Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 733

733. White Light

Rembrary once again slipped out in the middle of the night, after everyone else was asleep.

The fact that he had met the Inquisitor without being caught boosted Rembrary’s confidence. He was sure that while he had failed yesterday, today he would succeed.

‘He went into the main building.’

Remembering that their previous encounter had been in the main building, Rembrary decided he would simply wait inside for the corrupt priest to appear.

If he crouched outside, he risked being caught by a passing priest. But inside the dark main building, he believed he could remain unnoticed.

Leaving the dormitory, he quickly passed the cafeteria and the senior priests’ quarters, slipping through the open main gate.

The stone floor echoed softly as Rembrary ran. The darkness made him run at first, but he soon slowed to a careful walk.

As he continued, he reached a large window in the hallway, where moonlight provided some visibility.

He passed through the hallway and entered a space filled with long benches for the worshippers. Rembrary hid himself between them.

However, no matter how long he waited, the corrupt priest didn’t appear. In fact, no one came.

The surroundings were silent, so quiet that Rembrary could hear his own breathing.

‘Is he not coming today?’

Just as Rembrary wondered how much longer he should wait, he heard a click not far away, seemingly from the direction of the Redrin statue.

Rembrary’s eyes widened. Had the corrupt priest arrived?

But if so, he should have come through the door. The sound, however, had come from the statue.

Rembrary cautiously peeked over the chair. Someone was standing in front of the large statue behind the platform.

The person, facing away from him, had thick hair that reached the floor.

‘His hair is long.’

As he curiously observed the long hair, the person spoke.

“Are you going to keep hiding there?”

The person seemed to know Rembrary was there.

Rembrary stood up and walked closer.

He went up to the platform and stood beside the person, who turned his head slightly.

Though moonlight filtered in, the space was still dark. It was hard to make out the hair color of the person in front of him.

However, their golden eyes were clearly visible.

Rembrary stared blankly, then smiled brightly.

“Redrin!”

Certain that the golden eyes belonged to Redrin, Rembrary quickly hugged him.

“You are Redrin, right?”

Looking up, he saw the other person raise their eyebrows.

“Right?”

When Rembrary asked again, the mysterious person smiled and asked.

“How did you know?”

“You came to see me before, right?”

At Rembrary’s question, Redrin’s eyebrows rose even higher.

“Do you remember?”

Redrin had visited Rembrary as a baby in his cradle.

He was young now, but even younger then. Redrin didn’t think humans remembered those early days.

“Vaguely.”

“Really?”

“Redrin is surrounded by roses.”

Redrin smiled brightly and picked up Rembrary.

“Aren’t I scary?”

“I like Redrin. Redrin likes me too.”

Redrin had never encountered a human so attached to him.

He had appeared before humans in the past, but they hadn’t dared to make eye contact. Everyone, young and old, was like that.

But this small child was so affectionate and smiling brightly, which pleased Redrin.

Rembrary raised his hand and stroked Redrin’s hair. Looking closely, he saw the long hair was reddish.

Rembrary had little memory of the time people said he had been ‘kidnapped by a demon,’ but he remembered meeting someone surrounded by roses.

That memory felt warm, cozy, and safe.

Redrin was bewildered by the small hand freely touching his hair, wondering what was happening.

“Redrin is like a rose.”

Seeing the child lower his hand and smile brightly, Redrin couldn’t help but smile too.

“My baby is not afraid.”

“Did you come to see me?”

“Yes.”

Redrin took the child and sat on the front row of chairs.

Rembrary sat next to Redrin, looking back and forth between the statue and Redrin. He had so much to say that his head felt dizzy.

“Redrin. Redrin. Are you still listening to everything I say?”

“Of course.”

“You often don’t answer, so I thought you only listened sometimes.”

“I’m always listening. Even when I can’t answer.”

“Really?”

“That’s why I came today.”

Rembrary’s face lit up.

“Are you going to help me find the bad priest?”

“Divine power depends on your aptitude.”

“Are you here to teach me a lesson?”

Redrin burst out laughing at Rembrary’s immediate disappointment. But he couldn’t stay long, so he had to finish quickly.

“I’m always watching you, but I can’t interfere in everything. I can’t give you the divine power you want right now. So don’t do anything dangerous. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

Rembrary wanted to talk more with Redrin, but he felt he had already told him everything he had seen and experienced, so there was nothing left to say.

