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

#119Reader Mode

#119

“What happened to you?” I asked Nasir, keeping my voice down.

“…Let’s talk somewhere else.” Without waiting for my response, he turned and walked away.

That’s when I saw it… a tail.

A fluffy tail was poking out from under his robe, swaying back and forth with each step he took.

I glanced around, but no one else seemed to notice.

Is it just me who can see it?

It had to be the power of the dead desert god shielding him. Either that or some kind of Nephiton relic, the god of illusions and hypnosis, was at work here.

Without Nephiton’s relic, that tail would’ve caused a major scene.

Even I, someone who’s used to seeing crazy CGI, couldn’t stop staring at it. I could only imagine the reaction it would cause in this medieval world.

Some poor farmer would probably run screaming to the nearest church, yelling about demons and the end of days.

Why would that possibility-obsessed bastard pull such a risky move?

Is he trying to get caught?

Mutating someone in broad daylight like this… it’s only a matter of time before someone notices. And to make matters worse, he’s messing with an Inquisitor of all people.

Shouldn’t he be keeping a low profile until the Starry Sky event?

I could only speculate, since the game never revealed it, but players probably couldn’t fully use their skills until then. Maybe only relic abilities or specific traits were active for now.

It’s like grinding for XP without being able to level up.

If you’re exposed in that kind of situation, you’re done for.

Nasir and I stepped into a quiet room, the door clicking shut behind us. He let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging as he unclasped the talisman necklace from around his neck.

“I don’t even know where to begin explaining this,” he muttered.

I shifted uncomfortably. “…Should I even be hearing this?”

As far as Nasir knew, I was just “Fabio,” some random serf blessed by a god outside the Order. This felt like a cop discussing an open case with a civilian.

“I can’t give you all the details,” he said, wrapping the necklace around his hand. “But Fabio, you have the ability to see through lies. So, it’s best you at least know the basics.”

My eyes were drawn to the necklace. Is that a Nephiton relic?

“For starters, I’m not the only one affected by this… curse.”

Wait… there are more nekomimi Inquisitors running around?

Is that madman out of his mind? What’s his goal here?

Nasir continued, “The curse is so conspicuous that we were ordered to wear Nephiton’s relic inside the Capital Church. But Fabio, Nephiton’s illusions don’t seem to work on you.”

As he spoke, his ears twitched with frustration, and before I could stop myself, my gaze flicked to them.

“If you keep staring like that, people will realize pretty quickly that Nephiton’s power doesn’t work on you.” Nasir said dryly.

I quickly looked away. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“No need to apologize,” he said, his voice softening. “It’s natural to be… well, curious about something so strange and horrifying.”

…Horrifying isn’t the word I’d use.

If anything, it was more intriguing than horrifying.

But saying it didn’t look so bad would probably get me lumped in with that bastard who’s obsessed with ‘possibilities.’

And I definitely didn’t want to be associated with that creep.

“Is it permanent? Can the curse be broken?”

“I tried cutting them off and receiving a healing blessing, but… they just grew back. The Apostle of Ledeia said it’s because my original form has been altered.”

Altered…

For a moment, I wondered if another player was attempting to copy that possibility-obsessed maniac as a counter to Mother God. But as I listened to Nasir’s words, it became abundantly clear that this had Mother God’s signature written all over it.

Mother God’s domain is mutation, after all.

With his DNA rewritten, any healing magic would simply regenerate the cat ears along with the rest of his body. They had become his ‘new normal.’

Only a follower of Mother God has the power to pull off something like this.

If it had been the work of the Plague God, or if it was merely an illusion or distortion, I wouldn’t have been able to see them in the first place.

…This wasn’t just a stroke of bad luck or a mistake. It was a deliberate act. Self-sabotage, even.

But why would that possibility-obsessed bastard do something like this?

Did he really want to see a nekomimi Inquisitor just once before turning himself in?

“If you catch the one who cursed you, can you go back to normal?”

“…We’re not certain yet.”

So they haven’t caught the culprit.

