I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 224

The race that immediately springs to mind when thinking of fantasy: Elves.

Famous for loving nature and possessing breathtaking, nation-toppling beauty regardless of gender.

Added to that was their innate affinity for mana and magical prowess.

Natural archery talents, physical abilities to seamlessly leap between trees, and so forth.

Furthermore, thanks to their peaceful demeanor, they had long been objects of envy.

This stood in stark contrast to the Demon Race, who exhibited violent and cruel temperaments.

Many scholars described them as the race chosen by the gods, but perfection did not exist in this world.

Subject) Ah. Serious knife-ear bastards

I’m fucking dying of frustration.

I run a merchant guild and found a new trade route, right? So I asked them to do it this way.

But do you know what they said? They rejected it saying they already had an established system.

Even if they do approve it, they said it’ll be granted 10 years from now, fuck.

Seeing stuff like this, straightforward demons or beastfolk are way better than elves.

ㄴ Real, I relate. Elves are great to be friends with, but I hate dealing with them socially.

ㄴ Surprisingly, elves were using old-fashioned paper until half a century ago.

ㄴ Watching how they handle administrative work is genuinely suffocating lolol

ㄴ Most elves have the mindset of "It’ll resolve itself over time, why rush?":;;

ㄴ Young elves are at least okay, but elves over 100 years old are beyond hopeless.

ㄴ Even humans get conservative past 50, so imagine how bad elves are lol

That flaw was none other than an extremely rigid society and culture.

Elves were a race that lived lives several times longer than other races.

While countless nations rose and fell, Alfheim serenely maintained its state.

While other races, especially humans, struggled frantically to surpass their rivals, elves clung to maintaining the status quo.

Why? Because living like this posed absolutely no problem for them.

Even when the Demon Race occasionally caused a fuss, Eldorado took care of it on their own anyway.

Born nearly perfect, enjoying long lifespans, and even admired by countless races.

Due to these traits, the race that established ’civilization’ the latest was none other than the elves.

It was said that originally, they had no need to develop further. After all, elves were far stronger than the monsters dwelling in the wild.

Subject) The Reason Elves Started Developing

Because they got slave-hunted by ’humans.’

ㄴ Lololol there are other reasons besides that, but it’s the biggest one so I can’t even argue.

ㄴ Fucking humans apologize;;;

ㄴ Anyway, if you had to point out the biggest problem in the world, it’s humans.

ㄴ Bullshit lol are you a demon?

ㄴ But for minor and major influences, demons take credit, though humans reach the true peak of mess-ups;;

ㄴ Dark elf separation? Minority oppression is an everyday thing for humans.

It was closer to hastily coming up with countermeasures once humans and other races approached as threats.

Of course, just because they suddenly changed things didn’t mean their uniquely rigid social atmosphere improved.

Instead, as they established order, it became even more rigid. They never entertained the thought of bending their established principles.

This was in contrast to the Demon Race, who developed ’culture’ to seek more entertainment.

Subject) Then Why Do People Call Them Knife-Ears as an Insult?

Dark elf separation? Honestly, humans are way worse with that stuff.

What did elves ever do to get trash-talked everywhere? Even tree planting is a relatively recent thing.

ㄴ Because they act all noble while doing shady shit behind everyone’s backs.

ㄴ We didn’t act noble. You guys just viewed us as noble lol

ㄴ Is that why you got slave-hunted? Kek

ㄴ At least humans accept half-elves, whereas you guys banish them immediately lolol

ㄴ Real, the knife-ears banished half-elves even before dark elves lolol

ㄴ STFU

ㄴ Triggered lololol

Subject) Looking at Elves

They lowkey seem to look down on other races.

Even if I’m under 150cm tall, pockmarked, and ugly, isn’t overtly detesting me going too far?

ㄴ Can I detest you too? I want to become an elf.

ㄴ Is this what they call a relative elf?

ㄴ That’s genuinely harsh lolol

ㄴ Are these words a human being should actually utter;;

ㄴ lolololol

ㄴ Hey. Give me 10cm of height. You can just grow a beard and walk around calling yourself a dwarf.

ㄴ Youuuuuuu are genuinely incredible lololol

ㄴ A literal devil lololol

ㄴ Hilarious lololol

ㄴ You shouldn’t walk into the forest at night. You’ll probably get mistaken for a goblin and hunted down.

ㄴ Holy shit lolololol

ㄴ lolololol

ㄴ lolololol

Furthermore, it was safe to say they were the ultimate masters of an elite superiority complex.

Having been revered since ancient times, a sort of chosen-people mentality was ingrained in the race itself.

In fact, purely in terms of racial traits, they were close to perfection, so that tendency grew even worse.

As a result, so-called arrogant, brainless jerks frequently emerged from among them.

This wasn’t a prejudice; meeting a few actual elves would instantly prove it.

Subject) Honestly, Have Elves Ever Achieved Anything?

Civilization? Humans built it first.

Science? Don’t flex in front of dwarves.

Magic? Diminished because of the Demon Race too. Plus, everyday utility magic is dominated by demons.

Looks? In my eyes, beastfolk look better.

