Got a Gallery in the Wild

While Grills and Ludwig meticulously prepared for the coming winter,

the world was going through an extremely turbulent period, filled with incidents and conflicts.

And without a doubt, the most chaotic place of all was Eldorado.

Contrary to expectations that a civil war would break out after Ludwig’s revelations, the citizens had focused solely on protests.

There were two main reasons for this.

The first was the lack of leadership.

When a protest lacks a leader to direct the situation, the protesters usually act without coordination.

Especially during times of instability, a leader with exceptional charisma is needed, but no one with that ability had appeared yet.

Furthermore, the citizens of Eldorado possessed immense patriotism and national pride.

For centuries, they had fought against the Demon King and the demons as Aris’s Sword and Shield.

Thanks to that mission of fighting absolute evil, Eldorado had become a great power.

And now, to start a civil war that would divide their own nation?

No one could take that step so easily.

The second reason was the lack of military power.

And in fact, that was the most important one.

At that moment, Eldorado’s army was completely under the control of Pope Louis II.

After Ludwig’s massive purge and the removal of everyone who belonged to his faction, virtually nothing but the Pope’s puppets remained.

No matter how much patriotism and pride the citizens possessed, that did not translate into military strength.

They could never compare to a professional army.

And above all, the citizens still firmly believed that the army existed to defeat external enemies, not to attack its own people.

As long as they were not considered enemies, they would never point their spears and swords at them.

Title) The protests in Eldorado are fundamentally different

Normally, most protests happen because people can no longer continue living like that.

Because the economy collapsed, there was a famine, or war pushed the population to its limits.

But the protests in Eldorado stem solely from a sense of betrayal by their leaders.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter if the people at the top have weird fetishes or bizarre hobbies, as long as they govern the country well.

After all, those at the top and those at the bottom live in completely separate worlds.

Sometimes a commoner enters politics, but they’re very few.

Precisely because everything is based solely on anger and a sense of betrayal toward the ruling class, people remain united without crossing the line.

ㄴ It’s only because they don’t have the strength. If they did, they would’ve overthrown the government already. LOL.

ㄴ If Ludwig were still there, he would’ve turned the whole place upside down already. LOL.

ㄴ By the way, what’s the Pope saying lately? Hasn’t he responded?

ㄴ He says never to believe the rumors circulating through the Gallery. He also insists that Ludwig committed extremely serious crimes.

ㄴ He still hasn’t come to his senses. Are there really people who believe that?

ㄴ Yes. Surprisingly, a lot of them. All the cardinals are still saying the Pope is right.

ㄴ Of course, because they’re all nothing but sycophants. ;;

ㄴ They’re not seriously going to send the army against the protesters, are they?

ㄴ If it were a riot or a rebellion, maybe. But against a peaceful protest? That would be insane.

ㄴ Besides, the rumors would spread through the Gallery immediately. How are they supposed to stop information from spreading?

ㄴ That’s why it seems they’ve been laying the groundwork for a while now. The media keeps saying that an evil entity is moving in the shadows.

ㄴ That evil entity wouldn’t happen to be Grills, would it?

ㄴ Yes. Although they never say it outright, it’s practically a given. They’re portraying him as a faction supporting the Immortal King.

ㄴ The funny thing is that the survivors of the Kingdom of Vulcan insult the Immortal King all the time. LOL.

ㄴ There were survivors from the Kingdom of Vulcan?

ㄴ Yes. They’re now part of Eldorado, although the territory itself still exists.

ㄴ WildGrills) And why are they dragging me into this?

ㄴ Oh, Grills. Congratulations. It looks like you’re about to become the Demon King.

ㄴ WildGrills) ??? What the hell is that supposed to mean now?

ㄴ The Pope says that if you keep this up, he’s officially going to declare you the Demon King. LOL.

ㄴ Louis: From today onward, you are the Demon King.

ㄴ WildGrills) Lol. Tell him I wouldn’t accept that country the size of a booger even if he gave it to me for free. LOL.

ㄴ If it weren’t Eldorado, what country would you want?

ㄴ WildGrills) I don’t want any country. I just want to go back home.

