I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 181

It was her first outing in a long time, Selena thought as she rode in the carriage.

A new life obtained thanks to Grylls’s grace. She had no intention of wasting this life.

Her ultimate goal was to provide steady support so that Grylls could escape the Forest of the Four Seasons.

She consulted various books to gather information about the Forest of the Four Seasons, and consistently supplied Elixirs from time to time.

’Grylls-ssi is already exerting great and small influences on various countries. People will definitely talk about him during the succession ceremony.’

The ultimate reason she attended this succession ceremony was to gauge public opinion regarding Grylls.

One might ask if he wasn’t just a fixed nickname on the Gallery, but that was far from the truth.

Grylls had already turned El Dorado upside down, to the point where a civil war was on the verge of breaking out.

And what about the Central Plains? Hadn’t the successor to the villain who once led the Blood Cult made his appearance?

Although it was absurd that the successor was a gorilla, that alone caused the Blood Cult to start running wild again.

’Heavenly Demon put out the urgent fire through a Real-Life PK, but....’

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Blood Cult popped up again at any moment.

In this manner, the more Grylls delved into the Forest of the Four Seasons, the more the world shook.

Recently, hadn’t he even proven the existence of the Sky Whale, a creature that had only appeared in myths?

Even she couldn’t count how many times she had rubbed her eyes after seeing that.

She herself had only heard of the Sky Whale in fairytale-like stories based on mythology.

He had even obtained the byproduct of that Sky Whale, Ambergris. The value of that Ambergris went without saying.

’Praise the Sun merely burned it as incense. Allfather was also far too hasty.’

When Grylls offered to share a portion of the Ambergris, Selena had contemplated receiving it as well.

However, after careful consideration, she decided to refuse. A legendary object was one thing, but this was an item of myth.

Legends at least had recorded accounts of their effects, but myths were nothing more than mouth-to-mouth tales recently restored.

When they couldn’t even explain how a whale that belongs in the ocean could swim through the sky, what of Ambergris?

There was no way to know what results it would bring. It was frightening precisely because it was unknown.

Praise the Sun burning it as incense was something he himself took lightly, but he was taking on terrifying risks.

Thus, the Forest of the Four Seasons was a demonic realm with almost nothing known about it.

No matter how clever Selena was, fully grasping the Forest of the Four Seasons was realistically impossible.

Therefore, she planned to find someone who shared the same view.

’Though I won’t reveal it openly.’

The Gallery was perceived among nobles as a heap of vulgar desires.

Thus, it was best to refrain from mentioning the Gallery in public settings.

However, nobles were human after all, so the proportion of those using the Gallery was likely high.

Since speaking in roundly indirect ways was their daily routine, finding them wouldn’t be easy.

’I also have to re-enroll in the academy... It’s tricky.’

It was only that she had inevitably applied for an indefinite leave of absence due to the Nine Yin Severed Meridians; she hadn’t dropped out.

Above all, returning to school was essential for Mary, the new face of the House of Duke Mercedes.

Aside from helping Grylls, one could not turn away from reality.

"Selena. If you feel dizzy at any moment, let us know. You don’t need to push yourself."

It was while Selena was lost in thought for a moment. Sitting across from her, her mother asked with concern.

Her father, sitting beside her mother, was the same. He was full of worry.

Selena wanted to respond with a smile, but the corners of her lips didn’t rise easily.

Now as well as in the past, she was far removed from warm smiles.

"Don’t worry about me. Now I can even do intense workouts without trouble, you know? Look at this."

Selena extended her arm to relieve their worries.

In the past, it was an arm that would have recalled a scrawny tree branch with nothing left but bone.

However, now flesh and muscle filled it out, fully showcasing a healthy beauty.

In addition to that, her skin even gleamed with lustre. It was far from a sickly image.

Mary looked at Selena’s lovely arm with eyes full of wonder before speaking up.

"By the way, Ducal La..."

"Eonni."

"...Selena eonni. What did you eat yesterday for your skin to become like this?"

Mary’s question was entirely reasonable. Even her parents showed a curious reaction.

Before being completely cured, Selena had never once gone outside.

Therefore, her skin was snow-white, which remained the same even after she was cured.

Yet for some reason, her skin had changed beyond recognition.

It wasn’t that her skin tone had changed, but rather that it radiated a radiant glow.

Since the skin itself possessed a luster, her beauty also shone brightly.

"Isn’t it because I work out consistently? Mary, if you exercise too, it’ll happen for you."

