Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 871

◈ 871. What Iira Left Behind

Sediter rushed to Rembrary’s side and shouted,

“Rembrary! No! I know how you feel, but no! If things get complicated after hitting a high-ranking priest from another temple, it’ll become a mess!”

However, Rembrary didn’t release the Iira High Priest’s chin.

Rembrary was recalling the people who had attacked him on the orders of Duke Ladderun in the past.

‘What did I do back then?’

Rembrary recalled his actions from that semi-unconscious state and tightened his grip on the chin even more.

“Let go! Let go!”

The Iira High Priest screamed and tried to pull Rembrary’s arm away.

However, Rembrary didn’t even blink.

Sediter was horrified to see the Iira High Priest punching Rembrary’s arm wildly, wondering, ‘Doesn’t it hurt?’

“Rembrary, let’s talk after you let go.”

Sediter pretended to pull him away while subtly grabbing one of the Iira High Priest’s hands.

“What are you trying to ask anyway? Huh? Can’t we talk after you let go? I’ll hold onto this person. Will that work?”

Sediter tried his best to signal to Rembrary.

You can trust me and let go. I’ll figure out the truth with my abilities. No one will notice.

However, Rembrary only stared at the opponent with a strange gaze, not even looking at Sediter.

Rembrary even started praying to Redrin in that state.

The rapid muttering made Sediter scared. ‘Is he crazy? Why is he suddenly praying?’

Sediter thought Rembrary seemed like one of the most bizarre inquisitors he had ever seen.

If Sediter, an ally, felt this way, the Iira High Priest was so terrified that his tongue was freezing.

Then, Rembrary suddenly stopped praying and muttered as if remembering something he had forgotten.

“Ah, I shouldn’t do this.”

Sediter regained his senses and tried to dissuade him again.

“Yes, Rembrary. First, let go of that hand—”

“He mustn’t bite his tongue.”

“What?”

Rembrary put his hand inside the Iira High Priest’s jaw and pressed down on his tongue.

Sediter was so surprised that he stumbled.

The Iira High Priest was now kicking Rembrary.

However, Rembrary didn’t seem to feel any pain and remained motionless.

In that state, Rembrary started praying again, then suddenly stopped and commanded,

“Promise me. From now on, you will only answer truthfully to my questions.”

The Iira High Priest wanted to say, ‘Is he crazy?’ but his tongue was held, so he couldn’t speak properly.

The Iira High Priest still tried to shake his head. But it was difficult because his chin was being held.

Moreover, Rembrary was pressing down on his tongue more and more painfully.

Sediter swallowed hard as he saw the blood flowing from the Iira High Priest’s mouth.

He couldn’t tell anymore whether the child next to him was a vice-chancellor candidate, a heretic, or a skilled inquisitor.

In the end, the Iira High Priest, overwhelmed by Rembrary’s strength, nodded his head without realizing it.

“Do you swear to the God?”

The Iira High Priest realized that there was something in Rembrary’s actions. Something he should never nod to.

However, Rembrary pressed his tongue again, forcing the Iira High Priest to nod.

Only then did Rembrary release the Iira High Priest and smile.

“I have received your oath.”

The Iira High Priest hurriedly backed away. As he tried to run away, Rembrary grabbed the string attached to his priest’s robe and asked,

“Sir Cheru. What did you do?”

Sediter reflexively grabbed Rembrary.

He had heard explanations about Rembrary’s ability to interrogate others.

Therefore, Sediter saw Rembrary’s actions now as mere threats.

In a time when temples needed to unite, wrongly touching the Iira High Priest could lead things in a bad direction.

“Rembrary—”

But before Sediter could finish his sentence.

“How would I know that!”

The Iira Priest, who had shouted, suddenly covered his mouth, then painfully took his hand away and corrected himself.

“He must be dead.”

The Iira High Priest was startled by his own words and hurriedly covered his mouth.

Sediter also looked at Rembrary in surprise.

Only Rembrary remained calm.

“Why do you think so?”

As Rembrary asked again, Sediter subtly grabbed the Iira High Priest’s hand to check if he was telling the truth.

“Because he fell into the Demon World.”

“Why did he fall into the Demon World?”

“While trying to catch a sealed artifact.”

“Why did the sealed artifact fall there?”

“I— threw it.”

It’s all true. Sediter was surprised and let go of the Iira High Priest’s hand.

On the other hand, Rembrary’s expression worsened even though his divine power was working properly. He looked more displeased than usual.

Seeing this, the Iira High Priest hurriedly shouted,

“I didn’t do it on purpose! I just, just threw the sealed artifact! I didn’t know that person would jump to catch it!”

Saying that is nonsense! Sediter clenched his fist, wanting to punch the Iira High Priest.

Rembrary stared at the Iira High Priest, who was protesting his innocence, without blinking.

Even though he must have been very angry, he didn’t vent his anger on the High Priest after the interrogation was over.

Sediter patted Rembrary’s shoulder to comfort him.

The Iira High Priest hesitated and backed away, wondering if it was over now.

At that moment, Rembrary, who had been frowning and deep in thought, asked again,

“Is the Iira Grand Priest involved in this matter?”

“!”

Sediter’s eyes widened.

The Iira High Priest’s eyes also grew huge.

“The Grand Priest—”

However, the moment the Iira High Priest opened his mouth with a painful expression.

