I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 217

Over time, I had welcomed a variety of animals into my home.

An owlbear cub, an insanely strong sloth, a gorilla who practiced martial arts, a giraffe used as a horse replacement, a dragon hatchling, a bully deer, and so forth.

At least these guys were living creatures that ate, slept, and pooped, so I could accept them for what they were.

But a stone statue? No way. Something that didn’t even look alive was acting like a living creature.

Could anyone believe it if I said it even talked? People would treat me like a lunatic.

"Sit."

Swish!

"Stand up."

Swish-swish!

"Turn around. Turn forward. Attention."

Swish! Swish-swish! Swish!

And yet, the statue standing right in front of me was behaving like a living being—no, like a human being.

To top it off, it understood my commands and actually obeyed them. Was this entity really made of solid stone?

"What on earth are you?"

[Cain.]

"Not your name, what is your true identity?"

[Aris#% #%^]

It seemed to roughly answer that it was a knight of Aris. That was far from the answer I was looking for.

I washed my face with my dry hands at this utterly baffling situation.

Things were complicated enough as it was, and now even a statue was alive.

’Would it be easier to think of it as a robot with a transferred ego?’

This was a fantasy world. Wouldn’t it be fitting to think of the statue as a fantasy equivalent of a robot?

I decided to set this aside for now and eat first. It was best to unravel complex matters later.

"For now, go back over there. You don’t need food or anything, right?"

At that, the statue nodded. Fortunately, it seemed my household wasn’t gaining another freeloading mouth to feed.

I let out a sigh and went outside. Out there, Ludwig was hard at work chopping firewood.

I wondered how this man would react once he realized the statue was moving around like a living creature.

I was able to find out right after dinner.

[# Cain! Aris# ##$ $%##! ##$?]

"..."

He rubbed his eyes repeatedly, trying to discern whether it was a dream or reality.

He even picked at his ear while he was at it. He clearly couldn’t quite bring himself to believe reality.

Well, I reacted the same way, so how much more so for Ludwig?

No matter how bizarre the Forest of the Four Seasons was, this was bordering on common-sense shattering.

"#%... #%%$%?"

[#%$! #%%#! %$#%%^]

Since they were conversing in the language of El Dorado, I couldn’t understand what they were saying.

Still, guessing from the general nuance, it seemed Ludwig was confirming whether this really was Cain.

Cain seemed to pound his chest, answering in an affirmative way. Granted, that was purely my guess.

"Oh! Goddess Aris-isiyeo...!"

[O Aris!]

The climax of their conversation was praise directed toward Aris.

Since both of them were paladins, their faith in Aris was undoubtedly deep.

Especially from Ludwig’s perspective, he was facing a distant ancestor—and a legendary hero at that.

’Is it roughly equivalent to talking with Admiral Yi Sun-sin?’

I didn’t know what grand feats Cain had accomplished, but it was probably roughly similar.

Considering he held the title of the Legendary First Paladin, his achievements must have been glorious.

Anyway, moving past that, it was time to ask what I wanted to know about that statue.

Why the statue had been trapped inside the mimic, why it was in the Forest of the Four Seasons, and so forth. Questions had piled up like a mountain.

’The problem is I don’t know the El Dorado language.’

I wanted to ask Ludwig to interpret, but unfortunately, his ability was far from sufficient.

For now, posting on the Gallery seemed like the better option.

Rather than making a public post, I intended to ask the Orange Badge directly.

[Greetings!]

"...?"

...Until the stone statue gave a grand, dignified greeting.

I couldn’t help but blink in utter bewilderment at the crystal-clear Korean ringing in my ears.

It was a tone completely different from the Korean spoken by Lackey. I had no idea what kind of situation this was.

"Uh...? You speak...?"

[Hmm! Now we can finally communicate!]

While I was flustered, Cain spoke in a vigorous voice.

It didn’t resonate from vocal cords, but carried a slightly mechanical tone.

[I have a translation function! Earlier, having just awakened, it simply failed to operate for a brief moment!]

"..."

[My goodness! I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Cain, the First Paladin of Goddess Aris-nim! May I ask your name, noble sir?]

"Park Jong-hyuk."

[I shall comfortably call you Bark!]

"...Please just call me Grylls."Follow the newest chapters on novelping(.)com.

