Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 850

◈ 850. Reunion

“You’re not going, are you?”

The secretary priest asked with a dubious expression.

“Well…”

Rembrary answered vaguely.

The secretary priest touched his forehead. Such an ambiguous answer was difficult to deal with.

“It’s dangerous, Rembrary. The Central Continent is too far.”

“I’ll take a look first.”

Rembrary postponed his answer and took out all the papers with strings attached [documents requiring immediate attention].

The secretary priest was the secretary of the highest priest, not Rembrary’s secretary. But he was worried and couldn’t leave, staying by his side.

Finally, when Rembrary finished reading the papers and put them down, the secretary priest immediately asked.

“Are you really going?”

“Did the Camuel Grand Temple also request help?”

The answer that came back was unexpected.

The secretary priest glanced at the important documents Rembrary had set aside.

There were already dozens of papers with strings attached. There would be more in the future.

“Those arrogant people must be in a hurry, after ignoring you and the Redrin Temple like that. Are you going there?”

“Now that it’s come to this, I’ll stop by the Central Continent and then go to the Northern Continent.”

“You’re going to all of them?!”

“Yes. While I’m there, I’ll go to the Lumena Temple and take a look around.”

The secretary priest silently organized the documents and left.

Even when he was a novice priest, Rembrary was the type of kid who would do whatever he set his mind to. There was no point in him trying to stop him.

It would be better to take the necessary steps in advance so that he could take many holy knights with him when he left.

* * *

Someone was trying to leave far away from the Southern Continent as well.

“Yes, leave, leave!”

Mimelnoa couldn’t stand it and shouted.

Ardor stopped packing and looked up at his master.

“Really? Am I really leaving?”

His master, who would usually scold or rebuke him at this point, was instead telling him to go?

“Can I really go?”

Ardor’s master became gloomy.

In his eyes, Ardor was a perfect disciple except for his occasional talk about his benefactor. The problem was that the number of times he talked about his benefactor was too frequent.

Still, it was bearable before.

However, after learning that Ardor’s benefactor was in the Redrin Temple, not the Lumena Temple, the boy’s talk about his benefactor became too much to bear.

No, the number might actually be the same. But knowing that his benefactor was a Redrin priest, the master hated hearing it.

“Yes. What’s the point of teaching you when your mind is elsewhere even after having you for several years?”

“I’m sorry, Master. But the Redrin Priest seems more amazing than Lumena. It’s hard to work hard in this situation.”

That impudent brat. The master’s eyes reddened with regret.

However, forcing a child who thought another god was more amazing to stay in the Lumena Temple would be disrespectful to Lumena.

“Go, go. Leave. Pack your bags and get out.”

“Thank you, Master!”

“But Ardor, remember this.”

“I’m going!”

“Listen and go!”

Ardor went outside, but was caught by his master’s subordinates and brought back in.

The master covered his forehead and said quickly.

“I will definitely remove your name from the Lumena Holy Knight list. Now you can go to the Redrin Temple.”

“Wow!”

“But I won’t recommend you there, or help you get in.”

The master said firmly. He knew that if he stepped in, the complicated procedures would be slightly less complicated, but he didn’t want to actively send his disciple to the Redrin Temple.

Ardor’s eyes widened. But soon he smiled and said cheerfully.

“It’s okay. There must be a way.”

The attitude that his master was proud of was displayed without regret even when he left.

“Thank you, Master.”

Ardor bowed deeply, and the master turned away and sat down.

Only after the sound of the door slamming shut did the master look at the place where his disciple had been.

Seeing the empty space, the master teared up again.

* * *

For several years, Ardor’s freedom had been restricted. It was because he had been caught trying to escape from time to time.

Ardor walked through the bustling streets with his luggage, looking around in amazement.

What was even more amazing was that even though it was Lumena’s territory, he heard stories about Rembrary everywhere he went, even at a restaurant.

‘He’s already become a high-ranking priest.’

Ardor listened to people’s stories while eating an egg dish and was impressed.

He looked to be about his age, but he was already a high-ranking priest. Wasn’t that a first?

Ardor covered his mouth with both hands in admiration. He thought that was the first time.

Rabsus had long disappeared from Ardor’s mind.

As soon as he finished his meal, Ardor didn’t stay in his room and got on a nighttime multi-person carriage.

Benefactor, I’ll be there soon! Ardor is coming!

* * *

“I’m sorry, believer. The Grand Temple is not accepting outsiders right now.”

However, the Redrin Grand Temple, which he had arrived at after running non-stop, didn’t even open the door.

He had easily entered before, but this time the treatment was completely different.

“Are you not letting me in because I’m not a Lumena Holy Knight? Or are you not letting me in because I came from the Lumena Temple?”

Ardor asked sharply.

The Redrin Holy Knight hadn’t even thought that Ardor had come from the Lumena Temple, so he asked with a dubious expression.

“I don’t know why you suddenly thought that. Did you come from the Lumena Temple?”

“Yes!”

“Are you a Lumena Holy Knight? Are you on an errand?”

“No. I quit.”

“Yes…”

The holy knight glanced at Ardor as if he were a strange person and said firmly.

“It’s not just your individual problem. There are too many people coming to see Rembrary, so we’re controlling access. There are many people who come to see him, but there are also many people who try to sneak in to harm him.”

He had come all the way here, but he had to leave without even seeing him? He had waited for years to come here with difficulty?