“Baby, are you listening to me?”

“Redrin, if I’m doing something dangerous, can you give me a signal?”

“A signal?”

“Then I won’t do it.”

Redrin stroked the child’s hair, feigning a scolding.

“Then I’ll have to watch you all the time.”

“Shouldn’t you?”

The child God watches the most is the High Priest. Redrin laughed at the enormous suggestion the child was making without realizing it.

To Redrin, the child’s words sounded like, ‘I’ll be the High Priest for you.’

When Redrin only laughed, Rembrary lowered his demands, sensing the situation.

“Then you don’t have to watch me every day. But when I’m doing something important, I’ll be sure to tell Redrin. Please watch me then. How about that?”

“Are you making me an offer?”

Redrin saw an angel urging him to return from beyond the window.

He stroked the child’s head and stood up. He wanted to talk more with the fearless child, but he had to go back.

Rembrary looked at Redrin and stood up as well. But as he did, Redrin vanished. He had been right in front of him, but disappeared in a moment.

“Redrin?”

Rembrary called out and looked behind the chairs, the statue, the table, and even under the chairs. But Redrin was nowhere to be found.

‘Redrin… You’re leaving without saying goodbye.’

Feeling upset, he prayed, and unexpectedly, a rose petal fluttered down from the statue. Rembrary picked it up and put it in his pocket.

The matter of the corrupt priest was forgotten. He didn’t realize how significant it was to have met Redrin.

Excited, Rembrary returned to his dormitory with light steps.

“Are you always wandering around at night?”

As he entered the room, the tall blonde scolded him again.

Rembrary quickly ran to his bed, got in, and prayed to Redrin.

* * *

The next day, during the meeting, a common priest reported with a dark face.

“A merchant group secretly passing through the forbidden forest was caught in a sudden whirlwind and seriously injured. Fortunately, there were no deaths, but they’ve requested rescue, saying it’s difficult to get out on their own.”

Rishue frowned and asked.

“Isn’t it forbidden to enter the forbidden forest?”

According to legend, that forest was one that Redrin had passed through. There were several such forests.

Entry was strictly forbidden in the southern and western continents. The reporting priest sighed and replied.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Gaege, the second in charge of the Florandia Temple, looked at Heather, the first in charge, and asked.

“Are you going to send a rescue team, Heather?”

“We have to. We should also ask for help from Lord Floran.”

As they discussed organizing the rescue team,

Niran muttered in a small voice.

“Every time that ominous prince moves, only ominous things happen.

During the summer festival, demons appeared and black handprints marked people’s necks, and this time, people were injured in groups.”

The priests looked at him.

“What are you talking about?”

When Heather asked, Niran replied with a pitiful expression.

“That patient sneaked out of the dormitory last night, around the time the whirlwind occurred.”

Heather sternly scolded.

“Our temple is only relatively close to the forbidden forest, not completely so.

Are you saying everything that happened is related to that child?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Rembrary is not an ominous prince, but a trainee priest at our temple.”

Heather spoke firmly and moved on, but as soon as the meeting ended, Rishue returned to the classroom and scolded Rembrary.

“It’s forbidden to wander around at night from now on. What if you meet a monster while you’re alone?”

After Rembrary was scolded and returned to his seat, the tall blonde said quietly.

“I didn’t snitch on you.”

* * *

‘What should I do?’

That night, Rembrary curled up in bed, worried.

‘Redrin, I can’t go around at night to find the corrupt priest anymore. It’s really forbidden now.

I don’t have any free time during the day, so I can’t go around alone.’

Rembrary took out the rose petal Redrin had left behind and looked at it. It hadn’t withered at all, even after a day.

He put it back in his pocket and wished he had divine power too.

‘But Redrin said that divine power isn’t something he chooses.’

Then, to gain the divine power he wanted, should he train hard? But what did that training involve? Should he read the Holy Scriptures more?

Rembrary blankly thought and recalled the Inquisitor emitting white light from his hand.

In fact, it wasn’t the Inquisitor who emitted the light, but that was how Rembrary remembered it.

He recalled the warm, gentle sensation that had circulated in his palm when the Inquisitor held his hand and emitted white light.

At that moment, the darkness inside the blanket filled with white light.

“!”