I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 669

Whether in the past or present, one of the most important tasks in a monarchy is appointing a successor.

If a ruler, whether male or female, fails to have children, a bloody wind is bound to blow through that nation.

It is a highly critical matter, as it frequently leads to the complete ruin of the country beyond just a bloody storm.

Furthermore, if a concubine rather than the primary wife gives birth to a child—especially a son first—it is a headache in its own right.

Therefore, most monarchs not only had numerous children but also took it for granted.

As a last resort, if there were no children, it was common to appoint a nephew or a distant relative as the next monarch.

Thus, producing a successor was an obligation borne by most rulers, and it was especially important in places with deep histories.

Although it was not unheard of for someone to ignore legitimacy and stage a rebellion to seize the throne, such grand undertakings rarely succeeded.

Because succeeding in itself proved that the person possessed talent, albeit in a bad way.

"Thank you all very much for responding to the summons despite your busy schedules."

After his audience with Yoo So-wol ended, Wi Seol-ak summoned all the elders of the Demonic Cult at once.

With the recently announced Martial Arts Tournament and all, everyone was busy with their respective duties.

In such a situation, when the Demonic Brain ordered a assembly, they harbored curiosity rather than anger.

Because the Demonic Brain they knew would never summon all the elders for a trivial matter.

"Seeing that you summoned us despite knowing we are busy, it must be related to Heaven. Is that not so?"

An elder who looked like an elderly man spoke.

As could be seen from him being the first to speak, he was the most respected among the elders.

"Elder Hyeon-mun-nim is correct. It concerns Heaven and, perhaps, may even decide the fate of the Cult."

At Wi Seol-ak’s serious words, the elders assumed grave expressions.

An issue that would decide not only Yoo So-wol’s but also the Heavenly Demon Cult’s fate. Nothing could be taken lightly.

The elders gathered here were masters who had weathered all kinds of storms. They were even more sensitive to this matter.

"To think that not only the Cult’s but even Heaven’s fate would change... Has something happened?"

Geum Ye-cheon, who was responsible for the commercial power of the Heavenly Demon Cult, asked cautiously.

Though he had a calculating face befitting a merchant, he had become infinitely serious at the mention of the Cult’s fate being on the line.

At this, all the other elders also stared at Wi Seol-ak. They were waiting for him to speak.

Wi Seol-ak nodded, realizing they were ready to listen.

"Heaven..."

Wi Seol-ak, who had opened his mouth, paused for a moment, then,

"...wishes to become one with another heaven."

He revealed what Yoo So-wol wanted, and which direction their fate would take.

At those words, most of the elders showed similar reactions. They merely wore expressions asking if they had misheard.

Except for just one elder, who had brought up a similar topic before.

"Do you mean Heaven desires a husband?"

An elder with a somewhat stubborn appearance asked again, his face brightening.

He was Elder Hwangbo Heon, who devised various policies and rituals.

At his words, the other elders finally wore expressions of realization.

"Heaven desires a husband?"

"This is an unexpected matter indeed."

"It is an issue that will decide the fate of our Cult."

While everyone was accepting it,

"I thought she had no interest in such things, so this is surprising."

"Since Heaven has also reached the prime of her youth, it is only natural for her to show interest."

"It is not strange for her to have sides we do not know of."

From reactions saying it was only natural since she was human,

"Still, I do not understand. Heaven desires another heaven?"

"Does such a person even exist within the Central Plains?"

"I only hope it is not someone from the Imperial Court. That would make things complicated."

Various opinions followed.

"Just who is the identity of the one to become her husband, to receive Heaven’s interest?"

"That is what I am most curious about. Since Heaven desires him, I believe he must be an extraordinary man."

"I only hope she has not fallen for some strange man..."

"Don’t you have three wives yourself? And I know you have several other lovers besides."

"Ahem! Cough, cough!"

Many other words were exchanged, but the conclusion was one.

Just what kind of man was receiving the Heavenly Demon’s interest?

The elders speculated that strict conditions were required to receive Yoo So-wol’s interest.

"Could it be someone with martial prowess equal to Heaven?"

"I know of very few such people in the world."

"It is not that there are few, but rather that there are none, as Heaven stands at the very apex."

