I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 452

It was around the time Grylls was steadily verifying his monstrous healing capabilities.

Outside the Forest of the Four Seasons, the world was bustling with preparations for the Nativity, an international holiday.

A holiday commemorating the Twin Gods. This alone provided more than enough reason to celebrate.

So much so that even nations locked in active warfare would observe an unconditional truce on this single day.

If anyone dared to wage war on this day, immense condemnation would rain down from every corner of the world without exception.

And this particular Nativity approached as a deeply special day worldwide, but especially for the Holy Kingdom of Avalon.

"The Herald was resurrected just in time for the Nativity? Is that really true?"

"It’s true, I tell you! His entire body was burnt to a crisp, but he resurrected right at this very moment!"

"If this isn’t a miracle, what else could it be?"

Because Grylls, whom Asella had declared as the Herald of God, had literally been resurrected (?).

Using the word "resurrection" was a bit of a misnomer since he hadn’t actually died, but nobody cared about technicalities.

Just reading Grylls’s post made it obvious that he had been pushed right to the brink of death.

Returning completely unharmed from that state was practically nothing short of a miracle.

"Beloved citizens of Avalon! Goddess Aris has once again bestowed a miracle upon us!"

And Asella was not one to miss such an opportunity. As soon as the event began, she delivered a passionate speech.

Normally, this was a matter the Pope should conduct, but the Papal Court was currently undergoing a massive purge.

Therefore, every single word from Asella held significant weight that would ripple across future political landscapes.

Because Avalon held a monumental position internationally, everyone listened intently to her address.

"Many of you likely harbored doubts. Questioning how a person active on the Gallery could possibly be a Herald of God."

A few people silently agreed with Asella’s words.

They had worried that proclaiming Grylls as the Herald of God was far too hasty, calling it an undeserved title.

Even though he had retrieved Cain’s stone statue and saved the Holy Kingdom from crisis, they couldn’t help but find it suspicious in many ways.

"But that is no longer the case. Through this resurrection, he has proven that he is no ordinary human!"

Asella had straight-up uttered "He’s not human..." in real life.

However, considering Grylls’s healing ability, he had long surpassed the boundaries of a normal human.

Even Elves or Demons, who were generally far stronger than humans, never possessed recovery power like that.

"Furthermore, he has been using the Gallery from the very beginning—something no one inside the Forest of the Four Seasons could ever access. Such a feat is impossible unless one is a chosen being!"

Asella practically hammered the final nail into the argument. The citizens raised no particular objections.

Of course, just because they harbored no complaints didn’t mean all their doubts were dispelled.

"Hero-nim! Hero-nim! Forgive my rudeness, but I must ask a question!"

Right as Asella’s speech was progressing smoothly, a young man raised his hand high.

Everyone’s eyes swung toward the young man, and Asella expressed her interest as well.

"Yes! Please go ahead!"

"Does your statement mean that you view the Gallery in a positive light?"

I am literally the Orange Badge managing that Gallery right now. Asella swallowed back the words tickling the tip of her tongue.

She could never reveal her identity as the Orange Badge. She held back, choosing only one path.

"Of course. The Gallery may suffer from a poor public perception, but it is a cultural relic that has existed since ancient times—something we cannot even dare to replicate."

Speaking positively of the Gallery. In truth, most Avalon citizens already viewed the Gallery in a favorable light.

Whenever the Papal Court pulled wicked schemes, hadn’t they blamed it on the "wicked Gallery"?

When the internal truth regarding the Balkan Kingdom—that is, the Immortal King—came to light, the Papal Court had branded the Gallery as the root of all evil.

And it didn’t stop there; they went on to purge countless people, including Ludwig.

Since it was the Gallery—and specifically Grylls—that overturned all of that corrupt deceit, the public couldn’t help but view it positively.

"However, there is a saying: medicine and poison are separated by a paper-thin line. The Gallery is the same. It is my hope that the Gallery is used as medicine."

"Are you saying you will suppress the Gallery just as the Papal Court did?"

"I apologize, but I cannot accept that statement."

Faced with a rather sensitive question, Asella answered firmly.

"I have no intention of suppressing the Gallery, nor do I believe it can be suppressed in the first place."

