Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 689

◈ 689. One Month

[They say his symptoms have disappeared.]

“What?”

[……Are you perhaps disappointed?]

Ki Seong-hyun detected a hint of disappointment in Rembrary’s voice and asked with a somewhat displeased tone. Rembrary didn’t deny it.

“Well, it wasn’t a major side effect, was it?”

[His personality completely changed, you know. That’s a significant side effect. Enough so.]

Even as Ki Seong-hyun firmly denied it, Rembrary only chuckled.

But even while laughing, Rembrary thought it was a good thing, though he was a little disappointed.

“Has he completely returned to his former self?”

[There’s a somewhat ambiguous area as to whether it should be called a side effect or not.]

“Ambiguous area?”

[Can you come over?]

Rembrary readily agreed. Because the Grand Duke was greatly concerned about the side effects, Rembrary hadn’t been able to treat others recently.

Regarding the side effect issue, it needed to be thoroughly checked for the sake of the Grand Duke and for the patients who couldn’t receive treatment.

Even though there are many applicants who are willing to receive treatment even if it means enduring the side effects.

“You’re going to see Hunter Ki? Can I come too?”

When Rembrary told this to the Grand Duke, as expected, the Grand Duke immediately asked to come along.

“I want to see and confirm it with my own eyes.”

It wasn’t a problem, so Rembrary agreed.

And the next day, Rembrary and the Grand Duke went to meet Ki Seong-hyun.

Rembrary thought they would meet at the Hunter Management Bureau, but surprisingly, the place Ki Seong-hyun told them to come to was just an ordinary restaurant.

“Why do you think he wants to meet at a restaurant, Grand Duke?”

“I think it’s tailored for the High Priest.”

“I suppose so, right?”

For some reason, Rembrary didn’t mind meeting at a restaurant, so he gladly entered the restaurant.

It was a Korean restaurant with a structure where only the staff walked around in the hallways, and the customers dined in separate rooms.

“It should be reserved under Ki Seong-hyun’s name.”

At the Grand Duke’s words, the staff guided them to a large room inside. Opening the sliding door and entering, Ki Seong-hyun had already arrived.

Next to Ki Seong-hyun, the hunter who had received Rembrary’s treatment in Gyeongju before was sitting quietly.

“Hello?”

He gets up and greets Rembrary, but he certainly didn’t bow down abruptly like before.

However, as soon as Rembrary saw the soft, rabbit-like expression the hunter was giving him, he widened his eyes and asked Ki Seong-hyun.

“I don’t think the side effects have completely disappeared yet?”

Ki Seong-hyun sighed.

“That’s why I asked you to come and see for yourself.”

The hunter, embarrassed to have his story told right in front of him, smiled awkwardly and sat down.

The Grand Duke, seeing his normal reaction, couldn’t understand what the problem was, so he scrutinized the hunter’s face.

But no matter how much he looked, the Grand Duke still couldn’t figure out what the problem was.

“Why are you doing that?”

Eventually, when the Grand Duke couldn’t help but ask, Rembrary told him.

“Doesn’t that hunter have a very kind expression when he looks at me?”

The ‘that hunter’ who was openly pointed out smiled awkwardly. The Grand Duke retorted with a displeased look.

“There are plenty of people with kind expressions.”

However, Ki Seong-hyun agreed with Rembrary’s words.

“Hunter Im Do-hyun is usually serious. He doesn’t have that kind of kind expression. He’s always serious when he’s with me.”

“Still…….”

“He no longer abruptly praises Rembrary or the god you believe in like before. But he’s already joined Redrin as a believer, and he even got Rembrary’s photocard and carries it around in his wallet.”

The Grand Duke flinched at the word ‘photocard,’ but Rembrary didn’t understand and asked.

“What is a photocard?”

“It’s like this.”

Before Ki Seong-hyun could explain, this time the hunter opened his wallet and took out a photo with Rembrary’s selfie printed on it.

Rembrary widened his eyes and looked at it, then exclaimed in admiration.

“Oh, I look so good! I really took a good picture.”

“Yes. All the photos turned out so well that it was hard to choose.”

Seeing the hunter quickly respond to Rembrary’s words, the Grand Duke realized what the problem was.

At the same time, he understood why Ki Seong-hyun said it was ambiguous.

After a month, that hunter no longer excessively praised Rembrary and Redrin, and he regained his former personality.

However, it didn’t seem like his affection had completely disappeared.

The problem was that it was difficult to determine whether that feeling was a natural emotion that arose from receiving a miraculous grace or whether it was a reduced side effect.

The Grand Duke thought it was closer to a side effect.

Usually, no matter how grateful you are, you wouldn’t make a photocard of your benefactor and carry it around in your wallet.

Among the people the Grand Duke knew, only Ardor carried Rembrary’s photo, and the fact that a normal person had contact with Ardor meant that there were definitely side effects remaining.

Of course, there are people who excessively praise Rembrary even though they are not believers, and there are fans who like him like celebrities, so I don’t know what those people do…….

The Grand Duke sighed and said.

“Still, at this point, we can argue that the side effect period is one month.”

“That’s right.”

Ki Seong-hyun agreed as well.

Then Rembrary, who had been watching, chimed in and asked.

“There’s one more person who received treatment on the same day, isn’t there? Milk shaved ice. It would be more accurate if we checked that person as well.”

Ki Seong-hyun frowned.

“I was thinking about this when we talked on the phone yesterday, but who is Milk Shaved Ice?”

This time, the hunter at the scene answered.

“Ah, I think I know who you’re talking about. You must be talking about the gathering at Blackrin. He was eating milk shaved ice before that guy caused a ruckus.”