Could it be that because the Order has been inactive for so long, the culprit is thinking, ‘Seriously? You’re still not going to catch me?’—just to test them?

“Are there any other side effects? You’re not in pain, are you?”

“I’m fine. They’ve confirmed there are no other negative effects.”

“That’s a relief.”

Nasir’s expression flickered for a moment, barely noticeable. I quickly added, “You could’ve died. I’m just… really relieved you’re okay. And that I get to see you again.”

“…You wanted to see me?”

“Of course!”

Though, to be honest, I hadn’t really thought about him much until we ran into each other today. But with everything going on, who could blame me? If things had been calmer, I definitely would’ve thought of him more. Really.

Nasir’s tail swished gently, and his lips curved into a soft, affectionate smile. “I’ve missed you, too.”

His golden eyes, like crescent moons, shimmered with warmth, deepening as his smile reached them. They seemed to glow, catching the light in a way that made them almost alive, a pigmentation no ordinary human could have. I found myself lost in their depths, and suddenly a question popped into my head.

Why didn’t he just loot his eyes?

Nasir wasn’t just anyone. He carried the Divine Bloodline trait, making his body a living, breathing relic.

Did that bastard not realize this?

When you played with Mother God, the goal was always to collect as much biological data as possible. If that guy had known about Nasir’s Divine Bloodline, there’s no way he would’ve let him slip through his fingers.

If you were a player…

Wait. Didn’t the last patch mention something about new methods?

Mother God’s latest update had made it possible to collect full biological data from just reproductive cells.

Which meant…

“How have you been all this time?” I forced a smile, trying to shake the thoughts from my head.

…Yeah, let’s not go there.

“I’ve been well. What brings you to the Inquisition?”

“I need to ask a favor from Commander Casimir.”

His expression shifted, the smile fading just a bit.

“The timing’s not ideal. It’ll be difficult to meet with the Commander for a while.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

Nasir hesitated, clearly debating how much to share. “…I suppose it’s fine to tell you this much. The Council will be convening soon, and she’s very busy at the moment.”

“The Council?”

“It’s when they gather to decide on establishing or abolishing doctrines.”

I nodded. Antonio had taught me about the Council when I was learning to read. I knew the basics.

…But how can humans debate doctrine when actual gods exist?

It felt kind of pointless. Couldn’t the gods just swoop in and veto any bad ideas? Like, ‘Nope, we’re definitely not cool with that.’

That’s exactly how it worked when I played Conclude.

Nasir continued, “Archbishops are required to attend, and once more than half of them from the Order are present, the meeting can officially begin.”

So archbishops from all over the continent have to gather…

“That sounds like a huge event! Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed I didn’t know anything about it.”

“Well, that’s not too surprising. It’s not something that gets publicly announced.”

…But didn’t you just say it’s about to take place?

Even in today’s world, where you can hop on a plane and be anywhere in a few hours, massive events like this take months of planning. And here, in the Dark Realm, where people are still traveling on horseback? Wouldn’t they need at least a year’s heads-up? It could take them months just to reach the capital.

“But you’re saying the Council is meeting in two weeks?” I asked, doubtful.

“Yes. Nobles have already started to linger around the capital, pretending they’re here on pilgrimage. They’re just waiting for the Council to convene so they can rush to the Cathedral the moment it’s announced.”

“And who decides when to convene the Council?”

“If half of the Elector Lords agree, they can call it,” Nasir explained.

As he spoke, the pieces started falling into place.

They’re setting up a rushed, under-the-radar vote.

By excluding anyone who might oppose, they can push through whatever they want, without resistance. It’s the same move that happens in democracies all the time.

But what’s really bothering me…

…Why is the Order just sitting back and letting this happen?

I frowned. The Order isn’t powerless. They could easily stop this in an instant.

They’re letting it happen on purpose.

The fact that they can predict the Council will happen within two weeks means they’ve already won the information war.

The Order must know exactly what the pro-Council faction is up to.

