Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 673

‘So many people are after me for various reasons?’

Rembrary stared blankly at the receiver after Head Manager hung up without explaining what those various reasons were.

It seemed that more had happened in the past two years than he had thought. If it were simply due to grudges, Head Manager wouldn’t have used the expression ‘various reasons’.

So, there must be other reasons besides grudges…….

‘Are they after my power?’

* * *

Branch Manager Ji glanced at Rembrary.

It couldn’t be that the food wasn’t good… Could it be because he was deep in thought? The High Priest seemed quieter after the call.

Seeing him eat the pork cutlet without saying a word, he was clearly thinking about many things.

He seemed a bit crazy on TV, but he was someone who risked his life to protect people, so he must be different from how he appeared. He must be deep down.

Branch Manager Ji occasionally glared at the building manager, who wasn’t even a follower but had come along for the meal, while continuing to worry about Rembrary.

Although it was an unintentional meeting, the other person was still the famous Rembrary.

Moreover, even though Branch Manager Ji didn’t have deep faith, he had a sense of loyalty to Redrine, so he couldn’t help but worry when he saw his top superior lost in thought.

Eventually, just as Branch Manager Ji was about to open his mouth to say something positive, anything at all.

“Branch Manager Ji.”

Rembrary, who had been quietly eating, pushed the empty pork cutlet plate aside, pulled the udon bowl closer, and asked.

“Tell me about what’s happened in the last two years while Head Manager is on his way.”

“The High Priest hasn’t shown himself for two years, has he? Were you in a place where you couldn’t know the outside situation for two years? Everyone known to be close to the High Priest has been trying to find you, but since you haven’t shown yourself at all, there have been many rumors that you’ve passed away.”

“Yes. I don’t know anything about the situation here. I was far away.”

Branch Manager Ji rolled his eyes. So much had happened in the past two years.

But because so much had happened, it was difficult to talk about everything that had occurred.

“Um… Redrine’s image has really recovered a lot compared to two years ago.”

After much deliberation, Branch Manager Ji brought up the conclusion that Rembrary would want to hear the most.

“How so?”

“Oh, there have been various things.”

“That ‘various things’ keeps coming up.”

“Pardon?”

“No, continue.”

“Um… People’s opinions have gradually started to change. The Otherworlders have a hand in the upheaval, but they actually help with dealing with monsters and restoration.”

Branch Manager Ji recalled that Rembrary was also an Otherworlder [a person from another world], and continued his explanation while trying not to make a mistake.

“Did the atmosphere improve just because of that? Time is a remedy, but two years isn’t a short time for hatred to turn into medicine, is it?”

“That’s true. It’s not a change that’s immediately felt, but the Demon King’s territory has disappeared, hasn’t it? Since the most symbolic part has disappeared, it’s become easier for the majority to think that ‘Otherworlders are helpful’.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. Regardless of likes or dislikes, since what’s already happened can’t be undone, the mainstream opinion has become something like, ‘Let’s at least get help in restoring the Earth going forward’.”

“I see.”

Rembrary tilted his head. He understood Branch Manager Ji’s words well, and he also accepted the change in reputation.

However, Head Manager’s warning and Branch Manager’s explanation didn’t seem to be closely related.

“In addition, various things have worked together to bring about diverse opinions. The majority opinion is, as I said earlier, ‘Let’s think rationally rather than emotionally and get help.’ But there are also many diverse minority opinions.”

“Many minority opinions?”

“Yes. Among them, there are groups that extremely follow the High Priest, and conversely, there are groups that extremely reject him.”

Rembrary raised his eyebrows. Was that why Head Manager told him not to follow just anyone? Because there were not only opposing forces but also following forces?

But if they follow him extremely, how much are we talking about? About Ardord level?

‘Come to think of it, I wonder where Ardord is… I don’t think he’s with Head Manager. If he were, Head Manager would have brought him along. But he avoided the topic.’

Rembrary, who had been distracted by other thoughts for a moment, quickly snapped back to attention when he heard Branch Manager Ji clear his throat.

“That’s right. What exactly is this temporary ID card that Otherworlders receive?”

This was also something he had been wondering about.

The hunters who had been chasing Rembrary kept talking about his ID card.

When it seemed that Rembrary didn’t have an ID card, they called him a dangerous person and chased him.

Branch Manager Ji seemed to know this well, as he answered more comfortably than before.

“Ah, that. People have come to know about the existence of Otherworlders, haven’t they? Rather than leaving them as unknown entities and becoming an invisible danger, they thought it would be better to issue ID cards and manage them, so they started issuing temporary ID cards.”

Rembrary decided to order another dish at the increasingly amazing changes.

“Pizza-flavored pork cutlet.”

“Boss! One more pizza-flavored pork cutlet, please!”

“The image has really changed a lot. Not just Redrine, but also Otherworlders. But how did it change like this? Everyone just says, ‘There were various things,’ so I don’t really understand.”

“Ah, that’s… I’m sorry. It’s so complex that I can’t really think straight when I try to say it all at once… If it’s okay with you, should I organize a timeline and print it out for you?”

“Limes are sour. Would it be less sour then?”

“Pardon?”

“Huh?”

