I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 704

It had been about four days since the Elf Queen, Elia, started living together at my house.

Though, calling it four days, all we did was upload a video to the Gallery and shovel snow because of the winter that followed the next day.

Since busy days continued one after another, I had no time to pay attention to her.

"I’ve cleared it all!"

"Already? You really are fast."

"Ehem!"

However, even so, it wasn’t like I knew nothing about her. First of all, she was incredibly smart when it came to work.

Although she had crawled her way up from the very bottom to become queen, her grassroots work ethic hadn’t gone anywhere, and she worked very efficiently.

In particular, her "everyday magic," including shoveling, was outstanding. Normally, people didn’t do laundry often in winter because it was so cold.

But Elia did everything with magic, even finishing the washing and drying flawlessly.

While washing was one thing, drying was almost impossible because clothes would freeze solid if left outside.

Elia accomplished that with great ease. It was to the point where I even said this to Lackey:

"Hey, Lackey. Why didn’t you do stuff like that?"

"Master. I saw this on the Gallery: if someone makes it look easy, it means they are fucking good at it."

"Is it really that difficult?"

"If you use drying magic wrong, the laundry turns to sand. Especially in a winter like this."

"Hmm."

To put it simply, Elia was skilled in control rather than raw firepower like Lackey.

Indeed, watching her work, she performed various tasks at once as if she had multiple arms.

Furthermore, since she herself was shoveling diligently, there was no room to criticize her.

"Hmm... Since she’s competent, I can’t really say anything."

[Did you plan to say something if she were incompetent?]

"Not really. I was just going to call her a freeloader who only wastes food."

[That is saying something.]

Leaving Cain’s scolding behind, it was undeniable that the workload had decreased significantly thanks to Elia.

However, even Elia, who seemed so perfect, was not without her flaws—namely, tree planting.

"Oh! World Tree-isiyeo! Thank you for protecting this Shelter today as well!"

"..."

"Therefore, would you grant me just one sapling? I will contribute to spreading your grace far and wide!"

Look at that. My mind became complicated as I watched Elia kneel and pray devoutly to the World Tree.

It seemed the heavens had given her looks, body, and intelligence, but had also thrown in madness.

’Ah. Wait. I didn’t give her that.’

Let me correct myself. Not the heavens, but the world had given her everything, along with madness.

She probably rose to the position of Elf Queen thanks to that unique madness, but watching her from the side only made me sigh.

"Master."

"Yeah. Speak."

"...Never mind. Looking at you, you probably feel the same way I do."

It was telling that even Lackey would say such a thing. Even to Lackey, who didn’t know much about faith, Elia’s madness was beyond comprehension.

But the World Tree, apparently liking Elia’s actions, actually responded.

It slowly extended a branch toward her as she lay prostrate, and a fruit formed on that branch.

Elia wore a bright smile and respectfully accepted the fruit.

To an onlooker, it looked like she was receiving a baptism from a god, which made me chuckle dryly.

[Hmm. She possesses a faithful devotion.]

"You call that faith? Not madness?"

[Devout faith and fanaticism have always been separated by a thin line. Doesn’t the Hero, Asella, do the same?]

"..."

[Well, the real difference is whether one forces it on others and causes harm, though.]

The Hero, Asella, at least did not force her faith on others to cause harm.

Rather, she was faithful to the doctrines and consistently went on various volunteer activities even while busy.

However, when Elia was the Elf Queen, she had caused minor and major damage to neighboring countries.

The very act of planting trees to fulfill her own desires was a problem. That was why she was heavily criticized.

"I will eat this gratefully, World Tree-nim!"

In the meantime, Elia deliciously devoured the fruit given by the World Tree.

Even when she was in Alfheim, she probably had never received a gift from the World Tree.

I chuckled at Elia, who was eating the World Tree fruit with a blissful expression.

’If she gets a fever again from doing that, I’m the one who has to take responsibility.’

Whenever trouble occurred, cleaning up the mess was always my job.

It was a relief she was good at working; otherwise, I really would have treated her like a freeloader.

