I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 719

Just when I thought the situation had calmed down to some extent, things took a strange turn as the Heavenly Demon began to rummage through her bedroom.

Having been massaging my hand like a cat, she suddenly seemed to remember something and began searching every nook and cranny of the room.

At first, she searched while standing, then bent her knees, and now she was crawling on the floor.

And what about her expression? The more she searched, the paler her face became, until she looked as if she was about to cry.

Seeing her, of all people, show such a side was more baffling than refreshing.

"It is not here. It is not here. Where on earth did it go...."

"What are you looking for? Shall I help you find it?"

"N-No. It is just that..."

When asked directly, Yoo So-wol went beyond flustered and began to panic. It was a reaction completely contrary to her usual image.

Furthermore, she even wore a guilty expression, as if she were hiding a secret she couldn’t bring herself to speak of.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed this. Asella also showed a puzzled reaction.

However, unlike me, perhaps she had realized something, as she approached Yoo So-wol instead of me.

"By any chance, is the missing item a flowerpot?"

"!"

Asella approached quietly and whispered. She spoke softly in her own way, but it was crystal clear to my ears.

While living in the Forest of the Four Seasons, I had gone through all kinds of trials, and furthermore, every winter, animals brought rare fruits.

Among the fruits colored in gold, there were some that heightened the five senses.

Thanks to that, my eyesight had become better than that of an average Mongolian, and my hearing was also at an extremely superior level.

Of course, it wasn’t quite at a beastly level like Wonmo’s sense of smell or Heukgu’s hearing, but it was true that it far exceeded the boundaries of an ordinary person.

"Th-That is...."

And as if Asella’s words were correct, Yoo So-wol’s pupils shook violently.

At the same time, she even glanced at me to gauge my reaction. Come to think of it, the Rose of Sharon I had given her was nowhere to be seen.

Given her personality, she would have always carried it with her, but let alone the Rose of Sharon, even the flowerpot was not in sight.

Of course, there was a high possibility that it had been kept safely in her bedroom and then completely destroyed by the pillar of light, but...

’Could that Rose of Sharon have been some kind of trigger?’

I probably wasn’t the only one thinking this. Asella had likely thought of something similar.

It was just that Yoo So-wol probably still had absolutely no idea that Asella was the "Orange Badge."

Therefore, it would be difficult for her to speak of it directly. For now, it was best to leave it to Asella.

"Come to think of it, that flowerpot I saw in the audience chamber... where did it go?"

"...."

Isn’t that a bit too obvious of a question, Asella?

Of course, when one thought of Yoo So-wol—that is, the Heavenly Demon—the flowerpot was the first thing that came to mind.

Not the Heavenly God Martial Festival, but the martial arts tournament held in another region before that.

Yoo So-wol had performed an extraordinary feat at that tournament. She had completely overwhelmed all her opponents while holding a flowerpot in one hand.

Because of this, the Heavenly Demon’s symbol became the "flowerpot," and this probably hadn’t changed even after I gave her the Rose of Sharon.

’Seeing how Asella said that, it means she saw the flowerpot....’

I waited for Yoo So-wol to open her mouth. It was a truly awkward situation.

Normally she would have spoken, but... Yoo So-wol’s reaction went beyond the realm of ordinary people.

Peolleok!

She returned to the bed at lightning speed and pulled the blanket all the way over her head. It didn’t even take a second.

The "Heavenly Demon" was an easy person to read, but "Yoo So-wol" was not at all. She was hard to pin down.

’No, wait. Come to think of it, it’s similar in that the Heavenly Demon is also hard to pin down.’

At any rate, if she refused to communicate in that manner, there was nothing we could do on our end.

The only saving grace was that there was one thing we could do. I made eye contact with Asella and then logged onto the Gallery.

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: It seems some kind of anomaly has occurred with the Rose of Sharon you gave her, Grylls-nim!]

[Wild Grylls: You think so too, right?]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Yes! As expected, you and I are on the same page, Grylls-nim!]

A secret conversation through the Gallery. No matter how great Yoo So-wol was, unless she was the Orange Badge, it was impossible for her to eavesdrop on our chat history.

