Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 820

◈ 820. Relief Without Emotion

Editor Sedi had never imagined that anyone else would know the prayer he had offered to God.

But the child before him clearly knew his prayer. Editor Sedi swallowed hard and asked,

“Rembrary, that story… did Redrin tell you?”

The two were still shaking hands. This time, truth was conveyed from the child. Editor Sedi involuntarily yanked his hand back.

The child slowly lowered his hand, watching Editor Sedi as if observing him. Editor Sedi felt goosebumps.

“Heretic. Is there any other story you wish to know?”

“I… I…”

Editor Sedi swallowed hard and shook his head.

“No.”

He readily admitted and rose from his seat.

Rembrary only stared at Editor Sedi instead of getting up.

“Don’t you know?”

Before leaving the room, Editor Sedi pointed at Rembrary and said,

“I’ve only ever filed a false report once. Now it will be twice.”

The corners of his lips twisted subtly.

“And you’re behind both of them.”

* * *

Aquari, who had finished his meal quietly as usual, lowered the napkin he had used to wipe his mouth and muttered,

“I will go out into the world.”

The demons stopped eating and stared at Aquari with their mouths wide open.

Chunks of meat and pieces of salad fell from their forks.

“Is it true?”

Warrion asked with a suspicious voice, and Clotte nudged his side with his elbow. Warrion staggered but continued to stare at Aquari strangely.

“I’ve been quiet for a while,” Aquari muttered as if there was nothing strange about it.

The Black Dragon recalled that Aquari had previously been very displeased. Could it be because of that incident? Or because of where he had gone earlier?

Aquari didn’t give a long explanation. He got up from his seat and walked straight into the hallway.

As soon as Aquari’s presence disappeared, Noir pulled the Black Dragon.

Noir didn’t let go of the Black Dragon’s sleeve until they reached the farthest point from Aquari’s room.

“Why?”

The Black Dragon asked leisurely. He seemed to be the least affected by Aquari’s declaration.

Noir glanced towards the hallway and urged,

“You can’t help that human kid anymore.”

“…….”

“I know you’ve been visiting him again. You can’t do that anymore. That kid has become Redrin’s minion. When we meet again, he will be our enemy. Understand?”

The Black Dragon took a gold-leaf card from Noir’s pocket.

“This is?”

Noir snatched the card away and threw it into the fireplace without hesitation.

* * *

The paladin who had sent the child into the interrogation room paced anxiously back and forth in the hallway.

“Why don’t you stop and sit down,” the inquisitor advised, but the paladin said he was fine and continued to pace.

“It’s making me dizzy,” the inquisitor said, shaking his head and closing his eyes completely. Almost simultaneously, a click sounded, and the door finally opened.

Editor Sedi came out with a haggard face and was startled to find his colleagues gathered like a mushroom cluster in front of the door.

“Why are you all here?”

Mik, who had been leaning against the wall pretending not to care, quickly rushed over. The paladin who had brought the child also rushed over anxiously and asked Editor Sedi,

“What was the result? How was Rembrary?”

“Rembrary is…”

Editor Sedi trailed off, and the people swallowed hard at the same time.

Editor Sedi deliberately dragged out his words, and when Rembrary slipped out from under his arm, he had no choice but to say,

“He didn’t ride a dragon. He rode a bird, a bird.”

“What? A bird?”

“What kind of bird did he ride that you mistook it for a dragon?”

Editor Sedi found it difficult to lie to his colleagues for long.

He quickly chased after Rembrary, who was trying to disappear alone after cornering him.

“Rembrary? Where are you going?”

“Editor Sedi? Editor Sedi!”

His colleagues called from behind, but Editor Sedi only followed Rembrary. Rembrary walked for a while and then stopped in front of the cafeteria.

“I smell bread, Heretic.”

“Are you hungry in the midst of all this?”

“Of course. I’m a living person.”

When Rembrary pointed to the cafeteria, Editor Sedi had no choice but to take the child inside.

The inquisitors, who rarely saw children, were surprised when Editor Sedi brought in a conspicuous child and all stared at Rembrary.

Editor Sedi received two bowls of bread and soup and walked to the most secluded spot.

As the child began to eat the bread, Editor Sedi said in a small voice,

“I helped you this time, but I might not be here next time. I usually travel around. I was just lucky to be here this time.”

“Yes. We have a deep connection.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Is it not?”

“Be careful next time. Don’t ride that dragon or bird in the future. Understand?”

* * *

Listening to the children whispering, Rydal anxiously put down and picked up his pen repeatedly.

Rembrary had erased his presence to save his family.

Rydal couldn’t even concentrate on class because his mind kept drifting towards Rembrary’s story.

“I heard he went to the Inquisitorial Office.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I went to Rishur and they were talking about it, but they quieted down when we came.”

Rydal ran to the disciplinary priests’ office during break time. He was going to ask Rishur if it was true.

But as soon as he went outside, a strange carriage caught his eye, parked between the buildings.