What kind of ridiculously shameless my-way guy is this?

"By the way, even if you have a translation function, how are you actually speaking?"

[I do not know either! I just know it works!]

"..."

[Do not look at me with such eyes. I listened attentively while you all conversed, and I am speaking based on that.]

I nodded. I didn’t fully get it, but the fact that we could communicate comfortably from now on was enough.

He might even serve as an interpreter between Ludwig and me in the future. That wasn’t bad at all.

"I have a lot to say, but are you really Cain? The First Paladin of Aris?"

[Without a single shred of doubt, it is indeed I.]

"Not just a hunk of stone pretending to be him?"

It might have been quite a rude question. But this was an issue that had to be clarified.

If it were just me alone, maybe not, but Ludwig was here, regarding him as a legendary hero.

It could cause unnecessary confusion, so a clear distinction was needed.

[It may seem so to you. However, Grylls. Have you perhaps heard of the Ship of Theseus?]

"...How do you know about that? Who told you?"

[It is a concept taught to me by Goddess Aris-nim. Of course, I do not know who Theseus actually is.]

First the Da Vinci Bridge, then cement, and now things like this popped up from time to time.

Moreover, Theseus was a hero from Greek and Roman mythology.

Was this world truly completely unrelated to Earth?

Just as my suspicions deepened, Cain spoke with a vigorous voice.

[Even if you replace the parts of a ship little by little, the identity of the ship does not change. But at the point when the repaired parts outweigh the original, what is the identity of that ship?—that is the concept.]

"You’re surprisingly smart."

[Thank you for the praise. At any rate, I am also composed through such a concept. So give up trying to dig too deeply into it.]

"...Isn’t that the exact kind of thing one should dig deeply into?"

[It gives me a headache. And it is quite a bother.]

"..."

What kind of ridiculously simple-minded guy is this? He was far removed from any sense of nobility.

[However, the fact that I am Aris-nim’s paladin does not change. Is that not enough?]

Or perhaps he was noble in the truest sense, to the point of not even dwelling on such things. I found his demeanor somewhat puzzling.

Normally in such a case—and certainly if it were me—one would agonize over one’s identity. Yet Cain didn’t seem to possess even a single grain of doubt.

Of course, seeing him pose boldly with his hands on his hips ruined any sense of seriousness, deflating the atmosphere a bit.

The solemn majesty I had felt from the Gallery video had vanished without a trace.

"You’re completely different from back in El Dorado. Not just your size, but your tone of speech as well."

So I asked him directly. Where did all that dignity from back then go?

Cain’s answer to that was grand in more ways than one.

[Well, naturally, one must show a cool appearance to one’s descendants, must one not? If you were in my shoes, you would understand.]

"..."

It was an answer that rendered me utterly speechless. Yet, strangely enough, I could relate to it a little.

At any rate, it seemed undeniable that this statue’s identity was indeed Cain—specifically, the Legendary First Paladin.

If so, the key question was why Cain’s body had shrunk. There were still many things to ask.

"Why do you grow big outside, but shrink down in here?"

[It is due to the mana exerting pressure from all sides. It is exceedingly difficult to exert any strength.]

"Since when have you been in the Forest of the Four Seasons?"

[I do not know.]

"What do you actually know?"

[Perhaps that the inside of a mimic is surprisingly warm and cozy?]

Utterly useless. I looked at Cain with dead, cold eyes.

Jeez, how does a hunk of stone even feel sensations anyway?

[Do not look at me with such eyes. My own memories are tangled up right now, so I am quite confused myself.]

"A mix-up in memories? Is it because you were swallowed by the mimic?"

[That is highly probable. I was trapped inside for so long that I simply gave up thinking.]

"..."

[My memories will gradually return, so just wait a bit. Of course, there is no guarantee those memories will be of any help to you.]

"Pardon me for asking, but you don’t need to eat food, right?"

Everything else was fine as long as he didn’t waste my food. Fortunately, he said he didn’t need meals.

Something about having enough as long as there was mana in the atmosphere.

Apart from being unable to exert strength due to the intense pressure, absorbing mana itself was possible, apparently.

[Although I am in a trivial body right now, if you ask for my help, I shall grant it anytime. The fact that I owe you a debt of gratitude remains unchanged.]

