I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 585

Today’s Christmas was not over yet. I immediately grasped what Santa meant by those words.

If I wanted an advance on next Christmas’s promise, at least today had to pass first.

It meant I had to endure until then somehow, or persuade him by hook or by crook.

"Then I just need to wait until today’s Christmas ends."

So I presented a very simple method. Just waiting out the time.

However, Santa’s thought process seemed to differ. Bursting into his signature hearty laugh, he said to me:

"If you do that, you won’t be able to return home! The coordinates are valid for only one day!"

"Even with the Rudolphs, we can’t return to where we originally were?"

"Because it is that kind of place!"

Because it was the Forest of the Four Seasons. No further explanation was needed.

The cause-and-effect logic was so solid that I couldn’t even talk back.

Indeed, didn’t Santa reappear only after the seal on the Forest of the Four Seasons partially broke?

It was safe to assume it was along similar lines. Ultimately, we had to return within the time limit.

"Then we can just stay here continuously. If you have to return anyway."

"Ho! Ho-ho! Did I not explicitly say one day! That is what Rudolph said!"

"Taking that completely literally creates a problem."

"Because a promise is a promise!"

Man, talk about zero flexibility. Even a beta test lasts at least a week.

I let out a dry laugh. Still, it wasn’t like I didn’t understand at all.

In the end, Santa was also a creation of the gods.

Unless he was an AI practically indistinguishable from a human like Cain, he had no choice but to follow orders.

’Feels a bit like watching Asella back when she acted as Orange Badge?’

After a brief moment of idle thoughts, Santa urged us to hurry and get on the sleigh.

Instead of obeying him blindly, I looked at Ludwig. It was to gauge his true intentions.

"Ahjussi, do you want to return to that forest?"

"...If it is the will of God."

Ludwig answered a beat late. He, too, had tasted a sweet dream just like me.

Unlike me, who only met acquaintances, he had spent time with his beloved family. He must hate returning even more than I do.

Even now, he merely claimed it to be the will of God, but standing nailed to his spot proved it beyond doubt.

"Santa-halabeoji."

"Ho! Ho-ho! Speak!"

"What are you going to do about bad adults who don’t keep their promises?"

So I declared proudly. I will endure until right before the next day comes, no matter what.

Santa must have fully anticipated this as well. There was no way he didn’t notice when we were openly broadcasting that intention.

"...Ho! Ho-ho!"

Santa let out a delayed laugh and quietly set down the reins.

He then slowly climbed down from the sleigh and gradually straightened his posture.

I felt he had a massive build even while sitting on the sleigh, but standing up fully made him look terrifying.

Ever since he drove those vicious Rudolphs around like sled dogs, I knew his martial prowess was extraordinary.

"There are times when even good children fail to keep promises. Still, I can humbly forgive them. Because they are children."

"..."

"However, adults are different. Adults who do not understand the value of a promise will receive no quarter!"

I didn’t notice when he was laughing heartily, but immense pressure radiated from his voice alone.

Instinctively, I reached for the Sword of the Heavenly Demon, only to realize the emptiness at my waist late.

’I have no weapon?’

In fact, it was obvious. I was kidnapped by Santa before I could grab anything.

Even if I had no intention of harming Santa, I needed a tool to protect myself at the very least.

"Surely you’re not going to pick a noisy fight here? The children are sleeping."

"Ho! Ho-ho!"

Tta-ak!

At my words trying to stall for time, Santa lightly snapped his fingers.

Then Santa’s bundle squirmed, and a pure white swirl of light spread outward from within it.

That light swirled over us, soon engulfing the entire square.

"Ho! Ho-ho! Now the children can sleep peacefully!"

"Heo..."

I looked around the square covered by the white light. Outwardly, it didn’t look much different.

Yet it was endlessly tranquil. Though the square had been quiet to begin with, now not even the sound of the wind could be heard.

I had no idea what kind of spell he cast. I guessed it was roughly a barrier-type concept.

"Do you want to receive a Christmas gift?"

Santa stepped forward one pace. I involuntarily flinched back.

