Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 701

◈ 701. First Preliminary Round Qualifiers

Rembrary, who had given people a great shock, easily passed the preliminary round.

“To be more precise, the only person who passed that day was the High Priest.”

Deity gave Rembrary a ride home and then politely informed Hwasa, who was asking about the results. He seemed proud of Rembrary but tried not to show it as much as possible.

“I knew it.”

Hwasa scoffed.

Ardor, who was listening to the conversation next to him, also smiled contentedly.

“I knew this would happen, Rembrary. That’s why I suppressed my desire to witness Rembrary’s elegant fight and stayed home.”

Deity now understood what Ardor meant by reading the room [being perceptive of the situation]. No wonder. He wondered why that fanatic who followed Rembrary everywhere wasn’t around. He had his own calculations.

Deity clicked his tongue, thinking that Ardor was surprisingly smart, then sighed.

“More than that, I don’t know how things will turn out.”

“It’ll be fine. Didn’t I get picked?”

“Of course, the High Priest will do well. But the number of people selected in this preliminary round is less than expected.”

Having lost interest after being eliminated, Hwasa walked to the kitchen and replied indifferently.

“Anyway, only three people will make it to the final round, right?”

“That’s true.”

Deity nodded, but seemed perfunctory.

Rembrary seemed lost in thought for a moment, then took the pudding that Hwasa had brought out and began to eat it.

* * *

―Did the high-end hunter side instruct them to pick people who are likely to be eliminated in the final round because they don’t want three people from our country to make it? I can’t understand it otherwise.

―ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ They eliminated everyone who seemed good at fightingㅋㅋㅋ

―What kind of hunter are they selecting? A hunter who is good at finding peace of mind? A hunter with a flower garden for a brain?

ㄴRembrary is strong though

ㄴOnly Rembrary is strong

ㄴIt’s also true that he has a flower garden for a brain

ㄴWho’s saying they only picked people with flower gardens for brainsㅋㅋㅋ Even if he has a flower garden for a brain, what’s wrong if Rembrary is skilled? Are you saying this because the other guys are lower-ranked but got lucky and got matched with easy opponents?

ㄴThose who couldn’t even participate in the preliminary round are talking about being lower-rankedㅋㅋㅋㅋ Are you crazy?

ㄴWhy are you comparing that to me, are you crazyㅋㅋ Among the people who took the preliminary round, they are lower-ranked. Unless they have hidden skills, it’s true that the people who were eliminated are stronger based on objective indicators

―Even if you don’t consider anything else, at least spare those whose parents have passed away, those whose children have passed away, those whose spouses have passed away, and those whose old, sick dogs have passed away as opponents. Seriously, if they pass after fighting them, they’re psychopaths

* * *

Rembrary skimmed through the opinions people were sharing about the results of this preliminary round and asked Ardor.

“Ardor, is it bad to have a flower garden for a brain?” [A Korean slang term for someone who is naive or foolish.]

“It’s not used in a good way. Usually.”

“People say I have a flower garden for a brain.”

“It is sometimes used in a good way, High Priest. Flowers are pretty. A flower garden is even more beautiful because it has pretty flowers gathered together. Having a flower garden for a brain means your thoughts are beautiful.”

Hwasa, who was reading scriptures across from Rembrary, clicked his tongue as he watched Ardor desperately lie for Rembrary.

He thought that Rembrary would interpret it as a compliment even if he told him the truth, so why bother sugarcoating it like that.

But Hwasa was perceptive enough not to say these things.

However, Rembrary was as perceptive as Hwasa, so when he saw Ardor desperately trying to gloss over the fact that people were clearly using it in a bad way, he burst into laughter.

Still, he liked the effort, so Rembrary watched Ardor sweat for a while before changing the subject after 5 minutes.

“More than that, it seems like people have a lot of complaints about the results of this preliminary round. I don’t know what will happen.”

“I don’t think they can reverse it, can they?”

* * *

As Rembrary feared, the complaints about the preliminary round selection grew so large, and the Hunter Management Office also found it absurd that so many people were eliminated, so emergency meetings were held one after another.

After the preliminary round, the only one who could laugh among the hunters in charge of the selection was the deputy team leader, who was the sole winner of the bet, but even that deputy team leader was exhausted and withered as meetings were held non-stop.

The employee who devised the preliminary round method kept a low profile, fearing that the blame would fall on him.

Several days later, the hunters who were eliminated in the preliminary round received a text message saying that a re-selection would be held.

Since they had not filled the target of 18 people, they would keep the existing selected people and select the remaining people from among the eliminated candidates through re-selection.

―No, the relatively weak people have already been selected. Re-select everyone. With a method that can reliably verify skills

―They should re-select everyone, including the people who have already been selected. Are they crazy?

Still, many people raised complaints, but it was impossible to ask the people who had already been officially selected to take the preliminary round again.

This was because they knew that even though everyone seemed to be demanding a full re-selection now, another protest would come if they did so.

In the end, only the eliminated candidates took the re-selection, and after two preliminary rounds, twenty people, two more than planned, advanced to the first preliminary round.

* * *

“So, all of us, including the High Priest, Ardor, and Hwasa, have passed.”

