I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 521

Tyranno and Lackey, whom Vanir had taken away, returned.

When I asked what she had taught the two, she said she only taught simple mana operation.

First off, Tyranno was right in her growth period, so teaching proper magic was difficult.

Apparently, even governing mana was tough for her, and she had to undergo molting a few more times.

For a human, it was equivalent to teaching a Mana Cultivation Method or an Internal Cultivation Art.

On the other hand, Lackey was different. Vanir had personally led and taught magic to Lackey.

Thanks to his unique talent, he had no trouble learning magic, and for a gorilla, he learned remarkably well, she said.

This was not something to think lightly of; it was an evaluation from a dragon of the Mythological Age.

Lackey’s talent was so outstanding that even that dragon evaluated it as "decent."

’Could he be... no, surely not at the level of the Mage King.’

As of now, he couldn’t be compared to Kadir, the Mage King.

Since as far as I knew, Kadir was a monster who casted Teleport in real-time.

Considering it took Lackey no small amount of time to activate Teleport, Kadir was a truly extraordinary person.

As long as Lackey pulled his weight and more, he would be of sufficient help to me. There was no need to be greedy.

—Judging by appearances, they seem to be brothers.

"How did you know? Their fur colors are completely different."

—They resemble each other.

At Vanir’s statement that they resembled each other, I looked back and forth between the Boss Gorilla and Lackey.

It might be a racist—no, speciesist(?) remark, but to me, all gorilla faces looked more or less the same.

Well, to dragon eyes, clear differences must be visible. Or perhaps she perceived something else.

Peolreok!

With a brief farewell, Vanir flapped her colossal wings and departed.

Saying she would visit again in a month or two. Having molted, she safely entrusted her hatchling to me as an extra.

I watched Vanir depart into the distant firmament before turning my head.

The Boss Gorilla still wore a dumbfounded expression, as if unable to believe the current situation.

"As you can see, she’s one of the guests—if you can call them that—who often visits my Shelter. She’s her mother."

"Pbi-ik!"

I said, holding Tyranno in my arms. Tyranno let out a energetic cry and licked my cheek.

Even though it had only been a week, she must have missed me a lot, licking me without restraint.

On top of that, fighting with Cheongseol who got jealous was a bonus. Both were cute, so I let it slide.

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

[He asks what would have happened if he had raided us at that time.]

The Boss Gorilla asked in a slightly trembling voice.

It seemed he believed things turned out this way because the timing fell perfectly into place.

Indeed, no matter how strong the Boss Gorilla was, before a dragon he was nothing more than an ant’s life.

But there was a fact he didn’t know: namely that Vanir was crystal clear regarding debts of gratitude and grudges.

This meant that unless a relation of debt or feud was forged, she would gaze upon things like a cow staring at a hen.

"Probably nothing would’ve happened? She might have just spectated from afar until the situation concluded."

There wouldn’t have been any reason for Vanir’s influence (not breath) to come into play. Didn’t she say so before?

Saving her child was appreciated, but she would not interfere in matters arising within the Shelter itself.

Getting help against the Colossus was close to a reward for taking care of Tyranno all that time.

"...."

Even at my response, the Boss Gorilla couldn’t wipe away his complicated expression. It was more like his face became even more troubled.

Feeling relief on one hand, while feeling fear that his pack almost got wiped out entirely on the other.

In a way, from the Boss Gorilla’s perspective, it could be called a blessing in disguise. Now that he knew, he would behave well.

Even though I said that, there was no telling what whim Vanir might indulge in next.

"Master. Master."

It was right then. Just as the subtle atmosphere continued, Lackey quietly chimed in.

As expected, he was glancing sideways at the Boss Gorilla, carrying an expression of having deduced something.

Since the Boss Gorilla even had a Mana Suppressor around his neck, there was no way he wouldn’t know. Moreover, Lackey was quite quick-witted.

"Did my brother attack while I was absent?"

"Spot on. That human we saw last time came too."

"As expected. I get the general idea, but please explain in detail."

