Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 607

After tidying up the house and repairing the broken front door lock, Rembrary and Sunwoo-sil left the downstairs neighbor’s phone at the security office and returned home.

“Take your hands off the wheel.”

“You said you liked it because I drive like a roller coaster.”

“I said it’s *like* a roller coaster, not that I liked it. Take your hands off the wheel.”

Sunwoo-sil, having realized that Rembrary’s driving skills were terrible, secured the driver’s seat this time, and the two arrived home safely.

During the drive, Sunwoo-sil glanced at Rembrary strangely from time to time, but she didn’t treat him differently than before because of Nakru’s interest or her own strange premonitions.

Sunwoo-sil was proud of herself for this, but Rembrary only felt awkward looking at her.

“Sunbae [term of endearment for a senior colleague or mentor]. Why do you keep smiling at me?”

“Are you really related to Woo Yeon-woo?”

When they returned home, Hwasaja, Shin Jo-woon, and Ardor were standing in the living room, having emerged from the dungeon sometime earlier.

“Oh, aren’t these our animal friends?” Rembrary, delighted to see them, approached the three.

On the other hand, Sunwoo-sil recognized Ardor and Hwasaja, about whom bad rumors often circulated, and quietly went up the stairs to her room.

Rembrary noticed Sunwoo-sil slipping away, but instead of calling her out, he asked the three, “I created a fantastic combination for you, so why did you come out so late?”

Ardor, who had been glaring at Shin Jo-woon, smiled brightly as Rembrary approached and replied, “Shin Jo-woon didn’t meet the High Priest’s expectations. I’m sorry for being late, High Priest.”

Hwasaja, on the other hand, frowned and said firmly, “Fantastic combination, my foot. I told you not to use me like glue.”

“What is glue?”

“Glue! To stick two things together! When you take Ardor and Shin Jo-woon, don’t use me as an adhesive!”

“What is Shin-eyes-woon?”

He had quickly changed his words, having almost called him ‘Shin Nunkkal’ [a derogatory term meaning ‘new eyeballs’]. However, perhaps realizing it wasn’t something to say in front of the person himself, Hwasaja huffed and puffed, then pushed Rembrary forward like a shield when he met Shin Jo-woon’s eyes.

“?”

Rembrary didn’t know what was going on, but sensing that the three seemed a bit sensitive, he readily offered, “Okay, okay, I understand. You all seem sensitive because you’re tired, so let’s all go to my room.”

“Rest there? Won’t it be cramped?”

“No, I have something to say. Sit down and listen.”

“You’re not saying we can rest.”

Hwasaja was about to complain, but when Ardor stared at him with eyes like fish in a market, he quickly stepped forward and asked, “Where is your room again?”

* * *

Rembrary took the three into his room and briefly told them about the past he had seen inside the dungeon.

Since they had all glimpsed Rembrary’s past, whether briefly or at length, there was no need to hide it, so he simply told them. Hwasaja initially grumbled about not letting people who had just come out of the dungeon rest and immediately starting to talk, but as the story continued, he quietly listened with interest. And when Rembrary told them what he had seen about his past, he was the most flustered and asked, “Then what happens to you now?”

“Nothing much has changed. What should happen?”

“No, the first person you saw, isn’t that the god you’re serving now?”

“That’s right.”

“Then shouldn’t you originally be serving the Demon King?”

“That’s not it. I was a prince then, not a priest.”

“Still, isn’t it a bit much?”

Hwasaja looked back and forth between Ardor and Shin Jo-woon, wondering, ‘Am I the only one who thinks this is strange?’ But after confirming that their expressions were different from his, he turned down the corners of his mouth.

Shin Jo-woon was frowning and lost in thought, while Ardor was glaring at Hwasaja. When their eyes met, Ardor even gestured at Hwasaja to Rembrary and said, “High Priest, that heretic is using every trick to corrupt you.”

For Hwasaja, who had no interest in whether Rembrary was corrupted or not, it was an absurd claim. But knowing that Ardor always spoke like that, Hwasaja didn’t react to it and instead asked Rembrary, “Anyway, you and the Demon King have more than a passing connection, and you even received help. Isn’t it strange to just remain enemies like this? If it weren’t for the Demon King, you might have died on that cliff, right?”

Shin Jo-woon, who had been silent all along, interjected when Rembrary replied, “Well…”, “More importantly, Pig. I think there’s a reason why you’re suddenly telling us this story.”

Until now, Rembrary hadn’t been keen on others joining him to see his past. The same was true when Shin Jo-woon asked him outright. But to call the three of them and tell them first without anyone asking. There must be another reason.

Hwasaja also thought it made sense when he heard it, so he forgot his resentment towards Shin Jo-woon and nodded. “Right? Why are you suddenly telling us this story?”

“There’s a prophet among Sunwoo-sil sunbae’s friends.”

“?”

“Nakru attacked Sunwoo-sil sunbae.”

It became even harder to understand. What does that have to do with Rembrary’s past? Even Ardor looked bewildered and stared at Rembrary.

Rembrary continued, taking the risk of twisting his words a bit to protect Sunwoo-sil’s secret. “Nakru went to Sunwoo-sil sunbae and asked her to ask her friend if there was a future where I sided with the demons.”

