I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 718

The situation was sorted out much faster than expected.

Thanks to Asella’s swift response, there was no one who didn’t recognize me as the Chief God, and above all, the pillar of light was the very proof of "Descent."

However, what the cause was, what the Heavenly Demon Cult was plotting, and furthermore, why Yoo So-wol had collapsed, and so on.

There were more than enough things to figure out, so the Demonic Cult hurriedly set about tidying up. I was one thing, but Yoo So-wol collapsing was a much bigger deal.

So, where am I right now? I was quietly waiting in the place where I had first "descended."

Since my treatment was what it was, they figured it was better to have me wait in the original spot rather than putting me in some awkward place.

Thanks to that, I was able to wait quietly in a room with a gaping hole in the ceiling. The problem was that this was no ordinary room.

"...Why did you bring this person here?"

"Because this is the bedchamber of the Heavens."

"Good grief."

That’s right. This was the private bedchamber where the Heavenly Demon, Yoo So-wol, resided.

From the perspective of the Demonic Cultists, it would be awkward to place their noble Heavenly Demon anywhere else.

So, they came to a very simple agreement. Since I had "descended" into Yoo So-wol’s bedroom, wouldn’t it be fine to leave me right next to her?

They reasoned that although the detailed circumstances hadn’t emerged yet, it was essentially no different from her having brought me here herself.

In the end, I ended up staying with Yoo So-wol in the bedroom with the gaping ceiling, which had barely been tidied up.

What about Asella? She was absolutely furious at the Demonic Cult’s proposal, but she backed down at Ludwig’s opinion that sorting out the outside situation came first.

Instead, she said she would come find me the moment things were settled, so she would be here soon.

"...."

"...."

More importantly, breaking this suffocating awkwardness right now comes first. I glanced sideways.

Because of the pillar of light, her bedchamber had been completely ruined. The bed was no exception.

But someone from the Demonic Cult side—was it Wi Seol-ak? Anyway, that guy brought in a massive bed, saying they couldn’t possibly let the Heavens lie on the floor.

And Yoo So-wol was lying on that bed, staring blankly at me. She was currently recuperating from extreme depletion of internal energy.

Actually, rather than recuperation, it was just a matter of refilling her depleted internal energy by practicing her Mental Cultivation Method.

The problem was the feeling of exhaustion and lethargy that came with the depletion of internal energy. These two combined to cause symptoms of exhaustion.

On the Gallery, they called this mana exhaustion, which was a formally registered term even in academic circles.

"...Heavenly Demon-nim?"

"...."

Unable to bear the awkwardness, I spoke first. However, Yoo So-wol just kept staring blankly, not opening her mouth.

How should I put it? It felt like a black cat staring at me with wide eyes.

It felt a bit strange to compare someone as grand as the Heavenly Demon to a cat, but that was how it felt anyway.

’I’ve thought this before, but she really is beautiful.’

Besides, when a beauty like the Heavenly Demon is gazing intently at you, what man wouldn’t look back?

Moreover, perhaps because she had let down her hair, which she usually tied in a ponytail, even her aura felt different.

Instead of an atmosphere mixed with solemnity and strictness, she was like a young girl freely expressing her natural curiosity.

It was subtle that the object of that curiosity was me, but it wasn’t incomprehensible.

’After all, even I didn’t know why I dropped in here.’

It was no different when I took a quick peek at the Gallery.

While the Heavenly God Martial Festival was underway, a pillar of light had shot up from the Heavenly Demon Palace as if to pierce the heavens.

Before long, the pillar of light vanished, and I had slowly walked out from it.

’Maybe because of the impact of the pillar of light, but everyone in the Heavenly Demon Palace fainted.’

No one welcomed me until I stepped outside.

They said a powerful mana wave erupted from the pillar of light, knocking out everyone nearby.

Even those watching from afar said they felt the wave, so one could easily imagine.

’I don’t know what the reason is, but it’s certain that this is different from Christmas.’

I still couldn’t tell if I was dreaming or awake, but it was clear that this was outside the Forest of the Four Seasons, and specifically, in the Demonic Cult.

However, because of the Heavenly Demon, Yoo So-wol, who was lying on the bed and staring intently at me, reality kept slipping away.

Why was she only staring and not saying a word? If she had at least spoken, I would have understood.

If I hadn’t met familiar faces like Asella, it would have taken me much longer to grasp reality.

"...Noble sir."