"It cannot be suppressed?"

"Because what was suppressed all this time was never the Gallery, but the people."

The Gallery had never been suppressed. Only the people were.

At that answer, not only the questioning youth but also the listening citizens gasped in admiration.

In reality, unable to curb the freedom of the Gallery, the Papal Court had simply purged innocent individuals.

In the past, the present, and the future, the Gallery was an entity that could never be blocked no matter how hard one tried.

"Then what about the Orange Badge—the person who manages the Gallery? What if that person torments and harasses the Herald?!"

That Orange Badge is literally me. And I’m trying my absolute best to help him.

Once again, her mouth tickled to speak, but she exercised utmost patience. This wasn’t something to spill here.

Moreover, it wasn’t an entirely unexpected question. Asella handled it skillfully.

"I understand your concern, but there is no need to worry. The current administrator is extremely favorable toward the Herald."

"Even so..."

"Of course, that position can change at any time. What happens after that remains unknown."

Unlike fixed handles, there were usually only two reasons a head administrator like an Orange Badge changed.

Either the person died, or they became inactive for a prolonged period due to unforeseen circumstances.

The former case was well known, but the latter was surprisingly a fact revealed only recently.

It involved a case where an Orange Badge was imprisoned after stalking a noble lady, leading to long inactivity.

"However, I view it differently. Even if the administrator changes, they will never be able to harm the Herald."

"How can you be so confident?"

Because I tried to ban him myself. But only a system notification stating he couldn’t be banned came back.

Coupled with Grylls laughing it off with "Nobody can stop me lolol."

’Looking back, it must have been because he really is the Herald of God!’

Back then, she had brushed it off as merely strange. But not anymore.

Knowing this truth, Asella answered in a voice brimming with supreme confidence.

"Because he is the Herald of God. While his posts have been deleted before, he has never been directly banned."

"Mmm..."

"While we will have to observe further to be certain, I am confident. The Herald will almost certainly never be banned."

"If the Hero-nim says so..."The source of this chapter is novelping dot com.

Fortunately, thanks to her stature as the Hero, she managed to smooth it over.

That didn’t mean all doubts were cleared, however. Questions continued without end.

"They say the Herald possesses weapons used by the gods..."

"Not just that, didn’t they say he has an alloy combining Mythril and Orichalcum?"

"That caused a huge commotion before. If he were to distribute that somehow..."

What the public feared most were Grylls’s weapons—specifically, the weapons of the gods.

The description that a single simple bomb could wipe an entire city off the map.

They had thought it was an exaggeration, but their perspective shifted after watching Grylls’s recent video.

If the gods could construct an Artificial Sun capable of reducing a whole region to wasteland, how terrifying must their purely destructive weaponry be?

If Grylls released even one such weapon into the world, it would instantly plunge into utter chaos.

’Indeed, this isn’t something that can be glossed over easily.’

Even Asella found it hard to judge this issue positively.

Knowing Grylls’s personality, he wouldn’t do anything to spread turmoil throughout the world.

It offered no benefit to him whatsoever, and he had almost caused a disaster last time as well.

A situation where failing to properly grasp the value of Mythril and Orichalcum nearly incited a war.

That aftermath was still ongoing; rumors said Mountain was staging self-inflicted incidents just to acquire that alloy.

’The missile that half-destroyed the Balkan Kingdom’s capital, the Holy Grenade of Aris... every single one of them is dangerously volatile.’

The issue was that these weren’t magic, but craftable weapons.

If those schematics ever leaked, the world would be engulfed in catastrophic chaos.

Even the gods themselves couldn’t control the weapons they created and ended up bringing down their own glorious civilization, didn’t they?

"Regarding that..."

Asella explained coherently. Grylls traded valuable items purely for the sake of survival.

And those who traded with him offered items of equal worth or items useful for his survival in return.

’He did gift a Mythricon sword to the Heavenly Demon, though... that needs to be monitored closely.’

She did her best within persuasive boundaries. Fortunately, the citizens seemed satisfied and let it drop.

It was only possible to move past it because her public favor built up until now was soaring through the heavens.

With that, Asella’s speech and Q&A session came to an end, and the official Nativity celebrations began.

