I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 661

Living in the Forest of the Four Seasons and facing all kinds of situations up to now,

I was able to realize once again that the Forest of the Four Seasons was a place like an onion.

I hadn’t thought that there wouldn’t be forces similar to the hobgoblins who had built an independent civilization in the forest.

However, I thought those forces would at least be beings possessing some degree of intelligence, like goblins or orcs.

After all, even on the outside, orcs and goblins frequently lived in tribal units.

"Hey, Lackey. Have you really never seen guys like this while roaming around?"

"I have seen many large lizards, but this is the first time I have seen a lizard walking on two legs and even speaking."

Just look at our current situation. A race straight out of a fantasy novel was guiding us. I glanced at them.

Scales that looked entirely covered in sand. A protruding snout and densely packed rows of teeth.

Anyone could tell they were lizardmen, and they were currently escorting us.

[They do not seem to harbor any hostile intent toward us.]

Just as Cain said, the lizardmen were not hostile to us. In fact, it was closer to the opposite.

Because when we first met, they were the ones who treated us politely first. We couldn’t understand their language, but we could catch their tone and demeanor.

Above all, the lizard that had crawled into our campsite last night was also with them. Even now, it was walking ppol-ppol-ppol right beside us.

ㄴHeavenly Demon) Lizard people, you say? I have never heard of such beings even among beastfolk.

ㄴSuspiciously...) As I said yesterday, there are no scaled bastards among us. In the first place, it’s ambiguous to define those guys as beastfolk.

ㄴAllfather) Broadly speaking, they could be included under beastfolk. After all, beings that blend animal and human features are referred to as beastfolk.

ㄴStarlight Lady) But up until now, beastfolk have only included mammals. Doesn’t finding reptiles mean that amphibians or fishfolk might exist too?

ㄴPassing Dwarf) Didn’t we meet merfolk back in the day? I feel like I saw a shark with arms and legs.

ㄴAllfather) It is ambiguous to treat those as beastfolk. If we go by that logic, we would have to classify orcs and goblins as races rather than monsters as well.

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) Would you like to ask if they worship a god?

ㄴPraise the Sun) What if they end up performing human sacrifices or something;;

Amidst the back-and-forth debate, Asella’s suggestion stood out particularly well.

Normally, I would have thought she was proselytizing again, but this was surprisingly an important point.

Didn’t the hobgoblins also perform rituals, treating the Immortal Herb as a gift from God?

Since religion and rituals go hand in hand, it was necessary to check.

’Fortunately, they aren’t showing any hostile intent...’

I turned my gaze and looked at Tyranno. In fact, the most bewildered one here was Tyranno.

"#$%?"

"Ppik!"

For some unknown reason, the lizardmen were endlessly kind to Tyranno. Even now, weren’t they offering her something resembling jerky?

Of course, since Tyranno was a child with a strong sense of vigilance, she didn’t accept it. She whipped her head around and rejected it coyly.

Instead, she fluttered her wings, flew over, and landed right on top of my head. Her bright, beaming face as she flew over was a bonus.

Normally, anyone in this situation would look disappointed or somber, but the lizardman was not like that at all.

On the contrary, he looked at me with eyes full of awe, making even me feel burdened just watching.

[It seems they have a custom of revering dragons.]

"Maybe they just like winged lizards."

After replying like that, I called over the Sun Wukong brothers.

"Lackey. Dolsoe."

"What is it?"

"Speak, Master."

At my call, the Sun Wukong brothers looked at me.

Perhaps because everyone was unfamiliar with this situation, they were busy staying alert to their surroundings.

"Analyze those lizardmen’s language as much as possible on our way. So that we can at least understand their basic intentions."

"I will try."

"Understood."

In the past, when Ggambu trespassed into our shelter, we were able to obtain information regarding the hobgoblin settlement.

As for language, communication itself was possible thanks to Lackey’s outstanding learning capability.

However, right now, with zero information, it was like slamming our heads against a brick wall, making information all the more desperate.

Fortunately, with the Sun Wukong brothers who were proficient in languages, grasping their intentions wouldn’t be difficult.

"#$$ #$$."

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

It was while we were walking through the desert for a long time. Perhaps because we reached a midpoint, the surrounding area became briefly noisy.

I wanted to see ahead, but I couldn’t see well due to the large lizardman’s back. Instead, I could only see something sticking out to the side.

So I cautiously poked my head out to the side and checked ahead.

"...A lizard?"

[And a tremendously massive lizard at that.]

