I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 347

The reasons for a Gallery ban are entirely subjective.

Someone might get banned simply because an admin didn’t like them, or because an admin was bored.

Thanks to this, users in the past suffered bans for all sorts of absurd reasons, but things were better now.

After all, the current Orange Badge, Asella, had established simple yet understandable rules.

Among those, two matters were handled with extreme severity, and one of them was the weapon trade.

Giving weapons through simple trades or sponsorships didn’t matter. There could be someone in urgent need, like Grylls.

However, if it involved ’war’ or ’weapons of mass destruction,’ it was strictly cracked down upon.

This was because such things were highly likely to escalate into national-level issues rather than remaining confined to individuals.

In fact, one of the former Orange Badges had once favored a certain kingdom. Naturally, backed by immense influence, that kingdom committed atrocities left and right.

Of course, as a backlash, it sparked a sense of crisis among other nations and ultimately faded into the abyss of history.

At any rate, it was proven that the authority of the Orange Badge could even affect reality.

An Orange Badge who could peer into even chat logs—evading the eyes of such an Orange Badge was extremely difficult.

The moment suspicious activity was spotted, she could immediately issue a ban or even make a public notice.

If her notice exposed that person’s address and actions, the matter would sometimes take care of itself automatically.

’Considering all this, being banned is understandable. However...’

Allfather, Kadir, stroked his beard as he looked at the ban reason and duration.

Upon realizing he had been banned, he felt a wave of helplessness, yet a certain point raised questions in his mind.

It was the timing. He was one of the few who knew that what fell upon the Balkan Kingdom was a missile.

The reason he hadn’t bothered to reveal this fact was simple: there was far more to lose than to gain.

Therefore, he had no intention of investigating or even mentioning nukes—which carried a far greater risk than missiles—and yet he had been banned.

’It feels as though she already knows that nukes are stronger than missiles.’

The ban duration also bothered him. Fifteen days—a truly ambiguous period.

Neither too harsh nor too lenient, it was practically equivalent to being told to face the wall and reflect. It was closer to a punishment on the level of a warning.

If the Orange Badge really knew the true power of the missile, it wouldn’t be strange if she issued a permanent ban.

’Is it simply because of the request to trade weapons of mass destruction, or is it because I asked for nukes?’

Though they seemed similar at a glance, they were entirely different. If it were the former, it would warrant nothing more than a click of the tongue and could easily be let slide.

However, the latter was a different story. It implied she knew that what laid waste to the Balkan Kingdom was a missile.

Which meant that the person who asked Grylls to launch the missile was the very same person as the Orange Badge.

’If the Hero really is the Orange Badge, she has probably roughly deduced that I am Allfather.’

This was not mere intuition, but the result of analysis. After all, the Orange Badge could track the location of fixed handles.

Had he been far away, it might be different, but since he had appeared right in front of her nose, the likelihood of her noticing was high.

Thus, while the circumstantial evidence fit like pieces of a puzzle, there was no physical proof.

To him, a mage, ’intuition’ was not something worth relying on.

Whatever it was, he could only be satisfied if it was ’proven,’ so he needed more evidence.

’If the Hero really is the Orange Badge...’

Kadir meticulously reviewed the posts and comments written by the Orange Badge, Don’t Abandon the Hero.

Although he couldn’t act using his fixed handle, accessing the Gallery itself was still possible.

As time passed, he managed to find a post that made him half-certain that Don’t Abandon the Hero was the exact same person as the Hero.

’She mentioned being pursued. At that time, the Hero was branded with the stigma of being a traitor.’

The Orange Badge had said it half-jokingly, but the timing matched exquisitely.

Of course, it wasn’t as if there were only one or two pursued people in the world; it could just be a string of coincidences.

Part of him wanted to go to Asella immediately and ask if she was the Gallery’s Orange Badge.

’I will need undeniable proof so she cannot feign ignorance.’

It was best to completely block off any exit routes. It was an occupational hazard of being a mage.

Kadir closed the Gallery and rose from his seat. Next, he descended below the castle wall.

Thanks to the successful operation, the frequency of undead raids had drastically decreased. Currently, most troops were engaged in cleanup operations.

’Normally, when one is banned, doing nothing is the expected behavior.’

However, Kadir possessed a loophole. A most bizarre workaround.

He walked among the undead knight order summoned by the Immortal King, Kazan.

The place he arrived at was near the skeletal staff driven into the ground like a stake. The side where the Immortal King resided.

