I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 532

’Things are progressing smoothly.’

Kaylin cheered inwardly while conversing with Asella.

When everything was unfolding step-by-step according to her pre-planned script, who wouldn’t cheer?

It helped that this meeting was largely divorced from practical details, essentially serving as a preliminary talk.

Even so, being able to steer things in the direction she personally desired brought a broad smile to her face.

’I heard that the Holy Kingdom bans not just sports, but all ball games.’

So how much worse must it be for the Gallery?

Yet, even if outlawed by decree, there was simply no way to block the Gallery.

Besides, due to the Streisand effect, the more strictly something is forbidden, the more pronounced people’s obsession becomes.

It wasn’t for nothing that the Vatican went to such desperate lengths to designate the Gallery as evil. It wasn’t just the Vatican either; countless nations did the same.

The Central Plains had taken it a step further, enacting a law stating anyone using the Gallery would be executed, only for the Emperor himself to end up decapitated in retaliation.

Rumor had it that the culprit was the Heavenly Demon, though that wasn’t confirmed. At any rate, it just showed how impossible it was to regulate by law.

"What does Mephisto think of the Divine Herald?"

In the middle of their friendly chat, Asella brought up a different topic.

She was referring to the Divine Herald—that is, Grylls, who was currently surviving in the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Since Kaylin had intended to bring that up as well, it was a timely question.

"He is a truly fascinating person. Especially on a personal level."

"...On a personal level?"

"Yes. If he ever steps outside the forest, I’d love to have a private conversation with him."

"Ah...."

A sigh that wasn’t quite a sigh escaped Asella’s lips.

Kaylin interpreted that reaction as a sign of discomfort.

And understandably so, considering the Demon Race was a species far removed from religious faith.

While they viewed Aris and the other gods favorably, that didn’t mean they harbored actual faith.

Therefore, even if Grylls was proclaimed the Divine Herald, the majority response among demons would be a simple ’So what?’

’That’s why she’s flustered.’

A gesture indicating, ’Mephisto as a whole might not care, but I am interested.’ It was certainly enough to throw her off.

Besides, this was no empty gesture. Kaylin herself genuinely harbored immense interest in Grylls.

The Divine Herald—and a living witness who had been active back in the Era of Gods, no less.

That alone was extraordinary, but what drew Kaylin’s attention even more was, naturally, the sports side of things.

’No wonder he came up with such ingenious ideas from the very beginning.’

Even the gods enjoyed sports.

Grylls, having become the Divine Herald, was proof of that.

To Kaylin, Grylls possessed value far beyond a treasure vault; he was one of the people she most wanted to meet in person.

Not only did he consistently support the Chaeyu team on regular days, but he even displayed the demeanor of a devoted spouse(?) at times.

He had firmly declared that he would never betray the favor Kaylin had extended to him first and vowed never to root for another team.

If Grylls had been right in front of her back then, she would have planted a big kiss on him right on the spot. Dignity as a princess?

’He’s the person who made it possible for me to enjoy what I love to my heart’s content.’

Just as humans are vulnerable to curiosity, demons are vulnerable to boredom.

Meaning that if they don’t have suitable entertainment when bored, they cause total chaos.

One might ask if the Gallery isn’t enough to solve that, but by nature, desire and entertainment are two different things.

While one might fulfill hidden desires to some extent through the Gallery, it was difficult to kill boredom with it alone.

It wasn’t for nothing that sports, the greatest form of entertainment on earth, originated from the Demon Race. Even if victory and defeat were cleanly decided, no one could deny the exhilarating thrill it offered.

’His martial strength is also eye-catching.’

But a demon is still a demon. Kaylin also paid keen attention to Grylls’s personal combat prowess.

Because among all the people she had met so far, cases like Grylls were virtually nonexistent.

The closest example was Ash, the Swordmaster of the Messiah Empire.

Usually, people who attain mighty strength tend to flaunt it.

Kaylin had been the same once, which was why she was selected as the next Demon King.

Of course, after falling deeply in love with football, her instances of showing off her martial strength had diminished.

"Hero-nim, if you were to meet the Herald, what would you like to say to him?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes. The Herald saved the Holy Kingdom, after all. So I’m curious about what Hero-nim would like to say."

At Kaylin’s question, Asella showed a hint of hesitation, pondering briefly.

She likely had already given it thought. After all, Asella herself was the one who had proclaimed him the Divine Herald in the first place.

This was pure personal curiosity on Kaylin’s part. She was eager to know how Asella truly viewed Grylls.

"I...."

