen bodies were quickly hidden from view.
* * * *
"Suspicious!"
Inspector Dennis said.
"What do you mean, Dennis?"
Dennis raised his voice at Louise's questioning glance.
"Did you see their gaze and their expressions, they were not ordinary to anyone!"
"That's right, it was clear that they were being forced to do something!"
"...."
Louise recalled the atmosphere and it was definitely suspicious.
Everyone was awkwardly talking about happiness as if they were reading from a language book, and their gazes were somber.
"But there's nothing to complain about in terms of housing, jobs, or treatment. Of course, it's not time to jump to conclusions."
More research was needed and she was not planning to return to the islands already.
"There's still time, so each of you investigators should continue your exploration of the area around the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods."
With that conclusion, Denis left the dormitory provided by the TTG Temple and got in his car to head into the city.
How far had he gotten? Denis's car was engulfed in darkness, and a muffled voice came from beyond.
[Dennis──]
"Oh, great being…!"
As he stopped driving, he could feel the heat in the back seat. In the rearview mirror, he could see the silhouettes of the Great One, the Malignant One, and those who had contracted with him.
The others are far below him, mere followers. Dennis began to report to the Malignant One from beyond.
"As you ordered, it was not difficult to dispatch the Human Rights Council inspectors to the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods."
[Well done, the weak idealism of the humans is so weak]
It was Dennis, an insider, who tipped off the UN.
The Demons have followers all over the world. In the private sector, in government positions, in the cracks of the United Nations… they're everywhere.
[Human rights, right to survival, that sort of thing is easier to move around]
"That's right. Who knew the orc expansion thing would work out so well?"
It was their ruse that got the UN Survivors' Rights Committee to extend orc rights globally.
Orcs are a formidable fighting force, but they are also unruly and antisocial.
They are quick to resort to violence and do not take orders from those weaker than themselves. This includes executive orders and law enforcement.
Such orcs are prolific breeders, growing in numbers and expanding into the mainstream of the region.
By embracing these orcs, Dennis and his demonic followers were able to accelerate the terraforming of the gate clearance and ravage the world.
Their ultimate goal is to give voting rights to the orcs.
Orcs were basically the same age as humans when it came to adulthood, but their physical age was only five, so the plan was to lower the voting age significantly.
With a few tears for democracy and orc rights in the name of multiracialism, the hypocrites of the West would be forced to extend voting rights to orcs.
From there, it was simple.
Simple orc demagoguery rallies the vote, and politicians expand orcs in the hope of garnering their votes.
The destruction of the world would be hastened by the fact that a world with an orc majority would not be able to function properly.
"Stupid humans will not overcome the great immortals in the end."
The demons' plan will be completed with the support of those in high places who know this will happen, who will be hypocritical because of their political ambitions, and those who will think they are doing great justice.
"But, Great One."
[What is going on?]
"I don't mean to question the Great One's plan, but I doubt the South Korean government will impose sanctions if our inspectors expose the true state of the TTG Temple. The relationship between the TTG Temple and the government is too close."
In the first place, TTG Temple was organized and supported by Oh Kang-hyuk of the Korean Hunter Association.
Even the president was supporting him in a bipartisan move.
He heard that they made a deal with him that they would do anything for him as long as he didn't get involved in politics, but it's not official.
[It doesn't matter, as long as we can sway public opinion and keep his feet on the ground]
"I don't think that's going to work──"
[Do you think this is just for my pleasure? Your fate is at stake, too! Look!]
A finger moved in the darkness, and an image appeared.
-Boom! Boom!
They see serfs mining a gigantic meteor.
Followers of the demons, like Dennis, were captives taken from the Archduke's estate.
"I know this."
It was then that the meteor, shaken by the pickaxe blows, splintered and fell as rocks, crashing down on the serfs.
"Aaah!"
-Thud!
With a dizzying sound, the peasants exploded like blown porridge and the Kikiruk overseer approached.
-Kiruk!
Get to work, slave.
The untranslated words were clear enough to make Dennis' fists clench.
"You'll be damned...."
The next scene was from inside the factory. The serfs looked somber as their bodies were scorched by the holy power of Star Iron.
Then, boom! Even as they collapsed, the Kikiruk overseers whipped them to their feet.
"Poisonous bastards...."
Next up were images from inside the gate.
They must have shared the view of one of the serfs, for it was playing a horrific scene in real-time.
[Serf Ballista, load up!]
Serf Ballista? What's that....?
"Ah, ah, ah...."
This is horrible. This… this is what people do!
The shared vision sobs and fills with tears. Sobbing, he bade farewell to his fellow serfs.
[Remember me…!]
[[I'll remember…!]]
That was the last of the footage.
[Do you see? This is the future ruled by the Lionheart King, and you will die as expendables to that psychopathic maniac!]
It was a ploy to build up some sort of motivation, and it worked very well.
"Filthy fanatics… Revolution! We need revolution!"
"But, Great One… if we're going to do it right, won't we get caught?"
[It's okay, the artifacts I gave you should be fine for the duration of the inspection!]
"I see! I'm relieved!"
Dennis was relieved, and his sense of mission ignited. Heavenly punishment for this evil classist!
And he will usher the world into a new age of demons!
...
…
"I will kill him!"
"Hang the demons!"
"I will burn them to death!"
Why....
-Bam! The trial begins.
What happened?