Rembrary and the Grand Duke reacted to different parts.

Rembrary asked, “Blackrin?” and the Grand Duke asked, “Gathering?”

Ki Seong-hyun explained.

“Rembrary’s followers seem to be applying the Redrin name a lot. I think it’s because Rembrary believes in the Redrin god.”

“What?”

As Rembrary looked shocked, the Grand Duke added in a gloomy voice.

“They probably come in all colors.”

“All colors!”

Rembrary said as if he was dumbfounded, but Ki Seong-hyun, who wasn’t a Redrin believer, laughed off that topic and this time reacted to what the Grand Duke had said earlier.

“Grand Duke, you’ve heard about the gathering, right?”

“Isn’t that the bastard who causes all sorts of accidents and then claims it’s Rembrary’s will?”

Rembrary frowned even more after hearing the explanation and asked.

“Yeah, so. How is that bastard doing?”

“He escaped shortly after being caught. I don’t know his current condition.”

The Grand Duke muttered as if he regretted it.

“If he was here, we could have definitely known if one month was the limit.”

* * *

On the way back to Redrin headquarters after parting with Ki Seong-hyun, Rembrary suggested to the Grand Duke.

“That Gathering guy seems to be causing too many accidents. Can’t we find out about his condition? If he causes an accident, wouldn’t rumors spread?”

“We can find out what kind of accidents he’s causing. But he usually uses the High Priest as a shield on purpose, so it will be difficult to guess his condition from the rumors.”

“Still, please do it just in case.”

“Yes, I will.”

Rembrary shook his head and looked out the window. A large billboard was showing a Worldboom advertisement.

Various battle scenes of Worldboom hunters were shown, and at the very end, Shin Jo-woon was shown freezing a giant monster the size of a building in one go.

The Grand Duke noticed Rembrary frowning, and asked, noticing that Rembrary was looking at the advertisement.

“Is President Shin still not answering your calls?”

“Yeah. He hardly tries to talk on the phone. If I send about ten text messages, he only replies to two or three.”

“Then shouldn’t the High Priest also stop contacting him?”

* * *

After the Cataclysm [a major world-altering event]. An island was formed in the Pacific Ocean near the Arctic Ocean.

After its stability was confirmed, the mysterious island was used as the venue for summit meetings and the headquarters of the World Hunter Association.

The summit meeting that Shin Jo-woon followed this time was also being held there for several days.

Since several countries that had finished their business had left first, for the past few days, if you were by the high window, you could constantly see ships leaving.

Today, Shin Jo-woon was standing on the third-floor balcony of the conference room, watching another ship leaving for its home country.

As he was doing so, someone spoke to him.

“Can’t Shin Jo-woon go back now too?”

When Shin Jo-woon turned his head, another High-end Hunter, Amarina, was walking over.

Seeing her hugging a large popcorn cup and eating popcorn every few steps, Shin Jo-woon shrugged and turned his gaze out the window, reminded of someone.

Amarina tilted her head and then smiled.

“The Korean representative went home a week ago, what’s the bodyguard doing staying behind?”

“There’s a High-end Hunter meeting being held here soon anyway.”

“That’s true, but you weren’t like this before?”

Amarina shrugged and then asked with an ‘ah’ face.

“That’s right. I heard Rembrary is back this time?”

“…….”

“Blue is still the same. He still thinks Rembrary should join the High-end Hunters.”

Shin Jo-woon chuckled.

“That person is really consistent.”

“If Rembrary says he’s coming, he’ll run to roll out the red carpet for him, right? Why don’t you arrange a meeting for him?”

“I heard they met a few years ago.”

“Yeah. He was immediately rejected. But you and Rembrary are close, right? If you get in the middle and meet, wouldn’t Rembrary listen to the story better?”

Shin Jo-woon shook his head.

“He’s probably angry with me right now.”

“Why?”

“We fought.”

“Wow. You actually fight with someone?”

Amarina pretended to be overly surprised. It wasn’t because she thought Shin Jo-woon had a good personality.

Amarina thought that Shin Jo-woon thoroughly distinguished between his private area and other areas.

And outside of his private area, Shin Jo-woon always drew a line around himself and treated people.

It was difficult to get close and he didn’t give his side, but he didn’t treat people emotionally, so there was nothing to fight about.

Just as Shin Jo-woon was about to answer, it was.

“Mr. Shin Jo-woon.”

An employee working at the World Hunter Association approached, greeted Amarina and Shin Jo-woon with his eyes, and quietly informed them.

“You have a visitor.”

“A visitor?”

Amarina showed curiosity at the story of a visitor being told in such a secretive tone.

However, instead of explaining who the visitor was, the employee said to Shin Jo-woon again.

“He only asks for Mr. Shin Jo-woon to come.”

Shin Jo-woon couldn’t think of anyone who would come all the way here and ask to call only him.

If Jang Tae-ri had come, it would have already been noisy. He couldn’t think of anyone else.

Shin Jo-woon said goodbye to Amarina and turned around.

“I understand. Let’s go.”

The employee took Shin Jo-woon to the front of the reception room and turned around.

Who on earth came? Shin Jo-woon turned the doorknob and pulled it. He didn’t expect anything, but he was curious.

Surprisingly, as soon as he opened the door, he saw Rembrary right in front of him.

Shin Jo-woon was so surprised that he couldn’t say anything for a moment, and when Rembrary waved his hand in front of his face, he asked in a hushed voice.

“How did you get here? It’s hard to get a boat here.”

“Ah, I heard there would be a dead person here. I asked the Grim Reaper to follow him.”

“!”