’Back to work I go...’

Of course, the festival meant little to Asella. She returned to her office and dove straight into paperwork.

Being the Nativity, mountains of documents were bound to flood in. Accidents might pop up here and there, too.

Even so, looking at the numbers on the documents brought a warm, satisfied smile to her face.

’I didn’t review last year’s paperwork, but...! These figures definitely point to an all-time record boom!’

Avalon typically saw an immense surge of tourists during every Nativity.

Not only did it generate massive economic revenue, but a significant number of visitors converted into believers.

Especially with the recent descent of Cain, far more tourists flocked in than ever before.

For a Holy Kingdom that had tottered under the Papal Court’s atrocities, this was truly a blessing in disguise.

’Even more astonishing is the influx of Demons. Could we actually grow closer through this opportunity?’

Originally, entry of the Demon Race into the Holy Kingdom was strictly forbidden due to historical precedent.

However, as warm gestures and diverse cultural exchanges from Demons spread recently, public perception began to shift.

The decisive blow to the old prejudice was the Immortal King incident. Paradoxically, the Papal Court—which was supposed to oppose the Demon King—had actually created one itself.

’Humans have short lifespans, so generational turnover is fast. Old tales are, in the end, just old tales.’

Aside from their violent tendencies, Demons were honest and harbored no lingering grudges.

Ah, correction. As long as sports weren’t involved, they bore no grudges.

Lately, it was actually the Elves causing all sorts of trouble.

Ttottotto-

Just as Asella was organizing various documents, someone knocked politely at the door.

At the knock, she raised her head, hearing a voice from beyond the door.

[Hero-nim. An honored guest requests an audience.]

It was her attendant’s voice. An "honored guest" likely meant Selena’s party.

Asella asked them to wait a moment before granting permission to enter.

Ggiik-

Soon, the door creaked open, revealing a familiar face.

It was Selena. Unexpectedly, she entered alone without escorting anyone else.

"Hello, Hero-nim. I thoroughly enjoyed your speech earlier."

Selena offered a graceful greeting according to proper etiquette, tossing in a light compliment.

Asella returned the greeting in kind. Since they essentially shared the same goal, there was zero reason for hostility.

Still, there had to be a reason she requested a private meeting alone. Asella moved over to the tea table.

"What brings you here? I believe we agreed not to conduct any summonings today since it’s the Nativity."

Asella questioned Selena, who seated herself opposite her.

At that, Selena nodded in agreement with her statement.

"You are correct, Hero-nim. Today is the Nativity, so we intend to postpone the summoning ritual."

"Will you continue to proceed with it steadily afterward? To summon the Herald?"

Selena had indirectly revealed her ultimate goal before. Asella brought up this point.

Had it been before, she might have feigned ignorance, but now they both openly knew. There was no need to pretend.

"Yes. Because he granted me a brand-new life. Paying back this debt of gratitude with my life wouldn’t be enough."

"I completely understand your heart."

Asella slowly nodded. Both of them owed Grylls a lifetime debt of gratitude that could never be fully repaid.

Wasn’t that precisely why they were doing their absolute best from their respective positions?

"However... a point of concern has slowly begun to surface."

"A point of concern?"

Grylls’s resurrection was undeniably a joyous occasion. When she saw his survival report, she had even offered prayers of thanks to God.

However, Selena’s dilemma stemmed from a different angle.

"Is it truly possible to bring him here using standard summoning magic?"

"...."

"He is growing stronger and stronger by the day. If we aren’t careful, he might transcend the scope of what we can handle."

Grylls was displaying a growth trajectory that blew past all expectations.

Mages did not typically rely on "intuition." Yet the moment Selena witnessed Grylls’s resurrection, she knew intuitively.

He was no longer a being that could be brought over through simple summoning magic. It would literally require a ritual to summon a god.Find the original chapter at novelping . com.

"...So, do you plan to return to your home duchy?"

"No, not at all. It’s just..."

"Just?"

"So that he can come outside, I plan to attempt a much wider variety of summonings. Therefore..."

Selena hesitated awkwardly for a moment before offering her proposal in a cautious tone.

"I wish to construct a proper facility to conduct stable and unrestricted summonings..."

