Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 784

◈ 784. Those Who Watch

“How is it?”

Rembrary asked, his eyes shining with anticipation. He desperately wanted Cherub to be happy.

“It moves,” Cherub replied, sounding calmer than Rembrary expected.

“Right?”

Rembrary bounced on the balls of his feet.

“You can move now, right?”

His voice was brighter and more hopeful than usual.

“Yeah.”

Cherub smiled gently and stroked the child’s hair.

“You kept your promise.”

“Really?”

A colleague from beyond the partition couldn’t resist any longer and peeked around it.

“Yeah. Divine power moves,” Cherub murmured nonchalantly.

“Then you should be happier!”

The colleague smiled brightly and clapped Cherub on the back.

“We should have a party today!”

Another paladin instructor quickly approached, eager to join in the celebration.

Rembrary proudly watched the paladins surrounding Cherub and cheering.

‘Redrin, I finally kept my promise with Sir Cherub,’ he thought, a wave of satisfaction washing over him.

Heather patted Rembrary’s shoulder, feeling pleased for both of them.

* * *

“So, how about a drink after class today?”

After the special guest left, a fellow paladin approached Cherub from the next seat, pantomiming raising a glass.

“I’m okay,” Cherub replied calmly.

The fellow paladin let out a disappointed groan. “Oh, why!”

“We should relax a bit on days like this.”

“I’m really okay.”

Cherub offered a small, weary smile.

The colleague looked at Cherub strangely and asked, concern etched on his face.

“You don’t seem very happy. Are you okay?”

Cherub looked down at his hands, his expression unreadable.

“Actually, my divine power hasn’t returned.”

The instructors, who had been excitedly chattering around them, fell silent at the same time. The air seemed to thicken with unspoken anxieties.

“What? Really? You said it had returned earlier?”

“The kid was too happy…”

The colleagues were stunned into silence. They couldn’t find the right words and just exchanged uneasy glances.

“It’s okay. I won’t need to use divine power if I stay here anyway,” Cherub said, feeling guilty for dampening their spirits. He smiled and patted his colleague’s shoulder, but the frozen atmosphere didn’t easily thaw.

“Is the rumor about the novice priest healing people fake?”

The colleague next to him changed the subject to Rembrary, retreating back to his seat.

“Maybe it is.”

Another colleague quickly chimed in, eager to distance himself from the awkwardness.

“Hey. It probably isn’t completely fake. The person who came with him is the head of the Florandia Temple, right?”

“Maybe he just came along?”

“A high-ranking priest wouldn’t just come along.”

“But Cherub is…, you know.”

“Maybe he can only treat external wounds?”

“Ah. That might be it.”

The fellow instructors began to whisper among themselves, their voices hushed and speculative.

Cherub let the sound wash over him, tuning it out as he returned to grading. He pulled the stopped stack of test papers back in front of him, trying to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

‘It’s back,’ Jeremi, the runaway only son of Ladderun, thought, as troubled as Cherub. [Ladderun is likely a noble family or influential organization.]

Jeremi turned around, relieved only after the carriage passed through the main gate. It seemed that today they weren’t here because of him.

‘Then why did they come? Do priests usually come to the training center? Or did they come with someone else?’

“Are you that worried about him?”

Jeremi was startled and spun around. Mullu was standing behind him, having arrived unnoticed.

“Senior. When did you get here?”

Jeremi asked, flustered.

Mullu pointed to the main gate with her eyes.

“I’ve been here the whole time you were hiding behind the pillar, watching the carriage leave.”

“!”

“Why are you so interested in him?”

Mullu asked again, her gaze sharp and probing.

Jeremi was about to brush it off, say it was nothing. But then he remembered that Rembrary had spoken to Mullu.

Mullu herself said it was nothing, but Rembrary had only spoken to Mullu among all the students here. It felt significant.

After a brief moment of consideration, Jeremi confessed.

“He’s my family’s enemy.”

“That little kid?”

“That little kid is stronger than you think.”

Jeremi muttered and looked at Mullu earnestly, hoping she would understand the gravity of the situation.

That evening, Mullu asked Cherub during dinner.

“Sister. Do you know a novice priest boy with blonde hair who looks about seven or eight years old? He said he knows you. Oh. His name is Rembrary.”

