novelraw Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Ch.20 Apostle of the Goddess of War
After spending a luxurious night at the guildmaster’s mansion, Sion stepped out into the city streets the next day.
Before carrying out the mission entrusted by Apur, he had many things to take care of.
Originally, he should have returned straight to Elim, but since matters had arisen, he needed to purchase supplies and send money separately.
In this massive city, which he was seeing for the first time in his life, Sion’s eyes wandered as he wandered here and there.
He carefully bought snacks for himself and also bought items his younger sister Ruina had asked for. He bought clothes and snacks generously, and still had money left over.
The gold coins Apur had given him for travel expenses were an enormous sum he had never handled before.
‘I wonder if Ruina will like this?’
Sion agonized for a long time in front of a jewelry display. Ruina always said she didn’t need anything for herself, but that didn’t sit well with him.
It was the feeling of an older brother who wanted to do something for her.
Finally, Sion chose a butterfly-shaped hair ornament.
It was a piece of jewelry showcasing the craftsmanship of a master artisan.
Having bought all the necessary items, Sion went to the place Apur had recommended.
It was the postal guild marked by a signboard that read
It was a business specializing in delivering letters and light goods. Such postal guilds existed in every major city.
‘So such a convenient thing exists. The world really is vast.’
A middle-aged knight with a bored expression greeted Sion.
It was Loenhaugter, who had been assigned to escort him.
“Oh, Sir Loenhaugter.”
“Sir Sion. Have you finished your errands?”
“Yes. Thanks to the guildmaster’s kindness, I had a good time.”
He didn’t explicitly say he was seeing the city for the first time. He didn’t want to appear like a country bumpkin.
Because looking down on him would extend to looking down on the disciples of the Goddess of War.
“That’s good. I’ve purchased all the supplies you mentioned. Food and basic repair materials, correct?”
“Yes, thank you. But I feel bad. It’s like I’ve made someone of your standing run errands for me.”
Loenhaugter waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s fine. I received a generous fee from the guildmaster.”
“In that case, I’m relieved.”
Entering the postal guild, someone recognized Loenhaugter and approached.
“Is this Sir Sion?”
“Yes. He’s the guildmaster’s guest, so please treat him well.”
“Of course! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Sion. I am Arichi of the Abundance Cult’s postal guild
“Yes, I appreciate your help.”
Arichi muttered while flipping through some ledger.
“The items are a pouch of gold coins, several small objects, and food supplies loaded onto a cart, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“The sender is Guildmaster Apur, and the recipient is Bishop Gustein of Elim?”
“Yes. Please deliver them safely. It’ll be safe, right?”
“Don’t worry. Our
When Arichi smiled, Loenhaugter nodded in agreement. He said he occasionally sent money anonymously to his hometown.
‘If a merchant-trusted postal guild says it’s reliable, I can trust them with money.’
In truth, Sion desperately wanted to return to Elim right away.
To be praised by his master and Bishop Gustein.
To tell his younger siblings about his exploits.
To see them happily wearing new clothes and eating the food he brought…
But returning with something greater would double the joy.
For that moment, Sion decided to endure a brief delay of happiness.
“When you deliver it, say the name ‘Sion’.”
“I swear by the Goddess of Abundance. I’ll carry it on the wind and return. Just leave it to me!”
Having finished his errands, Sion left the postal guild building. It was time to part ways with Loenhaugter.
“Where will you go now?”
Loenhaugter asked.
“I need to gather some information.”
Sion replied, tucking the official document he received from Arichi into his clothes.
Loenhaugter sighed and shook his head.
“Is it really necessary to go around in person? I believe I’ve already given you all the information you need.”
Sion smiled.
“There’s a difference between information heard through the ears and information confirmed firsthand.”
Loenhaugter crossed his arms, looked at Sion, and reluctantly nodded.
“That’s not wrong. I actually trust you more because you don’t seem like someone who cuts corners.”
“Thank you for the kind words. Then I’ll be on my way.”
“Sir Sion.”
Loenhaugter stopped Sion as he turned to leave. He gave serious advice with a grave expression.
“Be careful with Holt. He’s a strong knight.”
“I’ll defeat him. But I have a question myself.”
“What is it?”
“Why didn’t you take care of it yourself, Sir Loenhaugter? Why go through the trouble of asking me?”
Loenhaugter raised the corner of his mouth bitterly.
“There are personal reasons. Besides, I wouldn’t stand a chance against him. That’s why I refused. Shamefully so.”
“I see.”
“The Sir Sion I’ve seen is far stronger than I am. You’ll defeat him. Just don’t let your guard down.”
Sion took the veteran knight’s advice to heart and departed.
***
Sion headed toward the mercenary guild, crossing the city’s main district.
There were two mercenary guild buildings.
One was so crowded that tables were set up outside.
The other looked clean and orderly but was quiet.
‘There’s usually more information where there are more people…’
Yet, for some reason, Sion’s footsteps began heading toward the quieter mercenary guild, which was farther away.
[That’s the one, Sion.]
Drawn by the goddess’s guidance, he opened the door and was immediately overwhelmed by a rough atmosphere. Despite the quiet exterior, the inside was bustling with people.
Men in armor clinked their wine cups, loudly boasting about fights and crude stories.
Merchants, mercenaries, and villagers were all mixed together, and on one wall, various requests and wanted posters were messily pinned up.
A staff member approached Sion.
She was a woman who exuded a mature scent.
“Oh, customer?”
“Yes.”
“You’re young. What do you need?”
“I need a room for one night. Preferably clean.”
