Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 609

◈ 609. To Have a Conversation, Obviously an Amusement Park

Kim Murok, at a loss for words, frantically waved his hands, retracting his statement.

“Wait a minute. Just a minute. You’re throwing the main point at me as soon as we meet; I can’t keep up.”

Jang Taeri feigned exaggerated surprise.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t have much time, but I have a lot to say.”

Kim Murok felt that Jang Taeri was teasing him, but he didn’t get swept away and responded.

“Take your time. Since you’re here, take some more time.”

“Please listen with the feeling of a director listening slowly.”

“I see why CEO Jang, CEO Shin, and Rembrary are friends.”

“That’s rude to me.”

Kim Murok wanted to say ‘I see why CEO Jang, CEO Shin, and Rembrary are friends’ one more time.

Jang Taeri subtly teased people and then belatedly smiled kindly and asked.

“So, where are you having trouble understanding?”

“Why did you come here?”

“To persuade you.”

Not threaten, persuade. Jang Taeri emphasized once more.

“Why are you trying to persuade me?”

“If I ask you to tell me how much you’ve found out about Rembrary, you won’t tell me, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then you’ll just have to understand appropriately. I’ll speak appropriately. Please understand well.”

“Oh, my.”

“Listen, PD [Production Director] Kim. Someone must have told you about Rembrary.”

“That’s right.”

“Actually, I know who it is, but I won’t touch that for now.”

Kim Murok stared at Jang Taeri with a sullen look.

“You know?”

When did you find out?

“Of course, I know. You even sent an attacker to me, didn’t you? Funny, right?”

“Is it funny?”

“It’s sarcasm. Anyway, that sponsor. Didn’t you think their purpose was suspicious?”

Kim Murok opened and closed his mouth a few times.

Is Jang Taeri really saying that knowing who the sponsor is? Or is she just testing the waters?

If she sent an attacker and found out their identity, does that mean she caught the attacker?

He wracked his brain, but Jang Taeri was someone who had successfully led her own business even before becoming the CEO of Volunteer Corps after the Cataclysm [a large-scale disaster].

She was smiling in a way that made her seem like a good person, but it was hard to know if it was genuine.

Kim Murok hesitated for a moment and then sullenly agreed.

“Who do you take me for, a fool? Of course, I know. But I also know that people who report things like this rarely do it with good intentions.”

His tone was rough, but it was the truth. Kim Murok hadn’t been in this business for just a year or two. There was no way he wouldn’t know.

Jang Taeri nodded and continued.

“As I said before, Rembrary is the only one who can properly deal with the demons right now. There are many hunters as strong as Rembrary, but there are no hunters who deal with them as well as Rembrary. The results show that, right?”

“…Keep talking.”

“If Rembrary collapses, the demons will benefit the most. And the person who reported to PD Kim. So, PD Kim. Are these two in cahoots, or are they different sides with overlapping benefits by coincidence?”

Is my sponsor in cahoots with the demons, and am I being played by them, doing things that help the demons? Kim Murok’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Jang Taeri subtly asked.

“Isn’t their purpose suspicious and dangerous?”

“……”

“That sponsor. They approached PD Kim first, right?”

Kim Murok found it hard to refute. The stories that Jang Taeri was vaguely pointing out were all true, one by one.

In fact, it was the sponsor who approached Kim Murok first and handed him this information.

Kim Murok gulped down the still-hot coffee.

“PD Kim. You know the situation in our country and abroad. Honestly, everyone is barely maintaining balance. People who live in places where monsters don’t pop out as much are living similarly to before, but some people’s lives have completely collapsed.”

“But they say they’re slowly starting recovery work……”

“Exactly. They’re trying to slowly start recovery work, so we can’t let it get any worse here, can we?”

“But shouldn’t people know the cause? Who caused this?”

“Of course. They should know. They should vent their anger. And then we all die together.”

“!”

Jang Taeri put down her coffee cup and smiled at the surprised Kim Murok.

