Got a Gallery in the Wild

‘I expected this, but it’s beyond anything I imagined.’

I looked at the Gallery, which was erupting like a volcano.

The citizens of Eldorado were protesting as if they were about to set the Holy See on fire at any moment.

Compared to before, they had become far more violent, throwing stones and bottles, and their hostility was unmistakable.

At this rate, wouldn’t they start throwing Molotov cocktails next?

‘I posted it just as the head moderator asked me to.’

The update about Hans was posted because the head moderator desperately begged me to do it.

He told me I was the only one capable of blocking every move the Holy See could make and pleaded with me to post it, promising to grant me any favor I asked for.

There wasn’t anything I wanted to ask for right away, but I agreed anyway.

If I earned his goodwill, using the Gallery would be much easier in the future.

Besides, I personally thought things had gone far too far.

No matter how calculating I was, I didn’t want to bargain using someone’s life.

Title) Notice) Hans of Eldorado’s Current Condition

WildGrills

(Video of Hans being interrogated)

(Video of Hans being dragged away)

(Video of the inquisitors talking)

This is Hans, the fruit seller from Eldorado, in his current condition.

I don’t know who he is, but it’s heartbreaking to see him like this.

Why did he have to end up this way?

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) They’re miserable scum who deserve divine punishment.

ㄴSwordmaster) Torture is condemned internationally…

ㄴStarlightPrincess) My God… what despicable people…

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) What happened? Why are they doing that to him?

I posted it more or less like that.

And countless comments immediately began pouring in.

It also received an enormous number of recommendations, until it was pinned at the very top of the featured posts.

Everyone who was protesting had probably already seen it.

‘There’s no risk for me.’

The Holy See was the one bearing all the risk.

Not me.

From this point on, the Holy See only had two choices.

Hand Hans over.

Or enter the Forest of Four Seasons.

Even if they returned Hans, they would no longer be able to calm the people’s anger.

And they would never accept the second option.

They had no way out.

They could only choose between two paths.

‘Peacefully give up their power… or…’

Like a cornered rat.

Make a desperate decision.

Judging by the way the Holy See had been acting, they were more likely to choose the latter.

Unfortunately.

Besides, the culture of this world was very similar to Earth’s in the past.

Even if a criminal was judged by a private individual instead of the law, most people would simply say,

“They deserved it.”

And hardly anyone would condemn it.

Even on Earth, concern for human rights didn’t truly increase until after the Second World War.

‘Though, considering the era they live in, they actually seem to respect human rights quite a bit.’

Perhaps it was because so many different races lived together.

Or perhaps there was another reason.

After continuing to watch post after post appear every time I refreshed the page, I closed the Gallery.

There was nothing more I could do.

All that remained was to wait for the outcome.

I just hoped it wouldn’t end in tragedy.

“Nom, nom, nom.”

“Is it good?”

“Peep!”

For now, I had a more urgent problem to deal with.

Not the pig lizard.

The hatchling that had become addicted to sweet potatoes.

Only three days had passed since winter began, and his cheeks had already become so chubby that it was obvious at a glance.

And it wasn’t just Tyran.

The same thing had happened to every animal living in the brick house.

Since Lackey brought them sweet potatoes from time to time, they had all gained weight.

Even the deer had started nibbling on them little by little.

Fortunately, I had harvested an enormous amount of sweet potatoes, so we weren’t in danger of running out.

‘If I’d known it would be like this, I would’ve made kimchi too.’

While thinking such nonsense, I turned my head.

Ludwig was there.

At that moment, he was still completely absorbed in staring at his rejuvenated face.

And it wasn’t just the first time.

He did it constantly, which gave me a rather strange feeling.

‘I thought about posting it on the Gallery, but I’d better not.’

In the end, I gave up on the idea.

If I did, it would undoubtedly cause an enormous commotion.

And it wasn’t as though I had any more Golden Apples.

It was time to get back to work.

Gathering herbs and chopping firewood.

“Mister, let’s get to work.”

“Mm.”

