Chapter 196
Chapter 196
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 196
Chapter Title: The Gallery Army's First Expedition
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The quiet interior of the grand cathedral.
Darian sat in the front row.
Dawn prayer—a perfectly ordinary day for him, nothing special.
[‘Judak*’ has delivered 30 Low-Grade Spell Resistance Potions!]
Judak*: Just in case, take them ㅇㅇ
Until the divine message appeared.
“...Finally.”
Darian murmured softly as he accepted the potions.
Potions from the divine to block the filthy external spells.
Now, preparations were complete.
“The time has come.”
“Kyuing?”
When Darian extended his hand, the wyvern Twitter (alias), who had been eating fish beside him, lifted its head.
Darian stroked the wyvern a few times, then rose from his seat.
-Rumble
The countless cathedral knights behind him also stood up simultaneously.
“Hero, surely...”
Colin, seated right behind him, spoke up in surprise.
Standing during dawn prayer.
Not uttering that name, as per Judak’s words.
There was only one reason to break these taboos.
“As you suspect.”
Darian walked toward the podium.
At its center, in a spot bathed in sunlight, the holy sword lay horizontally.
-Humm.
Darian picked up the holy sword.
Naturally, the knights’ attention focused on him.
He pointed the sword tip toward the sky and spoke calmly.
“The time has come.”
After the cathedral’s restoration.
Judak had designated the hero.
Judak had sent a spirit beast.
Finally, Judak had sent elixirs to protect his body from external threats.
“The divine one wills it.”
“Waaah!”
“No more war! No more war!”
They would restore justice amid the external ruin.
That day, Darian declared war on the monsters with the Crusade—no, the Gallery Army—centered at the cathedral.
*
- Judak*) Holy shit, what a lame name
ㄴ lololol
ㄴ But it was badass as hell, right? Cool, right?
ㄴ Hey! Jubble Pong! Gallery Army will carry!!!!
I gave them potions to defend.
But they interpreted it their own way, raided a rift, and came back.
They even named it Gallery Army.
“This is a bit...”
The old Adrian was a walking headache.
He was always trying to track my location and attempt assassinations.
But now?
- Go and teach them!
- Until monster corpses form mountains!!!
- Uwaaak! Light of my heart, half-elf beauty Judak!
The cathedral knights were going berserk.
Didn’t they fear getting hurt or dying?
Covered head to toe in blood, cheering in pure madness.
“Better than back then?”
They’d swung too far the other way.
- But how the hell did they win?
- They even raided an active rift without a wave, wtf ;;
The problem was they succeeded.
They raided an active rift—no wave—and returned.
Now I had a nuke in my inventory from the Gallery Army’s raid.
“Feels weirdkon.”
Something felt off.
So off that a weird noise slipped out.
No issues arose, and I hadn’t given them anything.
Yet they went off on their own, and dumped all the rewards on me?
- Judak*) Scary, why are you like this
ㄴ lololol the situation is hilarious
ㄴ First time getting carried instead of carrying the log
But the Gallery Army wasn’t satisfied.
[Title: Phase 1 Expedition, Phase 2 Subjugation Plan]
Author: Colin
(Image of Darian raising the holy sword)
(Image of cheering cathedral knight soldiers)
Successfully completed combat, second subjugation scheduled in 1 hour
Until all rifts in this world dry up
[Recommendations 9999+] [Disrecommendations 12]
- Kyakyakya
- Even a fellow guy thinks it’s badass af ㅇㅇ
- Taking Gallery Army reinforcements?
ㄴ Colin) https://gall.myeolmang.com/mgallery/Gallery group
ㄴ Colin) Please send support here
They immediately proceeded to the next subjugation.
They didn’t even call it an expedition.
- Why call it subjugation specifically?
ㄴ Colin) Phase 1 expedition plan is for 1 year
ㄴ ?
ㄴ (Image of elf staring blankly into space)
ㄴ Is this for real?
Phase 1 expedition meant no returning to the city until next year’s this day.
“A one-year expedition?”
Sleep, eat, subjugate.
Even a trip for a year would be grueling.
But subjugation as the goal?
The implication was clear.
“These guys aren’t afraid of dying.”
Even in death, a good death—no, martyrdom.
Of course, that size force could clear most rifts.
But they needed to know their place.
We weren’t yet in a position to attack.
“Gotta stop them no matter what.”
If the cathedral knights, the Adrian Empire’s main force, died off, that’d be trouble.
But how to stop them?
They seemed dead set; would words alone make them back down?
- Judak*: No dude; hold up a sec
Still, I left a comment.
Gotta try something to get results.
But no reply.
No—a new post went up.
[Title: Speak Your Will]
Author: Darian
(Image of Gallery Army on their knees)
Listening intently
[Recommendations 1021] [Disrecommendations 19]
- lololol legend
- Peak Judak maxxing
- But why so reverent for no reason?
The Gallery Army gathered in a sunlit forest clearing, eyes closed, heads bowed.
Somehow majestic and holy.
The target being me was the issue.
