I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 711

’Heavenly Demon’ showed a rather unique path both on the Gallery and in reality.

On the Gallery, she made old-timer remarks or said things that ordinary people couldn’t understand.

Even after becoming a sub-manager, she was the target of countless teases within the Gallery, but reality was completely different.

A woman worshiped by all Demonic Cultists and treated as a living god. A ruler who would conquer the entire Central Plains beyond the martial world.

Especially in the last Martial Arts Tournament, she had even performed a bizarre feat. She had defeated numerous powerhouses while holding a small flowerpot in one hand.

Even when assassins ambushed her at the end of the tournament, she remained standing in her place until the very end.

In addition, she instantly killed the remnants of the Blood Cult trying to enter the Forest of the Four Seasons, and completely crushed the rising Evil Factions.

Unlike the Gallery where she had absolutely no dignity, in reality, she was an existence that no one dared to approach.

Furthermore, the very fact that she had risen to the position of supreme ruler at a young age demonstrated her talent and potential.

Military power is a force directly linked to national power, and in this world, military power varies wildly depending on an individual’s martial prowess.

Therefore, each nation could not help but feel the need to confirm what kind of person the Heavenly Demon was and to grasp how strong she was.

Asella’s case was similar, but she had another purpose. Namely, whether the Heavenly Demon in the Gallery and the Heavenly Demon in reality were the same person.

The location tracking authority that only the Orange Badge could possess, combined with the circumstances so far. When these two were combined, it was certain they were the same person.

However, even with location tracking, it wasn’t perfectly precise, and above all, the Heavenly Demon Cult was currently a place where countless people had gathered.

Since this user and that user were all mixed together, it was tricky to reach a definitive conclusion.

Until she saw the flowerpot carefully placed on the armrest of Heavenly Demon Yoo So-wol’s throne.

"..."

"..."

Yoo So-wol looked down at Asella with an arrogant expression, sitting on her throne with her legs crossed.

Asella looked back and forth between Yoo So-wol and the flowerpot. A strange current flowed between the two.

An atmosphere that felt like they were probing each other, or perhaps keeping each other in check.

"...It is an honor to meet you, Heavenly Demon-nim. My name is Asella. Though I am lacking, I am one who serves the Goddess of War, Aris."

In that atmosphere, it was Asella who spoke first. She politely greeted her while suppressing her gaze from drifting toward the flowerpot as much as possible.

She did not forget to draw the sign of the cross, as she always did. Despite this, Yoo So-wol did not even blink.

Soon, just as a strange silence was about to settle, Yoo So-wol spoke with her characteristic noble expression.

"I am Yoo So-wol, the heaven of the Heavenly Demon Cult. To worship another heaven before this lady..."

Kugoogoogoog-

As soon as Yoo So-wol trailed off, a crushing pressure was felt.

Soon, resting her chin on her hand and looking down haughtily, her head tilted slightly to the side as she spoke.

"How disloyal."

Her tone was dry as dust, but the crushing weight grew even stronger.

Asella felt the pressure vividly, but she stood firm.

No matter how strong the Heavenly Demon was, Asella was not weak either.

Rather, she looked straight at her as if refusing to lose, confronting her robustly.

"..."

"..."

No words were exchanged between the two. There was only the one trying to force knees to bend, and the one standing resolutely.

At first glance, one might see Yoo So-wol as rude, but technically, Asella had committed the rudeness first.

Greeting her while drawing the sign of the cross in front of Yoo So-wol, who was revered as a living god, was a provocation in itself.

But Yoo So-wol did not get angry. She merely wanted to check how strong her faith was.

"...Hmph."

"Fuu."

As time passed, the pressure weighing down the audience chamber vanished in an instant. Asella also exhaled her held breath once the pressure disappeared.

In the meantime, Yoo So-wol uncrossed her elegantly crossed legs and raised her slightly tilted head straight.

A reaction indicating she would enter into a full-fledged conversation, rather than probing and keeping in check.

Noticing this, Asella spoke with a subtle smile.

"The welcome greeting is quite terrifying. Is it a tradition of the Demonic Cult?"

"Since you were disloyal first, this lady merely responded accordingly."

Yoo So-wol replied confidently without changing her expression. There was no falsehood in her words.

Asella’s action was merely different in method, but it was close to mentioning, if not praising, another emperor in front of an emperor.

From the perspective of the emperor she faced, it was a ’very’ unpleasant treatment, but Yoo So-wol couldn’t be said to have behaved perfectly either.

It was just a process of testing each other. So they let it slide amicably.

"Welcome to the Divine Cult, O worshiper of another heaven. How does the Divine Cult look in your eyes?"

"Smiles never seem to leave the people’s faces."

Asella spoke what she felt without a shred of exaggeration.

Although it was a Demonic Cult that was no different from a heretical religious force, smiles did not leave the faces of the cultists.

Furthermore, these words are the most pleasing expression to any normal monarch. What monarch would dislike their people laughing joyfully?

