I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 577

I had known for a while that the deer was no ordinary creature.

Not only did the food it brought every winter as payment have extraordinary effects, but it was even equipped with teleportation abilities.

Was it weak in terms of combat power then? Not at all. The deer was strong enough to send a bull shark that ambush-attacked it in the river straight to the afterlife in one blow.

On top of that, it had the sheer audacity to visit our shelter on a regular basis. While it did show courtesy first, such behavior wouldn’t be possible without supreme confidence in its own strength.

After all, most animals residing in the Forest of the Four Seasons were insanely territorial. No matter how strong a deer was, barging in like this was pure madness.

So while I had long known it was an extraordinary fellow, I never expected it to be Santa’s pet deer, Rudolph.

I couldn’t just blindly believe it was Rudolph without proof. Fact-checking was essential to be certain.

’Though fact-checking aside, it really looks like the real deal.’

Judging strictly by appearance, it was unmistakably Rudolph.

However, its nose hadn’t been this red before. Originally, its nose was no different from any ordinary deer’s.

I needed to confirm whether its nose turned red during specific seasons or if it was an entirely different creature.

"You’re the same fellow who visits our shelter every winter, right?"

"Muu-oh."

At my question, the deer nodded. At its response, I turned my head to look at Bbareumbo and Lackey.

While I couldn’t easily distinguish between animal appearances, my animal companions were different.

Unlike humans who judged merely by sight, animals could tell each other apart through smell, instinct, and their animal perspective.

"Master. That is indeed the deer that visits our shelter."

"Based on what? Its nose turned bright red."

"Can you not tell just by listening to its voice?"

"...."

What kind of nonsense is that, like a water deer singing a sweet song?

As everyone knows, water deer are famous for screaming like drunken lunatics.

Well, considering I had literally met a lion singing in the grasslands earlier, I decided to just roll with it.

Considering this was the Forest of the Four Seasons, assuming anything was possible was actually the more reasonable approach.

"If you say so... Then why did its nose turn red?"

"Muu-oh-oh."

"Our kin’s noses turn red when a specific time comes."

Dumbfounded by Lackey’s translation, I stared at the deer for a good while.

So every winter—more precisely, around Christmas—its nose turns red?

I couldn’t even begin to fathom what kind of hybrid monstrosity the people of Earth had created. I doubted whether this was even genetically possible.

[Look at this! Didn’t I tell you time and time again?! Santa is real!]

Unlike me, who couldn’t hide my bewilderment, one member of our party was practically bouncing with excitement: Cain.

The very first paladin who had likely endured far more hardships and tribulations than even Ludwig.

The childlike wonder that the paladin harbored in his heart was unfolding in reality. Naturally, he couldn’t help but be excited.

Seeing him jump up and down in stone statue form gave me... a somewhat bittersweet feeling, making it awkward to scold him.

"Calm down. It’s not 100% confirmed yet."

Christmas itself was a holiday originating from Earth’s civilization.

Anywhere else, people would have shouted, ’This deer is the animal that inspired Rudolph!’

But the humans of Earth had literally created this deer just to bring Rudolph into existence.

It was an utterly absurd feat, a glimpse into just how transcendent their technology had been.

"Let me ask one more question. Do you have a master?"

The deer nodded.

"Does that master happen to have a bushy white beard?"

The deer nodded once more.

"Does that old man hand out presents or bestow blessings?"

The deer nodded with a look that seemed to say, ’Why even ask?’

"...Is that old man’s name Santa?"

"Muu-oh-oh."

"To be precise, he is called Santa Claus Saint Nicholas, Master."

[See! Didn’t I tell you Santa is real!]

"...."

Would it be better to just stop thinking altogether? I let out a hollow laugh, contrasting with Cain’s excitement.

Who knew Santa Claus here even had a surname. It was probably the surname of the historical figure he originated from.

Either way, since I had far too many questions I wanted to ask, I organized my thoughts step by step.

In the meantime, since I couldn’t just leave the deer freezing outside, I lit a large campfire.

Given the creature’s massive size, bringing it inside the house was out of the question, so there was no choice.

"Alright. Let me ask a few more things then. Is that okay?"

"Muu-oh."

The fellow nodded to say it was fine. Before proceeding, I handed the deer a piping-hot roasted sweet potato.

The deer stared intently at the steaming roasted sweet potato before taking a bite.

Sensing it suited its palate, the deer ate it deliciously despite winced at the heat.

Having organized my thoughts in the meantime, I posed my question.

"Judging by what’s happening, it seems you go outside the Forest of the Four Seasons around this time every year... Is that right?"

If Santa Claus’s Rudolph was indeed a deer residing in the Forest of the Four Seasons, it meant the legend Cain mentioned was also true.

Leaving the Forest of the Four Seasons every Christmas alongside Santa to bestow blessings.

In other words, Santa and his deer knew the way out.

"Muu-oh."

