Chapter 117

“I’m tired of living…”

Darian had lost everything.

His family, money, and home.

He suffered physical pain from monsters and mental pain from people.

His life felt like a filthy sewer.

From that moment on, everything in his sight appeared bathed in black.

“I’m… so hungry.”

Even amidst such turmoil, his hunger persisted.

It felt like his consciousness was being forcibly detached from his body, fading further away.

Everything before him looked completely dark and damp.

At that moment, sprawled out like garbage in the square, he couldn’t even manage the most basic needs of a human being.

“Here, take this.”

– Thud

A tuna can was placed before him.

Strangely enough, the tuna can wasn’t black.

It shone bright and vibrant, like a jewel.

“Ah…”

Is this a dream?

At that moment, a coat was draped over his shoulders.

The coat was the same.

It had an inviting and warm hue, easily noticeable to the eye.

“How…?”

Ever since he lost everything, the world had appeared black to him.

But how come the tuna can and coat retained their true colors?

Darian slowly lifted his head, soon grasping the answer to his question.

“Head of the Gallery?”

Before him stood someone radiating a brilliant light.

The man, with sunlight at his back, looked down at him, appearing as bright as a god.

He couldn’t deny it.

It was as if his entire being screamed that this presence before him was the Head of the Gallery.

“What do you mean, Head of the Gallery?”

But the Head of the Gallery denied this.

As if the time wasn’t right yet.

“Ah.”

Darian soon understood and nodded slightly.

“No, I must have been so hungry that I was just talking nonsense for a moment.”

Darian stumbled to his feet.

The world still remained black.

But around the Head of the Gallery, colors shone radiantly like heaven itself.

“I am Darian Jallot.”

“I am… Malfight.”

“Malfight…”

In Darian’s world, the Head of the Gallery was a god.

And the god’s name was Malfight.

“I won’t forget.”

While waiting for the day they would meet again.

Darian was no longer in despair.

He vowed, looking at the Head of the Gallery with bright eyes full of life.

Wishing to be of use someday.

*

The Pope’s corpse fell from the podium.

Darian raised the Holy Sword, watching the scene with disgust and blasphemy.

“Glory to the Head of the Gallery!”

The Holy Sword still emitted no light.

But amidst the shock, nobody noticed.

– What the hell?

– Wait, did the Pope really die?

– Shouldn’t we capture him?

The Gallery was engulfed in chaos.

The Cathedral Soldiers below the podium were the first to regain their senses.

They immediately charged at Darian, the one who killed the Pope…

– On what grounds?

– ?

– The Pope said he was a hero, didn’t he?

– Oh.

There was no justification.

The soldiers could not bring themselves to apprehend Darian.

For a hero was the executor of the divine will.

All actions taken by a hero are exempt from punishment, granted legitimacy.

The Cathedral sanctioned it, making it a contradiction to apprehend him.

“This…!”

One of the bishops, frozen beside the Pope’s corpse, trembled with betrayal.

Darian was not a hero; he was merely a puppet they created.

But they could not dare speak of arresting him.

For once they did, the cathedral’s lies would be exposed.

At that moment, the bishop met Darian’s emotionless gaze.

“…!”

Darian wore a crazed smile.

At that moment, the bishop realized that everyone had been deceived.

Darian had planned and awaited this very moment from the start.

Insanity to set the stage ablaze.

“Heretics deserve to die.”

And to kill the Pope, who mocked the Head of the Gallery while believing in another god.

But wait, that’s me.

“Well, this is bad.”

I, the unwitting fanatic, had the Pope killed.

In front of everyone, he killed the Pope and openly praised me.

I felt a headache coming on.

– Did the Head of the Gallery order this?

– It seems like the Head of the Gallery was aiming to clear the cathedral.

– They’re openly praising the Head of the Gallery, what a shock.

Naturally, the Gallery began conspiracy theories against me.

Claiming I orchestrated a psychological operation to kill the Pope.

– So?

– Then what about the Pope’s recognition of him as a hero?

– If he’s really a hero, then the Pope is a heretic, right?

The problem was that the Cathedral recognized him as a hero.

In the chaotic situation, the bishop, unable to hold back any longer, shouted.

“Arrest him!”

“Huh? But…”

You said he was a hero!

The expression of the soldier standing before Darian twisted like one about to cry.

“Take him away.”

But then, Darian approached the soldier, lowering the Holy Sword.

Amidst the confusion, Darian turned himself in.

*

[Title: Why Darian is Not a Hero…jpg]

I think everyone saw this hero bait.

But in my opinion, no matter how you contemplate it, Darian isn’t a hero.

(The Holy Sword emitting light gif)

Of course, the Holy Sword emitted light.

But upon closer inspection, there was something different about it.

(The gif of the Holy Sword certified by the Head of the Gallery)

Back when the Head of the Gallery certified the Holy Sword, it was unmistakably radiant.

Whereas when Darian held it, it only seemed like light.

(The gif of light magic demonstration)

And this was a magic demonstration posted by Gallum, the Light Magician. The light looked exactly the same.

So, to sum it up:

1. The Pope fabricated a fake hero for power.

2. But the fake hero was a devotee of the Head of the Gallery.

3. Hence the Pope died, leading to our current situation.

[Recommended 9999+] [Not Recommended 12]

– A neat three-line summary.

