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

#040Reader Mode

#040

Walking around the Capital’s Cathedral in my country bumpkin attire would’ve definitely turned heads. So, I ended up with a cloak to cover it up.

Damn, this thing weighs a ton.

It felt like it was made of wool – great for winter but rough against the skin and, even worse, it kinda smelled like a barn.

Medieval woolen fabric really sucks….

[If it’s a woolen fabric that wraps around the body, they said it should cost at least a bushel of wheat. A whole bushel of wheat! I’d rather freeze to death!]

Fabio’s narration suddenly popped up.

How much is a bushel of wheat, anyway?

[Two bushels of wheat can feed a person for a year. That’s only if the mill isn’t cheating them out of grain again. Aren’t they afraid of the Lord? The scoundrels deserve divine punishment!]

No, the cost of bringing down divine punishment would be too high for that.

But the fact that such a scratchy, smelly cloak costs a year’s worth of food? The medieval economy really is hard to get used to.

A time when handing out such crappy stuff counts as charity…

If I was really Fabio, would I think I’d hit the jackpot with this cloak?

Hard to say, but through 21st-century eyes, it’s pretty much trash.

Still, as (former) serf Fabio, I have to act the part.

First: don’t say a word, just look secretly pleased… And if someone asks, I’ll excitedly gush about how it’s the fanciest thing I’ve ever worn.

“…It’s a bit rough, isn’t it? That’s because it’s meant for pilgrimages.” Tertius suddenly said.

“Pardon?”

“Once you’re officially a reader, you’ll get a much nicer robe than this. So, please bear with it for now if it feels a bit uncomfortable.”

At Ter’s comment, I had a mini freak-out inside.

Did he just figure out I was mentally trashing the cloak?

Having someone around who can see your emotions is seriously uncomfortable.

I’m pretty sure I’m managing my facial expressions well, but….

Now, I have to play the part of a (former) serf who’s never seen woolen clothes and act all blown away, like “Wow, clothes can actually be this warm?!” But…wouldn’t that be laying it on a bit thick with the gratitude?

Yet, it’d be out of character for a young serf to grumble and whine about itchy clothes.

So, I quickly responded.

“Uncomfortable? No way! For me, this is a luxury item, something I could only dream of owning!”

“…Really?” Ter looked a bit doubtful. “If it’s not uncomfortable, that’s good. But if anything bothers you, feel free to tell me.”

…The cloak’s not the issue. You are.

Is there no off switch for his emotion-seeing ability?

Dealing with someone who can literally read my moods is going to be a tough.

“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Ter.”

“…Alright. If you need anything, just let me know.”

“I understand.”

“Just make sure you don’t stand out too much when you go there.” he warned.

As if a serf among nobles wouldn’t draw attention.

“Yes, being an ignorant serf, I’m bound to draw some unwanted attention when I make mistakes, but I’ll try my best to not repeat the same mistake twice!”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Then…?”

“Nobles often visit the Readers’ area.”

Nobles visiting Readers? Maybe checking in on family?

Even if they’re officially cut off, they might still be on good terms with their kin.

Some Readers are still employed by their families, living like before.

“…Try to avoid interacting with those nobles unless necessary.”

But why the warning against chatting with them?

Puzzled, I was mulling over this when Casimir butted in.

“Alright, alright, enough of that. I’ll brief him on the precautions related to being a reader. Let’s go.”

And with that, Casimir strode ahead. I hurried after her, my mind buzzing with questions.

Why I should avoid catching the nobles’ eye…

What’s the deal with that?

Are there nobles who look down on serfs like they’re just insignificant bugs?

But they can’t really misbehave while inside the Cathedral.

Any noble stupid enough to defy the Order’s doctrine would’ve been hanged long ago.

So what’s the problem? Is it because I’m a [Watched One]?

Is there a reason why I, as a [Watched One], need to be extra careful about nobles finding out about me?

Nobles…

Those nobles who aren’t in the public registry… they’re basically clergy serving their own gods, right?

They’re big fish in the pond, ranking from bishop-level to maybe even Apostles.

…I heard Apostles of subordinate gods don’t know about my [Watched One] status.

Like that director from the research department, who’s an Apostle of Ledeia, but isn’t aware of my existence.

It’s possible the subordinate gods other than Roklem are clueless about the Othergods. Or even if they do know, they might not have the full story.

So, they might poke around through their various channels to see what’s going on.

While visiting their disowned relatives, these nobles might also do a little snooping to see if there’s anything unusual going on in the Church of Order.

