Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 594

◈ 594. Camping with Demons

“I’ll tell you later. I’ve eaten, so I need to exercise.”

Rembrary expected an answer, but the Demon King simply suggested they exercise instead of revealing more.

‘How annoying,’ Rembrary thought, frowning. He didn’t want to exercise.

But the Demon King seemed genuinely unwilling to say more and was already getting up.

Cloth looked back and forth between the Demon King and Rembrary before exclaiming, “Ah.”

“Hey, kid. You haven’t wandered around this area, have you?”

“This area is just rocks.”

“Wow, you’re smart. Such a little thing, and you know the word ‘rocks.’ Anyway, you haven’t wandered around, right?”

‘Should visiting the Demon King’s castle count as wandering around?’ Rembrary hesitated, then nodded, pretending not to know.

“No.”

Cloth then suggested with a bright face.

“Oh, good. How about we go camping nearby together?”

‘Why would I go camping with you guys…?’ Rembrary thought to himself.

“That’s a good idea?”

But Noir had already appeared and was excitedly agreeing.

“Then let’s pack some food and have a picnic.”

Rembrary was about to say he wasn’t needed and they should go by themselves.

But before he could say that, a black dragon entered through the archway and said,

“I’m fishing.”

Asking Rembrary to go camping was just an excuse; they were simply bored.

Rembrary became suspicious. The Demon King told him to decide whether to leave after hearing his story.

‘Was telling the story so slowly just a roundabout way of delaying my departure?’

* * *

In any case, most of the demons were excited, so Rembrary reluctantly went along on the camping trip.

“Then I should pack some snacks!”

Cloth excitedly tried to prepare food, but the Demon King stopped him.

Binak was grabbing alcohol, but the Demon King took it away, and Noir grabbed a bow, saying he would hunt, but the Demon King took that away too, saying it wasn’t appropriate in front of a child.

‘The Demon King is taciturn but has a strong will,’ Rembrary observed.

Thus, regardless of Rembrary’s wishes, the demons finished preparing for the camping trip, and Rembrary reluctantly followed along.

But when they arrived, Rembrary recognized the place the demons had chosen for their camping trip.

“Deep-sea fish…”

It was the black lake where deep-sea fish were caught. The black lake in the dungeon where the black dragon had followed him.

Rembrary turned to look at the black dragon. The black dragon, blissfully unaware, was simply chatting with Aejay.

‘Is that why he asked if I didn’t remember?’

Rembrary clicked his tongue. Of course, he wouldn’t remember.

Even if Rembrary hadn’t completely lost his memories of the demons, no one would remember a lake they had visited when they were six years old.

“Let’s play a game. With stakes.”

“Shouldn’t we put vegetables on the barbecue skewers too? The kid needs to eat vegetables, right?”

“Is he a cow?”

“Humans can’t live on just meat, can they?”

“What? Since when?”

The demons unpacked their things while chattering among themselves. They all seemed excited.

Showing Rembrary around was just an excuse; they simply wanted to come and play.

Anyway, they made a bonfire, skewered meat and vegetables, and Binak made a stew of unknown ingredients.

Surprisingly, Binak’s stew smelled better than Cloth’s.

“Looks delicious. Finally, something to eat.”

Judging by Warion’s words, it must have tasted decent too.

Meanwhile, the black dragon excitedly took out a fishing rod and sat down near the lake.

“Hey, son. Want to fish with Dad?”

He invited Rembrary to come too, but Rembrary knew what was in that black water and didn’t want to go near it.

Noir, who was running around carrying and making things, frowned as he looked at Rembrary.

“You should do something too, kid. It’s no fun just sitting still after coming all this way.”

“I’m six years old. What do you want me to do?”

Noir stared at Rembrary in disbelief before asking the Demon King.

“Isn’t he a bit strange?”

The black dragon chuckled and took his side.

“Why? He’s pretty kind and diligent for his age.”

“What’s diligent about a lazy six-year-old? Is breathing and talking well diligent?”

“He’s better than you were at six years old, Noir. You were a real troublemaker at six.”

‘Really?’ Rembrary wondered, looking at Noir. Noir frowned and retorted.

“Where are you trying to scam me? I’ve seen you since you were an egg, you punk. You don’t know what I did when I was six!”

This time, Binak chimed in.

“No, you really were crazy since you were six.”

‘Who are you to talk?’ Noir got even angrier at those words and shouted.

“Are you demons all planning to scam me together? You weren’t even born when I was six!”

Rembrary listened to the demons bickering among themselves and drank the stew that the Demon King had served him.

It was surprisingly delicious.

* * *

The demons, who had been playing around the black lake, got tired and spread out the blankets they had brought, falling asleep one by one.

Rembrary also lay down on the thick blanket that had been laid out for him.

But as he stared at the cave ceiling, he couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing here, and he couldn’t fall asleep.

Then his phone rang, and he took it out to see a text from Shin Jo-woon.

[Don’t you have anything to say to me?]

Instead of replying, Rembrary took a selfie and sent it.

Shin Jo-woon texted back.

[What does that mean?]

[I thought seeing my face would make you feel better.]

[Why are you so confident?]