"Well... it feels good to hear you say that. Will you fly away again someday?"

[If the master of the Holy Sword calls upon me, then yes. From what I hear, the master of the Holy Sword is that fellow’s disciple.]

Cain gestured toward Ludwig as he spoke. Currently, Ludwig was silently listening intently to our conversation.

I wasn’t sure if he actually understood what was being said.

[It was hardly a pleasant sight to behold. How could that once-glorious El Dorado fall to... Sigh.]

Cain shook his head side to side and let out a sigh. I could understand how he felt.

Come to think of it, Cain had manifested right before the Hero was about to be struck by an arrow.

Still, since things wrapped up well, all that was left was to reclaim its past glory.Follow the newest chapters on novel​ping.com.

"It resolved well, so that’s a relief. There probably won’t be much reason to summon you in the future anyway."

[Hmm. That is a bit of a shame.]

"Why?"

Isn’t it better if there’s no reason to call him?

Someone once said: It is not a society without heroes that is unhappy, but a society that needs heroes that is truly tragic.

El Dorado had already proven that tragedy. Therefore, wouldn’t it be better if there was no reason to summon him?

[Because the Hero’s beauty was truly magnificent.]

"..."

[Though not quite on par with Goddess Aris-nim, she was a rare beauty indeed.]

I couldn’t tell if he was being honest or just flippant. I let out a deep sigh.

At any rate, the statue had joined our party. I’d have to wait and see what kind of help he could provide.

’Will spring come in two or three days?’

Spring had arrived in El Dorado, so I hoped spring would come here as well.

Fortunately, because we had prepared in advance, this winter seemed to be passing by quickly.

Though the statue had unintentionally handed me extra chores to do.

It was around the time I was getting ready to sleep.

[You evil dragon! Come at me!]

"Kyuuuu-eek!"

I didn’t even know when Cain and Tyranno had gotten close, but they had started bickering and tussling with each other.

Of course, given the massive difference in size, it was practically Tyranno playing along with him.

Cain didn’t seem particularly offended either, looking like he was having fun.

[Uryaaaaaaaaa!]

Though stiff, Cain charged toward Tyranno with surprisingly nimble movements.

In terms of scale alone, he looked like a knight charging at a colossal dragon.

’Should I hand him a sword later?’

They said Cain had used only a shield his entire life. And right now, he was wearing a shield as well.

Raising his shield high, he charged as if trying to slam it down. From now on, I should call him Captain El Dorado.

"Kyu-eek!"

Tap!

In reality, even his weight class was at the Super Soldier level.

Meaning he was powerless in front of monsters, as opposed to fellow humans.

[Uaaaaaaah.]

As Tyranno lightly flicked his front paw—tap!—Cain flew far into the distance. Even his crash against the wall sounded weightless.

Seriously, it was beyond pathetic. I doubted whether he was truly the legendary hero of El Dorado.

"Ahjussi."

"..."

"Ahjussi, what do you think looking at that?"

I asked Ludwig casually as he watched alongside me.

Ludwig didn’t offer any response.

Whether he was shocked or had realized what kind of person Cain was, I couldn’t tell.

[As expected of a dragon! You are comparable to the ones I fought in the past!]

"Kyu-eek!"

[However, I, the First Paladin Cain, shall never yield!]

Look at them playing so nicely.

Still, since Tyranno enjoyed it, I didn’t bother stopping them.

’By the way, why does he keep speaking in Korean?’

Since he said he had a translation function, maybe it sounded different depending on the listener.

I told Tyranno and Cain to wrap it up since it was time to go to sleep soon.

At that, both of them expressed disappointment. His sociability was truly remarkable.

[What a shame. We shall settle the score next time.]

"Kyu-eek."

I could only chuckle dryly.

And so, the next morning arrived.

[What is this?]

"What do you think?"

Handing over a "trowel" I purchased from the Gallery, I said:

"Start shoveling snow."

[....]

It was to clear away the snow that had piled up overnight.

Cain looked at me with an incredulous expression for a moment, then quietly obeyed my instruction.

Outside he might be Sir Cain, but in here he was just a talking toy.

[Every time I see this white trash, it sickens me!]

"..."

[If only I were my full size, clearing this would be nothing!]

"Hey, Mr. Cain. Pipe down and get to work."