"Mmm! It really is delicious! It’s the sweetest taste in the world!"

"If you’re done eating the fruit, hurry up and chop firewood."

"Understood!"

At least it was a relief that she listened to my orders diligently.

As soon as she heard my command, Elia chopped firewood while munching on the fruit.

Perhaps because we had traveled for a long time during this journey, our stockpile was completely depleted. Even though it was winter, we had no choice but to work hard chopping firewood.

"By the way, you say you love planting trees, but you chop wood without a second thought?"

"The more wood we chop, the more trees we can plant, so isn’t that a good thing?"Enjoying the story? Read on at novelpi​ng.com.

"..."

I closed my eyes tightly. I didn’t know what I had just heard.

Should I say it’s good because she’s positive, or should I say her deep madness is driving me crazy?

’It’s a relief she’s only crazy about planting trees.’

If she had poured her focus into other areas like a certain mustache-wearing art school reject, it would have been horrific.

It wasn’t something that could be laughed off as a joke, as the Elves already had a clear "precedent."

The achievement of banishing the Dark Elves, who were originally of the same root, and classifying them as a different "race" rather than just an "ethnic group."

It could be seen as similar to, or even worse than, the founding of Israel due to the atrocities of Nazi Germany.

"Elia. What do you think of the Dark Elves?"

"Could you elaborate?"

"Elves are uncomfortable around Dark Elves. Are you too?"

So I asked. Just in case she might actually turn out like that mustache guy.

If there was even a slight sign of that, I would have no choice but to worry.

Ah, of course, I wouldn’t kill her directly, but rather perform some mental remodeling. Since she thought of me as the Chief God, it would be even more effective.

At this, Elia tilted her head and spoke with her characteristic deep insight.

"Don’t tell me you’re worried I might slaughter all the Dark Elves? Just because my ancestors did so in the past?"

"Uh... well... I can’t say I wasn’t?"

I had no idea where that insight of hers came from.

She hadn’t bypassed the Senate, which was crawling with political fossils, to become the Elf Queen for nothing.

When I answered hesitantly, Elia wore her characteristic bright smile and answered energetically.

"Alfheim and Setan are so far apart, why would I do something so inefficient? I’m not a crazy person."

"..."

Congratulations, mustache art school reject.

You’re being called a crazy person even by this Elf Queen.

Well, since he was the leader of a country that treated "slaughter" as a business venture, calling him crazy was fitting.

’Sometimes, mechanical slaughter feels more unsettling than doing it with care.’

But the Elf Queen was still the Elf Queen.

The words that followed were more than enough to leave me dumbfounded.

"If the Dark Elves ever want to return to Alfheim, I will set a condition: planting Alfheim tree saplings in the desert!"

"..."

Right. That’s so like Elia. I let out a dry laugh.

Anyway, whether it was diligently chopping firewood or clearing the piled-up snow, she worked without rest throughout the winter.

"Muooo."

"Oh. You’re here?"

Along the way, I received rewards from the animals that came to bathe.

Golden Apples, Golden Carrots, Golden Lemons, and so on.

As I received various rewards, the bathhouse was soon filled with animal guests.

"I’ll wash you!"

"Muooo."

"He says there is no need."

"Elia. And if you wash them, your clothes will get wet, but we barely have any clothes left."

"It’s fine! I can just get some from the Gallery!"

Come to think of it, Elia could use the Gallery too.

After a brief moment of belated realization, something crossed my mind, so I asked her.

"The Gallery... Do you happen to have a registered handle?"

"Yes!"

"What is it?"

"Let’s Grow Trees!"

"Ah, I see... Wait, what?"

I froze as a familiar handle entered my ears.

A handle so familiar that we had even traded occasionally.

As I stared at her with an expression of utter disbelief, Elia continued in an energetic voice.

"That’s right, it’s the handle that usually talks with Grylls-nim! I gave you saplings, and I also gave you World Tree Cigars!"

"..."

"Isn’t it truly fateful? The sapling I gave you grew in this house, and thanks to the World Tree Cigar I gave you, Lackey-ssi escaped a crisis!"