ㄴ The last one is just because your taste is weird;New chapters come out on novelpin⁠g.com first.

ㄴ It’s my preference. Please respect it.

ㄴ Looking closely, these elf guys don’t have a single achievement lol

ㄴ At most, the World Tree? Isn’t that their only trick?

ㄴ Even the World Tree was bestowed by the gods, so well...

ㄴ Originally, the dark elves were the progressive ones, but they banished them all...

As the rose-tinted glasses gradually came off, perceptions toward elves transformed as well.

From a superior race into a race that merely had nice bodies and pretty faces.

As advantages vanished one by one, only flaws remained, giving birth to derogatory slurs left and right.

When the Elf Queen recently ascended the throne and began encouraging ’tree planting,’ public perception hit rock bottom.

This was a stark contrast to the Demon Race, who amused themselves internally and didn’t care at all about other places.

In essence, the current Elf Queen had dealt a critical blow to the already rock-bottom perception of elves.

Then what kind of person was the Elf Queen currently encouraging tree planting?

Subject) Current Elf Queen’s Achievements.

Ascended to the throne while politically isolated.

Cut off all the hands and feet of the Senate elders despite their relentless checks.

Elders and prominent families ruined because of this number at least 3 or more.

Based on this, launched various open-door policies. Alfheim entered the greatest boom in its history.

Adopted the Demon Race’s culture and introduced various entertainment.

Invested in military power and expanded borders.

Also slightly addressed the chronic low birth rate issue of long-lived species.

Established national identity and united the citizens. Abolished pure-bloodism.

Honestly, even if I were an elf, I’d simping hard for her like a dog;

ㄴ Her sanity is a bit out there, but she’s an elf with incredible ability.

ㄴ Whatever else, defeating the Senate completely was legendary lolol

ㄴ But aren’t other countries taking the Senate’s side right now?

ㄴ Yeah, because the Elf Queen is a nutjob beyond imagination.

Roughly speaking, she could be described as an enlightened monarch who would go down in Alfheim’s history forever.

Furthermore, this wasn’t past tense, but present continuous. Approval ratings among Alfheim’s citizens were ridiculously high.

To the point that if the Elf Queen gave an order, any elf would obey. They were thoroughly charmed.

Subject) The Terrifying Thing About the Elf Queen.

Even the oppressed and forcefully separated dark elves are favorable toward her.

I have a dark elf friend, and they said if the Queen had been around back then, they wouldn’t have split up shudder

Aren’t they gonna reunite at this rate?

ㄴ No chance of reuniting. The nations are already split.

ㄴ Plus, the distance between Alfheim and Setan is huge. The Forest of the Four Seasons is sandwiched right between them too.

ㄴ A bit scary, honestly. If even the dark elves are acting like that.

ㄴ Aren’t half-elves returning to Alfheim right now?

ㄴ Yeah, heard half-elves with elf parents are returning.

Crucially, the Elf Queen’s greatest strength was cohesiveness.

Although elves had built a civilization, national unity rarely occurred.

It was closer to ’Other races are threats, so let’s loosely stick together~’.

Moreover, due to their rigid social culture, when conflicts of opinion arose, they were rarely resolved properly.

A so-called fractured national character. It contrasted sharply with humans, whose strong instinct was to immediately band together to survive.

Then how did the Elf Queen resolve this?

Did she solve it simply because her political ability was outstanding?

"Why is she suddenly delivering a national address?"

"I know, right? It’s not like a problem came up, is it?"

"I didn’t feel any signs of that, though?"

The capital of Alfheim, Yggdrasil.

A city built around the World Tree at the center of the capital.

The World Tree, which looked ready to blanket the entire city, was truly breathtaking.

Normally, it would block out the sunlight and darken the area, but the World Tree did no such thing.

Lush leaves should normally block the sun, yet light passed right through them.

It was a sight that defied common natural logic, but elves were accustomed to it.

"Her Majesty probably just has something to say. By the way, did you watch the game yesterday?"

"I did. I was dying of frustration. If I were the manager, I wouldn’t have pulled that."

"What can you do? It’s our racial trait. If not for Her Majesty, it would have taken a year to make a change."

"If not for Her Majesty, sports wouldn’t even exist here."

Originally, Alfheim was known as a beautiful yet boring nation.

Indeed, until the Elf Queen ascended the throne, that statement held true.

There was no notable entertainment, and the elves’ hobbies were hopelessly dull.

Had it not been for the Elf Queen’s open-door policy, Alfheim would have stagnated forever.

Woooong!

It was right when the elves gathered in the plaza were sharing personal conversations.

As if signaling for attention, an intentional sound close to static reverberated across the plaza.

[Her Majesty is stepping onto the podium.]

The voice of a woman echoed throughout the entire plaza.

The moment the elves realized it was amplification magic, they turned their heads.

A platform towering high over the plaza. Up onto that podium, a woman was ascending.

Clack— clack—

In the quieted plaza, only the sound of elegant footsteps echoed.

Lustrous blonde hair that looked as though it were woven from threads of gold.

An elegant white dress that revealed glimpses of porcelain skin here and there.

