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

#136Reader Mode

#136

Reyes, you still haven’t dealt with your biggest problem, have you?

Seems like your mind’s still twisted as ever.

“I never had any intentions like that. Really.”

Reyes tilted his head to one side, something unsettling in his gaze. “But don’t you remember? You told me to really think about what I wanted. So I did. I thought about it constantly, over and over…” His voice started to crack, teetering on the edge of something darker. “I just kept thinking, and—”

I cut him off before things could get worse. “Reyes, we need to talk about something more important. Your family’s been searching for you.”

That snapped him out of it instantly. His face lit up. “Oh! That reminds me – I need your help with something. See, because of my divine bloodline and being a direct male heir, I’m supposed to go through this thing called the Ordination of Order.”

He went on to explain that this ordination would make him a Reader. Apparently, he’d been avoiding it for ages, making up excuses to get out of it. But now…

“I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to tell them I’m ready to do it. Right now.”

I couldn’t help but think that was a hasty decision. “Are you planning to send your family a letter?”

Even as I said it, I knew how suspicious that would look. Someone who’d vanished without a trace suddenly sending a letter? That would only make his family ask more questions.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to show up in person at least once? Just to let them see you’re okay?”

“Actually, that’s exactly why I have something for you.”

Before I could ask what he meant, he glanced over at Callister, who’d been lurking in the corner like some kind of shadow.

Callister stepped forward and held out his hand. In his palm sat a ring.

“It’s just a minor relic with the Distorted One’s power. Nothing fancy,” Reyes explained.

A relic?

I leaned in for a better look, but Callister burst in like he was trying to make a sale.

“Nothing fancy, you say! Oh, it’s fascinating! Absolutely incredible! And I can personally guarantee it’s completely curse-free! None whatsoever!”

Ignoring Callister’s antics, I turned back to Reyes. “So what exactly does it do?”

“When you wear it, people will see you as me – as Reyes Floren.”

I looked from him to the ring and back again, dumbfounded.

This has got to be the most useless thing ever.

“I’ve used it lots of times to create alibis,” Reyes smugly added.

Callister was practically bouncing with excitement. “Isn’t it just amazing? I’d love to have a few of these myself!”

…Is this guy seriously supposed to be working for Order?

“Are you allowed to say something like that?”

Callister looked at me like I was the weird one. “Of course! After all, isn’t Nephiton’s relic technically outside of Order’s power too? Ah, Nephiton!” His face lit up with disturbing excitement. “Just think about combining these two useful relics… the possibilities would be endless…”

Yeah, endless possibilities for crime.

I caught Callister eyeing the ring a bit too intently and quickly tucked it away before he got any bright ideas.

“Alright,” I said, facing Reyes again, “what’s the real reason here? Why give me this?”

“I want you to pretend to be me and meet with my mother.”

“Why not just go yourself?” I asked, puzzled.

Instead of answering right away, Reyes gave me this sad little smile that made my stomach twist with guilt.

He was trying to play it cool, but the truth was hard to ignore. He was trapped here. An isolated test subject locked away from the world with no way to escape.

“I don’t think I can,” he said quietly.

“There has to be a way. If we just look hard enough-“

Reyes cut me off with a firm shake of his head. “That’s not the problem.”

He paused, choosing his words carefully. “You mentioned the library’s under the Blessing of Oblivion, right? If I leave… everything disappears. All my thoughts, our conversations, everything that’s happened here… gone. I can’t let that happen.”

So, he can mess with everyone else’s memories but can’t protect his own?

I wondered if there was some way for him to fight off Oblivion’s effects…

My mind jumped to Athanas and the relic he wore around his neck. That could probably do the trick…

But there’s no way Athanas would lend it to me.

Besides, could I really trust Reyes with something that valuable? What if he just took off with it? We couldn’t risk losing something that important.

“Are these memories really that important?” I asked. “You’ve only been here since last night.”

“Sometimes the shortest moments matter most. One moment can change everything.”

“But weren’t you knocked out most of the time? What could’ve possibly happened?”

He shot me this playful grin. “Sorry, not giving away my secrets for free.”

It was ridiculous, but seeing him smile like that somehow made me feel better.

