Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 755

◈ 755. Rapsus’s Premonition

“That child is three years younger than you.”

An icy voice came from above. Rapsus flinched.

The High Priestess rarely raised her voice, but Rapsus could discern the anger in her tone.

“I’m sorry.”

Rapsus mumbled, unsure of what he had done wrong.

“Don’t apologize.”

He only received another scolding. Unable to apologize, Rapsus closed his mouth and lowered his gaze.

The High Priestess stared down at his small head before turning away.

Rapsus hurried after her.

“Rapsus, who are you?”

“A High Priest…”

“Who was that child earlier?”

“Rembrary…”

“An apprentice priest.”

“Yes… An apprentice priest.”

Rapsus recalled the little blonde boy who had called him ‘baby’ and asked who he was.

From their first meeting, even during their short walk, the child introduced himself as Rembrary to everyone he met.

“I heard there’s a child in the Redrin Temple who is young but possesses divine power equivalent to a High Priest.”

“Is that the child?”

“That’s a different child. A child named Lydal.”

“Lydal…”

“That child is just here to testify.”

The High Priestess stopped abruptly in front of a door.

Rapsus quickly stopped as well. The colder her gaze felt, the shorter his neck seemed to become.

“You were overwhelmed by such a child. A child who isn’t even your rival.”

“Y-yes…”

“Don’t let it happen again.”

The High Priestess opened the door.

Rapsus quickly entered his temporary room. As soon as he heard the door close, the tension in his shoulders finally eased.

Looking down at Redrin, Lumena smiled brightly, saying,

“Your child and my child have met. I hope they get along well.”

Redrin smiled back and replied,

“Your head is a paradise. Flowers are in full bloom.”

“…….”

As thunder rumbled and lightning flashed in the clouds, the angels rushed to stand between Redrin and Lumena. [This is likely a metaphorical representation of divine conflict or tension.]

* * *

While Redrin and Lumena stared at each other in disbelief, the High Priestesses entered a small conference room with their aides.

Once the door was closed and no outsiders could enter, the Lumena High Priestess spoke gravely.

“Monster incursions are becoming more frequent in the Eastern Continent. The movements of black mages are also strange. The number of times they are discovered has increased, and the black mages under the temple’s watch have been moving more.”

The Redrin High Priestess found it odd that the Lumena High Priestess would travel all the way to the neutral zone, even though she claimed their temple hadn’t been invaded by black mages or monsters.

But after listening, it seemed that they, too, had ominous signs, even if there were no direct invasions.

“Could it be that the demons are planning another large-scale invasion?”

When the Redrin High Priestess asked in a heavy voice, the conference room fell silent.

* * *

While the adult priests were in a meeting, Rembrary enjoyed a good rest in bed after a long time. Just as he was thinking about getting up because he was hungry,

There was a knock, and a small purple head appeared through the slightly opened door.

“What’s wrong?”

Rembrary recognized the purple hair and asked, lifting only his head.

Rapsus came into the room and approached the bed.

As Rembrary stared at him, Rapsus hesitated, then sat on the carpet and asked.

“The priest told me to take care of you. You’re younger than me. I’m three years older than you.”

Rembrary forced himself to sit up and asked.

“Then shall we do homework together?”

“What homework?”

“My homework.”

“No. You have to do your homework yourself.”

When Rapsus spoke stubbornly, Rembrary asked somewhat indifferently.

“Then what did you come to take care of me for?”

“I’ll play with you. What do you want to play?”

“Shall we play homework?”

Rapsus looked at Rembrary as if he were the biggest swindler in the world.

Rembrary took out his homework and showed it to Rapsus.

“Do you want to see my writing?”

Rapsus didn’t want to, but remembering that the other person was a child, he reluctantly lowered his head.

“Wow. You write well.”

He exclaimed in surprise. The neat handwriting was truly beautiful.

“Everyone says that. I’ve heard that compliment about five times already.”

As Rembrary said with satisfaction, Rapsus hesitated, then took out a pen and showed his own writing.

“I write like this.”

“Oh dear.”

When Rembrary sighed, Rapsus’s face turned red.

To write worse than a child three years younger than him! If the High Priestess saw it, she might scold him again.

“Is there a secret to writing well?”

Rapsus asked in a small voice.

The High Priestess was stingy with praise, but if he wrote as well as this blonde child, she would have no choice but to praise him.

“You just have to practice hard. Even a baby can do it.”

Rembrary showed Rapsus how to hold a pen and wrote clearly in front of him.

“Like this.”

“You’re really good.”

Rapsus smiled happily but belatedly realized his mistake and became serious.