“I’ll be going now. Thank you for your time.”

Jang Taeri left, and the sound of the door closing was heard.

“She’s distracting me in a different way from CEO Shin.”

Kim Murok muttered, ‘Oh, my,’ and drank the cold coffee. A strong bitter taste rose from the cold coffee.

* * *

“CEO. CEO Shin Jo-un is waiting for you.”

As Jang Taeri returned to the company, her secretary, who had come to greet her in the parking lot, subtly informed her.

Jang Taeri handed the car keys to the secretary and asked.

“Jo-un is?”

“Yes. He’s been waiting for about 20 minutes.”

“He must have rushed over as soon as I hung up.”

Jang Taeri clicked her tongue and entered the elevator.

As she entered the outer door of the CEO’s office, sure enough. Shin Jo-un was sitting in the guest waiting room, folding paper.

“Wow, you look free.”

Jang Taeri teased as she entered, and Shin Jo-un lightly threw the folded paper airplane forward.

Jang Taeri caught the airplane in the air and tugged at Shin Jo-un’s sleeve.

As Jang Taeri took Shin Jo-un inside, the secretary familiarly brought water from the brand that Shin Jo-un often drank.

Jang Taeri left Shin Jo-un on the sofa, sat in the CEO’s chair herself, waited for the secretary to leave, and as soon as they were alone, she scolded him.

“Oh, my. How can you be like this? You run over as soon as I say I’m going to see PD Kim?”

“It could be dangerous. What can I do if I’m worried?”

“What’s dangerous? Kim Murok isn’t an Awakened One [a person with supernatural abilities].”

“Kim Murok isn’t dangerous, but his broadcast is.”

Jang Taeri thought about whether to agree or not, but seeing that Shin Jo-un was serious, she reluctantly nodded.

“That’s true.”

“Kim Murok’s sponsor, too. They have annoying abilities. You know.”

“Hey, Shin Anchovy. Are you interfering with me after interfering with Piggy now?”

“How did the talk go? Did it go well? You didn’t hit anyone, did you?”

“Am I a gangster? It went well.”

Shin Jo-un worriedly asked as Jang Taeri raised her chin high.

“Did that PD listen to you?”

“He seemed a bit persuaded.”

“He did?”

“Yeah. He didn’t say he’d quit right away. But he seemed a bit troubled.”

Seeing Shin Jo-un frowning and muttering, Jang Taeri recalled Kim Murok being wary from the start, asking if she had come to threaten him.

Jang Taeri wondered if she should tell Shin Jo-un, ‘You went to threaten him, and I went to persuade him, so that proud PD wouldn’t listen to you!’

But looking at Shin Jo-un’s expression, it seemed like he knew it himself, unlike his words, so Jang Taeri just laughed it off.

“The World Boom employees trust your words well. Me and Piggy, too. That’s enough. We’re worth a hundred people.”

“We should exclude one person.”

“Mr. Rembrary? Why?”

“He just does whatever he wants.”

“Wow, you’re just like him.”

“Jang Taeri.”

Shin Jo-un frowned and stared, but Jang Taeri just exclaimed excessively.

“As expected, when two people who do whatever they want meet, one of them yields. And that’s you.”

“……”

“Ah, I feel refreshed. So much fun!”

Shin Jo-un stared at Jang Taeri with a dumbfounded expression, then let out a hollow laugh and stood up.

“Are you leaving already?”

“I’ve been running around since I came out of the dungeon. I’m tired because I haven’t slept properly for days.”

“And you came to me, you crazy person? Go sleep!”

* * *

While Shin Jo-un and Jang Taeri were bickering.

Kim Murok, who had been troubled by Jang Taeri’s words, was seriously wandering around nearby.

After wandering around for a while, Kim Murok took out his phone and called his sponsor.

He hadn’t accepted Jang Taeri’s words 100%, but after hearing them, there was a somewhat unsettling aspect to it.

