Rise of the OtherGod Apostle: Not a Cult Leader, but a Serf?!

#043Reader Mode

#043

Cut out my… tongue?

Frozen in shock and horror, Casimir chuckled lightly, as if she found my shock amusing.

“You just have a way with words that’s almost dangerous. It’s worrying.”

No f*cking way would anyone say that as a compliment.

Is this some kind of twisted inquisitor joke or something?

“…Um, thank you. I guess I’m not used to this kind of humor, so I got a bit startled.”

“It’s not a joke,” Casimir said, her tone unexpectedly serious.

“Wait, what?” My confusion turned to alarm.

“No, really. I meant that it might be better for you to become mute.”

“Pardon?!”

Now I was even more shocked than before.

Is this a*shole seriously crazy?

It’s like those fables where a king, awestruck by a craftsman’s work, cuts off his hands to preserve the uniqueness of his art. But cutting off someone’s tongue for being too persuasive? That’s next-level insanity.

Even after the system confirmed her being moved by me, she’s still thinking like this?

When Antonio and Nasir were moved by my words, they acted as if they’d give me anything, even their gallbladder and liver. Antonio, that crazy man, even handed over an incredibly precious relic like it was nothing.

And Nasir seemed to be planning his whole future with me in mind.

But Casimir? What’s her reaction after being moved?

“Let’s cut out your tongue and make you mute.”

Seriously?

Does she actually think that’s a good idea?

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to scare you,” she finally said, her voice softening a bit.

It’s even scarier when you say you didn’t mean to.

“It’s just… out of concern. I don’t want you drawing unwanted attention.” she tried to explain.

But between a mute serf and a regular serf, a mute would surely stand out more…

“How about telling me about the precautions I should take while staying here?” I asked, forcing a smile.

Since she’s been moved, maybe her favorability towards me has improved? Perhaps she’ll actually take her responsibilities she tossed aside carelessly seriously now.

“Precautions?” Casimir echoed, seemingly lost in thought.

“Yes, like things I should know while being a reader, or people I should be careful around….”

“……”

I waited for her to say more, but instead, she just ran her fingers through my damp hair.

Does she still find her tasks too bothersome?

Is she fundamentally such a mess that even after being moved, this is the best she can do?

Really?

“Actually, you don’t need to worry too much,” she eventually said.

“Sorry?” I blinked in surprise.

“Forget my earlier remark. Just speak freely. You can say whatever you want.”

“Commander Casimir?”

“Whatever comes of it, I’ll take care of it.”

No, I’d prefer knowing what to avoid than relying on you to clean up my messes.

Is that so hard?

“If anything happens, just tell Elamin. He will definitely help you.” she said.

So she’s offloading her responsibilities to someone else again, huh?

Wow, she really hates doing her job….

Is this really how they manage players here…..?

Just as I’m starting to doubt the Order’s approach again, Casimir spoke again.

“Or come to me. You’re always welcome.”

But if she can’t even bother with basic guidance, what good would that do?…

“Hold on a moment.” Abruptly, Casimir bent down, lifting her robe to untie her garter.

What in the world…

“Here, take this.” Casimir said, extending a delicate garter towards me.

“I beg your pardon?”

“It’s a garter with my name on it. Wear it.”

Why is she giving me this… I stared at the garter, confusion and disbelief swirling in my head.

Especially one she’d just been wearing?…

“If someone bothers you, show them this. They’ll leave you alone.”

…Is she serious? Flashing a garter to scare off trouble?

How’s that even going to work? It’s not exactly easy to show off, especially where it’s worn.

Considering priests wear these long, robe-like tunics that go all the way down to their ankles. How do you nonchalantly flash a garter in that getup?

It’s just weird no matter how you think about it.

Think about it – a top chef, all decked out in a long, fancy outfit, with some special symbol on his garter. To flash it by accident, he’d need to pull a full-on Marilyn Monroe, robe blowing up over a subway grate.

And doing it on purpose? What, am I supposed to be that guy who casually lifts his skirt?

Expecting someone else to do it? That’s just ridiculous.

No matter how you look at it, it’s pretty gross. But I didn’t have the guts to say no to a gift from the bear, so I ended up taking the garter with a mumbled, “…Thank you.”

Kind of feels like this garter’s meant for those ‘break glass in case of emergency’ moments, when I’ve got no choice but to throw my dignity out the window.

Sure, I might lose an ID badge now and then, but this garter? No way I’m misplacing that.

Casimir took off without offering any real help, leaving me with this weird gift in my hands.

Even if you move a bastard, they give you nothing but a chewed-up, spat-out bone…

A person of character like Antonio gives the best of what they have, but a character like Casimir, who’s morally bankrupt, just tosses you whatever’s easiest for her.

I casually tossed the garter into the chest by my bed and stepped outside, where I saw Elamin waiting again.

“Fabio, would you like to join me for dinner?”

Looks like Elamin’s the only one I can really rely on right now.

I couldn’t hide how excited I was and answered with a wide smile.

“That’s the best news I’ve heard today!”

Seriously, I had so much going on today that I didn’t even notice how hungry I was.

Just thinking about food and my stomach’s already growling.

On our way to the dining hall, I had to ask. “What’s the food like here at the Cathedral?”

“Oh, we’ve got a little bit of everything…”

“A variety! I’m looking forward to that!”

As a serf, I’m so tired of the same old turnips and bean soup.

Just dreaming of a varied menu was making me incredibly happy.

Give me one dish with some real meat, and I’ll be singing Roklem’s praises from tomorrow on.

But when we stepped into the dining hall, what I saw just blew my modest expectations out of the water.

Today’s main dishes:

– Roasted songbird

– Roasted rabbit

– Lamb stew

– Steamed cod

“…Is today some kind of special day or something?”