Furthermore, since Asella was that very Orange Badge, it was even more reassuring. Keeping my eyes on Yoo So-wol, who had completely hidden herself, I sent a message.

[Wild Grylls: It looks like she finds it hard to bring up because Asella is here. I think we need to be alone together....]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: No way! Who knows what she might do! She was doing strange things earlier too!]

[Wild Grylls: Was massaging my hand really that strange of a thing?]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Of course! How dare she touch Grylls-nim’s hand so casually!]This story is hosted at novelping . com.

[Wild Grylls: I’m fine with it though;;]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: That simple action could have a massive impact on the world!]

It wasn’t particularly an exaggeration. Since my treatment was what it was, it couldn’t be helped.

This was the very reason I was staying in the Heavenly Demon Palace instead of wandering around outside right now.

Even though I had stepped outside the Forest of the Four Seasons, I was still a body that was not entirely free.

[Wild Grylls: But we can’t just act frustrated for long. Or you could just coolly reveal that you’re the Orange Badge.]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Ah! That would work!]

"Huh?"

"Heavenly Demon-nim. Could we talk for a moment?"

While I was flustered, Asella approached Yoo So-wol, who was lying on the bed.

She whispered something in her ear afterward, but the sound was so quiet that even my superior hearing couldn’t catch it.

But Yoo So-wol must have been different, as she flinched from time to time. Then, she slowly lowered the blanket she had pulled up to her head.

Only her eyes were slightly visible, but it was clear that her face had turned strangely bright red.

"...Is it truly believable?"

"I’ll send it to you on the Gallery right away."

A moment later, Yoo So-wol’s gaze shifted upward. She seemed to have accessed the Gallery.

Soon, after blinking her eyes a couple of times, she slowly sat up. It appeared she had been successfully persuaded.

Of course, making eye contact with me was still difficult for her, as she kept avoiding it.

"...The world is truly heartless. How can there be such an astounding coincidence?"

Yoo So-wol uttered words that were either a lament or a reflection.

Following that, she looked around at me and Asella, then let out a sigh.

"...This lady has no right to face noble sir. For I have lost the flower you gave me without even being able to make it bloom."

"Heavenly Demon-nim. We don’t know that for sure yet. Perhaps it is thanks to that flower that Grylls-nim was able to come here."

"What does that mean?"

"Before that, let me ask. Did any artifact capable of shooting up such a pillar of light exist in the Heavenly Demon Cult?"

Only now was a proper investigation being carried out step by step. I quietly listened to their conversation.

"There was none. Had there been such a thing, we would have used it long ago."

Yoo So-wol answered Asella’s question in a refreshing voice. She seemed to have returned to her original self.

"A person named Wi Seol-ak said so. That the pillar of light shot up as the mana held within Heavenly Demon-nim was rapidly consumed."

"I have heard of that."

"Could you tell us how that was connected to the Rose of Sharon?"

"...."

As soon as that question was asked, Yoo So-wol’s fluent answers came to a halt.

Following that, she looked at me, and her face gradually began to turn red.

Peolleok!

Knowing this herself, she hid inside the blanket once again. The image of the Heavenly Demon I knew seemed to be crumbling to pieces.

Just what on earth had she done to the Rose of Sharon to show such a reaction? I tilted my head in confusion.

Still, there was no need to ask, as it was highly likely that the Rose of Sharon had reacted because she had done "something" to it.

"Heavenly Demon-nim. This part is the most important. You must tell us."

But it seemed I was the only one who thought so. Asella questioned her persistently.

It wasn’t particularly strange. There were quite a few fixed-handle users who had received the Rose of Sharon from me.

Although I had "descended" like this now, I might be forced to return after a certain period of time, just like during Christmas.

Even if that were the case, I had gained an opportunity to go outside the Forest of the Four Seasons. Therefore, Yoo So-wol’s testimony, which served as a precedent, was extremely important.

"I-I cannot speak of it with my m-mouth."

"Then through the Gallery is fine, right?"

"If it is that..."

In the end, perhaps because it was a secret she couldn’t tell me, Yoo So-wol spoke through the Gallery.

