WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈

Chapter 103: Territory (2)

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Ovens were cooking tools with a long and proud history.

You did not have to look far to realize that without ovens, people could not even make bread, a Western staple.

An oven was a tool created to take cooking over an open flame one step further.

Well, the real next step would be tossing it into a pot and boiling it, but never mind that.

That was how much having an oven affected my quality of life.

“Whoa.”

I let out an admiring sound as I looked at the deliciously cooked fish.

Even though it was a makeshift oven, an oven was still an oven. The fish had cooked evenly all over.

When I grilled fish in a cast-iron pan, some parts ended up undercooked while others burned.

But an oven heated it from all sides, so it was bound to cook evenly.

‘Maybe I could make bread too, if I get the chance?’

I carefully moved the grilled fish that made my mouth water just looking at it.

I did not forget to put on gloves. I could easily burn myself otherwise.

I had even bought new kitchen gloves from the Auction House just for today.

Munch, munch.

“Mmm!”

It tasted exactly how I expected. That was why it was delicious.

The fish had tasted meaty when grilled, but now it tasted like actual meat.

It reminded me of the pork belly I had splurged on when I was barely scraping by on my own.

Of course, it was not exactly the same. The texture was especially different.

Still, the flavor was every bit as good as pork belly.

‘Even the parts that look burnt are tender inside.’

I had a feeling I would be using this oven a lot from now on. I happily enjoyed my meal.

I did not forget to give the registered users a piece now and then. This time, I gave some to Heavenly Demon and the dwarf.

They tried the oven-cooked fish too and gave it high praise. Objectively speaking, it was delicious.

‘How did people even invent ovens?’

I stared at the oven while eating.

The firewood in the campfire had burned down and was turning to charcoal, while smoke slowly rose from the chimney.

Ovens had made an enormous contribution to human cooking. Without ovens, there was no bread.

‘Could I make pizza in that?’

No. That was a luxury.

Unless I could grow my own wheat and get eggs too, it was a pointless dream.

For now, I should be satisfied with oven-baked fish. It would also be useful for reheating smoked meat.

“Lululu~”

As my quality of life improved, so did my morale.

And higher morale led to greater fighting strength.

As I sang the oven's praises, I planned out my afternoon.

‘I need to find out where the gorilla group's territory is.’

Rais Kraone, the last scribe of the Balkan Kingdom, had died by suicide.

But Rais had been beyond saving due to infection beforehand, so the gorilla group was effectively responsible.

I needed to know exactly where the gorilla group's territory was to keep myself out of danger.

‘First, I need to know how gorillas behave...’

I had no idea how gorillas had adapted to the Forest of Four Seasons.

In other words, I had to consider the possibility that their usual habits had changed as well.

Still, knowing something was better than knowing nothing. I sent a message to the person best suited to answer.

[You]: Allfather, are you there?

[Allfather]: What is it?

[You]: I wanted to ask about gorilla behavior.

[Allfather]: Gorillas?

[Allfather]: Ah. It looks like you have found out how the owner of the book died.

NecromancyIsLove had told me that. It seemed the information had been real.

Did that mean I accepted that they were the Undying King? Of course not.

I could just think of them as a smart person roleplaying.

Even if they really were the Undying King, it did not make much difference.

[You]: Yes. I heard there is gorilla territory.

[You]: I also have a vague idea of where it is.

[Allfather]: Gorillas are by far the least combative and aggressive of all primates, including humans.

[Allfather]: It varies by subspecies, of course, but that is generally true.

[You]: Does that mean they are safe?

[Allfather]: Not exactly.

[Allfather]: If a gorilla revealed itself, it means you entered its territory, Mr. Grylls.

[Allfather]: And considering how the owner of the book died, you cannot let your guard down.

In the end, I just had to be careful. I should avoid entering their territory if possible.

The problem was, I had no clue where the gorillas' territory began or ended.

The usual way animals marked their territory was with droppings.

I would have to search carefully for feces.

‘I guess I have no choice but to bring Wonmo.’

Wonmo had an excellent sense of smell, so finding droppings would be easy for him.

He was already bouncing around instead of taking a nap, so I could bring him along.

I wrote a message thanking Allfather.

[Allfather]: There is something else that bothers me.

[Allfather]: About the gorillas.

[You]: Something bothers you?

[Allfather]: The book says the gorillas acted almost like people.

[You]: Like people?

[You]: What exactly did they do?

[Allfather]: First, they reportedly used “tools.”

[Allfather]: They held animal bones in their hands and used them like clubs.

Uh...

What was this, Planet of the Apes? Gorillas were smart, but were they really that smart?

That was terrifying. If I was careless, one of those bones could crack my skull.

And if they were aggressive on top of that? The gorilla group could gang up and beat me.

‘...Should I just not go?’

Allfather's words took some wind out of my sails.

Still, after briefly losing my nerve, I shook my head hard.

This was exactly when I needed to take a risk. The difference between having information and not having it was huge.

‘I just need to confirm the gorillas' territory.’

For now, that would be my only goal. I would do that and leave.

Even if there was some legendary medicinal herb there, I planned to ignore it.

[You]: Thanks for the advice.

[You]: I should be careful.

[Allfather]: I think it would be best not to enter their territory, even out of curiosity.

[You]: I am only going to check where their territory is and come back.

[Allfather]: I see. Understood.

After ending the conversation with Allfather, I prepared to search.

It would be best to prepare in case I accidentally entered the gorillas' territory.

‘Allfather said gorillas were herbivores, right?’

Allfather had told me that gorillas lived by stripping and eating tree bark.

Even though they only ate bark, they had the greatest physical strength among primates.

I felt a pointless flash of envy, but shook it off. Humans had intelligence far superior to theirs.