[I bet you’re smiling right now >ㅅ<] No reply. Rembrary confirmed that the sky was dark and the demons were trying to sleep, but it was actually daytime, and he put his phone away. 'He's probably working.' Then he looked up and saw the Demon King staring intently at him. 'No way. Is he going to complain about the phone this time?' Rembrary wondered how he would answer if the Demon King pointed at the phone and asked, 'What's that?' Since they were illusions created based on this world, they probably wouldn't understand the letters Rembrary used. "You're really brave." But unexpectedly, the Demon King praised Rembrary. He didn't seem very interested in the phone. "Rose is brave too." Thinking it was a relief, Rembrary lay down on the blanket. But as soon as he lay down, the Demon King asked again. "If you can't sleep, would you like to go for a walk with me?" He was about to reply that he was too tired, but for the first time since entering this dungeon, a choice appeared. 1. Go alone. 2. Say you're tired and want to sleep. 3. Go with everyone. "Number one." As always, Rembrary chose number one, and the Demon King got up and offered his hand to Rembrary. Rembrary had no intention of walking hand in hand with a demon, but the body of the young Rembrary ran to the Demon King and took his hand. The Demon King took Rembrary away from the vicinity of the black lake. How long had they been walking? Eventually, the Demon King picked Rembrary up and carried him in one arm, and as they continued to move, they came across the ruins of an ancient site consisting of only a few pillars. The Demon King put Rembrary down near the pillars, and Rembrary stroked the pillars, wondering what they were. Then the Demon King sat down next to him and asked. "If you can't sleep, would you like me to tell you the rest of the story?" "Yes!" Thinking it was a good idea, Rembrary quickly wrapped himself in the blanket and sat down next to him, asking. "Who was the real one?" The Demon King smiled bitterly and opened his mouth. "Examining the west would reveal the answer to the question about the northern high priest. And one of them would definitely be considered a child sent by the demons." * * * Redrin's suggestion silenced the gods simultaneously. It was a good idea and the most fundamental solution to this problem, but the problem was... "Wouldn't that make one side more difficult?" "If the high priest of the west clears his name, it won't end there; the target will simply shift to the other side." Aquari retorted in disbelief. "Are you saying my child should continue to be called a black priest?" Redrin readily stepped forward. "Don't worry. I'll send my high priest to your child to track down who their parents are and clear their name, and then things will work out somehow." 'Somehow.' Redrin's words were a bit vague, but no one could argue since they couldn't think of a better way right now. Redrin patted Aquari on the back. "Now my child will go and reveal the truth, so don't worry, Aquari." Still worried, Aquari asked. "Are you sure? Won't Kamuel be upset?" "There's no guarantee that your child is the real one. We'll only know who will be upset later." "That's... right. I see. The risk is the same." And so, Redrin's high priest went west, and Lumena's high priest went north. But things took another turn. When the northern paladins came from one side and the southern paladins came from the other, the western high priest thought the southern paladins were allied with the north. 'The northern and western high priest temples are not on good terms.' The western paladins, who were already on edge at the news that the northern high priest temple was coming to wage war against them, gnashed their teeth when the southern paladins joined them. "Are they coming in alliance? Did the two join hands?" The western high priest lamented as he looked down at the flags before asking. "What was the southern high priest's ability?" "He's a newly appointed high priest. He's definitely not attack-oriented. I heard he can do blood tests. Anyway, he has no experience yet, so he shouldn't be difficult to deal with, High Priest." Memia stared blankly at the approaching figures before giving instructions. "Let's strike first. Ambush them." * * * The southern high priest was not a high-attack high priest. Moreover, he had just become a high priest, so he didn't know how to manage the paladins, and he hadn't properly overseen his duties as a high priest yet. The high priest had been absent for a long time, so he hadn't learned properly from his predecessors, and since he hadn't come to fight, he hadn't brought many paladins with him. When the western paladins used their local advantage to ambush them, the southern paladins couldn't cope properly and had to retreat. In the process, the southern high priest was seriously injured. Meanwhile, the northern high priest had actually seen Margata confide in a confidant when she was young, "Actually, I don't know who the real one is between Memira and Memia." And she had actually been bullied for several years as a potentially ominous child. It was only when she became a high priest that she was able to escape that cold gaze, but the northern high priest was always afraid when she saw the western high priest being accused of being a black priest. People revered her now, but when might they turn their faces and attack her? Because of this anxiety, the northern high priest was always terrified, even while being loved by everyone. When she heard that the newly elected southern high priest could trace bloodlines, the northern high priest couldn't sleep properly. That fear grew even greater when the southern high priest offered to mediate. What if it turned out that she wasn't the high priest's child? Then she might lose everything she had built up so far. Not only would she lose it, but she would be bullied by people even more than before. "High Priest. The southern high priest has been seriously injured by the western high priest." At that moment, a paladin rushed in to inform her. And not long after, another paladin rushed in to inform her again. "High Priest, the southern side has revealed that they came to mediate the fight and suggested that only the three of you high priests should have a meeting." The northern high priest hesitated but eventually agreed. The meeting ended peacefully. And the next day. The southern high priest was found poisoned.