First of all, the level of martial arts.

Yoo So-wol’s martial power was such that even if all the elders gathered here attacked at once, they would be no different from a candle in front of a typhoon.

Had she not obtained the title of Yaksha Blood Flower from the moment she first entered the martial world, and furthermore, taken the Emperor’s head simply because he displeased her?

Although the skills of martial artists had been leveled down due to the Orthodox-Demonic War, the Imperial Court was different. She had broken through even though they had preserved their full strength.

"Objectively speaking, his level of martial arts is likely lower than Heaven’s."

Wi Seol-ak replied objectively, without a single shred of exaggeration or underestimation.

Grylls’s martial power—to be precise, his level of martial arts—could not be called high, even as a polite lie.

Although the advantage of being able to freely use the Unity of Self and Object existed, that was all.

His divine archery was outstanding, but one could not call his level of martial arts high based on that.

That was not a high level of martial arts, but simply possessing a natural talent for archery.

"His martial prowess is low? How does that make... No, wait. No."

Elder Hyeon-mun was about to counter, but soon shook his head.

If it was Wi Seol-ak, he must have hidden another reason. At this, Elder Hyeon-mun continued his interrupted words.

"It seems he has something else instead of a high level of martial arts."

"Yes. That is correct. The internal energy he possesses is likely far greater than what Heaven holds."

"His level of martial arts is low, yet his amount of internal energy is vast? Is that possible?"The source of this chapter is nov‌elping.com.

Elder Hyeon-mun, as well as the other elders, expressed doubt. In fact, their doubt was reasonable.

An increase in realm meant the vessel grew larger, and only when the vessel grew larger could the amount it could hold increase.

Since it was practically a law, it was not strange for the elders to fail to understand how it could be ignored.

"It is not a heaven-sent talent, but possible because he is heaven itself."

"Heh. An amount of internal energy greater than Heaven’s..."

In that instant, a single man came to Elder Hyeon-mun’s mind.

A man who, in terms of internal energy alone, could be considered above Heaven.

This was similar for the other elders, but they had not confirmed it yet.

"Then I shall ask next. What is his background?"

The second most important thing was background.

Although the Demonic Cult accepted marginalized people, background could not be ignored.

To put it bluntly, they couldn’t just accept criminals recklessly. They only accepted those who had been treated unfairly.

Furthermore, background included race and species, not just simple status. There would be many flaws in this aspect as well.

"Status aside, wouldn’t race not matter? Since you called him another heaven, everyone would accept it."

"I think the opposite. Earth and heaven run on parallel lines, so if his status is low, problems will arise."

There was much debate over his background as well.

Wi Seol-ak gave a definitive answer before any useless disputes could arise.

"His background is something everyone will not only accept but look up to. His appearance is also close to that of a Central Plains person."

"Look up to? Surely he is not from the Imperial Court..."

"He is even higher than that."

Even higher than the Imperial Court. At that assertion, the elders looked at each other.

Higher than the Imperial Court, just what kind of noble person was he?

It was hard to understand, but because of that, they moved on to the next point.

"His face? How is his face? Is he handsome?"

"Ahem. This fellow, really. Bringing up such shallow matters."

At that scolding, the elder who reportedly had three wives (...) retorted.

"Hear me out. Just think of the beauty Heaven possesses. If he cannot even match a firefly before the sun, that would truly be an insult to Heaven."

"Hmm. That is certainly true."

"Since the beauty Heaven possesses is indeed so lofty."

If one were to pick the most beautiful woman in the Heavenly Demon Cult, nine out of ten would first name Yoo So-wol.

If you asked who the remaining one was, the answer would be a husband who didn’t want to fight with his wife.

In any case, Yoo So-wol’s beauty was famous not only in the Demonic Cult but also in the Central Plains, and furthermore, worldwide.

Although ability is said to be more important than looks for a man, given her position, it was bound to be a huge plus.

"He does not possess a beauty praised by all, but he is by no means lacking."

"Is that an objective judgment?"

"Even if I judge objectively, if Heaven says he is handsome, then we must say he is handsome."

"...."

A truly wise answer. With that single response, the elders readily accepted it.

Several other conditions followed, but answers that satisfied most of the elders returned.

