Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 754

◈ 754. Rembrandt and Lapsus’ First Meeting

“The highest priest of Lumena is bringing a child?”

Heather immediately showed interest. Even for a high-ranking priest, the opportunity to meet the highest priest of another temple was rare.

And the fact that the highest priest was bringing a child without being asked piqued her curiosity even further.

“Could the child they’re bringing be the one who’s already become a high-ranking priest?”

Heather’s eyes sparkled. Although the child was from another temple, Lumena and Redrin were not on bad terms.

“They didn’t give me the exact name, but it’s probably that child,” the highest priest answered with a subtle smile.

The highest priest actually thought that making a ten-year-old a high-ranking priest was premature.

High-ranking priests weren’t just in high positions; they all had their own roles and responsibilities.

*Could* a ten-year-old handle these things? Probably not.

The child would have great honor, but also a great burden.

But such a sentiment could easily be misconstrued as jealousy of another’s genius. The highest priest hid his true feelings and continued, “Rumor has it that their highest priest is always trying to educate the child by taking them everywhere.”

“Lumena Temple expects the child to become the youngest grand priest. It seems to be true.”

Heather clicked her tongue and unconsciously looked at Rembrandt.

Rembrandt didn’t have the divine power of a high-ranking priest, but Redrin had personally signaled that he cherished the child.

Comparing children wasn’t right, but she naturally compared the two remarkable children.

Heather was a little curious about how Rembrandt would react when he heard that there was another “great child.”

“……”

But Rembrandt was already asleep.

“There’s no need to compare them,” the highest priest guessed Heather’s thoughts and shook his head.

Heather smiled awkwardly and turned her head.

“Didn’t you say that there’s a child named Rydal in Heather’s temple who has divine power almost equivalent to a high-ranking priest?”

As the atmosphere became strange, the secretary priest subtly changed the subject for Heather’s sake.

“That’s right. And our Rydal isn’t even ten years old yet. Rydal might become like the Lumena Temple child when he turns ten,” Heather immediately boasted, and the secretary priest burst into laughter.

“There are two talented children here and only one there, so our temple’s future is brighter!”

Watching Heather and the secretary priest’s excited demeanor, the highest priest shook his head.

But he also felt a little excited. There were many promising talents appearing at this time.

Maybe one of those children would really become a grand priest.

* * *

The group always entered an inn by sunset, and if there was no nearby village and the risk of camping increased, they immediately sought lodging.

The highest priest, Heather, and the secretary priest tried to ensure that Rembrandt slept on a bed and had a proper meal.

“Where are we going?” But as the journey became too long, Rembrandt asked, a little tired.

“We’re supposed to meet at the midpoint.”

“But it’s taking too long.”

“Because it’s the midpoint between the two continents?”

Rembrandt was relieved that Rishuer had given him a lot of homework. If he didn’t have a mountain of homework, the carriage ride would have been even more boring.

It was when the group, who had been traveling diligently, arrived at a remote mountain village.

The village was so small that there was only one inn, and even though there weren’t many guests, the group had to stay in a double room with four people.

The stable was also cramped, and they had to wait two hours before they could let the horses rest.

Having barely secured a place for four, the group was completely exhausted and ordered four of the only menu item available, and everyone rested in silence.

Rembrandt lay down, resting his arm.

But soon, voices began to rise from the other table.

The group initially ignored the sound, but the argument grew louder and louder, and eventually everyone in the small inn could understand the source of the conflict.

They were temporary companions traveling through the mountain village in the same carriage.

One side was ordinary travelers, and the other side was small-scale merchants.

But a problem had occurred: one of the travelers suddenly became ill.

From Rembrandt’s side, the traveler’s face wasn’t visible, but the clerk kept bringing washcloths and basins, so it seemed like their condition was very bad.

The situation was complicated, but the core issue was this:

The travelers had a patient in critical condition, and the merchants had a trade error that needed to be corrected as soon as possible.

The patient might die if they didn’t receive treatment quickly, and the merchants might lose almost all of their assets and be suspected of intentional fraud, leading to imprisonment if they didn’t correct the error quickly.

However, their destinations were different. The travelers needed to return to the previous village, which was closer, and the merchants needed to go to the next village.

“It’s noisy, isn’t it? I’m sorry, but those people are in a difficult situation too,” the clerk muttered as he brought food to Rembrandt’s table.

As the clerk turned away, the highest priest thought for a moment and asked Rembrandt in a small voice, “Rembrandt, who do you think should use the carriage?”

Rembrandt looked at the highest priest while picking up a fork.