After the list of first preliminary round qualifiers was released, Deity smiled happily as he looked at the list.

“Am I ‘us’ too?”

Hwasa was dumbfounded and grumbled when he heard Deity naturally include himself in the cult, but no one paid attention.

Hwasa also ate the large chocolate cake that Deity had prepared as a celebratory meal very well, even while saying that.

“My mom also likes chocolate. She also likes cake.”

While Hwasa was discreetly packing the untouched new chocolate cake.

Rembrary took the paper that Deity was looking at and frowned when he saw his name was slightly ahead of the middle among the information of the twenty hunters printed on it.

“What’s wrong?”

“My name is in the back.”

“It’s in alphabetical order.”

“I know. But I want to receive preferential treatment.”

“…….”

Hwasa, who was born and raised in Korea, was embarrassed by Rembrary’s confident words and was busy averting his gaze, accidentally crushing the cake he was packing a little.

Regardless, Rembrary put the paper down on the table and asked Deity.

“Deity, can you tell who Blackrin is among these people?”

“I will investigate.”

Rembrary asked not only Deity but also Shin Jo-woon, Jang Tae-ri, and Woo Sung-woo the same question. And several days later. Rembrary combined the answers they sent and obtained the results.

“There are three people who are definitely Blackrin [A criminal organization]. And there are two people who are uncertain but worth suspecting.”

Whether it was three or five, it was an amazing result. Not all the strong people applied, but only twenty people were selected in the competition where those who were said to be capable applied, and there were three of them.

Even if there were five, it was 1/4 of the total, which was a better performance than the Redrin Hunter Company.

Deity’s expression darkened as he looked at the results with Rembrary.

“At this point, we can’t call them a group that just causes minor accidents. Only a small number of people are openly causing accidents, but the size below the surface may be larger than we thought.”

“Didn’t they say that there were only low-level dangerous people there?”

“That’s what was known. But it seems that’s not the case.”

Deity looked at the list again with a determined expression. The time given to prepare for the first preliminary round is fifteen days. It’s shorter than I thought. Deity was worried and looked at Rembrary again this time.

However, Rembrary was relaxed, as if he didn’t care even if all 17 people except them were Blackrin.

Seeing his lazy appearance, Deity was relieved. Rembrary’s mouth was the problem, but there was no need to worry about his skills.

But as soon as Deity thought that, he fell into 고민 [agony] again.

When I think about it, Rembrary’s mouth was really the problem. What if this Rembrary is deceived by the machinations of those Blackrin people and makes remarks that make him look like he’s on their side, or even if he doesn’t look like he’s on their side, he makes remarks that enrage people?

In the end, Deity called Jong-woo and went out of the office, holding the phone slightly away from his ear.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard the news. The High Priest, Ardor, and Hwasa have passed this high-end hunter recruitment preliminary round.”

―Ah, I heard. Congratulations!

“I have a favor to ask because of that.”

―To me?

* * *

“Go to Jong-woo and receive broadcast training?”

Rembrary was planning to spend the fifteen days of free time before the first preliminary round by going on a gourmet tour, but he was taken aback by Deity’s sudden suggestion and asked back.

“You know what I was like in the past. I am already familiar with broadcasting.”

“I’m saying this because I’m worried because I know the past. Doesn’t the High Priest often cause misunderstandings with his words?”

“Isn’t it the fault of the person who misunderstands?”

“But thirsty people dig wells [people in need seek help]. Department Head Lee Jong-woo knows the High Priest’s original character well and was once the High Priest’s manager, so he will be helpful to the High Priest.”

Rembrary was annoyed and wanted to say he didn’t like it. But when he tried to refuse, he thought it would be nice to see Jong-woo after a long time.

He had seen Jong-woo a few times because of the press conference after he first returned. After that, he was too busy with various things to see him often.

If it wasn’t for this opportunity, the chances of seeing him would decrease further, so it seemed like a good idea to meet him this time.

“Okay. Then I’ll meet him.”

“Yes. I’ll call Department Head Lee and ask him. But don’t tell Department Head Lee that you’re meeting him in a condescending way.”

* * *

―When you meet him, just say thank you for helping me.

The next day. Rembrary, who went to LLL headquarters after a long time and saw Jong-woo, recalled Deity’s advice and greeted him.

“Thank you for helping me.”

Jong-woo, who was waiting for Rembrary at the entrance on the first floor of the building, was surprised for a moment when Rembrary approached and greeted him properly. He thought he would say something like ‘Jong-woo! I’m here!’ as soon as he saw him.

But good is good, so Jong-woo was happy with the other person’s greeting and quickly greeted him in return.

“Everyone knows that Redrin and LLL have a cooperative relationship anyway. If Rembrary does well on the show this time, it will be beneficial to us too.”

Rembrary is not a celebrity, and LLL does not intend to do more outsourced image management, so it is not yet known whether it will be beneficial, but he is giving lip service for now.

However, Jong-woo wanted to slap himself in the mouth when Rembrary’s expression immediately became arrogant.

“Okay, Jong-woo. What should I do?”

Jong-woo didn’t slap himself in the mouth. Instead, he decided to take this opportunity to clear up the ridiculous suspicion he had heard last time.