The Legacy – Worldbuilding Review

Hello!

Did you have a good Christmas!

As I announced in advance, today I would like to review the worldbuilding of the work!From the origin of the organization and its power structure, to a detailed review of Black Rose and Melina, I believe this will resolve, to some extent, questions you may have been curious about for quite some time!

Then, let us begin right away.

The Power Structure of the Organization

The organization ‘The Legacy’ is a global conglomerate consisting of one parent company and five subsidiaries.First, I will explain the names, roles, and origins of the five subsidiaries.

1.Bridgewell Partners (Lobbying Specialist Organization)

Externally, it is a professional lobbying organization, but internally, it is closer to a specialized spy training institution.In other words, its role is to deliberately approach high-ranking public officials and fabricate and collect their weaknesses for the survival of the organization.

For this reason, most of its members are former trainers.There is no tool as effective as Melina for manipulating human psychology and digging up weaknesses.

Their origin dates back to the Reagan administration of the 1980s, when the ‘War on Drugs’ was declared.Due to the government’s strict regulations, white high society and the middle class began searching for relatively safer drugs, and trainers used this as a pretext to form connections with high society.

In this way, certain factions within white high society began to fall deeply for Black trainers who used Melina, and this became the origin of BBC.Since Melina was originally developed as a drug for psychological therapy, it played the role of liberating repressed desires,and because of that, some white women came to love Black trainers.

And some of them even tattooed the symbol of the first Godmother, ‘Marie Rose,’ onto their bodies.The black rose and the Queen of Spades.

However, not all of high society welcomed them.There were quite a few who viewed Black trainers with resentment and hostility.

As a result, Black trainers were completely expelled from high society in the early 1990s,and today, the organization is composed mostly of white trainers.

2.Haven Children Foundation (Refugee Relief Organization)

Externally, it is a charitable organization that provides relief for refugees, but internally, it is a talent selection institution.Through shelters established around the world, it selects children with exceptional potential and then sends them to the United States through adoption-linked programs.

Among them, the most outstanding children are called ‘Blessed Children’ and are raised by the Godmother herself.Montel Kingston, who appears in the story, is also from the Blessed Children.

※ Montel Kingston, CEO of the major comprehensive entertainment company ‘Blue Note Collective’

The origin and predecessor of this organization was the orphanage run by the first Godmother, ‘Marie Rose,’ and it remains a core institution where the Godmother currently resides.

3.Legacy Financial Group (Global Asset Management Institution)

Externally, it takes the form of a secondary financial sector institution, but in reality, it launders illegal funds.It is also an institution that was newly established as the organization grew in scale.

Since it also manages the slush funds of many wealthy individuals through secret routes, it operates in collaboration with the lobbying institution ‘Bridgewell Partners.’

4.Blackwell Logistics (Distribution and Transportation Industry)

Externally, it is a firearms distribution company, but in reality, it traffics drugs and weapons.Ironically, however, its origins were in a very legitimate distribution business.

In Harlem during the 1940s–50s, there were very few professions that Black people could own, and the few that were possible included moving services and laundry delivery.

However, in the 1960s, connections were formed with the Italian Mafia and South American organizations, and full-scale drug transportation began.For Black residents of Harlem struggling to make a living, this was an extremely alluring way to earn money.

Thus, Blackwell Logistics, which began as a small transportation company, became one of the largest institutions in the organization.It has completely taken control of the drug supply chain within the United States, and even the CIA unofficially turns a blind eye to it.

At the very least, the organization does not deal in crack-type drugs that come with strong addiction and brain damage,and it plays a role in suppressing deadly foreign drugs such as fentanyl.

In other words, they are preventing cheap and lethal foreign drugs from circulating.After all, selling their own relatively safer drugs with fewer side effects over the long term is what makes money.

Thus, the head of this company, which has become a ‘necessary evil,’ is ‘Samuel West,’ who appears as a presidential candidate and Trevi’s mentor.

※ Samuel West, CEO of Blackwell Logistics

5.Blue Note Collective (Comprehensive Entertainment Conglomerate)

In the 1920s, Harlem was a wealthy middle-class area.During this period, Harlem was also a center of jazz, culture, and literature.

It was in this environment that ‘Blue Note Collective’ began as a small record label.They made great profits from jazz and expanded by acquiring multiple clubs,and later merged with hip-hop labels to become the massive entertainment corporation it is today.

Within the organization, they serve as the Godmother’s media arm, and they are so devoted to image-making that there is even a ‘Godmother-dedicated team.’

Currently, this organization is headed by Montel Kingston, Kayla’s owner and a member of the ‘Blessed Children.’

0.The Legacy Holdings

This is the parent company that controls the five subsidiaries described above.The person who holds the position of CEO of this parent company can be considered the de facto leader of the organization.

Currently, Director Montel Kingston and Director Samuel West are in opposition over this position,and the director who produces the Godmother will ascend to become the organization’s leader.

At the Apex of Everything, the Godmother

Readers with particularly sharp insight may have felt some confusion when reading about the organization’s parent company, The Legacy Holdings.