If the Inquisition were involved, this would be a breeze to shut down. All they’d need to do is throw a few baseless accusations at the Elector Lords and detain them for a “thorough investigation.” That would delay everything for at least a month, enough time for the opposition to mobilize.

Honestly, they wouldn’t even need to go that far.

Just spreading rumors about roaming heretics would send the nobles running back to their estates. Nobles here in the Dark Realm aren’t like the centralized aristocrats I read about. They’re more like small-time kings and priests who swear loyalty to a higher monarch.

If heretics stirred up chaos in their lands while they were away? Total disaster.

But the fact that the Order is doing nothing…

“…So Commander Casimir is busy preparing because the Council’s about to happen, right?” I asked.

Nasir didn’t respond immediately. He just looked at me, the silence stretching a little too long, making the air feel heavy between us.

“…Am I wrong?”

He finally spoke. “I’ve thought this before, but Fabio, you’re very sharp.”

Sharp? For this?

“You’re right. I’ve been ordered not to investigate the person who cursed me and to stay silent until after the Council.”

His words sent my thoughts spiraling.

…Are the players involved in this Council?

The timing was off. The fact that the Council was being called before the Starry Sky opened was strange. If I were a noble, I’d suggest holding it right after the Four Seasons Festival.

That festival is a massive celebration that lasts for weeks, starting from the winter solstice and ending with the new year. It’d make perfect sense for the nobles to gather at the Cathedral during such an important time. After the festival, they could pretend they were too “reluctant” to leave, wait for the opposition to scatter, and then call the Council when no one was expecting it.

So why the rush to hold it before Christmas?

And then there was another thing… The Prophet was supposed to arrive at the Cathedral soon.

Could the Prophet be one of the nobles pushing for this Council?

“…So, I have plenty of free time on my hands now.”

“Huh?”

Nasir’s voice yanked me back to the present. I hadn’t even noticed him move right next to me.

…Isn’t he standing a bit too close?

His tail lightly brushed against my leg with every sway.

“Aside from speaking with the Commander, is there anything else you need from me?”

Nasir…?

I paused. What I had planned to ask Commander Casimir wasn’t a big deal.

I was just going to ask her to assign an Inquisitor to watch over me for a few days.

I needed to make the Prophet think twice before approaching me, and having an Inquisitor nearby would send that message.

Nasir is an Inquisitor, right?

Maybe having him with me would work just as well. Just his presence in the Inquisitor’s uniform might have the same effect.

And since he was free until the Council meeting, he seemed perfect for the job…

I glanced at him.

If he can use illusions, maybe he’s more resistant to distortions too.

Illusions and distortions are pretty similar powers, and when domains overlap, there’s usually some resistance.

I weighed it all in my mind and made my decision.

It’s worth a shot.

“Nasir,” I began carefully, “could you stay by my side for a while… without asking any questions?”

He didn’t answer right away, just stared at me, his golden eyes glinting slightly. The silence dragged on, and I could feel my palms getting sweaty.

Did that sound too suspicious?

“It’s nothing weird, I promise—”

“I understand,” Nasir said, cutting me off.

I blinked, surprised. “I just… had a bad dream recently,” I added quickly, sticking to my cover story. “I thought it might be comforting to have someone around.”

“You don’t need to explain any further,” Nasir said softly.

…Are you sure that’s okay?

T/N:

I updated the footnote in the previous chapter and wanted to add some context about the ‘possibility’-obsessed guy. When the MC mentions the player running around creating nekomimi inquisitors, I believe he’s referencing a Korean meme. In Korean, the word ‘가능’ (ganeung) means ‘possible,’ but it’s often used as a tongue-in-cheek response to ridiculous or extreme situations, almost like saying ‘anything goes’ or ‘nothing’s too outrageous.’ It’s similar to an English meme, ‘If there’s a hole, it’s f*ckable,’ which captures that same idea.

TLDR: the MC uses this ‘possible’ label as an insult, referring to a certain group of degenerates who think that no matter how extreme or absurd, anything is possible. I updated the label to better fit that. Also, the Prophet will be referred to as ‘they’ until their appearance is revealed.