As he wondered what it was, the carriage door opened. The person who got out of the carriage was Rembrary.

“Rembrary!”

Surprised, Rydal jumped up and ran to Rembrary.

“Huh? How did you come to see me off?”

Rembrary asked, bewildered, as he got out of the carriage.

“I didn’t come to see you off…”

Rydal tried to explain the situation, but realizing it would take too long, he omitted it and smiled brightly.

“Why are you so late!”

“A lot of things happened.”

Rydal grabbed Rembrary’s arm and asked with a sinking heart,

“The Inquisitorial Office…? Is it true…?”

“How did you know?”

“The children are whispering about it. I don’t know if it’s true. But it was true. Why did you suddenly go there?”

“It just happened that way.”

Rembrary made a vague excuse and walked to the classroom.

“Goodbye!”

The inquisitor who had brought Rembrary shouted goodbye from behind, then went to find Heather, the person in charge, to deliver the news.

Rydal walked back to the classroom together, excitedly asking,

“Did you see our family?”

“I did.”

“How was it?”

“Um…”

“You forgot.”

“I went to treat the paladins as soon as I treated them.”

*But you wouldn’t know our family’s faces even if you stayed there for a month,* Rydal thought to himself as he opened the classroom door.

The children, who had been chattering wildly while Rishur was away, became quiet as soon as Rembrary entered.

The children who had been talking about Rembrary just now stared at the protagonist of the topic with wide eyes.

Rembrary, regardless, walked to his seat as usual and sat down calmly. He acted as if nothing had happened.

Rydal clenched his fists nervously, worried that the other children might pick on Rembrary again.

Then, when three of his followers approached him, Rydal jumped up and approached them as well.

“Hey, you’re nicer than I thought.”

But the words spoken by one of the approaching group were not an insult. There was an awkwardness in his voice, but it was definitely not an insult.

Rydal stopped approaching and stared at the child who had spoken. He was the child who usually badmouthed Rembrary behind his back. *What’s going on?*

Rembrary stared blankly at the blackboard before turning his head.

The red-haired boy, as red as his hair, blushed. He seemed embarrassed to suddenly praise him after always cursing him.

The black-haired boy next to him, as red-faced as the red-haired boy, continued,

“You seem to have a sense of loyalty.”

“That’s right. I saw you a little… differently. We thought you were petty, disloyal, and mean.”

The brown-haired boy said more calmly.

Seeing this, Rydal returned to his seat. *What’s wrong with them?* It was surprising, but he didn’t not understand why they were doing this.

The priests were impressed by Rydal, who had advised them to treat the paladins first, while the children were impressed by Rembrary, who had said he would treat his friend’s family first.

Rydal’s eyes welled up for no reason at the sight of Rembrary being recognized.

“Is that so?”

The warmth in his eyes cooled down again at Rembrary’s dry response.

“Huh?”

At Rembrary’s unmotivated response, the three Rydal followers looked embarrassed.

Rembrary stared blankly at the Rydal followers before turning his head again.

The children exchanged glances with each other.

They thought that if they talked to Rembrary, he would get angry, be embarrassed, or cry.

“Hey, I really think you’re amazing?”

The red-haired boy said again, unable to bear it.

“Is that so.”

Rembrary answered no differently than before and opened his book.

“Is that all you have to say?”

The brown-haired boy asked coldly, unable to bear it.

At those words, Rembrary thought for a moment and then asked with an expression that soothed a much younger child.

“Is there anything you want to hear?”

Some of the children watching burst out laughing.

The faces of the three Rydal followers turned redder than carrots.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

The black-haired boy asked, panting.

Rembrary blinked and asked back.

“Of course. People say what they want to say.”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying!”

“Is it not?”

“That’s… I mean…”

The black-haired boy stammered and looked at the brown-haired boy.

The brown-haired boy glared at Rembrary and then turned away. The two children quickly followed them.

Rembrary thought they were strange children and looked down at the scriptures again.

Rydal sighed. *Rembrary isn’t doing that on purpose. He always talks like that.*

* * *

Rishur almost burst into tears when he saw Rembrary back in the classroom.

He hadn’t told the children, but he had heard through the messenger bird that Rembrary had gone to the Inquisitorial Office on suspicion of riding the Black Dragon.

Unfortunately, the next news hadn’t been delivered, so Rishur had been worried sick. But he was back as quickly as he had left.

But Rishur held back his tears, worried that the children would be surprised, and taught the scriptures as usual.

Only after class did Rishur call Rembrary aside and ask,

“How was it?”

“It’s always boring.”

“Not my class. I heard you went to the Inquisitorial Office.”

“It was more fun than Rishur’s class.”

As soon as Rishur exchanged two words with Rembrary, his worries, emotions, and sadness disappeared, and his mind became calm as before the incident.

“I see.”

Rishur patted Rembrary’s shoulder and straightened his bent back. He was glad he seemed fine.