As a gesture of goodwill, I packed a few Fasting Pills.

If things got tense, I intended to offer the Fasting Pills to earn their favor.

‘Fast Sloth ate them just fine, so gorillas should eat them too, right?’

Or should I buy a banana? Bananas were the fruit that came to mind when I thought of gorillas.

As I entertained such pointless thoughts, I made every possible preparation.

Fast Sloth climbed onto my back, and Wonmo urged me to hurry up.

All that remained was to leave...

Grrrgle!

“Ah.”

It seemed I would have to delay things for a moment.

* * *

Only after thoroughly emptying his bowels did Grylls set out to search.

The cave he left behind was quiet, without the slightest sign of anything.

Only the occasional crackle of the campfire could be heard. Silence hung in the air.

Rustle! Rustle!

Then it happened. On the path leading to the river, not the route Grylls had taken.

The thick bushes growing on both sides of the path began to shake.

At first, they moved only slightly, but before long, they shook hard enough to catch the eye.

Sliiide-

At last, something pushed through the bushes.

It did not fully reveal itself, only poking out its face.

Its features were generally human-like, but it had a flat nose and jet-black skin.

The fur growing across parts of its face was the giveaway that it was likely an ape.

“...Ooh! Ooh!”

After looking around Grylls's shelter for a while, the ape gave a quiet call.

At the sound, the bushes shook more violently than before.

“Ooh ooh!”

“Ooh! Ooooh!”

It was a group of apes, specifically the gorilla group Grylls had been wary of.

The gorillas seemed to communicate through their distinctive calls before cautiously entering the shelter.

They looked like ordinary gorillas at a glance, but a closer look revealed several differences.

The gorilla who seemed to be their leader held nothing, but the gorillas following the leader carried clubs.

The clubs came in all kinds of forms, including bones, tree branches, and even crudely made stone axes.

It was clear that they were unlike ordinary apes.

“Ooooh.”

“Ooh ooh.”

The apes carefully inspected Grylls's shelter.

Starting with the metal drum full of fish, then the container holding charcoal, and finally the oven.

“Ukiiaaah!!”

“Ooh?!”

One gorilla suddenly screamed. The others hurried over.

The gorilla was rolling around while clutching its hand. In front of it stood the oven Grylls had just made.

It seemed to have put its hand into the oven before it had fully cooled and burned itself.

An accident caused by curiosity. The Leader Gorilla rushed over and examined the injury.

“Ooh ooh!”

After looking it over, the Leader Gorilla pointed toward the metal drum full of fish.

It seemed to mean there was water in the drum, so the gorilla should cool its hand quickly.

The burned gorilla hurriedly stuck its hand into the drum.

Splash!

The moment its hand touched the water, the gorilla looked relieved to be alive.

The fish inside thrashed in surprise, but the gorilla did not seem to care.

The Leader Gorilla only looked relieved for a moment before studying the oven closely.

Perhaps the Leader Gorilla noticed the delicious smell coming from inside.

The Leader Gorilla brought their nose close to the opening and sniffed repeatedly.

But the Leader Gorilla apparently had not figured out its purpose yet, only tilting their head.

Eventually, the Leader Gorilla quickly lost interest and looked elsewhere.

“Ooh ooh!”

One gorilla pointed at the metal drum full of fish. It was an important food source for Grylls.

But the Leader Gorilla shook their head in refusal.

It was a sign that the drum would be difficult to carry. The gorilla looked disappointed, but accepted it.

The Leader Gorilla looked away from the gorilla and examined another area.

Then the Leader Gorilla found the laundry hanging on the drying rack.

“Ooh.”

The Leader Gorilla studied the clothes for a while before slowly tugging on them.

The makeshift drying rack collapsed helplessly under the gorilla's brutal strength.

The Leader Gorilla closely examined the uniform PrincessChaenggu had given Grylls as a gift, then threw it onto the ground.

The Leader Gorilla did not seem interested.

“Ooohhhh!”

“Ooh! Ooohhhh!”

The gorillas exploring the cave suddenly ran outside.

It was not a scream like the one from the gorilla that had been burned, but a cheer.

Curious about what they had found, the Leader Gorilla watched as the gorillas set down what they had brought.

It was the bag of Fasting Pills that Fast Sloth currently relied on as its staple food.

“Hmmm...”

“Ooh ooh! Ooooh!”

One gorilla urged the Leader Gorilla to decide. But the Leader Gorilla remained cautious.

Then, the Leader Gorilla picked up a Fasting Pill from the bag and put it in their mouth.

Before long, the Fasting Pill was chewed up.

“Oooh?! Ooooh?!”

The Leader Gorilla's eyes widened as they cried out.

It was an obvious “Delicious!” reaction.

The Leader Gorilla looked like they had just tasted the greatest delicacy in the world.

The other gorillas each put a Fasting Pill into their mouths as well.

“Ooooh?!”

“Ooohhhh?!”

“Ooook!!”

Like the Leader Gorilla, the other gorillas reacted just as dramatically.

What were bitter emergency rations to some seemed to be a delicacy to gorillas.

“Ooooh!”

“Ooh ooh!”

The gorillas ate a few more Fasting Pills, then quietly picked up the bag.

They could not keep something this delicious to themselves. They had to share it with their own kind.

The Leader Gorilla agreed, so the Leader Gorilla picked up the bag without hesitation.

“Ooh ooh!”

“Ooooh!”

And with that, the gorilla group left Grylls's shelter.

They had not taken the Elixir or Inner Core, which Grylls treasured, but the damage was still severe.

“Ooh ooh!”

“Ooh ooh!”

Either way, the gorilla group happily headed back.

Footnotes:

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