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

#039Reader Mode

T/N: UPDATE: Antonio’s item gifted to Fabio updated to —> [Master’s Grace]

#039

“I’ll come by as an apprentice paladin and check in on you often. You can fill me in on what’s been happening then.”

Why does he look so pleased with his idea?

“But wouldn’t it look suspicious if an apprentice paladin keeps visiting me?”

“Suspicious? How?”

“Well, I come from a serf background. When would I have ever met a paladin?”

“We’ll just say I escorted you when you first came to the capital.”

“But then, what about Nasir…”

“The Inquisitor? Isn’t it more unusual for a serf to be close with an Inquisitor? Serfs hardly ever meet them, you know.”

He has a point, but still.

Why would we keep meeting, even if he’s not playing the Inquisitor but a trainee paladin? We’re just people who met at work, right?

Though I did grow surprisingly close to Nasir.

Nasir, being both friendly to heretics and an Inquisitor, is an odd combination.

He always showed me things with a ‘Bet you’ve never seen this before, huh? Amazing, right?’ attitude, kind of annoying, really. But I played along, acting awestruck to win his favor.

I couldn’t really pull off a wide-eyed serf experiencing city life for the first time, so I acted like one of those foreigners on a national pride TV show, oohing and aahing over every little thing. Nasir ate it up.

He always made a fuss about showing me new foods, always hyping up how if I thought this was good, I’d be blown away by what the capital had to offer…

Back then, I was like, ‘Yeah, as if I’m going to survive long enough to taste any of that.’

Because didn’t expect the Order to be so friendly with heretics.

“Ah.”

“Huh? What’s wrong?” Tertius asked.

“Well, I just remembered that I need to pick something up from Nasir.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure. It’s something Antonio left for me with Nasir. He said to give it to me when I arrived at the Cathedral.”

The [Master’s Grace] item.

Honestly, I thought I’d be dead before meeting Commander Casimir, so I sort of put it out of my mind.

I wanted to keep my death a secret and keep the item out of Casimir’s hands.

The thought of my death being swept under the rug and the item landing in Casimir’s hands really pisses me off. And it’s just as annoying to think of Nasir, worried that he couldn’t keep it a secret, giving it back to Antonio.

Old people shouldn’t be told shocking news during the winter.

I can just imagine Antonio, all by himself with no one to clear the snow, getting the news of my execution right after I got here, while he’s calling his daughter to ask for some help.

Sudden stress in cold weather, when blood vessels constrict, can trigger heart attacks or strokes.

Preferably, I’d want Nasir to hang onto it, but if I hint at that, it might complicate things and backfire.

“You knew you were going to die? Without even knowing that, I…!”

It would spiral into something like that.

Besides, Nasir, being a Heretical Inquisitor but not a player, isn’t someone I can tell everything to. Still, I’d like him to know things worked out and I’m under the Order’s protection.

“…Commander Casimir will bring it here,” Tertius suddenly announced.

“Pardon?”

“She’s still with the Saint. I asked him, and he said if there’s such an item, she’ll deliver it herself.”

What the hell?

Did Tertius just sneak in a message with the Saint while I zoned out for a second?

“Well, wouldn’t it be better if I just met with Nasir myself?”

“Hmm? Ah, well, Casimir is due to visit here anyway. She often mingles with the readers.”

Knight Commander mixing with readers? That’s odd.

Thinking about the Knight Commander, whose entire race became branded as heretics after their god was killed by Roklem, needing to gouge out her eyes for baptism, and then mingling with readers? These nobles easily accepted reader positions, surrendering to their families’ wishes without much of a fight. Would she really get along with such people?

Or maybe she’s visiting them because they don’t get along.

Readers are no longer legally part of noble families, so she can hassle them without repercussions.

She might just be there to harass people, like, “Why those dirty looks? Got heretical thoughts? Only a heretic would glare at me like that!”

Of course, she probably won’t just harass them in a simple way.

Remembering how she grilled me with those intense questions while holding a sword, it’s easy to picture her tormenting them with intricate theological debates.

