WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 181: Succession Ceremony (2)
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It had been a long time since she had gone out.
Selena sat in the carriage, lost in thought.
Thanks to Grylls's kindness, she had been given a new life. She had no intention of wasting it.
Her ultimate goal was to support Grylls until he could escape the Forest of Four Seasons.
She searched through all kinds of books for information about the Forest of Four Seasons and regularly sent him Elixirs whenever she could.
‘Mr. Grylls is already having effects, large and small, on countries everywhere. People will definitely talk about him at the succession ceremony.’
That was the real reason she had attended. She wanted to gauge public opinion about Grylls.
Some might say he was merely a registered user on the Gallery, but that was far from the truth.
Grylls had already turned El Dorado upside down, to the point that a civil war could break out.
And what about the Central Plains? The successor to the villain who had once led the Blood Cult had appeared.
It was absurd that the successor was a gorilla, but that alone had been enough to make the Blood Cult run wild again.
‘Heavenly Demon put out the immediate fire with a Real-Life Fight, but...’
The Blood Cult could reappear at any moment.
The more Grylls uncovered in the Forest of Four Seasons, the more the world was shaken.
Recently, he had even proven the existence of Sky Whales, creatures that had only appeared in myths.
Selena had rubbed her eyes several times after seeing one herself.
Even she had only heard of Sky Whales in fairy tales based on myths.
He had even obtained Ambergris, a byproduct of a Sky Whale. There was no need to explain its value.
‘AllHailTheSun only burned it as incense. Allfather was too hasty too.’
Selena had considered accepting some when Grylls offered her a portion of the Ambergris.
After much deliberation, she decided to refuse. A legendary item would be one thing, but this was an item from myth.
At least legendary items had records describing their effects. Myths, on the other hand, were merely reconstructions of stories passed down by word of mouth.
No one could even explain how whales that lived in the sea swam through the sky. Who knew what Ambergris might do?
Not knowing was what made it frightening.
AllHailTheSun had treated it lightly by burning it as incense, but they had taken on a terrifying risk.
The Forest of Four Seasons was a demonic realm about which almost nothing was known.
Even Selena could not realistically understand all of it.
That was why she planned to find others who shared her views.
‘Not openly, of course.’
Among nobles, the Gallery was seen as a den of vulgar desires.
It was best to avoid mentioning it in public.
Still, nobles were people too. There were probably plenty of Gallery users among them.
It would not be easy to identify them, since speaking indirectly was second nature to nobles.
‘And I need to return to the Academy too... This is difficult.’
She had only applied for an indefinite leave of absence because of her Nine Yin Absolute Veins. She had not dropped out.
More than anything, returning was essential for Mary, the new face of the Mercedes Ducal House.
Helping Grylls did not mean she could turn away from reality.
“Selena, tell us anytime you feel dizzy. You don't need to push yourself.”
Selena had been lost in thought when her mother, seated across from her, spoke with concern.
Her father, seated beside her mother, looked just as worried.
Selena wanted to answer with a smile, but the corners of her lips did not rise easily.
Neither now nor in the past had she ever been known for warm smiles.
“Don't worry about me. I can do strenuous exercise without any trouble now. Look.”
To ease their worries, Selena held out her arm.
In the past, it would have been so thin that it resembled a bare tree branch, with nothing but bone left.
Now, it had flesh and muscle, radiating healthy beauty.
Her skin also had a lustrous glow. She was far removed from the image of a sickly girl.
Mary stared at Selena's lovely arm in wonder before speaking.
“But, Pri...”
“Big sister.”
“...Selena, Big Sister. What did you eat yesterday for your skin to become like this?”
Mary's question was perfectly reasonable. Even Selena's parents looked curious.
Until she had been completely cured, Selena had never gone outside.
Her skin had been white as snow, and it remained that way after her recovery.
For some reason, though, it had changed beyond recognition.
Her skin tone had not changed, but it seemed to shine more brightly.
The glow of her skin made her beauty shine as well.
“Maybe it's because I exercise regularly. You could look like this too if you exercised, Mary.”
“But I hate exercise...”