Ardor took out a handkerchief from his pocket and held it out.

“I got this from Rembrary.”

The knight looked down at the expensive-looking handkerchief.

“I’ve met Rembrary, and Rembrary is my benefactor. I came here and talked to Rembrary. Rembrary told me to wait and he would come.”

Ardor recalled what had happened years ago and spoke without a break.

His expression looked so desperate that one of the knights standing next to him showed kindness.

“What’s your name? I’ll go ask Rembrary.”

“Ardor!”

As the knight went inside, Ardor anxiously watched him.

As the knight said that access was being controlled overall seemed to be true, most of those who had come besides Ardor were being turned away at the door.

Most of them just left, but Ardor waited there for about 20 minutes.

Finally, when the knight returned, Ardor approached him and asked.

“What did Rembrary say? He knows me, right?!”

The knight was embarrassed by Ardor’s excited voice and answered.

“He said he doesn’t know you.”

“!”

* * *

Ardor went to a cafe in a nearby village and sat on the terrace, spacing out.

His gaze didn’t leave the glass of juice with ice floating in it.

Ardor’s head was spinning from the unexpected event.

Why did his benefactor say he didn’t know him?

Was he not happy to see me? Did I come after being in the Lumena Temple for a while? Or did he forget my name in the meantime?

At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to go to his benefactor, let alone hang around him.

At that moment, the main gate of the Grand Temple opened and a carriage came out.

Ardor was drinking his juice and looked over there.

There was only one carriage, but it was surrounded by holy knights as if they were escorting it.

People also looked at it and whispered.

“Isn’t that Rembrary?”

“Is that Rembrary?”

“It might be the highest priest.”

Ardor continued to tilt his juice glass and stared at the carriage.

The carriage was coming down a sloping road and was turning to the side instead of entering the downtown area. It meant they were going to another village.

“It must be Rembrary, I heard the highest priest is on a business trip right now.”

“So Rembrary is also on a business trip?”

“Are both of them not at the Grand Temple?”

Having heard that far, Ardor put down his glass and slowly got up from his seat.

No, no. How could he just go back when he had come all this way?

Just because his benefactor had forgotten him didn’t mean he wasn’t his benefactor.

Ardor bought a horse from a nearby horse shop and began to chase after the carriage.

* * *

Rembrary’s decision to go to the Central Continent was not simply because the high priest of the Iira God had called him.

Inside the swaying carriage, Rembrary recalled what had happened years ago.

The suspicious things that the Iira high priest had shown on the way to find Cherub were still in his head. The appearance of the Iira high priest who sided with him as well.

‘Now my voice has power, Redrin. You won’t be able to avoid answering me again just because I’m young.’

“Rembrary? Are you okay?”

Kentree asked from across the aisle as Rembrary’s forehead furrowed.

“I’m fine. I was thinking about the old days.”

“The time we fought?”

“We never fought. You were the only one who got angry.”

It was then. A loud noise came from not far away and the carriage stopped abruptly.

Kentree waved his hands and fell off the seat.

“Damn it! What is it!”

Rembrary stuck his head out the window.

“What’s going on?”

“Monsters have appeared!”

“It’s nothing. It will be resolved soon.”

It was not uncommon for the carriage to be attacked by monsters now. At the holy knights’ answer, Rembrary was lost in thought again.

Kentree was relieved and smoothed out his wrinkled clothes.

Soon, the roar of monsters, the shouts of holy knights, the sound of swords being swung, and the sound of metal clashing began to be heard from outside.

Kentree was worried, even though he thought it would be okay, and glanced out the window anxiously.

“I wish Rydal had come with us.”

Kentree regretted it belatedly. Rydal had defensive abilities, so he would be more helpful in times like this.

Then, there was another loud noise and suddenly the smell of blood came in through the window.

“Isn’t there a problem?”

Kentree asked in a frightened voice.

As if in response, a holy knight hurriedly opened the door and shouted at Rembrary.

“Rembrary, it’s better to abandon the carriage! It’s a demon! A demon has directly brought the monsters!”

Rembrary also went outside the carriage. There were dead monsters around.

And hundreds of living monsters were baring their teeth and gathering in front and behind the road.

Rembrary looked at the demon standing among the monsters.

Not those demons who occasionally appeared and bothered him, but a completely new demon was smiling at Rembrary.

‘How far does the light reach when I turn on the halo [divine power aura]?’

Rembrary looked back and forth while calculating.

If he turned on the halo strongly, he could prevent even the monsters far away from moving, but the holy knights and Kentree would also be blocked from view.

If he turned on the halo weakly, it wouldn’t reach the monsters far away, so it would be difficult to move.

If Rembrary was alone, he could just turn on the halo appropriately and leave, but it was difficult to take care of the holy knights and Kentree he had brought with him.

“Rembrary!”

A holy knight urged Rembrary.

“Go this way. We’ll block them from behind.”

Rembrary decided to use the halo anyway, whether it worked or not.

At that moment, the ground vibrated faintly and the loud sound of hooves approached.

It was the sound of not one person, but several people riding horses together.

“Another monster?”

Kentree looked in the direction of the sound, terrified.

Rembrary also looked that way.

But it wasn’t a monster. What appeared were Redrin holy knights riding horses.

Seeing that, Rembrary quickly healed the holy knights he had brought with him.

As allies appeared, the holy knights regained their strength and began to fight the monsters again.