I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 819

Hearing Lackey’s words, there was more than just one or two suspicious parts.

First of all, it was the fact that the existence of the ’Elders’ itself was deified.

Because when listening to Miren’s words, it went beyond simply serving them to the level of worshiping them.

[It is also not good to act hastily. It might just be that Miren, whom we met, is young, or that their aging is slow like Elves or the Demon Race.]

Still, I couldn’t jump to conclusions blindly.

As Cain said, it was right to consider that their aging might be extremely slow.

In addition, as Miren said, the average lifespan was very short due to the existence of the fog.

It meant that no matter how long someone lived, they could die if they slipped up, so there was no choice but for there to be many young people.

└ Princess Chaenggu: Even when Mephisto fought bloodily with the Holy Kingdom in the past, there were many elderly people, though?

└ Sword Matstar: Isn’t that just because the Demon Race is strong? The Demon Race tends to get stronger as they age.

└ Princess Chaenggu: They are descendants of dragons. Their lineage should be ridiculously better than the Demon Race, so it’s normal for there to be many elderly people.

└ Allfather: That is a highly reasonable point. Even in ancient times when wars broke out constantly, the elderly population was not completely nonexistent to this extent.

The difference between being rarely seen and being completely unseen was clear.

However, since I didn’t know what characteristics the villagers possessed yet, I had no choice but to investigate.

Tomorrow, I would follow Miren to meet the Elders and thoroughly grasp what kind of existences they were.

’While I’m at it, I wonder if I can meet Gu-chil too.’

Miren said that Gu-chil was currently doing well by the side of the Elders.

I didn’t know if he was truly doing well, but I planned to look for him first.

Until then, I had to find whatever I could.

’If I had it my way, I’d want to sneak out right now...’

I meticulously looked around the interior of the lodging.

It wasn’t built shoddily just because it was a lodging exclusive for outsiders; rather, it was considerably spacious.

I hadn’t thought our house was that narrow, but this place was on a completely different level.

Indeed, the difference between a building invested with various technological capabilities and one that wasn’t was unavoidable.

’There’s probably wiretapping or something, right?’

There was probably a 99% chance it existed.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t trust people, but from their perspective, it was only natural.

While accepting numerous outsiders, wouldn’t they need to know their ideologies or personalities?

Since those who were exiled outside and became monsters were presumed to have caused trouble, it couldn’t be helped.

’I originally intended to be careful as soon as we entered the lodging.’

Unlike Elia or Cain, Lackey had zero experience with this kind of thing, so he seemed to have let his guard down slightly.

Well, from their perspective, it might not have been particularly important information, so I let it go.

Above all, as long as we didn’t break the taboos, there was almost no risk of being exiled.

"When can we go to our house?"

"How should I know? Still, if we get the help of the Elders, we might be able to leave."

"But isn’t there something more important?"

Elia spoke to me with a bright smile.

At first, I thought she was talking about recovering my memories while figuring out the Gallery server.

"If we revitalize the World Tree that is suffering from being dried up! There will surely be a great blessing."

"...."

It was my fault for expecting anything.

I let out a sigh at Elia, who cried out her love for trees waking or sleeping.

I became very curious about what the Elders would think if they saw this.

"Master. Let’s take this bed when we go back home."

"That’s stealing."

"Couldn’t we just give them proper compensation?"

"We don’t know what they would want. Go to sleep quickly."

Leaving Lackey’s useless chatter behind, I closed my eyes.

But perhaps because I was sleeping in a completely unfamiliar space rather than outdoors, it was strangely uncomfortable.

I had clearly eaten delicious food to my fill for the first time in a while and showered with warm water, so what was uncomfortable?

I didn’t know if it was because of the suspicion that we might be wiretapped, or because of a strangely settled uneasiness.

’I feel like there might be one more thing I’m missing...’

I didn’t know what it was, but I would find out tomorrow.

Looking up at the empty air, I embarked on a Gallery exploration for the first time in a while.

As usual, the Gallery was overflowing with all kinds of shitposts about nothing in particular.

Title: I think this person is really pretty

(Photo of a dragon descendant beauty who briefly passed by in the video Grylls showed)

Should I pack my bags right now?

Since they’re mostly favorable to outsiders, they could accept me too, right?

└ Try getting through the Forest of the Four Seasons first before talking;;

└ There are still guys who look down on the Forest of the Four Seasons as a joke lol

└ I emphasize this over and over, but it’s only because it’s Grylls that he roams around as he pleases. Most people would die as soon as they enter;;

└ Even now, entrances to the Forest of the Four Seasons are appearing all over the world, so try conquering those first, yeah

└ By the way, did they catch the hippopotamus that appeared in Wydd?

