I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 695

Kwagawang! Kukwaaang!!!

A massive explosion occurred where the Mechanical Kraken had been.

Flames soared into the sky, and the resulting powerful gust of wind swept over the area.

"Whoops!"

I barely managed to break through the flames and the gust of wind. Since I was shrouded in my Body-Protecting Gangqi, I didn’t sustain any major injuries.

Soon, I ran to the location where my companions were waiting. Since it was far away, it was safe.

Even when debris flew at us midway, Lackey’s shield and Cain acted as barriers, reliably blocking them.

"Wow... What a spectacular firework display!"

"This is different from the fireworks I know."

"Lackey, have you ever seen fireworks?"

"I saw them on the Gallery."

"Ah."

That would explain it. I nodded.

Anyway, now that the Mechanical Kraken was destroyed, all that was left was to return home.

Since I knew the coordinates, returning wouldn’t be difficult, even if it took a long time, but....

’The problem is that the distance is ridiculously far.’

I checked the coordinate tracker. The distance between where we stood now and the coordinates of our home was so vast it made me gasp.

Well, this was the Tibetan Plateau, and our home was over in North America, so it was only natural.

The Americas were already famous for being a ridiculously massive landmass, and we were on a completely different continent altogether.

It was practically on the exact opposite side of Earth. Because of this, a sigh escaped me already.

’It would be fine if we could find a place where space shifts from moment to moment, but....’

The key was where such a place would be.

There was one near the Himalayas visible in the distance, but I didn’t want to go back in there.

The giant Yeti wasn’t much of a problem, but the hypothermia Lackey suffered was.

The symptom where just breathing caused one’s insides to gradually freeze.

If even Lackey, who used mana, was in danger without preparation, how much worse would it be for Elia?

[Wild Grylls: Bbareumbo. Can you break off a branch of the World Tree and give it to me?]

[Wild Bbareumbo: Got it.]

So I received a World Tree branch through Bbareumbo. With this, Elia would be able to use magic as well.

I had heard that Elia was not only politically skilled but also exceptionally talented in her own right.

Since she was someone who had risen from the very bottom to the position of Elf Queen, it would be stranger if her combat prowess wasn’t outstanding.

If she were someone who just wasted food every day, it would have been slightly annoying, but at this rate, she would easily earn her keep.

"Master. I can Teleport us to the boundary of the snowy mountain."

"Ah. That would work. Since a day has passed, the terrain beyond the snowy mountain must have changed too."

Hearing Lackey’s words, we immediately moved to the boundary of the snowy mountain—the place where space shifted in real-time.

If we were lucky, the space might not have changed and remained the same.

Rumble, rumble—

"...Let’s go back."

"Understood."

The space had changed. The problem was that the place it changed to was a volcanic zone.

Lava was surging from the ground like a clogged toilet, and I didn’t even dare to try.

In the end, we returned to the Tibetan Plateau and decided to walk slowly. If we were lucky, another space might unfold at the end of this plateau.

"You’re not cold, right?"

"Yes! I’m fine!"

Elia also seemed perfectly fine. Since she had such an optimistic personality, she didn’t even get annoyed.

If only we could remove that damn madness from her optimistic personality, but that probably wasn’t possible.

Anyway, with one more person added to our party, we walked forward in silence.

The endless plateau stretching beyond the horizon brought a bitter smile to my face in many ways, but it was better than staying still.

"Master. There’s that fox from earlier."

"Indeed."

On the way, we spotted the Tibetan Fox that had guided us.Read this novel at novelping(.)com for the best experience.

I didn’t know if it was following us or if our paths had just crossed by pure coincidence.

"...So, can you guide us to a place where the space changes? Not that snowy mountain over there."

"...."

So I immediately requested its services. As long as we had it, we wouldn’t end up in some strange place.

Once I handed over a few pieces of jerky, the Tibetan Fox willingly began to guide us.

It was incredibly convenient to have animals acting as guides in each region like this.

Thus, walking, walking, and continuing to walk across the vast plateau, two days flew by in an instant.

Even though two days had passed, the Tibetan Plateau always welcomed us with a blazing sun. Even when night came, it didn’t even last an hour before turning back into day.

As it was taking longer than expected, I constantly checked the coordinates. As if there was still a long way to go to our house, the numbers had only changed by a microscopic amount.

"I want to go wash up quickly, Master."

"Me too. Elia, you haven’t washed for days..."

I naturally started to ask Elia, but stopped myself. When I hesitated, Elia blinked her large eyes and tilted her head.

I had forgotten because there were only males at our house, but Elia was a woman. And a woman with a beauty that would make any man’s head turn, at that.

No matter if she was a guest staying at our house, treating her carelessly didn’t suit my personality.

’Fortunately, I built a bathhouse recently, so no embarrassing situations should arise.’

Instead, it was best to keep things strictly separate, and the same went for clothes.

Not to mention women’s clothes, it was especially better to let her wash her own underwear.

Or entrust it to another companion. That would be the easiest way.

"Is there something you’d like to say?"

"Just some rules to follow when staying at our house?"

"Mmh! Rules! That’s very important. Just say the word, and I will follow them well."

"First of all, if you come to our house, you start as a laborer. Chop firewood first."

Beside me, Lackey explained the rules on my behalf.

