Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 143

< 143. Attending the Assembly (2) >

“A month? That’s too stingy.”

Rembrary clicked his tongue. The wish itself was tempting, but what could anyone do with just a month?

Meanwhile, the Archpriest held his hands together in front of the person making the wish.

He stayed like that for about 30 seconds. Then, the Archpriest nodded and said, “The angel has answered.” A faint light began to emanate from the person making the wish.

The people gathered around clapped and cheered.

They didn’t even know if the wish had been granted, and even if it was, it only lasted for a month. But everyone seemed satisfied enough with just this.

As the person who made the wish stepped down, the Archpriest released his hands and waved to the crowd.

Rembrary thought he was just waving casually with one hand, but the people cheered and waved back with both hands.

Rembrary stared at the scene with longing eyes, lost in thought. It reminded him of the past…

“Hey, Idol. Did your soul get sucked out? Why the long face?”

“Something like that.”

“Is it because you don’t want to gain weight either?”

“That would be nice.”

Rembrary tried to suppress his longing for his original world. Longing wouldn’t help him here.

Instead, he decided that when he got a chance to talk to the Archpriest, he would ask him to use that wish magic on him.

After that, the Archpriest was busy moving around, and Rembrary helped himself to the food on the table.

It was about 30 minutes later that the Archpriest noticed him and approached.

“Maeng Wooshin.”

Even though his face was completely covered, the Archpriest recognized Maeng Wooshin right away and asked if he was doing well.

“Of course, I’m doing great.”

Rembrary was anxiously waiting, wondering when he would be addressed. The Archpriest exchanged a few words with Maeng Wooshin and then made a request.

“Please excuse us for a moment.”

Then, he politely greeted Rembrary.

“It is an infinite honor to have you here.”

Maeng Wooshin’s eyes widened as he looked back and forth between Rembrary and the Archpriest.

“Why are you being so formal with him, Archpriest?”

It was surprising enough that the Archpriest was being polite to Rembrary, but his tone was even more surprising.

But instead of explaining, the Archpriest repeated his command.

“Please excuse us for a moment.”

Maeng Wooshin had no choice but to leave.

However, Maeng Wooshin kept craning his neck to see what the two were talking about, even from a distance.

Perhaps the Archpriest didn’t like that either. He waved Maeng Wooshin further away and then took Rembrary to a secluded place where there was no one around.

“Did we really have to talk in such a remote place?”

“There are some who I don’t want overhearing our conversation.”

Once they were completely alone, the Archpriest continued where he left off.

“I have shown you an embarrassing ability.”

“No, it was fascinating and fun.”

“Is that so? In what way?”

“The fact that it has a one-month limit? I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

“…I have truly shown you a very embarrassing side of myself.”

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m really envious of your ability.”

“Is that so?”

“If it’s okay, could you do that for me too?”

“Do what?”

“Let me eat whatever I want. It’s been tough dieting.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve already used it up for this month.”

“Does that mean granting one wish per month isn’t just a concept?”

“No. That’s the limit.”

‘So, his divine power is weak after all.’

“Then, Archpriest, what happens if someone makes a wish that you can’t handle?”

“When someone makes a wish, if it’s too difficult to grant, I can refuse.”

“Then what about that person?”

“They can change their wish to something else.”

“Does every wish only last for a month?”

“It depends on the wish, but wishes related to abilities only last for a month.”

Rembrary repeatedly marveled at the Archpriest’s words.

“Archpriest, you’re really weak.”

‘He has a good ability, but his divine power itself isn’t strong.’

In a way, the Archpriest’s ‘Angel’s Wish’ was an ability on the opposite end of the spectrum from Rembrary’s ‘Truthful Bet.’

However, Rembrary could use his ability without restrictions, while the Archpriest seemed to have severe limitations.

Perhaps because Rembrary’s thoughts were showing on his face, the Archpriest looked at Rembrary quietly and smiled bitterly.

“Of course, High Priest, you must be on a completely different level of strength compared to someone like me.”

“I don’t know if I’d call it strong, but it’s true that my ability is better.”

“I am very happy to be able to serve such a great person.”

“Praise me. Praise me.”

Rembrary smiled contentedly, and the Archpriest added.

“I hope you will visit more often.”

“Are you just saying that?”

“Excuse me?”

“I understand. But if you want me to visit, set a proper date.”

“Excuse me?”

The Archpriest, who didn’t know about Rembrary’s conversation with Sagamjae, was puzzled and asked again.

But Rembrary didn’t seem to want to explain further, so the Archpriest asked Rembrary again.

“By the way, High Priest, is your ability related to healing?”

“Healing? Where did that come from all of a sudden?”

“Aren’t there various rumors about you circulating in the entertainment industry? From chilling stories to secret tales of you mysteriously healing people. If we assume those rumors are true…”

“It’s close to that field.”

Rembrary was excited to be talking about his greatness with someone after a long time, and he had a pleased look on his face under his cloak.

The Archpriest had a strange expression, but Rembrary couldn’t see it because of the deeply pulled-down cloak.

As they were talking and walking, the Archpriest said.

“Come to think of it, didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”

The Archpriest recalled that Rembrary had tried to visit him before and asked.

Rembrary realized and stopped.

Now that he thought about it, the reason he wanted to meet the Archpriest was to ask something.