An appearance without flaw to be called a beauty even among elves, who were hailed as the race of beauty.Read this novel at novelрing.com for the best experience.

Lastly, a mature body in contrast to a face radiating youthful innocence.

Truly a poise and beauty fully deserving of the title ’Queen.’

"..."

The Elf Queen scanned the crowd with a benevolent smile.

Due to her youthful appearance, she almost gave off a playful vibe.

Right as the elves gathered in the plaza became captivated by the Queen’s aura, she opened her mouth.

"First, despite the suddenness of this gathering, I express my gratitude to you all for assembling here."

Saying so, the Elf Queen placed her hand over the center of her chest and bowed her head.

At her respectful demeanor, any remaining dissatisfaction among the elves vanished completely.

When the other side—and the Queen herself, no less—directly offered an apology, one could hardly harbor complaints.

All that remained was discovering what she had summoned them to say.

"The reason I urgently arranged this gathering is singular. It is that we are finally prepared."

"Prepared?"

"What on earth is she saying we’re prepared for?"

The crowd stirred at the mention of being prepared.

The Elf Queen waited in silence until they quieted down.

On her face rested a soft smile, as if she had anticipated this reaction.

"Many of you are likely puzzled. You might wonder what preparation I speak of when nothing seemed in motion. However, I can state this clearly."

The Elf Queen paused briefly before speaking in a powerful voice.

"That is! The preparation to take a step forward!"

Her soft tone vanished without a trace.

Clenching her fist tightly, she transformed into the image of a steadfast leader.

"I ask you all. Across all races, what have we elves achieved?"

"..."

"Did we build the first civilization like humans? Did we advance science like dwarves? Did we flourish culture like the Demon Race? Did we establish democracy like the beastfolk?"

No answer came in return. Had someone not said it before?

That elves were an incompetent race whose only merit was being pretty or handsome.

Since it was actually half-true, nobody could easily speak up.

"Nothing. Even the World Tree is merely a gift bestowed by the gods; we ourselves have never achieved anything on our own. We were even the last among all races to establish a civilization."

And the Elf Queen boldly drove the blade right into the sore spot.

It wasn’t something one should say in front of citizens, but the Elf Queen remained firm.

"Many call us a perfect race. But I think differently. We are not a perfect race. Perhaps we could even be called more incompetent and lazy than other races."

Heavy, consecutive blows of brutal reality.

Just as complaints were about to surface, the Elf Queen blew them all away.

"However! Not anymore! Look at our recent achievements! Children who used to play only with swords and bows are now playing with balls! Various goods manufactured through the World Tree are spreading across the world! Our academic fields have also advanced, influencing countless scholarly societies!"

The Elf Queen clenched both fists tight and cried out appealingly.

A youthful appearance paired with emerald-green eyes of utmost clarity.

Expressions and words filled with hope and happiness carved smiles onto the elves’ lips.

"We are not perfect! We were merely born close to perfection! We were born as the race most beloved by the gods, yet until now, we were arrogant!"

"..."

"Recently in Eldorado, upon divine calling, the First Paladin descended. This means that the gods are still watching over this world."

Slowly unclenching her fists, the Elf Queen lifted her hands as if supporting something.

At that action, the elves could not help but raise their heads toward the sky involuntarily.

Naturally, their gaze met the leaves of the World Tree blanketing the heavens.

"We are not perfect! Had we been perfect, the gods would not have bestowed the World Tree upon us. From their perspective, we are merely infants as well!"

Then, what was there left to do?

"We have crawled upon the floor for far too long. But now, it is time to stand tall and walk!"

Standing proud and marching forward.

Shedding everything that was stagnant and taking a step into the future.

"Yet taking one’s first steps inherently requires falling hundreds of times. We will stumble, get hurt, and feel pain. But that is fine. Because we are not perfect."

"..."

"It is one step. Just one step. It has taken us a long time to take that single step."

Not just blindly pleading, but exercising masterly control of pace and cadence.

It was literally a god-given talent that compelled everyone to focus on her speech.

"We are not perfect. Even at this very moment, other races are not merely walking, but running. It may be overwhelming to catch up. But that is fine. Even if we are as slow as turtles, our ultimate goal remains one and the same."

The Elf Queen took a deep breath and declared in an impassioned voice.

"To make Alfheim, where the gods’ gift—the World Tree—resides, great again!"

"...!"

"Even if we cannot walk! Even if we fall behind other races! Even if we are not perfect!"

The Elf Queen, who had been speaking in a heightened state, gradually regained her composure.

Then, rather than a passionate plea, she spoke in a thoroughly quieted tone.

"United under the name of ’Elves’, we will achieve our goal."

"..."

"We are not perfect. And as the same applies to me—"

The Elf Queen, Elia Mary Yggdrasil, made an earnest plea.

"I ask this of you all."

The fundamental reason why the elves, previously no different from a fractured family, could unite as one.

Elia’s overwhelming speeches, and...

"So that Alfheim may become great."

She had firmly implanted an identity that had previously been vague.

It was a part that could be called a kind of catchphrase.

It was also a passage that explained why Elia was loved by her people.

"Will you walk with me?"

Alfheim slowly began its awakening.