I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 576

If you think about it deeply, it’s only natural.

The area Ludwig first encountered when he entered the Forest of the Four Seasons was also the grassland.

Exits and entrances are inherently one and the same. There was ample reason to believe that the grassland held both the entry and exit points.

Though the issue was that space distorted in real time and even those entryways shifted, it was far better than a near-zero probability.

’Ludwig ahjussi said it. When he walked into the place where the aurora unfurled, he entered the grassland as if he had teleported.’

The aurora spread out like a veil was likely the cause.

Once that aurora lifted, the erratic space must have been fixed, if only within a limited scope.

Of course, this was entirely my headcanon. Matters like this had to be left to the experts.

[Wild Grylls: Starlight Lady-nim. By any chance, are you still conducting your research?]

[Starlight Lady: The research itself is ongoing, but I can’t gain access to the Forest of the Four Seasons.]

[Wild Grylls: Around when will you be able to proceed? I think I found a way to escape.]

[Starlight Lady: Could you explain in detail?]

I laid out all the evidence collected so far and explained it to Starlight Lady.

The characteristics of the grassland explored before winter, and the recent mass migration of the buffalo herd rushing outside the entrance.

Lastly, the zebra that Heavenly Demon had seen with her own eyes. Ludwig had also mentioned seeing that zebra before.

[Starlight Lady: Indeed... The unpredictability of the Forest of the Four Seasons was the main issue, but recently that unpredictability has eased up. Provided the condition holds that it’s the exact same region.]

[Wild Grylls: Evidence that it’s the same region is everywhere. Isn’t the buffalo herd alone sufficient proof?]

[Starlight Lady: But we don’t know where that buffalo herd was heading, do we? Since an unprecedented winter hit the grassland on your side, they might have arrived after undergoing a long migration.]

Perhaps due to her researcher disposition, unlike my somewhat optimistic stance, Starlight Lady analyzed it objectively.

In fact, just as she said, the buffalo herd had been migrating somewhere.

Therefore, it was entirely possible that the buffalo herd had moved out of the forest only after finishing their mass relocation.

’In the end, it means I have to find that zebra...’

Considering Largo greeted the lion, it was undoubtedly the exact same region.

However, the Forest of the Four Seasons boasts a geography so vast it rivals a small nation.

Right now, the sector where my Shelter belongs boasts immense area, so how much more so for the grassland?

Even the chance that it’s just a grassland alone is low. Haven’t multiple regions existed within this forest?

’Now that even the weather has changed, there’s no telling what will happen.’

It was something predicted earlier, but ecological chaos must have swept through the entirety of the Forest of the Four Seasons.

There was no way to know what kind of impact that chaos would have on our Shelter.

Furthermore, one more question crossed my mind.

[Starlight Lady: If the weather in the grassland has aligned with the forest, where has the original weather of the grassland been locked to? I’m curious about that too.]

[Wild Grylls: Huh? Good point.]

Just as Starlight Lady said, the grassland’s climate might have been anchored somewhere else.

Naturally, the ecosystem of that region would fall into chaos as well.

However, I hypothesized that a World Tree existed in the grassland as well. According to the lion’s testimony.

I wrestled with whether to make contact with the World Tree first or search for an emergency exit (?) first.

[Starlight Lady: In my heart, I want to rush right back to where I was conducting research before... But unfortunately, given the situation, it’s difficult.]

[Wild Grylls: Around when do you think it will be possible?]

[Starlight Lady: Research will only be possible after the barrier work is completed.]

I had heard of it before. That the entrance to the Forest of the Four Seasons could be blocked using a barrier or Formation.

It was ultimately closer to a concept of "sealing," so it wasn’t completely blocked off.

To top it off, the Messiah Empire was pushing adventurers inside left and right.

The adventurers also viewed it as a land of opportunity, since they could strike it rich if they played their cards right.

[Starlight Lady: Permission from the Hero is required, but she’s busy as well. It will take at least a week at the earliest.]

[Wild Grylls: That’s a shame. I guess I’ll just have to look for it myself.]

Hope wasn’t completely crushed. If anything, hope surged.

Because animals getting out meant I could get out too.

Finding the opening would certainly be tough, but with help from people outside, it would be plenty doable.

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Three days!]

[Wild Grylls: Huh?]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: I shall grant permission within three days!]

And the Hero, Asella, seemed to be charged with motivation as well.

She sent a message right away, having seemingly caught the exchange between me and Starlight Lady.

Though a bit bewildering, there was no reason for me to decline.

Moreover, since Asella was rational when it came to state affairs, she likely arrived at a firm conviction.

I just needed to spend the winter quietly and resume exploring when spring came.

"Still, this winter feels unusually cold. Am I the only one thinking that?"Visit novelping(.)com for the full chapter.

"I am cold too, Master."

"I am cold as well."

Whether because the geography shifted or because winter was settling in outside too, the weather felt exceptionally colder.

Come to think of it, I recalled Christmas existed in this world too, though I didn’t know how they spent it.

’Could Santa exist too?’

After a fleeting idle thought, I threw more firewood into the fireplace.

After feeding the fire, I realized that New Year’s was right around the corner too.

’How old was I again...?’

I folded my fingers and counted to calculate my age. But soon realized it was meaningless.

What age matters when I have missing memories anyway? As long as my face looks young, that’s all that matters.

Thinking that made me curious about what the others thought. Especially Ludwig.

"Ludwig ahjussi."

"Hmm?"

Ludwig, who was quietly maintaining his sword so it wouldn’t freeze over, raised his head at my call.

Perhaps because he ate and slept well in the forest, even his fine wrinkles had vanished, making his face look very young.

I knew his real age was well past fifty. Plus, he had a wife and children.