The High Priestess had said that this child was just an apprentice priest who came to testify. He was three years older and a High Priest.

He should be guiding the child, not admiring the child’s writing.

“What’s wrong?”

When Rapsus became serious, Rembrary smoothed out the wrinkles on his small forehead and asked.

“I don’t like things like that.”

Rapsus said firmly.

Rembrary gathered his homework and put it back in his bag. He thought Rapsus was a bit difficult. How should he play with such a picky kid?

“Then what do you want to do? Let’s do what you want to do.”

Rembrary squatted down in front of him and asked.

“I like hide-and-seek.”

Rapsus answered without thinking. But quickly grasping the situation, he widened his eyes and shouted.

“I came to play with you!”

“Then shall we play hide-and-seek?”

Rembrary ignored him and asked.

Rapsus wanted to, but he refused, trying to maintain a dignified facade.

“No.”

Since he came to take care of the child, he had to play what the child wanted. Rapsus nudged Rembrary’s shoulder.

“Let’s play what you want to play.”

“You’re a very picky person.”

“I’m not a baby! Call me by my name!”

“…….”

When Rembrary was silent, Rapsus widened his eyes even more.

“You… don’t you know my name?”

Rembrary stared at Rapsus’s purple hair before changing the subject.

“What does the Lumena’s scripture look like?”

“My name is Rapsus.”

Rapsus said bluntly and went to his room to bring the Lumena scripture.

Rembrary leaned against the bed and opened the thick scripture.

“How is it?”

Rapsus watched him and asked with satisfaction.

Rapsus recalled the warm feeling he had when he first read the Lumena scripture.

When he learned what Lumena had said, Rapsus immediately began to worship Lumena.

Lumena’s scripture was full of magic that gave people strength. It was so comforting.

Rapsus hoped that this blonde child would feel the same way.

“It’s not fun.”

But Rembrary flipped through a few pages carelessly, sighed, and closed the book.

“Besides, there’s a lot of it.”

[Redrin. Your child doesn’t seem to know that my scripture is the thinnest.]

At that, Lumena glared at Redrin and said. [Again, likely a metaphorical representation.]

Rapsus opened his mouth and stared at Rembrary.

“Is that all you have to say after seeing these great words?”

Rapsus couldn’t help but ask. His pride was shattered. He felt that this little child was insulting Lumena.

But before he could protest,

“It’s okay. Redrin’s scripture isn’t fun either.”

Rembrary made it impossible for Rapsus to protest. Then he patted Rapsus’s shoulder, got up, and lay back down on the bed.

“I need to take a nap. Playing with the baby is very tiring.”

“!”

Not long after he finished speaking, the child fell asleep soundly.

Rapsus stood blankly, hugging the scripture, and stared at the sleeping child.

Tears welled up in his eyes. Rapsus felt a premonition that he would never be able to like this child in his life.

* * *

When Rembrary woke up from another nap, the purple-haired child was gone.

Rembrary went outside and grabbed a passing person, saying he was hungry.

“Here. Eat this.”

Soon, cookies were served.

About 30 minutes later, as he was eating cookies and drinking milk,

The secretary priest came and asked Rembrary to tell the Lumena High Priestess about the black mage he had seen.

Rembrary went to the conference room and talked about the black mage he had seen, and also explained about the monsters.

Throughout the story, the Lumena High Priestess paid close attention to Rembrary’s confident attitude, dignified tone, and overflowing confidence.

When Rembrary finished speaking, Heather asked in a proud voice.

“What do you think? Do you have any new information that comes to mind?”

Heather thought it would be rare to find a seven-year-old who spoke as clearly as Rembrary.

“Not really.”

However, the Lumena High Priestess answered indifferently. Her attitude was too indifferent for someone who had specifically asked for Rembrary to be brought here.

Heather felt a little annoyed. She hadn’t expected the child to be praised, but the Lumena High Priestess’s tone was too perfunctory.

If she was going to listen to the story like that, why did she bother to bring the child all the way here?

“But I can tell that the child is hiding something.”

To make matters worse, the Lumena High Priestess threw out another remark that made Heather uncomfortable.

“What do you mean?”

Heather frowned and asked.

On the other hand, Rembrary thought that the Lumena High Priestess seemed prickly but had good intuition.

Rembrary had met the ‘silver hair,’ presumed to be a demon, for the third time in the Great Temple.

But except for the first time he saw him on the palace roof, he had always been helpful every time they met.

Rembrary was a clever seven-year-old who knew gratitude, so he always remained silent about him.

The Lumena High Priestess was the first to notice this secret.

“Are you saying our child is suspicious?”