Chapter 59

A Strange Adventure (1)

Title) As of Today, Chae-U Has Two More Fans

Wild Grylls

(Photo of Namu-Ppareumbo wearing a Chae-U uniform)

(Photo of Wonmo wearing a Chae-U uniform)

(Photo of the two animals standing side by side)

As of today, I hereby officially declare that Namu-Ppareumbo and Wonmo have become fans of Chaemes United.

└ Namu-Ppareumbo looks fucking miserable lmaooooo

└ Wonmo just looks confused lololol. So damn cute lololol

└ Why does it suit them so well? Lmaoooo

└ Did Princess Cheonggu give you a kids' one too?

└ Wild Grylls) Yeah. It's not like I'm going to wear it, so I tried putting it on them. If they don't like it, I'll take it off.

└ Ahhh. The whole world is Chae-U now...

└ Starlight Princess) Should I raise an owlbear too? It's really adorable.

└ Wild Grylls) As long as you feed them well, they're pretty easy to raise. And they're seriously cute.

└ Starlight Princess) I'd like to raise one and name it Hellin.

└ Wild Grylls) Ma'am?

"Hehehe."

Kaylin, the princess of Mephisto, chuckled in satisfaction as she looked at the post Grylls had uploaded.

She normally maintained an overbearing demeanor, but that was only in everyday life.

In the Gallery, where she could freely express all her emotions, she wasn't much different from anyone else.

"It really is cute. Just look at that chubby body."

Even she couldn't resist cute things.

In fact, hardly anyone ever badmouthed Wonmo.

Badmouth Wonmo? Then you'd better be prepared to get hit with every insult imaginable.

There were even users who clamored for Grylls to stop posting about himself and upload more pictures of Wonmo instead.

At this rate, he won't have to worry about clothes for a while.

There wasn't any particularly deep reason why she'd given Grylls the uniforms.

She had so many uniforms lying around that they were practically underfoot, and she personally found Grylls interesting.

As a princess, she had spent her entire life being showered with all sorts of sweet talk and flattery.

She could easily tell whether the words coming out of someone's mouth were sincere or false.

It's been a long time since someone's sincerity came through so clearly in their words.

There were quite a few reasons Kaylin had taken a liking to Grylls.

For one, he genuinely supported Chae-U, the team she herself rooted for, and his determination to repay every favor he received was impressive.

When she'd told him there was no need to repay her, he'd even started fidgeting like a puppy desperate to relieve itself.

Every little thing he said and did left Kaylin with a favorable impression.

Even in the anonymous Gallery, Grylls remained polite and well-mannered.

Is it because his life is at risk if he fails to win people's favor?

Perhaps that was the reason.

Once he escaped the Forest of Four Seasons, he might completely change his attitude, shut his mouth, and ignore everyone.

But she wouldn't mind even if he did.

At the very least, it meant he would remain a decent person for as long as he was trapped in the Forest of Four Seasons.

Still, something's strange. Did he really come from another world?

Putting everything else aside, she couldn't help but be intrigued by Grylls.

Grylls had once claimed that he came from another world.

At the time, everyone had dismissed it as part of his persona.

Kaylin had believed the same.

Besides, Grylls possessed knowledge related to sports.

That was precisely why she'd assumed it was merely part of his persona, but the proposal he'd brought up had genuinely astonished her.

A tournament based not on clubs founded around their home cities, but on the territories the players come from. And it would only be held once every four years?

The tournament Grylls had mentioned—

The World Cup.

That was what bothered Kaylin.

He had explained it as though such a tournament had actually existed.

There was no way she couldn't take an interest in it.

The pride of representing your homeland. The honor earned by defeating the other representatives. The rarity of a tournament held only once every four years. They're compelling ideas just from hearing about them.

There had once been a tournament she'd tried to promote in Mephisto.

Her proposal had been to have each race assemble a representative team and hold a worldwide sporting competition.

The idea had received a fairly enthusiastic response, but it ultimately fell apart for various reasons.

The differences between races were one issue, but the pressure involved was simply too intense.

The competition wouldn't merely be fierce—it would be murderous. And even if someone survived that competition and earned a place on the team, they would inevitably become entangled in politics.

It was an honor no different from a poisoned chalice.

That was why the proposal had gradually fizzled out and disappeared.

It could probably become hugely popular among humans too.

Humans had extraordinarily low lows, but their highs were high enough to pierce the heavens.

