Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 603

◈ 603. A Conversation Between the Demon King and Redrin One Day

As the screen changed again, young Rembrary was seen holding the Prime Minister’s hand.

Opposite them was an old man with an incredibly long white beard.

Rembrary recognized the old man’s attire as that of a high-ranking priest.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

As the old man greeted young Rembrary, young Rembrary bowed politely.

“Hello.”

The old man smiled and looked at the Prime Minister, who nodded slightly.

Judging by their exchange of glances, it seemed the two had already spoken to each other before bringing young Rembrary.

Presumably, the Prime Minister had told the old man the whole story.

However, young Rembrary didn’t notice this and, fascinated by the old man’s beard that was as tall as he was, stared at it in a daze.

At that moment, the old man, who had been contemplating how to start the conversation while looking at the prince, suddenly bent down slightly and admired the pin in young Rembrary’s neat hair.

“What is this……?”

“What’s wrong?” the Prime Minister asked, and the old man was even more impressed.

“It’s a pin with a very clear and pure aura.”

The Prime Minister seemed to interpret the words in a worldly sense and replied dryly.

“It does look expensive.”

The old man burst into laughter and pointed to the jewel on Rembrary’s hairpin.

“It’s not just an expensive ornament. This jewel here is used only by angels.”

At those words, the Prime Minister looked closely at the pin.

Young Rembrary was puzzled and asked.

“How does grandpa know that?”

The Prime Minister poked young Rembrary in the back.

“Your Highness.”

As young Rembrary looked up, he quickly shook his head, as if to say it’s best to stay still since it’s all good.

However, young Rembrary didn’t notice this and cheerfully asked the old man.

“Are you an angel, grandpa?”

At that sight, the old man laughed heartily and greeted.

“Thank you for seeing me that way.”

Since the atmosphere seemed good, the Prime Minister was somewhat relieved.

The old man asked again.

“Your Highness, I heard that you have no memory of being away from the palace… Is that true?”

This time, it was quite a serious question.

The Prime Minister tensed up again.

On the other hand, young Rembrary replied as calmly as when talking about the pin or angels.

“I was playing with my friends in the maze. But a strange person appeared.”

“Was that person perhaps very beautiful, or did they have a strange aura—”

“Not at all.”

“And then?”

“Mom and Dad were crying.”

The old man looked at the Prime Minister, who nodded.

The old man asked young Rembrary again.

“Then, Your Highness, do you not remember flying in the sky either? It would have been a very fun memory.”

“Grandpa, you’re so naive. How can a person fly in the sky?”

“……I see.”

The Prime Minister was flustered, but the old man didn’t seem offended.

The old man, who had suddenly become a naive person, paused for a moment and changed the subject.

“Then, Your Highness, do you have any dreamlike, faint, or vague memories left?”

He seemed quite used to talking to young children.

At that moment, young Rembrary, who had been tilting his head, suddenly looked over the old man’s shoulder, his face brightening as he exclaimed, “That!”

The old man and the Prime Minister both looked in that direction.

There was a mural of the god Redrin surrounded by roses.

“That!”

Young Rembrary quickly ran towards it, looked up at the mural, smiled brightly, and leaned his head against it, boasting.

“The god who loves roses.”

“Yes?”

“I was with that person.”

“!”

The Prime Minister was startled and looked at young Rembrary.

The old man was also surprised and asked.

“Oh! Is that true?”

“Yes. It was a place with many roses.”

The old man was impressed by young Rembrary’s words.

If Rembrary didn’t have the pin in his hair, it would have been hard to believe, but the pin in Rembrary’s hair made the child’s statement more credible.

Above all, the sight of young Rembrary looking at the mural and being so happy was an expression hard to fake.

Besides, this prince had a talent as a priest, and a high-ranking priest had even visited him before.

The old man looked at young Rembrary with joy and said to the Prime Minister.

“There’s a bit of demonic energy on him. But he has items used by angels, and His Highness says he was with Redrin. It seems he was kidnapped by demons, but thanks to Redrin’s blessing, His Highness survived.”

“Is that so?”

The Prime Minister’s face also brightened.

The state religion of Libulen was Redrin. If Redrin had directly saved the young prince, the situation could be reversed in an instant.

* * *

The scene returned to the conference room.

Most of the people who were there at the beginning were still gathered.

Then, as the Prime Minister exaggerated what the high-ranking priest had said, the ministers began to buzz.

As they calmed down, the ministers changed their tune one by one.

“Then, His Highness has nothing to do with the ominous rumors, does he?”

“Even so, those who want to speak ill will still speak ill…….”

“If we worry about every little thing, we won’t be able to do anything. How many false rumors are there in the world?”

The Prime Minister waited for the atmosphere to subside and cautiously suggested to the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, in my opinion, it would be best to send His Highness to the temple for a few years.”

However, the Prime Minister’s suggestion was quite contrary to the relieved atmosphere.

The Emperor frowned and said.

“Continue.”

