Got a Gallery in the Wild

I put Cain to work, but unfortunately, his efficiency left much to be desired.

Since he was so small, the amount of work he could do was insignificant compared to ours.

So we decided that while we worked, he would spend his time playing with Tyran.

Tyran also seemed to like Cain quite a bit, so he didn’t complain.

“Come on, my friend! Let’s bring down that enormous tree!”

“Peeeeep!”

Yesterday they were playing dragon slayer.

Today they were playing dragon rider.

Cain rode on Tyran’s back and tried to knock over the trees we had driven into the ground.

And whenever they managed to topple one, he became so happy that I couldn’t help but smile.

‘He’s full of energy. That’s a good thing.’

Every time Ludwig saw those two playing together, his expression became rather strange, though I was sure he’d eventually get used to it.

Maybe Wonmo would end up joining them someday.

That would be quite a sight to see.

‘Fortunately, there wasn’t any damage this winter.’

Although there had been an avalanche, it hadn’t swept away anything important.

It also helped that I had built everything as sturdily as possible and stored anything that could be carried away inside the cave.

Thanks to that, all that remained was clearing the snow.

The rest of the winter would probably pass without any further problems.

‘I’d like to do something with the Ice and Snow Flower…’

But too many things had happened, so even that wasn’t easy.

Besides, the Ice and Snow Flower itself was an extremely delicate plant.

It was also difficult to take care of.

It would be best to leave it for later.

That worried me less.

‘Once spring arrives, I’ll have to start exploring again.’

Ludwig was also gradually getting used to his mithril leg.

For long journeys, it would be enough to ride Largo.

The problem was who would stay behind to guard the cave.

The most sensible choice would be to leave Cain.

‘But what if some beast carries him off?’

Someone might ask what kind of beast could possibly carry off a statue.

But this was the Forest of Four Seasons.

Nothing that happened here would be strange.

After all, hadn’t he spent who knew how long inside a Mimic’s stomach?

Besides, Cain was the weakest among all of us.

I’d even go so far as to say he’d lose against Wonmo.

Outside the forest it would be a different story, but in here he was a ridiculously weak existence.

‘How the hell am I supposed to make use of this guy?’

Should I just leave him as Wonmo’s and Tyran’s toy?

Though doing that made me feel a little sorry for Ludwig.

One way or another, I’d have to find some use for him.

With that thought in mind, we kept working until we had more or less finished everything.

Afterward, we had lunch and rested inside the cave.

And, of course, during the break I didn’t forget to check the Gallery.

Title) Hero: Do you feel wronged?

(Video of the Pope proclaiming his innocence and the Hero responding to him.)

Do you feel wronged? Then prove it in the Forest of Four Seasons. hahaha.

ㄴ Huff. That was so satisfying. hahaha.

ㄴ So are they really going to send those guys into the Forest of Four Seasons?

ㄴ Probably. They always sent the people they purged there. They deserve it. hahaha.

ㄴ Is Grills going to have new companions?

ㄴ I doubt Grills wants those people around.

ㄴ WildGrills: Don’t illegally dump garbage in the Forest of Four Seasons. ;;;

ㄴ HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

ㄴ Grills himself showed up. hahaha.

ㄴ Grills, just accept your fate. hahaha.

They were still working hard in Eldorado to restore everything to normal.

Though they kept talking about dumping garbage there.

Well, they probably wouldn’t end up reaching where I was anyway.

Even Ludwig had nearly died despite starting in a relatively safe area and with plenty of help.

They wouldn’t have any of that.

And even if they asked me, I had no intention of helping them.

Then, just as I was thinking that, the Main Moderator sent me a message.

[HeroDontThrowAway: Mr. Grills! Are you there?]

I was surprised for a moment by the sudden message, but quickly replied.

[WildGrills: Hello. Is something wrong?]

[HeroDontThrowAway: Actually, I feel like I thanked you far too late. Thank you so, so much for everything!]

Apparently, she had only written to thank me.

Very much like the Main Moderator, such a good person she was almost naïve.

I smiled to myself and decided to set a little trap.

[WildGrills: If it’s a request from the Hero, the least I can do is grant it.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: Thank you very much!]

