Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 757

◈ 757. You Were Helpful

Rembrary unleashed a Halo, using the maximum power he could muster, just before the monster reached him.

The area in front of him turned so blindingly white that even Rembrary couldn’t see properly.

From within that white void, a scream like a goose being strangled echoed.

Something darted past Rembrary’s side.

A loud crash sounded from behind, and he felt a rush of wind. Turning back, he saw the door was wide open.

In the hallway, he spotted the Scale Man staggering away.

Rembrary fired another Halo in that direction, slowing the monster down slightly.

“Please catch him!”

Rembrary shouted as he ran towards the monster.

The monster smashed a window with its elbow and leaped out.

Rembrary stood before the window, rising up on his toes. The monster was stumbling as it tried to escape outside.

Rembrary tried to jump through the window himself, but he wasn’t tall enough like the monster, and it didn’t work well.

Rushing out the door, he saw the monster was already leaping over the wall.

Rembrary shot a powerful beam of light at the monster, then approached a person standing nearby with their mouth open.

“Lend me your horse!”

The person seemed to be taking a horse detached from a carriage to the stable.

“Huh?”

Rembrary grabbed the reins and climbed onto the horse.

“Wait a minute, kid!”

The employee shouted, but the horse was already galloping forward.

“Eek!”

The employee screamed from behind as the horse charged towards the high wall.

Rembrary pulled on the reins, guiding the horse to leap effortlessly over the wall. The horse easily jumped over the wall, which was taller than itself.

The young Rembrary was very light for the horse that had been pulling a heavy carriage.

As the horse picked up speed, the monster’s back came into view. Rembrary continued to emit Halos, calling for help from the people.

“Please catch that monster!”

However, everyone who saw the monster just ran away, and no one helped.

The monster entered the bustling street.

“Please catch the monster!”

Rembrary kept shouting, believing there would be someone brave enough to help.

But it was unusual for people who weren’t priests or paladins to rush to catch a terrifying monster.

At that moment, a child walking slowly collided head-on with the monster.

As the monster swung its arm, the child flew into a cart loaded with hay.

Rembrary shot an even stronger Halo. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep producing divine power, but he still had plenty to spare.

The scaled monster eventually stopped moving and began to dance slowly.

He subtly turned off the Halo, but the monster continued to flail.

Rembrary dismounted and ran to the fallen child.

“Are you alright?”

Rembrary pulled the child out of the haystack.

Whether it was because they were buried in the haystack or if it was naturally like that, the child’s silver hair was disheveled like a bird’s nest.

“Who are you?”

The child sat in the haystack, staring blankly at Rembrary as they asked.

“You have dirt on you.”

Rembrary took out a handkerchief and wiped something off the child’s face.

Rembrary was about to take the handkerchief back when he noticed the dirt had transferred onto it.

“…….”

Rembrary gave the handkerchief to the child and stood up.

As he climbed back onto the horse, the child hurriedly came down from the haystack and asked.

“Who are you?”

“I am Rembrary.”

Rembrary shook the reins, and the horse ran forward, trampling the monster.

“Over there!”

“It’s over there!”

Almost simultaneously, the paladins finally began to arrive.

The paladins had been busy searching for the missing Lapsus.

Then, they belatedly received a report that another child had stolen a horse and chased after the monster, so they sent some people this way as well.

“Good heavens.”

The arriving paladins gasped as they saw the child’s horse trampling the monster. They had never seen such a sight before.

* * *

As Rembrary followed the paladins out of the bustling street, the silver-haired child, who had been spacing out, hurriedly came down from the haystack.

“Excuse me, excuse me!”

The silver-haired child ran to an apple merchant who was watching the situation and asked.

“Who was the child with the blonde hair earlier?”

“The one riding the horse?”

“Yes!”

“Well? The paladins took them away, so maybe they’re a trainee paladin or something?”

“Which paladins?”

“Well? It seems like they came from that mansion on the hill. Both Redrin and Lumena use that mansion.”

The child didn’t want such vague information.

Just then, another merchant next to them quickly chimed in.

“I know! The clothes they were wearing earlier are the clothes that Lumena paladins wear. Each temple’s paladin outfits are a bit different!”

“Lumena… a Lumena trainee paladin…”

The silver-haired child quickly put the handkerchief that the child who had saved them had given them into their pocket.

‘Cool! So cool!’

* * *

As he followed the paladins back to the mansion, he saw Heather standing by the door.

“Rembrary!”

Heather rushed over and stopped, unsure whether to help Rembrary off the horse or tell him to get off himself.

“I caught the monster.”

Rembrary got off the horse by himself.

Heather watched Rembrary, who was shorter than the horse, skillfully dismount from the large horse, and realized that a prince is indeed a prince.

“Even so, how could you go alone!”

But being impressive was one thing, and doing wrong was another.

Heather scolded him sternly, and Rembrary’s eyes widened.

“I kept shouting for people to catch the monster with me.”

“People can’t catch monsters, Rembrary.”

“Really?”

“And you’re not old enough to catch monsters yet. It’s dangerous.”

“But I caught it anyway?”

Heather was very proud of Rembrary. But if she praised him now, he might run off to catch monsters again by himself, which would be a problem.

“From now on, make sure to go with a paladin or an adult priest. Understood?”

“Yes.”

Heather picked up Rembrary and hurried inside the mansion.

But something was strange.