“Although the misunderstanding has been resolved, there will still be those who cling to it. Moreover, according to the high-ranking priest, those who kidnapped His Highness are likely to be people.”

People began to stir again.

The Prime Minister continued.

“If we send His Highness to the temple for a few years, no one will dare to speak carelessly about His Highness.”

* * *

The background changed again.

Only the Prime Minister, Empress, and Emperor were there, and the Prime Minister continued to speak.

“Your Majesty, if His Highness goes to the temple, people will focus on Redrin, who saved His Highness, rather than His Highness, even if they hear about this incident.”

The Emperor frowned, looking worried.

The Empress also didn’t look pleased.

To have to separate from her child, who had returned after suffering, as soon as he came back. She couldn’t be happy.

She was also worried about whether a child who had lived as royalty would adapt well to the temple.

She worried he might be scolded every day for being rude.

Rumors circulated that it would be difficult to see his face properly once he became a novice priest, so she was reluctant to send her young child.

The Prime Minister, seeing that the Emperor and Empress were not very pleased, persuaded them again.

“You must look at it in the long term. And while His Highness is at the temple, we can appropriately time it to erase all records of this incident.”

“Would that be alright?”

“Priests who have abandoned the secular world sometimes deliberately erase their past. It’s alright. Or we can erase all the records of that time. And when His Highness was young, we must spread the story everywhere that a high-ranking priest came and said he had talent.”

* * *

The screen changed again.

Young Rembrary was mixed among novice priests of his age.

The small children were sitting at desks, chattering among themselves, but it was difficult to distinguish what they were saying as several children were talking at once.

However, it was clear that young Rembrary was sitting upright alone, saying nothing.

The children glanced at Rembrary from time to time while talking among themselves.

They looked curious, but no one spoke to him.

Rembrary saw the high-ranking priest watching young Rembrary through the classroom window.

* * *

The screen changed again, and a slightly taller Rembrary appeared.

He was only about ten years old, but he was holding a thick book in his arms and looked more comfortable than before.

Some of the other novice priests of his age came to talk to young Rembrary here.

Young Rembrary also smiled and answered them.

However, the colors of the clothes that the priests and young Rembrary were wearing were already different.

‘Was that when… I was the only common priest among the novice priests of my age?’

* * *

As the screen changed again, the Demon King and Redrin were seen facing each other in an unknown place.

Rembrary blankly watched the screen and then moved closer to the screen this time.

He tried to recognize the background, but it was difficult.

However, it was certain that Redrin and the Demon King were looking at each other disapprovingly in the same space.

Redrin clicked his tongue at the Demon King.

“Your atmosphere has changed a lot.”

“What did you do to Rembrary?”

“I’m taking care of him, giving him love, and embracing him.”

“I’m asking what you did to that child’s memories.”

Redrin burst into laughter.

“What could I have done? Poor Aquari [Demon King’s name]. Weren’t you the one who erased Rembrary’s memories?”

“Don’t lie. I know you’re not stupid.”

As Redrin looked down with a smile, the Demon King said in a sharp voice.

“You must have seen that the child had a fruit seed [a metaphor for potential or inherent qualities]. So you tampered with his memories, didn’t you? After noticing that I had sealed that child’s memories.”

The Demon King gritted his teeth, but Redrin remained calm.

“Whether you sealed or erased them later, weren’t you the one who erased the child’s first memories?”

“Because I knew how humans would treat a child who talked about the Demon Realm.”

“…….”

“Those were memories that would naturally unravel as time passed and he grew up. If you hadn’t erased them completely.”

Redrin raised an eyebrow and said.

“Oh, dear. That’s unfortunate.”

But his voice and expression showed no regret at all.

At that reaction, the Demon King muttered with a hollow expression.

“Redrin… I thought we weren’t close, but we weren’t enemies either.”

Redrin smiled and replied.

“Is that so? I hate you. Ever since my child died because of your family feud.”

“!”

“But this time, it’s not because I hate you. I just didn’t like that your traces were on my child.”

“My child?”

The Demon King let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded.

“My child that I saved and made a promise with.”

“Ask that child. See if he really thinks that way. That child only thinks of me.”

“That child follows you because he mistakes you for me.”

Still, as Redrin smiled without wavering, the Demon King sneered in a small voice.

“Don’t think so? Then why don’t you return his memories right now?”

At those words, Redrin flinched for the first time.

The Demon King sneered.

“Why? Can’t you do it?”

Soon, the Demon King laughed loudly and shook Redrin again.

“You erased his memories because you know that the child follows not you, but me. Admit it. If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t have erased his memories in the first place. Don’t you know that better than anyone else?”

However, Redrin had already regained his composure.

“Aquari. Don’t argue meaninglessly. The years you spent with that child weren’t even a year. Even when he came to me, that child didn’t even have those memories left. Why? Because you erased them.”

“!”

“But what about the time that child and I have built up? It’s already been several years.”

At that calm and gentle voice, this time, the Demon King’s eyes wavered.