Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 437

437. Unfortunately, We’ll Meet Soon

‘I should tell the spy later to keep an eye out for green hair and report if a blonde appears on that side.’

Thinking to himself, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader first told Sa Gamjae about the location of the green-haired woman he had found, as promised.

“I heard that the green-haired woman carrying a spear is currently in the Blood Cult.”

“Blood Cult? What is that?”

The Blood Cult was, well, the Blood Cult. But their existence was ambiguous to explain, especially to a Grim Reaper.

“It’s better to say it’s a… religion where fanatical people gather. It’s not the kind of religion you generally think of, but one that worships power like a religion. No, I think I’ve actually heard of them believing in something.”

“The name of the god they believe in wouldn’t be Redrin, would it?”

“Huh? What is that?”

The Martial Arts Alliance Leader asked blankly. Sa Gamjae chuckled and shook his head.

“The woman who is said to be in the Blood Cult is probably not the person I’m looking for.”

“The personal details match perfectly, though?”

“That paladin [a holy warrior] is not someone who would join and be active in someone else’s fanatical religion. It would be plausible if Ardor dyed her hair and was there.”

“Yes?”

But even as he said that, Sa Gamjae decided to go there to not miss even a small possibility.

‘Surely Mullu wouldn’t go to such a place on her own.’

‘But like himself, if she came to another dimension and it was such a place, wouldn’t she have no other choice? After all, she would need a period of adaptation rather than rushing headlong into another world.’

“Where is the Blood Cult located?”

“You said it wasn’t her, but you’re going?”

“There’s no harm in checking.”

‘As expected of a Grim Reaper. To talk so easily about going to such a place.’

The Martial Arts Alliance Leader admired inwardly, then took out a map and pointed to the place where the Blood Cult was said to be located.

“The Blood Cult is said to be located somewhere on the outskirts of the 13th Star. This is the 5th Star, so it’s quite a distance.”

“Please circle it so it’s easy to see.”

“You’re visual. …Yes.”

The Alliance Leader drew two circles, one around the Martial Arts Alliance and another around the estimated location of the Blood Cult, and handed it over. Sa Gamjae took it and put it inside the wide sleeve of the new clothes the Martial Arts Alliance Leader had brought.

“Um, Sa Gamjae-nim [a Korean honorific].”

“Why?”

“Are you really planning to go to the Blood Cult yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Um… then, by any chance, are you good at drawing?”

“I’m average.”

“Then could you draw a map of the geography there for me?”

“I’ll draw it for you if you pay me.”

The Martial Arts Alliance Leader thought this Grim Reaper was a bit of a snob, but obediently took out money and handed it over.

‘If he could buy a map of the Blood Cult with this money, that alone would be a great gain.’

Sa Gamjae also put the money in the same place as the map.

Then, as he was about to leave for the Blood Cult, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader grabbed him from behind again, as if he still had something to say.

“Sa Gamjae-nim.”

Sa Gamjae frowned, a little annoyed, and turned around.

The Martial Arts Alliance Leader immediately noticed that, but pretended not to notice and quickly spoke.

“If it’s okay, could you tell me what the people you’re looking for do? Not their appearance or names, but what they do.”

“Is it necessary information?”

“Yes. I think it would be easier to investigate that way.”

The reason why the Martial Arts Alliance Leader was asking this was because he found it suspicious that one was in the Blood Cult and the other was behind it.

Sa Gamjae knew that the Martial Arts Alliance Leader was asking with ulterior motives, but he didn’t bother to hide it and readily answered.

“I will. Who do you want to know about first?”

“The blonde…”

“He is the one at the very top of the religious people.”

Sa Gamjae explained the High Priest in his own way, then added, remembering that there were more than one or two religions here.

“He’s at the top of a rather unique religion.”

‘Is he at the top of the Blood Cult? No. No. This Grim Reaper didn’t even know where the Blood Cult was. Then, did the blonde at the top of another religion have his subordinate, the green hair, infiltrate the Blood Cult? Are the religions fighting each other?’

