WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 214: Spring of El Dorado (2)
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‘I expected this, but it’s even worse than I thought.’
I looked at the Gallery, which was burning like an active volcano.
The citizens of El Dorado were protesting as though they were ready to burn down the Papal Palace at any moment.
They were far more aggressive than before, throwing rocks and bottles. The hostility was intense.
‘At this rate, are they going to start throwing Molotov cocktails later?’
‘I uploaded it like the Head Mod asked me to.’
It was an update on Hans, posted at the Head Mod’s desperate request.
The Head Mod had begged me to upload it, saying I was the only one who could block every move the Papal Palace might make. In return, the Head Mod promised to grant any favor I asked for.
There was nothing I needed to ask the Head Mod for right now, but I agreed anyway.
If I earned the Head Mod’s goodwill, using the Gallery would be easier in the future.
Besides, I personally thought this had gone too far, so I was happy to agree.
No matter how calculating I was, I didn’t want to make a deal with someone’s life.
[Post title] Title) Warning) Update on Hans from El Dorado
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] (Video of Hans being interrogated)
[Post] (Video of Hans being dragged away)
[Post] (Video of the remaining interrogators talking)
[Post] This is an update on Hans, the fruit guy from El Dorado.
[Post] I don’t know who he is, but I feel bad for him. Why is he being treated like that?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Those who did this deserve divine punishment.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Torture is internationally condemned, you know;;
└ [Starlight Princess]: How could they be so vile...!
└ [Passing Dwarf]: What happened? Why are they doing that?
That was roughly how I posted it. Then countless comments started pouring in.
It received a huge number of recommendations and ended up firmly planted at the top of the featured posts.
The people protesting over there had probably all seen it.
‘There’s no risk for me, either.’
The Papal Palace was taking on a terrifying risk, but it had nothing to do with me.
From here, the Papal Palace had two options. Hand Hans over, or enter the Forest of Four Seasons.
Even if they handed Hans over, they wouldn’t be able to calm the enraged public. They would absolutely refuse the latter.
There was nowhere left for them to run. The Papal Palace had two choices.
‘Give up power quietly, or...’
Make an extreme choice, like a cornered rat thrashing around.
Judging by what the Papal Palace had done so far, they were more likely to choose the latter. Unfortunately.
Society here resembled an earlier era on Earth.
Even when someone punished a villain based on personal judgment rather than the law, people would just say, “They had it coming,” and few would condemn it.
Even on Earth, interest in human rights had risen after World War II.
‘Still, for this era, they seem to respect human rights more than expected?’
Maybe because there were so many different races. Or maybe for some other reason.
I kept refreshing the Gallery and watching countless new posts appear, then closed it.
There was nothing else I could do. All that remained was waiting for the result.
I just hoped it wouldn’t end in tragedy.
“Chomp, chomp, chomp.”
“Is it good?”
“Squeak!”
For now, I needed to figure out what to do with this pig lizard, no, hatchling that had gotten hooked on sweet potatoes.
Only three days had passed since winter began, but it had grown plump enough for its cheeks to puff out.
It wasn’t just Tyrano. The animals living in the brick house were all the same.
Kkobong kept bringing them sweet potatoes to eat, so they had all put on weight.
Even the deer showed interest and nibbled on them now and then.
Fortunately, I had harvested plenty of sweet potatoes, so we wouldn’t run out.
‘If I knew this would happen, I should’ve made kimchi too.’
I turned my head after that pointless thought. Ludwig was there.
He was currently too busy admiring his younger face to notice anything else.
It wasn’t just the first time, either. He did it often, which gave me a strange feeling.
‘I didn’t post about it on the Gallery, just in case.’
I decided against it because it would cause an uproar for no reason. It wasn’t as if there were more Golden Apples.
I decided to do what I had to do: gather medicinal herbs and chop wood.
“Sir, let’s go work.”
“Mm.”
So I called Ludwig. He stopped looking in the mirror and stood up.
He was even starting to get used to his Mithril foot.
Just as we were about to leave the cave.
Clunk!
A strange noise came from somewhere.
More specifically, from the direction of the statue.
I turned toward it in confusion.
[%$%%……. #$%%^…….]
An intense light burst from the statue’s eyes.
Whoosh! Crash!
It shot up, smashed through the cave ceiling, and flew into the sky.
“...”
“...”
It happened so fast that we could only stare blankly at the ceiling.
Wonmo was sleeping soundly right beneath the hole.
Whoooooosh-
“Cuuung...”
Maybe the wind leaking in was cold, because Wonmo shivered.
I watched him, then spoke to Ludwig.
“...Let’s patch that up first.”
“...”
I wanted spring to come soon.
* * *
A powder keg.
That was the best way to describe El Dorado’s situation.
The citizens hurled all sorts of filth at the Papal Palace, raging in fury.
It felt as though they would storm the Papal Palace at once if given the chance.
That had not happened only because the Papal Palace had quickly deployed troops.
