Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 889

◈ 889. Rembrary’s Invitation (9)

As Jang Tae-ri leaned in to hear the conversation more clearly, a voice from above called out, “Who’s there?”

Startled, Jang Tae-ri looked up. A man who appeared to work at the tower had a rope slung over his shoulder and was peering out from the upper stairs.

“Is it okay to go up the tower? I wanted to see the view.”

Jang Tae-ri casually made up an excuse, putting on the expression of a curious tourist.

“Ah, you’re with High Priest Redrin? Come on up. But it’s dangerous, so I’ll stay with you.”

Jang Tae-ri hesitated. She was now more curious about the conversation she had overheard than the view from the top.

However, the people below had already stopped talking and weren’t making a sound.

“Great, thank you! I really wanted to see it!”

There was no choice. Jang Tae-ri pretended not to have heard anything and went up the stairs.

As she climbed the narrow stairs, she saw a large bell hanging at the top, and people who appeared to be employees were by the railing.

The end of the stairs opened into a circular room with open windows on all sides, offering a clear view of the scenery.

Jang Tae-ri smiled at the employees again and stood in front of the window.

From here, she could see people loading luggage onto the carriage, Shin Jo-woon standing near the castle walls, and Ardor following Rembrary around.

“Nice view,” Jang Tae-ri muttered, perhaps a bit too loudly. But she was so preoccupied with the conversation she had overheard that she didn’t really appreciate the scenery.

‘What does it mean, ‘You don’t have to tell me’? Are they talking about telling Rembrary, or telling others about Rembrary? Or are they talking about Moroso instead of Rembrary? How many High Priests are there in total…?’

* * *

While Jang Tae-ri was trying to piece together the conversation from the fragments she had heard,

Rembrary took Ardor around, asking more detailed questions about the current situation in Noskrow and the neighboring countries.

Rembrary had been back in this world for about half a year, but that wasn’t enough time to stabilize the Great Temple and its surrounding areas.

Because of this, Rembrary had only heard rumors about the situation here, which was on a different continent and in Kamuel’s territory.

After listening to the stories, Rembrary decided that if Moroso didn’t return by the time he had to see Shin Jo-woon and Jang Tae-ri off, he would have to go and deliver the news himself.

The affairs of each continent didn’t greatly affect each other during peaceful times.

But when the whole world was in chaos, as it was now, if one side weakened, the other side was bound to be affected.

Having made his decision, Rembrary also spoke separately to the lord and the king’s envoy about Shin Jo-woon’s request before leaving.

“I would like you to find someone.”

“Yes, please tell us. Who is it?”

The lord was curious when he heard that High Priest Redrin was looking for someone, and he immediately showed interest.

Rembrary told them the description he had heard from Shin Jo-woon. The lord’s secretary quickly wrote down what Rembrary said in a notebook.

As the secretary finished writing and put away the notebook, the lord cautiously asked,

“High Priest, may I ask… are you looking for this person for good or ill?”

If he was looking for them for good purposes, they should treat the person High Priest was looking for with respect.

But if he was looking for them for bad purposes, they would have to capture them, so he was asking about Rembrary’s intentions.

However, this was something Rembrary didn’t know either. Rembrary hadn’t asked Shin Jo-woon for that much detail.

“Just… average?”

Rembrary answered vaguely, and the lord asked back, “Pardon?”

“Just do it in the middle.”

“Ah… yes, I understand.”

The lord had no idea what it meant to look for someone for intermediate purposes, but he didn’t dare to question the High Priest, so he decided to accept it.

“If you find them, send someone to the Redrin Great Temple to let me know. I’m planning to go there soon.”

“Yes, I will.”

Rembrary had nothing more to say, so he finished his request and got into the carriage.

As he waited in the carriage, Jang Tae-ri and Shin Jo-woon returned after finishing their last sightseeing.

“Tae-ri, did you have a good time?”

Rembrary asked, and Jang Tae-ri hesitated for a moment before nodding with a smile.

“Yes, it felt like a trip. It started in a weird forest and a prison, but it was fun in the end.”

Rembrary looked at Shin Jo-woon.

Shin Jo-woon was actually looking for his enemy until the very end, so he didn’t notice the scenery.

However, he didn’t want to show it, so he smiled to show that he had enjoyed himself as well.

But Rembrary only glanced at Shin Jo-woon and gave instructions through the window without asking.

“Let’s go.”

The coachman, who had been waiting for the order, immediately started the carriage.

As the carriage slowly began to move forward with a “Giddy up!” Jang Tae-ri burst out laughing at Shin Jo-woon’s stiff expression.

“Pig, isn’t there one more person here?”

Shin Jo-woon pointed to himself at Rembrary, but Rembrary pretended not to see him and muttered.

“There’s only an unknown anchovy raised in the Kamuel Temple in front of me.”

“!”

* * *

The carriage then moved on slowly. Ardor crossed his arms and closed his eyes, seemingly uninterested, and Rembrary took out a book from somewhere and began to read.

However, Jang Tae-ri opened the window and watched the passing scenery, not wanting to miss a single thing.

She didn’t know when she would be able to visit this place again after leaving this time. So, she was determined to enjoy sightseeing in this other world as much as possible, feeling like a tourist.

Shin Jo-woon also had a different purpose from Jang Tae-ri, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the window as he scrutinized the people passing by on the street.