More people were running around outside than when Rembrary had ridden the horse to chase the monster. Moreover, they all had urgent expressions.

“What’s wrong? Haven’t you found Lapsus?”

The people were moving so busily that they didn’t even look at the manager of this place who fell and rolled while running.

“We found Lapsus.”

“Where?”

“Um. It wasn’t far away.”

Heather put Rembrary down in a room on the first floor. In one corner of the room, Lapsus was squatting and crying.

“Are they crying because they’re happy?”

Rembrary asked, and Heather said with a troubled face.

“Rembrary, can you take care of Lapsus for a bit?”

“I will.”

As soon as Rembrary answered, Heather left.

The door closed. Heather had also come in a hurry to take care of the child, but she was very busy.

Rembrary stared blankly at the closed door before turning his head.

Lapsus kept crying even though Rembrary had come.

“Baby, don’t cry.”

Rembrary first approached and patted Lapsus on the shoulder.

“Stop. If you cry, your eyes will get swollen. If your eyes get swollen, they will hurt.”

But even with good coaxing, Lapsus didn’t stop crying.

What should he do? Rembrary thought about how he had comforted the children he used to play with in the palace.

“The High Priest was hurt.”

Before Rembrary could finish thinking, Lapsus muttered first.

Rembrary unfolded his arms and patted Lapsus’s shoulder again.

“Which High Priest?”

“Our High Priest.”

“How did it happen?”

“Trying to save me.”

“Are you crying because you’re relieved?”

Lapsus finally stopped crying. Lapsus opened their mouth and stared blankly at Rembrary.

Rembrary took out a second handkerchief and wiped Lapsus’s eyes.

“Wipe your own snot.”

Rembrary decided not to take this handkerchief back either.

Only then did Lapsus come to their senses and shout.

“I’m crying because I’m worried!”

“Was the Lumena High Priest badly hurt?”

“Uh…”

Lapsus clenched the handkerchief and started crying again.

“A paladin I know was also hurt trying to save me.”

Rembrary sat down next to them and told them his story.

“A lot?”

Lapsus was very sad, but forced themself to ask in order not to cry.

The High Priest didn’t like it when Lapsus was worse than Rembrary. They were sure the High Priest would hate it if they saw that only they were crying when Rembrary wasn’t.

“They were a great paladin, but they can’t use divine power anymore.”

Lapsus inhaled. Lapsus had seen many times how much adults valued divine power.

“What should I do?”

“I’m going to fix it. I promised.”

“How are you going to fix it?”

“I have to find a way.”

“…….”

Lapsus blew their nose.

“I’ll give you the handkerchief, baby.”

Not long after, the door opened again and Heather came in.

“Lapsus.”

Rembrary tried to stand up, but Heather called Lapsus.

As Lapsus raised their head, Heather said in a slightly trembling voice.

“The Priest wants to see Lapsus.”

As Lapsus stood up and went to Heather, Rembrary also quietly stood up.

After passing through three doors, the door to a certain room was half open. The room was full of people.

A person who had opened a medical bag and placed it on the floor was picking out tools at the head of the bed, and the Lumena High Priest was lying on the bed.

“Lapsus.”

As the High Priest reached out their hand, Lapsus quickly ran over.

Heather held Rembrary’s hand.

Whether Rembrary realized it or not, the Lumena High Priest was currently in a life-threatening situation.

The doctor said that even if the Lumena High Priest underwent surgery, the chances of survival were slim.

Therefore, the Lumena High Priest had asked to see Lapsus before the surgery.

“Lapsus.”

“Priest… Priest…”

Holding the crying child’s hand tightly, the Lumena High Priest urged in a voice almost identical to their usual one.

“You are Lumena’s most precious existence.”

“Priest… please don’t die.”

“Remember. You are the most important existence. You must have confidence.”

“Priest…”

“You must answer.”

“I understand. Because I understand…”

“We will begin the surgery.”

The doctor interjected.

“Shall we send the child out?”

The secretary priest asked cautiously.

“No!”

Lapsus shouted and clung to the High Priest’s arm.

“I want to stay here!”

Normally, they would have to be sent out, but after much deliberation, the Lumena High Priest answered.

“Keep them here.”

The High Priest hoped that even if they were to die, Lapsus would grow from this experience.

The child was too timid. Even if they couldn’t be there to protect them, the child had to survive on their own.

The doctor clicked their tongue at the sight of the High Priest, who didn’t even flinch despite suffering such terrible injuries.

As the doctor held up the surgical knife, Lapsus was about to cry out loud, but forcibly held back their tears.

Rembrary watched the scene and approached the doctor.

“I’ll help you.”

And before anyone could stop him, he turned on the Halo on the Lumena High Priest’s wound.

He had tested it during the Raidal incident and already knew it was useless, but he still wanted to try to save someone one more time, just in case.

“Ah, how convenient. Thank you. I can see well.”

The wound didn’t heal, but it seemed to be helpful to the doctor.

The secretary priest thought it wasn’t good for a young child to see such a large wound up close, so they looked at Heather and gestured reproachfully for not holding the child back.

Rembrary wasn’t planning on keeping the Halo on the whole time. But since the doctor said it was helpful, he couldn’t turn off the Halo.

After some time had passed, Rembrary’s neck started to hurt. It was hard to stay in a bowed position.

Rembrary placed his hand on the Lumena High Priest’s arm.

And while the doctor was treating them, he hoped that the High Priest’s injuries would be healed well.