Got a Gallery in the Wild

“Phew…”

Arnold, the Crown Prince of the Messiah Empire, let out a long sigh.

The succession ceremony would take place in two days.

That meant he would finally be able to wear the imperial crown he had dreamed of for so long.

The process had not been particularly difficult.

The siblings who could have become his rivals had already found their own paths.

“Soon I’ll have to call you Your Majesty instead of hyung.”

As he still found himself unable to calm down, someone approached and sat beside him.

Arnold turned his head at the familiar voice.

Unlike Arnold, who possessed a refined and elegant appearance, the man wore a thick beard.

He was also much larger and more heavily built than Arnold, making him look more like a general than a noble.

Even so, aside from the beard, the two were practically identical.

His biological younger brother and the current Minister of Culture.

“…Paulo.”

“Just because you become Emperor doesn’t mean you should start dumping work on me.”

Paulo sat down beside him as naturally as if he belonged there.

Since this wasn’t an official event and they were alone, they could speak to each other as brothers without formalities.

Arnold looked at Paulo, who was enjoying the life of a free man (or, in other words, an unemployed man), before speaking.

“So, is your favorite team doing well?”

“More or less. They found a good coach and have been winning.”

“If I find out you’ve been diverting imperial funds, you’ll be executed immediately.”

“Before that, the fans will beat me to death.”

Arnold chuckled.

That guy really lived without a care in the world.

He had absolutely no interest in power and focused solely on enjoying his hobbies.

And they weren’t even decadent vices.

He was simply a sports fanatic.

Well, every now and then he lost money gambling, but nothing serious.

“In any case, congratulations on becoming Emperor. Do you already have any policies in mind?”

“I have a lot planned. Though before that, there’s a mountain of problems that need to be resolved.”

“Now that you mention it, I heard the Magic Tower of the Iris Kingdom rose into the sky.”

“Do you think that’s the only problem? From Alvenheim to the Holy Kingdom, every place is full of conflict.”

“His Majesty the Emperor chose an incredible time to hand over the throne.”

Arnold smiled bitterly.

He found no way to refute Paulo’s words.

But Robert had already grown weak.

That was why the succession ceremony had been moved forward.

It was already too late to postpone it.

“By the way, what does His Majesty plan to do afterward?”

“He says he wants to build a villa in the mountains. Apparently he wants to live alone somewhere with clean air.”

“A villa in the mountains? Where?”

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me.”

Robert, who would soon become Emperor Emeritus, had been preparing various things behind Arnold’s back.

His behavior had become so strange that Arnold eventually investigated discreetly.

And he discovered something incredible.

Robert had been ordering wooden planks ideal for building a house.

Arnold couldn’t understand his intentions, but he had realized one thing.

The man no longer had the slightest interest in the throne.

“By the way, brother. Have you heard anything about Reva?”

Reva was the youngest of the three brothers.

His faith was so deep that he had eventually become a Holy Knight.

Given the current chaos in Eldorado, it was impossible to ignore any news involving him.

“Yes, I’ve heard a few things. Fortunately, it seems nothing has happened to him yet.”

“Did you also hear that he was on the purge list, but the Holy Kingdom removed him because they were wary of our Empire?”

Paulo said it casually.

Even though the subject was quite serious.

Arnold nodded with a stiff expression.

“I heard everything. Was it Ludwig? It seems he was originally connected to that faction.”

“And that Ludwig entered the Forest of Four Seasons. From what I’ve heard, he’s still alive.”

“From the Holy Kingdom’s perspective, it’s a problem whether he’s alive or dead.”

For Eldorado, Ludwig was a time bomb that could explode at any moment.

Under normal circumstances, they could have declared him missing after entering the Forest of Four Seasons.

Socially, that would have been the same as being dead.

But now there was someone living there who could communicate with the outside world.

“If Ludwig meets that man and reveals the secrets…”

“The Holy Kingdom will immediately fall into civil war.”

Paulo spoke with absolute certainty.

Arnold didn’t deny it.

Although Paulo held the position of Minister of Culture, his political instincts were extraordinary.

Whenever they had free time, they exchanged opinions like this to analyze the state of the world.

“A civil war might be an exaggeration. After all, they no longer have the Hero.”

“That’s true. But if a civil war breaks out, they won’t be able to contain Alvenheim.”

That was precisely the biggest problem.