While I was pondering for a moment, a woman’s voice struck my ears. Her usual solemnity was nowhere to be found; it was a voice like jade beads rolling on a tray.

I had the illusion that the voice was piercing past my ears and straight into my brain.

For a moment, thinking I had misheard, I turned my head to face Yoo So-wol.

Yoo So-wol was still looking at me, without even tidying her hair.

"...Did you call me?"

"...."

Even when asked, she only blinked her eyes.

I wondered if she was doing in reality what she sometimes did on the Gallery—saying things that made people’s insides burst with frustration.

Sseuk—

But Yoo So-wol was a woman of action rather than words. Slowly rising from the bed where she had been lying, she reached out her hand toward me.This chapter is updated first at novelping(.)com.

Not knowing what she wanted, I stood up and approached her first. Then, her outstretched hand began to move upward.

Thanks to that, I realized where Yoo So-wol’s hand was heading. It was pointing precisely toward my face.

It was a gesture that anyone could see meant she wanted to touch my face. Though flustered, I slowly bent my knees.

Sseuk—

Soon, Yoo So-wol placed her hand against my cheek. I felt a soft sensation.

With a look of wonder, Yoo So-wol parted her lips slightly and began to knead my cheek like clay.

Following that, she even groped my face with both hands instead of just one. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and so on. It was as if she was determining whether I was real or fake.

"...You are real."

"Did you think I was fake?"

"Your Zhongyuan language... has improved a lot, too."

"Well, there are two people at home whose native language is Zhongyuan, after all."

I had been steadily studying the languages of various countries. The most prominent among them were the Zhongyuan language and the Holy Kingdom language.

The language of the Holy Kingdom held a position akin to English in this world, so it was good to learn, and the Zhongyuan language was similar.

Since the people of Zhongyuan were numerous anyway, I figured there was no harm in learning it.

’Though Lackey grumbled that he couldn’t even swear in the Zhongyuan language anymore.’

At any rate, simple conversation was possible without difficulty. The problem was Yoo So-wol’s way of speaking.

On the Gallery, she spoke in what was commonly referred to as "boomer style." To be precise, it should be called an archaic, elegant tone.

There could have been words here and there that were difficult for me to understand, but fortunately, that didn’t happen.

"Have you been well in the meantime?"

"I’ve been doing well. Have you been well, Heavenly Demon-nim?"

"This lady has always been well."

"This lady? Is that what you use to refer to yourself?"

"Does it sound strange?"

"Not at all."

Yoo So-wol spoke calmly, but her hands were doing otherwise.

Pinching my cheeks, kneading them like clay, and so on. She showed no signs of taking her hands off my face.

If someone were to watch from afar, they might think she was showering me with endless affection. But at least for now, that wasn’t it.

"Your skin seems to have gotten softer."

"Isn’t this the first time you’ve touched my face?"

"Have I not touched your hand before?"

"Then you should be touching my hand."

"You speak truly. Then give me your hand. I shall touch it to verify."

"...."

Did she seriously build up to this? It was a bit flustering.

Even so, I couldn’t refuse, because of Yoo So-wol’s eyes looking at me.

Her eyes sparkling like Puss in Boots radiated an irresistible charm.

She was clearly a cool person on the Gallery, so why on earth was she showing this kind of reaction to me?

Anyway, I offered my hand as she wished. My hand was covered in calluses from all the hardships I had gone through.

Yoo So-wol grabbed my hand and pressed it with her thumb. It was as if a cat was kneading.

"It is a pretty hand."

"A hand as ugly as this?"

"In this lady’s eyes, it is more beautiful than any other."

Indeed, to Yoo So-wol, who was a martial artist by nature, it would look that way. I nodded as if in understanding.

Kkuuk— kkuk—

"...Heavenly Demon-nim?"

"Speak."

"How long are you going to keep doing this?"

"Do you dislike it?"

"No, it’s not that, but...."

"Then stay still."

"...Yes."

Thus, Yoo So-wol kept kneading my hand for a long time, and the other hand was no different.

Feeling her determination to examine every single detail, I also stayed still.

Jeobeok— jeobeok—

How much time had passed like that? The sound of someone’s footsteps approaching reached my ears.

The moment I heard the sound and tried to hurriedly pull my hand away, Yoo So-wol did not let go.

I had clearly heard that she was suffering from exhaustion due to extreme depletion of internal energy, but her strength seemed to be fully intact.