“Well, if you’re not trying to escape, I guess it can’t be that bad here?”

His answer caught me off guard. “Not at all. Actually, the Research Director is pretty interesting.”

…Interesting? That bizarre guy? Reyes definitely had a warped definition of interesting.

Then again, considering how obsessive he was during his Athanasuki days, he and Colomba might actually hit it off.

I shot a quick look at Callister before leaning in close to Reyes. “Look, if that Research Director goes off the deep end and starts doing crazy experiments on you, I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” Reyes teased. “Come running to hold my hand through it all?”

Before I could respond, he stretched his hand out toward me.

I started to reach for it, but he yanked it back like he’d been burned.

“Oh, right! I forgot to warn you,” he said, shaking his hand. “You can’t touch someone who’s in isolation!”

“…Sorry.”

Reyes casually flexed his fingers. “Don’t worry about it. And hey, just because you took the ring doesn’t mean you have to help me out. Nobody’s going to find out that ‘Reyes Floren’ is in the Research Director’s lab.”

“Your family won’t stop looking though,” I pointed out.

“Mom will head back to the estate soon enough, and well, my brother might keep searching for a while, but… he’ll give up eventually. It’s not really that big of a deal.”

If I hear something like that and don’t even try to help, wouldn’t I basically be trash?

“I can’t make any promises, but… I’ll give it my best shot.”

Though if I had to choose between dying with my dignity intact or living as a garbage human being, I’d pick being garbage every time.

Still, I’d think everything through carefully. If it looked too risky, I’d have to back out.

A warm smile spread across Reyes’s face, reaching his eyes.

“Fabio.”

“…Yeah?”

“You remember my name, right?” He started tapping the table with his left hand, a rhythm I knew too well.

I paused before giving him a small nod.

He settled back in his chair, looking pleased with himself. “That’s all I need then. You don’t have to visit anymore. I’ll probably be swamped with coursework anyway. Funny how I’m finally getting the college experience, here of all places. Never did in real life.”

“Wait… you never went to college?”

Reyes shook his head. “Technically, I got accepted, but never actually showed up to class. Too busy gaming. Pretty sure they expelled me eventually.”

This guy’s completely nuts…

Forget it. I take back anything I thought about there being some deeper meaning behind this. Reyes was just a weirdo.

“But I’ve got to say,” he went on, “the research here is really interesting! You wouldn’t believe what they’ve found out about the ‘Watched Ones.’”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“If you’re so curious, why not join us in the lab?”

“…Did the Research Director put you up to this?”

“Not at all,” Reyes said, all wide-eyed innocence. “I mean it. It could really benefit you too, Fabio.”

“Not happening. No matter what happens, I’m not stepping a foot into that lab. Ever.”

Reyes shrugged, seemingly unfazed by my rejection. We talked about other stuff for a while, but nothing important came up. Finally, I got up to leave.

“Take care,” I said, looking back at him. “I’ll try to visit again sometime soon.”

Walking out, a thought hit me…

He was probably hinting at continuing this over chat, wasn’t he?

There must’ve been things he couldn’t say with Callister watching. Even after I left, I was sure the surveillance on him would continue, but I knew there were ways for players to communicate discreetly.

The system had plenty of useful features a player could use. If you had the points, you could buy macro tools, which could definitely come in handy for something like this.

At least Reyes seemed stable for now, which was a good sign. It meant the system hadn’t flagged him for a ‘Game Over’ yet, which probably meant his Helper would cooperate too.

Outside, I found Athanas talking with Colomba who was hard to miss with that purple hair of his.

“All done?” Athanas asked, turning my way.

“…Yeah. He’s actually holding up better than I expected.”

“What about his family? Did he mention anything about them?”

I noticed Colomba watching us, though he remained silent. I figured he had probably already relayed everything about our conversation to Athanas because Callister was in the room with us, but I went ahead anyway.

“…Apparently, he was supposed to become a Reader but kept postponing it. He’ll likely use that as a reason to justify why he’s still here. He also mentioned having a way to let his family know he’s okay, though it wasn’t something he set up specifically for this situation.”

Athanas nodded thoughtfully. “I see. Is there anything else?”

I shook my head, not wanting to discuss anything sensitive with Colomba hanging around.

