Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 812

◈ 812. Rishuer’s Proposal

‘It’s all visible in the window.’

Rembrary clicked his tongue, watching the child lift a chair from behind.

The child didn’t seem to realize that his reflection was visible in the half-open window.

The child was trembling. Even after lifting the chair, he remained frozen, unable to make a decision easily.

He looked terrified enough to drop the chair and run away if Rembrary turned around.

‘Redrin, look at that kid.’

Rembrary clicked his tongue inwardly but deliberately remained still, not moving an inch.

It wasn’t planned from the start, but seeing the child reflected in the window gave him an idea to test something.

“…….”

The wind blew again. The child still hadn’t made a decision.

Rembrary raised his nose to smell the wind, sending divine power throughout his body.

In the past, Rembrary had jumped off a very high cliff to save Ridal.

At that time, there was no time to worry or hesitate while jumping. Afterward, he was only focused on lifting the black magic curse, so he couldn’t dwell on it.

But now that he remembered, he wanted to test that aspect.

‘If I keep sending healing power to my body, will I continue to be unharmed?’

The moment he clearly thought that, the child swung the chair.

With a loud bang, the child let out a short, small scream and stepped back. Anyone watching would have misunderstood that Rembrary had struck the child.

However, Rembrary was so teary-eyed that he couldn’t think that far.

‘It hurts, Redrin.’

But the pain quickly subsided. The part that was hit didn’t hurt or throb. Rembrary turned around, satisfied with the result.

The child, still holding the chair and laughing silently, stepped back when Rembrary turned around unharmed.

“A-Are you not, not hurt?”

The child asked blankly without realizing it. Except for the slight tear marks around his eyes, Rembrary looked perfectly fine.

“Yeah.”

When Rembrary answered with a smile, the color drained from the child’s face.

The child staggered backward. The chair fell from the child’s hand with a thud.

The suppressed fear burst out uncontrollably. He hit so hard, but he’s perfectly fine? Not even dizzy?

“Y-You, you, you’re not human.”

The child mumbled, continuing to walk backward, and when his foot caught on the chair he had thrown, he screamed and fell on his butt.

The child screamed as if the chair were a swamp monster, hitting the chair legs wildly.

Then, regaining his senses, the child jumped up and glared at Rembrary.

“You’re not human. You can’t be human. Tell me honestly. You’re not human, are you?”

‘Redrin, do you understand what that kid is saying?’

Rembrary thought it was really bizarre that the child, who had hit him with the chair, was now trembling and cursing at him.

Moreover, the child was stepping back after asking the question. Rembrary stared at the strange child and joked with a smile.

“How did you know?”

“Aaaah!”

The child opened the door and ran down the hallway. As the footsteps faded away, Rembrary glanced at the fallen chair and went back to his seat.

‘Oops. Redrin. I briefly used language unbecoming of a novice priest.’

* * *

“Rishuer, Rishuer!”

Rishuer was preparing an exam for the children when he quickly closed the book.

Turning to the sound, he saw one of the novice priests he was in charge of standing at the door, teary-eyed.

Why did that child come all the way to the training priest’s office? Rishuer wondered, but quickly walked to the door.

“What’s wrong?”

Rishuer took the child away from the office and took out a handkerchief. The child wiped away tears and snot, continuing to cry.

“Abit, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Rishuer asked calmly without being surprised. Abit looked up at Rishuer with a desperate gaze.

“Priest. I, I, I want to quit being a novice priest.”

Rishuer was truly taken aback by the unexpected request. Suddenly quitting being a novice priest?

“You’re going back to the secular world?”

“Yes!”

While Abit answered energetically and continued to cry, Rishuer was confused and couldn’t think properly. Wasn’t this too sudden?

But Abit, having made the decision, was rather relieved.

Rembrary was indeed not human. Moreover, he was cruel enough to hail those he disliked.

And Abit had earned the animosity of that cruel Rembrary. The two were now enemies, so running away was the priority.

“First… let’s get you treated.”

Rishuer muttered, looking at the child’s constantly trembling hands.

Rishuer coaxed the child, who said he would quit immediately and return, and took him to the infirmary. Another child under Rishuer was also hospitalized inside.

Securing a bed and laying Abit down, Rishuer warmed up a comforting drink to soothe the child’s mind and handed it over.

“Why are you suddenly going back to the secular world?”

“…….”

“You keep shaking your hands. Is it related to this?”

“Rembrary is scary.”

“What? Rembrary? Why? Is he too strong?”

“No.”

“Then?”

Abit didn’t go into detail and kept muttering that Rembrary was scary.

Rishuer was at a loss for how to comfort the child.

On the other hand, one novice priest who happened to hear this story from the other bed with partitions frowned and thought. Rembrary must be bullying him.

* * *

It was when Rembrary, having finished his meal as usual, entered the classroom for class.

Rembrary, having opened the Holy Scripture, reread the part Rishuer had explained yesterday.