"He-Heavenly Demon-nim?"

"Stay like this."

"Someone is coming...."

"This lady does not mind."

I mind, you know.

Whether I minded or not, Yoo So-wol did not let go even as the footsteps drew closer.The source of this chapter is novelping dot com.

It was also a problem if I tried to force it out, because every time I did, her expression would rapidly turn gloomy.

Seeing that, what man would dare to pull his arm away? In the end, I sighed inwardly and stayed still.

Soon, the footsteps arrived right in front of us, and I could clearly see their owner.

"...Chief God-nim?"

It was Asella. Having been delayed by tidying up the outside, she had finally arrived.

Looking at the current situation, she had an expression of not knowing what to say.

I didn’t really know what kind of situation this was either. I even wished someone would explain it to me instead.

"Have you come? You are late."

Yoo So-wol said those words, whether because she was shameless even in this touch-and-go situation, or because she genuinely didn’t know.

Although she spoke in the Zhongyuan language, Asella probably understood. The crystal orb floating next to her was sparkling.

As far as I knew, it was a Translation Orb. And a high-grade translation device used by national leaders at that.

"...How dare you do such a thing to the Chief God-nim’s divine body!"

Her fluster was brief; Asella raised her voice in anger.

Judging by her completely flushed face, she seemed furious.

I couldn’t tell if that outrage was a personal emotion or a clerical one. Perhaps it was both.

Especially since she was the one who had uttered words close to a confession last Christmas, this entire situation was troublesome in many ways.

"What am I doing, you ask...."

Yoo So-wol paused at those words and looked at me. She was still in the middle of kneading.

Then, after nodding her head, she looked back at Asella and spoke.

"This lady is communing."

"Wh-What? Wh-What did you say?"

"This lady said communing. And a communion between the Heavens, at that. Am I not the Heavenly Demon, and is my benefactor not the Heavenly God?"

"...Me? The Heavenly God?"

I had been treated as the Chief God before, but being treated as the Heavenly God felt awkward. Come to think of it, I had seen it on the Gallery before.

In Zhongyuan, they tended to compare the Chief God to the Heavenly God, that is, the God of the Heavens.

There was nothing wrong with this even theologically; in fact, the Chief God had triumphed in the war against the dragons in the mythical era and proclaimed a new age.

Looked at that way, it was no different from having created a new heaven, so worshipping him as the Heavenly God wasn’t particularly strange.

The problem was the Heavenly Demon. She was a being worshipped as the heaven of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Therefore, she was saying that communing with me, who was revered as the Heavenly God, was not an unusual thing.

"Ah. You might as well declare it on this occasion. Go outside at once and announce that this lady and my benefactor shall become one heaven together."

"Wh-What? What did you say?"

"Did this lady not clearly cause my benefactor’s descent for all to see? There could be no better opportunity than now."

"Um... Heavenly Demon-nim? This is too sudden, so let’s first sort things out...."

I tried to stop her in my fluster, but Yoo So-wol was steadfast.

Turning her head, she stared blankly at me and opened her mouth.

"Noble sir."

"Yes?"

"Would you not unfold a new heaven with this lady?"

"...."

My head is spinning.

"You! Do not insult the Chief God-nim! If you flap that mouth of yours even once more...!"

"Do you think the worshipper and the worshipped can share a table? Utterly absurd."

"Without the recognition of the Holy Kingdom, the Demonic Cult will never be officially proclaimed as a formal religion!"

"How noisy. To dare raise your voice against the Heavens—is a clergy member permitted to behave so?"

"At least against those who commit blasphemy, yes."

"Yet you are the one committing blasphemy."

Hey, guys... don’t fight.

I’ve barely just arrived here.

At any rate, after a brief commotion passed, we set about grasping the situation in earnest.

The pillar of light that had shot up from the Heavenly Demon’s bedchamber. While we were looking for the cause of that pillar of light...

"...Ah."

"Heavenly Demon-nim?"

"Ah... Ah, no... It-It is gone. Has it truly vanished...? Th-This cannot be...."

For some reason, in a rare turn of events, Yoo So-wol’s complexion turned pale as she fell into a panic.

"The Rose of Sharon... The Rose of Sharon that noble sir gave me..."

"The Rose of Sharon? Ah."

I felt like I had grasped a clue.

"Ugh... Where is it... Please, even just a petal..."

First, I needed to calm down Yoo So-wol, who was now crawling on the floor on her knees.