Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 119

Ch.119 Apostle of the Goddess of War

The next day, Sion spent a busy time alongside Garfenn.  

Due to the War Cult’s reinstatement, mountains of administrative tasks needed handling.  

Normally, these would be handled by Gustein or the Apostle, but as Sion was the next apostle, he accompanied them for observation and experience.  

“Their gazes aren’t exactly friendly.”  

“People’s perceptions don’t improve overnight.”  

“But the Apostle of Light and Master Lagan seem to regard us favorably.”  

At Lagan’s mention, Garfenn frowned slightly before speaking.  

It was a reminder to distinguish between public duty and private sentiment.  

“They are those who know how to see essence. They do not judge by worldly rumors or others’ gazes—they think based on what they see, hear, and feel directly.”  

“…Most people are fools, then.”  

“The uncomfortable truth of this world.”  

Sion grimaced. ‘Uncomfortable truth’—no phrase fits better.  

“Recognizing truth is important too. The cardinal council, who looked at you unfavorably, knew full well the War Cult bore no guilt—yet they hated you anyway. They simply wanted to pick fights, and our rejoining the Holy Kingdom irked them.”  

Garfenn clicked his tongue.  

If it were up to him, he wouldn’t even glance at the Holy Kingdom.  

Only because Goddess Achille desired it.  

Because it was her homeland, he labored until his bones wore thin, and even now endured.  

“But honestly, I’m not sure what meaning there is in joining the Holy Kingdom now.”  

Garfenn slowly nodded.  

“I feel similarly. If the Goddess of Light is to vanish and sever communication between heaven and earth, wouldn’t it be better for our cult alone to become independent and focus on growing stronger?”  

Resentment flared.  

He wanted nothing more than to cast aside the Holy Kingdom’s people and gather only those from Elim to live together.  

People this despicable—  

[Garfenn, do not hate them too much. After all, these people simply do not know the full circumstances.]  

‘Lady Eru truly committed an unforgivable act.’  

[That is…]  

Even facing Garfenn’s complaint, Achille could say no more.  

It was right after hearing the claim that Eru’s atrocities were, in truth, done to save Achille.  

Even Achille herself still didn’t fully understand.  

Could she truly believe it?  

Was this even within the realm of comprehension?  

Was it truly right that Garfenn and Sion, too, suffered and sacrificed so much—all excluding her?  

Sion, glancing sideways at Garfenn, whose temper was slightly flaring, spoke.  

“Well, I think Commander Lagan will set things straight later.”  

“That guy said that?”  

“Yes. He said he’d sweep away the entire cardinal council.”  

Garfenn grumbled discontentedly.  

“Why do you keep speaking favorably of him in front of me?”  

“Huh?”  

Garfenn, inexplicably displeased that his disciple spoke well of another, sounded cautious—perhaps watching his tone.  

‘Are you jealous?’  

Strangely, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.  

After all, his master was usually so sparing with expression. There was amusement in witnessing Garfenn’s human side like this.  

“Is it all finished now?”  

Sion stretched and asked.  

Having finally escaped the uncomfortable gazes, they had emerged into the plaza. His breath felt refreshingly clear.  

“I really want to return to Elim quickly.”  

“I feel the same, but it’s not possible yet.”  

“Technically, it’s an emergency situation.”  

“Mm.”  

Garfenn paused, thinking briefly, then spoke.  

“Sion.”  

“Yes?”  

“Thanks to your contributions, the War Cult has finally regained its footing.”  

“It’s thanks to your teachings, Master.”  

Garfenn, insisting he had done nothing, sincerely praised Sion. Placing a hand on his shoulder, his sincerity reached Sion.  

“Now, it seems time to pass the apostleship to you.”  

“…?”  

Sion tilted his head.  

It was a topic broached without warning or mental preparation.  

He felt slightly flustered.  

Personally, for Sion, the timing felt a little early.  

“I’m still—”  

“Do you think it’s not yet time?”  

“Yes.”  

Garfenn chuckled softly.  

“Didn’t you once tell me to rest?”  

“That’s… not what I meant.”  

“Then?”  

Sion stumbled over his words.  

He’d said it half-jokingly, half-seriously.  

He hadn’t expected it to be thrust upon him so suddenly.  

It was a future he knew would come someday—but he hadn’t expected it so soon.  

“I’m still… I want to learn more, and I want to rely on you more.”  

Garfenn nodded gently.  

“That’s right. Honestly, normally this would be at least ten years too early.”  

“Ten years feels too long, though…”  

“Well, I’m not saying I’ll hand it over immediately. That would be far too irresponsible.”  

Sion’s expression brightened slightly.  

With a grace period granted, he would need to learn everything he could in the meantime.  

“I will teach you everything I have.”  

“Really?”  

Sion’s eyes sparkled.  

Finally, could he truly call Garfenn his master!  

“In your eyes, I must have seemed like an irresponsible master who took a disciple yet taught him nothing.”  

“That’s right.”  

“……”  

Garfenn cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking again.  

“But that was because you hadn’t yet reached a sufficient level. You understand, don’t you?”  

“Well, yes. Hehe.”  

When Sion first grasped a sword, he rapidly absorbed, mastered, and independently developed everything.  

His innate talent had just begun to sprout—staining it with Garfenn’s color then would have ruined its beauty.  

Garfenn was a truly proper master—he did not teach.  

He offered only minimal help, precisely when Sion requested it.  

His nurturing method was perfectly, utterly correct, and Sion had reached this point.  

As the next Apostle of the Goddess of  War, he had grown faster, freer, and stronger than anyone else.  

“Are you prepared to receive my teachings, disciple?”  

“Of course, Master.”  

Clack!  

Sion gripped his scabbard.  

As if ready to begin training right here.  