So I called out to Ludwig.

Hearing me, he set the mirror down and stood up.

It seemed he was finally getting used to his Mithril leg.

Just as we were about to leave the cave,

Clack.

A strange sound echoed through the cave.

It came directly from the statue.

Frowning, I turned toward it.

Then.

“[%$%%……. #$%%^…….]”

A brilliant light burst from the statue’s eyes.

Whoosh! Craaash!

It shot upward, pierced through the cave ceiling, and flew into the sky.

“……”

“……”

It all happened so quickly that Ludwig and I could only stare blankly at the enormous hole in the ceiling.

Directly beneath it, Wonmo was sleeping peacefully.

Whooooosh.

“Kyuuuuung…”

The icy breeze blowing through the hole made Wonmo shiver in his sleep.

After watching him for a moment, I turned to Ludwig.

“…We should probably cover that first.”

“……”

I really hoped spring would arrive soon.

***

A situation on the verge of exploding.

There was no better way to describe Eldorado’s current state.

The citizens hurled every kind of trash they could find at the Holy See as they vented their fury.

The atmosphere had become so tense that it felt as though they would storm the Holy See the moment an opportunity presented itself.

The only thing preventing that was the fact that the Holy See had swiftly deployed the army.

“Then you go into the Forest of Four Seasons too!”

“If you really want to uncover the truth, prove your sincerity by entering the Forest of Four Seasons!”

“You don’t have anyone left to send besides Ludwig anymore, do you?! Cowards!”

“Send the Pope to the Forest of Four Seasons!”

If the Holy See had sincerely apologized for the Immortal King incident, the citizens would never have reached this point.

But after so many years of accumulating despicable actions, scandals, and shameful secrets.

And after the worst of them had finally come to light.

The people’s patience had reached its limit.

“Please, calm yourselves! All of this is the work of those evil…!”

“The wicked Holy See must resign!”

“The Gallery would never…!”

“Enter the Forest of Four Seasons!”

Trying to suppress the crowd no longer had any meaning.

No one listened.

To the citizens, everything that came out of the Holy See’s mouth was a lie, except for the air they exhaled.

That belief had already been completely engraved into their minds.

The trust they had once felt had sunk through the ground and all the way down to the Earth’s mantle.

— All those gathered in front of the Holy See, step back. This is a warning. We repeat it once more. If the citizens continue resorting to excessive violence…

In the end, the Holy See even issued a severe warning.

Just like the previous day, groups of soldiers were deployed everywhere, but the atmosphere was far more dangerous.

Yesterday, there had only been infantry and archers.

Today, they had even deployed cavalry.

“There are too many of them. They’re not actually planning to attack the citizens, are they?”

“……”

Hearing Reis, Asella watched the protest with eyes full of concern.

The two of them were not mixed in with the protesters.

They were standing on the roof of a house.

Far more people had come than the day before, making it impossible to push through the crowd.

“The Pope must resign!”

“Resign!”

“The Pope must resign!”

“Resign!”

The same thing was happening on the other rooftops.

Many citizens were shouting slogans from the rooftops.

“Hey! Louder!”

“I’m already giving it everything I’ve got! Do you think playing an instrument is that easy? You focus on your magic!”

“And you think magic is easy?”

The citizens who knew how to play instruments performed music from the rooftops.

The combination of the people’s chants and the music created a solemn and moving atmosphere.

“No wonder bards are so important.”

“Heh.”

Asella, who had kept a completely serious expression until then, let out a faint laugh.

That was what most of Eldorado’s citizens were like.

No one knew the horrors of violence better than they did.

Generation after generation, they had suffered attacks from Demon Kings and demons.

They were a people who longed for peace.

And that was precisely why they still hadn’t crossed the final line.

But the enemy they faced was not merely the Holy See.

It was a Demon King.

And a Demon King felt no remorse for taking human lives.

— We warn all the citizens gathered here. We repeat it once more. Disperse immediately. If you do not, we will be forced to regard you as traitors to the Holy Kingdom and to the divine will. God shows mercy to all, but toward traitors, He can only respond with a firm hand.