"I don’t like exercising, though..."

Laughter spread inside the carriage at Mary’s grumbling.

Selena, who always maintained a cold expression, raised the corners of her mouth just a tiny bit.

’To think it would change like this just from eating honey.’

What Selena had eaten was none other than the honey gifted by Grylls.

And honey harvested from the Forest of the Four Seasons, at that. The taste was also magnificent.

She just hadn’t expected this kind of effect at all.

’Well, a good thing is a good thing.’

As a woman, it was a result that was strictly positive and by no means bad.

Of course, if the social gathering followed after the succession ceremony, it would draw countless eyes.This story is hosted at novelping . com.

Just imagining it brought a wave of annoyance, but for her goal, she could willingly endure it.

"Mary. Once the succession ceremony ends, stay right by my side no matter what. Got it?"

"Yes!"

"And as for what the nobles say..."

Selena gave various warnings to Mary, who was stepping onto an official stage for the first time.

Their parents looked on at the sight with warm gratification.

Their family had worn gloomy faces every single day due to Selena’s incurable disease, but that was no longer the case.

Only happy days and a bright future awaited them. This succession ceremony would likely be its beginning.

"It seems we’ve arrived. Let’s disembark."

"Yes."

Before long, the Mercedes family reached the imperial palace where the succession ceremony would take place.

Escorted by her father, Selena stepped down from the carriage.

The moment she stepped out of the carriage, exclamations of admiration from numerous people around her reached her ears.

It begins now. Just as Selena thought that and prepared to brush off the people’s praise—

"...Huh?"

Her eyes locked directly with a certain person’s.

If Selena possessed snow-white hair, the person she met eyes with possessed silver hair imbued with moonlight.

Leaving her beauty aside, even her majesty stood out thanks to her uniform.

’Ash? But...’

The appearance of Ash, the strongest swordsman of the empire, was surprising enough, but there was something that bothered her even more.

It was none other than Ash’s skin. A skin so beautiful it possessed a noticeable luster.

Barring the difference in skin tone, Selena felt that it was strangely identical to her own.

"Hm. It seems Count Menethil is also attending."

"Indeed. I heard she was living in seclusion."

"Count Menethil? Could it be Sword Master Ash?"

Selena hurriedly averted her gaze upon hearing the voices entering her ears.

Though she was suspicious, continuing to lock eyes would make things awkward.

’What on earth?’

Selena glanced at Ash even while heading inside the imperial palace.

It might just be a simple misunderstanding. But the timing was far too coincidental.

Was Ash thinking something similar to her, or was her gaze drawn simply because of her beauty?

There were many angles to consider. It was difficult to reach a definite conclusion.

"Ash... I mean, Count Menethil was incredibly beautiful too. Though not as much as you, eonni."

"Is that so? I think Count Menethil is more beautiful."

"What are you saying! No matter what, she can’t match you, eonni. At best, maybe her skin is similar?"

"...Did you think so as well?"

When Mary mentioned the skin, Selena asked back cautiously.

At that, Mary nodded and brought up what she thought as it was.

"Yes. She gave off a feeling similar to yours, eonni. Is it really because she exercises?"

"That’s probably it, isn’t it? So you should exercise hard too."

"Ugh... Exercise is still a bit..."

Seeing that even Mary thought similarly, it was definitely no delusion.

Did Ash really eat the honey as well? And honey gifted by Grylls, at that.

Knowing Grylls, he would have certainly shared the honey with the fixed nicknames he was close with.

Selena knew very well which fixed nicknames were close with Grylls.

’...No. It’s still too early to judge.’

Only by meeting and talking in person later would she be able to figure it out in detail.

Even if she found out that Ash was a fixed nickname close to Grylls, nothing would change.

There was zero benefit in acting like they recognized each other.

It was the Gallery, of all things. A platform filled to the brim with things too embarrassing to speak aloud.

It was best to just wipe one’s mouth clean, play dumb, and act innocent.

’Still, if Ash really is a fixed nickname who helped Grylls-ssi...’

Even after arriving at the audience chamber where the succession ceremony was to take place, Selena remained lost in thought.

Most of the fixed nicknames who formed ties with Grylls possessed distinct personalities.

Among them, if she had to pick a fixed nickname associated with Ash, there was only one person.

’Sword Matstar.’

Ash was a grandmaster of swordsmanship and a figure who had raised countless disciples.