“Understood. Shall we go have lunch now?”

“…Is it really okay for you to keep spending so much time with me like this?”

Athanas smiled ruefully and took my hand. “Unfortunately, I need to head back this afternoon. But I’ll walk you home first.”

Callister offered to show us the way, but Athanas waved him off, saying he remembered the route as we headed out of the Main Building.

As we walked, I couldn’t help but notice something strange….

What’s with all these turtles around the Main Building?

Seriously, were there always this many?

It was like they’d multiplied overnight. They were everywhere – slow, clueless, and perfectly positioned to trip anyone not watching their step. I almost went down face-first a couple times thanks to these little bastards.

They just sat there in the middle of the path, practically daring someone to step on them. Some weren’t even trying to hide their troublemaking, grabbing my cloak with their tiny claws or teeth and refusing to let go.

Every time it happened, Athanas would pick up the culprits and set them on nearby bookshelves. The turtles could only sit there looking disgruntled from their new spots.

“It might be best to avoid coming to the Main Building alone for now,” Athanas suggested as I inspected the fresh bite marks on my cloak.

I nodded in agreement. Ever since I’d experienced firsthand how a space itself could actually hate me, I’d developed a lingering PTSD when it came to the God of Records.

As I followed Athanas to the Main Building’s entrance, I tried to ignore the countless turtles perched on the shelves, their unblinking stares boring into me.

[SYSTEM: Due to the effect of ‘The Whole World Is Beneath Oneself,’ the status effect ‘Oblivion’ has been nullified.]

When the notification popped up this time, I looked at Athanas and decided to just ask him directly without overthinking it.

“So did that holy relic really keep you from forgetting?”

“…It did.”

Getting curious, I threw a few more questions his way. He answered everything without missing a beat, remembering every single thing about our visit to Colomba’s lab.

Happy with his answers, I let the conversation drift to lighter topics. We talked about why he always looked so tired, the brutal training holy knights went through, and debated what would taste best at lunch.

But something kept bugging me.

…I need to tell him about Reyes.

I’d planned to bring it up before breakfast, but we’d ended up just making small talk, and the moment slipped away.

Better be careful about mentioning I can talk to Reyes whenever I want.

This wasn’t just about Reyes; the fact that players could chat with each other no matter where they were, even from a prison cell, was huge. They could map out entire locations and feed information to people outside. The possibilities were endless… and dangerous.

Athanas interrupted my train of thought with a gentle, understanding look.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind,” he said softly.

I didn’t respond. Explaining felt too difficult.

He didn’t push me. “If you’re not ready to talk, that’s fine. You don’t have to say anything.”

Then, with a hint of weariness in his voice, he added, “I’m not going to ask you to tell me everything. Life throws unexpected situations our way, and I trust your judgment. But no matter what happens…”

No matter what happens?

“…Promise me you’ll always carry this reliquary with you.”

Does he really think I’m the kind of person who goes looking for trouble?

I nodded, giving him my word.

For once, it felt good not having to lie.

Athanas walked me all the way to my room.

“Good times always end too quickly,” he said softly, almost wistful. “If only we could make moments like this last forever…”

As usual, he played his role as the devoted lover to perfection.

When he wrapped his arms around me in a goodbye hug, the affection felt so genuine it was disarming. He held me just a moment too long, as if reluctant to let go. I could still feel the warmth of his embrace even after he pulled away.

I stayed by the hallway window, watching him walk off into the distance. He kept turning back to wave, a smile lingering on his face, until he finally disappeared from sight. Only then did I slip into my room, making sure to lock the door behind me.

I stood there for a while, just listening to the quiet settle in. Nobody walked by. Nobody knocked.

Then, like air rushing out of a balloon, all the tension left my body at once.

“Ha…”

Guess I was more stressed than I realized…

It was strange. Having Athanas around seemed to put me more on edge than I wanted to admit.

Is it because of the secrets I’m keeping?

I pulled out the ring and rolled it between my fingers.

No. That wasn’t all of it.

There was something else… something deeper that I couldn’t put into words, let alone tell Athanas about.

…He’s being suspiciously nice to me.

It felt wrong to question someone’s kindness like that. Ungrateful, even. But I couldn’t help it. Athanas’s behavior didn’t add up.