Just in case, I had deliberately written “Hero” instead of “Main Moderator.”

And without noticing that detail, she thanked me immediately.

[HeroDontThrowAway: Eh? Hero?]

Of course, it took her about three seconds to realize it.

As soon as I saw the message, where it was obvious she had panicked, I immediately replied.

[WildGrills: Aren’t you? I was convinced you were the Hero.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: H-How did you know?! No one had figured it out!]

No.

Why did she admit it so easily?

I thought she’d try to deny it. I never imagined she’d acknowledge it like that.

Even I ended up bewildered.

While thinking about what to reply, I typed.

[WildGrills: I just said it at random, but it turned out to be true. You really are the Hero, aren’t you?]

[HeroDontThrowAway: Actually, I’m not! I was just playing along with you for once!]

[WildGrills: Really? That’s a shame. If you were the Hero, I was going to ask you for a favor.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: Actually, I am the Hero! W-Wait a moment!]

Was this really the Hero who had just won the people’s support?

Seeing how kind and innocent she was, she certainly fit the image of a Hero.

[HeroDontThrowAway: (Photo of Asella standing in front of a full-length mirror.) What do you think? Here’s proof!]

Honestly, she didn’t have to go that far.

I was left speechless when I saw the picture of Asella reflected in the mirror.

It seemed she almost never took photos because she was standing perfectly straight at attention.

On the other hand, her face was truly beautiful.

It felt as though the photograph couldn’t even capture all of her beauty.

‘She really does have orange hair.’

And those orange eyes that, according to everyone, were so rare in this world.

I smiled for a moment at that unexpected confirmation before asking why she had done it.

[WildGrills: Honestly, you didn’t have to prove your identity to me. ;;]

[HeroDontThrowAway: I had to do at least this much for our benefactor!]

[WildGrills: What if I had bad intentions?]

[HeroDontThrowAway: Then I’d ban you!]

[WildGrills: ;;;]

Ah, right.

She was the Main Moderator.

The only person in the Gallery who possessed absolute authority.

No matter how kind and innocent she was, she was still someone it was in my best interest to stay on good terms with.

That verification was, in reality, a sign of trust.

She simply wanted me to know who she was.

‘Even if I revealed that the Main Moderator is the Hero, I wouldn’t gain anything from it.’

Thinking of it that way made everything much simpler.

It would be best to treat her as Asella the person.

Not Asella the Hero.

[WildGrills: So, what favor did you want to ask me?]

[HeroDontThrowAway: By any chance, do you have Lord Cain’s statue? I think it’s connected to the Lord Cain who descended this time.]

Aside from her personality, she was also quite perceptive.

The moment I read the message, I turned my head.

There were Tyran and Cain, happily playing together.

“Oh! There’s an enormous giant sloth over there! We have to defeat it!”

“Peeeeep!”

[M-my friend! W-Where are you going!?]

“……”

What would she think if she saw that scene?

For a moment, I wondered whether I should tell her a white lie.

But since it was a private message rather than a Gallery post, I figured I could tell her a small truth.

[WildGrills: You might end up disappointed. Are you sure you want to see it?]

[HeroDontThrowAway: It doesn’t matter! I just want to confirm it!]

[WildGrills: (Video of Cain and Tyran playing together completely carefree.) Here you go.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: That’s not Lord Cain!]

The moment the Main Moderator wrote that.

[Cough…! M-my chest…!]

“Peeeeep?!”

Cain clutched his chest with both hands and collapsed to the ground.

Could he actually feel pain?

The situation left me completely bewildered.

Though only for a moment.

[HeroDontThrowAway: Ah! No, it is him! Now that I think about it, they say Lord Cain was very approachable and friendly in his daily life. If he acts like that, then it really must be Lord Cain.]

As soon as her faith returned, Cain went back to normal.

Apparently, his condition fluctuated according to the thoughts of the Holy Sword’s owner.

I couldn’t help letting out an incredulous laugh.

I had no idea how the hell any of this worked.

[HeroDontThrowAway: In any case, Lord Cain is protecting you as well, Mr. Grills!]

[WildGrills: It’s actually the other way around. That statue is completely useless.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: E-Eh!? What do you mean by that?]

