Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 572

◈ 572. Are You Involved?

Ardor didn’t want to feed Shin Jo-woon.

He already disliked him, hated that he was close to the High Priest, hated that he hadn’t looked for his phone, hated his annoying way of talking, and hated that he was close to the High Priest. There was no reason to feed this heretic.

But for the same reasons he disliked Shin Jo-woon, Ardor had to feed him something.

There was one advantage to this detestable guy: it gave him a chance to observe Rembrary’s condition from a distance.

Back in the 3-6 dungeon, he had turned into a baby bird, so he hadn’t had time to think about anything and just lived like a bird.

After seeing that, he belatedly realized that even Rembrary would be confused.

Of course, that scene might not be real, but still.

“So, if I forget the password, the contents will be deleted?”

“Yeah. So, if you don’t remember the password, don’t press anything randomly. Ask me or Jang Tae-ri.”

“How can I contact you if I can’t use my phone?”

“Come to the company. You should at least do that much.”

“What if I don’t want to go all the way there?”

‘You could just write it down on paper and keep it safe!’

Ardor, who shouted inwardly, sullenly moved his fork.

As Rembrary continued to talk to Shin Jo-woon while he was isolated, Ardor soon regarded even the tiny advantage he found in Shin Jo-woon as a disadvantage.

Ardor gnashed his teeth on his spoon.

Shin Jo-woon knew what Ardor was doing, but he didn’t care because that dog was a fanatic who would grind his teeth even if Rembrary looked at a flower on the street.

His behavior was so extreme that even the fellow cultist Mullu couldn’t stand it.

But soon, Ardor’s time to smile came.

“What did you see in the 3-6 dungeon?”

The question Shin Jo-woon asked while cutting fruit after the meal was the beginning.

“I returned to my childhood self.”

Rembrary answered nonchalantly.

“What was it like?”

When Rembrary only shrugged and didn’t answer, Ardor stepped forward and bared his teeth.

“Don’t ask such personal questions, you shameless heretic.”

Shin Jo-woon raised only one eyebrow.

“Personal questions?”

Information about the inside of the dungeon was shared by everyone who went there.

No, it wasn’t just shared, but submitted as a report. And personal questions?

Shin Jo-woon was dumbfounded by Ardor’s reaction and let out a hollow laugh.

“Don’t assume everyone is like you.”

Then Shin Jo-woon looked at Rembrary.

The 3rd dungeon had completely disappeared, but there were still five dungeons left.

Rembrary’s experience of breaking the pillar after clearing the 3-6 dungeon would be of great help in breaking other pillars in the future.

Besides, Rembrary wasn’t good at writing these reports, so as usual, he was going to listen and write the report himself.

But Rembrary, who would usually tell all sorts of stories, reacted differently than usual.

He glanced sideways, seeming to think about something, then suddenly made eye contact and spoke gently.

“I don’t want to tell you, anchovy.”

Shin Jo-woon didn’t expect such an answer, so, distracted by Ardor, he asked back, dumbfounded, “What?”

Rembrary peeled a tangerine and said again.

“They’re just stories that may or may not be real. I don’t really want to tell you.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you tell me more? If they’re spreading false information, then the demons are using psychological warfare now, right?”

“It’s okay. I don’t really care.”

“The fact that you’re not telling anyone already means you care, doesn’t it?”

When Rembrary glanced at Shin Jo-woon while peeling the tangerine, Ardor was so happy that he almost screamed.

That cold look. That frigid gaze. That chilly expression. He was definitely signaling ‘Don’t interfere’ with his whole face!

“You’re right, anchovy.”

No, he wasn’t!

Ardor became gloomy again and only sliced the egg omelet in front of him.

“But there’s not much to say. The place I escaped from while being kidnapped was a place where demons were, so I ate, slept, ate, slept, and that was it.”

* * *

‘That can’t be.’

Shin Jo-woon was sure that Rembrary’s ‘ate and slept’ wasn’t the whole story of what happened in the dungeon.

There must be something more, either before, after, or in between. If eating and sleeping was all he did, he would have said so from the start.

But the fact that he said that after refusing once meant that he had sorted out what he needed to sort out in the meantime.

‘If that fanatic hadn’t gone into the dungeon with him, I would have found out what happened.’

Shin Jo-woon glanced at Ardor disapprovingly.

If that fanatic tried to dig into Rembrary, he wouldn’t say anything even if he was freezing to death. He was the type of person who could never open his mouth. Difficult.

After eating all the snacks, Shin Jo-woon left the house earlier than usual.

As he grabbed his coat and went outside, he wondered why the demons kept showing Rembrary’s past.

Was it related to the prophecy Woo Sung-woo mentioned? That Rembrary’s priestly robes had turned black. Were they gradually corrupting Rembrary?

‘The past that the pig is trying to hide is the key.’

If it was just a personal matter, would the demons bother to show the past through the dungeon?

No. The past that Rembrary was trying to hide was likely related to the demons’ present.

Shin Jo-woon got into the car and started the engine, recalling what he had seen and heard in the dungeon that recreated Rembrary’s palace.

Palace, prince, kidnappers, Rembrary with no memories.

‘Not having memories is also strange. He could forget because it was when he was young. He could forget because he was shocked. But could it be something he doesn’t know at all? Even if the pig forgot, it would be recorded, right? He was a prince, after all?’

Shin Jo-woon’s thoughts repeated and repeated, and he picked out another strange part of what Rembrary said.