"Master knows the way out."

"...."

I had anticipated it, but hearing it directly filled my mind with complicated thoughts.

Surprisingly, Santa knew how to leave.

The problem was how on earth I was supposed to meet Santa.

"...Is it possible to ask Santa to help us get outside?"

"Muu-oh-oh."

"That is not for me to decide."

Ultimately, it meant I had to meet Santa. And whether meeting Santa was even possible remained an unknown variable.New chapters come out on nоvelping.com first.

Feeling the barely ignited spark of hope crumble into dust, I let out a deep sigh.

[Still, wouldn’t hurt to bring it up just in case, wouldn’t it? In a way, this deer could be considered a personal connection.]

Cain suggested as I offered a bitter smile.

Referring to a deer as a personal connection was pretty comical, but his words made a fair bit of sense.

"What kind of favor even is that? I just want to get out of this damn forest, even if it’s only during Christmas. What about you, Lackey?"

"I want to eat my fill of candied sweet potatoes until my stomach bursts."

"That wish is so typical of you."

In winter, the ground froze solid, making the vegetable garden unusable.

Even if we thawed it with campfires, crops wouldn’t grow in the severe cold.

So I could fully understand why Lackey wished for something like that.

’Since the kids are sleeping right now....’

Winter had arrived, so all the kids had entered hibernation. They weren’t in a condition to make wishes.

In that case, I should ask the others first. After Lackey comes Dolsoe.

"Dolsoe. What about you?"

"I want to eat candied sweet potatoes together with my children."

"...."

"Master. I will change mine too. I want to eat candied sweet potatoes with that female I saw last time."

Hearing Dolsoe’s wish, Lackey hastily changed his own wish.

Of course, whether those wishes would even be granted was another story. After all, we were hoping for a Christmas miracle.

"What about you, Ahjussi Ludwig?"

"I wish I could spend just one day with my family."

Ludwig spoke calmly. But despite his composed tone, I noticed the underlying longing woven into it.

Even though long years had passed and he had adapted, he must still miss the faces of his family.

Especially since Ludwig mentioned having fully grown children, all the more so. I heard he married early, as expected of a military man.

"...You don’t have a picture of them either, right?"

"I do not."

"I’ll ask the Hero later to take a picture of them for you."

"Thank you."

A smile softened Ludwig’s stern lips.

Even now, his heart must be pounding at the thought of sending a letter.

"Bbareumbo, what about you..."

"...."

"...I just need to give you plenty of Fasting Pills, right?"

Bbareumbo nodded his head slowly. He was definitely the least greedy one here.

Even though he seemed to live like a slacker, he pulled his weight when it counted, so he deserved good treatment.

[I have no need. For I received a gift from Santa during my lifetime.]

"Wasn’t that actually your parents, not Santa?"

[Ahem. It was Santa.]

I snickered and logged into the Gallery.

It wasn’t certain whether Santa really existed, but at least Rudolph was real.

Title) Did you guys know Rudolph actually exists?

Wild Grylls

(Photo 1 of a deer that looks identical to Rudolph)

(Photo 2 of a deer that looks identical to Rudolph)

Amazingly, the deer visiting our shelter was Rudolph trembling trembling

From what I heard from him, he pulls a sleigh ridden by his master around a specific time every year?

I don’t know if that master is Santa, but anyway Rudolph really exists!

ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Rudolph. You mean the deer that the Old Man of Christmas (Santa) is said to travel with.

ㄴ Sword Matstar) Was Santa Claus really a real person?

ㄴ Woah. Does that mean I’m getting a girlfriend this time?

ㄴ Even Santa Gramps can’t grant that one...

ㄴ The deer boldly roaming around the Forest of the Four Seasons is Rudolph? Why are the qualifications for Rudolph set so high lololol

ㄴ Wouldn’t it be precisely because it’s a deer from the Forest of the Four Seasons that it was selected as Rudolph?

ㄴ Don’t fairy tales say Santa travels with multiple Rudolphs?

ㄴ How strong must Santa be to command Rudolph as his subordinate shudder shudder shudder

ㄴ At the very least, he’s definitely at the Grand Master realm lololol

ㄴ Don’t Abandon the Hero) Rudolph is real?! I should host an even grander event this Christmas!

ㄴ Is the Hero gonna dress up as Santa during this event?

ㄴ Wasn’t that originally an annual event?

ㄴ (Photo of a suggestive Santa outfit) Might the Hero wear this for us?

ㄴ Kyah... A person of true culture!

ㄴ He-eung... Santa-noona...

ㄴ The Hero’s gonna freeze to death, you bastards lololol

ㄴ But it’s still hot, right?

ㄴ Don’t Abandon the Hero) The Hero does NOT wear such vulgar clothes!!!

Naturally, posting it to the Gallery turned the forum upside down.

Posting a photo of Rudolph on Christmas Eve, it was only expected.