And if one of them notices me?

I’m f*cked.

I could maybe fool a Bishop, but an Archbishop or Apostle? No chance of bluffing past them.

Even using Oblivion is useless against people linked to a god.

It’s like wiping CCTV footage but not being able to wipe the witness’s memory.

But if it’s that risky, why am I even in a place where I could run into these high-ranking types?

Why did the Saint agree to this?

Does he think I’m too insignificant to be suspected as a [Watched One]?

Or…

Could it be he’s using me as bait, thinking I don’t have any juicy secrets to spill if caught?

If I were him, I’d hide the real important [Watched Ones] and subtly leave a less crucial one out as a decoy.

Let the curious chase a dead end, while the truly important ones stay hidden.

Well, even if they’re using me… I guess I should be grateful, all things considered.

They’re providing me with food, clothes, a roof, and saving my skin.

“Fabio.” Casimir’s voice brought me back from my thoughts.

“Yes?”

“What do you think about the Fifth Apostle?”

“Pardon?”

That’s a bit out of the blue, isn’t it?

“I was there when the Fifth Apostle came to see the Saint for a check up.”

“Yes…”

“Just curious, that’s all.”

Curious about what, exactly?

Does she want the inside scoop on their conversation because nobody else can hear it?

I mean, I’d be dying to know too if I were left out of the Apostle mental chat like she was.

Is she hoping my take on things will reveal what went down between me and Adna?

I plastered on a polite smile, playing it safe.

“The Fifth Apostle seems like a wonderful person.”

But there’s no way I’m putting my neck on the line just to satisfy someone’s curiosity.

In this world, saying the wrong thing could literally get your head chopped off.

I need to tread lightly here. I shouldn’t say anything that could be twisted into something malicious!

You know how it is in the world of gossip: make an offhand comment about someone being slightly awkward, and before you know it, it’s twisted into, “He can’t stand the sight of you and thinks you’re suffocating him.”

The trick is to keep it vague and just smile. Avoid getting dragged into the details.

“Really? What is it about the Fifth that you prefer so much?” Casimir pushed further.

“Pardon?”

…Is she insane?

This is like walking into a minefield with a question so loaded, it’d give a gossip columnist pause.

And considering Adna has a childhood friend practically obsessed with her, why is Casimir stirring the pot like this?

I quickly wiped the smile off my face and responded seriously.

“I’m not sure what you mean by preferences.”

“Didn’t you confess your feelings to the Fifth Apostle?”

“Stop saying scary things! Why would you make such a joke? What if Mr. Ter misunderstands?…”

“Oh? So, it’s the Sixth Apostle you’ve agreed to date, then?”

“Pardon?!”

I scrunched up my face, completely baffled and frustrated.

Seriously, what kind of nonsense is this?

Is Casimir’s idea of fun putting people on the spot with this kind of bullsh*t?

She’s such an a*shole.

Is this why she makes people nervous during interviews?

But pulling this stuff on someone in a lower position is just you being an a*shole.

It’s like a boss joking to an employee, “You’re fired!” – It’s not funny at all, damn it.

“I know that you’re joking, but please stop. This is really embarrassing.”

“…No? Then are you worried he might take it the wrong way if you refuse?”

I sighed in exasperation.

“Haa…. I’m not blind, you know.”

“What? Ah…. Right, you met the Saint. You wouldn’t let the Sixth Apostle’s face catch your eye.”

No seriously, is she for real?

“It’s not like that! I’m not that clueless, you know.”

“Oh, really? And what exactly did your not clueless self notice?”

I sighed internally.

“The Sixth Apostle is secretly in love with the Fifth Apostle, isn’t he?”

Casimir’s eyes widened in surprise.

“…What?”

Wow, she’s still trying to deceive me with this level of acting.

“Please stop trying to tease me. Anyway, I have no intention of getting between those two.”

Casimir, realizing her act wasn’t working, covered her face with her hands, laughing.

“Cough… Haa… How did you… figure that out?”

Why is she laughing?

This feels ominous for some reason.

Is Casimir really planning to spread this gossip to the Sixth Apostle? Imagine her saying, “Guess what, even the newbie [Watched One] knows about your secret crush. Everyone does, except Adna. Hilarious, right? Good luck with that!” is just terrifying.

And then, I bet that Sixth Apostle bastard will definitely hold a grudge against me…

Damn. There goes my reputation.