‘When he described the situation before he was kidnapped, he said “that kid.” That means there were a few kids he played with before he was kidnapped. Then there must be witnesses, right? What happened to those kids?’

Once he suspected one thing, everything else seemed suspicious.

“…….”

Shin Jo-woon turned the steering wheel towards Jang Tae-ri’s office.

* * *

“You can just ask him yourself.”

Jang Tae-ri asked casually after hearing Shin Jo-woon’s story. It was as if nothing was difficult.

“He said he doesn’t want to talk about it.”

Shin Jo-woon sat on the windowsill of Jang Tae-ri’s office, making a ribbon with the string hanging from the curtain.

Jang Tae-ri asked suspiciously.

“You didn’t pressure him, did you?”

“Do I look like someone who would do that?”

“You look like someone who would do that.”

“…….”

“Just kidding. You’re not someone who would do that.”

Jang Tae-ri quickly changed her words when Shin Jo-woon put down the ribbon and stared at her, then crossed her arms and muttered as if she was serious.

“Hmm. Rembrary’s past…….”

“Isn’t it strange?”

“It’s strange if you think it’s strange. But maybe he really doesn’t care at all. Maybe he doesn’t talk to others because he doesn’t care. You know, like absurd dreams. You don’t tell others even if it’s not your fault, right? Because you’re embarrassed.”

“Is the pig someone who cares that much about what others think?”

“Ah, no, he’s not.”

When Jang Tae-ri immediately agreed, Shin Jo-woon untied the ribbon he made from the curtain string and asked again.

“Why don’t you just ask him? He answers your questions well, doesn’t he?”

“Oh my. He’ll think we’re ganging up on him two against one.”

“Is this a matter of ganging up on someone?”

“Isn’t it? You came to me to ask me to take your side.”

Shin Jo-woon raised his eyebrows.

“Is that how it’s interpreted? I didn’t think that way.”

“Then?”

“I thought this smart head of yours would be rolling around well, so I came to get advice.”

Shin Jo-woon took the curtain string completely out of the curtain and started tying it to Jang Tae-ri’s hair, and Jang Tae-ri laughed and tapped his leg.

“Oh ho. You’re going to acknowledge my intelligence?”

Shin Jo-woon made the same ribbon in Jang Tae-ri’s hair as before and urged.

“Quickly. Use your head.”

Jang Tae-ri was about to show off a little more, but she checked the time and stopped joking and asked properly.

“What exactly do you want?”

“The pig’s past. It seems like the demons or Redrin are fighting over his past. I think I need to know that to solve it. Whatever it is.”

“But even if it’s the past, Rembrary is a pig from another world. There’s no information left here.”

“That’s right. That’s why it’s blocked. The Redrin believers won’t open their mouths.”

“Ah. There are people who came from another world who aren’t Redrin believers. People who said they would live in the Earth style. Find those people and ask them.”

* * *

Waryon moved the phone screen back and forth on the pile of stacked lumber and clicked his tongue.

“Humans are excited because District 3 disappeared. I thought we were promoting it well. Is the image still not good among humans?”

The construction site, where construction had stopped midway, was gloomy with no lights left, but Waryon was not afraid at all.

Cloth calmly stacked dominoes nearby, which he didn’t know where they came from.

“Don’t worry. Time will solve this.”

The Black Dragon, who was getting ready to knock down the dominoes when Cloth finished stacking them, asked Waryon.

“What about the High Priest? Is there any change after receiving your memories?”

“Would there be?”

When Waryon grumbled, Noir, who was lying alone receiving the moonlight as if he was noble, laughed and said.

“Isn’t it because of your memories?”

Waryon, annoyed by the taunt that was completely different from his subtle and mysterious appearance, put down his phone.

“Why are you picking on me?”

“Anyway, your assigned area is gone, so you’re the most free. You can take care of all the other work, Wari.”

“You guys are always playing around too, aren’t you?”

Waryon grumbled as he turned off his phone completely. Those demon bastards. I’m seriously telling them this and that, but they’re always just teasing me.

But Waryon’s anger quickly subsided because the Black Dragon asked innocently.

“Wari, is that what the Demon King is talking about? The person who always plays around.”

“Are you crazy?”

Waryon was taken aback and covered his mouth, but the Black Dragon laughed without caring at all.

Noir squinted and looked back and forth at Waryon and the Black Dragon, then clicked his tongue and lamented.

“Ah. I should have brought Aize and left one of those two out.”

Waryon asked, flustered.

“Why is Cloth included?”

“He’s good at cooking, at least.”

While Waryon couldn’t deny it, Cloth shrugged confidently and added as if defending him, glancing at the Black Dragon.

“But we couldn’t help it. He was making a fuss that he couldn’t leave his hometown no matter what.”

“But his hometown isn’t even there.”

Cloth said, putting down the last domino.

“Just pretend you don’t know.”

Noir didn’t like the way they were talking, so he sighed and finally closed his eyes again and said.

“Well. It’s a relief we didn’t bring Binak.”

This time, no one defended Binak.

But suddenly the noisy construction site became quiet again, and no one opened their mouths.

One way or another, they were the six closest aides to the Demon King, including Aize and Binak.

Thinking that they wouldn’t be able to see two of them for a long time, there was a strange feeling of bitterness, regardless of whether they were on good terms or not.

Then Waryon turned to Noir and asked.

“Hey, Noir.”

“Why.”

“I heard that a human is going around digging up the High Priest’s past and preparing some kind of program. Are you involved in that?”