I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 135

Around the time Grylls’s activities were restricted by an unseasonal wintering.

The world outside the Forest of the Four Seasons was bustling for various reasons.

The Holy Kingdom, El Dorado, was ablaze due to the investigation team and the Immortal King incident.

Mephisto was setting everything on fire because hooligans refused to accept match results.

Even relatively quiet nations didn’t cease activity for their own respective reasons.

"Were you the one who presented the mature mandrake to Us?"

An expression dripping with annoyance at all world affairs. Yet a dignity that could not be concealed.

Blond hair that had lost none of its color and still shone brightly, accompanied by a neatly groomed beard.

A man exhibiting the textbook specimen of a handsome middle-aged gentleman spoke in a nonchalant voice.

While annoyance radiated from his expression, his solemnity remained impossible to hide.

"Y-Yes! That is correct, Your Majesty."

Opposite him, Count Gorgon bowed deeply and answered.

A short distance from Count Gorgon, Arnold, the handsome blond prince, watched on.

"Raise your head. You are no different than Our benefactor."

"I-I am deeply honored, Your Majesty."

"There is no need for such deference. So, what is it that you desire?"

The middle-aged man skipping preludes to cut straight to the point was named Robert.

The Emperor of the Messiah Empire, Robert Louis Messiah II.

Though saddled with the subtle evaluation of being a ’domestic-use emperor’, he wielded formidable power.

Being ’domestic-use’ was actually impossible without administrative prowess—that is, immense authority.

Holding such terrifying power allowed him to steadily govern the foundation of the Messiah Empire.

"Th-This humble servant desires nothing. I am satisfied simply that Your Majesty has recovered your health."

"Is that so? Very well. We shall think of a reward fitting for you, so you may take your leave."

"May you live ten thousand years, -hasoseo."

Count Gorgon bowed low once more to offer his farewell.

Delivering a flair of wishing long life unlike ordinary greetings was a bonus.

Even at the sensible greeting, Robert maintained a grim face.

Soon, only Robert and Arnold remained in the Emperor’s bedchamber.

Robert remained silent for a while, and Arnold stayed still until his father spoke.

"...Son."

"Yes, Royal Father."

"You truly did something useless."

Robert spoke amid heavy silence. Words mixed with reproach.

At those words, Arnold flinched and glanced at Robert.

Whether deep in thought or not, Robert was merely staring up at the ceiling.

"Thanks to you, my plan went awry."

"What plan... do you mean?"

"..."

Robert didn’t answer. An attitude signaling he didn’t want to talk about it.

Then, looking at the flustered Arnold, he spoke quietly.

"Did you say it was an item obtained from the Gallery?"

"Yes. That... is correct."

"There are all kinds of bizarre items. To think it was obtained from the Forest of the Four Seasons..."

Robert stroked his beard as if pondering deeply, then continued.

"Who was that just now? Count Gola?"

"Count Gorgon."

"Ah, right. Entrust this matter entirely to him. I have work to do."

"Work, you say..."

"I must prepare your succession ceremony."

"!"

Arnold’s eyes widened. Robert spoke calmly, but the content was far from calm.

Succession ceremony—meaning inheriting the throne. It meant Arnold would soon ascend to the Emperor’s seat.

Arnold was excited that his desired scenario had arrived, but quickly reined it in.

Experience had taught him that excitement ruined matters.

"I shall have the succession ceremony prepared within a month. It will get quite busy."

"Royal Father. I am not yet..."

"Even after consuming the mature mandrake, my health is not what it used to be. I can no longer endure it."

Just as Arnold tried to say something, Robert cut him off.

At that, Arnold rejoiced internally while waiting for Robert to speak.

"So prepare yourself thoroughly. The recent movements of the Holy Kingdom and Alfheim are unusual."

"I will exercise caution."

"If you overcome this ordeal, you will become a greater emperor than I."

"Not at all. Royal Father firmly established the pillars of the Empire."

"That was thanks to being carried by Ash, though."

"Pardon?"

For a moment, Arnold blinked in surprise, wondering if he had misheard.

