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

#060Reader Mode

#060

On my third day at the Order, I was curious about something that happened yesterday. While Elamin was helping me with my fascia, I decided to bring it up.

“So what does it mean when someone asks to read the Doctrine with you?” I asked.

Elamin hands paused mid-tie.

“…Who’s been talking to you about this?”

I told him about my brief encounter with melon-haired guy yesterday, trying my best to remember the details.

“I see. Light green hair, goes by Sereno…” Elamin mumbled under his breath.

Where’s he going with this?

Was he plotting something with that info on Sereno?

Give him a mind wipe with ‘Oblivion’?

…Feels like I’ve stumbled into one of those Neapolitan ghost stories with all these odd rules.¹T/N:A ‘Neapolitan ghost story’ refers to a spooky or frightening tale that originates from Naples, Italy. Neapolitan ghost stories often revolve around haunted places, restless spirits, or eerie occurrences, making them enjoyable to read as you try to piece together all of the bizarre clues to figure out what the hell is going on haha.

Don’t engage with unknown readers.

Avoid documenting any chats with them.

If you find a conversation record that doesn’t ring a bell, please contact the Heresy Inquisition…

I just wish he’d straight-up tell me what ‘reading the Holy Doctrine together’ actually means.

“I’m kind of worried I messed up and said something wrong. I still don’t really know how things work as a reader…” I admitted, a bit uneasy.

“No, you handled it perfectly! That’s exactly how you should respond in the future,” Elamin reassured me.

“…But what am I actually saying no to?”

After pondering my question, Elamin said, “I’ve got a meeting with Casimir later today. I’ll see if I can get clearance to fill you in.”

I need top-secret clearance for a simple explanation?

So, it’s not that you haven’t told me because it’s a hassle, but because Casimir’s slapped a gag order on you about the basics?

Why would Casimir even do that?

If I mess up because I’m clueless about basic stuff, it’s their job to clean up the mess….

…Are they trying to make me look suspicious on purpose?

After all, I’m supposed to be some alien god’s chosen one, destined to lead a new heretic religion. From the Inquisition’s perspective, it would be quite alarming if someone as dodgy as me blended in too smoothly with the Order and started gaining everyone’s trust.

So they intentionally gave me a sketchy backstory and skipped the common sense lessons.

Just like how Roklem makes people suspicious of golden eyes to prevent brainwashing, they want ‘Fabio’ to come off as untrustworthy so people keep their distance.

And even if I end up being reported as suspicious, the Inquisition would just handle it…

After finishing up with my fascia, Elamin asked if anyone else had tried to approach me. I was about to shake my head no, but then I remembered my encounter with Athanas in the library.

“I met this knight there who asked me to help wake him up from their naps because he struggles with it. Said his name was Athanas…”

I gave Elamin a quick rundown of my chat with Athanas.

Elamin’s expression turned serious as he listened. “Did this person ask you for anything else?”

“Athanas invited me to grab a bite to eat, but I turned him down both times.”

“Why did you say no?”

“Pardon? Because I was planning to eat with you, Elamin.”

“Have you ever thought about becoming friends with that person?”

Why would I?

That bastard’s a potential heretic butcher.

And I’m a heretic bastard.

“I just get anxious about really talking to anyone who doesn’t know my situation, afraid I’ll come off as strange or accidentally say something I shouldn’t…especially since I can’t receive the Blessing of Order.”

Elamin looked at me with pity, “You don’t need to be so withdrawn. It’s not your fault.”

Then maybe someone should clue me in on how to act normal…

“I’m just trying not to cause any trouble for the Order that’s been kind enough to take me in. I figure the best way to do that is to keep my head down and not mix too much with others.”

“That must be very lonely.”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t feel lonely at all. I’m not the type to get lonely easily…”

“You don’t have to pretend to be okay.”

“…But honestly, I’m not feeling lonely.”

“It’s impossible for someone to not to feel lonely sometimes,” he said softly.

…Why do you get to decide what I feel?

What, are you my limbic system now?²T/N: A somewhat sarcastic way to question why someone is trying to dictate or assume how the MC feels, referencing the part of the brain involved in emotion and memory processing.

