Ch. 198

At the sight of Revelof entering the bedroom, Rawin was a bit surprised. Flustered, he unconsciously tried to raise his body. But his body wouldn't move as he wished.

Only then did Rawin examine his own state. On his wrists and ankles were handcuffs and shackles each shimmering with pure white light.

It was an appearance as if he had become a prisoner. Rawin easily realized it was Revelof who had restrained him.

Because of that, one of Rawin's eyebrows rose slightly.

'Did I alone regard him as a friend...?'

At least he himself had absolutely no intention of harming him, his only friend. No matter what situation came. But his friend seemed to be afraid of him.

Though he couldn't read Revelof's expression, that must be why he restrained his hands and feet.

Rawin thought about whether to break free from the handcuffs and shackles restraining him, but he didn't do so because he didn't want to be hated by Revelof.

But Rawin didn't know. Even if he had tried, nothing would have happened. Because it was difficult even for an apostle to break the seal filled with the holy power of Revelof, the Church Leader of Kyros Church.

Revelof—that is, Leviathan—also knew that fact well, so he could sit before Rawin without a trace of wariness.

"Have you roughly grasped the situation?"

When Rawin finished grasping his situation, Revelof asked him. Rawin slowly nodded, but his bewildered yet somehow bitter expression wasn't easily hidden.

Seeing him like that, Revelof explained with a gentle smile.

"Well, as you've roughly seen... I treated you and brought you to our temple. Simply put... should I call it kidnapping?"

At those words, Rawin's expression noticeably hardened, then he narrowed his brow and said.

"To dare kidnap an apostle of the Diego Church, are you in your right mind?"

No matter how much he regarded Revelof as a friend, this matter was a serious issue. If things went wrong, his friend who received the god Diego's wrath might die.

In contrast, Revelof looked excessively calm. He smiled leisurely and spoke to Rawin.

"Anyway, no one knows that you're here."

"What do you...!"

"Lord Kyros's protection is hiding your existence."

Moreover, where they were now was Kyros's temple—in other words, his domain. Kyros's protection had enough power that the moment Rawin used Diego's power here, it could drive him to the brink of death.

'Well, actually it could kill him, but...'

Since Revelof had permitted Rawin's entrance to the temple, he probably wouldn't die. Still, just in case, Revelof warned Rawin.

"So it would be better not to pull any tricks here. I don't want to take back the life I struggled to save."

At Revelof's cold words, Rawin unconsciously gulped. Watching him for a moment, Revelof left the bedroom.

Shortly after, he re-entered the bedroom, warm tea in his hands. Revelof placed one cup in front of Rawin and sat in a chair while drinking the other.

Because Revelof gave him tea while his hands were still bound, Rawin's mood worsened for a moment, but that feeling didn't last long since it seemed like he was being cared for.

"Well, so... can I hear about it now? Why exactly did you do such a thing?"

At Revelof's words, Rawin kept his mouth shut for a moment. What he asked about was naturally the matter that Khalid and he had committed.

Rawin wondered if he should tell the story, but soon decided to carefully open his mouth. Because the situation was already almost revealed anyway.

"...Even if I don't tell you, you already know everything."

Rawin said. Then Revelof answered with a gentle smile.

"Yes. I roughly know. But... it's different from hearing it directly from the person involved."

At those words, Rawin nodded. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

"...So the beginning of this matter was when I wanted to bring you to our church."

At Rawin's words, Revelof's expression soured.

'This guy is really persistent.'

Knowing his expression wasn't very good, Rawin stubbornly continued speaking.

"I didn't want to see you, my only friend, committing more sins. But no matter how much I thought about it, no proper method came to mind. Then the Fifth Apostle approached me."

"The Fifth Apostle, so... Khalid proposed to you to join forces?"

"Yes. He said he knew your weakness, Leviathan, so I should follow him."

"Weakness..."

Revelof bit his lip. And the scene he had seen a few hours ago automatically drew itself in his mind.

"Compassion, affection, justice... and so on. He said if we used such things, we could easily bring you, and I cooperated with the Fifth Apostle. In that process, we obtained your information through an informant, and carried it out at the right time."

"You knew that if I felt the aura of Black Arc, I would go."

"...Yes. That's right."

At Rawin's words, Revelof let out a low sigh. Because of the Black Arc's aura, he couldn't detect the apostles' auras either, and as a result, he fell into the trap.