Of course, it was not without problems. In fact, this was the most important.

"The problem is that we do not know when he will come outside."

"Come outside? Is he imprisoned in a dungeon?"

"He is trapped in a place worse than that. Fortunately, he came out once, but there is no telling when he will again."

"...Wait a moment."

Elder Hyeon-mun gathered all the conditions Wi Seol-ak had brought up.

An amount of internal energy vaster than a master who had reached the Profound Realm. A background that even the Imperial Court would look up to. Since looks differed by individual evaluation, he skipped that.

And finally, at the words that they didn’t know when he would be free, with no promise of when, a single person came to mind.

"Could you be speaking of the man in the Forest of the Four Seasons?"

"Huh? Come to think of it..."

"If it is someone who meets all those conditions..."

At Elder Hyeon-mun’s suggestion, the other elders also began to notice the anomalies one by one.

It was just that the conditions didn’t hit home when separated, but once combined, there was no other person.

"It is as you all expected. The person Heaven has taken an interest in is the man currently spotlighted as the Chief God."

"Heh."

"Did you really have to explain it by separating it like that?"

An elder spoke in a dissatisfied voice. It felt like he was teasing them, as if playing twenty questions.

But Wi Seol-ak was firm. Instead, he snorted and spoke.

"Then, if I had mentioned that man from the very beginning, what would you have done? Would you all have accepted it?"

"Well..."

The elder who complained was left speechless. Just as Wi Seol-ak said, they likely would have looked through colored glasses.

There were quite a few people who were so focused on the exploration of the Forest of the Four Seasons that they didn’t know how strong Grylls was.

Had someone not said? If a person does something easily, it means they are an expert.

Furthermore, there were quite a few cases where people completely forgot that Grylls had crossed the threshold of death repeatedly in the past.

It was because it was Grylls that he could survive in the Forest of the Four Seasons like that; for an ordinary person, the Forest of the Four Seasons was a place where they would die before a single day passed.

"I merely wished to inform you of objective facts. Please keep in mind that I had no intention of mocking you."

As Wi Seol-ak bowed and asked for their understanding, the elders did not press further.

Since they realized he had not committed any rudeness and that it was merely a part of his effort to persuade them.

But apart from that, there was a part they still didn’t understand.

"Is it true that Heaven has taken an interest in the Chief God?"

"I wonder if it is simple interest, or if she wishes to take him as her husband."

Indeed. Was it certain that the target of Yoo So-wol’s interest was Grylls?

As Wi Seol-ak, who knew Yoo So-wol’s fixed nickname, he wanted to answer ’yes’.

But doing so might result in his neck being snapped. Moreover, for the sake of the Cult, revealing her fixed nickname had to be avoided at all costs.

"Indeed, that is also true. We must know for certain whether she wishes to embrace him or take him as her husband."You are reading on NovelPing, the official source.

He had obtained the elders’ opinions. Wi Seol-ak cheered inwardly.

No matter how much of a Heavenly Demon she was, she could not easily ignore the elders’ opinions.

He was gleeful, feeling as though his life thread had multiplied into several strands.

"Perhaps, in terms of martial prowess, he might hold an enjoyable spar with Heaven."

"When he stood face-to-face against the wave of fire, it was truly admirable."

"I felt his battle with the ancient dragon (mythical era dragon) was magnificent."

"What about his archery? Recently, he hung from an iron bird (helicopter) and showed divine archery."

The elders exchanged a word or two. It seemed they all knew.

The problem was that to see those things directly, the only answer was the Gallery.

"So you were all keeping an eye on the Chief God’s movements."

"Ahem..."

"Y-yes, indeed."

"Because if he comes outside someday, he might become a great strength to the Cult in the future."

It was quite amusing to see the elderly gentlemen making various excuses while looking awkward.

In any case, putting that aside, Wi Seol-ak got to the main point.

"Of course, since it might not be the case, we must prepare thoroughly. We must confirm if the one Heaven has taken an interest in is truly the Chief God."

"Can’t you do it, Demonic Brain? She favors you the most, after all."

An elder asked, puzzled. Indeed, the person summoned the most here was Wi Seol-ak.

Therefore, this matter was something he could handle entirely.