To be honest, I had no desire to fight him. So I made a choice.

"Then endure it!"

"Ahjussi! Run!"

Fleeing immediately. Shouting to Ludwig, I bolted away on the spot.

The problem was Ludwig’s mobility. As everyone knew, one of his feet had been severed and replaced with Mithril.

Even though time had passed and he got used to it, he couldn’t help limping.

"Ho! Ho-ho! A good adult must keep their promises!"

"Keu-euk...!"

Ultimately, Ludwig was subdued by Santa in less than five minutes.

Though both were bare-handed, the weight class difference was severe, and hesitancy was also a factor.

Since Santa was deeply connected to faith, it must have been tough for the devout Ludwig to exert full power.

Even now, he might be weighing family against faith in his heart. It was probably so.

"L-Let him go! Santa-halabeoji! Seonsaeng-nim needs to be with his family!"

Asella was no different. She only offered weak resistance, unable to harm Santa directly.

Even now, she didn’t draw her Holy Sword and was merely clinging to Santa, flailing about.

"Ho! Ho-ho! This is troubling!"

Still, it wasn’t entirely meaningless resistance. Santa seemed to find Asella hard to touch, hesitating slightly.

Thanks to that, the captured Ludwig broke free again, and an unseasonable game of tag broke out.

From the moment Santa set up the barrier, our positions were likely being relayed in real-time.

’Time left... 15 minutes? This might work out.’

While it said 15 minutes, enduring for just 10 minutes would suffice. Didn’t Santa say so earlier?

That we had to return before the set coordinates vanished. Otherwise, we would never be able to return to the Shelter.

’Even if I return, I must leave Ludwig here.’

Of course, I wanted to stay outside too. But the people left behind in the Shelter flickered through my mind.Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping(.)com.

I couldn’t abandon ’responsibility’ out of sheer greed, could I?

If we were coming out, it was right for everyone to come out together.

Some might call me stupid, saying it was a crazy thing to do no matter what.

’Human affection really is a terrifying thing.’

Crucially, I had to return if only because of Tyranno. One wrong move could incur Vanir’s wrath.

Now that the seal on the Forest of the Four Seasons was partially undone, the rift could widen even further.

I couldn’t handle the consequences if Vanir happened to step out of the Forest of the Four Seasons, so I had to return.

"Ahjussi, you know the terrain here well, is there anywhere we can hold out?"

"Not hiding?"

"You saw him cast that barrier earlier. He probably knows our location in real-time."

I didn’t know Santa’s true identity, specifically his past life, but he was likely a master on par with Cain.

Crossing between countries with Rudolphs, casting a barrier covering an entire city, and so on.

Taking each feat into account, they were extraordinary abilities. He was highly likely a being whose name was etched in history.

"So, run away as much as possible while holding out..."

"Holding out, you say?"

As I was talking to Ludwig, a familiar voice echoed from behind.

The moment I heard that voice, goosebumps broke out all over my body.

Turning around, Santa was standing there with a beaming smile.

I had no idea how he neutralized Asella, but escaping was the top priority right now.

"Comply obediently and keep the promise!"

However, Santa was one step ahead. As soon as we showed signs of running, he took action.

Crooking his fingers just like before. The moment I frantically jumped backward upon seeing that—

Kuuung!

"Keok?!"

As if gravity had multiplied tens of times over, immense pressure crushed down on my body.

An overwhelming weight, as though a colossal palm was pressing down hard. Because of that, I had no choice but to flatten onto the ground.

"Keuuuk... could it be gravity magic...?"

Ludwig muttered quietly, as if he recognized this spell.

I had seen gravity magic mentioned in the Gallery. It was one of those magics that even Kadir found tricky to handle carelessly.

Magic that governs the laws of nature was not only complex in theory, but carried extreme danger.

Thus, unless under extraordinary circumstances, mages rarely even attempted it.

"Ho! Ho-ho! It is time to go back!"

However, Santa seemed to find it difficult to maintain continuously as well.

The moment he moved his hand, the crushing weight pressing down on our bodies eased slightly.

