Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 897

◈ 897. Rembrary’s Invitation (17)

“Mr. Rembrary? Th-those people, what are those people? Why are they walking like that?”

Jang Tae-ri was so surprised that she shook Rembrary’s arm.

Rembrary glanced at them and replied nonchalantly.

“They’re slaves.”

His tone was indifferent.

Jang Tae-ri was shocked.

“Slaves?!”

She was horrified to see the people walking bound, their faces haggard, and their expressions listless.

“There are slaves here?”

She asked again in a small voice. She couldn’t believe it even as she saw it with her own eyes.

Wasn’t slavery something that existed in the distant past, in times when there were no human rights? But to Jang Tae-ri, these people seemed utterly devoid of rights.

Ardor, seeing Jang Tae-ri so surprised, asked mockingly.

“Didn’t you know this is a world with a class system?”

Of course, she knew. But she just thought there were ordinary people and especially high-status people. She never imagined there would be a class below ordinary people.

“Still, how can they treat people who aren’t even criminals like that…”

“Except for cases where the guilt-by-association system is applied, they *are* criminals. They are people who have received slave sentences.”

Jang Tae-ri was taken aback again by Ardor’s explanation.

“Guilt-by-association? You have that here too?”

Even though people were passing by bound so tightly, no one around seemed to find the sight strange.

Jang Tae-ri couldn’t understand it, and she couldn’t even speak. Only after a long time did she ask urgently.

“Even if they’re criminals, isn’t it too unfair for people swept up in guilt-by-association? Is there no one trying to save them?”

Rembrary was embarrassed and shook his head.

“Tae-ri, kidnapping slaves is illegal, and they crack down on it thoroughly. But if the country releases someone who has received a slave sentence, that’s illegal.”

Rembrary also had many things he couldn’t understand with his own common sense when he lived on Earth. Rembrary thought Jang Tae-ri probably felt the same way.

“The restaurant is over there. Let’s go quickly.”

Rembrary urged Jang Tae-ri not to commit any illegal acts in this world.

Fortunately, Jang Tae-ri followed obediently. She was still very embarrassed, but she wasn’t someone who acted impulsively. Sitting down at the restaurant, Jang Tae-ri sighed.

“Really… it’s amazing.”

When Shin Jo-woon said that the common sense here might be different from the common sense of their world, Jang Tae-ri thought, ‘How different can common sense be?’

She had been surprised several times while staying here for a few days, but it wasn’t to the point where she couldn’t accept it within the bounds of common sense.

But to think there would be such a difference in values in such a fundamental area.

Anyway, if values are this different, it seemed certain that it would be difficult for her to help Rembrary restore his image within a month.

* * *

Rembrary couldn’t understand Jang Tae-ri’s feelings, but he knew what she was surprised about.

What was strange was that Jang Tae-ri was very surprised, but Shin Jo-woon only muttered something incomprehensible, “Ah. So that’s why.”

Anyway, seeing Jang Tae-ri looking depressed even while eating, Rembrary’s excited mood also calmed down a bit.

Rembrary wanted Jang Tae-ri to only have pleasant memories here.

After much thought, Rembrary recalled that Jang Tae-ri had been holding her phone and taking pictures of the strange scenery everywhere, and he made a suggestion.

“Shall I take you to a place with a good view for taking pictures?”

Since they had already come out in a carriage to sightsee, Jang Tae-ri accepted Rembrary’s suggestion.

The desire to see people had already disappeared, so it was better to see buildings or nature.

Fortunately, Jang Tae-ri seemed to feel better when they arrived in front of a strangely shaped building made in this world’s style.

“I’ll take a picture for you.”

Rembrary took the phone himself for Jang Tae-ri and told Jang Tae-ri and Shin Jo-woon to pose.

Jang Tae-ri also didn’t want the atmosphere to be dampened because of her, so she deliberately made various poses, such as drawing a heart above her head.

“What are those people?”

“What are they doing?”

“Shh. It’s better not to look.”

However, the atmosphere, which seemed to be improving, calmed down again as people whispered and passed by strangely.

Jang Tae-ri stopped making hearts out of embarrassment and quickly took back her phone.

“Tae-ri, it doesn’t matter if people look at you strangely if you don’t care.”

Rembrary encouraged her, saying it was okay, but Jang Tae-ri quickly shook her head.

“I can’t treat people as transparently as Mr. Rembrary does.”

“There’s no need to treat them like invisible people, Tae-ri. Why would you treat people who are *there* as if they *aren’t*?”

“…That’s even more difficult.”

Rembrary thought it was very difficult. Jang Tae-ri didn’t seem to like the system here, and she didn’t seem to like the people either.

“Then the anchovy [Shin Jo-woon’s nickname] will pose, so Tae-ri can take pictures of the anchovy.”

After much thought, he suggested a new alternative, but this time Shin Jo-woon refused.

“Why are you suddenly dragging me in?”

“Wouldn’t Tae-ri be less embarrassed if people whispered about you?”

“That’s true. But *I’d* be embarrassed this time.”

“What does that have to do with Tae-ri?”

Shin Jo-woon refused to take pictures until the end.

“Then why don’t *you* pose, since you have nothing to do with Tae-ri?”

Rather, he suggested this, but in fact, this was not a difficult task at all for Rembrary.