Shin Jo-woon twitched his fingers.

“Why would they ask that?”

Hwasaja, not knowing what was going on, asked without being surprised.

Rembrary shrugged. “Nakru obtained such a prophecy.”

Ardor and Hwasaja exchanged glances.

“But even after hearing about the past, I have no intention of siding with the demons. I feel a little sympathy for the Demon King, but that’s all. So it’s strange. I have no intention of doing that, so why did they see such a future?”

Hwasaja asked awkwardly, “Is that prophecy 100% certain to come true?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

Hwasaja glanced at Ardor, another Redrin follower.

But Shin Jo-woon and himself weren’t Redrin followers, but the other one was. Is it okay to hear these things?

However, Ardor only stared blankly at Rembrary, seemingly without any particular change in expression. Hwasaja felt relieved and looked at Rembrary.

Rembrary was now crossing his arms and muttering. “The Demon King has six close aides. But I only brought four to Earth. But one of the aides I left behind has the ability to amplify emotions. He can’t create emotions that don’t exist, but he can amplify existing emotions.”

Shin Jo-woon’s eyebrow rose on one side, as if he was reminded of the hardships he had suffered in the form of a sloth when he heard ‘aides I left behind.’

“Are the demons perhaps trying to amplify my sympathy?” Hwasaja asked cautiously.

“If your sympathy grows, will you betray the god you believe in?”

“No.”

However, Rembrary answered without hesitation. Hwasaja had forgotten his fatigue as he became engrossed in the story.

The question of whether Rembrary would side with the demons or not was not just his own problem. Isn’t Rembrary the one who is achieving the greatest results in the current battle against the demons? If Rembrary were to side with the demons, the tide would immediately turn.

At that moment, Shin Jo-woon brought up an unexpected story. “Actually, Woo Sung-woo also said something like that.”

Rembrary’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Shin Jo-woon nodded. “I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t something to tell others. But since the story is circulating in three places, I’m concerned.”

Hwasaja looked at Rembrary and repeated the question he had asked earlier. “Are you going to join hands with the demons?”

“I told you, no.”

Rembrary answered immediately this time as well. Still, Hwasaja felt uneasy and was about to back away when Ardor spoke up as if he had realized something, saying, “Ah.”

“High Priest. Could it be that if the pillar collapses, the memories that the Demon King sealed and Redrin erased will return as they are?”

Hwasaja interjected. “Haven’t the memories already returned?”

Ardor glared at Hwasaja as if he were an idiot and said to Rembrary again. “Until now, it’s not that you’ve restored your memories, it’s just like we’ve been told stories. If the pillar collapses, won’t the memories themselves really return? Along with the emotions of that time… and things like that.”

Hwasaja’s eyes widened. “That’s right. Then it’s not just sympathy, but loyalty, faith, and trust that will arise. If that emotion becomes greater than your loyalty to Redrin, Rembrary might side with them!”

After speaking, Hwasaja looked at Ardor, a Redrin follower, warily. Ardor had his mouth wide open as if it were a terrible thing to even hear. He stared blankly at Rembrary in that state, then Ardor asked urgently, “High Priest, even if your memories return, you will still be the High Priest, right?”

“Of course.”

Hwasaja interjected again. “Still, isn’t it better not to destroy the pillar just in case? Anyway, if you have to choose one of the two, you’ll choose the one with the stronger emotions.”

“My current emotions are—”

“Ah, even if you like Redrin more now. What if your feelings for the Demon King become greater than that?”

“…….”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just leave the pillar alone?”

The group fell silent for a moment. But soon, Shin Jo-woon shook his head and retorted. “But if the pillar remains intact, the demons’ power will only grow stronger.”

“Then should we destroy it?”

“…….”

Rembrary clicked his tongue. He could see that the demons had really played their cards well this time. Whether the pillar was destroyed or not, the situation would change to the demons’ advantage. It was a cleverly crafted game.

“It’s a headache. That’s why I asked you. You are, after all, the ones who went into my past with me.”

After thinking for a long time, Shin Jo-woon said to Rembrary, “Take your time to think. After all, even if you destroy the pillar right now, only the demon aides will be sealed, not all the other monsters will disappear. In terms of the scale of damage, it’s about the same.”

“But if we don’t destroy the pillar, there will be no end to it, no matter how much we try to fix it.”

The group fell silent again. Rembrary sat on the bed and rubbed his hair.

It was truly a brilliantly crafted game.

* * *

At that time.

The B Team leader, who had returned to Nakru headquarters, gave a brief report on today’s events and asked the deputy leader he had spoken with, “Have you made an appointment with the Mirage Deputy Director?”

“He said he would come here at 3 PM tomorrow.”

The B Team leader clicked his tongue. “I thought Rembrary was the most useful of the saints. But to think that betrayal is planned. This is also quite something.”

“…….”

“What are you going to do? If we tell this story, will Redrin or Worldboom believe us? We don’t even have any solid evidence. Worldboom, Redrin, and Aegis will all defend Rembrary.”

“That’s right. But the biggest problem is that it’s difficult for us to attack Rembrary recklessly. Rembrary’s ability is too rare and useful to eliminate like this.”