The Holy Scripture was still not interesting, but Rembrary wanted to handle his divine power better.

‘The halo ability didn’t work properly on the large monster. What’s the reason? What part should I pay attention to?’

Rembrary turned another page of the book.

“Are you for real?”

Someone spoke loudly next to him, but Rembrary didn’t turn around. No one would talk to him like that.

“Hey. Rembrary.”

Only after the other person specifically called his name did Rembrary raise his head. Rembrary found several children surrounding his desk.

“Did you call me?”

Rembrary asked kindly, but the children’s expressions were not pleasant.

“?”

Wondering why they were like that, he turned around, and one of them asked again.

“Hey. Are you really threatening Abit to kick him out?”

“Who is Abit?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. He’s scared because of you and is in the infirmary right now! And he’s going to leave this place altogether.”

“?”

Who is Abit and why are they like this? Rembrary blinked blankly.

Then he remembered the child who had swung the chair and then ran away in fear. Ah. Could it be that child?

Rembrary burst out laughing.

“Are you laughing?”

The children, provoked by that reaction, were about to protest when Rembrary asked out of curiosity.

“Did that child say that? That I threatened him to kick him out?”

“Yes!”

“What did I threaten him with?”

When Rembrary showed curiosity, the children flinched.

“He must have said something! That’s why he would say that!”

“No, I’m curious because I have nothing to say to that child. When you make a threat, there’s a purpose, but there’s no benefit for me to threaten that child or you guys.”

“!”

When Rembrary looked at the children alternately with his red eyes, some of those who had approached bravely stepped back.

Certainly. Rembrary already had divine power and fame, and his status in the secular world was also high.

Rembrary only lacked friends, but if Rembrary wanted to be friends with that child, he wouldn’t have threatened him to leave.

The children, reminded of this, felt bad and their pride was hurt.

“You’re really annoying!”

“Are you ignoring other kids because you’re so great?”

“Yeah, you’re the best! Okay?”

“Of course.”

Rembrary answered with a smile, and the sneering children lost their words.

Rembrary lowered his head back to the book as if the children’s taunts were not a threat.

* * *

‘What to do? It’s not that Rembrary bullied Abit. Abit originally hated Rembrary.’

Ridal thought worriedly, watching the children surround Rembrary. Should I say that Abit originally hated Rembrary a lot?

Abit originally blamed Rembrary for everything once it happened. Even if he wasn’t the one being attacked. Ridal thought this was another such case.

But Ridal was not used to lying.

Is it okay to tell other people the story that Abit confided in him in secret while crying? Isn’t it bad to reveal someone else’s secrets?

“Rembrary is not that kind of kid.”

In the end, Ridal defended Rembrary without talking about Abit.

“You’re too kind, Ridal.”

“You see everyone in a good light.”

But it didn’t work, and the children continued to whisper negatively about Rembrary.

“Ugh, shut up!”

At that moment, Kentry kicked the desk with his foot. The children stopped talking and looked at him. Kentry frowned and shouted.

“Abit is the kid who got caught stealing Rembrary’s stuff and moved to another room. How can you believe everything that kind of kid says? How do you know if he’s trying to get revenge on Rembrary for the last time before he leaves!”

The children became silent in an instant.

Redrin watched the scene and smiled.

[That child is okay too.]

Lumena sipped her cloud tea and leisurely watched the scene before advising.

[When you distribute divine power, you have to look at each individual. You can’t take care of someone just because you like them and they’re good to you.]

Redrin tore off a piece of cloud and threw it at Lumena.

[Tend to your chickens.]

* * *

Rishuer came to teach and heard the fight among the children.

Rishuer then called the child who understood the situation most objectively and asked him more about this incident.

Rishuer became serious after hearing the story.

He knew that Rembrary didn’t get along well with the other children, but he thought that the children were jealous of Rembrary and Rembrary was not interested in them, so they were getting along somehow.

“Should I tell you more?”

“No, it’s okay. Thank you.”

Rishuer gave the child a snack as a reward, and after the child left, he got up with a serious expression.

Rishuer went straight to Heather, the senior priest in charge.

“Priest Rishuer? What’s going on?”

“Heather. I have something to tell you about Rembrary.”

“Tell me.”

“Actually…….”

Heather didn’t interrupt while Rishuer was telling the story he heard from the child. When the story was almost over, Rishuer sighed.

“Heather. I’ve thought about it once in a while before, but I kept passing it over because it didn’t seem serious…….”

“Yes. Tell me.”

“Rembrary initially came here to get away from people’s attention. To be buried in a place with many peers, to avoid misunderstandings that were spreading.”

“That’s right. In the beginning.”

“But Rembrary has become too famous, so the initial purpose is now impossible. Besides, no one calls Rembrary the cursed prince anymore. Rather…… wouldn’t it be better to send him to another temple with fewer novice priests where he can receive intensive training?”

“!”