"What did you usually do every New Year’s, ahjussi?"

"I spent it with my family."

He spoke matter-of-factly, but I could sense the warmth embedded in his words.

Spending this upcoming New Year with drab men—no, males—must feel strange for him.

Well, since he was a knight, he was probably used to situations like this.

"Do you have any intention of giving a gift to your wife?"

"I would love to send even a single letter. To let her know I am doing well here."

"Write it. I’ll ask the Hero to deliver it."

"Would that truly be fine?"

Ludwig wore a rare expression of delight. Honestly, if Ludwig had asked first, I would have gladly granted it anyway. I had inwardly wondered if I should offer.

He was probably cautious out of fear of bothering me. Given all the help I’ve received from him, he really is a good person.

As Ludwig began pouring his heart into writing the letter in a notebook, I turned to Cain and asked.

"Cain-ssi, what did you do every New Year’s?"

[I prayed that I could survive the coming year intact.]

"..."

I had forgotten.

That the era this man lived in was an age of barbarism.

Even if gods defeated the dragons, civilization requires generations to mature.

Furthermore, Cain’s lifetime was when all sorts of horrific monsters littered the world.

Dealing with those alone was a headache, so dealing with humans on top of that must have been even harder.

[That is why I looked forward to Christmas more than the New Year. I wondered if Santa would come this year.]

"...Pardon?"

I blinked my eyes. Out of nowhere, Santa?

I wondered if even machines suffered from dementia symptoms, but probably not.

Moreover, this was a world that made even nonexistent things real. It was entirely possible Santa actually existed.

"Have you ever seen Santa?"

[Was I five or six years old? I once saw Santa flying through the sky leading deer. He bestowed blessings upon everyone.]

"That sounds way too much like a fairy tale. Did he give gifts to children too?"

[Of course. Back then, I received none other than a real sword.]

’There’s a high chance your parents secretly placed it there.’ I swallowed those follow-up words.

Seeing him preserve his childhood innocence made me feel... well, I didn’t want to shatter it.

Of course, given Cain’s age, he undoubtedly knew everything already.

[I will say in advance, it was definitely not given by my parents. Santa gave it to me.]

"I’m sure he did."

[What parents would give a real sword to a child of that age?]

"Considering the times back then, that’s entirely plausible though?"

Ancient times raised eldest sons strictly, and in the absence of a father, the eldest son had no choice but to step up as head of the family.

Wielding weapons from a young age to protect family from external threats was likely common.

Cain was probably similar. Better to just play dumb.

"Master. What is Christmas?"

"It’s Christmas, the day celebrating the birth of a revered figure from a religion back where I came from. People hold festivities to commemorate that day."Visit novelping dot com for the full chapter.

[Christmas had such a meaning? I thought it was the day the gods were born.]

"Technically, that’s not wrong either, right?"

Being the gods of Earth, they would have valued both Christmas and Buddha’s Birthday precious.

It was a bit surprising that Children’s Day was a public holiday, but well, many countries worldwide have a Children’s Day.

Then again, if there was a Korean among the gods, it would be totally natural.

’It’s also wild that my birthday is a public holiday.’

With those thoughts in mind, I accessed the Gallery.

Perhaps because Christmas and, by extension, the New Year were approaching by outside standards...

While there were many posts about the Forest of the Four Seasons, people were expressing great interest in other topics as well.

Among them, a fun topic was what gift people wanted to receive for Christmas.

Title) Gift I want for Christmas

I wish a girlfriend would come...

└ Wake up. Even I don’t have one.

└ Sorry, but Santa only grants wishes for little kids.

└ OP) In my heart, I’m a kid though?

└ (Briefly shows OP’s post history) Say what now?

└ Holy shit, why has a kid searched for so many lewd pics LOL

└ OP) It’s cause I’m precocious. Plz understand.

└ LMAOOO

└ HAHAHAHA

Title) My son for Christmas

(Roughly a cool-looking white horse)

Says he wants this to come.

When I told him even Santa would struggle with that, he started crying. What do I do?

└ Just tell him Santa isn’t real.

└ This bastard is the harshest one here;;;

└ But do kids nowadays actually still believe in Santa?

└ I heard that in the really distant past, Santa actually handed out gifts.

└ Wasn’t it blessings instead of gifts?

└ What’s good about getting a blessing?

└ Curing an illness you suffered from, or boosting physical capabilities?

└ Santa gramps was a cleric all along;;

└ FR LOL

Quite a few entertaining posts were uploaded.

Also, it was noteworthy that Christmas existed in Central Plains as well.

’Come to think of it, didn’t they say Korea was the only country in East Asia where Christmas is a public holiday?’

From what I vaguely heard, that was true. The fact that every country here treated it as a public holiday was interesting.

I browsed through the Gallery before quietly writing a post.

Title) For Christmas

Wild Grylls

Please let me get outside

└ Sword Matstar) Hurry out and become my Christmas gift

└ Heavenly Demon) How insolent. Becoming this mistresses’ gift would be a far greater honor.

└ Don’t Abandon the Hero) Don’t treat the Herald-nim as a gift!

└ But why is he so pitiful...

└ Seriously feels like watching an inmate trapped in prison...

└ You’re even more vicious LOL

Everyone cheered me on out of pity.

I closed the Gallery with a bitter smile.

More than that, there was one question on my mind.

’Why hasn’t that deer guy shown up?’

That was something I came to realize before long.

"Mu-oh."

"...What the."

Because for some unknown reason, a deer with a red ball stuck to its nose appeared in front of me.

An appearance that, no matter who looked, closely resembled Rudolph driven around by Santa.

"Did you get a job?"

I could only say this in sheer dumbfoundedness.