└ I heard the Mayor of Delta personally commanded and captured it? Apparently, he’s going to raise it himself, yeah

└ That guy is also a real crazy bastard;;

Title: What would you guys choose?

Reincarnating vs Going to Large Field

└ If you reincarnate, isn’t there a high probability of becoming human?

└ Hmm... As long as it’s not Beastfolk or a Dwarf, reincarnating might not be bad?

└ But why do you want to go to Large Field? The women there are pretty, but it’s not like they’re interested in you guys;The source of this chapter is novelping(.)com.

└ They say many of the outsiders who reached there got married. That’s probably why?

Title: Honestly, speak up

(Photo of Miren’s face)

You bastards who want to go to Large Field.

You’re trying to find someone like him and get married, right?

└ How did you know;;

└ So guys like that are the ones who made Large Field prosper.

Large Field was not a simple discovery.

It was a region where one could vividly experience ancient civilization—that is, the civilization of the Earth era.

The Elders had only strictly forbidden books related to literature, while widely spreading technology and science.

Starting from the neon signs that brightened the night streets to various cultural artifacts.

’I heard there’s even a movie theater and an arcade...’

Since it was information I had heard vaguely, I planned to look for them later.

If such cultural artifacts truly existed, it meant Large Field was a region prosperous beyond imagination.

’Because a book itself is an extremely outstanding record.’

A scholar once said:

Suppose we fully contained the knowledge of modern civilization in books and passed them to ancient Rome.

To the question of how long it would take to catch up to modern technology in this scenario, the scholar gave the answer of 200 years.

Perhaps, combined with the technologies lost at the time, there was a high possibility that an even better civilization would be born.

’If not for the fog, there’s a high probability they would have built an even greater civilization.’

Was the fog truly just a natural disaster, or was there another reason?

The former would indeed be unavoidable, but if it was the latter, the story would change significantly.

"Phew..."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

The cool air entered deep into my lungs, and that sensation spread throughout my entire body.

Just by breathing with focus like this, I could vividly feel the mana spreading throughout my entire body.

There was no need to perform Internal Energy Regulation or recite verses separately.

’Of course, to raise my concentration, I would have to recite verses.’

Since there was no need to do so right now, I brushed it off lightly.

I spent the night with my senses half-alert to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

Although Cain was here to help prepare for any unforeseen situations, there was always a ’what if.’

Thus, the next morning dawned.

"I don’t know if the lodging was to your liking."

"Did you also sleep well, Miren-ssi?"

"I slept well, of course."

Miren visited right around the time I had roughly washed up.

The breakfast was bacon, eggs, bread, and vegetables prepared separately by the lodging.

Yesterday’s dinner was Korean style, but today’s breakfast was American style, which gave me a strange feeling.

Still, since I could eat a hearty meal, I didn’t particularly mind.

"Are we going to the Elders right after eating breakfast?"

More important than that were the Elders we would face today.

When I cautiously brought up that topic, Miren nodded as if he already knew.

"Yes. I will guide you to where the Elders are, and someone will come out from there separately."

"It seems they are like escorts."

"Yes, that’s right."

"Are there conditions to become an escort?"

While I was at it, I was also curious if Gu-chil was included among those escorts.

"The condition is simple. Only those who have explored the fog for a long time are given the qualification to become escorts."

"Is that Gu-chil person also an escort?"

"Even if he’s a low-ranking one, wouldn’t he be?"

I thought it was impressive enough that he had entered even as a low-ranking one.

The problem was that I had absolutely no idea what scheme that guy was cooking up.

Honestly, considering his ideology and personality, it wouldn’t be strange even if he were exiled.

I didn’t know how he had buttered up the Elders, but I would have to meet them first to find out.

"Ah, by the way. To meet the Elders, Grylls-ssi must go alone."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because Grylls-ssi is the representative, of course."

I asked for further explanation from Miren, who answered as if it were obvious.

"Isn’t it because there’s no reason for everyone to crowd in together?"

"Is it a custom here?"

"I don’t really know either. It’s common for outsiders to come one by one, but it’s the first time so many have come at once."

I nodded.

Didn’t they say that when in Rome, do as the Romans do?

Since there was no reason to lower their favorability, I intended to comply obediently.

"Have a good trip, Master. I will have fun playing in the meantime."

[I should also look around.]

It seemed everyone was planning to do their own things while I was away.

Since they seemed intent on thoroughly grasping what was in Large Field.