Fortunately, although Yoo So-wol was arrogant, she seemed to belong to the normal category, as the corners of her mouth curled up slightly at Asella’s answer.

Since her posture was as beautiful as a painting, just a slight smile gave the illusion that the gloomy audience chamber had brightened.New chapters come out on novеlping.com first.

"They are not empty words of flattery. Then how is the place you rule? Did the subjects there also smile brightly?"

"Although they are bitter due to their wounds, they are likewise wearing bright smiles."

What the Vatican did a year ago left a deep wound on the people of the Holy Kingdom.

If Cain had not descended under Grylls’s leadership (?), the Holy Kingdom’s prestige would have plummeted to the ground.

As a blessing in disguise, because that situation broke out, the faith of the Holy Kingdom’s subjects became deeper than before.

Having witnessed a miracle firsthand, who wouldn’t harbor faith? Asella answered with this intention.

’Can you show a miracle equivalent to Cain’s descent? If you cannot show it, our faith cannot be broken.’

In effect, it carried the above meaning.

"...Tsk."

A very faint clicking of a tongue was heard from afar. It was a sound so small that it wouldn’t even reach Asella’s ears if she didn’t focus.

It was Wi Seol-ak, who was waiting in the corner of the audience chamber, reacting.

Possessing a clever brain, he immediately grasped with what intention Asella had spoken those words.

Of course, Yoo So-wol didn’t mind. She merely let it pass as a ’is that so.’

Rather, as if respecting Asella’s words, she brought up quite an interesting response.

"Wounds... You must mean when that giant stone statue fell from the heavens. It was an event that showed what the calling of heaven is."

"..."

Asella was flustered by Yoo So-wol’s calm demeanor. She had assumed the Heavenly Demon would find it unpleasant.

But she simply let it pass as ’such a thing happened.’ Honestly, it was outside her expectations.

’...Could it be that she’s letting it slide because it’s related to Grylls-nim?’

Asella’s gaze directed toward the flowerpot once more. It was highly likely to be the Rose of Sharon gifted by Grylls.

Even on the Gallery, the Heavenly Demon was someone who mostly let things slide generously if they were related to Grylls. Reality would be similar.

"Then, this lady shall ask a question."

Amidst her slight confusion, Yoo So-wol opened her mouth in a quiet voice.

At this, Asella took her eyes off the flowerpot and faced her.

As if contemplating for a moment, Yoo So-wol tapped her cheek with her elegant fingers before speaking.

"You said you worship the Goddess of War. And the nation to worship that goddess is the Holy Kingdom."

"Yes. That is correct."

"However, this lady is aware that the ’Heavenly God’ has recently manifested in the Forest of the Four Seasons. What do you think of this?"

Yoo So-wol was referring to the Heavenly God, which is to say, the Chief God, Grylls, who was active in the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Perhaps because she was the Heavenly Demon who usually got along well with Grylls on the Gallery, Asella flinched.

However, since it was a topic that could easily come up, she quickly brushed aside her dark thoughts.

"What do I think... I am not sure what you mean by that."

"Hmph. This lady admits her explanation was brief. If there is a heaven higher than the one you considered to be heaven, which will you worship? Will you still worship the lower heaven?"

Simply put, since there was an existence of a higher status than Aris, namely the Chief God, she was asking if she wouldn’t change the object of her worship.

It was actually a topic that had been brought up within the Holy Kingdom as well, but it could be resolved surprisingly easily.

"I believe that who we worship is not what is important, but whose teachings we follow is far more crucial."

"Hmph?"

"Aris-nim is the Goddess of War. And I am the Hero. As the Hero, it is not strange to believe in and follow the Goddess of War."

There were not only religious reasons but also practical ones.

The doctrine of the Chief God had not yet been properly established, and almost no related records remained.

Although Grylls was openly active in the Forest of the Four Seasons, he too was running around in all directions to find his own memories.

"And since Aris-nim gave us teachings following the teachings of the Chief God, following her teachings is equivalent to following the teachings of the Chief God."

"Hooh."

As if she hadn’t expected this, the Heavenly Demon raised one corner of her mouth.

There was no room for rebuttal, and above all, Buddhism and Taoism openly existed in the Central Plains.

The point that the object is not what is important, but what that object teaches is far more crucial.

It was a fairly profound statement even to Yoo So-wol, so she could not easily dismiss it.

"Teachings... Those are words with deep resonance. Since the one called the Heavenly God taught, the gods must have also taught the believers below them."

"Yes."

"However, the fact that those teachings can sometimes head in a deviated direction is also a bitter and sad thing."

"..."

Asella immediately realized whom Yoo So-wol was referring to. One of the Twin Gods, Aragon, who was praised as the God of Magic.

As the God of Magic and knowledge, Aragon was an existence who preached the importance of ’technology’ to humanity.

Thanks to that, humanity was able to develop to this day, and if he had not bestowed his teachings, they would have suffered much more.

Since a clear answer existed, humanity also exerted countless efforts to follow even in Aragon’s footsteps.

