Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 617

◈ 617. You Need to Tell Me Why You’re Angry

“I often think about it. You seem quite free. Always.”

As Yeomra appeared, Redrine, who was lounging on a long sofa made of clouds, waving the clouds with one hand without even looking, simply waved his hand in response.

Then, a cloud chair similar to the one Redrine was lying on appeared in front of Yeomra.

Yeomra sat there with one leg crossed and the other down, looking at the lazy otherworld god with a pathetic gaze.

“Doesn’t living like that make divinity boring?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“You seem to do nothing but think all day.”

“There’s nothing to do here. The cracks in the divine realm are almost closed. And if I go down to the human realm, I’ll cause more damage trying to close the cracks. There’s no helping it.”

Yeomra, who spends all day buried in scrolls, felt his habitual nagging rising in his throat.

*But once this situation is resolved, Redrine will either return to his world or remain as a competitor, right?*

*There’s no point in nagging him just because he’s annoying; it won’t benefit us.*

Yeomra quickly finished calculating and shrugged.

“That’s right.”

At that docile answer, the corners of Redrine’s lips quirked up suspiciously.

*It felt a bit unsettling that Redrine was smiling along,* but Yeomra, instead of showing it, tore off a bit of the sofa cloud and revealed his original purpose.

“Still, it’s fortunate that you’re free. As it happens, there’s something only you, an otherworld god, can do. Can you contact Lumena?”

“I probably could.”

Redrine replied leisurely.

“You seem relaxed. But the human realm is not so relaxed right now. After hearing a prophecy from Nakru [likely a religious figure or organization] that the otherworld saint would side with the Demon King, they left the alliance.”

“The otherworld saint? Are you talking about my child?”

“The other one is dead, so it must be that child.”

Redrine showed no particular change in expression even after hearing the prophecy that Rembrary would side with the Demon King.

Yeomra wondered if Redrine’s calm demeanor came from his faith in Rembrary, or if he was simply good at managing his expressions.

“When Lumena was in the human realm, she was the leader of a group called Mirage. After Lumena disappeared, those humans blamed Rembrary. It seems they’ve been shaking up Nakru.”

“Mirage?”

“I heard those two have joined hands now.”

One corner of Redrine’s lips lifted.

“My friend has always had terrible taste.”

“Contact that friend with terrible taste and have them clean up the mess.”

Yeomra said that and stood up.

“We’ll be busy enough dealing with demons and monsters. It would be troublesome for everyone if we had to deal with those guys too.”

Having said all he needed to say, Yeomra quickly left, and Redrine half-raised his body from its languid position.

Although he was sitting, Redrine still looked sleepy and languid as he moved his hands around.

“Over there, I guess.”

Then, in an instant, he was somewhere else.

It was still all clouds, but in front of the cloud where Redrine arrived, there was a peach tree.

And near that tree, there was a very small crack left. It was a crack that Redrine had deliberately left open without closing it completely.

Redrine sat cross-legged in front of it and called out to Lumena in his mind.

Lumena didn’t answer immediately. But as Redrine kept calling out, she finally answered in a somewhat prickly voice.

[You’re noisy.]

“Lumena, are you still into chickens?” [Referring to her followers]

[Don’t treat my clerics like chickens. But you wouldn’t listen anyway.]

Redrine took Lumena’s sulky voice as a sign that she was doing well and got to the point.

“Lumena, the chicks you left behind are getting in the way of the fight against the Demon King.”

[Chicks? ……Mirage?]

“Yes. My followers and other human groups have joined hands with Nakru. But your chicks are sowing discord between Nakru and my followers, making it useless. What do you think?”

[If they’re going to fall apart with a few words, their bond couldn’t have been strong to begin with.]

“If I throw your chicks over there one by one, will you take them?”

[What are you talking about?]

“Your chicks think you disappeared because of my child. So they keep trying to hold my child back. Wouldn’t it be better for you to take them?”

Lumena was silent for a moment. But soon a refusal came: “No way.”

[I used too much power giving and receiving Rembrary’s group. It’s hard to bring them over safely right now.]

“I’ll just throw them over casually, so catch them casually. Only the strong chicks will survive.”

[You bastard, just because they’re not your followers, you’re talking so carelessly?]

“Aren’t your chicks harming my child?”

[I know what you mean. But not right now. Safety aside, those kids might say they want to leave their hometown and come here.]

“They’ll adapt if you just throw them over.”

[You son of a bitch, you keep……?]

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m in a bad mood right now because your chicks are bothering my child.”

[You dog, is your puppy going to bite my chicks or be bullied by them?]

“Our Rembrary is too innocent.”

[Innocent? Innocent? I was going to let it go, but you son of a bitch. Your innocent puppy tore up my child’s reincarnation as soon as he saw him, you bastard.]

“Ah, Lapsus, you mean? Has he been reincarnated?”

Redrine’s voice, asking about Lapsus’s recent situation, was annoyingly bright, as if he were genuinely congratulating her.

Lumena couldn’t get any angrier and answered sullenly.

[……Yeah.]

“Definitely a chicken, right?”

But as soon as Redrine said one more word, Lumena became angry again and slowly listed insults within the bounds of maintaining her dignity.