Yes, I’m dying of loneliness here, but I’m sucking it up because I know my role in all this. Is that the answer you were hoping for? Happy now?

I let out an awkward chuckle. “What choice do I have, though? With the way things are, I could end up hurting someone by accident. So, I have to endure being alone.”

“…And love? You have no intention of falling in love?”

“Of course, that’s the case.”

That should be the model answer, right?

But Elamin clearly disagreed. He looked at me with such a sorrowful expression. “Why…do you have such sad thoughts?”

????

“People need someone to love to be happy.”

“But love’s not really something I can chase after right now…”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Elamin insisted, his eyes sparkling with conviction. “Love is essential, always. “It’s the very force that gives you the strength to weather any storm, especially when you’re struggling and feeling lonely. Fabio.”

I blinked, taken aback by how quickly we’d veered into talk about love.

Is he serious? Bringing up love out of nowhere?

“The harder things are for you and the more you doubt yourself, the more important it is to have someone’s love and support you can count on. Just like how I trust and love Casimir.”

No, not so out of nowhere after all.

I remembered Elamin was a guy who’d changed his religion just for Casimir.

He’d said his faith was in the god Casimir believed in, not ‘Roklem’.

Considering what changing one’s religion means in this era…

Isn’t this similar to selling out one’s country for love?

Most of his family and kin were probably killed or turned into refugees by the Order, yet he’s endured through all that just for his love for Casimir, not really for the faith.

“Why do you cage yourself when no one else has locked you away as a prisoner?” he asked, his voice gentle but firm. “You don’t have to do that to yourself.”

I just gave him a non-committal smile and kept quiet.

Arguing about love with someone who’s crazy about it?

Might as well argue with a zealot about the existence of God.

How’s that supposed to end? With a stabbing?

“Given how hard your life is, you need love now more than ever,” Elamin pressed on. “Love has a way of finding those who are lonely and suffering. The being that cursed you could try to lead you astray with love. To resist that kind of temptation and stay on the right path, you need to believe in love even more.”

I just nodded along, letting his words go in one ear and out the other.

Yeah right. As if I’d fall for it if Mother God claimed to love me.

“Do you understand? So, don’t put up walls every time someone tries to get close. I’m fine, so next time someone asks you to join them for a meal, don’t refuse them. You never know, they might just be your destined love.”

I kept nodding, but then realized something odd.

Wait…didn’t I mention Athanas was a guy?

Yeah, I’m pretty sure I did mention his gender.

I did say the person looked like a knight, judging by their clothes though.

In Elamin’s mind, bringing up a knight probably made him think of Casimir… Naturally, he’d jump to the conclusion that I was talking about a woman.

“Well, Athanas who invited me to eat, is actually a man,” I clarified.

In a time where being gay could literally get you executed, suggesting your soulmate might be another man isn’t exactly safe advice.

Elamin fell silent, probably feeling a bit embarrassed after his whole spiel on friendship and love. “…Even so, it’s important to meet people. The more people you know, the higher your chances of finding ‘the one.’”

I internally rolled my eyes.

Like I’m here trying to network to get introduced to women.

The last thing I expected from the Order was a pep talk on dating around and finding love.

Aren’t those kinds of desires considered too worldly and frowned upon by religious groups?

They probably wouldn’t appreciate a commoner trying to flirt with every girl in sight.

“You have a point. Once I’m a bit more settled in, I’ll start making some friends.”

Just as I was about to bring up grabbing breakfast, Elamin turned serious again and asked,

“Fabio…”

“Yes?”

“If a man asked to visit your room, what would you think he’s after?”

“Uh, maybe he’s just looking for a free place to sleep?”

“And if he’s not looking for a place to sleep?”

“Hmm…he might think there’s something strange in my room?”

“What kind of strange?”

“Well… since I’m an outsider to the Order, he might suspect I’m up to no good, like making sacrifices to some evil god or something. Of course, I’m innocent! I swear I’m not making sacrifices to any evil gods. Roklem, who upholds order, is the only one I believe in.”

Elamin frowned slightly. “…What if a man tries touching your body or starts taking off your clothes? What do you think they’re after?”