However, Aragon himself fell into the fear of the ’unknown’ after the Chief God’s slumber, committing wrongful deeds.

The god who gave humanity the strength to overcome the unknown had, in turn, feared that very unknown and begun to walk a wicked path.

It was a truly ironic thing, but it showed that even a god feared the unknown that much.

Rather, because he knew better than anyone how terrifying the unknown was, it was no different from being afflicted by the ’curse of knowledge.’

"...The Chief God once said. Knowledge and wisdom are separate domains. Even if knowledge is abundant, if wisdom is lacking, one cannot help but ruin things."Read the latest chapters at novel⁠ping.com.

"For a believer who trusts in the Goddess of War, those are sharp words. What if the God of Knowledge had been wiser?"

"I have heard a saying in the Central Plains. Too much is as bad as too little. Wisdom is the same. He was so wise that it blinded his own eyes."

The two conversed without a single step of retreat.

Of course, unlike the bloody beginning, it was a very ’healthy’ forum of discussion.

To the point where Wi Seol-ak, who was watching this, showed a surprised reaction.

Since there was a common subject called Grylls, they were able to pass it over somewhat smoothly.

"Will you participate in the Heavenly God Martial Festival yourself? This lady is curious about the ability of a believer who trusts in the Goddess of War."

Even so, Yoo So-wol did not even think of hiding her competitive spirit.

Seeing this, Wi Seol-ak made a ’of course’ expression for a moment, then waited for Asella’s reaction.

In his heart, he hoped Asella would willingly participate. However, the probability of that was low.

"It is not me, but my escort knight, Sir Erolt, who plans to participate. Also, I believe the registration period has passed..."

"If this lady lends a hand, there is nothing that cannot be done."

Look at that. She was gently tempting her to participate somehow.

However, Asella did not react emotionally. In the first place, the reason she attended the Heavenly God Martial Festival was for scouting.

"Then, how about enjoying a light duel with this lady right after the Heavenly God Martial Festival ends?"

"That much should be fine."

Even so, Yoo So-wol ultimately secured a promise for a duel.

Even if she showed a foolish side on the Gallery, in reality, she was a martial artist who loved martial arts more than anyone.

Thus, the probing and preliminary battle between the two women ended. Asella greeted Yoo So-wol, then moved her steps to leave the audience chamber.

"Ah. Come to think of it..."

"?"

Then, as if remembering something, Yoo So-wol stopped Asella.

At that, Asella also paused as she was turning around with a puzzled expression.

"You just said Sir Erolt is participating... Is his name by any chance Ludwig?"

Yoo So-wol spoke while tapping her cheek with her elegant index finger.

Asella tilted her head for a moment, but since it was a topic that didn’t particularly matter to share, she spoke.

"Yes. His full name is Ludwig von Erolt. In the Western Kingdoms, we usually refer to knights by their surnames."

"He is indeed that knight who recently escaped the Forest of the Four Seasons under the blessing of the Chief God."

"That is correct."

"Fufu."

Heavenly Demon Yoo So-wol smiled softly at Asella’s affirmation.

Subsequently, as if recalling some memory, she wore an expression that was both nostalgic and warm.

Beauty, atmosphere, and expression. These three elements came together in perfect harmony, making even another woman naturally think of the word ’beautiful.’

’...Why is that such beautiful women always approach Grylls-nim?’

Asella also stared blankly at that, worrying about Grylls’s flirtatious nature (?).

In addition, hadn’t the Elf Queen been clinging to his side recently?

Suppressing an unknown sense of displeasure, Asella stepped out of the audience chamber.

Although there was still time left until the Heavenly God Martial Festival, Yoo So-wol’s words from earlier came to mind.

’Come to think of it, there were circumstances indicating that Grylls-nim and the Heavenly Demon met during Christmas...’

It was hard to confirm because the photo was taken from afar.

She only knew that the Heavenly Demon had approached the sleigh and met Grylls.

Since Ludwig was there at the time, he might know the situation in more detail.

"Teacher. Have you ever personally seen the Heavenly Demon’s face? In person, not on the Gallery."

"If the woman who frequently appeared on the Gallery is the Heavenly Demon, then I have seen her in person. It was during Christmas."

"What did the Heavenly Demon do then?"

"I believe she held hands with Grylls and stared at him nostalgically. It seemed like the two of them knew each other."

"...Ah."

Ludwig looked at Asella.

Because that slightly delayed response was strangely unsettling. Sure enough.

He saw Asella’s exceptionally bright eyes gradually darkening.

She showed that kind of reaction whenever something related to Grylls happened. It couldn’t help but provoke many thoughts in various ways.

The only saving grace was that she didn’t cause trouble even after showing such a reaction... but he was worried.

’Ash even went as far as kissing him, so I must hide this at all costs.’

Ludwig muttered to himself while drawing the sign of the cross.

Hoping that Aris would bless Asella so that she would not fall into corruption.

’...Should I declare a holy war right now?’

Asella was harboring a truly dangerous thought.