Can’t keep up and you get a verbal lashing, then she’ll smugly tell you to brush up on a certain topic by next week with a dismissive tsk!

But just as you’ve prepped for that topic, she throws a curveball with a completely different subject.

It’s terrible just thinking about it.

“Well, that’s not going to stop Casimir from laying a hand on you though.” Tertius added.

So, it includes getting beaten up as ‘physical education’ too?

I thought it was only going to be a verbal scolding.

Is she going to justify giving me a beating under the guise of a training session for lack of discipline?

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to be afraid. Casimir never forces anyone who refuses her.”

So these ‘trainings’ are only for those who consent?

“Do a lot of people agree to it?”

“Yes. It’s a learning opportunity, and many are keen to get closer to the Knight Commander.”

Makes sense. If you’re stuck in the military for life without being able to retire, you’d want to make a good impression on the three-star general.

In this era, mastering the sword is like acquiring elite knowledge, so enduring a few bumps and bruises is worth the lesson.

It would be a good opportunity for the ambitious types.

I would definitely refuse, though.

“I see….”

“Aren’t you interested?”

Here comes the interrogating questions again.

If I even hint at wanting to learn swordsmanship, I bet he’ll come back with, “Didn’t get Adna’s hint, did you?”

“Not at all.”

“I see…. Is it because Commander Casimir is a woman?”

What?

Why would her being a woman matter?

Ah, maybe they think it’s more embarrassing to lose to a woman?

But that logic only applies if we’re on the same level.

A unit like Casimir can’t honestly be considered the same species as me.

No one would think ‘How humiliating to be beaten by a young girl!’ when their neck gets twisted 720 degrees in a fight with a female brown bear.

“Does it really matter that Commander Casimir is a woman? I don’t see how gender affects teaching abilities.”

“…No, but it’s still different, isn’t it?”

“Different how?”

Ter seemed to struggle with finding the right words, closing his eyes briefly.

“…Commander Casimir will explain it to you.”

Passing off the explanation?

I understand my high-security status limits who can handle my case, but leaving everything to Commander Casimir seems excessive…

Isn’t the Sixth Apostle higher up than the Commander?

Anyway, the fact that Antonio’s gift ended up in Casimir’s hands…

I can’t shake the feeling that this might stir up trouble.

It is 99.9% likely that Antonio was the one who suffered greatly to change the law mentioned in Casimir’s essay like questions.

It seems he made sacrifices for others before going into hiding and keeping his role quiet. She must have been livid when he suddenly reached out after ages, asking her to take care of a heretic suspect, and on top of that, handing over a precious relic to that same heretic?

If it were me, I would have lost it immediately.

As a male serf, she might just think, ‘Has he lost his mind, giving away so much?’ But had I been a pretty young woman character, it’d be, ‘Has he gone senile? This crazy old man!’

Better return this graciously, saying it’s too much of a responsibility.

Now that the Order provides me with food, clothing, and protection, holding onto something too valuable is just risky.

Especially for a serf, having a high-end item makes you stand out even more.

I just hope she wasn’t too furious when I arrived here.

“…Feeling nervous?”

“Yes, a little.” I answered honestly.

“Don’t stress too much. Even if you make a mistake, there’s always a way to fix it.”

A way to fix it, like using Oblivion?

It’s not like this is <Men in Black> or anything.

Though it would be convenient.

“Feel free to share anything with me. If it’s within my power, I’ll do anything for you.”

Sounds like he’s daring me to ask for the moon, fully ready to say yes.

Of course, I’m not naïve enough to walk into that trap. If you foolishly ask for too much, you’ll flunk the character evaluation.

“I wouldn’t dream of bothering you with small matters, Sir Apostle.”

“… Just call me Ter, not Apostle.”

“Alright, Mr. Ter.”

“Don’t think of it as a bother. If there was something I could’ve helped you with and didn’t, I’d regret it deeply. No matter how minor, I want to hear it all.”

Ah, so what he actually means is that I shouldn’t depend on Adna and to handle things myself when possible.

He must be trying to avoid any situation where a crisis calls for an Apostle, and it ends up being Adna who responds.