Cherub pulled her sister’s plate over and cut the meat for her, looking at her with a fond smile.

“You talked to Rembrary?”

“How did you know?”

“He’s a friend I briefly protected.”

Cherub cut the meat into small pieces and pushed the plate in front of Mullu.

Mullu ate a piece of meat without thinking, but soon firmly swapped Cherub’s plate with her own.

“I’m not a baby, so I wish you wouldn’t do this. I’ll cut my own meat.”

Cherub burst out laughing at her little sister’s attempt to act like an adult.

“To me, Mullu is still a baby. I’ll be sad if you grow up already.”

Mullu drew a line firmly, but she kept glancing at her sister, worried.

“But why did Rembrary come?”

Mullu quickly changed the subject back to Rembrary, worried that her sister might be upset by the conversation.

“Ah. Just… He came with a high-ranking priest there.”

Cherub made an excuse and started cutting the meat again, avoiding Mullu’s gaze.

“What kind of kid is he?”

“He’s kind.”

Even as she said he was kind, Cherub’s expression was subtly sad, a shadow passing over her features.

Mullu recalled what her junior had said about Rembrary being ‘the family’s enemy.’

“Is he really kind?”

“More than that, are you really not going with your sister on the field training? If you don’t want to reveal that I’m your sister, just apply as a guardian. Then I can still go with you.”

“I’m not going. You’re not even a training instructor for our grade. But if you come with me, the kids will know we’re sisters.”

“…”

Cherub lowered her gaze, trying not to stare too obviously at her sister’s hair color, a telltale sign of their familial connection.

“And it’s not dangerous. The monsters that appear there are all weak monsters.”

* * *

The priests became busy again this year preparing for the year-end festival. [The year-end festival is likely a significant religious event or celebration.]

Rembrary was no exception. Moreover, unlike last year, he was regularly visiting the clinic in the Florang territory this year, making him even busier. [Florang territory is likely a region or area associated with the Florandia Temple.]

“Here. This is a gift from the lord!”

As Rembrary entered the clinic, the manager handed him a basket full of food again today, a gesture of gratitude for his service.

Rembrary entrusted the basket to Heather and began treating the people one by one, his small hands moving with practiced efficiency.

Then, during lunchtime, when the manager, Heather, and he were eating together.

“That’s right. Baby priest, is the rumor that you’re being bullied by the other novice priests true?”

The manager, who had been telling various stories about the village, suddenly asked seriously, his brow furrowed with concern.

“Bullying?”

Rembrary asked back, pausing as he cut the bread with strawberry jam inside into bite-sized pieces.

“Isn’t it?”

At that response, the manager tilted his head and looked at Heather for confirmation.

“Isn’t it?”

Heather asked, forcing a smile as she ate her soup, trying to gauge Rembrary’s reaction.

“Are there such rumors?”

“Yes. Rembrary has become famous. So, people coming and going to the Florandia Temple seem to pay a lot of attention to Rembrary. Those people said that Rembrary is always alone whenever they see him.”

The manager glanced sideways at Rembrary, his expression worried.

Heather became embarrassed and looked at Rembrary as well. Although they came together to the clinic, Heather couldn’t always be by Rembrary’s side when they were at the temple. His responsibilities kept him occupied.

Heather was the manager of one of the largest temples of Redrin. He was always so busy that he lacked sleep. [Redrin is likely a major religious organization or deity.]

“It’s okay to get along well alone. I’m not being bullied,” Rembrary replied nonchalantly and put the bread in his mouth, seemingly unconcerned by the rumors.

* * *

Rembrary, who had returned to the temple, carefully observed the children during dinner that evening.

The children were playing brightly as usual. But there was a subtle difference between the children’s actions before and now.

Before, the children hovered around Rembrary with all sorts of emotions, seeking his attention and approval. But now, the children didn’t even turn their heads towards Rembrary.

If they happened to look towards Rembrary, they tried to fix their gaze elsewhere as much as possible, avoiding any interaction.

The children acted as if they had promised to treat Rembrary like a ghost, a silent agreement to exclude him.

“Does your stomach hurt?”

There were some children who weren’t like that, like the tall blonde.

“Does your stomach hurt?”

Lydal was the same.

“Yes. No.”