He wasn’t the type of person I wanted to get close to, but I also knew he’d be a pain if I got on his bad side. So, I thought maybe trying to increase his favorability level could be a smart move…

But then again, maybe it’s better to make my position clear.

If he knows I’m aware of his crush and I’m rooting for him, maybe he won’t be such a stubborn grump out of jealousy.

“…Apostle Ter did mention he’s known Adna for a long time and that she understands him better than anyone.” I said.

“That’s… true.”

“And that he can’t get her out of his head and it’s hard to stop thinking about her…”

“Cough, haha.”

“All he talked about was Apostle Adna, so it’s pretty obvious he’s got a thing for her. If you didn’t notice, you’re not really paying attention.”

“Cough… Ha! Ahahaha!!” Casimir tried to contain herself but ended up bursting into laughter.

She’s laughing like a villain from some melodrama…

Watching Casimir crack up, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Ter, the subject of this joke.

Well, someone with a crush is always an easy target for jokes.

Especially someone like Ter, who’s so intense he tries to control even a lowly serf. If he knew he was being teased, he’d probably explode.

Good thing Ter’s the superior here.

If Casimir had any power over him, the teasing would be relentless.

After her laughing fit, Casimir wiped away a tear, catching her breath.

“Haaa, I haven’t laughed like that in ages.”

She threw an arm around my shoulders, still grinning.

“That’s right, my Fabio has a good eye.”

What the f*ck?

Since when did I become ‘her Fabio’?

“My dear Fabio is so observant. Looks like I won’t have to explain much to you, huh?”

“Um?…”

What the hell? Is this a*shole serious?

Is she just trying to get out of explaining things to me?

“Well, even so….”

“No, no. Fabio’s got it under control.”

Casimir casually leaned against me, patting my head in a rather patronizing way.

“The clueless ones are always cuter.” she said, flashing a cunning grin.

Damn it….

Seriously, how does the Order’s Knight Commander get away with acting like some kind of hooligan?

What’s up with her, anyway?

Is it because she’s from the desert, land of mirages?

Or did she never truly shake off her old beliefs even after converting to Roklem?

But personality aside, how did someone this much of an a*shole end up as the Knight Commander of the Order?

Did she climb her way up the ranks by being the queen of bullies when she was an Inquisitor?

Is being a Knight Commander something only a genius at bullying can achieve?

“But what if I make a mistake because I don’t know any better… won’t I be in a lot of trouble for it?” I tried hard not to scowl as I asked.

And what’s her plan if things go south because she couldn’t be bothered to fill me in?

But Casimir didn’t seem fazed in the slightest by my veiled concern.

“It’s okay. I’ll take responsibility.”

Yeah, as if the person too lazy to explain things will actually take responsibility.

“But wouldn’t it be better to avoid such incidents in the first place?….” I said, still trying to convince her.

“It’ll be fine.”

Suddenly, someone called out.

“Hey, Casimir!”

Turning around, I saw a dark-skinned man with striking silver-gray eyes and a noticeable mustache, walking over in a friendly manner. He must be from the desert too.

Those eyes…

That means he must have also…

Ugh.

“Elamin! You’ve come at the right time. I was just about to call for you.”

“And this is…?” the man named Elamin asked, looking at me.

“Oh, this is the new reader. His name is Fabio.”

Looks like she’s trying to offload her responsibilities onto him.

If nothing else, it explains why Casimir hung around the Readers so much.

She’s probably trying to make sure the nobles don’t look down on her.

Being from a group with a fallen god, especially a heretical one, is worse than being an orphan with no parents.

Especially if your god was executed by Roklem, and you’re from a race deemed heretical. Can you imagine how much more overlooked and ignored they’d be in this empire?

Just look at Nasir, the inquisitor. The guy got emotional just because he wasn’t racially discriminated against…

These savage medieval bastards…

In any case, having Casimir around, with her rising influence, should be enough to keep the desert people’s dreams, hopes, focus, and spirit alive.

To a certain extent, Casimir’s the type who’d strive to meet those lofty expectations, for sure.

Otherwise, why would they have chosen Nasir, who still has his captivating golden eyes intact, to serve as an inquisitor?

Well, it’s possible that in a clan-based society, they’d only take care of their closest family members.

So, this Elamin guy must be Casimir’s brother or something.

“Fabio, this is Elamin.”

But wait, if he was her brother, wouldn’t Antonio have mentioned having a son? He wouldn’t have just adopted on his sister’s side…

“He’s my ex-husband.”

“…Pardon?”