Regnum Aetern: Dual Rebirth

Chapter 149: The feeling...

As they were returning to the cult’s settlement, the mood among the group was light.

One of the priests who had water affinity helped wash the blood from her brother’s body while another priest tore strips from his own cloak and used them to cover the minor wounds he had gotten.

But overall, her brother was okay. And this fact made Nelliel feel incredibly relieved.

One of the priests jokingly ruffled her brother’s long hair and casually asked.

"You rascal, aren’t you going to tell us how you dealt with that horde all by yourself? We all ran here to save your ass, you know."

Her brother sighed and replied in his usual dull tone.

"It’s not that big ‌a deal. Beasts, as well as most monsters, don’t cover their bodies with mana, so they have no way to defend against attacks that divide space itself. I am actually not that strong compared to those of you who have also reached Phase Three. It is just that I am the worst enemy those beasts could’ve faced."

Most of the people made strange faces when they heard him.

"What do you mean?" A priestess tilted her head. "Attacks that divide space itself? And what does covering the body with mana have to do with it?"

Her brother paused for a bit, then simply shook his head.

"It was nothing; just forget it. All you need to understand is that I am extremely strong against enemies with low intelligence but extremely weak against an opponent who is even remotely intelligent."

They all nodded at that explanation.

"It doesn’t make much sense, but I guess we’ll take your word for it."

They soon reached the underground settlement. But instead of going their separate ways, they all went towards the prophet’s chamber together.

They had something to report and also had something that they wanted to ask.

But when they did reach his chamber, the elderly man was calmly standing in front of the door, facing them.

Not expecting this, they stopped in their tracks. They didn’t know how to react.

A priestess bowed to the Prophet respectfully and asked.

"Lord Prophet, seeing as you are standing here like this, did you foresee that we would come here at this moment?"

The Prophet calmly nodded.

"Yes, you are correct. I foresaw this situation."

The priestess smiled calmly.

"If so, then you must be aware of the reason we are here, correct?"

The elderly man calmly nodded once again. This caused the others to look at each other.

Nelliel clenched her fist unconsciously.

The Prophet could look into the future. And considering that he had sent Nelliel there personally, he must’ve foreseen the horned wolf horde. But if that really were the case, couldn’t he have given them even a small warning?

One of the priests gritted his teeth.

"Lord Prophet, Priest Adrian could’ve lost his life back there. If you had given even a brief warning, they would’ve been ready for what to expect and could’ve avoided that dangerous situation altogether."

For a moment, there was complete silence.

The Prophet narrowed his eyes, and suddenly, an invisible pressure descended upon them as the Prophet’s presence grew in size.

He looked at them all with a piercing gaze and spoke in a stern voice.

"I had my reasons for doing what I did. Reasons that you all can’t understand. Moreover, nobody was harmed in the end, and the problem was dealt with, so what are you all even complaining about?"

They all lowered their heads. They didn’t do it out of fear or respect. It was a habit they had developed over the years.

Moments later, the invisible pressure vanished as the Prophet’s presence shrank back to its original size.

He turned around.

"If that was all, then we are done here."

But just then...

"Lord Prophet."

...Her brother suddenly called out to him.

The Prophet paused but didn’t turn around.

"What?"

Her brother bowed as he spoke.

"With the horned wolf hoard dealt with, the danger is gone. We priests were thinking of holding a small celebration for this. So would you please join us?"

They all quietly waited for an answer.

But the Prophet simply entered his chamber without saying anything and shut the door.

The faces of everyone fell. One of the priests put his hand on her brother’s shoulder, as if to console him.

Even after five years, the Prophet still treated her brother with disdain despite all the efforts he made to close the distance between them and be accepted by the Prophet.

Nelliel couldn’t help but mutter.

"Just what problem does the Prophet even have with you, Brother? I just can’t understand it."

Her brother sighed.

"Don’t blame him, Nelliel; he must have his reasons. In the end, I can only do my best and show him my sincerity."

***

Sitting in the dark room illuminated by the single candle on the table, Kodam had a frown on his face.

’I didn’t find anything this time either.’

This attempt had also ended in failure, just like everything he had attempted ‌in the past for the same goal. He had thought that if he put that boy in a life-threatening situation, the boy would be forced to reveal something.

But until the very end, he didn’t.

No, maybe that was wrong. Maybe the boy had nothing to reveal in the first place.

’He has never done anything that can be considered even remotely suspicious.’

In fact, his personality seemed to have shifted too significantly.

When he had first seen the boy, Kodam had gotten the impression that he was the kind who liked being alone. He seemed like someone selfish, someone not willing to sacrifice even a single grain for others.

But now he was casually putting his life on the line for the sake of the cult. Contrary to being alone, he was now accepted and liked by almost everyone within the cult.

Kodam had no reason to worry, really.

If anything, he should’ve been happy that the cult now had such a person as a priest.

It was just that...

’This feeling... it just isn’t going away.’

The feeling that something was wrong—he’d had this feeling when he had indoctrinated the boy. And even after five years, this feeling hadn’t gone away. It was still there.

This feeling had been the greatest source of Kodam’s frustration in these five years.

Just then, he heard a knock on the door.

"Lord Prophet, your meal is here."

He sighed.

"You may enter."

Moments later, a believer entered with Kodam’s food and left soon after. Kodam didn’t feel like eating but still finished the food.

As he sat alone in silence, continuing to think about various matters, he felt a sharp headache, making him press his hand against his forehead.

"Ugh, maybe I need rest now."

And so, he dismissed all his thoughts and went to sleep.

But the next morning, Kodam’s head felt incredibly heavy when he woke up. His entire body felt sore, and he even felt pain in his legs and shoulders. Even though he had gotten a good, long sleep, Kodam didn’t feel refreshed at all.

No, he felt even worse than yesterday.

’Maybe it’s my age catching up to me.’

It was clear to him that he was sick.

Believers came to check on him and learned of his condition. And the news soon spread across the entire cult.

And after a few hours, Kodam spotted the boy he least wanted to see, standing beside him and observing him expressionlessly.

And then, the boy opened his mouth and spoke evenly.

"Lord Prophet, I would like to take care of you to aid in the quick recovery of your health. I hope you don’t mind."