I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 730

The ’reward’ Kaylin mentioned was enough to instantly cool down the rowdy Heavenly Demon Cult.

It was what one would call a total buzzkill, but soon, murmurs began to trickle into my ears.

’A spar between the Heavenly Demon and the Heavenly God? Is that even possible?’

’It’s just a request from the Azure Witch, after all. There’s no reason to grant it.’

’But honestly, I’m curious. Don’t they both carry the name of heaven?’

’To be honest, I am curious too.’

The whispering grew louder. At first, there were complaints about her being rude, but those quickly faded.

People naturally love comparing things, and this tendency only intensifies when it comes to those reigning at the absolute peak.

Even on the Gallery, ’versus’ debates were a constant fixture. The classic example was a lion versus a tiger.

Since both lions and tigers were strongly perceived as the strongest among beasts of prey.

Of course, there was a ’real’ strongest beast like the elephant, but that was only when looking at the symbolism.

’Honestly, the Heavenly Demon is more...’

’Did you not see the semifinals? He was taken down with a single arrow!’

’Come on. That guy was just a bit weird...’

’There was talk that he even used Body-Protecting Gangqi.’

The whispering grew even thicker than before. Now, practically everyone was talking about it.

Frankly, I had almost no desire to spar with Yoo So-wol. Once this was over, I had a match scheduled with Ash.

But looking at the atmosphere, a spar between me and Yoo So-wol seemed like a foregone conclusion. All because of a single word from Kaylin.

Did I resent her for it? Not at all. I was just so dumbfounded that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Above all, Yoo So-wol was probably the one in the tightest spot. She glanced at me and finally spoke.

[Silence.]

Just a single word. It was only one word.

Yet, that single word was louder and resonated more deeply than a temple bell, instantly silencing the noisy arena.

Having seized control of the room in an instant, Yoo So-wol looked down at Kaylin from her seat in the VIP chair on the platform.

Kaylin merely wore an enigmatic smile, as if thoroughly enjoying the situation.

"How insolent. To dare speak the names of this lady and the Heavenly God so lightly—does the Demon Race know nothing of etiquette?"

Yoo So-wol opened with an extremely arrogant yet logical point.

Indeed, Kaylin’s proposal was highly disrespectful. Moreover, she was no ordinary person, but a princess of Mephisto.

Even if she was currently just a participant, that didn’t mean her status had vanished.

Did Kaylin know this? Her smile deepened as she spoke quietly.

Perhaps she was using translation magic; her lip movements didn’t match her words, but everything she said was perfectly intelligible.

"It’s not that I don’t know etiquette. I’m just very curious."

"It seems you do not realize that such curiosity will only bind you."

"It binds me, not Mephisto, doesn’t it? And if I can satisfy my curiosity, I will gladly compensate the Heavenly Demon Cult."

Paying compensation just for the sake of curiosity and dopamine. She was quite something in many ways.

Given the hedonistic nature of the Demon Race, who were obsessed with sports, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

Knowing this, Yoo So-wol smirked, as if finding it utterly absurd.

"Compensate... Will you be satisfied with your head rolling?"

"As long as I can see it, I don’t care."

"Hah."

At her resolute reply, someone let out a dumbfounded scoff.

It wasn’t Yoo So-wol, so it was likely one of the elders or Wi Seol-ak.

However, with both sides refusing to back down, it was the Heavenly Demon Cult that found itself in a tight spot.

If they backed out now, their pride would be wounded by taunts of ’Are you scared?’.

In the end, Yoo So-wol would have to propose a compromise, but could she actually pull it off?

"Heaven-isiyeo. Excuse me for a moment."

The one who had to step up at a time like this was the Demonic Brain, Wi Seol-ak.

He whispered something into Yoo So-wol’s ear, which made me wonder.

I thought they could have just used Sound Transmission, a telepathy-like ability.

But considering there were people who could eavesdrop on Sound Transmission, whispering might actually be better.

"Hmm..."Read this novel at no⁠velping.com for the best experience.

Having heard Wi Seol-ak’s suggestion, Yoo So-wol looked down at Kaylin once more. What kind of answer would she give?

As a delicate silence descended, Yoo So-wol’s tightly closed lips finally parted.

"I shall accept your proposal."

Surprisingly, Yoo So-wol accepted Kaylin’s offer.

Wi Seol-ak’s calm reaction made it clear that this was entirely intentional.

Yoo So-wol then looked down at Kaylin and continued.

"However, you must pay the price for speaking of the two heavens so lightly. I shall strip you of your qualification for victory and bestow it upon Ludwig of the Holy Kingdom."

"I don’t mind."

"Did you hear that? Representatives of the Holy Kingdom, come see this lady after this is over."

A decision that naturally disqualified Kaylin while drawing in the Holy Kingdom.

For a plan hatched in such a short time, it was remarkably sharp. Honestly, I was slightly impressed.

Kaylin, having paid her price, probably had no complaints.

To begin with, from her perspective, this Martial Arts Tournament was closer to entertainment and reconnaissance.

"Now, withdraw."

"Yes. Thank you, Heaven-isiyeo."

Kaylin bowed politely according to etiquette and departed.

The fact that the respectful title ’Heaven’ had come out of her mouth was already a massive harvest for the Demonic Cult.

And so, somehow, a spar between me and Yoo So-wol was set. In a way, it could be seen as the true main event.