Irrespective of having guessed it, grasping how the events unfolded was essential.

Therefore, I talked with Lackey separately so the Boss Gorilla couldn’t hear.

Even though he wore a Suppressor, his basic hearing would be exceptional, so we stepped far away.

"How it happened was..."Get faster updates on novelрing.com.

Lackey’s expression transformed colorfully as the explanation continued.

First, when Gu-chil proposed an absurd negotiation, he wore a face like ’Did I hear that wrong?’.

Next, when the Boss Gorilla and I began fighting in earnest, he put on a tense expression.

"It must have been very tough."

"Right. His martial arts alone were really formidable. I couldn’t match him with techniques."

"Then how did you win?"

"Uh... just, well..."

The moment I described it, Lackey’s expression changed into exactly ’Of course, figures’.

An expression reminiscent of looking at a beast, so to speak. He even said something like this:

"My brother was basically run over by an elephant."

"...."

Because I just brawled with brute strength instead of technique, I found it hard to offer a retort.

Anyway, after that, subduing the Boss Gorilla completely, and even Gu-chil leaving via the experiment...

At the news of the experiment, Lackey tilted his head, but quickly moved past it.

After all, the important thing was not Gu-chil, but the treatment of the Boss Gorilla. Regarding this, Lackey asked:

"What will you do with my brother?"

"First off, I plan to head to the gorilla pack’s territory soon. Until then, he’ll stay here."

"Hm."

He would stay at the Shelter until things settled down. Saying this, Lackey’s expression grew subtle.

Looking sideways at the Boss Gorilla like that, it looked as if he was harboring some wicked intention.

’No, rather than a wicked intention...’

It was closer to a face wondering how to tease the Boss Gorilla. A mischievous urge, so to speak.

Of course, since I didn’t know face-reading, I intended to warn him in advance.

"I’m warning you in advance, if you harm him out of revenge..."

"Ayyy. Master. What do you take me for?"

"I still vividly remember when you ambushed me."

"That’s all in the past~ Right now my back is warm and my belly is full. It’s much comfier here than over there."

Lackey waved his hand, making a gesture telling me not to worry. Judging purely by his reaction, he seemed to harbor no feelings of revenge.

But would that really be the case? A person’s—or being’s—anger does not subside so easily.

Moreover, wasn’t Lackey driven out of the pack simply because his skin color—no, fur color—was different?

At that time, even his eyesight was bad, so it was a period when he struggled desperately just to survive.

Consciously or unconsciously, anger and hatred must have stacked up bit by bit.

’He might bully him, so I need to keep a close eye on them.’

Even so, I didn’t think Lackey would commit anything severe.

At most, strutting around acting big would be the extent of it. I believed so.

"Then Master. What’s certain is that my rank is higher than my brother’s, right?"

"That’s right. He’s still in the status of a captive."

"Heheh. Is that so."

Lackey smiled broadly with a grin. I feel like this is the first time seeing this bastard laugh so gloomily.

No. Thinking back carefully, I had seen it exactly once before. Back when he was wearing the Suppressor and rebelling.

The incident where he threw a stone at the mother Flame Horse to draw aggro when we met her family.

But the mother Flame Horse was smart too, so she properly punished only Lackey. Meanwhile, I played nicely with the foals.

I believe it was after that when Lackey became obedient.

’What on earth is he planning to do?’

Surely he wasn’t going to return the bullying he suffered in the pack tit-for-tat, right?

After entertaining such suspicions for a moment, I considered the future schedule first.

Although Lackey and Tyranno returned today, there were still many places to tidy up.

Thus, after roughing out the repairs, I planned to head to the gorillas’ territory tomorrow morning or around lunchtime.

’I should look for the secret manual left by Wi Ho-chang over there too.’

If I found the secret manual, I intended to give it to Heavenly Demon. It would surely be of immense help.

After sorting out the rough plan, I tended to the Shelter first. Since Lackey had arrived, hands were plentiful.