ㄴ But aren’t you already home?

ㄴ That’s true. Why does he keep saying he wants to go home when he’s already there?

ㄴ WildGrills) Damn it.

Title) But honestly, it is a little scary

What worries me the most is that the Pope keeps issuing warnings.

He also said that if they don’t back down, he won’t just stand by and do nothing.

He keeps repeating that everyone is being deceived and has fallen under a form of sorcery even more wicked than necromancy.

What if he ends up declaring the protests a rebellion and sends in the army?

ㄴ If he did that, wouldn’t the other countries condemn him?

ㄴ And what good would condemning him do? If he insists it’s a rebellion or an uprising, and another country intervenes, it could start a war.

ㄴ Is he really going to lie so shamelessly with the Gallery right there? LOL.

ㄴ Even with the Gallery around, there are plenty of people who only believe what they want to believe.

ㄴ ‘What I see is the truth!’ Once someone locks themselves into that mindset, there’s nothing you can do.

ㄴ And what’s the Hero doing? I think only he could mediate and reach some kind of agreement.

ㄴ If the Hero sides with the protesters, it’d be even worse. ;; The Pope would use that to officially declare it a rebellion.

ㄴ Even though everyone is insulting the Pope right now, that doesn’t mean the Hero has stopped being considered a traitor.

ㄴ HeroDontThrowAway) The Hero is not a traitor!! It’s all because of a misunderstanding!!

ㄴ Yes, we know, but how are you going to prove it?

ㄴ The people who needed to know already know, Moderator. The problem is that the situation is a complete mess.

ㄴ Every time I see something like this, I realize the Pope really knows how to play politics. LOL.

ㄴ Although he only plays politics when he needs to preserve his own power that really says something…

While the situation in Eldorado grew more unsettling by the day, the Heroine, Asella, quietly advanced toward the capital together with Reis.

Along the way, both of them managed the Gallery and kept themselves updated on the situation.

When they finally reached the designated location, Reis, who was walking in front, spoke.

“What are you thinking about?”

“……Is it really okay to do this?”

At that moment, the two of them were riding on horseback.

And, of course, they hadn’t acquired those horses through legal means.

So where had they gotten them?

“What’s the problem? After all, I didn’t tell a single lie.”

“I’m not a fugitive……”

“I think so too. But from their point of view, it’s different. Or would you rather I call you a traitor?”

“I-I’d like that even less!”

The situation had gone more or less like this.

While they were fleeing from their pursuers, Reis had suggested that instead of continuing to run away, they should strike first.

Naturally, Asella, with her upright personality, had refused, but Reis insisted until the very end.

Most of their pursuers traveled on horseback or by other means of transportation.

And if those animals existed, there also had to be people in charge of taking care of them.

All they had to do was find those stable hands and threaten them to obtain transportation.

‘Hey, friends. Is there anyone here who’s armed or wanted by the Holy Kingdom?’

‘N-No…’

‘Well, we happen to be both.’

‘……’

‘So you know what that means.’

After a threat that went something like that, the stable hands obediently handed over two horses.

They got exactly what they wanted without spilling a single drop of blood.

Asella still couldn’t understand Reis’s way of doing things, but she decided to let it go.

Her beloved homeland was in danger, and this wasn’t the time to be picky.

“How much longer until we reach the capital?”

“If we take it easy, about two days. If we’re lucky, we’ll get there tonight.”

Although she was being hunted, Asella never tried to flee abroad.

Leaving the country required illegal routes, and she didn’t know any.

So she had spent days wandering around the outskirts of Eldorado, especially near the capital.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Reis had found her so quickly.

“I wish we could go faster……”

“No. If we do that, we’ll exhaust the horses. It’s bad enough that we don’t even have fodder to feed them.”

“What if we continue on foot?”

“You might be able to, but my knees are already starting to hurt.”

‘She’s only two years older than me…’

Asella grumbled inwardly.

But Reis was right.

Without food for the horses, a long journey was impossible.

The best option was to conserve their strength by riding and rely on their own legs only when absolutely necessary.

“Are you that worried?”

“……Yes.”

Asella answered with a heavy nod.