And if by chance I run into Adna, I guess I’m supposed to report that too.

This guy is really getting on my nerves. How do I get him off my back?

How do I make it clear to someone so blindly in love with Adna that I’m not interested in her?

In some stories, this is usually where someone says “Fool. The one I’m interested in… is you.” while pretending to be gay, and magically the issue is resolved…

But pulling a stunt like that here could get you burned at the stake for going against doctrine because homosexuality is frowned upon.

“In that case, I understand! From now on, l share even trivial things with you, so be prepared!”

“…Alright.”

Time for Plan B: Be such a nuisance that he regrets ever offering to help.

“Oh, and if you ever get too busy, just let me know! I promise I won’t be offended at all!”

“That’s unlikely.”

Yeah, let’s see if you keep that confidence once you’re on the receiving end of my pestering.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

“Oh my.” In walked Commander Casimir. “He’s completely fallen for this one.”

Commander Casimir, clicking her tongue with a slight tsk, didn’t seem too upset, thankfully.

“Commander Casimir!” I protested as soon as her hand landed on my head.

“Yes, Fabio.”

Wow, she really pats someone else’s head like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

I wasn’t even annoyed anymore.

It was obvious that treating others like dogs was deeply ingrained in Casimir’s behavior.

After all, who would dare to object to the Knight Commander of the Order’s Inquisition’s head-patting habit?

I knew all too well that the person before me could twist my neck 720 degrees with a single slap.

That’s because the [Inquisition Knight Commander of the Order] unit made an appearance in Conclude.

How many times have my well-trained elite units been hopelessly wiped out by this unit?

In the brutal world of the medieval era, if the powerful tell you to act like a dog, you’d better start wagging your tail.

“So you’ve charmed both the fifth and the sixth Apostle. Quite a feat.”

“What? What do you mean…” I was baffled.

What kind of nonsense is this?

Here I am, playing the obedient dog, and she’s spouting this?

If we’re going to role-play, let’s at least stick to our roles.

“Huh? Do you not realize what you’ve done?”

“Me?”

I mentally replayed the day’s events but couldn’t for the life of me figure out why Casimir was making such a misunderstanding.

It’s clear Adna’s mad at me. Isn’t it obvious if she looks around?

The training ground’s state speaks for itself.

“Well, if you don’t know, that’s okay. You’re more adorable that way.”

What the hell?

Total misunderstanding, but how can I clarify when I don’t even know where she got the idea?

Being called “adorable” right now feels like a backhanded compliment.

Sure, being called adorable is normally nice.

But what about when your intelligence is described as adorable, or your cute attack power, or when your bank account balance is called cute?

It’s just a nice way of saying you’re lacking…

I’ve never been called dumb, but this… this is something else.

“…Commander Casimir, that’s enough.” Tertius interjected.

“Huh? Why?”

Why is this bastard butting in?

Ter gestured in my direction with his chin.

“He doesn’t like it.”

“Doesn’t like what?” Casimir teased, ruffling my hair.

“Having your hair touched? Or being called adorable?”

Both, damn it.

“You don’t like being called adorable? Really? But you’re so cute.”

I must remember…what I see before me is a bear…

“Ah, so cute~”

If it’s a bear… a light touch could crush a human like a brittle snack, so in a twisted way, a human could be considered cute from the bear’s perspective.

“What to do… you’re even cuter when you hate being called cute.”

Why the hell did he have to say something? Only to make it worse by her teasing me more. So annoying.

“But I don’t want to be hated, so I guess I should stop now.” Casimir fixed my hair back and withdrew her hand.

But even if it’s a bear I’ve yielded to, my human dignity is still compromised.

Damn.

“…Commander Casimir, since Fabio doesn’t know much about the readers, could you please guide him on what he should be cautious about?” Tertius asked.

Right, Casimir is also someone who gets dumped with these kinds of tasks.

She may be a ferocious bear, but she’s a bear who makes a living by doing tricks in this circus.

Thinking about it this way made me feel a bit better.

Still, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m at the bottom of the food chain, though.