Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 874

◈ 874. Lapsus Under Stress

Rembrary watched the scenery outside from the gently swaying carriage.

The first time he’d ridden in such a carriage, he was going from being a prince to a priest. The next time… it was too long ago to remember clearly.

However, Rembrary smiled proudly, pleased with the achievements he had made in the past few years.

‘Redrin, you must be happy to have a high priest like me.’

Redrin, observing the procession of pure white carriages passing through the clouds, burst into laughter.

[What is my child saying?]

Rembrary smiled proudly and asked.

‘Redrin, Redrin. Now that I am a high priest, shouldn’t I use the *malttal* [formal and respectful speech] appropriate for a high priest? I don’t have to use an awkward *malttal*, do I?’

[Of course. My child, from now on, you symbolize me. Show my dignity to your heart’s content.]

Rembrary nodded contentedly.

The road to the Great Temple was peaceful and leisurely.

Whenever they stayed at a temple or inn, the highest-ranking priests always addressed Rembrary as “High Priest.”

People would wonder, “Are the temple people traveling as a group?” and then look up in surprise at the sound.

As this happened repeatedly, the number of people following the procession began to increase. By the time they arrived at the Great Temple, a winding line of people, horses, and carriages followed behind the five carriages.

As the Great Temple’s massive main gate swung open, the first carriage slowly entered.

When the carriage stopped in front of the main building, the priests who had come out and waited in advance rushed forward, cheering.

“High Priest!”

“High Priest! Hail!”

“Welcome back, High Priest!”

Even the people who had been following from behind shouted and cheered for the High Priest, filling the surroundings with the joyful voices of the crowd.

Rembrary opened the carriage door and stepped out leisurely.

It was an unusually nice day.

As Redrin subtly adjusted the sunlight with what seemed like a small mirror, the place where Rembrary stood shone softly, as if illuminated by a spotlight.

The cheers of the people grew even louder.

“Rembrary!”

“High Priest!”

“Redrin!”

The hearts of the countless people cheering, shouting, and rejoicing were conveyed to Redrin as they were.

Redrin smiled contentedly, watching his child, who held his chin proudly even amidst the adoring gazes.

* * *

“Sir Mulu! Sir Mulu! Did you hear?!”

Mulu was researching how to effectively use a long spear and a short sword simultaneously when an excited voice came hopping closer.

Mulu lowered the tip of his spear and turned his head. A junior paladin, fresh out of his apprenticeship, was running towards him in a hurry.

“What’s going on?”

Mulu also put his sword back into its scabbard.

The junior paladin arrived nearby, bent over and panting, unable to speak right away.

Mulu finished gathering his weapons and stared down at him. The junior paladin barely straightened up and shouted.

“A High Priest! A High Priest has appeared!”

“A High Priest has appeared?”

“Finally, the Redrin Temple has a High Priest! Like High Priest Iira! High Priest Kamuel! A High Priest like that!”

“Really?”

Mulu’s eyes widened.

It had been a long time since a High Priest had emerged from the Redrin Temple. But suddenly, a High Priest had appeared?

Mulu thought of Rembrary, but quickly dismissed the idea. Wasn’t he too young to be a High Priest?

That’s why Mulu was even more perplexed. He figured Rembrary might become a High Priest in the future.

But if a High Priest appeared now? If the eras overlapped, even a high-ranking priest with great talent could not become a High Priest.

“It’s Rembrary! That Rembrary who has been here a few times!”

Mulu’s eyes widened.

“What? No way!”

“It’s true! Everyone is going crazy right now!”

“But he’s so young—”

“That’s right! He’s the youngest High Priest ever!”

“!”

Mulu gathered all his weapons and hurried back to his lodgings.

Not only the junior paladin, but everyone was talking about it.

Rembrary’s name was already a frequent topic of conversation, but today, everyone was *only* talking about Rembrary.

‘He really became a High Priest.’

Mulu sat down on the stairs and shook his head.

—Grass Brother!

Mulu couldn’t help but chuckle as he thought of the boy who spoke so clearly while looking at him.

‘He really became a High Priest…….’

Mulu recalled the promise the two had made while sparring with swords.

It was a fleeting promise. The results didn’t even come out properly.

Mulu stared intently at his spear.

“Is it true? About High Priest Rembrary’s birthday. I heard that people in Libulen are all going to the temple on that day, so they are even considering making it a national holiday.”

“Is that…… possible?”

“For several years, every time it’s High Priest Rembrary’s birthday, people close their shops and go to the temple. But now that he’s become a High Priest, it’ll be even more intense. So they’re seriously considering it.”

Rembrary is really like someone from another world now.

Mulu blankly thought, then corrected his thoughts. Not Rembrary, but High Priest Rembrary.

He was no longer a child who wanted to become a High Priest, but an official representative of God. A representative chosen directly by God.

High Priest Rembrary. High Priest Rembrary.

Mulu muttered inwardly, trying to erase the voice of ‘Grass Brother!’ as much as possible.

“Oh! Come to think of it, Sir Mulu!”

At that moment, Ninring sat down next to him and pointed to Mulu’s spear.

“The day Sir Mulu receives a gift is the High Priest’s birthday, right?”

“!”

Mulu’s eyes widened as he looked at Ninring.

“Ah, never mind.”

Ninring, thinking that Mulu was glaring at him, moved away slightly.

Mulu blankly stared at his receding back, then looked down at his white spear again.

—Happy birthday.

When this spear, the first of the gifts, arrived, there was definitely a note like that with it.

