I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 824

What events changed the history of Earth?

Most would point to the World Wars, steeped in global hatred and hostility, but there was an event that ran even deeper.

The British Empire, boasting national might so immense that even the superpowers that divided the globe, the Soviet Union and the United States, would have conceded.

And the Age of Discovery, which served as Britain’s launchpad.

The Age of Discovery was an era when the great Western powers risked life and limb at sea in pursuit of better trade goods.

It could rightfully be called the starting point where the world, once divided between East and West, blended into one—though it spawned just as many dark consequences.

Has this world left behind traces similar to that Age of Discovery? It would surely spark fierce debate.

Many would argue that with the Gallery—a legacy left behind by the gods—sitting right there, why bother launching an Age of Discovery at all?

Yet, paradoxically, knowing beforehand that another world lay across the vast ocean caused the Age of Discovery to set sail even earlier.

As the saying goes, human greed knows no bounds, and people repeat the same mistakes.

This aligned with the truth that human curiosity knows no limits, even when directed toward perilous places.

Title) Anyone know what an explorer said the moment he first crossed the ocean and reached the Central Plains during the Age of Discovery?

He said, "Holy f—k, there really was a continent?"

Even if we mess around chatting on the Gallery like this, seeing and hearing it with your own eyes and ears makes a huge difference.

So let’s all work hard so we can just slack off and eat at home.

? That conclusion makes no sense?

? OP) Because it’s dangerous outside the bed, ya know.

? Mm. Hard to argue with that.

? Don’t worry, the explorers will do all the dangerous stuff!

Title) What the Central Plains did during the Age of Discovery.

Sit on their asses and receive goods coming from the Western Kingdoms.

? Did the Central Plains not launch any ships?

? The Emperor of China hated power building up anywhere else back then, so he issued the Sea Ban.

? What’s a Sea Ban?

? Just an order saying don’t go out to sea.

? Between having people to spare and a crazy domestic economy, the Imperial Court had a tight grip on power, so they could pull that off.

? But even that went out the window when barbarians swarming from the Western Kingdoms swept through the coastline and made them freak out.

? They didn’t push inland?

? The martial artists banded together and beat the shit out of them, haha.

Title) Don’t know why, but.

Anyone know why tangerines were supposedly the symbolic fruit of pirates back then?

? Isn’t it just because they’re tasty?

? OP) Sure, but pirates seemed to love tangerines in particular.

? Saw an ancient meme posted a while back where some pirate was eating tangerines and popping open barrels of booze?

? Grylls already said that wasn’t real;;

? Either way, feels like it influenced them, yeah.

Just like that, even with the Gallery around, human curiosity couldn’t be quelled.

In fact, the Gallery had stimulated that curiosity, launching the Age of Discovery ahead of its time.

And that was no different for people content to stay cooped up at home.

No matter how much of a homebody someone is, don’t they occasionally want to look outside?

Back in modern times when he was still alive, countless people traveled abroad even though all kinds of media offered vicarious satisfaction.

How much more so for an isolated area like Large Field? Their longing would be greater, never less.

Since accounts from outsiders were the only way to know what was happening beyond, plenty of people were parched for stories.

"A sloth that dodges even arrows is your companion now, Grylls-ssi?"

"That’s right."

"Why did it make you a companion? You clearly tried to harm it, didn’t you?"

"That’s what mercy is. Just because you’re the stronger one doesn’t mean you always have to crush others."

The square of Large Field, where preaching religion and ideology was strictly forbidden.

In that very square, a crowd of residents circled around me, hanging on my every word.

Though each resident looked different, they shared one thing in common.

Their eyes shone with wide-eyed wonder as they listened to the tales I spun.

At first, only the scout team led by Miren had gathered, but however the rumor spread, the place had become packed.

Large Field had around two to three hundred residents, and about half of them were here.

’Act indifferent all they want, plenty of people are curious about the outside.’

Even here, distinct factions(?) formed.

Those curious about the Forest of the Four Seasons outside Large Field.

Those curious about other civilizations beyond the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Those who were simply curious about my story, and so on.

Because of that, I debated which stories to tell, but decided to just let it all out from the very beginning.

Starting from how I ended up waking in the Forest of the Four Seasons, all the way to where things stood now.

In return, I trimmed away anything potentially sensitive—anything that might breach a taboo—and the residents understood.

"Hah. I wonder what became of that nation called the Holy Kingdom."

"Shh. Keep it down. Besides, that wasn’t Aris; that was because Grylls-ssi helped out."

"True enough, but..."

Of course, I only phrased it so as not to get caught; I left enough for them to piece things together.