Furthermore, the fixed nickname Sword Matstar had posted various know-how tips on the Gallery, raising the continent’s average martial prowess.

Since these two traits overlapped subtly, they naturally connected.

’Come to think of it, Sword Matstar gave huge help to Grylls-ssi when he was attacked by a Mad Dog. Even supplying an Elixir.’

Elixirs could not be easily bought on the market. But Ash was different.

If a problem arose in the empire, she was a figure they would cling to by the hem of her trousers to hold onto.

As such, the nation provided various benefits to her, and Elixirs were part of that.

Using her exceptionally brilliant mind, Selena connected the entire series of events.Get faster updates on novelрing.com.

"...Hereby, I declare the birth of the Empire’s new sun!"

Clap clap clap clap clap!

At the applause striking her ears, Selena broke out of her thoughts and looked forward.

The Emperor’s throne in the center of the audience chamber.

In front of that throne, Crown Prince—no, now Emperor—Arnold was waving his hand while wearing the Imperial Crown.

And Robert, the former Emperor who handed over the imperial crown, was quietly clapping behind him.

While she was daydreaming for a moment, the succession ceremony had completely concluded.

’...I need to pull myself together.’

Selena clapped expressionlessly.

If she didn’t clap even now, people would look at her strangely.

Soon, the social gathering would naturally take place, so she had to stay sharp.

’Ash is... over there.’

Before long, Emperor Arnold exited for the event proceedings.

Along with that, the audience chamber naturally transformed into a ballroom for the social gathering.

Normally, using the audience chamber as a social venue was rare, but today was the succession ceremony.

Since all the empire’s subjects gathered in the same place, it was specially permitted.

’It’s been a while since I felt an atmosphere like this.’

Selena took in the atmosphere of the social gathering while sipping a beverage.

In the past, she had attended so many social gatherings it was boring to the point of annoyance.

However, as she grew weaker day by day, she realized how precious meetings with people were...

’...Like hell she did. She just wanted to do what she needed to do and return immediately.’

...She had realized no such thing. It was still a pain in the neck.

Besides, having been completely immersed in the Gallery, she had even developed homebody tendencies.

Still, she had to endure. Selena stayed put without making any reckless moves.

"Uh, eonni. What should I do now?"

"Hmm... First, shall we go to the young ladies over there? They seem to be around your age."

"Y-Yes!"

Of course, she didn’t forget to help her cute younger sister figure.

Just as Selena was diligently making Mary’s presence known—

"Excuse me for a moment."

A big figure approached. A pleasing, beautiful voice struck Selena’s ears.

When she turned her head at this, she met a familiar face.

A tall stature for a woman, paired with a solid-looking physique thanks to her uniform.

Along with her gorgeous looks and skin that made that beauty stand out even further.

’She’s here.’

A figure she originally hadn’t even thought she’d speak to—yet now cared about most—was approaching.

Selena spoke while maintaining her characteristic expressionless face.

"You are the renowned Count Menethil, I see."

It was still a probing stage. Selena judged it so.

However, in this world, action sometimes took precedence over probing.

"You know my name. It is an honor, Lady Selena."

"Rather, it is my honor that you know my name, Count. By the way, what brings you here?"

Ash deliberated whether to speak or not at Selena’s question, glancing stealthily at her surroundings.

A reaction that seemed like she was watching out for others’ eyes. Just as Selena found it strange—

"Your skin, looking as sweet as honey, is immensely beautiful. That is why I took the liberty of coming over."

"...."

It was an extremely greasy way of speaking. Just listening to it was enough to make one doubt Ash’s sexual orientation.

However, it wasn’t like that to Selena. At least to her, it was translated like this:

[Hi? I’m a Gallery Bro! Nice to meet you!]

Just as Selena had suspected, Ash had suspected as well.

In an uncertain situation, she had deployed a secret password that only the two of them could understand.

Selena felt dazed for a moment, but pulled herself together as much as possible.

Since the other side had revealed her identity (?) first, she couldn’t ignore it either.

"...Thank you for the compliment. Your skin is also beautiful, Count."

"Thank you."

"Speaking of which, you too, Count..."

Selena trailed off, then spoke carefully.

"It seems you have partaken of some fine honey."

She spoke like that, but translating it resulted in this:

[Hi! I’m a Gallery Bro too! Let’s get along well in the future!]

The moment an unintended friendship was established.

’I must never speak of this.’

’If she has any sense, she’ll shut her mouth.’

At the same time, both realized that their lives had just been mortgaged to each other.