Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 455

◈ 455. We’ve Met Before

Before the Alliance Lord could make a decision, news arrived that Hwa Chin-chin hadn’t obtained a recommendation letter.

The Alliance Lord had assumed that a troupe associated with such dangerous figures as the Blood Cult, Grim Reaper, Yoo Maelina, and the Demonic Cult would easily secure a recommendation. Therefore, he was surprised to learn that Hwa Chin-chin had failed to get a letter and had left the city gates, looking dejected.

“That blonde beauty is a very dangerous person, Head Seol. But you’re saying the troupe he’s relying on couldn’t even get a single recommendation letter? Does that make sense?”

The Chief Manager, sensing the Alliance Lord’s keen interest in Rembrary, awkwardly repeated the story.

“It’s confirmed, Alliance Lord. The troupe leader came to Head Seol to apologize. He said he felt sorry that things turned out this way, even after he had written a recommendation letter.”

“Hmm.”

The Alliance Lord frowned.

“This is unexpected.”

‘Then why did he disguise himself as a beauty and join a troupe in the first place? He doesn’t seem to have much talent in that area,’ the Alliance Lord thought, finding it strange.

In any case, this incident prompted the Alliance Lord to make a decision.

“Chief Manager.”

“Yes, Alliance Lord.”

“Send a message to the City Lord. Tell him to write a recommendation letter for Hwa Chin-chin, and that a friend is earnestly requesting it.”

“Yes?”

The Chief Manager’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Do we really have to go that far? The City Lord is very particular about debts of gratitude, and if we help him this time, he’ll definitely want something in return.”

“It’s good to exchange favors.”

“I don’t quite understand your intentions, Alliance Lord.”

“There’s no grand intention. I simply want to buy some time.”

“Time?”

“Time to decide.”

The Alliance Lord hadn’t yet decided whether it would be wise to let Sa Gam-jae and Rembrary meet.

Fortunately, Sa Gam-jae had gone to the Blood Cult to find his green-haired companion, so there was some time for consideration.

To gain more time to think, he instructed the City Lord to give Hwa Chin-chin a recommendation letter.

Once enough recommendation letters were gathered, that dangerous blonde fellow would eventually go to the Imperial Palace and be busy with competitions, giving the Alliance Lord time to decide whether to reveal the truth or not.

“Chief Manager. And summon Head Seol.”

“Yes.”

After the Chief Manager left, Seol Ryu of the Gi Gui Il Ya [a secret intelligence agency] arrived shortly after. The Alliance Lord gave him different instructions from before.

“Head Seol. You suspect that Rembrary is suspicious, don’t you?”

“Yes. He seemed like a gentle young man, as Elder Jang said, but his relationships are unsettling.”

“The Demonic Cult, Yoo Maelina, and so on. Unsettling indeed. But do you know what’s even more unsettling?”

“Is there an even stranger connection?”

“Rembrary is the companion Sa Gam-jae is looking for.”

Seol Ryu’s eyes widened, and he covered his mouth with his hand.

“Sa Gam-jae, as in your Lordship’s illegitimate son…….”

‘That guy wasn’t even here while Sa Gam-jae was staying here. Where did he hear that rumor?’ The Alliance Lord frowned and immediately clarified Sa Gam-jae’s identity.

“Sa Gam-jae is a Grim Reaper. The rumors people are spreading are nonsense. The reason I can’t properly clarify those rumors is because he’s a Grim Reaper.”

Head Seol gave him a disbelieving look.

“Ah. A Grim Reaper?”

“You look like you don’t believe me. It doesn’t matter if you don’t. The important thing is that he’s that dangerous.”

Seol Ryu had come to talk about the suspicious blonde beauty, but he was taken aback by the sudden Grim Reaper story and blinked.

He respected the Alliance Lord. But stories like this were hard to believe.

“Whether you believe it or not, from now on, you are to follow that Rembrary. Track his movements, and if you find anything suspicious, report it all via messenger bird.”

“Should I join his group?”

“You can do that, or you can follow him secretly. Assess the situation and respond flexibly.”

* * *

“The City Lord is calling for us? All of us?”

Nang-gil was trying to cheer up her troupe members, who were drooping like wilted scallions.

Suddenly, a man claiming to be a subordinate of the City Lord arrived and delivered a strange order.

Duran was so nervous that he was trying to loosen his stiff legs, but he whispered to Nang-gil in fear.

“Leader. Don’t go. It feels like a trap.”

Although he was whispering, the story reached not only Duran but also the messenger sent by the City Lord, as they weren’t far apart.

The City Lord’s subordinate was dumbfounded and annoyed at Duran.

“That’s ridiculous! What would the City Lord gain by setting a trap for a no-name troupe like yours?”

Duran immediately shrank back.

“I’m sorry.”

Like the City Lord’s subordinate said, Nang-gil didn’t think it was a trap either. But she was still uneasy.

What would the City Lord want with them? But when the City Lord summoned them, they had no choice.

But what if they refused to go? What would happen then? Would there be any disadvantages?

In the end, as she hesitated, unable to decide, Rembrary elegantly broke off a piece of sugar candy from who knows where and asked.

“Nang-gil, Leader. Shall I help you?”

Nang-gil turned pale and immediately replied, “No.”

Then, unlike before, she asked the subordinate in a clear tone.

“We’ll go. But do we all have to go?”

“No. Only the leader needs to come. Too many people would just make it noisy.”

The messenger sent by the City Lord was arrogant, as if he were trying to imitate the Vice City Lord, like a matching pair.

But since it was impossible to fight against those in power, Nang-gil suppressed her wounded pride and followed the City Lord’s subordinate, taking only San-myeong with her.

Contrary to what some had feared, the City Lord didn’t call Nang-gil in to tear her apart.