[WildGrills: I’m telling the truth. He can’t even shovel snow.]

Outside the forest, he was an incredibly dependable guardian.

In here, however, he was practically useless.

The Main Moderator seemed unable to believe me, but I didn’t really care.

[HeroDontThrowAway: Ahem! Ahem! In any case, please allow me to thank you once again. Is there anything you need? From now on, the Holy Kingdom will be able to support you both materially and personally!]

[WildGrills: Come here and help me escape.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: I can’t go myself, but I’ll send other people in my place!]

[WildGrills: Don’t send garbage that can’t be recycled.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: It’ll be burnable garbage!]

Well.

Burnable garbage.

So, at least, she wasn’t denying that it was garbage.

That actually surprised me.

[HeroDontThrowAway: If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me!]

[WildGrills: Thank you very much.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: Our Holy Kingdom will definitely rescue both you and Master Ludwig!]

Reading that filled me with a little hope.

It was no longer the promise of a single person, but of an entire country.

And since Ludwig was here as well, maybe they really would begin acting more decisively.

‘I’ll have to explore much more from now on.’

I was the only one who knew what lay inside.

When an expedition eventually entered the Forest of Four Seasons, I’d have to help them avoid any tragedies.

It seemed the time had come to expand my range of operations.

I might even have to consider camping outdoors.

[HeroDontThrowAway: Ah! Could you also send me a photo of Master Ludwig? I’d like to see how he’s doing.]

[WildGrills: (Front-facing photo of Ludwig.) Here you go.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: ……? W-Why do you have an old photo of Master Ludwig, Mr. Grills?!]

[WildGrills: It’s not an old photo, it’s a current one. Do you remember that Golden Apple from before? He ate it and became younger.]

[HeroDontThrowAway: Wow! There really are incredible things there!]

[WildGrills: Right? I’m still surprised myself.]

Mentioning the Golden Apple reminded me of the deer that had brought it.

Since the weather was still cold, he remained inside the brick house.

Every now and then I’d see him eating sweet potatoes, but the rest of the time he just lay on the floor.

‘I suppose he’ll leave on his own eventually.’

Honestly, I didn’t mind if he stayed.

As long as he kept bringing me things like Golden Apples.

Besides, he seemed to be an incredibly powerful animal.

After all, he had killed a bull shark with a single kick.

‘And since Sloth is here too, I guess he won’t cause any trouble.’

At the very least, he seemed to understand the basic rules of living together.

With that thought, I finished my conversation with the Main Moderator.

Oh, right.

Before saying goodbye, she asked me to make a post showing Cain whenever I had the chance.

When I asked her why, she said it would be better that way.

According to her, if I openly showed him, more people would become interested in the Forest of Four Seasons.

‘I honestly can’t tell whether this woman is incredibly smart or just a little absent-minded.’

She’s a very good person.

But she’s certainly not naïve.

It’s more like that.

In any case, I decided to leave the matter of Cain for later and wait for spring to arrive the following day.

At the beginning of spring, the air would be filled with pollen storms.

I intended to prepare thoroughly for them.

“Mister. Once spring arrives, we’re going to be exploring for quite a long time, so make sure you’re well prepared.”

“Understood.”

“Exploring?! I’ll do everything I can to be of help!”

“You don’t need to help. Just try not to become a burden.”

“How heartbreaking…”

I also informed Ludwig in advance.

Another peaceful day passed without incident.

And finally, the following morning arrived.

Just as expected, we were greeted by warm spring weather.

In case a pollen storm appeared, I completely covered my face with a cloth.

But then.

Flap. Flap.

“Oh! Something enormous is flying this way! Could it be a dragon?”

“It looks like it… wait a second.”

The wingbeats of the gigantic creature approaching from the distance completely scattered the pollen floating through the air.

A moment later, the enormous creature descended, revealing its overwhelming presence without restraint.

“Grrrr…”

“……”

Tyran’s mother had come to visit us.

“It’s a dragon!”

I know, man.

T/N:

Yo guys, since Grills now knows that the moderator, or “Asella,” is a woman and the Hero, from this point onward her gender will always be she/her, even in the chat, to avoid so many mistakes and complications.