– This was it.

– Looking back, it was a bit sudden.

– I thought a Pope would be more upright; what a disappointment…

– The upper waters must be clean for the lower waters to be clean, don’t you know, Gallum?

– So what about that so-called hero?

– What happens to him? He’s going to be executed for the Pope’s murder, right?

– Damn, even though he was a fraud.

In the end, Darian, who posed as a fake hero, could not escape punishment.

As the Cathedral was culpable for the fake hero setup, everyone related to it faced execution.

While it meant that the remaining lackeys would be swept away, the Pope remained the Pope.

Consequently, Darian, who pretended to be a hero, had no choice but to die.

To prevent this, at least someone of imperial standing would need to provide adequate proof…

“Did they say he’s twelve years old?”

The emperor was just an elementary school student.

He had no solid evidence either.

There was no way to prevent Darian’s death.

– What are the Cathedral Knights doing?

– Haven’t they taken care of everything instead?

– They did normalize the situation, though.

Nobody within the Cathedral had a solid justification for being in power.

Most importantly, there was a growing sentiment against Darian’s execution.

[Title: Wow, these bastards ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

(The scene of the Cathedral Knights searching inside the Cathedral)

(Various corruptions hidden in the leader’s office)

This time, the Cathedral Knights collectively conducted a search due to the fake hero incident.

But holy moly, it’s not just one or two issues?

Various charges of murder, bribery, nun sexual assault, and embezzlement of donations, etc.

I can’t even… ㅋㅋㅋ

If the upper-ups hadn’t died, this would have been buried for life!

I contributed to such a corrupt church. Damn it. ㅋㅋㅋ

I’m so angry.

[Recommended 9999+] [Not Recommended 5]

– There are still people who dislike this?

– Wow; just how many crimes are there?

– Unbelievable creepy.

– It appears the deaths of the higher-ups were also due to their own blunders. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Cardinal = Witch incident / Pope = Fake hero incident / Archbishop suppression.

– ㅋㅋㅋㅋ LOL.

There are many secret spaces within the cathedral only accessible to the upper-ranking members.

With this incident, as those spaces were explored, a plethora of crimes surfaced.

Given that they had enjoyed the privilege of being a national church with many believers, the backlash grew exponentially.

The sentiment of raising Darian as a hero and saving him began to form.

[Title: They’re executing him?]

(The gif depicting Darian ascending to the execution platform)

Since they can’t delay, they just go for the execution on the same day!

– Wow, I’m speechless. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Is there a mad religion that conducts the hero induction and execution on the same day?

– (The shocked peasant frog gif)

The problem lay in the Pope’s faction, who hastily initiated the execution ceremony independently after failing to create a fake hero.

Yet in the gif, Darian showed no hesitation or fear whatsoever.

Rather, he climbed up to the guillotine with a calm expression.

“Hmm, it feels a waste to just let me die.”

Killing a person is undoubtedly a crime.

But what if the deceased isn’t a person?

It was just then, while pondering if there was no alternative amidst the rising public sentiment.

[One empty slot remaining.]

[Searching…]

[One target available for designation nearby.]

[Would you like to designate the target?]

“Right, I had this.”

It was a cryptic system notification given to me upon reaching level 10 in the Gallery.

It only mentioned to designate a target, nothing more.

But now I realized what it meant.

– Slither

As I understood, an invisible phrase appeared above that notification.

[Level 10 Special – Designation of Head of the Gallery]

Only qualified Gallums can have titles bestowed to them directly by the Head of the Gallery.

Please designate the Head of the Gallery.

Empty Slot – 1

Assignable Target

1. Darian

Head of the Gallery designation.

In other words, it had been linked to someone frequently mentioned like a Head of the Gallery.

For example, a celebrity in a celebrity gallery could be a Head of the Gallery.

Though Darian wasn’t the actual creator of the gallery, he was the central figure of the bait.

– Save Darian!!!

– You crazy Cathedral fools, I’ll riot too!

– Hero.jpg

Coincidentally, Darian was rising within the gallery, getting ample mentions.

“But what’s the benefit of designating him?”

I wondered if designating him would actually save Darian.

As Darian was currently in the guillotine’s position.

[Would you like to designate ‘Darian’?]

“Well, we’ll see when we try.”

I designated Darian in the empty slot.

At that very moment.

[!Attention all Gallery users!]

[A new Head of the Gallery appointment has been made by the Head of the Gallery.]

[Generation change from the current Head of the Gallery is taking place…]

[There is currently no existing Head of the Gallery.]

[Current Head of the Gallery appointed as ‘Darian’!]

“Whoa.”

With a clamor and several system notifications blaring through the gallery, it was happening.

– Flash!

In that instant, it felt like the world briefly flashed.

[Concept Post: What the hell is this?]

(A beam of light shooting high into the sky)

What’s going on in Adrian?

Something’s rising up from the Cathedral???

– What the hell, I saw it too.

– They said it was decided by the Head of the Gallery?

– Notifications are going off all over the Gallery?

– What the hell is the Head of the Gallery designation?

“Whoa…”

A pillar of light shot up into the sky from the direction where Darian was in the Cathedral.