I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 827

Miren was a native born and raised in Large Field.

He had received an extensive education following the teachings handed down through generations in Large Field, and he knew just how dangerous the fog was.

Not only did monsters inhabit the fog, but the world outside it was also fraught with all manner of dangers.

It was thanks to the Elders’ measures that Large Field remained safe, and even Miren agreed on that point.

But that did not mean he could suppress his curiosity about the outside world.

No matter how full of endless entertainment Large Field was, doing the same things over and over was bound to get old.

Besides, the people he met were always the same, making it hard to quell Miren’s inquisitive nature.

’Why do the Elders ban books?’

Not just that, but even the rules designated as taboo piqued Miren’s curiosity.

As the saying went: if you want someone to dig into something, forbid it.

In truth, the residents of Large Field obeyed the taboos out of respect for the Elders, not because they had suppressed their curiosity itself.

Quite a few residents owned items that violated those very taboos.

Even when things were written in entirely unfamiliar languages, people often tried deciphering them themselves.

Of course, learning any language other than the tongue of the Holy Kingdom was strictly taboo, so everyone kept it hushed up.

’The outsiders say the outside is dangerous, sure... but why are the Elders so stubborn?’

Miren was on the younger side among the residents of Large Field.

An age full of vigor, brimming with curiosity, and disinclined to listen to anyone.

So even when the older folk told him to just live his life, he kept going out on explorations.

Innumerable monsters lurked in the fog, but he navigated the dangers using the detailed maps he had meticulously surveyed and drawn up over time.

Fortunately, there were other young people who shared his mindset, allowing him to venture out steadily.

Along the way, an outsider—a man named Gu-chil—had entered the picture, fanning that curiosity even further.

’There’s culture outside just like Large Field. So much of it, too...!’

Gu-chil alone had been enough to spark his wonder, and now, a few months later:

Hearing about all sorts of civilizations, knowledge, and cultures from Grylls, Miren found himself captivated even more deeply.

To be sure, some things Large Field had were missing out there, and some places were far more backward.

Yet the sheer fact that a vast world lay beyond, one he could hardly fathom, drew him in.

’What a wonderful world it must be.’

Still, Grylls hadn’t painted only a pretty picture.

Unlike Large Field, where everything was abundant and basic food, clothing, and shelter were provided, the outside world meant fending for oneself.

In particular, if a government failed to provide welfare, the poor had no choice but to starve.

In a way, one could call it cruel and heartless, but Miren didn’t mind.

’Isn’t that what real life is?’

On the surface, Large Field looked like a paradise where every need was met.

But only basic necessities and entertainment to stave off boredom were provided; almost everything else was censored.

One day, Miren had visited a livestock facility.

He was able to do so by befriending a resident who managed the place, seeing with his own eyes how the livestock lived.

’They definitely looked content.’

A life where delicious food was served all day without lifting a finger, and you could sleep whenever you wanted.

Yet the animals were merely being raised; calling that truly living felt hollow.

Perhaps that was where the sense of disconnect had come from.

Because the life of livestock was far too similar to his own and those of Large Field’s residents.

That was why Miren had explored the fog with increasing frequency, feeling a strange sense of fulfillment swell in his chest each time.

He only later learned that it was called a sense of achievement, but what did that matter?

"Miren. The Elders are calling for you."

"Y-Yes, sir...!"

"Ah. Take this with you, too. It’s an orb that records the interview. Just put it in your shirt pocket."

Right now, his mind was spinning at the prospect of meeting the Elders face-to-face.

He had received messages from the Elders before, but having an audience in person like this was virtually unheard of.

They were practically the guardian deities of Large Field; the thought of meeting them made his very scales tremble.

"What do you think the Elders will say?"

"Just say what you want to say. It’s nothing special."

Grylls, who had just met with the Elders, patted Miren on the shoulder as if to reassure him.

Beside him, Lackey was heartily munching on some bread, which gave off a wonderfully savory aroma.

"Step inside, please."

Soon, the Elders’ servant (?) Gu-chil gestured the way.