The residents felt a little frustrated as a result, but the mood remained understanding.

"What was your most dangerous moment, Grylls-ssi?"

"There’ve been so many dangerous moments it’s hard to pick just one. If I had to choose, maybe when I took the full brunt of the Artificial Sun’s wave?"

I still remembered it vividly.

When the Artificial Sun went berserk and my life hung by a thread.

Multiple factors tangled together at the time, leaving me unable to run, so using my own body as a shield was the best option.

"Luckily, my friends carried me back home and treated me. If not for them, I wouldn’t be standing here."

"Why did you do that?"Read the latest chapters at NovelPing.

"Excuse me?"

A young resident asked, looking completely baffled.

It was a bold question, and a bewildering one.

"I asked why you did that. I just don’t get it."

"What don’t you get?"

"Just... I just don’t understand. It’s hard to put into words, but..."

Unable to explain clearly, the resident looked uncertain.

I waited in silence until he could explain.

But failing to find the right words, he began to ramble.

"I’m sorry. I know Grylls-ssi is incredible, but I guess the story just feels too far removed from someone like me."

"Too far removed..."

I nodded at the young man’s words.

Not just the young man; the other residents had similar reactions.

"Hey now. Did you really have to go and pour cold water on everything?"

"Haven’t we rescued each other plenty of times when monsters tried to eat our people? It’s probably like that."

As the mood sank strangely, other residents rushed to speak up.

They kept glancing at me, worried I might take offense.

But I wasn’t offended at all; in fact, I was intrigued.

"What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes."

"It’s Baldus."

"Baldus..."

Reminds me of a game I had fun playing with my friends back in the day.

God, every roll of the dice had me on the edge of my seat.

"Say you’re walking down the street with a friend, Baldus-ssi, and something is falling right toward their head. What would you do?"

"Shout that it’s dangerous, or shove them out of the way to help, right?"

Isolated though Large Field was, it possessed the fundamental prerequisites of a society.

"Wouldn’t shoving hurt them? I think I’d pull them back."

"Or you could just levitate the thing with magic."

And that was basic human warmth.

They had no idea they were being farmed like livestock, yet that very ignorance ironically allowed them to help one another.

If they had known the truth about the Elders, if they had realized how twisted this all was, they would have grown far more callous.

"What I did was on a bigger scale, but it’s not all that different. My body just moved first."

"Still, what Grylls-ssi went through was undeniably dangerous to anyone looking."

"Baldus-ssi. How much do you treasure your friends?"

"My friend? He does stupid stuff from time to time, but..."

Baldus glanced at the friend beside him.

Then, as if a thought crossed his mind, he shook his head back and forth.

"Actually, I’d just let it hit him. Might knock some sense into him."

"What did you just say, you bastard?"

"Easy, easy. No need to fight."

Seeing them look like they were about to scuffle, I immediately stepped in to mediate.

Of course, it wasn’t a real fight, more like playful banter, and the surrounding residents just chuckled and let it slide.

With the crowd quieted down, I looked between Baldus and his friend and spoke.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

Somehow, a verse from the Bible slipped naturally off my tongue.

It was something I used to read regularly, and there was no answer more fitting than this right now.

I wondered for a moment if it violated a taboo, but didn’t dwell on it.

"Are you saying we should sacrifice ourselves for our friends?"

"You don’t necessarily have to sacrifice yourself. Just lending a shoulder when times are tough is more than enough."

I was living proof of that.

When my parents died in an accident and I was struggling, my friends lent me their shoulders.

Leaning on them kept me from straying off course as I grew up, and when the time came, I willingly threw myself on the line for their sake.

Sadly, the end was stained with tragedy, but I never once regretted it.

"To all of you, I must look like some grand hero."

? Don’t Abandon the Hero) Not a hero, the Chief God!

? Smart Demon) Read the room, please;;

Asella’s comment caught my eye for a second, but I brushed it off.

At some point, everyone’s eyes had locked onto me, but I paid it no mind and pressed on.

"To be honest, if you look beneath the surface, I’m just an ordinary..."

"Ordinary?"

"Shut it."

"Pffft."

"Haha!"

Now even Lackey was butting in.

When I shot back out of habit, laughter rippled through the crowd.

Thanks to that, the serious mood loosened up, and I could speak with an easy mind.

"Ahem. Ahem. I’m an ordinary person too. My deeds and footprints might look a little flashy, but the person that I am is completely ordinary."

"In what way?"

"Anyone here want to recommend what to eat for dinner tonight?"

My sly answer drew another wave of laughter like before.