- Judak*) Gallery Army is cool and all ㅇㅇ but time to head back
ㄴ Darian) My mind is too limited; I didn’t understand properly
ㄴ Judak*) Well, like...
ㄴ Judak*) External stuff is fine but internal is more urgent rn...
ㄴ What’s he saying?
ㄴ Basically, they’re asking for face reveal?
“Ao.”
Beating around the bush wasn’t explaining it right.
It didn’t suit my style anyway.
I gave up euphemisms and cut straight to it.
- Judak*) Holy shit, DON’T GO
ㄴ Judak*) Monsters spreading through the world right now are the bigger issue than rifts
Was this the time for subjugation?
Problems were right here; what Gallery Army nonsense.
That’s what I meant.
Honestly, it bordered on my usual internal interference.
“But now I’ve got enough stake.”
A statement of conviction should be fine.
From their side, it could feel offensive.
Even friends hate criticism.
Let alone a stranger whose face they don’t know...
- Darian) Ahh, I understand!
ㄴ Judak*) Oh?
ㄴ Darian) Subjugation plan halted immediately. I fully grasp your meaning.
He agreed.
“No way it’s this easy?”
Not some mercenary band—these were knight orders united as Gallery Army.
Before I could be more surprised, a new post appeared.
[Title: Gallery Army Phase 1 Expedition Plan Revision]
Author: Colin
(Image of Darian raising the holy sword)
(Image of cheering cathedral knight soldiers)
Not rift subjugation, but internal monster subjugation
Aiming to reclaim imperial territory from past days, continuing Gallery Army
Until all worldly monsters dry up
They listened well.
“No, nothing changed.”
They only listened to the words.
Misinterpreting my intent, the Gallery Army swapped external monsters for internal ones.
*
“What?”
Inside a crumbling building ruin.
Pride, picking relatively intact clothes from a mannequin, furrowed her brow sharply.
“Kiiik...”
The variant monster prostrated before her trembled in fear.
No wonder—the news of Pride’s dispatched monster being subjugated had just arrived.
“So I failed?”
“Kiiing...”
“Hmph, whatever. Off with you.”
Pride waved her hand dismissively.
She already knew.
She’d been watching through the monster’s eyes until its dying moment.
As the monster fled in panic, an old man sitting on nearby debris looked up.
“You saw it?”
“Didn’t say a word...”
“I totally saw it. Just gauging the vibe.”
The old man, Greed, said nothing.
But clearly, Pride’s pride had taken a hit.
Counting ceiling patterns in the corner, Greed asked.
“So why’d you bring me?”
“Need you to judge my outfit. Porters are essential for shopping.”
Of course, he had plenty to say.
All that boasting, yet she failed the invasion too?
Sending eyeless monsters arrogantly was the root failure.
But...
“...”
He kept it inside.
You? Total failure. Tempting.
But Greed wasn’t dumb enough to say it aloud.
“You? Total failure.”
“What?”
Some think it; others say it.
From the direction the monster fled, a woman with red ponytail stormed in, shoulders puffed.
“Say that again?”
Pride stopped shopping, looking up unpleasantly.
By now, even among the Seven Deadly Sins, it was time to read the room.
Except for Wrath with her anger issues.
“Failed like a dog.”
“Last chance. Say it.”
Pride crossed her arms, chin up.
Wrath approached and whispered deliberately into her ear.
“Total failure.”
At those words, a horn sprouted crackling from Pride’s forehead.
As the corner-watching old man tried to slip away—
“Let’s make a bet.”
In the tense standoff, Wrath smiled.
“A bet? Now?”
Pride had no intention of stopping.
Her pride already bruised, head full of Judak.
Plus, she had to pay for all the scratching.
But Wrath, who’d lived as long as Pride, knew how to handle her.
“Scared?”
“Fine, let’s bet.”
The magic word: scared.
Pride smiled without blinking.
Wrath’s bet was simple.
“I’ll try the invasion this time. We bet on success or failure.”
Pride nodded.
She never backed out of such bets.
“I bet on failure.”
“Obviously... success for me!”
Wrath brimmed with confidence.
She’d never lost in life.
Pride’s cheating win didn’t count.
“Yeah? Give it a shot.”
Pride smiled.
Having tried invasion once, she knew all too well.
“You’ll never succeed.”
Wrath would fail.
As long as Judak was over there.
She’d sent the variant monster that razed a small city during the great war.
Elves panicked helplessly, as expected.
Then assassinate the leadership when an opening appeared.
“Judak, not as easy as you think?”
But Judak was different.
No hesitation—he tossed an item.
From it came a roar and screams Pride had never heard.
Screams full of worldly curses, pain, resentment.
“Not ordinary.”
Likely a monster slain, soul bound to the item by magic.
Unaware, Wrath snapped her fingers confidently.
“No worries. I won’t let my guard down.”
At Wrath’s fingertip, something red and dark swirled into being.
“Sowing discord among humans is child’s play.”
Wrath soon spread anger, irritation, and negative emotions beyond the rift.