From the perspective of a martial artist, he might not have to see the Blood Cult as a real religion, but in any case, from the perspective of a religion, it could also be seen as a religion.

The Martial Arts Alliance Leader racked his brains and asked again.

“Then the silver hair…”

“A fanatical religious person.”

‘It’s a religious group. They are definitely a religious group.’

“Who is the person wearing the lion mask?”

“…The blonde’s means of transportation?”

“You use people as a means of transportation?”

Sa Gamjae shrugged, and the Martial Arts Alliance Leader was embarrassed by the inhuman behavior of the unknown ‘blonde’ and asked for the last time.

“Then who is Shin Jo-woon?”

He swallowed hard, nervous, before even hearing the answer to his question.

Judging from the pattern so far, this Shin Jo-woon must also be connected to the blonde.

‘Indeed, the blonde seems to be behind everything. Isn’t everyone connected around the blonde? Besides, how many people has he killed to be acquainted with a Grim Reaper?’

‘Is the peaceful era coming to an end? What on earth is going to happen in the Murim world [a world of martial arts]…’

However, the answer that came back through his gloomy worries was nothing but peaceful.

“Ice.”

“Yes?”

“He is the one who makes ice.”

‘Bingbu? Are you talking about Bingbu? The Martial Arts Alliance Leader became even more confused. Why is there a Bingbu among the religious people?’

* * *

Meanwhile, Rembrary, who had entered the inn, stood blankly in one place, staring at the ‘people with sunken eyes and wearing black clothes’ who were eating.

The waiter who saw this was horrified and approached, asking in a subdued voice.

“Sir. Why do you keep staring at those guests? It’s best not to. Those people are martial artists from the Demonic Sect. That, the scary Demonic Sect.”

The waiter had been sticking to the wall and insisting ‘I’m not here’ ever since those Demonic Sect guests appeared here, so he didn’t like this guest’s sudden behavior.

However, martial artists had very bright ears. They heard the waiter’s frightened voice,

“I know. I heard it and came.”

And Rembrary’s nonchalant answer.

The waiter was startled, wondering, ‘Is this guy also in cahoots?’ and asked back.

“You heard it and came?”

“Yes. There’s someone I’m looking for. I thought he might be here.”

Then, when Rembrary said that there was someone he was looking for among them, this time the Demonic Sect people also glanced at Rembrary unconsciously.

They wondered if it was someone they knew.

Seeing Rembrary’s outstanding appearance, they were now curious as to who among them the author had come to find, and glanced at him from time to time while eating.

The waiter was already scared of the Demonic Sect people, and when they kept glancing at Rembrary, he didn’t want to be stared at, so he quickly left to the side.

However, Rembrary calmly began to examine the faces of the Demonic Sect people one by one.

“Let’s see your faces.”

First, he approached the closest table and stared at one of the people sitting there. The person sitting across from him asked, curious.

“Who is it? What is it? A friend?”

The person caught by Rembrary quickly shook his head.

“No, I don’t know him.”

Almost at the same time as the answer, Rembrary checked the face of the person next to him, and this time the eyes of the Demonic Sect people were also focused on the person next to him.

“Ah, is that someone you know?”

While the person next to him quickly shook his head, Rembrary crossed over to the next table and checked his face again.

“Who is it? What is it?”

“Uh, uh? What is this?”

“Is it someone you know?”

“I don’t know!”

Every time Rembrary looked at each face, the question of whether they knew each other came out and went in about half the time.

When someone who was clearly not a martial artist approached the Demonic Sect group that people were afraid of, Yeon Seung-kyung, the leader of the Daeju [a high-ranking title], who had been quietly watching, thinking, ‘Who is that?’ because he seemed to have really come to find someone, began to frown.

Then, when Rembrary, who had come up to Yeon Seung-kyung, stared at his face and sighed, muttering, “It’s not him,” he couldn’t stand it any longer and asked harshly.