I understood that even the Central Plains, where religious faith was relatively faint, celebrated Christmas.

It wasn’t a combination that particularly fit together, but since Christmas itself was a designated holiday by the gods, they had no choice but to abide by it.

"By the way, why hasn’t Santa gone outside until now? Is there a reason?"

"Muu-oh-oh."

"The forest was too tightly sealed to leave. However, the seal was recently partially released, allowing him to venture out."

The forest’s seal was partially released. Hearing those words, the World Tree immediately sprang to mind.

The entrance of the Forest of the Four Seasons opened the moment we made contact with the World Tree. It had to be closely linked to that.You are reading on novelp‌ing.com, the official source.

One might ask what about Cain, but since he was connected to the Holy Sword, it was proper to consider him an exception.

Furthermore, Cain adopted a ridiculously crude method of literally blasting through the stratosphere.

That was an action only possible because his body was absurdly durable; even I wouldn’t dare try it right now.

Even if one endured with Body-Protecting Gangqi, penetrating the stratosphere at that speed meant enduring temperatures of at least 1,000 degrees Celsius.

’I’d rather jump into lava.’

After chatting with Rudolph—no, the deer—I slowly made my way inside.

Even if Santa really existed, whether he would be active this Christmas was an unknown.

It was better to spend the day quietly without clinging to expectations.

Title) Merry Christmas everyone

Wild Grylls

(Video of a flickering campfire)

(Photo of chubby, fluffy Wonmo hibernating)

Have a joyful Christmas!

I posted a quick message and immediately headed off to sleep. The photo of our cute Gallery Master was a bonus.

I didn’t bother checking the comments either. Most of them would just be telling me to have a nice day anyway.

"Well then, everyone have a Merry Christmas. Ah, Ahjussi Ludwig. I’ll send the letter to the Hero tomorrow."

"Understood."

Saying so, I quietly laid myself down on the bed.

The fireplace was guarded ironclad by Bbareumbo and Maengkkongi, so there was no risk of it going out.

I was a bit worried about the deer staying in the guest room, but since it had always managed well on its own, I let it slide smoothly.

Just as I was warming my weary body and drifting slowly into a deep sleep...

Seu-euk—

I felt an inexplicable sense of floating. It was as if my entire body had entered a state of weightlessness.

A feeling akin to an out-of-body experience. The moment I felt that sensation, my closed eyes slowly opened.

"#! #$$! #$$@$!"

"Muu-oh-oh."

An old man’s raspy voice and the deer’s bellow echoed in my ears.

Although it was an old man’s raspy voice, a tremendous power resounded within it.

What’s more, I had heard that language before. It was none other than the language of Avalon, the Holy Kingdom.

Though the accent and a few details were different, it was definitely the language of the Holy Kingdom.

’What is this? Cain-ssi?’

Wondering why he was raising such a fuss all of a sudden, I sat up. And then, I saw it crystal clear with my own two eyes.

A huge, magnificent red back. The back was wide as the Pacific Ocean; just one glance made it feel extraordinary.

It wasn’t just red either. Patches of white were visible here and there.

And finally....

"Ho! Ho-ho!"

"...."

Coupled with that exceptionally hearty laugh. Only then did my mind snap sharp awake.

To the fact that I was currently kidnapped and being dragged somewhere.

Startled, I hastily looked around and spotted a familiar face.

"...Ahjussi Ludwig?"

"...."

Ludwig was sitting right next to me with a bewildered expression. His reaction clearly showed he had no idea what was happening either.

Seeing even Ludwig acting like that meant the current situation was no ordinary matter.

I hurriedly scrambled up and looked forward.

’...A sleigh?’

It was a sleigh. We were inside a colossal sleigh.

The red sack dangling behind it was a bonus.

Although I couldn’t comprehend what on earth was going on, I could be certain of one thing.

"Have you figured out what is happening?"

"Yes."

We have been kidnapped.

"Merry Christmas~!"

By Santa.

Meanwhile, right after Grylls and Ludwig were kidnapped in the blink of an eye.

"Brother. What is this?"

"Sweet potatoes and honey."

"It is piled up in mountain heaps."

"It seems Santa, whom Master mentioned, has stopped by."

Whether Grylls and Ludwig vanished or not, the gorilla—no, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven brothers—received Christmas gifts.

A mountain of sweet potatoes and honey, one of the key ingredients. They received them in colossal piles.

Finally, Bbareumbo...

"...."

Likewise, he received a mountain of Fasting Pills crafted by who-knows-whom.

Quite rarely, a faint smile hooked onto Bbareumbo’s lips.

[By the way, do you know where Grylls and Ludwig went?]

"I do not know. But I believe they will return soon."

[Why is that?]

"A being who leaves behind gifts like this could not possibly be a bad person."

[Hmm. That statement makes sense.]

The remaining party didn’t worry one bit.

Because they held a rock-solid belief that Grylls wouldn’t die no matter where he went anyway.