They would no longer be able to use the Holy Kingdom to keep the elven nation of Alvenheim in check.

Originally, Eldorado had been located between Alvenheim and Mephisto.

That was why, when Mephisto caused trouble in the past, Eldorado served as a counterbalance.

But times had changed.

Mephisto had become peaceful.

And Alvenheim’s movements were becoming increasingly unsettling.

Therefore, Eldorado needed to keep watch over Alvenheim.

But if they descended into civil war, that would become impossible.

‘And if that happens, Alvenheim might turn its attention toward our Empire.’

The Messiah Empire was practically right next to Alvenheim, with the Forest of Four Seasons lying between them.

Furthermore, the Messiah Empire shared a border with the Iris Kingdom.

If things went badly, they could end up being attacked from both sides.

Naturally, it was a situation that demanded vigilance.

Of course, there was also the possibility that Alvenheim would attack Eldorado first.

The elves were every bit as devout as the people of Eldorado.

They might even intervene under the pretext that the Pope had become corrupted.

And that would also create problems.

From the Messiah Empire’s perspective, they would have no legitimate justification to intervene.

They might be forced to stand by and watch.

It was the kind of situation that could cause headaches from every direction.

“All of that is well and good, but we still don’t know Alvenheim’s true objective. That’s incredibly frustrating.”

“The Queen says she’s simply planting trees…”

“You should never take the words of a madwoman at face value. The elves have collectively lost their minds because of that Queen.”

Arnold couldn’t deny it.

Both in reality and in the Gallery, the state of the elves didn’t seem particularly healthy.

The older generation of elves still retained some degree of sanity.

The real problem was the younger generation.

As if they had all been hypnotized, most of them had sworn absolute loyalty to the Queen.

They bore no resemblance to the peaceful and moderate image the world once associated with elves.

“We have no choice but to do our best. Perhaps we’ll soon discover what Alvenheim truly wants.”

“Don’t you think that, if it comes to that, we should call Lord Menesil back?”

“Lord Menesil…?”

When Paulo mentioned Lord Menesil—in other words, Ash—Arnold muttered quietly.

Robert had also hinted that he should rely on Ash if any problems arose within the Empire.

Even if Alvenheim caused trouble, Ash would be more than enough to contain the situation.

But this was a world where strength equaled power.

And if they placed her on the front lines and ended up relying on her.

Simply compensating her with a count’s title would not be enough.

They also had to consider the concentration of power that would result from it.

“We’ll have to think carefully about that. It’s not good to depend too much on a single person. And above all, shouldn’t the wishes of the person involved matter more than anything?”

“I suppose so. Then do you have anyone in mind? I think you should also promote some outstanding figure, just like Father did.”

It was a valid observation.

Arnold let out a thoughtful hum.

The decisive reason Robert had earned the nickname “The Foundation-Building Emperor.”

Was precisely his ability to discover talent, including Ash.

If someone possessed strength and ability, he didn’t care about their social background and recruited them immediately.

Ash stood out the most, but there were many other talented individuals sponsored by Robert who now worked throughout the Empire.

“I suppose I’ll choose someone from the Academy. Or perhaps…”

“Perhaps?”

“…”

Arnold couldn’t continue.

For some reason, a certain person came to mind.

Someone who was probably doing all sorts of ridiculous things to survive in the Forest of Four Seasons at that very moment.

He couldn’t even meet him.

Much less use his authority to pressure him.

If it were up to him, he would prefer to forget about Grills entirely.

But the rewards he obtained through dealing with him were simply too attractive.

He couldn’t give that up.

‘Most likely, I’ll leave the matter in Count Gorgon’s hands…’

Count Gorgon had secured an enormous deal.

He had obtained an Adult Mandrake from Grills.

Thanks to that, Robert had recovered his health and had even been able to make it to the succession ceremony.

‘And recently he discovered a Celestial Whale and even ambergris.’

A Celestial Whale, a creature considered mythical.

And the golden ambergris.

AllFather and SunForEver, who maintained a close relationship with him, had received portions of it without giving anything in return.

Objects whose value exceeded even the entire budget of the Imperial Palace!

The ambergris alone was already astounding.

And nobody knew what else he might discover in the future.

‘Do we officially sponsor him, or do we pretend he doesn’t exist?’

It was a fruit far too sweet.

And proportionally, incredibly difficult to harvest.