However, Asella’s reaction was a bit strange. At first, her face seemed to stiffen, but then it turned strangely red.

Then, she glanced at me, and other incomprehensible reactions followed.

"Ahem. Ahem. So that’s what it was."

"You can’t tell me either, right?"Find the original chapter at NovelPing.

"If it is revealed, this lady shall bite her tongue and die."

I’ll die! I’m telling you, I’ll die! I’ll really die!

...is what Yoo So-wol was saying. Even though her tone was calm, it roughly carried that meaning.

Well, as long as Asella knew, there would be no problem. Thus, the investigation concluded.

"...Noble sir."

Just when I was thinking of doing something else, Yoo So-wol quietly called me.

She was still lying on the bed with the blanket pulled up. However, just like before, she only peeked out with her eyes.

"Did you call me?"

"Y-Yes. If so, by any chance... could you give me seeds next time as well?"

A timid yet pitiful voice. I willingly nodded my head.

I couldn’t grow them in the Forest of the Four Seasons anyway. Besides, I still had plenty of seeds left.

As I readily gave my permission, Yoo So-wol’s expression brightened infinitely. On the other hand, Asella was different.

How should I put it? It was as if all kinds of complex emotions were mixed together, making it impossible for her to show them on her face.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t given Asella any seeds because I thought she would be too busy. But now that we had figured out the germination conditions of the Rose of Sharon, there was no problem.

"Of course. And next time, I’ll give some to Asella too."

"Yes!!"

The moment I said I would give her some too, she answered energetically with the brightest smile in the world.

She was truly an easy person to read. I had known her feelings toward me since last Christmas, but it felt awkward every time I saw it.

At any rate, now that the matter of the Rose of Sharon was settled, we returned to the main topic.

Yoo So-wol also emerged from the blanket and entered into a serious meeting.

"Are you going to continue with the Heavenly God Martial Festival?"

"Should we not? Even if noble sir has descended, we cannot give up on the Heavenly God Martial Festival."

The most important among them was indeed the Heavenly God Martial Festival. A tournament that had been proceeding smoothly until I dropped in here.

However, after Yoo So-wol collapsed from a fever and I made my appearance, things had rapidly become chaotic.

If it had been a simple accident, they could have managed to host it somehow, but now things had become complicated in many ways.

In the worst-case scenario, they might have to close the festival immediately, biting the bullet.

From the Demonic Cult’s perspective, they wanted to prevent that situation at all costs, so they would do their utmost.

"But after Grylls-nim’s descent, everyone’s attention will inevitably be drawn to that side."

Right on cue, Asella pointed out an extremely realistic point. From the moment I revealed myself, the Heavenly God Martial Festival would inevitably be pushed to the back burner.

Even if I didn’t show myself, it would be the same. People would be restless, wondering where I had gone.

In the end, while pondering what to do, I gauged their reactions and quietly spoke up.

"Or, what if I participate in the Heavenly God Martial Festival myself...."

"...."

As I quietly opened my mouth, I felt a sharp gaze. It was Asella.

She was clearly smiling, but it was closer to a cold sneer. Her expression asked if I was really going to participate in such a circus.

So I thought I should just keep my mouth shut, but Yoo So-wol seemed to think otherwise.

"It is not a bad choice. However, unless it is an intrusion, direct participation will be difficult."

"You want to make the Chief God-nim participate in a mere martial arts tournament like this? If you think the Holy Kingdom won’t see through the Heavenly Demon Cult’s hidden motives, you are sorely mistaken."

"But keeping my benefactor here indefinitely is not a good thing either, is it? Who knows who might approach him?"

"Ugh...."

In the end, just when no suitable compromise was in sight, someone approached us.

It was the strategist of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Wi Seol-ak. A person referred to by the title of Demonic Brain.

Hearing our conversation, he spoke up nonchalantly.

"Why not just let the Heavenly God wander around as he pleases? After all, the name of the tournament is the Heavenly God Martial Festival anyway."

"Hmm?"

"That sounds good."

A truly magnificent compromise had emerged.

"Are you a genius?"

"I hear that a lot."

I was genuinely impressed.