"An interesting situation has unfolded. It seems the Demonic Cult stands to gain a great deal from this Heavenly God Martial Festival."

"Nyaong~"

At Kadir’s analysis, Cheese the cat cried out as if in agreement.

I smiled wryly at the complex situation and stood up. I couldn’t just sit here any longer.

I needed to find out what Wi Seol-ak had said and observe the reactions of the Holy Kingdom’s people.

Although this mess was caused by Kaylin’s trolling, I planned to untangle the complicated knot properly.

With that, I headed toward the Heavenly Demon Palace without making a sound. Or rather, I tried to.

Tok-tok—

"Huh?"

Until someone lightly tapped my shoulder.

Turning my head to look back, I faced a face that was slowly becoming familiar.

"...Ash-nim?"

The Sword Saint, Ash.

Of course, while her face was familiar, I still hadn’t gotten used to her breathtaking beauty, leaving me slightly dazed.

By the way, how did she find me among this massive crowd? Even if my clothes were the same, they were common enough that it should have been hard to tell me apart.

While I was thinking that, Ash looked at me, smiled brightly, and spoke.

"You’re going to fight the Heavenly Demon-nim. Still, don’t exhaust yourself too much, okay?"

"Ah. I remember our spar, Ash-nim, so you don’t have to worry."

"That’s a relief. I was worried you might have forgotten."

Normally, Ash would have worn a playful expression. But right now, she was different.

Seeing her pat her chest in relief, she seemed genuinely worried that I might have forgotten.

I was someone who absolutely never forgot a promise made to a close acquaintance.

Having personally taken charge of my friends’ funerals, there was no way I would ever do such a thing.

"Ah, is there a way to contact you after the Heavenly God Martial Festival? If we use the Gallery, it might count as an offline meetup, and we could get banned."

At the very least, we couldn’t acknowledge each other on the Gallery.

Normally, it should have been the other way around, but since the situation had reversed, a bizarre circumstance had arisen.

Ash, also wishing to avoid a ban at all costs, nodded.

"Then keep this."

"This is..."

"It will glow green when I contact you."This story is hosted at novelping . com.

What she handed over was a crystal orb. A communication crystal orb.

With this, receiving her calls wouldn’t be difficult. I carefully tucked it into my robe.

"I’d love to stay longer, but I can’t hold back my busy husband."

"Thank... pardon?"

"Well then, do your best. I’m off!"

Ash gave a sly farewell and naturally slipped away.

I stood dazed by her calling me ’husband’ before chuckling.

I always thought this, but she was truly full of playfulness. And that only made her more likable.

’How would she react if I called her my wife?’

I should use that during our spar later. No matter how composed Ash was, it would surely throw her off.

Upon arriving at the Heavenly Demon Palace, I walked guided by Wi Seol-ak, who had been waiting.

Since Wi Seol-ak was the mastermind behind this plan, I needed to hear what he had in mind.

With the spar between me and Yoo So-wol practically set, Wi Seol-ak was the one who had to put in the most effort.

And so, upon hearing Wi Seol-ak’s plan, I...

"You just need to spar normally."

"Is that it?"

"Yes."

To my utter disbelief, the answer was simply to spar moderately.

Even when I stared at him as if asking ’is that really it?’, the response remained the same. Wi Seol-ak merely maintained his usual blunt expression.

"...Isn’t this a match-up—no, a spar where either side winning causes trouble?"

"On the contrary, it is a spar where it doesn’t matter who wins. No matter who wins, the Cult will suffer no damage."

"Why is that?"

Currently, the Heavenly Demon’s status within the Heavenly Demon Cult was literally that of heaven itself. It was practically a religion.

If I, revered as the Heavenly God, were to win against her, the public sentiment could be severely shaken.

Unable to comprehend Wi Seol-ak’s plan, I voiced the only logical conclusion I could think of.

"Ah! Did you assume that I would definitely lose to the Heavenly Demon? Well, compared to her, my techniques are..."

"Heavenly God-nim. Even a lion or a tiger dies if stepped on by an elephant."

"..."

The blunt truth left me speechless. But wait, did he just compare the Heavenly Demon to a lion or a tiger?

No matter how strong my physical build was, it wasn’t to that extent. I quietly spoke up.

"...In the Central Plains, there is a saying, ’a clash between a dragon and a tiger,’ right? Wouldn’t the tiger in that saying be the Heavenly Demon?"

"An excellent metaphor. However, if they meet an elephant larger than them, they are destined to be trampled to death."

"Do you think I will defeat the Heavenly Demon?"

"Not necessarily. I decided on this because it truly does not matter who wins."

"Why on earth?"

In the end, I had to ask directly. At least by my standards, it made no sense.

What on earth was Wi Seol-ak thinking to make such a plan?

No matter how quick-witted I was, I was by no means a grandmaster at chess or janggi.

I excelled at adapting to immediate variables, but I was weak at setting up the board.

’I can draw a big picture, but it usually gets torn to shreds anyway.’

Just look at the Chief God.

Didn’t he try to draw a big picture only for it to be ripped apart?

Just as I was thinking that, Wi Seol-ak spoke with a meaningful smile.

"Once the results are out, you will understand."

Seeing this, I...

"...Do you usually get scolded a lot by the Heavenly Demon-nim?"

"No. On the contrary, I am usually the one lecturing the Heavenly Demon-nim."

"Whoa."

I could finally understand why Yoo So-wol complained about her close aide so often.