It was around the time the carriage had made it about halfway out of 23rd Town. Jang Tae-ri noticed that the way people glanced at the carriage and whispered was strange.

‘What is it? They’re looking at us in a kind of nasty way?’

Puzzled, Jang Tae-ri recalled the exterior of the carriage she had examined before getting in. As far as Jang Tae-ri could see, it was a beautiful and sturdy carriage with no problems.

Rembrary had also tapped on the carriage and said, “It’s sturdy,” but said nothing else.

Rather, he had carefully looked at the emblem of the Redrin Great Temple on the corner of the carriage and even smiled, saying, “How thoughtful.”

So why were people constantly peeking at the carriage?

“Rembrary.”

Jang Tae-ri called Rembrary, feeling a little uneasy as she remembered the voices whispering below the tower.

Rembrary put down his book and answered immediately.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Rembrary, I think people are whispering about the carriage.”

“Could it be because the carriage looks expensive?”

Jang Tae-ri tilted her head at Rembrary’s answer. Could it be?

Jang Tae-ri looked at Shin Jo-woon.

“Shin Jo-woon, don’t you think people are whispering about us?”

“They are whispering. And they don’t look happy.”

Shin Jo-woon had been looking at people’s faces the whole time, searching for someone, so he immediately agreed with Jang Tae-ri’s words.

When two people said so, Ardor also became concerned and pushed Shin Jo-woon away to look out of the carriage.

Just then, a small stone thrown by someone flew towards the window.

It hit the window next to him, not injuring Ardor, but Ardor was startled and drew his gun.

As Ardor pointed the gun out the window, Shin Jo-woon and Jang Tae-ri simultaneously pushed him back.

“Let go! How dare you throw a stone at the carriage of Rembrary!”

At this point, Rembrary also closed his book and tried to look out the window.

“Rembrary! It’s dangerous! Someone threw a stone!”

Ardor tried to stop him, but Rembrary calmly stuck his head out the window.

The people who had been whispering quickly averted their eyes and went back to their own business when Rembrary stuck his head out.

No more stones were thrown. But the people’s behavior was definitely unnatural.

Jang Tae-ri and Shin Jo-woon watched Rembrary carefully, but Rembrary unfolded the book he had closed without saying anything else. He didn’t look upset or offended.

Jang Tae-ri became anxious as she remembered the story she had only partially heard in the tower.

What was the rest of ‘Is it okay not to tell you in advance?’ Had those people foreseen something like this?

‘Should I tell Rembrary about this? But if it’s just gossip, it’s better not to tell him…’

* * *

Despite the slight commotion, the carriage safely left 23rd Town and traveled along the wide carriage road, arriving in 26th Town around evening.

Since they continued to travel without passing through the town, there were no more unpleasant incidents of people whispering and staring.

Jang Tae-ri felt relieved. She didn’t know what that was all about, but they had gotten out of there, so it would be okay.

When the carriage stopped in front of a large inn, the coachman opened the carriage door and said to the group,

“This is said to be the largest inn here, High Priest. I wanted to take you to the castle, but you said you wanted to move quickly, so I came here. Is this alright? If you wish, we can go to the castle now.”

“What do you think?”

Rembrary asked, looking at Shin Jo-woon and Jang Tae-ri.

“If we go to the castle, there will be more to see, the beds will be more comfortable, and the food will be better. But we might waste a few days.”

“We took a month off, Rembrary.”

Rembrary got out of the carriage after hearing Jang Tae-ri’s realistic reason.

“Then let’s stay here.”

The coachman seemed to be working under the lord, so his actions were quick.

While the group was having dinner, he booked five rooms on his own and even handed four keys to Ardor, who seemed to be the lowest in rank, and told him.

“The room with the lowest number here is the best room.”

Jang Tae-ri looked around throughout the meal. She was worried that the hostility she had felt when leaving 23rd Town might be seen here as well.

But the people here were busy talking and eating, and no one was whispering about them.

Jang Tae-ri felt relieved after looking around for a while and focused on her meal.

Nothing happened even when the group dispersed to their respective rooms.

Jang Tae-ri was completely relieved and fell asleep as soon as she washed up. It wasn’t easy to travel for twelve hours in a carriage, even with breaks in between.

However, late at night, when everyone was asleep, the thing Jang Tae-ri had been worried about happened.

An intruder entered the room where Rembrary was staying through the window.

The intruder seemed to already know who was here and immediately rushed to Rembrary’s bed with a dagger.

But when he plunged the dagger into the bed without hesitation, he only felt the soft sensation of a pillow and blanket. The intruder was flustered and dropped the dagger.

“Looking for me?”

The intruder, who had been looking around, stopped when he felt a cold blade behind his neck. The intruder turned around with a stiff expression. Rembrary was holding a knife with a smiling face.

“How did you know?”

Rembrary put away the knife at the coachman’s question.

There were many things to guess.

The emblem of the Redrin Great Temple that was attached to the carriage without being asked, the carriage that only went to places where many people gathered, the fact that the carriage was parked in front of the inn without asking if they would stop by the castle, and the fact that he had even decided which room Rembrary would enter, etc.

But instead of telling these stories in detail, Rembrary tapped the coachman’s neck with the back of his knife and instructed.

“Leave.”

The coachman’s eyes widened at the order that seemed to let him go even though he had seen what he was about to do.

“What…”