Yet Asella couldn’t answer easily. Kaylin raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

Ordinarily, she would say something like ’We will treat him with the utmost courtesy of the Holy Kingdom’ or ’I will arrange a meeting with the citizens of the Holy Kingdom whom he saved.’Read this novel at novelping . com for the best experience.

Model answers were dime a dozen, yet Asella struggled to respond. It was a stark contrast to how fluently she had answered everything up until now.

That wasn’t all. Though Asella seemed to be trying her absolute best not to show it, it was written all over her face.

’Her ears... have turned really red.’

Kaylin had occasionally seen people whose ears turned red when embarrassed.

A involuntary reaction that occurred when a person tried to hide their embarrassment as much as possible, yet failed completely.

Kaylin pondered that reaction for a brief second before forming a subtle smile inside.

’Could it be?’

Such cases weren’t entirely nonexistent—situations where fixed-handle users active in the Gallery hung out until subtle feelings began to sprout between them.

Naturally, meeting up in real life was grounds for a strict ban, so it was an act carried out at great risk.

Furthermore, there were countless relationships that ruined completely when people ended up disappointed by real-life appearances that differed from photos.

’Grylls’s case is vastly different, though.’

Not only could he trade freely using the authority of the Orange Badge, but he even did live video broadcasts.

Even Kaylin herself felt a sense of familiarity whenever she talked to him, so how much more must Asella feel?

It might very well be that Asella was among the fixed-handle users chatting passionately with Grylls.

The possibility was exceedingly high, considering that from Asella’s perspective, Grylls was far more than a mere benefactor.

Though she couldn’t speak openly due to her duty as the Hero, harboring feelings beyond mere gratitude wouldn’t be strange at all.

"...I would like to express my gratitude with all the sincerity of myself and the Holy Kingdom. That’s the only thing I can think of right now."

"It’s simple, but that makes it feel all the more sincere."

"R-Right? Ahaha...."

Asella answered with an awkward smile. Now, not just her ears, but her neck had turned red as well.

She was desperately trying to stop her face from turning red as a ripe persimmon, but it was far too obvious.

’There’s no point probing into this right now.’

While it might make Asella emotional, right now was the time to build rapport.

Still, she wondered if a little tease would hurt.

"Ah. By any chance, does Hero-nim have someone in your heart?"

"Someone in my... heart? Are you speaking of marriage?"

"Yes."

She decided to ask a question mixing genuine intent with playful teasing instead.

The age at which Asella was named Hero was 17. Since she had been hunted for nearly a year after that, she must be 18 now.

She was entering marriageable age, but given the Holy Kingdom’s dire predicament, it would be a tricky subject.

Though asked playfully, the Hero’s marriage was a critically important matter even for Mephisto—if only for its symbolism and the matter of the next Hero who would eventually emerge.

’Even so, marriage isn’t overly strict for them.’

Being the Hero didn’t mean she had to marry someone of matching status.

She could simply return the Holy Sword and get married.

Most Heroes had done so, and Asella would likely be similar.

"That... um...."

Seeing a reaction that practically advertised she had someone in her heart, Kaylin couldn’t hide her smile.

Fortunately, Asella seemed to realize it late as well and hurriedly cleared her throat.

"Ahem. Ahem. The Holy Kingdom hasn’t stabilized yet, and I personally have no immediate thoughts of it. What about you, Princess Kaylin?"

"I don’t have anyone in mind right now either. Even with my status as princess, marriage isn’t an obligation."

"Is it because one becomes Demon King through power rather than bloodline?"

"Precisely."

Most noble human ladies are obligated to marry.

This is unavoidable due to heavy political ties. The Demon Race, on the other hand, is different.

Even though their society and politics had advanced, the culture of worshiping strength remained.

The Demon King was also selected through a ’duel’ rather than lineage, making them remarkably free from political constraints.

That wasn’t all. Kaylin said to Asella:

"Furthermore, the Demon Race’s views on marriage are far stricter compared to other races."

"Ah. I’ve heard of that. That you are extremely sensitive regarding relationships with the opposite sex."

Just as she said, the Demon Race had unique views on marriage, matching their exotic physical appearances.

What was the stereotype of demons? Hedonistic, highly belligerent beings.

Because of this, one might mistakenly assume their concept of chastity was weak, but it was quite the opposite.

On the contrary, it was so strict that other races would gasp in shock.

"I heard that while you are free before marriage, holding the hand of another member of the opposite sex after marriage is grounds for divorce."

