I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 124

News that the Holy Kingdom of Eldorado had assembled an investigative team and dispatched them to the Forest of the Four Seasons spread like wildfire.

The news swept beyond all of Eldorado and reached the entire world.

Despite it being a sudden announcement, almost no one seemed surprised or flustered.

Just as it was expected of a thug to act like a thug, people simply brushed it off, saying, "The Holy Kingdom being the Holy Kingdom again."

Furthermore, there was a clear reason they were able to dispatch an investigative team so quickly.

The Forest of the Four Seasons directly bordered the territory of the Holy Kingdom of Eldorado.

The Forest of the Four Seasons was comparable in size to a small nation, and it shared borders with several countries.

Eldorado was one of those neighboring countries. That was why they could so frequently carry out their so-called "dirty deeds."

Ever since the roots of Eldorado began to rot, there had been a suspicious abundance of "accidental disappearances."

And the Forest of the Four Seasons was a hell from which no one could ever escape once they entered.

Considering that an extraordinarily high number of high-ranking figures were among those missing, suspicion was inevitable.

"Eldorado is only increasing the number of scapegoats! Reveal the truth!"

"Why are they trying to bury their own mistakes under the deaths of others?"

"Those who believe in God will one day face His wrath."

"The timing is too fast. It looks like they had this prepared all along..."

Above all, the time from preparation to action was suspiciously short.

The dispatch of the team proceeded so smoothly it was as if they had been eagerly waiting for this opportunity.

People whispered among themselves that calling it an "investigative team" was just a cover—it was an open purge.

"If we didn’t act quickly, we would have only invited suspicion."

"We are confident because we have done nothing wrong."

"How dare you doubt God’s representative? All of this was ordered by the Pope..."

Eldorado’s response to this public outcry was dead simple: thick-skinned shamelessness.

Hearing that the Pope himself, one of God’s representatives, gave the direct order forced other nations to tread carefully.

Who was the Pope? If the Hero was the pillar of Eldorado, the Pope was its roof beam.

With the Hero currently on the run under allegations of being a traitor, the Pope wielded absolute, unchecked power.

Thus, the Pope’s word was effectively the will of Eldorado itself. And on top of that, they doubled down on their shamelessness.

No matter how rotten it had become, Eldorado remained one of the long-standing military powers.

Even in the Hero’s absence, their baseline power was formidable, meaning no country could lightly criticize them.

"Kadir’s statement isn’t a lie. Eldorado is just desperate to cover it up."

"How is Eldorado’s investigative team structured? Surprisingly..."

"A purge has begun once again. Blood veiled in light is leaking out."

Amid endless debates and arguments, Eldorado had already completed the dispatch of the investigative team.

Less than a week had passed since the truth about the Immortal King came to light.

It could have meant they were in a rush, but it was far more likely to be a political show.

Yet Eldorado’s stance was blatantly clear: If we don’t even put on a show, everyone will talk shit anyway, so what do you expect us to do?

At the end of such brazen behavior, the ones sacrificed were innocent paladins and priests.

"Fuck."

"Watch your mouth."

"If you were in my shoes, Master, wouldn’t you be cursing too?"

Inside a carriage heading toward the Forest of the Four Seasons, a man and a woman exchanged banter.

A steadfast face with a strong, square jaw. Sunken eyes. A handsomely groomed gray beard.

A middle-aged man with short gray hair and blue eyes.

"No idle chatter. Think about what lies ahead."

"Wow. Seriously frustrating. Master! Do you even know where we’re going? It’s the Forest of the Four Seasons, the Forest of the Four Seasons!"

The young woman sitting opposite him shouted in frustration, her voice laced with anger.

Short brown hair cut for ease of movement. Sharp, turned-up eyes that gave her a cynical edge.

Her husky voice gave off a slightly neutral feel, but her striking looks were impossible to hide.

"I know."

"Then how can you be so calm?!"

"Because orders came from above. Do not forget that we are paladins, and at the same time, soldiers."

"Ha...!"

But the gray-haired man simply crossed his arms and answered in a solemn, composed voice.

At his infuriatingly calm response, the young paladin, Race, let out a dry laugh of disbelief.

Following that, as if concluding after much thought that this was completely insane, she voiced her grievance.

"Master. Honestly, this is just shoving us off a cliff to die. Simply because the higher-ups ordered it."

"..."

"Why on earth do we have to take on a mission like this? Is it because you were the Hero’s instructor...?"

"Quiet."

At Race’s plea, the gray-haired paladin, Ludwig, admonished her in a stern voice.

It was just a short word, but the weight behind it was more than enough to silence Race.

However, while Race shut her mouth, her scowl remained.