"Ah, by the way, Lackey. Your brother will also be speaking in Korean from now on, so avoid Central Plains speech if possible."

"Understood. But Master."

"Yeah?"

"Will you not give a new name to my brother?"

Lackey asked in an expectant tone. Hearing those words, I blinked.

Come to think of it, this fellow had his own real name separately. Because I called him Lackey all the time, I had forgotten.Visit novelping(.)com for the full chapter.

He was originally a fellow harboring complaints, but as time passed, he slowly accepted it.

"A name... later for now. I don’t know whether he’ll live here from now on or manage the pack as is."

"Manage the pack as is? But our kin suffered heavy damage?"

"We’ll reach an agreement with the hobgoblins."

The gorillas were currently in a state of suffering major casualties. Highly suitable for surveillance.

Therefore, I planned to ask the hobgoblin side or forcibly relocate them to the village altogether.

Honestly speaking, the former was more convenient, because if the territory became completely empty, there was no telling how it might change.

Rather, maintaining the gorilla pack as it was proved beneficial for balance. And for that, the Boss Gorilla was needed.

"Still, if I were to decide a name..."

"...."

When I mentioned deciding a name, Lackey displayed expectant eyes.

Hoping with all his heart it would be a lower quality name than his own—an expression where his inner thoughts were clearly laid bare.

Seeing this, I let out a chuckle before waving my hand dismissively.

"No. Forget it. I haven’t decided yet."

"What a pity."

What do you mean no feelings of revenge? He’s openly displaying disappointment.

Although I had a name thought up in advance, I intended to take it slow.

More important than that right now was lunch. Now that Lackey and Tyranno had returned, I laid out a hearty spread.

’It’s just one gorilla added, yet...’

For some reason, the Shelter felt much fuller than before. Was it because his physique was so massive?

What’s funny was that this Boss Gorilla fellow ate quite modestly.

It might be dining table etiquette learned from Wi Ho-chang.

"Mmm~ A delicious smell. I shall enjoy the meal."

"Where’s the prey?"

"Regrettably, I could not find any. I shall seek it out later."

Plus the Three-Legged Crow who visited after a long while. The Boss Gorilla’s reaction upon seeing the Three-Legged Crow was quite a sight to behold.

An expression of being quite unable to believe what he was looking at right now.

Regardless, the Three-Legged Crow glanced at the Boss Gorilla and said to me:

"It appears you have found a new specimen?"

"Something like that."

Saying so, the Three-Legged Crow remarked that he had eaten well and soared back into the sky.

Saying that next time he visits, he’ll bring prey that’s good for the body or something like that.

At any rate, only the Three-Legged Crow’s meal was finished; our meal was not over.

And here, Lackey’s tyrannical behavior(?) manifested.

"Brother. As brother knows, brother’s rank is lower than mine. Do you understand my words now?"

"Speak... slowly. Still... don’t understand."

"Can’t be helped then."

Asking for my understanding, Lackey spoke in Central Plains speech. Clearly recognizing me as a higher rank.

Looking only at this, it could be brushed off as no big deal. But the problem was what came next.

"You must follow my commands. Do you understand this?"

"I understand."

"Yes. Good, brother."

Having said that, Lackey...

"Water."

"...."

Issued a command that only real biological brothers could ever pull. In an instant, a subtle atmosphere hovered over the Shelter.

It wasn’t an awkward silence, just that everyone was so utterly flabbergasted that words failed them.

At least only the kids were diligently eating their food; the rest all stared at the gorilla brothers.

’What kind of...’

Although it was a simple command, from the Boss Gorilla’s perspective, there could be no greater humiliation.

However, the ranking was already settled. Suppressing his humiliation, the Boss Gorilla poured water for Lackey.

"Good. Brother. Listen well to my words from now on."

"...."

Taking orders from me was fine.

But the feelings of an elder brother taking orders from a brother—and a younger brother at that... must have crossed far beyond simple humiliation.

[They might end up actually fighting like that.]

"Leave them be."

They’ll figure it out on their own.