“Wait, if the head of the parent company is the de facto ruler of the organization, then what about the Godmother?”

Even so, the true ruler of the organization is indeed the Godmother.

This is because the largest shareholder of The Legacy Holdings is a trust institution called The Rose Foundation,and the Godmother is the largest voting-right holder and chairperson of that trust.

In other words, the Godmother is the hidden ruler.

Because it is a nonprofit shell trust, there is virtually no legal risk,and since individuals dispatched from the foundation become the CEOs of the five subsidiaries, the governance structure is solid.

In effect, since the ‘Blessed Children’ personally raised by the Godmother occupy the organization’s key positions, it can be considered a family enterprise.For this reason, all power is concentrated in a single individual: the Godmother.

Background of the Story

The Godmother’s term of office is usually around 20 years.Depending on the age at which she ascends, the term varies, but generally, around the age of 45, preparations for a successor begin.

In other words, simply becoming a Black Rose does not mean one can become the Godmother; it must coincide with the period when the Godmother is seeking her next successor.

At that time, only Black Roses can be candidates for Godmother, and one Black Rose can be designated from each of the five subsidiaries.

The qualifications for becoming a Black Rose require a woman to possess beauty, intelligence, and charisma,and being particularly adept at handling Melina grants an enormous advantage.

This is because the drug Melina is regarded as sacred within the organization.

Therefore, trainers who handle Melina well are more likely to rise in status,and yet Trevi, for various reasons, has been driven out to Korea.

To him, the existence of ‘Bella’ is nothing short of a treasure.

If she becomes the Godmother, he could rise to the very center of the organization even without being one of the ‘Blessed Children.’

Hmm… but in the latest episode, he chose the path of reclaiming Bella even if it meant abandoning everything he had desired until now.Even though there is an extremely high probability that he will fail and be disposed of himself.

Why did he make such a choice, when he had never cared about what happened to others as long as he could obtain what he wanted?You will be able to find out in the next episode.

Why Other Black Roses Do Not Appear

According to the setting, there are five Black Roses within the organization.

‘Angela’ of Bridgewell Partners,‘Renee’ of the Haven Children Foundation,‘Cynthia’ of the Legacy Financial Group,‘Bella’ of Blackwell Logistics,and ‘Kayla’ of the Blue Note Collective.

These five are the Black Roses of the current era.

However, the remaining three were independently excluded from candidacy by the Elders’ Council.

If too many candidates are made to compete, conflicts only intensify,and the organization pathologically despises conflict and division.

Therefore, the final two candidates with the greatest qualifications are selected to form a confrontation structure,and subsidiaries that fail to produce a Godmother candidate express their support through various behind-the-scenes maneuvers.

Currently, the most promising Godmother candidate is Kayla, and Bridgewell Partners and the Haven Children Foundation are supporting her.

Doctrine of the Order

All beginnings of the organization trace back to the first Godmother, ‘Marie Rose.’She was posthumously elevated as the first Godmother, and in practical terms, the organization began to be ruled from the second Godmother onward.

At that time, the name of the second Godmother was Bella Rose.A familiar name, isn’t it?

Let us look a bit further into the lineage.

The third Godmother was Cynthia Rose,the fourth Godmother was Keisha Rose,and the fifth Godmother is the current Godmother, Malika Rose.

Among these, Cynthia Rose shares her name with the present-day Black Rose ‘Cynthia.’

Why do the names overlap so frequently?

It is because when a woman becomes a Black Rose and is given a new name, it is taken from the names of the daughters cherished by the first Godmother, ‘Marie Rose.’

Marie Rose, who ran an orphanage, especially cherished ‘Bella,’ ‘Kayla,’ ‘Renee,’ ‘Angela,’ ‘Donna,’ ‘Cynthia,’ ‘Malika,’ and ‘Keisha,’and after her death, they became the origins of the Black Roses.

The reason for giving the names of Marie Rose’s foster daughters is that it is believed only in this way can the Holy Spirit of Marie Rose descend into the flesh of the Godmother.

In other words, the goal of the Elders’ Council and the Order is to find a beautiful woman who can receive the Holy Spirit of Marie Rose,and Bella and Kayla have been selected as the most suitable candidates.

They believe that the Holy Spirit of Marie Rose can save the persecuted Black community.

Why Melina Is Regarded as Sacred

Then why does the Elders’ Council obsess so strongly over Melina?

It is because they believe that only ‘those who overcome the Godmother’s Melina’ can receive the Holy Spirit of Marie Rose.

One can compare this to the myth of King Arthur’s ‘Excalibur.’Just as only the worthy can draw the sword, they believe that only those chosen by the Holy Spirit can overcome the Godmother’s Melina.

That is how difficult and dangerous the Godmother’s Melina is to handle,and if misused, one can easily become a madman or be completely ruined.

To explain roughly why this is so, we must first explain the mechanism of Melina.

This part may become somewhat tedious and academic, so I will try to explain it as simply and quickly as possible.

Now, why do humans ‘think’?

It is due to the human instinct to predict danger and increase survival probability.This is also why we react far more sensitively to negative news than to positive news.

In modern society, negativity bias has become even stronger due to information overload, but we will skip that part.