The sponsor answered the phone after a few rings.

[Yes. What’s wrong?]

Kim Murok suppressed his rough feelings and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“There’s something I didn’t ask before because I thought you’d naturally want it.”

[?]

“Why did you specifically give me the information to bring down Rembrary?”

[Why are you asking when you know? It’s a grudge.]

“What is that grudge—”

[Do I need to tell you?]

“No. No, but……”

[Did you hear something from someone?]

“No, nothing.”

[Is it Jang Taeri?]

“……”

Kim Murok frowned. How did this person know this again?

[Don’t you want to make the documentary anymore? Do you want to quit? Then you can quit. Anytime. I didn’t force PD Kim to take it on.]

“That’s true, but……”

This was another reason why Kim Murok hadn’t asked many questions, even though he was suspicious of the sponsor.

The sponsor didn’t necessarily need Kim Murok.

The information the sponsor held was newsworthy enough even if Kim Murok didn’t handle it.

The sponsor had many options.

On the other hand, Kim Murok only had two options. Accept it or not.

[I’ll hang up now.]

The sponsor didn’t seem willing to share their personal story and hung up the phone as is.

Kim Murok sighed and squatted down haphazardly on the nearby sidewalk.

He always had, but perhaps because he had heard so many words from Jang Taeri. The fact that the sponsor wasn’t trying to give him any information felt even more unsettling today.

—Mr. Rembrary has already broken two pillars this time. The pillars set up by the demons are currently only in Korea, so it’s an issue overseas as well. What exactly is good about the pillars being destroyed?

In the meantime, a clear news sound passed behind him.

Someone seemed to be passing by while watching the news on their phone.

‘What timing.’

Kim Murok sighed.

As Jang Taeri said, Rembrary was currently the most helpful person in dealing with demons.

He could be said to be one of the causes of the Earth being in this state, but he was also the person who was working the hardest to clean up the mess.

What would happen if Rembrary no longer dealt with demons?

‘But what does it mean that Rembrary’s power will decrease if the documentary is released? It doesn’t seem like it’s just a story about him not being able to step forward because he’s watching people’s reactions, right?’

After pondering for a long time, Kim Murok made a decision.

‘Okay. I’ve heard even that kind of story, and it’s still unsettling to continue. Now that it’s come to this, let’s just meet Rembrary himself and decide.’

He put his hands on his knees and stood up from his squatting position.

If you think this way, this is right, and if you think that way, that is right.

So, instead of being swayed by other people’s words, he thought it would be better to make a judgment with his own eyes and ears.

‘I may not know anything else, but I have a good eye for people.’

Kim Murok called Rembrary’s phone number.

A moment later. Rembrary answered the phone.

[Oh, what is it?]

Standing there listening to the clear and pleasant voice, unlike the situation, Kim Murok opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Mr. Rembrary. This is PD Kim Murok. I’d like to meet you? Do you have time—”

[Will you come now?]

But unlike the difficult phone call, Rembrary readily granted him a meeting.

He even said to meet now.

“Huh? Now? Is that okay?”

Kim Murok asked in surprise, and a scream of ‘Kkyaaaaaaaa’ quickly passed over the phone.

What is this sound? He was startled and stayed still, and soon a bright voice was heard.

[This is an amusement park. Come to the amusement park. What’s the name here…… Ardore, what’s the name?]

‘Ardore? Is he with that crazy bastard?’

[Ah, yes. It’s Exciting Hell, they say.]

Over the receiver, he heard sounds of ‘Hello Park, Hello Park,’ and ‘Isn’t Hello telling you to go to hell?’

Kim Murok unknowingly hung up the phone.

Is this perhaps an omen? Is it telling me not to go meet him because it’s hell if I go now?

A moment later. A text message came from Rembrary.

[Buy a free pass ticket and come. We all bought it.]

Kim Murok’s mouth dropped open.

‘Are we riding together?’