Even if they looked like they were just idling around on the surface, they all possessed sharp capabilities, so they would surely do their jobs.

"Can’t I go with you too!"

"Is it because of the World Tree?"

"Of course!"

However, Elia expressed her opinion that she wanted to go along.This story is hosted at NovelPing.

She said she wanted to figure out the reason why the World Tree was so dried up right now and, if possible, heal it.

At this, Miren made a troubled expression, then left a word asking her to wait for a moment.

He subsequently disappeared somewhere, and after some time passed, he returned.

"The Elders say it’s fine."

"Really?! Did they also permit me to go near the World Tree?"

"Yes. For now, they did."

"It’s certain that they are good people!"

Just what kind of logic did you go through to reach that conclusion?

I was speechless at Elia, who was filled with love for trees, but I brushed it off, thinking that all’s well that ends well.

"Wonmo-ya. You have to listen to Lackey-hyung well, okay?"

"Yeah!"

Before departing, I prepared perfectly by rubbing cheeks with Wonmo.

Soon, along with Elia, I followed behind Miren toward the World Tree where the Elders resided.

The World Tree was so massive that it easily distorted even perspective.

Therefore, I presumed it would take a long time to reach it.

"It seems this surrounding area is all farmland."

"Yes, that’s right."

The path leading to the World Tree was farmland with almost no buildings.

The cozy vinyl greenhouses here and there were a bonus.

Right around the time I was feeling a sense of strangeness looking at this.

Buuuuung—

A familiar exhaust sound entered my ears from afar.

Turning my head, some car was speeding toward this place from beyond the horizon.

For a moment, I even thought I was seeing things.

Kkiiiiik— The car finally stopped in front of us.

It was an ordinary four-passenger sedan, but the fact that they were operating this itself was surprising to me.

"This is..."

"It’s an object called a car. You can only use it if the Elder’s permission is granted."

"Do the Elders also handle maintenance or manufacturing?"

"We can do that too. Instead, it’s a highly tricky object, and if it breaks, we have to procure parts from the fog, so it’s precious."

Indeed, finding the relevant ores and turning them into parts in this narrow land would be almost impossible.

Tearing them from the abandoned cars scattered all over the fog was probably the best they could do.

As for fuel, they could just use mana, so there would be no problem.

"Well then, please have a safe trip."

Elia and I boarded the car under Miren’s send-off.

Only after boarding the back seat could I grasp the rough structure, but a thick glass pane was blocking it, so I couldn’t see the driver’s seat.

"What is your name?"

"...."

Even when I asked for his name after that, there was only silence.

He was just performing his job mechanically.

I felt an inexplicable creepiness, but I didn’t bother digging into it.

’He might just be someone who only does his job.’

Thus, traversing the vast farmland, we were able to reach the World Tree.

I suffered due to the smell of cow dung piercing my nose here and there, but I endured it.

Since I had smelled far worse stenches while roaming the Forest of the Four Seasons.

’Looking at it, it seems to be fertilizer... chemistry must have developed too.’

Suddenly, the field managed by Gerdi came to mind, but I immediately let it go.

Since the farmland seemed to be managed by residents and the oxen they led, not tractors.

Kkiik— Whether we had finally arrived, the car stopped and the door opened at the same time.

Elia and I got out of the car and faced the World Tree.

’Looking at it up close, it’s even more serious.’

The state of the World Tree seen up close could not be called good, even as a polite lie.

Cracks were formed all over the trunk like ground split by drought, and the leaves were close to fallen leaves.

It was barely holding onto its life, and I wondered how on earth they managed it for it to end up like this.

"It’s strange. Since this is the Forest of the Four Seasons, mana should be even more abundant..."

Elia also muttered softly, perhaps having felt the strangeness.

For the World Tree to be dried up to this extent meant there was that much ’consumption.’

I wondered if Large Field consumed that much mana, but considering the size of the World Tree, that wasn’t it either.

"We have been waiting for you, outsiders."

It was right around the time we had been looking up at the World Tree for a while.

A strange middle-aged man’s voice echoed in front of us.

Looking in that direction, a middle-aged man wearing a friendly smile was waiting.

His attire was... surprisingly, clothes familiar to me as well.

"...Those are clothes worn by high-ranking clerics, though?"

Elia, who had encountered numerous high-ranking figures as the Elf Queen, spoke up.

"My name is Morgan. You have truly suffered greatly coming such a long way."

└ Don’t Abandon the Hero: What?! Why on earth is that person over there?!

└ Ludwig van Erolt: Could it be Cardinal Morgan? Looking at his face, it’s definitely him.

The regular users from the Holy Kingdom were startled.