In any case, ‘Isaiah,’ the developer of Melina, originally created this drug for therapeutic purposes.He genuinely desired true racial harmony and believed that if this negativity bias could be appropriately turned off and on, a multiracial society could become one,and he worked tirelessly to maintain dignity and earn recognition from mainstream white society.

However, just as everything seemed to be going smoothly, he received tragic news.

His beloved mother, ‘Marie Rose,’ met her death due to division among her brothers.

To make matters worse, he was betrayed by a trusted business partner, and he fell into corruption.

“It will bring harmony to everyone” became “With this drug, I will rule over foolish and ignorant humans.”

So then, what kind of mechanism allows this drug to dominate human consciousness?

The answer is the ‘amygdala.’

The amygdala in our brain is an ‘alarm system’ that detects danger first and immediately converts emotions into actions,and when it is turned off, one cannot sense whether any information encountered is dangerous or safe.

Thus, it can be said that the ‘mental defense barrier’ is completely removed.

If pleasure is implanted and information is injected in this state, it becomes established in the brain’s reward circuitry, resulting in brainwashing.

The effect is so powerful that a person who hated mint chocolate can come to enjoy eating toothpaste,an Italian can happily eat Hawaiian pizza and drink Americano diluted with water without an extra shot,and a Korean who would shout “Iced Americano even if I freeze to death” can end up ordering hot coffee even in the middle of summer.

However, Melina is not omnipotent, because the user is also affected by Melina.

In other words, if one does not keep a firm grip on their sanity, not only will brainwashing fail,but the trainer themselves may end up with nothing but a bizarre reward circuit.

Simply put, even a trainer’s reward patterns that guide life positively can be destroyed.

In that sense, the Godmother’s Melina is an extremely dangerous drug.

If handled well, it can suppress all negative emotions that block our rationality, transcending all doubt and fear.

Put simply, think of it as a 100% enhancement of brain function!

You can even think of it as receiving a +100 intelligence buff and predicting all of your opponent’s moves.

For these reasons, the Elders’ Council and the faithful believe that when they see a Godmother intoxicated with +100 intelligence, the Holy Spirit of Marie Rose has descended.

They think she is delivering revelations to save them, something like that.

This is also why the Elders made such a fuss when they saw Bella in episode 8-1.

What Happens If One Fails to Handle the Godmother’s Melina

Now then, conversely, what happens if one fails to handle the Godmother’s Melina?

Before explaining, let me pose a question.

If there were video titles like the following, which would you click?

1.Wow! I caught a 100cm catfish!

2.I guarantee it. We must prepare for an economic crisis.

Hmm… now that I write it out, number 1 does sound pretty clickbaity too…

Anyway, humans are more interested in negative news!

This cannot be helped!

It is not that we are bad, but that we are designed that way.

In short, we are far more sensitive to negative information.

Therefore, if one cannot escape the Godmother’s Melina, they fall into an infinite loop.

Danger prediction -> reward circuit activation -> danger prediction -> reward circuit activation -> danger prediction -> reward circuit activation, and so on.

If this repeats continuously, humans are bound to go mad.

They can trust nothing, become extreme, and their inner world turns into hell.

They become lunatics.

How Bella (Hayoon) Overcame the Godmother’s Melina

Then how did Bella (Hayoon) overcome the Godmother’s Melina?

Simply put, it is just talent.

Hayoon was born with an innate aptitude for handling Melina.

This is closely related to her family environment.

As revealed in episode 9-1, Hayoon’s biological mother was a person deeply lacking in money and power.

When her husband’s company faced bankruptcy, she had to sell her body to survive.

However, in the high society she entered, Hayoon’s mother was viewed with mocking eyes for selling her body to the chairman, and that shame fueled her obsession.

“One day, once I obtain money and power, I will crush all of you.”

This desire took root within her.

In reality, thanks to her efforts, she gained the chairman’s favor, and her husband was able to rise smoothly as well.

From then on, she became obsessed with money and power, and this was passed on to her child.

She taught human relationships solely as tools for acquiring money and power.

Young Hayoon, because her mother praised and liked such things, formed relationships as means to achieve objectives, and became accustomed to that way of living.

From an early age, she was trained to exploit others’ desires and deficiencies.

This environment became the catalyst that allowed her to display unparalleled talent as a Black Rose, but in truth, Hayoon knew.

That living this way could never bring happiness.

Thus, the one to whom she devoted her entire heart was Jinwoo, and he became her meaning.

At times, her obsession and fixation on that meaning pushed Jinwoo hard, but ultimately, she overcame her own deficiency and became able to handle the Godmother’s Melina.

In Closing.

There is still more information left to unravel, but I will end it here.

The text has become quite long anyway… um…

I believe that on an adult comics channel, it is right to post what is arousing.

Even so, the reason I write something like this is… hmm. Probably my own greed.

When this work ends, I will really, truly deliver proper arousal ㅠㅠ

I am always sorry to readers who expected something else, and nonetheless, I am truly grateful to readers who continue to like the work.

With that said, I will return with episode 9-1 on January 10.

Thank you.