"Things have relaxed to a certain extent nowadays. As our culture developed, blocking even minor physical contact became impractical."

"And I also heard there is a custom where if one spouse dies, the other dies alongside them..."Follow the newest chapters on novelp⁠ing.com.

"That is a distorted rumor. Such instances mostly happen in combat."

When it came to marriage, and by extension the concept of ’family’, they were more conservative than any other race.

Before marriage wasn’t vastly different either. Changing lovers once or twice was one thing, but switching partners frequently drew public condemnation.

The reason such a strict culture arose was, as mentioned earlier, due to their tendency to seek relief from boredom.

To soothe boredom, nothing was easier than ’entertainment’. And that entertainment sometimes included things that were somewhat unhealthy.

"Alcohol, gambling, drugs, tobacco, and finally prostitution. These are the things Mephisto monitors most vigilantly and manages with extreme care. Especially drugs and prostitution—the ringleaders are all executed."

"Doesn’t sports encourage gambling?"

"Betting hosted by the state is fine. While controlling desires is important, channeling them is even more crucial."

So that’s why they were so dead serious about betting. Asella nodded.

There was a reason why they flocked even to a simple Kangaroo Arena.

"It’s truly surprising. I knew slang like incubus or succubus originated from the Demon Race... yet demons themselves are so sensitive about romantic relationships."

"An image once ingrained doesn’t change easily. Especially in an era like this."

’An era like this’ referred to a time when the Gallery was thoroughly woven into daily life.

Rather, it was highly likely that the Gallery had caused the image of the Demon Race to become fixed in a way that diverged from reality.

Changing this would take a considerable amount of time. It was something that had to be addressed gradually.

"Then do you have an ideal type, Princess Kaylin?"

"It’s simple. Anyone stronger than me is enough. Otherwise, I would refuse even to hold hands with them."

"Didn’t you just say physical contact was acceptable...?"

"I happen to be conservative in matters like this."

Kaylin shrugged her shoulders, answering slickly. It was a reply of absolute devotion to her standard.

Asella looked dazed for a moment before someone suddenly crossed her mind.

’Why does it feel like she’s walking the exact same path as Ash-nim...?’

Still, unlike Ash who was desperate for marriage, Kaylin looked relaxed.

Wouldn’t she view marriage more as a fetter? Just as Asella was quietly about to ask:

"That’s why I look forward to meeting the Divine Herald even more."

"...Pardon?"

"Wouldn’t it be symbolic? A demon, far removed from faith, entering into a marriage pledge with the Divine Herald. If rumors like that spread, relations with the Holy Kingdom would improve as well."

"...."

"It could instantly wash away the blood-stained history between our two nations."

Asella clamped her mouth shut. She felt her head grow hot in an instant.

She wanted to say something, but her mouth wouldn’t open. And understandably so, because it was undeniably ideal on paper.

The Holy Kingdom—and the Divine Herald proclaimed by none other than the Hero—marrying a demon princess?

They would rise beyond an alliance into brother nations.

"Of course, that’s assuming the Herald steps out of the Forest of the Four Seasons. We had better discuss realistic matters."

"Th-That sound like a good idea. Haha."

Asella replied with difficulty. Even trying her best to endure, she couldn’t hide her displeasure.

And Kaylin was not someone who would miss that. She chuckled inwardly.

’How cute. Making it so obvious like that...’

Outwardly, she had pretended to be friendly, human-like, and different from typical demons, but...

’Now I want to tease her even more.’

In the end, Kaylin was a demon too. She desperately wanted to tease her.

Alongside this, her interest in Grylls deepened even further. And not just because of Asella’s reaction.

’I said it teasingly, but it actually has real value to pursue.’

Marrying Grylls yielded far more gains than losses.

The symbolism of being the Divine Herald. The overwhelming strength envied by demons. Even his steadfast goodness that never forgot a favor.

Not a single thing was lacking, and above all, there was a decisive reason that pulled at her heart.

’A married couple cheering for the exact same team... How could anyone resist that?’

The ultimate romance Kaylin held in her heart. A dream that went beyond simply attending games together.

Cheering in unison, swearing together, and sharing the highs of ecstasy and the lows of despair.

Grylls had already resolved to root solely for Chaeyu. He would never betray Kaylin.

Knowing his goodness well made her all the more certain.

’Just imagining it gives me chills. I need to talk to him more often from now on.’

One should always dream big. For dreams had no limits.

Of course.

’...I’ll be needing a third Blue Badge soon.’

It was a thought made possible only because she had no idea Asella was the Orange Badge.