“I’d love to. Then Tae-ri, Tae-ri, take a picture of me.”

Rembrary made use of his past experience as an idol and even struck poses as if he were shooting a pictorial. People looked at him strangely, but Rembrary didn’t care.

However, Jang Tae-ri shuddered even more than when she was posing and immediately put her phone away.

In the end, Rembrary changed direction and suggested that Jang Tae-ri go eat something delicious.

However, it hadn’t even been an hour since they had eaten, so how could she eat again? Jang Tae-ri didn’t show much interest in food either.

At that moment, Rembrary suddenly realized that he didn’t know what Jang Tae-ri’s hobby was.

Since he was acting as a tour guide, he should be showing her places that Jang Tae-ri would like, especially at times like this, but he couldn’t think of any.

Rembrary blamed himself for being a little indifferent at this shocking realization.

“Tae-ri, what do you think my hobby is?”

“Eating?”

“No.”

Fortunately, the slight sense of guilt quickly subsided when he realized that Jang Tae-ri also didn’t know about Rembrary’s hobby.

* * *

In the end, the group had to return to the temple that day without doing any more sightseeing.

However, it was around 4 p.m. at that time, so it was still bright, but it was too late to start traveling again.

Therefore, Rembrary decided to spend one more day here as originally planned and leave the temple early the next day.

After that, a peaceful journey continued for several days. Jang Tae-ri became disillusioned with sightseeing in the village, fearing that she would see slaves moving again with their necks tied like dried fish.

Shin Jo-woon also already knew the identity of his enemy, so he had no intention of going out to the village with the dispirited Jang Tae-ri.

Ardor and Rembrary were already living here, so they didn’t need to go around sightseeing.

As a result, the group focused on moving to the Great Temple as quickly as possible, only going out when necessary.

Then, when they had traveled about half the distance, they stopped at a small temple there to stay overnight.

The head priest, seeing Rembrary, greeted him with admiration like the other temple heads and conveyed unexpected words.

“Lord Rembrary, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a messenger bird for Lord Rembrary.”

At the head priest’s gesture, the secretary priest went somewhere and returned with a small, slender tree. A white paper was rolled around the tree.

‘How did they know Rembrary would come here?’

Jang Tae-ri was surprised and her eyes widened. But seeing Ardor and Rembrary being calm, it seemed that there was a way of doing things here.

Rembrary received the tree, unfolded the paper himself, and read the note on the spot. The note was so small that it didn’t take long to read the contents.

However, he only tore the note he had read and put it in his pocket, without saying what the contents were.

No priest dared to ask Rembrary what was written, so Jang Tae-ri and Shin Jo-woon were swept away by the atmosphere and couldn’t ask what it was about.

Rembrary told them about the contents of the note only when they went to dinner.

“Anchovy, contact has been made with the person you were looking for.”

Shin Jo-woon paused while examining an unidentified long lump of meat. Jang Tae-ri frowned, looking back and forth between him and Rembrary.

“That Erit, the ordinary priest?”

Ardor wasn’t very interested, but he didn’t want to be left out, so he asked first.

“Yes. Anchovy, what do you want to do? Erit is asking if he should come here to meet me in person, or if you have anything to tell him by messenger bird.”

Shin Jo-woon had heard Rembrary ask him to find Erit, but he thought it would take a long time.

The other party was in the northern continent beyond the mountain range, and there was no phone or internet here.

Shin Jo-woon had already resigned himself to the possibility of returning without meeting the enemy’s look-alike.

But when he heard the news sooner than expected, his head didn’t turn quickly.

“Can I meet him?”

Only after a long time did he put down his fork and ask.

“Of course. But other people can’t cross the mountain range as quickly as we can. It will probably take some time.”

At Rembrary’s explanation, Shin Jo-woon didn’t answer immediately and pondered carefully. Jang Tae-ri rummaged through the salad and continued to glance at Shin Jo-woon.

Only after a long time did Shin Jo-woon organize his thoughts and answer.

“We have to return to the northern continent on the way back anyway. I think it would be better to meet there, is that possible?”

Rembrary readily answered.

“Then do you remember the last village we stopped at before crossing the mountain range? I’ll tell him to wait there.”

* * *

Since Jang Tae-ri knew that the person Shin Jo-woon was looking for looked exactly like his enemy, she became uncomfortable as Rembrary actively searched for Erit.

‘Why do I feel like there are more things to be uncomfortable about since coming to this world?’

In the end, when they finished dinner and scattered to their rooms, Jang Tae-ri went to Shin Jo-woon and asked.

“Mr. Rembrary is working so hard, shouldn’t you tell him that the person you’re looking for looks like someone you hate so much?”

Shin Jo-woon rummaged through a book whose use he didn’t know and put it down next to him.

“I’m going to.”

Jang Tae-ri was momentarily surprised when Shin Jo-woon answered so readily and asked back.

“What? Why?”

She smiled awkwardly when she met Shin Jo-woon’s eyes.

“No, I thought you’d resist, but I’m glad you’re saying it. Good thinking.”

Jang Tae-ri rummaged through the book that Shin Jo-woon had put down for no reason. But Jang Tae-ri couldn’t read the letters either.

“Like you said, he’s looking for him too hard. But I think he’s already guessing to some extent.”

Jang Tae-ri nodded at Shin Jo-woon’s words.