Kollok! Kollok! Kueur-eok!

Of course, as Robert coughed violently, doubt turned into concern.

Startled, Arnold turned his head to call the attending physician.

But before he could, Robert raised a hand to stop him.Follow the newest chapters on novelрing.com.

"Cough. It is nothing. A dry cough is inevitable at my age."

"Royal Father."

"Anyway, the Empire has plenty of talented individuals, so you needn’t worry about internal affairs. Worst comes to worst, you can write a letter to the former Commander of the Royal Guard."

The former Commander of the Royal Guard meant only one person.

The martial artist holding Sword Master as a title and the strongest sword of the Empire, Ash Menethil.

Currently in semi-seclusion, she was someone who would willingly grant Robert’s request.

The patron who supported Ash wholeheartedly was the Emperor, and Ash had repaid that grace in turn.

Although someone dumping useful tips on the Gallery raised the continent’s average martial prowess, it was fine.

The weight of Ash’s name alone meant no one could treat the Empire lightly.

"So you only need to focus on external matters. Things seem to be escalating."

"Yes, I understand."

"Then take your leave. I wish to be alone."

"The attending physician..."

"I shall call him separately."

"Yes, Royal Father."

Arnold bowed deeply and left the bedchamber. Only Robert remained alone.

Left alone, Robert blinked his eyes for a while before letting out a sigh.

Then, adopting a wistful look unseen before, he muttered softly.

"I didn’t want to work..."

A grumble like an overworked office worker. That wasn’t all.

"Why did a mature mandrake even exist... I planned to spend my retirement comfortably..."

Robert muttered in a voice laden with annoyance and irritation at world affairs.

His health worsening? That was true to some extent.

But he wasn’t bedridden to the point of being unable to work.

It was closer to feigning illness. Except that feigned illness came with poison.

He drank a poison that caused illness like a cold, but had no lasting impact on overall health.

Since he had briefed his attending physician, he could orchestrate it to look like a grave ordeal.

Why did he do such a thing? Simple. Because he hated working.

The position of Emperor or King inherently brought overwork.

Robert couldn’t escape it either, and ultimately pulled off this stunt.

One could say he lacked responsibility as an Emperor, but it posed no problem.

State affairs were already fully handed over to his son, Arnold.

Only the succession ceremony remained, but unable to endure even that, he took to bed.

’I hope El Dorado or Alfheim don’t act up within this month.’

Especially when recent troublemakers were causing a ruckus. Robert wanted the succession ceremony to take place quickly.

To do that, he’d have to work again. Terrible just imagining it.

Briefly confused by impending affairs, Robert stared into empty air.

Looking into the void, a window floated up gently.

It was the Gallery that his son, Arnold, had also been enjoying recently.

’It was so nice back then.’

What did he do while feigning illness? He fooled around on the Gallery.

No matter how dignified the Emperor, he couldn’t resist secret entertainment.

Rather, having worked hard all this time, he fell into the Gallery out of compensation mentality.

’I want to play like that too.’

Why was he an Emperor? The nickname ’domestic-use emperor’ was fine, but why an Emperor?

Why did his father only sire one son? Various thoughts crossed his mind.

Browsing the Gallery, Robert found a post by someone gaining popularity lately.

Title: Speed Sloth is staring into the fire

Wild Grylls

(Speed Sloth zoning out looking at the fire)

This guy is staring into the fire, so I tried pulling him away, but he won’t budge.

So even when I forcibly pulled him away, he went right back. His fur even singed and he’s still like that lol

└ Heavenly Demon) Strangely cute. It seems he knows how precious warmth is.

└ Sword Matstar) Speed Sloth has a surprisingly cute side.

└ Starlight Lady) Is Wonmo there too? I’d like to see him.

└ Wild Grylls) (Wonmo sleeping curled into a round ball) Here he is.

└ Every time I see him he’s so damn cute lol

└ Does that guy not wake up? Is he really hibernating?

Wild Grylls, stranded in the Forest of the Four Seasons. It was a life log that Robert had recently fallen deeply into.