If anything, it only stoked her defiance, as anger gradually simmered in her eyes.

"High command issued an order, and we follow it. That is all."

"Master."

"From now on, do not call me Master, call me Commander. Whatever our personal relationship, I am your superior officer."

"..."

A stubborn rigidity so suffocating it practically choked her.

Race grimaced at his stubbornness, unable to object any further.

Because complaining like this wouldn’t change a single thing anyway.

"Race."

"..."

"If you are afraid, you may run. I will pretend I saw nothing."

Ludwig was the first to break the dead silence.

Race was shocked that Ludwig would actually suggest desertion, but her surprise quickly turned into a scowl.

"What is this? Honestly, I’m more surprised that you even said that, Commander."

"I, too, can distinguish right from wrong."Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping(.)com.

"If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to just rebel against them?"

"Finding a sliver of hope is better than dying a dog’s death."

"Yeah, right."

Race laughed incredulously. She was no fool.

She knew full well what kind of situation the Holy Kingdom of Eldorado was in, and why they had placed her in the investigative team.

Knowing every single detail behind their motives, she couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

"It’s so tragic that I’m dying just because I was too smart."

"There are times when one must know how to play dumb."

"If you knew that so well, why on earth did you train the Hero?"

"It was a sacred duty assigned by the Goddess."

"Sigh."

Race shook her head back and forth.

Ludwig had once taught martial arts to the Hero and was renowned as a devout believer.

Which was why he was one of the most respected paladins within Eldorado.

Until the incident that ruined everything broke out, that was.

"Commander."

"Speak."

"Do you really think the Hero is a traitor?"

The rumor that the Hero, Asella, was a traitor. The rumor that she had fled because of it.

A "Traitor" was a betrayer personally designated by Goddess Aris—the absolute worst stigma in Eldorado.

Currently, the Holy Kingdom was in hot pursuit of the fleeing Asella.

The rumor that the Hero was a traitor had spread far beyond the Holy Kingdom and across the entire continent.

"According to the prophecy, she would have to be considered a traitor."

"What if the Pope’s side tampered with it?"

"I would not know. Prophecies can only be heard by Cardinals or higher."

There was a reason Eldorado had managed to maintain its status as a Holy Kingdom despite secretly committing countless evil deeds over time.

It was the prophecies. Whenever the Holy Kingdom faced a crisis, the Goddess herself would deliver a prophecy.

In the past, when humanity was weak, Aris and the other gods granted prophecies directly.

In the present day, with the passing of generations, a prophecy was granted whenever a new Hero was chosen.

And the moment Asella drew the Holy Sword, Revolution, the Goddess delivered a prophecy.

A prophecy stating that Asella would bring ruin to the Holy Kingdom of Eldorado.

Prophecies generally left room for interpretation.

But this particular prophecy was unusually blunt and shocking.

"Even if they played tricks, Asella fled the moment she heard that prophecy. Does that not explain enough?"

"Why on earth would the Goddess...?"

"Only the Goddess knows the reason."

Upon hearing the prophecy, Asella took the Holy Sword and fled.

Now that the Hero, who was supposed to hold equal authority to the Pope, had fled, there was no one left to check the Pope’s power.

His current reckless behavior was simply because there was nobody around to stop him.

Even the investigative team assembled this time was packed entirely with people who had long been thorns in his side.

"So, will you run?"

"Forget it. Even if I run, I’d just be hunted down immediately."

"There’s a saying: better to roll in dog shit in this world than to rest in peace in the next."

"I’m sure our noble Goddess will guide us."

Ludwig chuckled at Race’s sarcasm. Even when she grumbled like that, he couldn’t bring himself to dislike her.

At the same time, it grieved him. To think that a talented youth of the future would perish in a purge like this.

Deep down, he wanted to strike back, but he lacked both the power and a proper cause.

A reality so cruel it felt deeply unfair. Yet there was no one capable of changing it.

With even the Hero branded a traitor, what was left to lean on?

"By the way, Commander."

"Speak."

"You know that guy on the Gallery who exposed the book’s contents?"

While Ludwig was lamenting inwardly, Race brought up an intriguing topic.

A figure who could be considered the origin and culprit of this entire incident.

Normally, things that happened on the Gallery rarely spilled into reality, but this time was different.

It was an incident significant enough to shake the pillars of a nation, so it couldn’t be ignored.

"Why ask about him?"

"Do you really think he’s in the Forest of the Four Seasons?"

"I do not use the Gallery, so I do not know. But I believe his existence has already been proven."

"That’s true, but I wonder if it’s realistically possible."

Was it because they were about to enter the Forest of the Four Seasons? The question arose naturally.