Furthermore, they would have to support him continuously while keeping his identity hidden.

He never wanted that damned nickname to be discovered.

“Hyung?”

“…That will also require careful consideration. I don’t necessarily need such a figure.”

“Mmm. That’s true as well.”

In the worst-case scenario, he could always put Count Gorgon in charge.

After all, he could negotiate with Grills through him.

And Count Gorgon, being an ambitious noble, would gladly accept.

‘The more Count Gorgon stands out, the more my own influence will naturally grow. It doesn’t seem like a bad plan.’

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

Even if negotiations with Grills failed, there would always be new opportunities.

“So, hyung. When do you plan to get married?”

“Huh? What?”

“Married. Married. You need an Empress.”

“An Empress…”

There was one particularly important obligation for a king or an emperor.

Descendants.

It wasn’t a choice.

It was a duty.

Under normal circumstances, he should already have had a partner.

But things had become somewhat complicated, and he was still unmarried.

“I suppose I’ll have to start looking. I really have too many things to do.”

“Weren’t you engaged to Lady Mercedes?”

“I was. But you know what happened. Lady Mercedes contracted an incurable illness and was on the verge of death.”

Selena’s incurable illness, the eldest daughter of House Mercedes, was fairly well known.

At first, people thought she had simply been born with a weak constitution.

But shortly afterward, they discovered that she suffered from an incurable illness.

Because she decisively broke off her engagement with the Imperial Family.

Even for a ducal house, that was a direct blow to the Imperial Family’s pride.

It was far too strange a decision to be considered normal.

So they investigated.

And that was how they discovered the existence of the illness.

Technically, it wasn’t incurable but rather an illness that was extremely difficult to treat.

However, House Mercedes had kept the matter secret, so they were unable to learn anything further.

“However, lately there have been rumors that Lady Mercedes has started going out for walks frequently again.”

“Could it be that she’s recovered?”

“Perhaps. I don’t know what method they used, but it’s possible.”

Selena had stopped all public activities a year ago.

As a result, all sorts of rumors had spread.

The most widespread one was that her illness had worsened.

Someone who broke off an imperial engagement because of such a serious illness suddenly improves?

‘She definitely received help from someone important. If she attends the succession ceremony, I’ll have to speak with her.’

He needed to find out who had helped her.

If someone was capable of curing such a severe illness, they were undoubtedly an extraordinary person.

One particular figure immediately came to mind.

But he dismissed the idea.

After all, Miss Selena was famous for despising and even hating the Gallery.

And besides, it wasn’t even clear that an Adult Mandrake could cure that kind of illness.

Elixirs could heal wounds and poisons.

But not diseases.

“Even if she’s recovered, the engagement has already been broken off politically. It would be difficult to resume it now. Don’t you know of any suitable match?”

“That’s something you’ll have to find yourself.”

“Phew… Why do I have so many things to do?”

Becoming Emperor was wonderful.

But the closer the moment approached, the more responsibilities appeared.

To the point where he felt slightly envious of Robert, who was leaving everything behind and walking away.

Arnold thought for a moment before turning to Paulo.

“No.”

“But I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Yes, you did. You said you were going to spend the rest of your life without working.”

“Now that I think about it, that annoys me. You want to keep your position as Minister of Culture, right? Then help me govern.”

“And how exactly am I supposed to do that? Call Reva.”

“That idiot has rocks for brains and is useless when it comes to administration. Besides, I don’t like working with religious fanatics.”

While the brothers sincerely worried about the chaotic state of the Empire…

“Hmm, hmm~. This fishing rod will be enough. I’m very satisfied.”

Robert, the future Emperor Emeritus, was eagerly looking forward to the happy days awaiting him after leaving all his responsibilities to his children.

He had already secured suitable land and the materials needed to build his house.

The only thing left was the succession ceremony.

Once everything was over, he would officially transfer his responsibilities and immediately build a villa in a nearby mountain range.

‘What could that man be doing right now?’

What was he doing?

“Wow. They fight pretty well.”

He was living quite comfortably in the Forest of Four Seasons.

At that moment, two kangaroos were engaged in a fierce battle right before his eyes.

Other kangaroos surrounded them, making the place look like a genuine fighting arena.

“Should I upload this to the Gallery? Let’s see who people think will win.”

Out of nowhere, a true coliseum had appeared inside the Forest of Four Seasons.