Why was he even working with me in the first place? At first, I thought it was because I was his only lead on the nightmares. But that theory didn’t hold up anymore… not with Reyes in the picture. Athanas had another option now, yet he was still sticking by my side.

And his attitude toward Reyes was even stranger.

…Why isn’t he even slightly interested in him?

It bothered me how Athanas just ignored Reyes completely. Even if he didn’t like him, wouldn’t he at least want to gather information from another Watched One? But no. No questions, no probing, no attempts to learn anything. It was like Athanas trusted me completely, without a shred of doubt.

What did he really know about me anyway?

If I were him, I wouldn’t just take someone’s word for it—no matter how reliable or skilled they seemed. Even if they were some hotshot strategy expert. I’d still want proof. I’d double-check every claim, leave no stone unturned.

Besides, he doesn’t even need me anymore. The dreams would still show him the way.

Thanks to those nightmares, Athanas already found a valuable item to resist Oblivion and even managed to become acquainted with the Research Director. He could keep looking into the “truth of Order” by himself now.

So why bother with me? I’m just some useless heretic—a reckless, incompetent goblin who keeps doing their own thing without telling anyone. Playing this “devoted lover” act with me had to be exhausting. But he kept at it anyway.

Just… why?

No point overthinking things I can’t figure out.

I buried my face in my hands and took a deep breath. It felt stupid, doubting him like this. Wondering if he was using me.

Why would he go out of his way to reassure me or ease my suspicions?

He’s probably just doing this because he’s a dedicated believer. ‘Saving’ a pathetic goblin like me must feel like part of his sacred duty. Something the Saint himself would do.

What’s the point of doubting him anyway?

It’s not like I have anyone else I can trust…

“…Athanas… anata-ga-suki-desu.”

[SYSTEM: アタナスあなたがすきです(Athanas, I like you) is online.]

[SYSTEM: Messaging is available.]

“How do I send a message?”

[SYSTEM: Record your message after the beep.]

“Can’t I just type? Like on a virtual keyboard or something?”

The moment the words left my mouth, a glowing keyboard materialized in front of me, floating mid-air like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. It was slightly transparent and holographic, shimmering faintly in the light.

It took a while to adjust to typing on it. The keys felt strange and awkward, as if they weren’t really there. I spent an embarrassing amount of time just figuring out how to steady it over the nearby chest for support.

It reminds me of those fancy laser keyboards I’ve seen in ads—except this one doesn’t need a flat surface, which is… convenient?

Better than talking to myself, I guess. Though, come to think of it, pretending to type on thin air probably didn’t look less suspicious either.

At least nobody can eavesdrop on me this way.

People from the Dark Realm wouldn’t have the slightly idea what I was doing, much less recognize the keyboard layout I was typing on.

Still, it would’ve been nice to have something more subtle like telepathy. But no point whining about it when I didn’t have any way to spend points anyway…

[ …Reyes. It’s me.]

[…I have bad memories of someone repeatedly calling my name over and over, so please don’t do that.]

>>[Huh? Really? I’ll keep that in mind! By the way, “Happy War Evangelist” really suits you, Fabio! Spreading happiness and all that. Can I pick your a nickname? How about… Bliss?]

[Didn’t you have something important to say? You were hinting earlier that we needed to chat privately.]

>>[Yeah, something I could only tell you like this.]

[What is it?]

>>[….…]

>>[Please accept my love.]

[……]

>>[Hey, why aren’t you answering? Don’t tell me you’re rejecting me?]

I glared at the screen.

Would be nice if this keyboard had emojis.

[If that’s all you’ve got to say, I’m ending the chat.]

>>[Wait, wait! I was joking! Geez. I really do have something important to tell you.]

Doubt it.

I waited for his next message, not expecting much.

>>[I found traces of Rider of Civilization’s player.]

>>[ It’s possible Rider didn’t get a Game Over, but instead found a way to escape the system.]

[ …You’re serious?]

No wonder Reyes wasn’t rushing to escape the lab. If he’d found something like that, I’d stick around to investigate too.

>>[Dead serious. It looks promising, but I need to have another talk with the God of Records to confirm.]