Soon, as he grabbed Ludwig, I slowly raised my body.

While pressure still weighed on my frame, it was completely manageable.

"Wha...?"

Even Santa hadn’t anticipated this, expressing clear flabbergastment.

What mattered more was one thing: the remaining time.

About 10 minutes remained until midnight. Thanks to Asella holding out well, we had managed to stall for quite a while.

’Wait a minute. If Santa doesn’t have the Rudolphs anyway...’

The instant that thought crossed my mind, I sprinted off immediately. Where?

To the square where the sleigh was parked. Santa caught on to my intention as well, taking huge strides as he gave chase.

Apparently, carrying Ludwig prevented him from casting magic. Excellent.

"...Grylls-ssi?"

Reaching the square once more, Asella was held captive there.

By none other than Rudolph. Hanging helplessly by the scruff of her neck was quite a comical sight.

However, Rudolph wasn’t important right now. I gave Asella a quick wink and turned my gaze to the sleigh.

As expected, one of Santa’s essentials—the gift bundle—was resting right there.

If I snatched this and ran off, even Santa would have no choice but to panic.

’It’s lighter than I thought?’

I lifted the gift bundle and bolted straight away. The look on Santa’s face upon seeing this was truly something to behold.

While Santa had shown embarrassed expressions several times, now he looked utterly dumbfounded, unable to believe his eyes even if he washed them twice.

"H-How? How could you... the gift bundle...!"

Whether Santa gasped in horror or not, I was busy fleeing. In the meantime, Santa set Ludwig down on the sleigh.

Now all that remained was a chase. Even while running, I closely monitored Santa’s hand gestures.

Even if he could cast spells with just a flick of his fingers, he ultimately had to designate a target.

The moment he unleashed gravity magic across the whole city, the Holy Kingdom might collapse like a castle of sand.

Therefore, as long as I kept dodging around, even Santa’s best option would be relying purely on physical capability.

’A guy running away with Santa-halabeoji’s present bundle...’

No matter who saw it, I would look like a villain and the biggest scoundrel on earth.

Yet for the sake of my goal, I would willingly do it.

So, how long had I been running? Santa also seemed to grow weary, opting for a backup plan.

"Ho! Ho-ho! It cannot be helped!"

"Then the promise..."

"I shall simply depart!"

"What?!"

He pulled off an absurd move—leaving his gift bundle behind!

Just as I was caught off guard, Santa sprinted straight back toward the sleigh.

He meant to carry Ludwig off just like this. I couldn’t allow that.

"I shall entrust the bundle to Goddess Aris’s Sword!"

"Pardon? Me? What does that mean..."

"Ho! Ho-ho! It was a joyful Christmas!"

Boarding the sleigh, Santa cracked the reins hard. The sleigh began to slowly float upward.

I hurriedly set down the bundle and leaped high to grab the bottom of the sleigh—namely, its runner.

Fortunately, it was right before Rudolph took off completely, so catching the runner with both hands wasn’t difficult.

"Eugeugeuk!"

Next, putting all my body strength into it, I forcefully yanked the sleigh back down.

Did Santa not expect me to forcibly drag the sleigh down?

His eyes rounded as he looked down at me, then slammed the reins with vigor.

However, my muscle strength honed in the Forest of the Four Seasons was not to be underestimated either.You are reading on novelping . com, the official source.

Moreover, coming outside the forest, I pumped up my physical attributes with enhanced mana.

Sadly, however, this alone was insufficient to withstand the combined force of the Rudolphs and Santa’s magic.

’It’s not enough. Is there anything to hold onto...!’

Because it was a vast open square, there was nothing proper to anchor myself to. Just as I was feeling cornered—

"...Asella!"

"Yes?"

"The sword! Give me the sword!"

The moment I saw Asella break free from Rudolph, I shouted for the Holy Sword.

Fortunately, without raising a single doubt, she handed over the Holy Sword instantly.

Even though it was somewhat inappropriate for me, who wasn’t a Hero, to use the Holy Sword—especially for an impure purpose.

Kwak!