“I’d guess he’s checking for strange hidden items? If I looked suspicious, he might think I’m smuggling stuff in my clothes. That’s possible if I seemed suspicious.”

Elamin’s expression grew more concerned.

Is that not the right answer?

Should ‘Fabio,’ who’s been nothing but a simple country boy his whole life, really jump to the idea of being frisked?

…I guess someone with nothing to hide wouldn’t immediately think about being searched.

Only shady people suffer from the paranoid delusion that others are out to uncover their secrets.

I realized too late how my answer, ironically, might come off as super suspicious.

“Well, you see it all the time at the market in my village. When merchants suspect someone of theft, they make them shake out their sleeves or cloaks, and all sorts of things fall out. Of course, I’ve never stolen or hidden anything suspicious in my life. So, if someone wanted to strip search me for hidden goods, I’d let them, no problem.”

I tried to explain the best I could.

But Elamin’s forehead stayed all scrunched up. “…Don’t you think there might be another reason for it?”

Another reason for stripping someone down?

…To loot bodies, maybe?

“Um, if this wasn’t the Order, I’d probably suspect a robbery first. This outfit alone could fetch ten silvers just for the fabric.”

“And after they’ve stripped you of your clothes, what then?”

“If I hadn’t caught a glimpse of his face, he’d likely let me go—after all, I couldn’t report him. But if I did see him? He’d probably kill me to ensure I stayed silent.”

Guess the lesson here is, if you ever find yourself being robbed in your sleep, best to play dead.

Yell or try to fight back and you’re basically upping your chances of getting killed.

“So, if some thief’s trying to peel my clothes off, I’ll just pretend to be unconscious. I don’t want to lose my life.”

“…Who told you to do such things?”

“I heard about it from the merchants that came to my town. They’re taking a huge risk by coming out to the frontier, so they demand higher prices for both their goods and their advice. But it’s always better to be cautious.”

“You didn’t hear any other reasons?”

I paused to think.

Other reasons someone might want to strip someone down…

What am I missing?

Having led a cult comprised solely of criminals in Conclude, I’ve got a decent grasp on the behavior patterns of the Dark Realm’s criminals, but nothing else is coming to mind.

Human traffickers wouldn’t necessarily undress their catch.

They’re more likely to swap out their clothes after kidnapping them.

Anything the victim was wearing, especially if it’s got any value, would need to be ditched. Dump it in a river or burn it. It’s all about erasing leads for any potential search parties. And jewelry must be handled with care; too easy to trace back.

The Order sometimes plants traceable items on purpose, just to track down and bust the hideouts of criminals. So, unfortunately, you’ve gotta ditch those items fast.

If you’ve got a unit that has the [Keen Eye] trait, they could easily spot a tagged item. But by the time you hand off the hot goods to them, you might as well have handed over your entire operation and all your secret routes on a silver platter to the Order. Since your cult could be compromised, it’s best to just dump it all quick.

And let’s be real, no trafficker is going to bother kidnapping a man with a charm score of 30. The guy wouldn’t even bring in enough to cover the cost of moving him when sold off.

Plus, when it comes to sacrifices, you need victims with high stats for it to be worth anything.

There’s a reason why so many legends always talk about sacrificing beautiful maidens.

Though, if I was hanging around the coast, I could get snatched up to row on a galley ship as a slave…³T/N: A ‘galley slave’ refers to a person who is forced to row on a galley ship as a form of punishment or as a means of labor. Galley slaves were historically prisoners or captives who were made to work in the ship’s rowing benches, propelling the vessel through rowing power. It was a physically demanding and often brutal form of servitude, where individuals were chained or shackled to their oars and subjected to harsh conditions.

But nobody would dare try that near the capital.

Unless the Order falls, the capital is like a fortress. You’d hardly find a pickpocket anywhere.

And if that’s how secure the capital is, can you imagine the Cathedral dedicated to the God of Order?

It’s practically a squeaky clean crime-free zone.

But why’s he even bringing this up?

No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn’t figure Elamin’s motive for asking this.

“…I don’t know.”

Elamin sighed loudly at my response. “You can be really frustrating, you know.”

That felt a bit unfair.

If you’re going to get frustrated, at least tell me what the right answer is!