After a long time, Lumena finally stopped talking.

*It was fortunate for Lumena. Redrine was just enjoying listening to Lumena’s insults.*

Lumena guessed that Redrine was probably smiling and saying, ‘Yes, yes,’ and coldly changed the subject.

[Anyway, that’s that. I was going to contact you anyway, Redrine. There’s something I’m worried about.]

“Something you’re worried about?”

[You heard the story that Rembrary left a piece of the Demon King in the body of the sleeping god here, right?]

“Yeah. They fell asleep together, right?”

[That god’s aura is ominous.]

“I thought he was asleep?”

[Exactly. What could the Demon King’s fragment have done?]

Redrine’s hand stroked the cotton-like clouds. Beyond the clouds, a bright blue sky could be seen, and monsters flying through that sky.

Humans were gradually adapting to the situation after the upheaval.

They began to efficiently use the Awakened [individuals with special abilities] to catch monsters, and movements to restore life were taking place here and there.

But there were still two places where the recovery speed was slow: one was the sea, and the other was the sky.

The sea was still better. Ships were sailing, submarines were operating, and they were able to protect underwater cables.

On the other hand, the sky was almost untouched.

There were Awakened who could fly, but those Awakened had difficulty fighting monsters, and the Awakened who could fight monsters had difficulty getting up to the sky, so there was no helping it.

One of Redrine’s eyebrows rose. Looking at the back of a monster flapping its wings and flying, something came to mind.

“Come to think of it, about the Demon King. He’s trying to win Rembrary over to his side, anticipating that he’ll be sealed.”

“Sealed?” Lumena asked, immediately catching on to what Redrine was saying and exclaiming in surprise.

[If the sleeping god is trying to wake up because of the Demon King’s fragment… then the Demon King’s fragment has consciousness. Even if he’s sealed on that side, he can continue to operate on this side.]

Lumena clicked her tongue briefly.

[It’s not certain, but it can’t hurt to be careful.]

“Yeah. Keep an eye on it. And about the Mirage issue-”

* * *

“Understood.”

Ki Seong-hyun replied briefly to Rembrary’s suggestion to either take him to Moruso or call him.

“I’ll call him.”

“It would be best to take me there.”

“Do you know what kind of relationship the two of you have right now to be taken there?”

“Okay, then give me the number.”

“Use my phone to call.”

Moruso, who spoke firmly, took out his cell phone and soon made a call somewhere.

“Hello, this is Ki Seong-hyun from the Lyra Team of the Hunter Management Agency. ……Yes. Yes. Yes. I’m sorry. Yes. ……Actually, Rembrary from Redrine Hunter Company is requesting to speak with the Deputy Director. Yes. Yes.”

Afterward, Moruso had a conversation with someone and handed the phone to Rembrary.

Rembrary took the phone and put it to his ear.

“Hello?”

And the moment he said one word, the sound of teeth grinding could be heard from inside.

Then a voice was heard, saying his name in clipped tones, “Rembrary.”

Hearing that voice, Rembrary remembered a few old things, and he remembered more about Moruso than before.

“I heard you were kidnapped.”

[Are you unhappy that I’m perfectly fine here?]

“It’s not that-”

But Rembrary, who was about to say more, stopped when he heard Redrine calling from beyond his consciousness.

“Redrine-nim is calling. Just a moment.”

[Now?]

Rembrary didn’t answer Moruso’s words and answered Redrine, ‘Yes, Redrine-nim.’

Then, as Rembrary stood blankly, Secretary Yoon and Ki Seong-hyun exchanged glances.

*Isn’t ‘Redrine’ the god that the people of Redrine Hunter Company believe in?*

*But Rembrary suddenly says that the god is calling him in the middle of a call and stands blankly.*

To the eyes of these two Earth natives, who have lived longer in the pre-cataclysmic world than in the post-cataclysmic world, Rembrary’s current behavior seemed very strange.

How long had it been? Finally, Rembrary said to Moruso, “Ah, you can talk now.”

Ki Seong-hyun was shocked that the grumpy Moruso had waited without saying a word while Rembrary was lost in that absurd silence.

[What did Redrine-nim say?]

What Redrine had said was that he had received permission from Lumena, so he could use Lumena’s name to persuade Mirage.

*Can I tell this to Moruso?*

While Rembrary was hesitating because of this. Moruso suddenly got excited and shouted on his own after asking the question.

[Our Kamuel-nim is still struggling in the original world. I can’t even contact him well right now. But you’re not even bragging, and you’re talking to Redrine-nim in front of me?!]

“It’s not a call.”

[Shut up!]

“That’s right, Moruso. I heard you were kidnapped. How are you here safely?”

[Why? Are you unhappy that I’m here?]

“Can I come to see you?”

[Ah, no, Rembrary. If you have any conscience, you shouldn’t look for me.]

“Can I look for you if I don’t have any?”

[Don’t look for me even if you don’t! I’m telling you not to come!]

“Why?”

[Why? That’s the problem, Rembrary. You still don’t know why I’m angry, do you?]

“I’ll know if you tell me.”

[Find out for yourself. Switch to Ki Seong-hyun.]