“What isn’t it?”

At that chilly reaction, the Demonic Sect people, who had been enduring it because Yeon Seung-kyung, the person in charge, was quietly watching, wondering, ‘What is that guy?’ began to spit out harsh words one by one.

“Who is that bastard?”

“What has he been doing since a while ago?”

“Why does he sigh after looking at people’s faces in a bad mood?”

It was already upsetting that someone he didn’t know came and looked at each face.

It was even more upsetting that he kept sighing and leaving, saying it wasn’t him.

In particular, didn’t most people fear them?

Especially people like that who didn’t seem to be martial artists.

Then, when Rembrary showed signs of crossing over to another table, one of the hot-tempered Demonic Sect people sitting next to Yeon Seung-kyung couldn’t stand it any longer and grabbed him by the collar, shouting.

“You bastard! I’ve been watching you! What are you doing right now!”

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Who! Who are you looking for in such a bad mood!”

“It’s a child with sunken eyes…”

“Are you kidding me? We all have sunken eyes!”

“Yes. That’s why I’m a little embarrassed.”

At this, the Demonic Sect person was about to get even angrier, but another Demonic Sect person sitting next to him stopped him and whispered.

“Hey. He said he’s looking for a child. Isn’t he lost a child?”

At that, the hot-tempered Demonic Sect person felt sorry if that was the case, so he let go of his collar and asked in a slightly softened tone.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“…If that’s the case, I’m sorry. How old is the child you’re looking for?”

“Twenty-seven?”

“You bastard! Then it’s not your child!”

The hot-tempered Demonic Sect person, who had believed for a very brief moment that Rembrary was looking for a child, turned red in the face, thinking he had been deceived, and got even angrier.

This time, the Demonic Sect person reached out and tried to grab Rembrary’s collar, but Rembrary slipped behind another Demonic Sect person and dodged.

“Stop it. In the first place, you were checking your faces, so there’s no way you were looking for a young child.”

Yeon Seung-kyung, who couldn’t stand watching the scene, coldly rebuked him, and the hot-tempered Demonic Sect person sat down in his seat, panting.

As his subordinate seemed to calm down a bit, Yeon Seung-kyung this time coldly asked Rembrary.

“How dare you come to a place where Demonic Sect people are eating and make such a fuss. Do you have anything else to say?”

“I can’t get married, so I don’t have a child.”

At Rembrary’s calm answer, the hot-tempered Demonic Sect person got angry again and stood up.

When Yeon Seung-kyung glared at him coldly, the hot-tempered Demonic Sect person pointed at Rembrary with his finger a few times for no reason, then sat down again.

Yeon Seung-kyung frowned, pressing his forehead, displeased with the sudden commotion at the meal, and ordered.

“It seems like the person you’re looking for isn’t here. So stop making a fuss and leave.”

Rembrary thought that the one who made the fuss was the man who tried to grab his collar, but he certainly agreed that Ardor or Sa Gamjae were not inside.

‘There were many people who covered their faces with their hair, but if the two were among them, they would have surely recognized him.’

‘One is not even human, if you want to be picky.’

“Okay.”

Rembrary calmly nodded and turned around to leave the place.

As Rembrary left, Yeon Seung-kyung finally lowered his hand from his temple and looked around at his subordinates, urging in a low voice.

“We didn’t come out to make a fuss. We just need to find a useful entertainer and return quietly. If we get wrongly involved with non-martial artists, the government will come out, so be careful with your actions.”

“I’m sorry, Daeju.”

“We were short-sighted.”

“Even if that guy comes again, we’ll shut up and ignore him.”

“Okay.”

Yeon Seung-kyung nodded and started eating again, and his Demonic Sect subordinates also returned to their gloomy attitude and silently put rice in their mouths like before.

The waiter hid behind the counter and watched this scene, his heart pounding so hard that he put his hand on his chest.

‘What just passed by? Is he a human who walks around without a liver?’