It wasn’t to see the wish that allowed him to eat whatever he wanted once a month.

“Ah. Right. I have something to say. A very important question.”

At the word ‘important question,’ the Archpriest tensed up and looked at Rembrary.

Rembrary asked in a serious voice.

“What is my vibe like?”

“…”

“I am gentle and benevolent. But do you feel a rough side beneath the surface?”

The Archpriest smiled awkwardly. He couldn’t say anything against the High Priest, but he thought Rembrary’s words were completely useless. He didn’t understand why he was asking him such a question. What kind of answer did he want to hear?

“Which way would you like me to answer?”

“What do you mean? Answer as you feel.”

“I am still lacking in understanding of the High Priest, so I don’t know which answer you would prefer.”

“I said answer as you feel?”

“?”

“Before, a certain demon treated me very familiarly.”

Only after hearing Rembrary’s words did the Archpriest nod his head, understanding. ‘Ah.’ So he wasn’t asking with a set answer in mind.

“So I’m curious. Do I look strange? After all, I came from another world… There’s a possibility that I might look a little strange to the people here.”

Hadn’t Yama and the Grim Reaper said it themselves?

Rembrary wanted to know for sure whether the strange attitude of the demons and devils towards him was due to the energy of this world or because of ‘that’ included in the shadow.

However, the person he was asking wasn’t a very good subject to maintain a fair perspective.

“You are not strange at all, High Priest. You are perfect. You are the best.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Rembrary nodded, convinced. So that meant he was perfect, the best, and not strange at all here either.

Then why were the demons and devils acting so strangely?

As he was walking along, lost in thought, he saw that the people gathered at the assembly were anxious to talk to the Archpriest.

Rembrary realized that he had been holding the Archpriest for too long and that people were envious.

Since he had asked everything he wanted to ask, Rembrary said to the Archpriest, “I’ll go alone now.” He had asked everything he wanted to ask, so there was no more business to attend to.

But the Archpriest said something unexpected.

“Actually, there is something I would like to show you.”

“Show me?”

“A precious item.”

Instead of going to the people waiting for him, the Archpriest said, “Please come this way,” and quietly opened the door and went outside.

It wasn’t the door that Maeng Wooshin and Rembrary had entered through, but the door that the Archpriest had entered through.

When he opened the door and went out, there was a long corridor again.

The Archpriest slightly raised his hand to signal them to go to that corridor, then firmly closed the door he had come out of and continued walking, saying.

“It’s difficult to expand our influence by only performing miracles once a month. Many people here tend to deny anything supernatural.”

There was even a group that tried to kill all the saints.

Nakru was in the way of spreading rumors by pouring out miracles, and the Archpriest’s miracles were not enough to accept a large number of people as followers at once, ignoring Nakru.

This was the point.

The reason why the Archpriest mainly gathered celebrities as followers was also because of this.

Celebrities were in a position where it was easy for them to become intermediaries and gather other followers, but they had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.

Rembrary nodded in agreement.

“Yes. That seems to be the case. But where are we going now?”

“Do you remember when you wanted to meet me before, and I said I had a prior engagement?”

How could he not remember? It was the day he was rejected after saying he could come anytime he was told to come anytime.

Rembrary stared intently, but the Archpriest continued without showing any signs of apology.

“As I said, it’s difficult for me to perform miracles that would immediately make people follow a god they’ve never heard of with my own power. So, I’m always collecting items that could become sacred objects as I find them.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It helps. And the prior engagement I mentioned before was to meet a dealer who handles such items. I was coordinating the purchase of the items.”

‘Is the sacred object that the Archpriest is talking about the same sacred object that I’m thinking of?’

“I’m going to show you that. Actually, there’s a bit of a problem with it.”

Just in time, they arrived at the end of the corridor.

At the end of the corridor, there was another door, and guards were standing guard in front of it.

At the Archpriest’s signal, they immediately stepped aside and cleared the way, and the two entered the room.

The door size was similar, but the room was much smaller than the place where the people who attended the assembly had gathered.

In the center of the room, there was a cushion surrounded by a glass case.

“There’s a problem, but I can’t solve it with my power…”

The Archpriest, who was continuing his explanation as he approached, suddenly stopped talking.

Rembrary pointed to the cushion with his finger and asked.

“Is this the sacred object?”

“Of course not.”

The Archpriest shook his head with a serious expression.

“There was a brush here.”

“A brush?”

“Yes. It’s a brush that wipes away people’s bad feelings. I brought it because I thought it would be effective if used with a few precautions…”

“Where is that brush?”

“That’s what I’m saying. I wonder if someone stole it…”

The Archpriest’s expression became even more serious as he spoke.

“Is there no CCTV [closed-circuit television]?”

“There isn’t one here.”

‘It must be a very expensive item,’ Rembrary thought, but the Archpriest’s expression darkened even more.

However, the reason why the Archpriest’s expression darkened wasn’t because of the price of the brush.

“As I said, there’s a bit of a problem with it.”

“A problem?”

“I don’t know if I should call it a side effect or a curse…”

“If you say that, I won’t understand anything? What is the side effect?”

“I’ll tell you as we look for it. The only entrance to this place is the one we came through, and no one has left, so one of the people who participated in the assembly must have stolen it.”

< 143. Attending the Assembly (2) > End