What of it? I couldn’t just let Santa fly away like this.

Plunging the Holy Sword into the ground with one hand, I pulled the sleigh downward with all my might.

Reversing my grip to make pulling easier was an added touch.

Kkumtle!

My arm muscles, tempered by External Arts, pulsed tautly and began to ache bit by bit.

Given the dynamic, I was at an overwhelming disadvantage.

Because I was pulling the sleigh down purely through raw physical force.

Before it got any harder, I had to make a move.

"Ahjussi!"

What was more important was Ludwig. I called out to Ludwig, who was trapped on the sleigh.

Ludwig, perhaps still immobilized, squirmed like a caterpillar and peeked his head out from the side of the sleigh.

"Get out fast! You have to stay with your family!"

"..."

Even at my shout, Ludwig seemed torn. Whether to obey faith, or indulge his desire.

It was an intensely frustrating situation, yet it wasn’t impossible to understand.

Ludwig was one of those who had witnessed faith with his own two eyes.

Even if he returned to the Forest of the Four Seasons, he would highly likely consider it all the divine will of God.

However.

"What is there to think about?! Your beloved family is waiting for you!"

That was a warped faith. Of that I was certain.

I might hate gods, but because of that, I knew what obligations they ought to carry.

"You don’t need to harbor faith while abandoning your family! That’s not faith, that’s fanaticism, fanaticism!"

"..."

"The god should be the one to sacrifice, there’s no need for the believer to sacrifice!"

Was it those words that proved decisive?

Resolve washed over Ludwig’s wavering expression.

He then squirmed vigorously and dropped below the sleigh.

Falling headfirst made it a perilous situation, but Asella caught him skillfully.

Huwung!

The instant I saw Ludwig drop clear, my grip strength momentarily loosened.

As a result, I lost hold of the Holy Sword and naturally floated upward along with the sleigh.

Couldn’t I just drop down too? Just as that thought crossed my mind—

"Ho! Ho-ho! A magnificent sacrifice! I shall grant your wish!"

"Then I also..."

"Wishes are limited to one per person! I shall only release the Paladin over there!"

"Wait, what?"

What do you mean wishes are one per person? Before I could argue—

Santa flicked his index finger, hoisting me up from where I hung on the sleigh runner.

After securing me onto the sleigh, he cracked the reins.

"Ho! Ho-ho! Merry Christmas!"

The sweet dream came to an end.

Asella and Ludwig could only gaze for a long time at Santa and Grylls departing far into the distance.

Neither of them could feel the reality of this moment. It felt almost like a midwinter night’s dream.

Yet Ludwig, who had departed for the Forest of the Four Seasons, had returned, and the red gift bundle standing in the distance proved it was no dream.

"He has departed."

"Truly a man worthy of being the Herald of God."

Both of them conversed about Grylls, who had departed once again.

However, lingering thoughts aside, they needed to clean things up.

Above all, Ludwig was someone dragged away while sharing a sweet night with his wife.

He had to hurry back, not wanting to cause his family unnecessary anxiety.

"By the way, what shall we do with that bundle?"

"We must bring it to the Vatican. We cannot just leave it like that."

The gift bundle was the same. Storing it until the next Christmas arrived was the best option.

The moment Asella gripped the bundle in her hands—

"Huh?"

"What is it?"

"I-It’s unbelievably heavy?"

The gift bundle didn’t budge an inch.

Even as Asella grunted and strained with both hands, the bundle remained completely immobile.

It was no different for Ludwig. It wasn’t merely heavy; it felt entirely anchored in place.

"...It is almost as though no one but its owner can move it."

"Then Grylls-nim is...?"

At Asella’s question, Ludwig raised his head. It was the direction where Grylls had departed.

Toward the sky where snow fell relentlessly.

Ludwig looked up at that sky and answered softly,

"...I am not sure."

"You spent so much time together. Yet you don’t know?"

"He is a man like an onion, after all. No, wait."

A moment that still felt like a dream.

Ludwig recalled the events that occurred in the Forest of the Four Seasons and spoke.

"I even doubt whether he is human."