Even from a distance, the Holy See’s voice could be heard with perfect clarity.

Reis and Asella were horrified when they heard those words.

They hurriedly turned toward the Holy See.

The army had already fully formed up.

“You sons of…! Are they really going to do it?!”

“……”

Unlike the horrified Reis, Asella placed her hand firmly on the hilt of the Holy Sword.

The protesters had already reached the limit of their patience.

And they had no intention of backing down.

But most of them were ordinary civilians with no combat experience whatsoever.

Meanwhile, the Holy See had an army ready.

The possibility of a true massacre could not be ruled out.

— Archers, prepare to fire!!!

In the end.

The Holy See chose the worst possible option.

They were about to cross a river from which there would be no return.

The archers lined up before the Holy See took aim.

The crowd was only a short distance away.

And they weren’t even using ordinary bows.

They were crossbows.

Far more lethal.

‘Lady Aris…’

Tap!

Asella offered a brief prayer and shot forward.

Behind her, Reis shouted something in alarm, but Asella no longer paid any attention.

‘Grant me the power to protect them…!’

Leaping from rooftop to rooftop with her extraordinary physical abilities, Asella positioned herself in front of the protesters.

Meanwhile, the Holy Knights already had their fingers on the crossbow triggers.

It would only take a single spark for everything to explode.

No one could back down.

In the midst of that overwhelming tension, countless voices blended together.

“The Pope must resign…!”

— Fire!!!

The moment the order rang out, the Holy Knights pulled their triggers.

Some hesitated.

But dozens of bolts had already been launched.

Normally, they would have used blunt arrows as a warning.

But just as a cornered rat bites the cat.

Every precaution had been abandoned.

Whoooosh!!!

Dozens of bolts flew in a straight line toward the front row of protesters.

Just as someone’s blood was about to be forever etched into history.

Craaash!

Someone drove a sword wrapped in holy radiance into the ground.

Shaaaaaa!!!

Using that sword as its center, a gigantic golden shield appeared.

Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!

The bolts bounced harmlessly off the enormous golden shield that covered the entire street.

The protesters, who had nearly suffered a tragedy, barely had time to react before noticing the one who had protected them.

While she had been running, the hood of her robe had slipped back.

Her face was revealed.

And its owner possessed extraordinarily rare orange hair.

“…The Hero?”

“T-The Hero?”

The protesters reacted in complete confusion.

It was only natural.

She was the Hero.

The traitor who had received the Goddess’s terrible prophecy and fled after stealing the Holy Sword.

And yet.

That supposed traitor had just saved their lives.

“Everyone, run! It’s too dangerous here!”

Asella shouted as she turned toward them.

But the protesters hesitated.

They still didn’t fully understand what was happening.

And besides.

Those words had come from a traitor.

Meanwhile, the Holy See had already reorganized.

— Use mana! The traitor is in front of us!

— The traitor is manipulating the protesters! The entire army, prepare for battle!

As expected from an organization that specialized in propaganda and manipulation.

Although Asella’s appearance had caught them by surprise, they managed to fabricate such a story within seconds.

But stopping them was what mattered now.

Gritting her teeth, Asella strengthened the barrier.

‘I have to buy time until everyone can escape…!’

The golden barrier completely blocked the street.

Because she had expanded it so much, the consumption of divine power and mana was enormous.

— Fire!!!

BOOM! BOOM!

Even so.

She had to endure.

The bolts kept coming.

It seemed they were even using mana, because the explosions sounded like bombs going off.

“T-They really fired!”

“Run! Run now!”

“You damned bastards…! Divine punishment will fall upon you!”

Only then did the protesters understand the situation and begin to flee.

The problem was that there were simply too many people.

And the streets were very narrow.

Even a perfectly trained army usually retreats chaotically.

Much less a crowd of civilians.

— Fix bayonets! The moment that traitor’s barrier breaks, charge immediately!