He wanted nothing from him. As Emperor, he possessed everything one could have.

’I’m subtly envious.’

He was simply envious. Envious of the life Grylls was living.

Living a wild life while receiving bit-by-bit support rather than raw wilderness survival.

He wanted to live like that too. Building ovens, hunting, catching fish.

He felt he understood why people want to farm as they age. Living a busy life makes one crave freedom.

Not absolute freedom, but freedom won by one’s own hands. Work where results return according to one’s actions.

Entering middle age and reading Grylls’s posts, that desire grew even stronger.

’If only safety were guaranteed...’You are reading on novelрing.com, the official source.

Of course, Grylls’s goal was survival and escape, not everyday living.

Conversely, Robert wanted wild living, not danger.

Whenever Grylls faced danger, Robert didn’t know how startled he got.

’I’ll just have to settle for vicarious satisfaction.’

For that, Grylls couldn’t die. Right now, it was quiet and perfect.

Thus he decided. He’d step down from being Emperor in a month anyway.

Robert chose to provide whatever support he could in the meantime.

’First, I have to create a fixed handle...’

A moment later, the handle Robert created was...

Absolute Supreme Robert Best

"Khehe."

A handle fitting the phrase ’like father, like son’. Added to the fact that his own son was using that handle too.

Robert chuckled and registered the handle.

This handle is already registered.

"..."

Robert was momentarily lost for words.

’There’s a bastard using a fucking retard handle like this?’

His own son was using it.

I struggled all day with Speed Sloth staring blankly into the fire, but moved past it for now.

Wrestling with him would only end in a loss for me anyway. Better to just let him be.

Wouldn’t Bbareumbo step away from the fire eventually? I held onto that hope.

Hwiiiiing!!!

Apart from that, a blizzard was still raging outside.

In my heart, I wanted to pull back the fluttering cloth and look outside, but refrained.

Doing so carelessly risked blowing away the secured cloth, causing a absolute disaster.

Ultimately, I had no choice but to spend the entire day inside the cave.

Considering it rained yesterday, it meant I had spent nearly two days inside the cave.

’What would I have done if I hadn’t smoked the meat?’

I ate smoked meat for dinner. Speed Sloth ate a stored inner core.

Since this fucking awful weather might persist, I’d probably need to hunt in the future too.

If worst came to worst, I’d have to make do with fish. Smoking was essential.

’If the blizzard stops tomorrow, it’s gonna be a pain.’

How deep would the snow pile up? I was a bit worried.

To wrap up today, I added more firewood to the campfire.

Normally, someone should stay awake to maintain it, but that was tough here.

I had no choice but to blindly pile on extra fuel.

’Is there no device that automatically feeds firewood?’

Having something like that would be perfect. I turned in for sleep to end the day.

Thus the next day arrived...

"...You still haven’t slept?"

"..."

The campfire was still burning brightly. Speed Sloth sitting in front of it was an added bonus.

Don’t tell me this guy was adding firewood? Incredible.

’Still, thanks to him, I spent the night warm.’

Judging by the curtain no longer fluttering, the blizzard must have stopped overnight.

I pushed the curtain to inspect the outside situation.

Ut-tuk!

"Huh?"

But it was strange. Why wouldn’t the curtain push out?

I even removed the securing stones, so something was off.

I wondered if even the curtain had frozen, but that wasn’t it.

Instead of pushing forward, pulling it back brought it right along.

"...What is this?"

Instead, a pure white wall had appeared behind the curtain.

At first I wondered what it was, but realized before long.

"Uh."

This was all snow. And packed solid, at that.

How much snow had fallen to completely block the entire cave entrance? Quite bewildering.

But there was an even bigger problem. A problem directly linked to my survival.

’How the fuck do I clear all of this?’

Not only did trash fall from the sky...

Kwa-ang! Kwang!

"Euaaaaaa!!!"

It taught me the value of time.

Hard at work "mining" the snow with my pickaxe, I shouted:

"There’s a person in here!!!"

I was starting to hate winter.