Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 34

Ch.34 Apostle of the Goddess of War

Swish, swish.  

With the obstacle gone, the boat on the river slowly moved upstream.  

For some reason, the moment Bardion disappeared, a floral fragrance began to drift from along the riverbank.  

The boatman, as if he could actually see the scent, steered the boat following its trail.  

Swoosh.  

Not long after, the boatman docked the vessel on the shore.  

“We’ve arrived.”  

Sion’s party couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned. The land they had reached was completely covered in wildflowers—so densely packed there wasn’t even space to set foot.  

Garfenn stepped off first, followed by Tier and Sion.  

Sion turned back to pay the fare, but the boat had already vanished.  

“……?”  

Sion’s group slowly walked forward.  

Before them, wildflowers stretched endlessly.  

The term ‘flower field’ was perfectly suited.  

A vast expanse of colorful blossoms.  

A soft, spreading floral fragrance.  

A strangely hazy vision.  

A mysterious boatman.  

And in the far distance, a knight in silver armor riding a white horse approaching.  

“It feels exactly like a dream.”  

All three shared the same sentiment as Tier.  

Thud, thud.  

The knight on the white horse glided smoothly across the flower field.  

Sion’s party watched the scene as if enchanted.  

Even Garfenn, who had seen countless strange sights over the years, found this spectacle remarkable.  

“Welcome, members of the Church of War. I am Marquisin of the Wildflower Knight Order.”  

He was the very embodiment of the word ‘handsome’. His golden hair shimmered like molten gold, and his delicate facial features seemed sculpted by the Goddess herself—perfect in every way.  

The wildflowers of the field seemed mere decorations enhancing the presence of this white-clad knight.  

‘But… his ears?’  

Sion looked at Marquisin’s ears with curiosity.  

Unlike the round ears of ordinary humans, they were long and sharply pointed.  

‘Could this be the elf I’ve only heard about…?’  

It was said that elves were humans directly breathed into life by the Goddess.  

They were known for their lifespans dozens of times longer than humans and their exquisite beauty. These elves were the bloodline of the Imperial Royal Family and the ruling class of the Holy Nation.  

In other words, literally descendants of the Goddess.  

In the human world, they were naturally regarded as extraordinary.  

Seeing one in person, his noble aura was palpable—so much so that one instinctively felt like bowing in reverence.  

“I am Sion of the Church of War. We came in response to your request for salvation. I assume we’ve come to the right place.”  

Whoosh.  

With a motion as graceful as a painting, Marquisin dismounted his horse. He pressed his forehead gently against the horse’s and murmured something softly.  

‘I’ve heard elves can communicate with animals… is that really true?’  

Sion showed childlike curiosity. Though he couldn’t reveal it openly.  

Judging by Tier’s expression beside him, he felt the same.  

Marquisin spoke in a voice like a melody.  

“Of course. You’ve arrived perfectly. I apologize for having to guide you in such an unrefined manner, but we are under attack.”  

“No, it’s quite alright. Are you under assault from the Church of Blood?”  

“Yes… It’s unfortunate, but we are. Normally, we wouldn’t be entangled with such a church, but the world has become chaotic.”  

Marquisin sighed, gently touching his delicate brow. His exquisite beauty was shadowed with worry. He continued,  

“…Sir Garfenn. It’s been a long time.”  

“Hmm.”  

It seemed Marquisin and Garfenn were acquainted. However, they weren’t particularly close—Garfenn merely gave a slight nod in greeting.  

“Though our connection has never been a pleasant one, I deeply appreciate your coming to our aid. The Goddess of War must indeed be merciful.”  

“You, of all people, I didn’t know had joined the Wildflower Church.”  

“That’s how it turned out.”  

The two clearly shared a long history. Whether it was a bond or a bitter rivalry remained unclear.  

“Let us proceed to the village. There, we shall properly receive you.”  

Marquisin gently stroked the white horse. The horse then trotted freely into the meadow. They seemed to let their horses roam freely.  

Truly fitting of the legendary elves.  

The natural, harmonious scene left Sion and Tier wide-eyed with wonder.  