"...."

"To do that, I need an official authorization document signed by Hero-nim... Would that be possible?"

"Of course it’s possible."

From Asella’s standpoint, it didn’t matter in the slightest.

It posed no harm to Grylls, and it would allow them to gain deeper insights into the Forest of the Four Seasons.

However, it wasn’t completely devoid of issues. The moment official approval dropped, rumors were bound to spread.

Managing those rumors was Selena’s party’s responsibility. She trusted they would handle it well.

"Have you discussed this with the others?"

"Yes. We discussed it in advance. Kadir-nim was particularly passionate about it."

Well, that man was absolutely obsessed with the Forest of the Four Seasons. That meant there shouldn’t be any major obstacles.

Political pressure would surely exist, but that was manageable.

"Understood. I will draft the official documents shortly."

"T-Thank you so much!"

"By the way, Ducal Lady. What do you intend to do once the Herald steps outside?"

Asella asked the excited Selena. People often struggle to make sound judgments when overcome with excitement.

She grew curious about how Selena would treat Grylls once he escaped.

"Me? Well, first..."

Selena deliberated. In truth, she had only set her goal; she hadn’t planned anything beyond that.

It was a favor she naturally owed to the person who gave her a second lease on life.

Sorting through her thoughts, a subtle blush dusted Selena’s cheeks as she spoke up.

"F-First, I plan to introduce him to my parents."

"...To your parents?"

"Yes. To tell them he is the savior who rescued my life. My parents will surely be thrilled."

"Ah... I see."

Asella maintained her calm composure, but her inner thoughts churned. Selena was a Ducal Lady—the daughter of a Duke.

Such a noble lady introducing a man to her parents? Anyone watching would view it as an official meeting of the families for marriage.

If this story got around, it would inevitably converge into a single conclusion.

’...How dare she?’

Asella formed a crooked smile.

However, Selena was wrapped up in serious thought and failed to notice.

Selena stepped out with a joyful heart. She had obtained what she wanted from Asella.

She would be able to perform summoning rituals freely moving forward. This meant she could provide even more assistance to Grylls.

"How did it go?"

Returning to where her party was, Ash was waiting for her. Having nothing to do, she was busy maintenance-polishing her sword.

Kadir had stepped out briefly, saying he had matters to attend to. Since they had discussed it prior to his departure, there were no issues.

"I got the authorization. All that’s left is drafting the official document."

"That’s a relief."

"Yes. We’ll be able to consistently support him from now on."

Selena spoke happily, then as if suddenly recalling something, asked Ash.

"Ah, right. Ash-eonni. I have something to ask you."

"Something to ask?"

"What will you do if he steps outside into our world, Ash-eonni?"

Asking that, Selena suddenly recalled Ash’s behavior on the Gallery.

Ash sneakily throwing flirty passes (?). Even if it was online in the Gallery, she was way too overt.

Before Ash could even respond, Selena cautiously followed up.

"...Are you really going to marry him?"

Ash didn’t hesitate for a single second before blurting out her answer.

"Of course."

"Really?"

"I am dead serious."

Since they already knew each other’s fixed handles, there was nothing to hide.

Selena gave a somewhat awkward nod. In truth, Ash was probably the one in a rush.

Visually, she maintained youth and beauty equal to Selena, but she had long surpassed normal marriageable age.

"Which part of him drew you in, exactly?"

"His overwhelming martial prowess, obviously. I’ve taught countless people in my life, but I’ve never seen a man like him."

"Do you not care about looks or anything like that at all?"

"I wouldn’t care if he looked like a mountain bandit. I tend to focus on ability over appearance."

That wasn’t all. Selena blurted out a sensitive question before she could stop herself.

"...What if he rejects you?"

At that question, Ash’s face instantly hardened. The subtle curve of her smiling lips dropped into a flat line.

Just as the atmosphere turned chilling, Ash regained a positive expression.

"Who knows?"

Selena realized then.

"I’ve never really thought about that option?"

That Ash had already made up her mind beyond doubt.

And...

’If she pushes him too recklessly, Grylls-nim will be the one suffering...’

That a strange emotion had begun to blossom within her own chest.