“You should go to the Forest of Four Seasons too!”
“If you want to uncover the truth, show how earnest you are by volunteering to enter the Forest of Four Seasons!”
“You don’t have anyone left to send besides Ludwig now, do you?! You cowardly bastards!”
“Send the Pope to the Forest of Four Seasons!”
If the Papal Palace had sincerely apologized for the Undying King incident, the citizens would not have gone this far.
But the Papal Palace’s long history of unpopular actions and ugly secrets, capped off by the worst scandal now exposed, had pushed them past their limit.
“Everyone, please calm down! This is all the work of those vile...!”
“Down with the vile Papal Palace!”
“The Gallery would never...!”
“Enter the Forest of Four Seasons!”
Suppressing them had little meaning. The citizens did not listen.
Everything that came out of the Papal Palace’s mouth was a lie, except its breath.
That was the belief carved into the citizens’ minds, and their trust in the Papal Palace had fallen through the ground toward the mantle.
-Those gathered before the Papal Palace, disperse. This is a warning. I repeat, citizens must refrain from excessive violence...
In the end, the Papal Palace issued a grim warning.
As they had the day before, soldiers had gathered in small groups, and the atmosphere was ominous.
Yesterday, there had only been infantry and archers. Today, even cavalry had been deployed.
“There are way too many. They aren’t really going to attack the citizens, are they?”
“...”
At Reina’s words, Asella watched the protest with anxious eyes.
They were not mixed in with the protesters. They stood on the roof of a house.
There were far more people than yesterday, making it hard to push through the crowd.
“Down with the Pope!”
“Down with him!”
“Down with the Pope!”
“Down with him!”
The same was true of the other rooftops. Many citizens shouted slogans from above.
“Hey! Louder!”
“This is as loud as I can get! Do you think playing an instrument is easy?! You should focus on your magic!”
“You think magic is easy to use?”
Citizens who could play instruments performed desperately from the rooftops.
The cries of the people and the music came together, creating a solemn image.
“So that’s why they need bards.”
“Pfft.”
Asella, who had maintained a stiff expression for quite some time, let out a laugh.
El Dorado’s citizens were generally like that. They knew the danger of violence better than anyone.
Every generation had suffered from the Demon King and demonkind, so they were a people who preferred peace.
That nature was why they were barely holding themselves back from crossing the line now.
But what they faced was the Papal Palace, no, the Demon King.
The Demon King felt no guilt about taking lives.
-I warn the citizens gathered here. I repeat, disperse immediately. If you do not disperse, we have no choice but to consider you traitors defying the Holy Kingdom and the will of the gods. The gods are merciful to all, but we have no choice but to take a hard line against traitors!
The Papal Palace’s voice could be heard clearly even from far away.
Reina and Asella looked horrified upon hearing it.
They hurriedly turned toward the Papal Palace.
The troops were lining up.
“Those crazy bastards...! Are they really going to do it?”
“...”
Unlike Reina, who was horrified, Asella placed a hand on the hilt of her sword with a hard expression.
The protesters, already furious beyond their limit, had no intention of backing down either.
Most of the protesters were ordinary civilians with nothing to do with combat.
The Papal Palace, on the other hand, had an army ready.
A terrible disaster could not be ruled out.
-Prepare to fire!!!
The Papal Palace had finally chosen the worst option. They were about to cross the point of no return.
The archers lined up before the Papal Palace took their firing positions.
The protesters were not far away.
And these were not ordinary bows, but crossbows. They would be extremely deadly.
‘O Aris...’
Tap!
Asella offered a brief prayer, then sprang forward.
Reina shouted something in alarm behind her, but Asella did not pay attention.
‘Grant me the strength to protect them...!’
With her exceptional physical ability, Asella leaped between buildings and approached the front of the protesters.
By then, the holy knights were ready to pull their crossbow triggers at any moment.
The slightest spark would make everything explode.
In a situation where no one could retreat, countless cries mixed together.
“Down with the Pope...!”
-Fire!!!
At the same time, the holy knights pulled their triggers.
A few hesitated, but dozens of bolts had already been fired.
Normally, they should have used bolts without arrowheads as a warning.
But like cornered rats biting a cat, they skipped all such procedures.
Fwoooooosh!!!
Dozens of bolts flew in straight lines toward those at the very front of the protest.
At the desperate moment when someone’s blood was about to be written into history.
Crash!
Someone drove a sword shining with sacred light into the ground.
Shhhhhhh!
Using that sword as its center, a massive golden shield rose up.
Clang! Clang!
The bolts fell uselessly against the golden shield covering the entire street.
The protesters, who had nearly met tragedy, were stunned for a moment before looking at the person who had protected them.
The hood of the robe had fallen off in the rush, revealing her face.
Its owner had orange hair, a color said to be exceedingly rare in the world.
“...The Hero?”
“T-The Hero?”
The protesters reacted in a daze.
Of course they did. She was the Hero.
The traitor who had received an ominous prophecy from the goddess, stolen the holy sword, and fled.