Straightening his clothes once more, Miren walked in with his chest wound tight with nerves.

His first time stepping into the Elders’ residence, Sung Sim Dang, it felt surprisingly modest, but that hardly mattered.

Something like that could never detract from the Elders’ authority.

"You’re here."

"Sit here."

Looking around the interior that smelled richly of bread, he faced the Elders.

The figures who reigned as the guardian deities of Large Field, providing all manner of comforts, technology, and knowledge.

Miren bowed politely and quietly took the chair Grylls had sat in.

"Did you say your name was Miren?"

"If I recall, you are Gorgon’s son."

"Y-Yes! Th-That’s correct! It’s an honor that you remember!"

Miren answered forcefully, like a fresh recruit snapped to attention.

His father, Gorgon, had been exiled for violating taboos on multiple occasions.

Perhaps that curiosity had passed down to Miren—truly like father, like son.

"Thanks to the maps you’ve steadily drawn up, casualties have decreased significantly."

"And you have even passed on your know-how to other scouts."

"Sharing knowledge is a truly admirable thing."

As the Elders offered praise one after another, the corners of Miren’s mouth twitched.Get faster updates on novelpin​g.com.

Part of him wanted to beam broadly, but the cord of tension remained pulled taut.

’By the way, why do they keep speaking in fragments like that?’

The question flickered in his mind for only a moment before the Elders’ inquiry followed.

"Do you have any complaints about Large Field lately?"

It was a rather dangerous question. Miren hesitated.

Deep down, he wanted to say he had no complaints at all, that he was satisfied with life here.

But whether due to Grylls’s influence or his own innate disposition, he held back.

"...I have no complaints about living in Large Field."

"Is that so?"

"Then what other complaint do you have?"

"Any other complaint..."

What should he do?

Would the Elders truly grant his request?

After weighing it over and over, Miren took a deep breath and slowly raised his head.

Facing the Elders, each staring at him with identical, expressionless faces, he spoke.

"...If given the chance, I want to go outside."

"Do you mean the forest beyond the fog, or civilization beyond the forest?"

"Both."

"Both."

"Both, you say..."

"Hmm..."

The Elders spoke in a way that sounded like a single continuous sentence if you strung their lines together.

As if sharing a single mind, it was in every way a bizarre sight.

At the same time, an unsettling feeling crept over him, though Miren couldn’t yet identify what was causing it.

"You have no complaints about Large Field?"

"I have no complaints about Large Field itself."

"Then why do you wish to go outside?"

"Because I want to."

He didn’t need petty logic.

Just one small wish: he simply wanted to.

They would probably say they didn’t understand—and in fact, that was exactly what the Elders did.

"Because you want to..."

"I cannot understand."

"Should not the only desire be to live?"

"Is a contented life not enough?"

The Elders spoke in turn, as if it made no sense to them.

Miren waited quietly until their exchange ended.

The taut cord of tension from moments ago had slackened without him noticing.

Whether it was because he had voiced what was bottled up inside, or because he already knew a grueling future lay ahead, he couldn’t say.

’I’ll definitely regret it once I go out.’

He might die full of regret, thinking the world outside one’s bed really was dangerous, wishing he had listened to the people around him.

But he thought that was simply part of living.

"Whether inside the fog, the forest beyond the fog, or civilization beyond the forest."

"It will be far more dangerous than Large Field."

"No one can protect you."

"Even so, you still wish to leave?"

Having finished speaking among themselves, the Elders asked Miren once more.

Miren nodded at the question and answered in a firm voice.

"Yes. I want to see more of the world."

"Why would you cast aside comfort and endure hardship?"

"I do not understand."

"You must have felt the menace of monsters firsthand."

"Every time you nearly died, did you not feel the urge to live?"

Of course he had.

Had Grylls not helped him back then, he wouldn’t even be standing here.

Even so, Miren did not look away from the world beyond the fog.

"I was terrified. I realized just how fragile I am."

"And so?"

"That’s why I want to know more. It’s hard to put into words, but I want to experience all sorts of things."

The desire to stay alive was closer to instinct than emotion.