“Well, even if I give my opinion, they won’t listen, will they?” Rembrandt asked back with wide eyes.

The highest priest was a little disappointed with that answer.

He had highly valued the courage and sense of justice that Rembrandt had shown before, and he wanted to test the child a little.

Rembrandt was a child cherished by Redrin, and a child who was likely to rise to a high position in the Redrin Temple in the future.

The highest priest wanted Rembrandt to continue to cherish the righteous heart he had shown during the Grand Temple incident.

But to be so indifferent to such a serious problem…

“Still, if you had to choose, who do you think it would be right for to use the carriage?” Suppressing his disappointment, the highest priest asked the child again.

The question was asked to Rembrandt, but the answer was given by the secretary priest.

“If you just think about it, life is the most important thing, but it would be difficult to ask those merchants to concede. For those merchants, it’s a matter of losing all their assets and possibly going to jail to save a stranger. It’s not like the merchants will share their wealth with the travelers if they survive.”

Heather interjected and whispered, “Then, Secretary Priest, do you think the merchants shouldn’t concede? But isn’t it a bit much to think about that when someone is about to die? We can think about the future later, but we need to save people right now.”

The secretary priest immediately retorted, “The merchants and their families could die from losing their assets and going to jail, right?”

“You can’t give up life for money.”

“It’s okay for Heather to say that, but we can’t force that on the merchants.”

Rembrandt listened to the argument and said to the highest priest, “Then we, who have no one dying and no assets being lost, can lend them the carriage.”

“!”

* * *

In the end, the highest priest decided to lend the temple carriage to the merchants, and the travelers left on the mountain road in the middle of the night in the carriage they had been riding in.

Rembrandt fell asleep in bed as soon as he finished eating and washing.

The highest priest looked at Rembrandt’s sleeping face with satisfaction.

In fact, he had been planning to lend his carriage to the merchants or travelers from the beginning, even if Rembrandt hadn’t said so.

The highest priest liked the answer of a child like himself.

Heather, who had just finished washing and came in, saw the scene and approached to ask, “Highest Priest, why did you ask Rembrandt such a difficult question earlier?”

Heather had pretended to passionately debate with the secretary priest because she didn’t think it was a question that should be forced on the child.

Besides, even though they were whispering, the people in trouble were actually nearby. She was worried that they would feel bad hearing the child’s answer.

So she deliberately offered an opposing opinion with the secretary priest.

“Because it’s a difficult and troublesome situation,” the highest priest answered calmly.

“Yes?”

Heather frowned, rubbing her wet hair with a towel.

The highest priest sighed heavily and said, “This child will rise high, but his talent bloomed too early. If you look at the history of the temple, there were many children who went astray. This child will become a high-ranking priest earlier than others and will often face situations where there is no right answer. But who will educate this high-ranking priest then, and who will take responsibility for him?”

Heather sat on the floor in front of the bed.

Because there weren’t enough beds, she and the secretary priest had to lay blankets on the floor to sleep.

* * *

The merchants who borrowed the carriage returned it a few days later, filled with gifts.

But because of that, the group arrived at the promised midpoint a week later than expected.

“You’re too late. The Lumena Temple has been here waiting for ten days,” the manager there complained in a small voice as soon as he opened the carriage door.

Rembrandt got out of the carriage and looked around. He wondered what they meant by “midpoint.” It was a slightly larger mansion-like building.

“What is this place?” When Rembrandt asked, Heather subtly explained, “It’s a place used when Lumena priests and our priests gather. They always meet here.”

“Why?”

“Because everyone lives far away?”

Rembrandt was about to ask more, but when the person in charge looked at him, he bowed first.

“Hello.”

The person in charge waved his hand perfunctorily and nagged the secretary priest again, “Come quickly. You’re so late that I was in a very difficult position in the middle.”

Rembrandt took Heather’s hand and walked along the stone path leading to the mansion’s front door, following the person in charge.

But someone was already out in front of the front door.

One was a very tall woman, and the other was a blonde boy who looked about the same age as the tall woman.

“Welcome.”

As the highest priest approached, the woman greeted him with a cold face, only raising the corners of her mouth.

“Something happened, so we came late. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. We only waited a few days.”

The highest priest smiled as if he was truly sorry and reached out his hand to Rembrandt.

“Rembrandt?”

Rembrandt gave the highest priest the hand that wasn’t holding Heather’s hand.

Heather quickly let go of her hand when the three of them suddenly held hands.

The highest priest cleared his throat and said to Rembrandt, “Rembrandt, this is the highest priest from the Lumena Temple. You should greet her.”