A loud bang and an alarm bell rang madly.

Rembrary turned his head towards the sound.

A huge black water, impossible to see through, was rising from the floor to the sky.

From that pillar of water, unidentified white worms were pouring out in all directions.

“Rembrary! Let’s go over there!”

Sediter, hearing people’s screams, shouted urgently and looked to the side.

“Rembrary?”

But both the Iira High Priest and Rembrary were gone, as if they had disappeared at some point. It seemed they had both vanished while he was distracted by the pillar of water.

‘Did Rembrary chase after the Iira Priest when he ran away?’

Sediter clicked his tongue inwardly and rushed to the scene of the incident alone.

* * *

As Sediter ran towards the black stream of water, he jumped back again after seeing the worms pouring all over his body.

“Umbrellas!”

Sediter shouted as he entered the building. Someone immediately brought him an umbrella.

Sediter held the umbrella and ran out again.

People were screaming in terror. People with worms all over their bodies were running around, and the surroundings were becoming filled with worms.

People in their homes hurriedly closed their windows and doors.

Sediter held the umbrella and ran towards the stream of water.

Other priests and paladins, who seemed to have had similar thoughts, were also running, blocking their bodies with tables, umbrellas, and other cloths.

“That black stream of water seems to be the monster’s main body!”

One of the Redrin paladins, who had been to the scene first, shouted as he ran back this way.

‘How are we supposed to deal with something like that?’ Sediter muttered and approached it.

But where did Rembrary go?

* * *

The paladins barely managed to find the monster’s heart amidst the black streams of water.

However, even after eliminating and purifying the monster, the worms that the monster had spewed out did not disappear, so the screams did not subside easily.

Sediter finished cleaning up the worms and was completely exhausted before he could return to the mansion.

“Has anyone seen Rembrary?”

He was even more exhausted from looking for Rembrary in the midst of the chaos.

“No.”

“No, I haven’t seen him.”

When people answered that no one had seen Rembrary, his worries deepened.

After searching for a long time, Sediter finally returned to his room. He felt like he needed to wash up first.

He couldn’t stand the feeling of worms crawling inside his clothes.

However, as he tried to open the door, he noticed that the door to the next room was open.

Rembrary’s name was attached to the door of the next room. It seemed that the caretakers had thoughtfully put names on the doors so that the guests wouldn’t get confused.

‘But why is that door open? Could Rembrary have returned?’ Sediter opened the door a little wider.

“Rembrary?”

Unexpectedly, Rembrary was standing in the room with a halo around him.

“Rembrary! What happened?!”

Sediter ran to Rembrary.

Rembrary glanced at Sediter, stepped aside, and said,

“Go out, shake off the worms, wash up, and change your clothes.”

“What?”

* * *

“At first, I was going to go to the monster. But the worms… when I thought about it, everyone would be going that way. Just then, the Iira High Priest ran away, so I chased after him.”

Rembrary explained gloomily.

Sediter, who had washed up, comforted him while drying his hair with a towel.

“You’ll be able to catch him again. Don’t worry.”

Rembrary thought, ‘Will I really?’

Rembrary had been about to go towards the monster, but he turned aside after seeing the worms flying around.

However, the Iira High Priest didn’t even check in that direction despite the loud noise. He was already running away.

Rembrary was certain that the terrified Iira High Priest would never leave the Central Continent again. Even if he went to find him, he wouldn’t be able to meet him.

Rembrary’s expression became more serious than usual as he pondered.

Sediter sighed at the sight and patted his arm.

He was conflicted about whether to tell Rembrary that it was better to forget about Sir Cheru, that the chances of him being alive were low, and that even if he was alive, he was in the Demon World and couldn’t be found here. But in the end, he couldn’t say anything and got up.

However, Rembrary was thinking about the Iira Grand Priest at the time Sediter was agonizing.

“Isn’t it strange?”

“It is strange. I don’t know why he did such a thing. Even though he became a High Priest.”

“No, I mean today’s events.”

“The strangest thing today was you.”

“Why did the monster appear at that timing?”

“!”

* * *

The wedding preparations were called off at the last minute because the Iira High Priest disappeared along the way.

The Central Continent nobles apologized to Rembrary several times and returned.

They didn’t know the details, so they only thought that the Iira High Priest was too irresponsible.

Rembrary safely returned to the Inquisitorial Order this time as well.

And at that time, the Iira High Priest, who had left Rembrary and ran away, arrived at the Grand Temple and urgently sought out the Iira Grand Priest.

The Grand Priest was praying in front of the Iira statue, then lowered his hands and looked back.

“What’s going on?”

The High Priest hurriedly approached the Iira Grand Priest and knelt on one knee.

In that state, the High Priest spoke about Rembrary.

“That person… is dangerous, Grand Priest. It’s not something you can be relieved about just because he’s not old. You found a way to block his abilities, didn’t you? But this time, he eventually made me reveal everything in a different way. He even found out that I was involved in Sir Cheru’s disappearance. The monster appeared just in time, so I was safe, but if things continue like that…”

The High Priest stopped talking when the Iira Grand Priest raised a hand.

The Iira Grand Priest said with a tired expression,

“Iira has already taken care of that problem, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Iira himself… took care of it?”

* * *

At that time, Rembrary was resting and looking at the book he had received from Jeremi.

Then, Rembrary raised his eyebrows at a certain point.

‘What is this?’