That applied to sports as well, and countless humans were currently active as professional athletes.

Even in Mephisto, it was common for transferred human players to put on spectacular performances.

However, their short lifespans meant they aged quickly, so their primes were comparatively brief.

There was nothing that could be done about that.

Yet within those brief periods of brilliance, they would sweep up every award imaginable, crushing the pride of the demon race more and more with each passing day.

Hadn't they recently suffered a defeat in the tournament where clubs from different nations competed against one another?

If demons and elves burned long and steady, humans burned short and fierce.

Did he really come from another world?

At first, she'd dismissed it as nonsense, but there were now far too many suspicious details to ignore.

There was the fact that he could use the Gallery from within the Forest of Chaos, not to mention all the strange knowledge he possessed.

Even if he did, that doesn't change the fact that he's a Chae-U fan.

Her suspicions kept breeding more suspicions, but Kaylin soon stopped dwelling on them.

She wanted to have a deeper conversation with Grylls, but his survival was more important.

It would genuinely sadden her if a fellow Chae-U fan died such a pointless death.

I wish those people from the Medes family knew about Grylls too.

How wonderful would it be if the Medes family gave Grylls their full support?

His chances of survival would rise dramatically, and they could reap plenty of advertising benefits in return.

But all the Medes family cared about was making money.

They wouldn't spare a thought for someone like Grylls.

I'd love to pressure them if I could, but... damn politics.

Kaylin shook her head.

Soccer and other sports were endlessly simple for those who merely enjoyed them.

But the deeper one delved into their inner workings, the more complicated and filthy they became.

That was precisely why Kaylin preferred simply enjoying sports rather than getting too deeply involved.

Even with that mindset, watching a Chae-U match still made her blood boil, but that was something every sports fan could relate to.

Getting furious because the team you supported played like absolute garbage transcended nations and races alike.

Please, just don't lose without putting up a fight. Or at least score one goal.

Kaylin recalled the match that was coming up soon.

Their opponent was Leor, a team she couldn't stand the sight of.

The difference in strength between Leor, which had grown into a powerhouse, and the declining Chae-U was enormous.

But soccer always had a way of producing unexpected results, so she held on to a sliver of hope.

I should tell them I'll be entering spiritual cultivation in two days.

There was one good thing about becoming obsessed with sports.

You didn't need to undergo separate spiritual cultivation.

Watching sports was spiritual cultivation in itself, so what need was there for anything else?

Thinking that, Kaylin continued walking.

"Hm?"

"Ah."

As she walked down the corridor, she came face-to-face with someone.

The blue skin and inverted eyes characteristic of the demon race.

Horns growing from his head.

And finally, features handsome enough that no one could deny he was a good-looking man.

"I greet you, Father."

Kaylin offered him a polite greeting in accordance with proper etiquette.

Asmode, the being infamous throughout the world as the Demon King.

He was Kaylin's biological father and reigned as the king of Mephisto.

"Yes, Kaylin. Has anything unusual happened?"

"What could possibly happen to me? Every day is the same as the last."

"I see. Where are you headed?"

"I was planning to make preparations for the spiritual cultivation I'll be undertaking in two days."

I'm going to watch the Chae-U match in two days.

That was what Kaylin was actually thinking.

Asmode nodded at her words before speaking in his usual stiff tone.

"It seems you've been having spiritual cultivation days much more frequently lately. Is there something troubling you?"

"My worries are infinitely trivial compared to yours, Father, as you bear responsibility for Mephisto's decisions day after day."

Chae-U is playing like fucking garbage. I'm so stressed I feel like I'm going to die of cancer.

Kaylin screamed internally once again.

Asmode nodded at her words and offered some consolation.

"Do not push yourself too hard. Before you are a princess, you are my daughter. If you ever need help, you need only ask."

"Your words alone mean a great deal to me. But..."

Kaylin stared intently at Asmode's face.

Perhaps things had been going well for him recently, because his expression had softened considerably.

In the past, he'd worn such a stern expression every single day that she'd found him terrifying.

On top of that, much like Kaylin herself these days, he'd been constantly busy with spiritual cultivation.

"Father, have you attained some sort of enlightenment? It seems you've been spending fewer days on spiritual cultivation lately."

"Indeed. Things have been going well for both Mephisto and myself, so my mind has naturally become more at ease."

"I see."

I'm jealous. I'm so damn jealous.