A lizard large enough to easily carry ten adult men came into view.

A bit fit for a horse was strapped to its mouth, and a lizardman actually stood waiting while holding that bit’s reins.

"Master. It seems they call us the Scaleless Ones."

"Right now, it feels like they are discussing why they brought us here and why they intend to take us along."

Having spoken with the other lizardmen according to my instructions, the Sun Wukong brothers passed the information along to me.

It was certain that the lizardmen harbored goodwill toward us, and it also became clear that they had built an independent civilization.Find the original chapter at nov‌elping.com.

’Though I don’t know if it’s a more advanced civilization than the hobgoblins’.’

For now, we had to visit the lizardmen’s stronghold. Following the lizardmen’s guidance, I mounted the back of the lizard.

When we boarded, another lizardman glared at us with wary eyes, but I tried my best to ignore it.

After all, we were the ones receiving guidance, and we needed information in our own right.

"Hya!"

Dududududu-

As the coachman(?) vigorously snapped the reins, the lizard began surging forward.

Needless to say, its speed was significantly slower than an automobile.

Even so, the cool wind hitting my face felt good. Surprisingly, the ride quality was also remarkably excellent.

’There were camels here too, so why didn’t they raise camels?’

I wanted to ask, but the Sun Wukong brothers had not yet fully completed their analysis.

I couldn’t just leave language-related tasks to the Sun Wukong brothers every single time.

I also made every effort on my part to communicate with them.

"Are there any other mounts besides this guy?"

"#$ $%$#?"

"You know, guys that look like this. Humps on their backs..."

Even if our languages differed, mixing hand signs and body language allowed for rough communication.

The lizardman conversing with me also seemed to grasp my intent and replied enthusiastically.

It was a pity that his tone was a bit stiff due to living a tribal life, but that made him all the more likable.

Because unlike me, who only used hands and feet, he used his tail as well.

"Did Master understand as well?"

"Roughly? He says they couldn’t raise camels because their tempers were too nasty."

"Come to think of the guy we met back then, that makes sense."

"What about you guys? How does it look?"

"It seems they perceive us as powerful figures."

Perceived us as powerful figures, huh. Then do they want something from us?

Fathoming that was top priority, but unfortunately, the lizardmen didn’t inform us.

They merely stated that once we arrived there, they would tell us everything. Since they weren’t trying to harm us, I let it slide.

Of course, that didn’t mean I dropped my guard completely. Expecting the exact same approach as with the hobgoblins was preposterous.

To put it bluntly, what if they were taking us along treating us as meat? The possibility of human sacrifice taking place was also high.

"...Master."

"Huh? What is it?"

"Look at this..."

And there was evidence proving that hypothesis. Namely, the item Lackey had received.

He received it from a lizardman who had opened up to talk with him before long; at first glance, it looked like ordinary jerky.

I thought to myself that these guys even knew how to make jerky. However, upon hearing Lackey’s words, my face stiffened slightly.

"This tail... was made by cutting off their own tails."

"...They cut off their own tails and made jerky out of it?"

"That is correct..."

"..."

The moment I heard those words, I checked the lizardmen’s tails. Their thick tails were all intact.

Then did they cut off another lizardman’s tail and eat it? What happened to that lizardman then?

The phrase ’human sacrifice’ lingered in my head, but nothing was confirmed yet.

"...Since the environment is harsh, they might have made use of a corpse. So don’t get too bogged down by it."

"Mmm... Understood."

A somewhat unsettling piece of evidence had surfaced, but there was no need to act hastily.

It wouldn’t be too late to act after more definitive evidence appeared. For now, we follow quietly.

Crucially, every time I sporadically checked the tracker, we were getting closer to the destination.

Perhaps the transport aircraft was at the lizardmen’s settlement.

ㄴAllfather) Since lizard tails regenerate even if severed, they might be eating them in that manner.

ㄴPassing Dwarf) Isn’t that perpetual motion energy?

ㄴStarlight Lady) Usually, if cut 2 to 3 times, they no longer regenerate. Moreover, losing a tail causes major issues with their sense of balance.

Along the way, the regular users also brought up explanations regarding lizard tails. Having so many knowledgeable people around was truly convenient at times like this.

Moreover, this was the Forest of the Four Seasons, so the number of possible regenerations might be even higher.

While harbouring such complex thoughts, I did not stop talking with the lizardmen.

I wanted to gain more useful knowledge, but unfortunately, the language barrier was severe.

Sseuk-

Then, suddenly, a shadow fell over my head. Something had blocked out the sun.