Saying that any newcomer who entered our house started with all kinds of chores.

Furthermore, they had to listen diligently to their seniors (?), and even if it was absurd, they had to endure and obey.

Hearing this, the one who was flustered wasn’t Elia, but me. Unable to contain my absurdity, I spoke up.

"Hey. Since when did such a rule exist? Are you just making things up as you please?"

"Huh? Hasn’t Master done that all this time? I did, Walker did, that tin can did, and finally, my brother did too. And didn’t the Lesser Demons (goblins) do that as well?"

"...."

Hearing those words, I thought about it carefully. Did I really do that?

The more I thought about it, the more I recalled that I indeed had.

While Lackey’s case could be excused given how we met, I had also been somewhat harsh to Ludwig.

I had assigned him various tasks, saying that having only one foot meant nothing in the Forest of the Four Seasons.

At the time, I said it half-jokingly, but the problem was Ludwig’s characteristic stubbornness.

Since he had lived his whole life as a soldier, he held a perspective that took various absurdities for granted.

Not just Ludwig, but every entity that entered our house started with chores.

Therefore, having seen, heard, and learned this, Lackey naturally assumed that was the rule.

’Besides, Dolsoe, who came in last, also had an honest side and followed it diligently....’

There was only one exception to the rule: being young or being of a higher rank than me.

The former was the children, and the latter was Bbareumbo. Well, Bbareumbo was also just lazy by nature.

Anyway, I had no choice but to wipe my face in embarrassment, realizing that I had committed such absurdities.

"...Yeah. Let’s do that."

"Mmh. As expected of Master. Relentless even to a female."

Of course, apart from that, making them start with chores was only natural.

Since she was someone who would just waste food as long as she couldn’t use mana.

Moreover, at our house, which is protected by the World Tree, mana can be used. This alone was enough.

Instead, I was worried Elia might whine, but that too was a groundless fear.

"Don’t worry! I’ve done plenty of chores too. I’ve even done laundry with charcoal."

"With charcoal? Even when you were in Alfheim?"

"When I worked as an aide, I did the laundry instead. We had to save money, so I used charcoal instead."

"...."

Just what kind of life had this Elf lived?Get faster updates on novelpi‌ng.com.

Since she had climbed up step by step from the very bottom, she must have faced her share of adversity and hardship.

Moreover, since it was the political world, which is second to none in filth, it must have been even worse.

’Come to think of it, how old is this Elf?’

There were only many rumors about her ascending to the throne as Elf Queen at a young age, but her actual age was unknown.

Even on Earth, a president in their 40s is considered extremely young.

Of course, since this world is a monarchy where succession is hereditary, it is quite common for young leaders to emerge.

’If she’s older, she might have a family....’

Not a spouse or children like Ludwig, but she might have other family members around.

As that thought occurred, I asked cautiously. If possible, I intended to let her send regards from time to time like Ludwig.

"Do you have family? A husband, children, or parents?"

"I didn’t marry. It was obvious that all kinds of checks and balances would come my way, and I didn’t know if that person would be able to endure it."

"Mmh."

If that was the case, it was perfectly understandable.

It would be a pity if an acquaintance got attacked because of me, and a spouse would be even worse.

Especially if a child is attacked, any normal person would lose their reason. It was better not to have them at all.

"And I’m an orphan. I don’t even know my parents’ faces."

"Ah."

I had touched upon a subject I shouldn’t have. Come to think of it, the Elf Queen’s family was rarely mentioned.

So that was the reason. I felt a bit sorry.

"Sorry. I apologize."

"It’s fine. You don’t have parents either, do you, Grylls-nim? Since you would understand, I will humbly move past it."

"...."

How could she say it like that? But since it was a fact, I could only let out a hollow laugh.

Thus, roughly tolerating Elia’s chatter, I steadily followed behind the Tibetan Fox.

I was starting to worry about how much further we had to walk to see the end, but fortunately, it was a groundless fear.

"Keureung."

"Oh..."

We reached the end of the long, long horizon. The space had visibly changed.

I handed over more jerky to the Tibetan Fox as a token of gratitude. The fox wagged its tail, ate it deliciously, and then trotted away.

I wanted to give it more jerky, but circumstances made it difficult. I looked beyond the space.

’There are so many mountains.’

An endlessly stretching mountain range came into view. It was lower than the Himalayas, but still vast.

This meant we could move around as much as we wanted. Of course, I didn’t forget to check the coordinates the moment I stepped foot there.

’Huh? The coordinate numbers have decreased noticeably.’

Beyond simply decreasing, it was close enough that we could reach it if we marched steadily for a few days.

With good fortune piling upon good fortune to bring about this situation, I felt strangely pleased.

Still, just in case, we couldn’t let our guard down. I cautioned my companions as we moved forward.

"Wow...! There are so many trees. Is this heaven?"

"You like it even though they aren’t trees from Alfheim?"

"I just like trees."

"...."

As expected, the mind of a mad person was incomprehensible.

At any rate, the party walked forward without any trouble, and...

[0.7km to Wanbong Peak]

"...."

I lost my words upon seeing a signpost planted squarely in the middle of the hiking trail.

That signpost, and written in Korean at that, along with the widely stretching mountain range.

’...No way.’

A corner of my heart suddenly grew heavy.