While one person was rotting away inside with each passing day, another had attained enlightenment.

Still, Kaylin didn't think it was unfair.

The blame lay with Kaylin herself.

It's my own fault for being a Chae-U fan.

She had absolutely no intention of taking her frustration out on an innocent person.

"Then I hope you achieve meaningful growth."

"Thank you, Father. What will you be doing?"

"I also have training in two days. Perhaps it may be the most important training of all."

"I'm certain you'll achieve excellent results, Father."

"Thank you for the kind words. I shall be on my way."

Asmode gave Kaylin's shoulder a couple of pats as he walked past her.

Kaylin watched his retreating figure for a moment before continuing on her own way.

If we lose again this time...

The thought alone was horrifying.

The Gallery would undoubtedly explode with an enormous wave of mockery.

But what worried her most was Grylls.

Wouldn't he be disappointed after witnessing Chae-U's atrocious performance?

She could already picture the other named users finding out about his disappointment and trying to lure him away—especially King Leor.

└ King Leor) Why support a team like that? How about rooting for our Leor instead? I'll even give you a uniform.

└ Wild Grylls) Thank you. Actually, I've been a Leor fan for a long time.

└ King Leor) Now, say it. Where does Chae-U belong?

└ Wild Grylls) Right in the middle of the table?

└ King Leor) Very good!

Anything but that!

How could she make sure Grylls remained a Chae-U fan?

Kaylin maintained an expressionless face on the outside while agonizing internally.

No matter how exalted her position might be, in the end, she was still just another sports fan.

I'll be watching to see if you switch sides.

Without Grylls even knowing it, Kaylin had given him a test.

***

What was that? Something feels weird.

I looked around.

No matter where I looked, all I could see were trees.

I wondered if some beast was hiding nearby and watching me, but I couldn't find anything.

Namu-Ppareumbo wasn't reacting either, so I must have imagined it.

Let's see. I wonder how well it turned out.

More importantly, there was something I needed to check.

The tripod I'd made after reading Starlight Princess's post.

It was time to see whether all the meat I'd hung from it had finished smoking.

Smoking could take as little as one or two hours, or as long as around ten hours.

Since time was precious to me, I'd chosen a method that involved raising the temperature somewhat.

"Whoa. Look at that color."

The appearance passed with flying colors.

Not only did it have that distinctive smoked color, but the aroma was incredible.

Wondering whether it had cooked all the way through, I tore a piece of meat in half.

The inside had been cooked to a beautiful golden brown.

The meat itself looked perfect, but the most important thing was the taste.

There was still some time left until dinner, but one bite wouldn't hurt.

I took a bite of the smoked tiger meat.

I'd heard that carnivorous animals usually had a strong gamey smell, but perhaps because I'd smoked it, I couldn't smell anything unpleasant at all.

Or maybe I was just the kind of person who could eat pretty much anything.

It didn't taste bad either.

The meat was especially juicy, and the texture was excellent.

"Nnnghhh...! Ptoo! Ptoo!"

Except it was insanely salty.

I'd cured it with salt before smoking it, so there was no helping that.

Wonmo probably can't eat this.

Raw meat would be much better for Wonmo.

I hung the finished smoked meat deeper inside the cave.

The cave was relatively cool, so storing it inside was better than leaving it outside.

Now to cook the rest of the meat.

I still had plenty left to smoke.

My hands and feet were unusually busy today.

By the time I'd finished everything I needed to do, the sun had already set and evening had arrived.

Dinner would be the smoked meat I'd made today.

One chunk should be enough.

"Wonmo. Time to eat."

"Kkyuu!"

As soon as it was mealtime, Wonmo approached with sparkling eyes.

Wonmo was wearing the children's uniform, and the sheer level of cuteness was beyond imagination.

Just looking at him made me want to scoop him up in a tight hug.

I think I finally understood why people dressed their pets in clothes.

"As for Namu-Ppareumbo..."

Namu-Ppareumbo clearly hated it, so I'd taken his uniform off immediately.

If I hadn't, he probably would've gone shrrrip! shrrrip! and torn it apart with his claws.

Anyway, I'd managed to spend another productive day.

Tomorrow, I needed to catch some crabs for the dwarf and explore the surrounding area.

If I keep making progress little by little, I'll eventually find a clue, right?

Holding on to the faintest bit of hope, I drifted off to sleep.

Completely unaware of what would happen the next day.