Mary's grumbling brought laughter to the carriage.
Even Selena, who usually wore a cold expression, raised the corners of her lips slightly.
‘All I did was eat some honey. I never expected it to change me like this.’
What Selena had eaten was the honey Grylls had given her.
Honey harvested from the Forest of Four Seasons. It had tasted wonderful too.
She had never expected it to have an effect like this.
‘Well, a good result is a good result.’
As a woman, it was a result she welcomed. It was certainly not a bad thing.
Of course, if a social gathering followed the succession ceremony, she would attract countless eyes.
The thought alone made her tired, but she could gladly endure it for her goal.
“Mary. Stay by my side no matter what after the succession ceremony. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“And when nobles say something...”
Selena explained various precautions to Mary, who would be appearing at an official event for the first time.
Their parents watched the scene with contented expressions.
Their household had worn gloomy expressions every day because of Selena's incurable illness, but that was no longer the case.
Only happy days and a bright future awaited them. This succession ceremony would be the beginning of it.
“It looks like we've arrived. Let's get out.”
“Yes.”
Soon, the Mercedes family reached the Imperial Palace, where the succession ceremony would be held.
Selena stepped down from the carriage on her father's arm.
The moment she got out, she heard countless exclamations from all around her.
It begins now.
Selena was about to ignore the praise when...
“...Huh?”
Her eyes met someone else's.
Selena had snow-white hair, while the person before her had silver hair that seemed to hold moonlight.
Her beauty was striking, and her uniform gave her an air of authority as well.
‘Ash? But...’
It was surprising enough that Ash, the Empire's strongest swordswoman, had appeared. Yet something else caught Selena's attention even more.
Ash's skin.
Beautiful skin, lustrous enough to gleam.
Their skin tones differed, but it felt strangely similar to Selena's.
“Hm. It seems Count Menesil is attending too.”
“I heard she had withdrawn from society.”
“Count Menesil? You mean Swordmaster Ash?”
Selena quickly looked away upon hearing the voices around her.
She was curious, but it would become awkward if they kept making eye contact.
‘What is this?’
Even as she entered the Imperial Palace, Selena occasionally glanced at Ash.
It could have been a simple misunderstanding. Still, the timing was too coincidental.
Perhaps Ash had reached a similar conclusion, or perhaps she was simply drawn to Selena's beauty.
There was much to consider. It was difficult to reach a conclusion.
“Ash... I mean, Count Menesil was incredibly beautiful too. Not as beautiful as you, though, Big Sister.”
“Really? I think Count Menesil is more beautiful.”
“What are you saying? No matter what, she's not more beautiful than you. Maybe her skin is about as nice?”
“...You thought so too?”
When Mary mentioned Ash's skin, Selena carefully asked her.
Mary nodded and shared what she had been thinking.
“Yes. Her skin had a similar look to yours. Do you think it really comes from exercising?”
“Probably. That's why you should exercise diligently too.”
“Ugh... But exercise...”
Since even Mary had thought the same thing, it could not have been a misunderstanding.
Had Ash really eaten honey too? Honey that Grylls had given her?
Grylls would surely have shared honey with registered users he was close to.
Selena knew the registered users close to Grylls well.
‘...No. It's too early to decide.’
She would have to meet Ash and speak with her later if she wanted to know for sure.
Even if Ash turned out to be a registered user close to Grylls, nothing would change.
There was nothing good about acknowledging one another.
This was the Gallery they were talking about. It was full of things too embarrassing to say aloud.
The best option was to keep their mouths shut and pretend not to know anything.
‘Still, if Ash really is a registered user who helped Mr. Grylls...’
Even after arriving in the audience chamber where the succession ceremony would take place, Selena remained deep in thought.
Most registered users who had become close to Grylls had distinct personalities.
If she had to choose a registered user connected to Ash, there was only one possibility.
‘SwordTasteMaster.’
Ash was a master of swordsmanship who had trained countless disciples.
SwordTasteMaster had also posted all kinds of advice on the Gallery, raising the continent's average combat ability.
Those two facts fit together too neatly for Selena not to make the connection.