"The more I look at it, the more splendid a security system it is. Shall I employ you in earnest this time?"

[Kill me.]

As always, the reply asking to be killed came back. Kadir didn’t even snort as he pulled out the staff.

Pulling out the staff didn’t mean the undead knight order would instantly collapse.

As long as mana was continuously infused, they could be kept active twenty-four hours a day.

Ttak!

Kadir lightly snapped his fingers. He had erected a barrier to prevent their conversation from leaking out.

Since it was a barrier cast directly by the Mage King, no one could dismantle it. At this, Kadir spoke up.

"I happen to be banned from the Gallery right now."

[Serves you right.]

"First off, I shall cast a spell that allows you to taste."

[How truly tragic. I’d love to shed a tear, but alas, I have no eyes.]

At an attitude shift faster than anyone else, Kadir let out a snort.Find the original chapter at nоvelping.com.

To use such a tone of voice while facing the absolute dominant party right before him. It made one wonder if he possessed this exact same personality during his lifetime.

"Anyway, what I want is simple. I want you to send a message to Grylls on my behalf."

[Is that all?]

"That is all. You need only tell him that you will be conducting trades on his behalf because Allfather got banned."

The ban duration was only fifteen days. However, there was no telling what might happen during those fifteen days.

After all, barely three months had passed since Grylls began surviving in the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Since bizarre incidents erupted day after day, it was best to keep a close eye on him.

"Besides, don’t you have nothing better to do than surf the Gallery anyway? Take this opportunity to get friendly with Grylls."

[Nonsense.]

"I shall make it make sense."

[Ha. Please, just kill me.]

"Not a chance. If you have a problem with it, go ahead and reveal your identity on the Gallery. Though you will pay the price, of course."

Bureureu-

At the threat that he would pay the price, the Immortal King’s body—or rather, his skull—shivered wildly.

He had already written shitposts claiming ’Allfather is actually the Mage King Kadir!’ a few times.

Though all of them got buried. Since the Gallery was overflowing with people adopting all kinds of roleplays.

Merely ’impersonating’ the Immortal King was not enough to draw any aggro. After all, wasn’t there a guy whose handle was Heavenly Demon sitting comfortably as a Blue Badge?

"For your information, I can still access the Gallery myself, so do not try anything foolish. I will cast the taste spell on you every single time."

[I don’t know what the gods are doing. Leaving such an evil bastard unpunished.]

"Hardly something a necromancer who annihilated an entire kingdom should be saying."

Kadir chuckled quietly as he climbed back up onto the castle wall.

Upon reaching the top of the wall, he realized that the area near the entrance was bustling with noise.

It seemed Asella and the paladins, who had departed to retrieve the Holy Sword, had returned.

Since he conveniently had something to ask, Kadir waited until Asella was left alone.

’What kind of question should I ask...?’

Kadir pondered how he could get Asella to confess that she was the Orange Badge.

He also pondered what he would do once he confirmed her identity.

If the fact that the Hero was the Orange Badge were to spread, all eyes would focus on Asella.

He weighed what could be gained from this, as well as what would be lost.

’In the end, keeping her identity hidden is better...’

Asella was extremely favorable toward Grylls. This was natural.

Without Grylls, not only the Holy Kingdom, but Asella herself would not have been able to clear her name.

Furthermore, didn’t the former Guardian Ludwig also owe his life to meeting Grylls?

’It can be seen as a mutually beneficial relationship.’

In a relationship like this, there was no benefit to exposing her identity needlessly.

From Kadir’s perspective as well, he stood to gain only if Grylls kept discovering all sorts of research materials.

After deliberating for a long while, he decided to meet with Asella first.

Though he was half-certain that she was the Orange Badge, he needed proof far more solid than that.

"Hero-nim."

"Ah! Kadir-nim!"

When he entered her private tent, Asella greeted him with a bright smile.

The retrieved Holy Sword was sheathed in its scabbard, which raised another question in Kadir’s mind.

"The Holy Sword appears unscathed. Even after an explosion of that magnitude."

"Yes! It seems to be because it’s a blade painstakingly crafted by the gods!"

Was it because everything was over? Asella replied in her signature energetic voice.

Feeling that her energetic tone of speaking uniquely resembled the Orange Badge was surely no illusion.

Usually, when revealing oneself in the Gallery, people chose one of two methods.

Either revealing their true self, or playing a persona.