—Rembrary kept admiring your spear.

The story that a paladin had let slip to Mulu when Rembrary was a high-ranking priest also came to mind, one after another.

That kid. No, High Priest. Mulu realized it after several years and pounded his leg with his fist.

‘How stupid! Why didn’t I realize this until now?’

Because I didn’t know High Priest Rembrary’s birthday!

* * *

“I heard that the youngest High Priest came out of the Redrin Temple?”

“That high-ranking priest named Rembrary, he finally became a High Priest.”

Lapsus was sitting in a quiet place, wiping the Lumena statue with a dry cloth.

When he heard whispering voices not far away, Lapsus stopped moving and listened to the conversation.

“Didn’t he become an Inquisitor recently?”

Someone asked in a dazed voice, and Lapsus nodded inwardly. That’s right. It hadn’t been long since he heard that Rembrary had become an Inquisitor.

How relieved he was at that absurd move.

*Finally*, I won’t be compared to that kid. I will never become an Inquisitor. That’s what Lapsus thought.

“That’s right. I also heard that he became an Inquisitor not long ago.”

“I know. He became a High Priest right away in just one year.”

“Isn’t that crazy? How old is he?”

“Seventeen years old.”

“He’s even younger than Lapsus?!”

Lapsus clenched the dry cloth tightly. Why is my name coming up here again?

“Wow…… really. You can’t tell just by looking at people when they’re young. You have to see them grow up to know.”

“That’s right. A few years ago, Lapsus was overwhelmingly outstanding, wasn’t he? The highest-ranking priest and everyone else were so proud that he would become the youngest High Priest.”

“We’re all ashamed.”

“How embarrassed must he be right now.”

As the story about Rembrary turned into ridicule and sympathy for himself again, Lapsus’s face flushed.

Fearing that he might be discovered, Lapsus hunched over and hugged the Lumena statue tightly.

That night, Lapsus locked himself in his blanket and begged Lumena.

‘Lumena, Lumena. Lumena! Lumena!’

* * *

Lumena was talking about Redrin and Rembrary when she heard Lapsus calling her in a more desperate voice than usual.

[Let’s talk again later.]

Lumena said that and hurriedly returned to her abode, and was so surprised to see Redrin following behind that she almost caused a storm.

As Lumena was about to ask why he had followed, Redrin pointed below the clouds.

[Isn’t your child calling you?]

Lumena warned Redrin to stay still and examined Lapsus.

[I’m listening, Lapsus.]

As soon as she answered softly, she suddenly heard crying.

‘Lumena! I want to be a High Priest too. Can’t you make me a High Priest too?’

Lumena raised her eyebrows. What is this?

Redrin felt interested and put his head together to look below the clouds.

The two gods saw a round, crumpled lump of blanket.

[……Lapsus, what are you talking about all of a sudden? A High Priest?]

As Lumena tried to soothe him, feeling embarrassed, Lapsus whined even more.

‘Lumena, that strange kid named Rembrary became a High Priest even though he’s younger than me. People laugh at me, saying that Rembrary is great but I’m not as good as him. They pretend to sympathize, but they’re enjoying themselves!’

[Lapsus, you don’t need to pay attention to such words.]

Lapsus couldn’t calm down even when Lumena tried to soothe him.

Redrin took out a snack and ate it while giving advice.

[Tell them that there’s no one as good as you among those humans who are making a fuss. Why bother caring about ants comparing a big bird and a small bird? It’s true only for Lumena’s priests, right?]

[Don’t call my children ants.]

[Oh, chickens, were they?]

Lumena warned Redrin.

In the meantime, Lapsus kept begging.

‘Lumena, I’ll really work hard. I’ll work harder than Rembrary, so please make me a High Priest too. Okay?’

[Lapsus, it’s not something that can be done right away just because you want to.]

‘Do you think I have less talent than Rembrary, even in Lumena’s eyes? Is that why Rembrary can become a High Priest even though he’s younger than me, but I can’t become a High Priest?’

[Lapsus, that’s not what I mean.]

‘I want to be a High Priest too! Even if I become a High Priest now, I’ll be becoming a High Priest *later* than Rembrary!’

As Lapsus continued to cry, Lumena covered her forehead and shook her head.

[He’s a good kid in every way, but he requires too much attention.]

[He’s really the loudest of your chickens.]

Redrin, who was next to her, also clicked his tongue. A child who cries and demands to be made a High Priest out of the blue.

[My child doesn’t insist like that. Your chick has some talent, but no dignity. He’s not elegant.]

[Get lost, Redrin.]

[Is it because he resembles you after all?]

[I said get lost!]

‘Lumena, you’re listening to my prayer, right……?’

Redrin snorted and returned to his abode and looked down at Rembrary.

Unlike someone’s child who was begging without dignity, Rembrary was elegantly drinking orange juice and eating chocolate cake.

[My child, even the way you eat is dignified.]

‘Of course. My table manners *are* dignified.’

Redrin smiled contentedly and blew a gentle breeze over the child’s hair.

[Chew thoroughly. You’ll get indigestion.]

‘Redrin, now that I’ve become a High Priest, aren’t you going to give me a gift?’

Redrin looked down at Rembrary with eyes that seemed to adore him to death, then frowned and turned to the angel standing next to him.

[Do I *have* to give it?]

The angel shrugged, then hurriedly covered his wings and ran away.

Redrin clicked his tongue and asked in a soft voice.

[Yes, my child. What do you want to have?]