Ludwig listened to her, pondered deeply, and asked quietly.

"Do you also use the Gallery?"

"I’m just lurking."

"What is ’lurking’?"

"Wow... total boomer vibes."

"Apologies for my scent."

"Just kidding. Anyway, it means just quietly reading through things. It’s not like you read every single word of the newspaper back-to-back, right, Commander?"

"I do read every word."

"..."

Race wore an exasperated look. Now she knew exactly who the Hero got her rigid stubbornness from.

After letting out a quiet sigh, she skipped the banter and got straight to the point.

"Anyway, do you think the exposer really lives in the Forest of the Four Seasons? Even if he proved it, isn’t it hard to believe?"

"Almost nothing is known about the Forest of the Four Seasons. There may well be a safe area."Get faster updates on novelping(.)com.

"If you put it that way, I guess I have nothing to say, but..."

Race let her sentence trail off before speaking quietly.

"Do you think we can survive in there too?"

"It is my first time in the Forest of the Four Seasons as well, so I cannot say."

"Sigh. My fault for asking."

Receiving only formal answers, Race gave up on asking any further.

Instead, she logged into the Gallery to pass the time.

Seeing Race stare blankly into empty space, Ludwig grew curious and asked quietly.

"Are you connected to the Gallery?"

"Yes. I’m looking at the post that guy wrote."

"What post?"

"He says if anyone makes it to where he lives, he’ll throw them a grand welcome party. He’s practically begging people to come."

Race snickered as she explained, clearly finding something amusing.

Ludwig showed deeper interest for a brief moment before asking another question.

"Is there nothing else?"

"Yeah. Well... he said if someone proves they’re part of the investigative team, he’ll give them a fucking amazing gift."

"...What?"

"A gift. Should I ask him what it is?"

Ludwig frowned slightly at her casual profanity, then gave a nod as if telling her to do as she pleased.

Race gazed into the air for a while, then clicked her tongue in disappointment.

"Looks tough. Why is the verification process so insanely strict?"

"What kind of verification?"

"A bunch of conditions attached. First, take a photo at the entrance of the Forest of the Four Seasons. Second, be a member of the investigative team. Finally, get other people on the forum to recognize it."

"A thorough fellow."

"We don’t even know what he’s giving out, I’d rather just not bother."

Just as Race finished grumbling—

"How does one connect to the Gallery?"

"Huh?"

"I asked how to connect to the Gallery."

Ludwig, who had been sitting quietly, asked how to access the Gallery.

It was such an unexpected question that Race could only blink in astonishment.

Before long, she asked back in a baffled tone.

"...Are you serious?"

"Consider it a final piece of entertainment. So, will you not tell me?"

"No, it’s not that, but..."

Race taught Ludwig how to connect to the Gallery.

Connecting to the Gallery itself wasn’t difficult, so Ludwig was able to log in easily.

And so, Ludwig kept his gaze fixed on empty space for quite a long time.

"Race."

"Yes, Commander."

"Could you lend me a mirror?"

"?"

It was an unexpected request, so she was confused, but she handed it over anyway.

Ludwig took the mirror, angled it to reflect his face from various angles, and immediately handed it back.

Soon, he resumed exploring the Gallery with a deeply focused expression.

Race watched him quietly, then logged into the Gallery herself.

Wondering what on earth that stubborn old man could have posted.

Of course, if he had just lurked, there would be nothing to see, but...

Ludwig van Erold

Right there on the Recommended Posts list—a board containing only highly upvoted posts—stood that name loud and clear.

Ludwig van Erold was Ludwig’s full name. Even if a first name could be common, having the exact same surname and middle name was impossible.

Praying it wasn’t what she thought it was, Race opened the post.

Title) Ludwig van Erold

LudwigvanErold

(Photo of Ludwig’s face reflected in a mirror)

(Photo of Ludwig’s face reflected in a mirror)

(Photo of Ludwig’s face reflected in a mirror)

Commander of the Holy Kingdom of Eldorado’s Investigative Team, Ludwig van Erold.

I have verified.

?

?

Who tf is this guy? Why’d he suddenly post pictures of himself?

What the hell. Someone abruptly dropping selfies out of nowhere is hilarious.

How am I supposed to react to this? Do I call him ugly?

Wait, he says he’s the Investigative Team Commander? Is that real?

Why on earth would he post something like this? ;;

Is he bragging that he looks handsome?

Is it because Grylls said he’d give out a gift?

Why does this reek so heavily of boomer energy ;;

"Hmm. Strange. I clearly verified myself."

"..."

Even his very first post reeked overwhelmingly of lonely old boomer vibes.