‘Come to think of it, SwordTasteMaster was a great help when Mr. Grylls was hurt by a Mad Dog. The Elixir too.’
Elixirs were not easy to acquire on the market. Ash, however, was different.
If a problem arose in the Empire, she was someone they would cling to by the legs if they had to.
The Empire gave her all kinds of benefits because of that, and Elixirs were among them.
Using her exceptionally sharp mind, Selena connected every piece of the puzzle.
“...With this, I declare that the Empire's new sun has been born!”
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
The applause ringing in her ears pulled Selena from her thoughts, and she looked ahead.
The Emperor's throne stood in the center of the audience chamber.
In front of it, the Crown Prince, no, the Emperor now, Arnold, wore the imperial crown and waved his hand.
Behind him, Robert, the former Emperor who had passed down the crown, quietly applauded.
The succession ceremony had ended while Selena had been lost in thought.
‘...I need to get a hold of myself.’
Selena clapped with a blank expression.
If she did not clap now, people would surely look at her strangely.
A social gathering would begin soon enough, so she needed to stay alert.
‘Ash is... over there.’
Before long, Emperor Arnold went outside for the next event.
With that, the audience chamber naturally transformed into a social hall.
Normally, the audience chamber was rarely used for social gatherings, but this was a succession ceremony.
Since every official of the Empire had gathered in one place, special permission had been granted.
‘It's been a long time since I experienced this atmosphere too.’
Selena drank a beverage and took in the mood of the social gathering.
In the past, she had attended so many that she had found them not only boring, but irritating.
But as she grew weaker by the day, she had realized how precious meeting people was...
‘...Like hell I did. I want to finish what I came here for and go home.’
She had not realized any such thing. It was still tiresome.
She had also become something of a homebody after getting so absorbed in the Gallery.
Still, she had to endure it. Selena stayed put rather than stepping forward carelessly.
“Um, Big Sister. What do I do now?”
“Hmm... Shall we go speak to those young ladies over there first? They seem to be around your age.”
“Y-Yes!”
Of course, she did not forget to help her adorable little sister.
As Selena worked hard to introduce Mary to others...
“Excuse me for a moment.”
An important figure approached.
A pleasant voice reached Selena's ears.
When she turned her head, she saw a familiar face.
Tall for a woman, with a sturdy-looking build emphasized by her uniform.
Beautiful features, and skin that made those features shine even brighter.
‘She came.’
The person Selena had never expected to speak with, yet had become the person she was most concerned about, had approached.
Keeping her usual expressionless face, Selena spoke.
“You must be the renowned Count Menesil.”
This was still a probing exchange, Selena thought.
Yet sometimes, action took priority over probing.
“You know my name. I am honored, Lady Mercedes.”
“I'm the one honored that you know mine, Count. What brings you here?”
Ash seemed to hesitate over whether to speak, then discreetly looked around.
It was as if she were checking whether anyone was watching. Just as Selena found that strange, Ash spoke.
“Your skin looks as sweet as honey, and it is very beautiful. So I took the liberty of approaching you.”
“...”
It was an incredibly greasy way of speaking. Taken at face value, it was enough to make Selena question Ash's sexual preferences.
But not to Selena.
At least, this was how she translated it.
[Hi. I'm one of the Gallery crowd! Nice to meet you!]
Just as Selena had suspected Ash, Ash had suspected Selena.
In an uncertain situation, Ash had used a kind of password only the two of them would understand.
Selena's mind went blank for a moment, but she pulled herself together as best she could.
Since Ash had revealed her identity, so to speak, first, Selena could not ignore it either.
“...Thank you for the compliment. Your skin is beautiful too, Count.”
“Thank you.”
“And you, Count...”
Selena trailed off before cautiously continuing.
“It seems you have eaten some good honey too.”
That was what she said, but translated, it meant this.
[Hi! I'm one of the Gallery crowd too! Let's get along from now on!]
An unintended friendship had formed.
‘I must never say anything.’
‘If she has any sense, she'll keep her mouth shut.’
At the same time, they realized they each held the other's life as collateral.
Footnotes:
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