But he certainly didn’t apologize either.

“I’ve decided to give you a recommendation letter.”

The City Lord said something unexpected.

Nang-gil’s face brightened at the thought that the City Lord had changed his opinion of them.

Perhaps he had reconsidered and thought they were better than he had initially thought?

However, the City Lord handed over a pre-written recommendation letter through his messenger and said firmly.

“But remember this. I’m not giving it to you because I like you.”

Nang-gil’s bright smile turned ashen.

“Yes?”

“I received a request from someone I couldn’t refuse. He told me to give you a recommendation letter. There’s no other reason.”

Nang-gil’s face turned red at the cruelly blunt words.

When she returned to the inn with the recommendation letter, her colleagues, who had rushed out, wondering what was going on, made Nang-gil even more heartbroken.

Nang-gil’s heart ached as if her own family members had been insulted.

“Leader?”

San-myeong, noticing the change in her expression, called out in confusion, but Nang-gil hesitated, wondering whether to tell the truth or not, and only said this.

“Hey. Let’s go to Second City.”

“Huh?”

San-myeong frowned.

“The City Lord recommended it? I thought we decided not to go because it felt bad.”

“It’s supposed to be the level of the Imperial Troupe. Let’s go check it out. I’ve become curious.”

Rembrary, who was breaking apart a piece of sugar candy, noticed Nang-gil’s ambiguous expression and thought, ‘As I thought, something’s wrong with her?’

* * *

Having arrived in Second City, Nang-gil didn’t show it, but inside, she was thinking, ‘Let’s see how good they really are!’ and went to see a performance by the Imperial Troupe.

She deliberately splurged on expensive tickets and took all the troupe members to the theater.

They were all planning to find flaws or mistakes in the Imperial Troupe’s performance with their eyes wide open.

However, after actually seeing their performance, she was completely overwhelmed by their atmosphere.

She had only been angry when the Fifth City Lord had used them as a comparison, like a curse. But after seeing the stage, she felt empty.

If you were to compare each person’s abilities, about half of them would be similar.

But the overall composition of the performance was too different.

In particular, the group dances, ensembles, and plays were so spectacular that they immediately caught the eye.

Compared to them, Hwa Chin-chin’s props even looked shabby.

‘Can we really become an Imperial Troupe…? Even if we participate in the competition with a forced recommendation letter, if the skill gap is too large, won’t we just be held back? Won’t we be crushed by that experience and stop growing? If everyone is at this level and we’re the only ones below it……?’

Nang-gil pondered over the words of the Fifth City Lord, wondering whether telling her troupe members this would stimulate them and help them grow, or whether they would be crushed by the harshness, get angry, and collapse.

To change the atmosphere, Nang-gil decided to visit the capital city nearby, since they had already come all the way to Second City, and see performances by other Imperial Troupes.

Even if they were shocked each time they saw their superior skills, she wanted to know her opponents thoroughly if they were going to compete with them in the end.

However, the group that arrived in the capital city was surprised this time in a different way.

Because of the rumors people were whispering.

“They’re not selecting an Imperial Troupe this time, are they?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Then what happens? Are they postponing this year’s selection to next year, or are they just skipping this year’s selection altogether?”

“I don’t know that far.”

“But why aren’t they selecting one? Isn’t it fun?”

“The Grand Empress Dowager is still unwell, it seems. She’s the most senior member of the palace, and it wouldn’t be right to sing and dance in front of her when she’s unwell, would it?”

Nang-gil sighed. The troupe members also looked dejected after hearing the whispers.

“Is it true, Leader?”

“I don’t know.”

As Nang-gil was lost in thought while eating, Rembrary, who had been standing among the troupe members with a face devoid of tension, suddenly darted off somewhere.

“Rembrary?”

Nang-gil asked, but Rembrary’s eyes were wide, and he was gone before he could answer.

“Rembrary!”

When Nang-gil shouted again, Rembrary quickly shouted back.

“Leader, go in first!”

“Huh? Where to? Hey, we haven’t even decided on a place to stay yet!”

Rembrary waved his hand casually and hurried away, leaving Nang-gil bewildered.

A little while ago, he thought he saw Shin Jo-woon passing through the door.

It wasn’t certain. He only saw it very briefly in the moment the door opened and closed.

‘It has to be him.’

But since his companions had scattered and come to this place, Rembrary hadn’t met anyone.

Mulu, Ardor, Saja, Sa Gam-jae, Shin Jo-woon. He wanted to reunite with at least one of them, anyone would do.

‘It looks like him.’

Finally, Rembrary found the clothes of Shin Jo-woon, whom he had glimpsed earlier, among the crowds of people, like a school of salmon moving with the current.

The person presumed to be Shin Jo-woon was heading to a sparsely populated area where few people went, so only his back was visible here.

He couldn’t see his face, but Rembrary still ran and continued to chase him.

Then, at some point, the person who had been moving forward smoothly and evenly put his hands behind his back and suddenly turned towards Rembrary and stopped.

Rembrary, who had been following at a fast pace, stopped as well when the other person suddenly stopped, and examined the face of the person he had been following.

When their eyes met, a reflexive smile appeared on Rembrary’s face. As expected. He had seen correctly.

“Anchovy.”

Rembrary called him with familiarity and smiled brightly.

“?”

However, even though their eyes met and they weren’t that far apart, the other person didn’t react at all.

He only frowned and stared at Rembrary.

Seeing that, Rembrary stopped smiling and frowned, wondering what was going on.

Rembrary’s gaze examined the other person more closely.

‘It’s Anchovy’s face? Even the height is the same.’

He didn’t know exactly how tall he was, but it felt the same.

However, the other person didn’t recognize Rembrary at all.

A completely emotionless gaze as if looking at a stranger.