‘I wish I could tear those tongues out right now…’

Asella thought angrily.

She didn’t care if they called her a traitor.

But what crime had those citizens committed, other than refusing to tolerate injustice?

What did the citizens truly mean to them?

Those people who had supported Eldorado for generations.

How could they treat them like this?

BOOOOM!

“?!”

While desperately holding out, a much louder explosion suddenly echoed through the area.

Startled, Asella looked up.

The barrier was beginning to fill with smoke.

‘N-No way…’

She hurriedly turned her head toward the entrance of the Holy See.

And there she saw something horrifying.

Siege cannons.

And not just one.

There were several.

The sight was so absurd it made her want to curse.

‘Th-This…’

Her anger was so overwhelming that she couldn’t even speak.

They were the ones at fault.

And yet they were willing to carry out a massacre?

But the problem was even greater.

The cannons continued firing without pause.

No matter that she was the Hero.

She had her limits too.

Besides, after spending so long on the run, she could only use around sixty percent of her full strength.

“Mommyyyy!”

Then.

She heard a sound she never should have heard.

Startled, Asella turned around.

Amid the chaos of the retreat, a little girl had been knocked to the ground and was crying uncontrollably.

She hadn’t come to the protest.

She had simply been unlucky enough to get caught in the chaos while walking by.

Crack… Crack…

The barrier was beginning to reach its limit as well.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread across its entire surface.

Asella shifted her gaze between the front and the rear.

Ahead, the Holy Knights were advancing.

Behind her, the little girl was still crying.

And to make matters worse, many protesters still hadn’t managed to escape.

Yet the Holy See continued increasing the intensity of its attack.

“Hey! Are you okay?”

“Buaaaah!”

Fortunately, Reis arrived just in time to help.

As she carried the little girl away, Asella was finally able to breathe a little easier.

But.

Craaaack!

The barrier was not so fortunate.

The enemy’s firepower had exceeded its limits.

Asella poured all of her strength into trying to repair it.

But it was like trying to fill a bottomless barrel.

From the beginning, it had been an extremely inefficient technique.

She could only use approximately half of her full power.

And, on top of that.

The enemy’s firepower was overwhelming.

In the end.

Crash!

The barrier shattered into a thousand pieces as if it were made of glass.

— Fire!!!

The moment the Holy See saw that the barrier had disappeared, they ordered another volley.

There was nothing left to stop the attack.

Whether they fired in a straight line, in an arc, or with the cannons.

Casualties were inevitable.

“……”

Asella planted the Holy Sword into the ground.

Then she ran back.

She had to protect Reis and the little girl, who still hadn’t managed to escape.

‘Lady Aris…’

She felt a chill run down her back.

It would be an arrow.

Or a cannonball.

Asella consumed every last drop of mana she had, prepared to become a human shield if necessary.

‘Protect them…’

And just as she tightly shut her eyes while shielding Reis and the little girl.

BOOOOM!!!

A tremendous tremor shook the area.

At the same time, she felt something envelop them.

It was warm.

Comforting.

Safe.

Even with her eyes closed, she could feel it.

“……?”

Asella slowly opened her eyes.

She didn’t understand why, but everything around her was dark.

Just a moment ago, it had been a bright, sunny afternoon.

“What…?”

“Huh…?”

Reis and the little girl were equally bewildered.

They had already accepted that they were going to die the moment the barrier broke.

But this was completely unexpected.

Rumble.

As they remained frozen in confusion, the light gradually began to return.

More precisely.

Whatever had enveloped them slowly began to open.

The absolute darkness gave way to light, allowing them to see what surrounded them.

And then they understood.

What had protected them.

A gigantic statue.

So enormous that they had to tilt their heads completely back just to see its face.

It held an enormous shield in one hand.

And the wings on its back were especially magnificent.

It had probably used those wings to protect them.

Not one of them had so much as a scratch.

[I am Cain, the first Holy Knight of Lady Aris.]

As everyone stood motionless, staring at it, the statue spoke in a deep and solemn voice.

[I have answered your call.]