“But not here.”  

“Is there anywhere suitable to train in this field of Holy Kingdom people?”  

“Don’t worry. It won’t be physical training.”  

He had wanted to truly cross swords with his master.  

Inwardly, Sion felt disappointed.  

* * *  

The two entered their separately assigned temporary lodging.  

Rather than the central religious quarter where Holy Kingdom clergy resided, their lodging was situated in a village formed by ordinary civilians.  

True to its status as the largest religious city and nation, the Holy Kingdom’s city stretched beyond the horizon, its end nowhere in sight.  

Thus, accommodations were plentiful.  

Though there was no place suitable for intense training, there were ample spaces for a master to impart enlightenment to his disciple.  

“Sit straight for a moment. I must accurately assess your current state.”  

“Yes, Master.”  

Sion obediently followed his instructions. Each time he received Garfenn’s teachings, he leapt forward another step.  

He had just successively met the Apostle of Wisdom — Apostle of Blood — Commander of the Order of the Holy Sword — Apostle of Light.  

All sorts of inspiration and enlightenment floated through Sion’s mind like debris.  

It was the perfect time to organize these and transform them into complete, pure enlightenment.  

Sion sat upright, back straight.  

Garfenn sat behind him and placed his hands on him.  

Garfenn’s finely honed divine power gradually seeped into Sion’s body.  

Garfenn murmured to himself.  

‘This divine ring—no matter how many times I see it, it’s astonishing. Just how…’  

Even upon reconsideration, it was a revolutionary method of divine energy manipulation. When Sion eventually led the War Cult, if he mastered this technique, the War Cult would truly become invincible.  

‘His divine energy has increased incomparably since I last saw him. At least fivefold.’  

He had defeated even the Apostle of Blood.  

If the sacrifices offered then had returned as divine energy, it must have been immense.  

‘It’s almost regrettable that it was when the Apostle of Blood had already weakened.’  

Even with that regret, it was tremendous growth. With this much divine energy, he could now rival holy knights who had trained for over twenty years.  

It was an astonishing growth rate.  

It even evoked a sense of unknown dread.  

‘Indeed.’  

Precisely because his growth was so abnormal, the Goddess of War had marked him, and the Supreme Deity had chosen him as humanity’s final hope.  

Sion did not yet know the weight of that burden.  

But as his master, Garfenn could help him gain the strength to bear it.  

That was Garfenn’s final duty and mission before choosing peace.  

“Your divine energy has increased incomparably compared to before, and your martial merits are extraordinary. I’ve also confirmed your unique domain—black darkness and stars. Light created from nothingness. It suits you, I suppose.”  

Garfenn broke the silence to praise him.  

Sion brightly responded,  

“Does it suit me?”  

“I can’t quite put it into words.”  

Sion silently nodded.  

Garfenn added,  

“The Goddess says your stars now shine brightly and unmistakably.”  

“Huh? Then?”  

“Now, you can wield the power of the stars. And you’ve also gained the authority bestowed by the Goddess.”  

Sion’s heart pounded.  

Power of the stars? Authority of Goddess Achille?  

It felt as though fantastical, otherworldly concepts were cascading like a waterfall.  

If he could grow stronger here, he would do anything—plunge in recklessly and seize it.  

“Teach me everything!”  

“Hehe. I’ve never seen you this eager before.”  

“Well, war is right around the corner. I need to grow stronger, even a little.”  

“Mm. I wish we had a bit more time.”  

Already, the Holy Kingdom and Commander of the Order of the Holy Sword had declared a state of emergency and mobilized all forces.  

Not only the Holy Kingdom, but cults everywhere had essentially entered wartime status.  

All apostles had been summoned to the Holy Kingdom.  

Since the Holy Kingdom faced the greatest threat, maximum power needed to be concentrated in one place.  

If Evil God apostles appeared in the Holy Kingdom, it would be the perfect opportunity to exterminate them all at once.  

“I’ll do my absolute best.”  

At Sion’s determined declaration, his master laughed refreshingly. He had chosen his disciple well.  

“Now, I shall help you sense the stars.”  

“Stars….”  

“Think of it as wielding your own utterly unique power—different in kind from your mental realm.”  

Sion closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  

Despite his tremendous growth, many realms remained unknown to Sion.  

Partly due to his rapid growth.  

Even accounting for that, it seemed there existed diverse kinds and realms of mastery and power.  

“The stars are power directly connected to you by the Goddess.”  

“The Goddess….”  

“Can you sense it?”  

[Can you sense it?]  

Garfenn asked.  

Simultaneously, Achille asked.  

“The Goddess is reaching you through my body.”  

“…Yes. Something… itchy.”  

The Goddess smiled faintly.  

[Truly, a Sion-like impression.]  

“That’s right.”  

“It feels good.”  

Garfenn instructed Sion to focus, then continued explaining.  

“If the mental realm manifests the beliefs you’ve constructed, then the martial merits inscribed upon your stars are truly blessings—gifts.”  

“……”  

“The power granted to you from the stars is truly akin to supernatural ability—of a kind even magic struggles to replicate.”  

“I can’t even imagine it.”  

Garfenn muttered to himself, then chose the simplest example to help Sion understand.  

“Think of it simply. The power you receive from the stars is of a similar nature to the power the Goddess wields.”  

“The power… the Goddess wields?”  

“Yes. Power that is not human.”  

As always, his tone was calm and matter-of-fact.  

It was an explanation of truly incomprehensible, transcendent ability.  

Rather than aiding understanding, it made things even harder to grasp. As always, Garfenn had no talent for teaching.  

Sion, too, didn’t seem to fully grasp it. Garfenn sighed and said,  

“Well, feeling it directly will be faster. Close your eyes.”

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