Asella also fit the former. Though it was strictly just a guess.

"By the way, what brings you here?"

"Ah. Now that the job is finished, I plan to take my leave soon."

"I see."

"Are you preparing to depart as well, Hero-nim?"

"Just in case, I plan to wait about three days."

Even though the capital of the Balkan Kingdom, which was the source, was blown away, the undead had not completely vanished.

The undead host could launch another assault, and other variables could arise as well.

At those words, Kadir stroked his beard before speaking quietly.

"Hearing that, I feel I ought to remain as well. It is difficult to consider the Wild Hunt completely resolved."

"Thank you. The Holy Kingdom will not forget this favor."

"Think nothing of it. By the way, there is something I am curious about; may I ask?"

"Are you perhaps asking about the individual named Grylls?"

Asella beat him to the punch. Having witnessed the missile’s power with her own eyes, it was understandable that he would be brought up as a topic.

However, the detail Kadir sought was not Grylls. It was the identity of the Orange Badge.Read the latest chapters at novelping dot com.

He glanced at Asella before speaking in a passing tone.

"I’ve given it some thought... Asella-nim, you seem to share a deep connection with that person named Grylls."

"W-What?"

At the mention of a deep connection, Asella showed a flustered expression. Her face flushing slightly was a bonus.

It was a statement ripe for misunderstanding. At that, Kadir waved his hand, clearing up the misconception.

"Ah. Not in that sense. It should be seen as mere friendship."

"I-I see."

"At any rate, is it true that you share a friendship?"

"Yes. A little bit."

Could it truly be described as ’a little bit’? Kadir closely observed Asella’s face.

Aside from her initial fluster, her expression seemed completely unbothered. A so-called poker face.

Unless it was a serious situation, she always wore a bright smile.

Though her inner thoughts were not easily read, Kadir probed relentlessly.

"I wonder just how deep your friendship must be for him to borrow even the power of a god. Have you ever received help from him?"

"Yes. I received a great deal of help. Had it not been for him, things would have been difficult."

Only an ambiguous answer came back. Hearing that, Kadir clicked his tongue inwardly.

Given her attitude so far, she was highly likely to keep giving nothing but vague responses.

"I have arrived at a conclusion after pondering for a long time. May I ask you a question?"

"If it is you, Kadir-nim, anytime is fine."

"Do you, by any chance, hold an important post in the Gallery?"

Though phrased indirectly, it was practically equivalent to asking outright, ’Are you the Orange Badge?’

Normally, if one’s true identity were exposed, it was standard to show fluster or a similar reaction.

However, Asella was different. She blinked her distinctly clear eyes and tilted her head.

"Yes. I do hold an important post."

"I see... Pardon?"

"I really am the Orange Badge."

Her identity revealed utterly brazenly. The flustered one was, on the contrary, Kadir.

Though usually overlooked because of her pushover-like demeanor, Asella was originally quite fiery herself.

In the first place, had she not possessed such a temperament, she wouldn’t have stood against injustice and fought her own country.

"So please don’t bother Grylls-nim either, Kadir-nim. Next time, it will be increased to a month."

"Keoheumheum."

As expected, Asella had already realized that Kadir was Allfather.

Kadir cleared his throat and feigned ignorance.

"If we keep this as a secret between us, there won’t be any problem."

"That goes without saying."

Asella was right. So long as it remained secret, there was nothing to be an issue.

Virtually a standoff where both possessed a dagger aimed at the other’s throat. Mutually assured destruction had been established.

"And that goes for the strange Mr. Skeleton next to you as well. Understood?"

[...]

The Immortal King, Kazan, said nothing. He couldn’t.

Because the pressure from the smiling Hero was truly heavy.

’If anyone harms Grylls-nim...’

Asella muttered to herself.

Even for someone like Kadir, reading another’s inner thoughts was impossible.

"Then let us get back to our duties."

"That would be wise. Ah. Then by any chance, the ban..."

"I have no intention of lifting it. This was a warning."

"Keuheumheum."

A curious relationship was established.

While Asella and Kadir were establishing their deal-that-wasn’t-quite-a-deal relationship.

"Master."

"What."

"I am a beast."

"I know."

"And I have only just learned Gomoku."

"I know that too."

"Master has kept losing to me. In other words, proof that Master is a beast."

"Shut up."

I played Gomoku with Lackey out of boredom, only to get brutally roasted.

’Why is this bastard so damn good?’

Lackey was evolving in a whole different sense.