The only entity capable of blocking the sun was a flying object. It was when I raised my head upward.

[KkIEEEEEE!]This chapter is updated first at novelрing.com.

Three or four massive birds were flying in the vast sky. I narrowed my eyes.

I frowned due to the sunlight leaking through intermittently, but confirming their appearance wasn’t difficult.

’What’s that? Pterosaurs?’

Outwardly, they looked like pterosaurs. The issue was that those pterosaurs were gradually descending.

They weren’t approaching us, but thanks to their descent, I could examine them in more detail.

"Master. Someone is riding on that bird’s back."

"Is that... right?"

Surprisingly, someone was riding on the pterosaur’s back. It even had a bit in its mouth.

The pterosaurs weren’t ordinary pterosaurs either. They possessed the appearance of winged lizards.

To be precise, their appearance was that of dragons, much smaller in size and lacking forelegs.

ㄴAllfather) It is a Wyvern. Seeing that it is fitted with a bit, it appears they are raising them...

ㄴHeavenly Demon) Is it possible to tame a Wyvern?

ㄴSword Matstar) I heard they attempted it several times in the past and gave up. I heard even approaching a wyvern’s habitat is difficult.

ㄴStarlight Lady) Theoretically, it’s impossible. To raise a wyvern, you have to go to their habitat, but if you approach their habitat, they end up perceiving you as an enemy.

ㄴPassing Dwarf) Can’t you just snag them with a lasso while they’re flying?

ㄴStarlight Lady) Do you really think that’s possible?

ㄴPassing Dwarf) I feel like that human over there could pull it off though?

ㄴStarlight Lady) That’s only possible because he’s Grylls-nim...

ㄴPraise the Sun) From what I see, that buddy will shoot down a flying wyvern with an arrow.

At the fact that they raised wyverns, the regular posters began sharing their respective opinions.

I was equally astonished, so I stared blankly at the wyverns and the riders mounted on them for a while.

Voleriders were surprising enough, but Wyvern Riders? Just how much more was this forest planning to astound me?

"#$% #$!"

Then, suddenly, loud voices echoed from up ahead. Turning my head, I saw that we had almost arrived at the lizardman village.

Since it was a wasteland with almost no trees, they seemed to have taken a place surrounded by massive boulders as their home.

The boulders were so enormous that it was practically no different from a canyon. Still, the area was quite vast.

’What are these guys going to demand from us?’

A short time passed after that.

"So... you’re asking us to subdue the transport aircraft? Because seeing how we killed that snake earlier, we’re extremely strong?"

"That seems to be it, Master."

"And right now, that transport aircraft stays quiet normally, but throws a frenzy whenever anyone approaches it?"

"That is also correct."

"Then what happens after that?"

I realized what the lizardmen wanted.

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

"...He is asking if, should you subdue it, they can eat just one of Master’s arms or legs. It seems there is a custom where eating the flesh of a strong person makes them stronger."

"Tell him not to speak crazy nonsense. I might be able to give him a fingernail or a toenail, though."

Along with human sacrifice.

"’If that won’t do, we will offer a female, so the seed of a strong person...’"

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) What kind of outrage are those damned lizards spouting?! It’s sacrilege!!!

ㄴSword Matstar) Indeed. How dare they do something even I couldn’t do?

ㄴHeavenly Demon) What bastards who do not fear the heavens.

ㄴStarlight Lady) Can’t we just turn them all into roasted lizard?

ㄴPrincess Chaenggu) There were guys similar to us over there too~ I can understand them~

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) Understand what, understand!!

They made proposals that were barbaric in many ways, yet understandable in context.

ㄴPassing Dwarf) You’re human, so isn’t it doable for you?

"What crazy bullshit are you talking about now?"

ㄴPassing Dwarf) Take a look at the Gallery. It’s overflowing with bastards going "Would!" and all that bs.

"..."

I’m losing my mind, seriously.

"Then what are they going to do if we fail? Aren’t they putting way too much blind faith in us?"

[If you fail, it seems they will eat you.]

"What kind of barbaric..."

[Although I consider the actions you have performed so far to be quite barbaric as well.]

"Seuup..."

I didn’t particularly like how Cain kept talking back to me, but...

[Still, I feel quite fortunate. Since I do not have a physical body to give them, that is.]

"Seriously, I’ll revive you with a physical body someday."

[In that case, I shall officially gain human rights, so I will not lose in voting.]

Having teased him so much up until now, I couldn’t bring myself to refute his words.