They had likely figured out what I was getting at.

Besides, dinner really was a matter of grave importance, which made it all the easier to say.

"Above all, there’s no need to force yourself to understand. It’s enough to just accept that someone out there lives that kind of life."This chapter was copied from NovelPing without permission.

"Meaning we can keep goofing off with our friends without thinking too hard, right?"

That was one form of a happy life.

The happiest time of my life was when I realized what a blessing it was to live without overthinking.

And what profound joy it was to share that with people you cherish, including friends.

"I’m not telling you that."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because if I do, I feel like your parents will chew me out, Baldus-ssi."

I genuinely hoped he would realize it late.

Realizing it too early would only mean following in footsteps like mine.

He would end up sacrificing himself to maintain that happiness, trembling with anxiety over when it might shatter.

Happiness was inherently a double-edged sword, wasn’t it?

One moment you’re laughing as if high on drugs, and the next, anxiety creeps in.

"Um... Grylls-ssi. May I ask something?"

It was right as I was moving on from Baldus.

Someone cautiously raised a hand to ask.

I hadn’t barred anyone from asking questions, so I gladly gave the nod.

"Sure. What is it?"

"From what Grylls-ssi says, the outside of the fog is crawling with truly dangerous things... Will none of them really come to Large Field?"

"I can’t give you a definitive answer on that."

This wasn’t fearmongering; I genuinely didn’t know.

No matter how thoroughly the Elders fortified this place, nothing in this world lasts forever.

The fact that the World Tree was slowly withering proved as much.

At this rate, the energy supplied to the town would sharply plummet, and food would naturally grow scarce.

Perhaps the fog would disperse too, bringing grave danger down upon them.

"I don’t mean to stoke anxiety, but I truly don’t know, so that’s the only answer I can give. Why do you ask?"

"Just... if, just in case, some great catastrophe strikes Large Field, I’m worried about what will happen."

"Aren’t you worrying too much?"

"Living a long time really makes you think up all sorts of things."

It seemed the resident asking me had lived quite a long life.

Long-lived residents were usually prime ’prey’ for the Elders, but this person seemed a bit different.

Without a second thought, I replied.

"How many years have you lived here, if I may ask?"

"Pardon? Well, easily over fifty years..."

"You’re much older than I am, then. And you’ve built that many more memories here than I have."

Pausing briefly, I looked around the crowd and spoke.

"Everyone. Large Field, too, will face a major change one day."

"..."

I was a survivor of an Earth that had gone to ruin not once, but twice over.

Earth had enjoyed a glorious golden age, only to collapse as futilely as a sandcastle.

"Even when that time comes, I hope you won’t forget the life you have now. More precisely, I hope you won’t discard your conscience just because life gets harder than it is today."

"Won’t that be hard?"

"It will be hard. It will be difficult, and it will be sorrowful."

Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, placed supreme importance on ’benevolence and righteousness.’

In the context of his era, Confucius’s philosophy was revolutionary, enough for him to later be revered as one of the four great sages.

And the benevolence and righteousness he planted persisted all the way to modern Earth, though sadly, it ended up buried deep underground for all to see.

"As long as you can hold on to that, as long as you don’t lose that resolve, Large Field will never truly disappear."

Yet ironically, the deeper benevolence and righteousness are dragged into the dirt, the brighter their true worth shines.

Whenever people scramble and claw to find a way to survive, its true value reveals itself.

The same goes for love.

"I’ve gone on too long. Where did I leave off?"

That is what I believe.

"By any chance, what’s your ideal type..."

"All right. Next question."

"Moving on so fast—must already have someone, huh?"

"Aren’t you jumping the gun a bit?"

? Heavenly Demon) Why dost thou avoid that question? This lady wishes to hear it.

? Sword Matstar) Color me a little interested as well ^^

? Don’t Abandon the Hero) Ears perked... !

I walked right into that one.

A fair amount of time had passed since Grylls transitioned into a storyteller.

Naturally, rumors reached the ears of the Elders, leaving them no choice but to deliberate.

"He broke no taboos, so is it not acceptable?"

"Yet one cannot help finding him an eyesore."

"Even after questioning Gu-chil, nothing caught our hooks."

The Elders conversed, each in a different language and cadence.

Appearance, sex, age, race—all were entirely distinct, yet bizarrely, they spoke as though sharing a single mind.

"Better to observe him for the time being. In the meantime, I shall speak with a few of the residents."

"Speak?"

"Yes. On whether they wish to venture outside."

"And if they do?"

To this, the Elder replied.

"Is there not only one thing for us to do?"