"I would like to, but I also have many busy matters... Furthermore, shouldn’t we properly grasp Heaven’s intentions?"

"Has she not already decided to take the Chief God as her husband?"

"As I said earlier, we must first hear a definitive answer confirming if it is truly the Chief God."

I must see that person acting embarrassed with my own eyes.

Such dark, damp feelings were hidden, but he covered them up under the guise of thoroughness.

The elders also nodded, agreeing with his opinion.

"If he becomes her husband, won’t the Holy Kingdom protest?"

"What if they protest? They united because they liked each other, so even they would have no way to stop it."

"Then, would it be better to announce it first?"

"As I have said repeatedly, we must first get confirmation... No, wait. Before that, shouldn’t we hear the Chief God’s opinion first?"

"Since it is what Heaven desires, would he have any choice but to accept?"

"He is neither the sun, the moon, nor even the earth, but another heaven. He is not someone who can be embraced just because one wishes to."

Arguments went back and forth, establishing a heated forum of discussion.

At first listen, one might ask why they were making such a big deal out of something so useless, but from their perspective, it was extremely important.

Although the Demonic Cult did not advocate a hereditary system, the child of Yoo So-wol and Grylls would be a different story.

"I am curious yet terrified of the talent of the Young Heavenly Demon born between two heavens."

"I wonder if she will achieve great success before even turning ten..."

She would surely be more than enough to become the next heaven. The elders thought so.

In this way, the meeting carrying the fate of the Heavenly Demon Cult continued for a long time, not stopping until the sun went down.

And there was one person who was overhearing all of this.

’...How did it come to this?’

It was none other than the Heavenly Demon, Yoo So-wol, who saw through everything happening within the Heavenly Demon Palace.

Until Wi Seol-ak and the elders gathered to hold the meeting, she had let it pass with amusement.

Thinking that, as expected of Wi Seol-ak, he would grasp her intentions, truly fitting for the Cult’s strategist.

But what was this? Had he not said they must hear from her own mouth who the one she marked as her husband was?

He had even said that since it was such a major issue, he would induce the name to come out of Yoo So-wol’s mouth even if he had to risk his life.

If she accidentally named another man, the direction would be completely bent. Yoo So-wol was beyond flustered; she was utterly bewildered.

Because his words were not wrong in the slightest. She was driven into a corner where she had no choice but to speak.

This was not all.

’The Young Heavenly Demon? The Young Heavenly Demon is surely...’

It was a term referring to the child of the Heavenly Demon since ancient times. It was a topic she had never even thought of.

Of course, if she took a husband, they would naturally share a bed, and having a child as a result was only natural.

But for the Heavenly Demon, who merely wished to gaze upon the same heaven with Grylls, it was a far too distant future.

’In this state, how am I any different from that man who clung to me, begging to marry?’

It must not be so. She was the Heavenly Demon and the heaven of the Cult.

Even if she confessed her heart shyly, she could not cling uglily.

Embarrassment rushed up from her dantian, making her feel as though her face was ripening to a bright red.

Her confidence as the Heavenly Demon had vanished without a trace, and her pure human heart was larger. Especially in matters related to Grylls.

’U-uh, since it might place an unnecessary burden on eungong, I must speak carefully.’

Then, the question of ’How?’ arose.

She was someone who usually explained things metaphorically to show her aspect as heaven.

This meant she rarely used direct speech unless in battle. This was also a downside, if one could call it that, of the education she had received since the past.

At least on the Gallery, she had half-confessed her heart, but even that was not certain.

Since she had merely played on words, asking him to call her ’lady’. Speaking it aloud was always difficult.

’How can I make the Demonic Brain understand this lady’s intentions a bit more...’

Yoo So-wol’s worries as she gradually gained more of a human heart, and

’How can I induce that person to speak honestly?’

Wi Seol-ak’s scheme (?) to draw out those feelings began.

Of course,

"Ah. I want to get married quickly."

"Can’t you just go to your lover and ask him to marry you?"

"I’m too busy to meet him right now. If he comes outside, I’ll confess immediately."

"Don’t speed, okay? If you do, preparing for the wedding gets incredibly tight."

"Ah. Mom!"

There was also someone who had already thrown away all sense of embarrassment.