Unlike the rumors circulating through the Gallery, the newspapers continued to focus exclusively on the protests.

No matter how important the Gallery was, reality still mattered more.

And Asella felt the same way.

The reason she hadn’t been able to properly fulfill her duties as a moderator lately was precisely because of the situation in Eldorado.

“Don’t worry so much. If the pressure keeps increasing, the Pope will eventually resign on his own.”

“Really…?”

Despite Reis’s optimism, Asella still couldn’t shake her anxiety.

Would that Pope really step down of his own free will?

The very same man who had carried out a massive purge?

Moreover, rumors occasionally appeared in the Gallery.

That the Pope was gathering the army.

And what role did he intend for the army to play in a situation like this…?

Without realizing it, Asella began imagining the worst possible outcome.

‘The Holy Knights are Lady Aris’s sword and shield. Are they really going to use that sword and shield against the citizens…?’

That couldn’t be allowed to happen.

If Lady Aris were to find out, she would surely be furious.

‘But… if it really happens…’

What should she do?

Asella’s doubts remained even after she finally arrived in Eldorado.

***

While Reis and Asella drew closer and closer to Eldorado,

the Holy See was organizing a large-scale operation.

Normally, the word “operation” is only used by certain very specific groups.

And the most representative example was the army, the ultimate expression of a nation’s military power.

“As you all already know, the protesters have fallen under the vile curse of the Immortal King.”

The meeting began with an absurd explanation delivered by the commander.

The problem was that every soldier present believed it without the slightest doubt.

The Holy Knights listened with tense, determined expressions.

To them, the protesters were clearly “cursed” people.

Lies repeated over and over again.

Constant brainwashing.

And above all, the army was a closed organization.

When all you ever hear is one version of the story in an isolated environment, you eventually accept it as absolute truth.

“We must stop them. As Lady Aris’s sword and shield, it is our duty to protect Eldorado.”

If someone only heard those words, it would be impossible not to feel the duty to protect their homeland.

The problem was that there was no longer any place for the citizens within that homeland.

But the Holy Knights had yet to realize it.

Didn’t the Gallery exist?

How could they stop the Holy Knights from seeing and hearing the truth?

Because the Gallery had always been famous for its lack of credibility.

They had been repeatedly told that it too had now been corrupted by the Immortal King’s curse, and that everything shown there was nothing but lies.

Furthermore, the disaster caused by the Immortal King thirty years earlier had been so horrific that the explanation sounded perfectly plausible.

All of those factors piled up.

And little by little, the army began to regard the protesters as the enemy.

“First, we will warn them once again. Meanwhile, the priests will continue performing rituals to break the curse.”

The protesters weren’t cursed.

They simply felt betrayed and consumed by anger.

Completely normal emotions for any human being.

But those emotions had been labeled a curse.

“And if the curse still does not disappear……”

The commander paused briefly.

Then he let out a sigh filled with apparent regret before continuing.

“Then we will have no choice but to free them with our own hands.”

As the scorching summer approached Eldorado,

“Only you can save Eldorado! Understood!?”

“Yes!!!”

Everything pointed to that summer becoming a terribly cold season.

***

Meanwhile, in the Four Seasons Forest.

“……And who are you?”

“Snort.”

Grills, who was also preparing to endure the bitter winter, received an unexpected visitor.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary deer.

But that cynical expression felt strangely familiar.

The deer had an apple in its mouth.

And, surprisingly, it shone with an intense golden color.

It wasn’t reflecting light.

The apple itself was completely golden.

It looked like the legendary golden apple from the myths.

It was only natural that Grills was confused.

“Mooo. Mooo.”

“The cold is coming. Give me fire. Like last time. Then I’ll give you this.”

“……You want me to light a bonfire?”

“Mooo.”

Thanks to Lackey, the animal translator, Grills was able to understand what the deer was saying.

After listening, he remained silent in thought for a few moments before turning his head.

In front of him stood the brick house they had worked so hard to build.

“……You want to live in there during the winter?”

“Mooo.”

Thunk—

The moment Grills gave his permission, the deer dropped the golden apple onto the ground.

A truly unusual winter was about to begin.