The Elf Queen, Elia, spoke as if singing with her hand placed over her chest.

On the outside, she was a truly beautiful elf, but the contents of her words could not be easily brushed aside.

"Uh... first, can you try sending me a message?"

"Yep!"

Out of anxiety, I ordered her to send a message.

Honestly, it was something I should have checked long ago, but I was too busy and had no time.

Soon, with an anxious heart, I checked the Gallery message window.You are reading on novel​ping.com, the official source.

[Let’s Grow Trees: (Roughly a front-facing photo of Grylls) Hello!]

"..."

A photo of me taken in my house, no matter who looked at it. A tone of voice that belonged to Elia, no matter who read it.

I was left utterly dumbfounded for a while by this absurd and mind-boggling situation.

Where in the world could such an absurd coincidence exist? A dry laugh escaped me naturally.

’Wait. Then that means most of the registered users I’ve met so far are high-ranking figures.’

The world is vast and there are just as many ordinary people, yet most of the registered users I know are high-ranking figures.

Proportionally speaking, the probability of such a coincidence occurring was honestly too slim.

Just as Elia said, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it fate rather than coincidence.

"So, my coming here can only be seen as fate! I must fulfill my mission here before I can go outside!"

"...And what is that mission?"

"For the Chief God to use me however he wishes!"

That sounded incredibly troublesome depending on who heard it.

[The young ladies of today are quite proactive.]

"Quiet, you."

[Honestly, when a lady like that makes a move, isn’t it fine to just enjoy it?]

"Are you really a Paladin? If a Paladin says such things, Aris-nim will punish you."

[I’m already being cursed at by the Chief God for having no human rights, so would it even matter?]

"For fuck’s sake..."

So this is what hoisting oneself by one’s own petard feels like. I had nothing to say after my usual teasing about him having no human rights came back to bite me like this.

Still, since there was absolutely no way I would jump Elia, I wasn’t particularly worried.

What was more important was after winter ended. Once winter was over, we would have to either set off on our journey again or reorganize.

"Daddy. Daddy."

"Yeah?"

While I was contemplating, Wonmo pulled on my pants and asked.

Looking at Wonmo’s cute face, which was always a delight to see, I felt at ease.

"So do I have a mommy now?"

"..."

"You ate the mommy we had before, Daddy. Are you going to eat that mommy too?"

Oh, my god. I closed my eyes tightly.

Since it was an extremely wild mindset, I didn’t know what to say.

However, because an accident might happen, I suppressed my emotions and explained slowly.

"I won’t eat that mommy. So Wonmo shouldn’t think like that either. Okay?"

"Okay. Then I’ll call her Mommy."

"No. Wait. Don’t call her Mommy."

"But Daddy called her mommy earlier, didn’t you?"

"..."

This is why you have to watch your mouth in front of children.

I let out a deep sigh. It was then.

"Puuu!"

Lackey, who was drinking water while taking a break, suddenly spat it out of his mouth.

Apparently, he had seen a funny post while browsing the Gallery.

"Cough! M-Master! The Gallery! Look at the Recommended Post on the Gallery!"

"Why, what is it this time?"

"Seriously... Kuhuhu! Just look at it!"

Lackey suddenly started giggling to himself.

Puzzled, I logged into the Gallery just as he suggested.

Among them, there was a post whose upvotes were rising exponentially, so I clicked on it...

Title) ???: I know they’re a man and a woman, but he’s the Chief God, don’t you know you shouldn’t touch him?

(Roughly a drawing of the Elf Queen smiling wickedly)

I know.

Elf-tards;;

Lolololol

Lolololol

Lolololol

Anyone can see she’s totally going to jump him, lolol.

"Euhahak! Euhahahahak!!"

"..."

Leaving Lackey’s roaring laughter behind, I spoke to Elia.

Since she also seemed to be looking at the Gallery at that moment, I told her not to pay attention to it...

"I know."

"..."

She replied with a beaming smile.

Which made it even scarier.