Yet human beings were creatures who suppressed that instinct to make enterprising strides forward.

"Elders. I want to truly live."

"How is that different from wanting to stay alive?"

"I don’t really know either. I just know that’s what I want."

"Even at the cost of abandoning all comfort and convenience?"

"Yes."

The Elders were certainly remarkable people.

They protected the residents of Large Field from all threats and even provided them with comfort.

Yet contentment and happiness were two different things, and Miren yearned for the latter.

"I want to read many different books."

"That is taboo."

"I want to know why Aris, treated as an evil deity in Large Field, is worshiped as a benevolent god outside."

"That, too, is taboo."New chapters come out on novelping . com first.

"I don’t want to merely stay alive. I want to live."

"..."

All expression vanished from the Elders’ faces.

Had he touched a sore spot, or were they pondering something from Miren’s answer?

"Elders."

"..."

"I believe that you, Elders, know the way to pierce the fog and leave."

"Why are you so certain?"

"Because otherwise, there’s no reason why the fog would avoid only our Large Field."

The power to think for oneself and draw a conclusion.

Even if the conclusion wasn’t right, one could stand firm without being swept away by others’ thoughts.

"I want to follow Grylls-ssi."

"Are you the only one who feels this way?"

"For now, ye—"

"Dangerous."

Then, all of a sudden, the atmosphere shifted.

The Elder seated in the center spoke in a heavily dropped voice.

"Far too dangerous."

"You mean another us could be born, besides ourselves?"

"It could bring great danger upon Large Field."

"After we cultivated such a safe haven, if another us were to emerge, it would endanger everything."

"...Elders?"

Each spoke in turn with the exact same expression, the exact same voice, and the exact same tone.

Even to Miren, who knew nothing, it was an utterly grotesque situation.

Squirm, squirm, squirm—

Soon, the bodies of the Elders seated side by side began to grotesquely writhe.

The squirming bodies began to merge into the Elders in the center, swelling in size.

Miren shot up from his seat at the sight and recoiled backward.

"Wh-What...?"

It wasn’t the first time he had seen this. That was what made it so terrifying.

Because the monsters in the fog often showed this exact phenomenon.

’The Elders were... the same as the monsters...? The very ones who protected Large Field?’

He couldn’t begin to fathom what was happening.

As Miren stood paralyzed in panic, unable to take any action, the fused Elder spoke.

"I cannot understand."

"Is merely wanting to stay alive not enough?"

"You should have been satisfied with just that."

The Elder merely repeated that it was utterly beyond comprehension.

The mouth was clearly one, yet the voices emanated from multiple places—a bizarre monstrosity.

"Manatology was right after all."

"Before another us appears in Large Field."

"We have no choice but to strike first."

The Elders spoke in words Miren had never heard before.

Then the Elder stretched an arm out long like a whip, slowly reaching toward Miren.

"Come. You, too, will soon become one with us."

"If you wish to become one, speak like this."

Before long, the Elder’s hand closed in before the eyes of the fear-stricken Miren.

"Praise the..."

"Manatology...!"

A man, a woman, a child, an elder.

Uttering words mixed from every kind of voice, it lunged for Miren’s face.

Or more precisely, it tried to.

Crack!

Until an arrow shot from somewhere severed the Elder’s arm.

The Elder’s grotesque arm fell to the floor, and the situation abruptly turned.

Thwack-thwack-thwack!

That wasn’t the end of it.

Arrows flying from nowhere perforated the Elder’s body.

The Elder couldn’t help but jolt from the recoil.

As Miren watched, completely bewildered—

Thunk!

Unlike the ones that had pierced through before, an arrow lodged firmly into the Elder’s body.

BOOM!!!

It triggered a massive explosion from within, blowing the Elder’s body to smithereens.

Blood, muscle, bone, internal organs in every direction.

All manner of gore splattered everywhere, but Miren could see it clearly.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A massive heart surging inside the Elder, as if tangled in a spiderweb.

The strange pull he felt upon gazing at that heart lasted only a moment.

"You alright?"

A familiar voice reached his ears.