Rembrary ate his salad, thinking about when this change had started. He tried to pinpoint the moment when the atmosphere had shifted.

‘Was it after going to the paladin training center?’

* * *

It was when Rembrary was away at the paladin training center that the rumors began to take root.

The people who came to the Florandia Temple to see Rembrary, not finding him there, speculated among themselves about the reason for his absence.

Then, some observant people pointed out that ‘the baby priest with healing abilities always seems to be on the outside,’ suggesting he was being excluded.

“The children must be jealous because he’s too outstanding.”

“Are the novice priests jealous and only bullying our Rembrary?”

“Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen Rembrary playing with anyone. The other novice priests play among themselves.”

Many people’s testimonies were combined, creating a narrative of Rembrary’s isolation.

A few days later, Rembrary returned. The returned Rembrary had a brighter expression, seemingly unaffected by the situation.

People speculated that Rembrary was being bullied, and his complexion had brightened after leaving this place for a while and then returning, confirming their suspicions.

This speculation quickly spread among the believers, fueling their anger and resentment.

“People who are trying to become priests shouldn’t do that.”

“Do priests also get jealous?”

Some proactive people didn’t stop there. They directly asked the novice priests about Rembrary, seeking to uncover the truth.

“Well. I’ve heard the name, but we’re in different classes. If the priest in charge is different, there’s almost no chance to meet,” most of them answered evasively.

Then, one child gave a clear answer, providing the spark that ignited the flames of outrage.

“Oh, that. I know. There’s a kid named Lydal among the kids who train with Rembrary. He’s very popular with the kids. He’s the main culprit. He’s bullying Rembrary, so the other kids are bullying him too.”

People were furious at that statement, their protective instincts kicking into high gear.

Wider was pleased that things were unexpectedly easily resolved. His plan was unfolding perfectly.

Lydal had overcome his inferiority complex towards Rembrary, and Rembrary was surrounded by people, unable to do anything. Rembrary’s fame was helping so much, inadvertently playing into Wider’s scheme.

“Have you heard the story that there’s a novice priest with divine power at the level of a high-ranking priest? The kid who was initially the subject of that rumor was Lydal. But Rembrary became more successful. So he keeps bullying Rembrary.”

After creating and spreading a reason why Lydal would bully Rembrary, the rumors rolled on their own without Wider having to step in, gaining momentum with each retelling.

* * *

After hearing the story from the clinic manager, Heather had the training priests investigate the situation, seeking to uncover the truth behind the rumors.

Heather was able to learn most of the circumstances, except that Wider was the one who instigated the people, skillfully concealing his involvement.

Heather called Rishur and told him this story, relaying the disturbing details of Rembrary’s alleged mistreatment.

“Is that true?”

Rishur asked, surprised, with wide eyes, his shock evident.

“Priest Rishur didn’t know.”

Rishur smiled awkwardly. Rembrary had always been alone, and Rishur had failed to recognize the signs of ostracization.

It was difficult to distinguish on the surface whether the children were further ostracizing Rembrary because of the rumors circulating among the believers, making it hard to intervene effectively.

Heather sighed and suggested, recognizing the urgency of the situation.

“If this situation continues, it won’t be good for Rembrary or the other children. The children need to reconcile, but first, we need to stop people from instigating them. Priest Rishur, try to show a scene where Rembrary and Lydal are getting along well. Like on the playground.”

* * *

Rishur immediately called Lydal and Rembrary and said, without mentioning the rumors, hoping to create a genuine moment of connection.

“You two are the best at skills among the novice priests. Since the festival is coming up soon, how about showing people that you two are getting along well?”

Rishur gave them a ball and told Lydal and Rembrary to play catch with each other, hoping to foster camaraderie and dispel the negative perceptions.

At first, it seemed to be going well. Rembrary was too bored, but it was somewhat fun, a welcome distraction from the monotony of his days.

But Lydal was quick to notice the underlying tension.

As time passed, Lydal noticed that there were more and more eyes watching them, their gazes intense and scrutinizing.

Moreover, all the tourists and believers who approached were staring intently at them. They watched Lydal as if they were monitoring him, judging his every move.

Lydal’s arm began to stiffen under the weight of their judgment. The smile also disappeared from his face, replaced by a look of discomfort and resentment.