“I don’t think so. It might be a feast day of a lesser-known god, but it’s not a celebration day for the entire Church of Order.”

“So you’re saying that this is the standard for meals here?”

“Yes, it is.”

Oh, divine powers!

Thank you, Roklem!

Joining the Church of Order was hands down the smartest move I’ve ever made!

Inside, I’m practically crying tears of joy.

The crappy food I’ve been dealing with made even army leftover rations look good!

Isn’t there a mental illness you get from eating nothing but tasteless food forever?

Now I get why they metaphorically describe heaven as a place flowing with milk and honey…

Back then, having an abundance of milk and honey was the greatest pleasure and ultimate unattainable dream for people of that era.

Seriously, though.

Getting to eat good food… and actual meat no less!

Roklem is the best!

Long live Roklem!

May Roklem’s reign over the Dark Realm last forever!

There’s nothing like a place that knows how to feed you well…

I ended my first day with the Order feeling very happy.

I wonder what breakfast will be like tomorrow…

That feeling of excitement for the next day’s meal before bed is just unbeatable!

Snuggled in my cozy bed, I soaked up this newfound happiness.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

And breakfast? It didn’t disappoint me either:

Fresh white bread paired with cheese and drizzled with olive oil and a hearty meat stew.

I’m almost moved to tears…

As for my first day as a reader…

“Fabio, you don’t need to worry about that.”

…Are they actually going to teach me anything here?

No matter what I asked, I got the same dismissive response.

“Does the fascia color mean anything?” – “You don’t need to know. “

“Can I say hi to the other readers?” – “Not necessary.”

“What are the other readers like?” – “Not your concern.”

“What do other readers do with their time?” – “Who knows?”

“Is there anything I can help with?” – “Nope.”

Even asking about worship services got me nowhere.

“…Fabio, what kind of worship services did you attend as a serf?” Elamin asked.

“We didn’t really have services, just a moment of silence when the bell rang.”

“Then just continue that here.”

…Is this a*shole discriminating against me?

To double-check, I played the clueless serf card and asked again.

“Well, since I’ve come all the way to the Church of Order, I’d really love to experience a proper service by a priest…”

Elamin suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable and said. “I’ll let you know if there’s a suitable service you can attend.”

That’s definitely f*cking discrimination.

100% discrimination, no doubt about it.

But really, why discriminate over worship services?

Are regular ones off-limits to me? Since when are there rules on who can attend a service?

Aren’t these people supposed to be religious?

I know I’m an outsider to the Order, but if you make too obvious, won’t others notice? But since I’m not in a position to complain, I just meekly nodded in agreement.

“Thank you! So, what should I do today?”

“You can do whatever you like.”

…Great, except I need some options to choose from.

It’s like being told “eat whatever you want” when the cupboard’s bare. What choice do I really have then?

“Can I read some books?”

Elamin, seemingly unable to deny me that, finally agreed and took me to the library. But instead of the main library, he showed me to a smaller, separate one.

“Here you go. Fewer people around here, so you’ll be more comfortable, Fabio.”

Right…

More comfortable for me, or for them?

Seems like they’re aiming for complete isolation.

But whatever.

I forced a smile and expressed my gratitude.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Elamin returned the smile and advised me to head to the dorm if I needed anything before swiftly departing. I took a deep breath.

Time to look on the bright side.

It’s more for my own sake than anyone else’s.

Anger isn’t easy to hide, especially here in the Order, where some can literally see emotions. I have to be even more careful.

I need to change my mindset from the ground up.

I reminded myself of my position.

I am an outsider here, an unblessed heathen.

Back in the Middle Ages, being a heretic meant you weren’t even seen as human.

Of course, as someone from the 21st century, truly understanding ‘not being considered human’ is almost impossible. Sure, in modern Korea, I’ve faced personal insults but never been outright treated as non-human.

In fact, insulting someone actually acknowledges their humanity.

I mean, no one would go out of their way to insult a robot vacuum cleaner, right?

Insults are based on the assumption that the other party is a human with dignity and pride.

So, to truly understand the perspective of a medieval heathen, I’ve got to think like this:

I’m just a goblin a*shole.

A goblin who’s alive only because kind humans decided to spare me.

The Apostles seeing something special in me? It’s probably because they find it fascinating and impressive that a lowly creature like me is worshipping God.

A goblin, who can’t even receive the Order’s blessing, singing praises to the Lord – now that’s something you don’t see every day.

Of course, the miracle is the Lord’s doing, not the ugly goblin cub.

Thinking of myself as just an ugly goblin cub in their eyes, Elamin’s actions started to make more sense.

Actually, it’s more than reasonable – it’s quite kind and generous of him.

He led me to a library when I asked for books. If I were handling a goblin, I’d just give him any old book and tell him to stick to his room and read it over and over.

They may not answer my questions, but at least they’re always smiling, never showing annoyance or displeasure…

And they even eat meals with me.

In this medieval world, that kind of behavior probably puts them in the top 10% on the decency scale.

Adna’s sudden urge to beat me up, or Casimir suggesting cutting off my tongue…

When you think of it as a reaction to a goblin stepping out of line, it makes a bit more sense.

A goblin daring to persuade a human?

And if the goblin actually makes a valid point, it’s even more irritating.

Isn’t it humiliating to hear something sensible from a goblin?

With that mindset, my anger fizzled out, leaving me feeling really humble.

I am a lucky goblin…

In hindsight, being taken to a smaller library wasn’t just about segregation, it was a thoughtful gesture. What was I thinking, a goblin like me, standing out in a crowd of people? That’s just crazy.

With this new perspective, the secluded smaller library suddenly felt more comfortable and peaceful.

It’s all about how you look at things, isn’t it?