“Hmm. Got it.”
The staff member, casually dropping formalities, gave Sion a suggestive smile.
“I’ll give you a quiet room. One silver coin.”
Sion pulled coins from his pocket and handed them over—not one, but two.
“Generous, big brother. Anything else you need?”
“Food and water to wash with.”
The staff member placed her hand on Sion’s shoulder and flirted.
“How about someone to… wash you?”
Thud.
Sion brushed her hand away as if flicking off dust.
“Don’t joke around.”
“My, my. Tougher than you look—”
That was when it happened.
“Damn it! Get lost, I said!”
Turning at the commotion, he saw two men beating and stomping on someone.
The staff member tossed her purple hair and clicked her tongue.
“Ugh. Here they go again.”
“Those older guys?”
“No. That kid. The one beaten to a pulp.”
The staff member put down her tray and tried to stop the men.
But it was nearly impossible for a woman to stop two men who were thoroughly worked up.
Thwack! Thwack!
While she ran to call the owner, the boy might have died.
He was around Sion’s age, and seeing his pitiful state, Sion couldn’t just walk away.
Helping the weak, upholding one’s beliefs—
Wasn’t that exactly what an Apostle of the goddess should do?
Sion’s body moved automatically, without consulting his conscious mind.
“Stop it.”
Sion grabbed the arm of the man who was punching.
“What?”
“I said stop. You’ll kill him.”
His low, firm voice filled the inn. A chilling silence fell.
The two men flinched and turned around. The troublemaker was a much younger boy than they expected.
Did this brat lose his fear?
“You damn brat. You know this guy?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then get lost!”
The man whose arm Sion held tried to shake it off by swinging his shoulder.
“What?”
But his arm didn’t budge at all.
“F-fuck!”
He strained harder, but still, nothing. It felt like trying to push a solid log with bare hands.
The mercenary who started the fight had his face gradually contort.
Crack.
Sion’s tightly gripped hand squeezed the man’s forearm even harder. Pain surged. The man gritted his teeth, refusing to let his pride break.
“Damn it. You won’t let go?”
“I’ll let go if you stop and leave.”
“What the hell are you?”
“Just someone passing by.”
Though pretending to be tough, the man was afraid of Sion.
‘How can this damn kid be so strong?’
He felt a weight like being crushed under a boulder, a sense of a wall he couldn’t overcome.
Sion didn’t even smile.
He simply stared with chillingly cold eyes.
The beaten boy looked around the same age as Sion, but there was something different about him.
‘This kid… his eyes look like he’s killed someone before…’
If it were just that, he wouldn’t have been so frightened.
Something was special.
His uneducated mercenary mind couldn’t explain it, but instinct warned him.
If he continued, losing an arm wouldn’t be the end of it.
“Want to keep going?”
Sion asked coldly.
The sword at his waist was surely not a decoration.
“Tch! Fine, whatever. Bad luck sticking around.”
The two men spat curses and glared at the fallen boy.
“If I see you again, I’ll really kill you with my own hands. Understand?”
“Damn it. Ruined the taste of my drink. Let’s go somewhere else.”
“Yeah.”
“……”
Sion quietly watched them leave, then turned his gaze to the groaning boy.
“Can you get up?”
The boy gritted his teeth and tried to rise, but it clearly wasn’t easy.
“Ugh…”
Sion sighed and extended his hand.
“Take it.”
***
Sion brought the boy to his room.
His name was Tier.
As it turned out, he was a boy from a village near Foils, making a living through mining.
After hearing his story, Sion realized he was from the very mining village he was supposed to visit for his mission.
‘I somehow wanted to go to the quiet guild. Was it the goddess’s guidance?’
It was a strange connection.
Tier’s condition was terrible, so Sion first helped him wash up, then borrowed simple medicine and bandages from the staff.
“T-thank you, sir…”
Tier, utterly deflated, handed his arm to Sion. As Sion wrapped the bandages, he asked,
“What happened?”
“Well…”
The boy seemed to have a lot to say. If Sion listened to it all, he’d surely get dragged into some trouble.
The old Sion would have just treated him and sent him off. But the Sion after meeting his siblings was different. The desire to protect the weak had quietly taken root in him.
[Your kindness is what made this goddess fall for you. How lovely to see.]
Besides, since he was from the mining village, there was a high chance he was connected to this mission. Listening to him wasn’t a waste of time but could be helpful.
The real, ground-level information Sion wanted might be with Tier.
“I’ve got time, so tell me everything slowly. I’ll help if I can.”
Tier fidgeted nervously with his fingers before finally opening his mouth.
“I have a younger sister, five years younger than me. After losing our parents, I’ve been feeding her.”
A younger sister—Sion immediately became absorbed in Tier’s story. It was similar to his own.
“Yes, and?”
“Since I can’t leave her alone at home, I take her with me when I work. We lived like that without problems until….”
Tier’s eyes reddened.
“We suddenly met bandits. A group I’d never seen before. They grabbed me and said this.”
“Who gave you permission to take minerals from our mountain?”
“You touched private property without permission, so we’re taking your sister!”
“If you want her back, bring us the money we demand.”
Tier’s tears dropped to the floor.
The sorrow of the powerless was palpable.
His trembling fists were utterly weak.
Sion well understood that feeling of rage at being unable to protect anything.
Tier gritted his teeth and added,
“Those bandits only kidnap girls and keep them locked up. They take villagers, slaves—any woman they can get their hands on.”
“Only girls?”
This was a strange piece of information amid the rest.
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