'...Damn. If I could have distinguished even a little more clearly, could I at least have saved that man?'

Such regret suddenly bloomed in Revelof's mind.

"Anyway, that's the entire plan."

Trying to kidnap Revelof through threats. Listening to that story, Revelof suddenly realized who the 'informant' Rawin mentioned was.

'The informant would naturally be from the Saintess's side who suddenly came to Holden Territory.'

When gauging the timing, the Saintess's side's visit was earlier. But Khalid and Rawin definitely used the Saintess's side.

'The Saintess's side seems to have other schemes... anyway.'

Revelof organized his thoughts while looking at Rawin. Then Rawin exhaled lowly.

"...In any case, I also didn't expect the Fifth Apostle would betray me."

That was something Revelof also hadn't expected. He only learned that Khalid was involved in this matter after he appeared.

'Khalid probably tried to eliminate Rawin because he noticed Rawin was wavering at my words.'

Revelof slowly nodded. Then Rawin carefully asked.

"But... why did you save me? You didn't seem to like me very much..."

Revelof spoke clearly to Rawin, who seemed more hurt himself.

"Well, since we're acquainted, it felt a bit wrong to let you die before my eyes. Especially when you were even betrayed by a comrade..."

At those words, Rawin's eyes sparkled for a moment. Rawin immediately asked Revelof again.

"Then that means... Do you also regard me as a friend?"

Rawin's voice was quite excited. Revelof slowly nodded while looking at him. And he smiled while thinking.

'...I didn't know it would go this smoothly.'

Though he had been inducing that line from Rawin, he didn't know he would fall for it so easily. And since the situation he wanted had come, Revelof began persuading Rawin in earnest.

"I... regard you more intimately than you think. That is why I used most of my power to save you."

Revelof spoke as sincerely as possible. Of course, it was mostly because his acting skills were outstanding that it looked that way.

"Rawin, you wouldn't have known. What your condition was like after being attacked by Khalid. It was a situation where your breath could stop at any moment. But I... poured out the power I had to treat you."

Then Rawin's eyes gradually began transforming with emotion. Revelof didn't miss the timing.

"So I want you to recognize it. That I sincerely wish for you to become a member of Kyros Church."

At Revelof's words, Rawin's eyes shook greatly.

"B-but... I..."

When Rawin couldn't easily continue his words, Revelof rose from his chair. And he released the handcuffs and shackles restraining Rawin's hands and feet. Then he added with a smile.

"I apologize for treating you like this. When you just woke up in confusion, I did it in case something unfortunate happened to you."

"Ah, as expected you..."

Revelof instinctively realized there wasn't much left. So he continuously continued speaking.

"We—no, Lord Kyros doesn't force you to do things you don't want to do. The place where you can comfortably live doing what you want to do is... Kyros Church. Moreover, it's also where I, your friend, am."

When Revelof spoke with a sincere smile, Rawin's eyes moistened.

"But I... have committed many sins under the protection of the god Diego. The blood on my hands too..."

And Rawin shed a single tear. At that repentant appearance, Revelof inwardly cheered.

'He's gradually breaking free from brainwashing now.'

If his will as Diego's apostle had been even stronger, Rawin wouldn't even have shed such tears of repentance.

Revelof patted Rawin's shoulder and said, 

"You can repay your sins from now on. Together with us."

Rawin hadn't been Diego Church's apostle for very long. He had even less seniority than Terdius.

'And the sins Rawin committed... aren't as much as Terdius's.'

Of course, Rawin also committed such acts because he was brainwashed to some degree by Diego.

'Well, this guy's past wasn't very smooth either.'

Still, Rawin was repenting his own sins. So Revelof thought he could use Rawin effectively.

'His combat power is inferior to Terdius's, but this guy is well-versed in information inside Diego Church.'

Terdius had been an outsider even when he belonged to Diego Church, busy caring for his younger brother Ivan. But unlike him, Rawin had done many things inside.

In other words, obtaining Rawin meant also obtaining a considerable amount of information.

"Then Leviathan..."

Then Rawin said.

"As my friend, please watch me repay my sins."

Rawin said so while shedding tears like chicken droppings. Revelof answered him with a smile.

"Yes. I definitely will."

At the same time, a message appeared before Revelof.

[You have converted the Diego Church's Seventh Apostle 'Rawin' to Kyros Church!]

[The Evil God Diego may be angered by your actions!]

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