When Rembrary tilted his head while looking at him with wise eyes, Branch Manager Ji quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry, High Priest. I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Rembrary, who thought the timeline was a snack made with limes, was saved by the pizza pork cutlet.

“Here’s your pizza pork cutlet.”

As soon as the server put down the pork cutlet plate and left, Rembrary quickly grabbed a fork.

“I really like pizza.”

Then, as Rembrary began to cut and eat the pizza pork cutlet piece by piece, Branch Manager Ji and the building manager simultaneously exclaimed in admiration.

There are many people who eat well, but if the person who eats well is the most famous person of the current era, it looks strangely fascinating.

They watched with strange feelings as the famous person who had been shaking the world for the past few years ate pork cutlet and looked happy.

* * *

As they finished their meal and got up from their seats, Branch Manager Ji asked Rembrary,

“Now that you’ve eaten, what are you planning to do?”

He knew that he had to wait until Head Manager arrived, but there was still a lot of time left before Head Manager arrived.

Branch Manager Ji was curious about the small daily life that the famous person would show during that waiting time.

Rembrary immediately suggested, as if he had something in mind.

“Let’s get a snack. Isn’t there a place around here that sells snacks?”

Branch Manager Ji’s gaze reflexively turned to the stacked plates at the suggestion.

“Are you going to eat more…?”

The building manager also looked at Rembrary with a fed-up expression. But Rembrary rather asked back blankly.

“Is there a problem?”

“Ah, no. There isn’t. I just remembered that there’s a place nearby that makes really good shaved ice with red beans [a popular Korean dessert].”

Rumors had spread that Rembrary liked to eat. It wasn’t a concept.

Branch Manager Ji thought to himself as he led Rembrary to a shaved ice shop not far from the restaurant.

Rembrary ordered Injeolmi shaved ice [shaved ice topped with roasted soybean flour and mochi] there and then happily picked up a spoon.

It was a bit difficult to eat because half of his vision was blocked by the bamboo hat, but it was better than walking alone on the road while holding his hungry stomach.

‘Branch Manager Ji said that my face is too famous, so if I take off my bamboo hat, I’ll stand out.’

“Aren’t you guys eating?”

“We’re full. Please eat a lot, High Priest.”

Rembrary looked back and forth between Branch Manager Ji and the building manager, who had each ordered only an Americano and hadn’t even touched it, before starting to eat the shaved ice.

Then, when he had eaten about half of the shaved ice, Rembrary remembered one more thing he wanted to ask them.

“Head Manager told me that people would be after me, so I shouldn’t follow just anyone. Is there anything related to that?”

While listening to the story about people who extremely followed him and people who hated him, he vaguely guessed that it was because of them.

However, he was only vaguely guessing, so he wanted to check one more time with the opinion of someone here.

He could ask Head Manager later, but since there was a lot of time left now anyway, he was bored.

But unexpectedly, it wasn’t Branch Manager Ji but the building manager who stepped forward and said in a small voice.

“The people on Redrine side curse those who hate them as pseudo [fake or insincere], but they aren’t completely pseudo, are they? Unlike Redrine, there are places that are truly pseudo.”

“Pseudo?”

“Yes. They are people who claim that it’s a natural flow that the Earth has become like this, and that Otherworlders have only flowed into the Earth according to a predetermined providence [divine will or fate].”

Rembrary tilted his head.

“They’re making incorrect claims, but are they really pseudo to that extent? Aren’t they just people with firm beliefs? A pseudo religion should have a god to worship. If there isn’t anything like that—”

“Of course there is.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Rembrary.”

Rembrary was about to put shaved ice in his mouth when his hand slipped and he almost stabbed the roof of his mouth with the spoon.

Rembrary was dumbfounded and asked the building manager again.

“Me?”

Branch Manager Ji glared at the building manager and interjected.

“Yes. They seemed to be following the High Priest with an image like a divine messenger.”

‘That’s Gamjae [a Korean word implying ‘image-making’ or ‘pretending’].’

Rembrary became sullen and asked back.

“They don’t believe in Redrine but believe in me, they only believe in me, right?”

“Yes.”

Branch Manager Ji sighed.

“I haven’t seen them in person either, but they’re causing a lot of problems here and there, so it’s best not to get involved with them. They say they’re following the High Priest, but they’re closer to just causing accidents and selling the High Priest’s name as they please. If it becomes known that you’re associating with them, you’ll be targeted by the Hunter Management Agency.”

“So they’re not following me, they’re using me as a shield?”

“That’s right.”

Strange people have emerged. Rembrary clicked his tongue.

In any case, it seemed better to distance himself from such people, as Branch Manager Ji and Head Manager had said.

With the evaluation of Redrine having risen so much due to various events, he didn’t want to let such people cause accidents by his side and lower the evaluation again.

But just as Rembrary was about to scoop up the shaved ice with his spoon again.

The sound of several people gathering at the door was heard, and hunters in uniforms similar to those who had chased Rembrary in the field began to flock towards Rembrary.

Wondering what that was, he stared blankly, and the hunters, who kept their distance from Rembrary and surrounded him in an oval shape, said in a warning tone.

“Bamboo hat. An order has been issued to capture you. If you have no bad intentions, stop running and come with us.”

“?”