Yet that traitor had saved them in their moment of crisis.
“Everyone, run! It’s dangerous here!”
Asella turned and shouted, but the protesters hesitated.
They still had not fully grasped the situation, and the words came from a traitor.
But the Papal Palace had already regrouped.
-Use mana! The traitor is in front of us!
-The traitor is controlling the protesters! Everyone, prepare for battle!
Just what you’d expect from the Papal Palace, experts in incitement and fabrication.
They should have been flustered by Asella’s appearance, yet they made up those claims so quickly.
Still, what mattered now was stopping them.
She gritted her teeth and expanded the barrier.
‘I need to buy time until the citizens can escape...!’
The golden barrier blocked the entire street.
Since she had enlarged it so ridiculously, it consumed divine power and mana at an extreme rate.
-Fire!!!
Boom! Boom!
Even so, she had to endure. Bolts continued raining down.
It seemed they had truly used mana, because the sound was like bombs exploding.
“T-They really fired at us!”
“Run! Hurry, run!”
“You XXXXXX! You’ll receive divine punishment! You XXXs!!!”
Only then did the protesters understand what was happening and begin running.
The problem was that there were simply too many people. On top of that, the street was narrow.
Even well-trained armies often retreated in complete chaos.
For civilians, it could only be much slower.
-Fix bayonets! The moment that traitor’s barrier breaks, charge!
Asella wanted to rip that tongue out immediately.
She did not care if they called her a traitor.
But what had the citizens done wrong? They had simply been unable to ignore injustice.
What did those people see citizens as? What did they intend to do with the ones who had upheld El Dorado all this time?
Boom!
“?!”
As she stubbornly held on, a far louder noise rang out.
Asella jerked her head up.
Smoke rose from the barrier.
‘D-Don’t tell me?’
She desperately turned toward the Papal Palace entrance.
Something horrifying emerged.
Cannons, the kind used in sieges.
Not one cannon, either. There were several.
It was shocking enough to make curses spill out on their own.
‘Y-You...!’
She was so furious that words would not come out.
They were the ones in the wrong, yet they were considering a massacre?
The bigger problem was that the cannons kept firing.
No matter that she was the Hero, she had clear limits.
Worse, after spending so long on the run, she could only use around sixty percent of her full power.
“Waaaaah! Mom!”
Then she heard something she should never have heard from behind her.
Asella turned around in alarm.
Amid the fleeing protesters, a child had apparently been swept up in the crowd and fallen to the ground crying.
The child could not have come to the protest. They had probably just been walking down the street and gotten caught up in it through bad luck.
Creeeak! Crack!
The shield was already nearing its limit. Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the barrier.
Asella looked back and forth between the front and rear.
Holy knights approached from the front, while a child cried behind her.
Not all the protesters had managed to retreat yet, either.
Yet the Papal Palace continued pouring firepower into them without stopping.
“Hey! Are you okay?!”
“Waaaaah!”
Fortunately, Reina rushed in to help at just the right time.
Reina took the child away, allowing Asella to breathe a little easier, but...
Creeeeak!
The barrier could not. The overwhelming firepower had pushed it to its limit.
Asella urgently poured out all her strength to repair it, but it was like pouring water into a bottomless jar.
An inherently inefficient technique, barely half her strength remaining, and overwhelming firepower pouring down on her.
In the end.
Crash!
The barrier shattered like glass and scattered apart.
-Fire!!!
The Papal Palace saw the barrier break and ordered them to fire.
Nothing stood in their way now.
Whether they fired directly, arced their shots, or used cannons, casualties were inevitable.
“...”
Asella left the holy sword embedded in the ground and ran back.
To protect Reina and the child, who had not escaped yet.
‘O Aris.’
She felt a cold presence behind her.
It would be either bolts or cannonballs.
Asella expended every last bit of mana to become a human shield.
‘Please protect them.’
Just as she squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped herself around Reina and the child.
Boom!!!
A great tremor shook the ground, and she felt as though something had enclosed them.
It felt warm and safe, even with her eyes closed.
“...?”
Asella slowly opened her eyes.
For some reason, it was dark around them.
It had been a bright afternoon only moments ago.
“What...?”
“Uh...?”
Reina and the child she had protected looked just as confused.
They could only be confused by the incomprehensible situation.
They had thought they would die when the barrier broke, but something unexpected had happened.
Swoooosh-
As they stood there in shock, light slowly returned.
More precisely, the thing surrounding them was slowly opening.
Light entered the darkness that had hidden everything, letting them see their surroundings.
Then they realized what had protected them.
A massive statue, so huge that they had to crane their necks to see its face.
It held a large shield in one hand, and the wings on its back were striking.
Those wings had probably protected them.
They did not have a single scratch.
[I am Cain, Lady Aris’s First Holy Knight.]
As they stared blankly, the statue spoke in a heavy voice.
[I have answered your call.]
It had answered the call.
Footnotes:
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