Garfenn lightly placed a hand on Sion’s shoulder and took the lead.  

Sion and Tier exchanged glances.  

Human relationships were incredibly complex. Even their solitary master had someone he knew.  

Unable to contain his curiosity, Tier finally asked.  

“Um, Master? Do you know this knight?”  

Garfenn turned back at the question.  

“I do. We’ve fought a few times.”  

“What?!”  

“He used to be a knight of the Church of Light. Every time they pressured our church, he’d show up to torment me.”  

“I… see.”  

Marquisin couldn’t help but interject. The mystical aura he had initially displayed somewhat faded. Now, he seemed more like a laid-back elf.  

“A black wolf traveling with a pup. Now I’ve seen everything.”  

“You haven’t lived that long, have you?”  

“Not by human standards, no.”  

Marquisin looked at Sion and Tier. His expression was that of someone staring at something truly extraordinary.  

“Could you explain properly? Did you already know about all this, Master?”  

This time, Sion asked. He wanted to understand what was really going on.  

Garfenn was the one who spoke. He slowly walked along the path through the wildflowers as he explained.  

“When I received the letter, I didn’t know it was him. I only just found out this damn long-eared bastard had joined the Wildflower Church. That’s all.”  

Marquisin took over.  

“As you can see, the Blood Cult surrounded the area, so I couldn’t come to greet you. Only when you arrived at the downstream village could I sense the aura of War. Ah, Garfenn has come. That’s how it happened.”  

“…So it was a series of coincidences.”  

Marquisin affirmed with a flower-like, radiant smile.  

“Coincidences build connections. Sion, disciple of Garfenn. I hope we can form a good bond.”  

“…Yes.”  

Sion nodded awkwardly.  

At this moment, Sion’s world expanded.  

From the prison where he’d been trapped with his siblings, to Elim, and now to the Church of Wildflower with an elf knight.  

As he traveled the world as a blade of war, his connections multiplied and his knowledge grew. Sion found this feeling and sensation far from unpleasant.  

“Now, we’re here. Over there.”  

Marquisin pointed toward the village.  

It wasn’t much of a ‘village’—just several large trees standing together.  

A slight mist hung in the air, and the field was full of flowers, giving the impression of being inside a fairy tale.  

The only unusual thing was that everything visible was decorated entirely with flowers.  

‘Now I truly understand what elves are.’  

Then what must the Imperial Palace and the Holy Nation’s sacred sites be like, where elves reside?  

The more Sion’s world expanded, the more he wanted to know.  

And ahead, the opportunities would be endless.  

***  

The Wildflower Church wasn’t really a village, nor was it easy to call it a church.  

Yet everywhere, the purity and clarity of nature soaked into the surroundings, refreshing the spirit.  

‘It makes me feel good.’  

The sensation of mental clarity made Sion naturally cheerful.  

Wildflowers. The church lived up to its name.  

The congregation consisted of several elves and humans mixed together.  

There were fewer than thirty members.  

Even with such simplicity, it was comparable to Elim—Sion realized just how dire the Church of War’s situation had been.  

‘The real crisis of extinction was for the Church of War.’  

Sion accepted the drink offered by a Wildflower follower. It was tea brewed from yellow flower petals. Its fragrant aroma seemed to purify even the deepest parts of his lungs.  

All the believers here wore large and small flower crowns woven from wildflowers.  

Far away, children could be seen holding hands around a long flower stalk, spinning in circles.  

At first glance, the atmosphere seemed peculiar—literally a gathering of people whose heads were flower fields.  

‘They’re facing annihilation, yet the mood seems surprisingly light.’  

Perhaps because only those who had forgotten all worldly worries and devoted themselves solely to nature had gathered here.  

The air felt utterly harmless.  

Sion’s party was led to a spot where tree roots had grown into the shape of a table.  

Marquisin sipped his tea and began to explain.  

He didn’t forget to wear a gentle, spring-like smile.  

“First, I sincerely thank you for coming to our aid. This kindness will not be forgotten by the Goddess of Wildflowers.”  

Sion asked,  

“Why is the Church of Blood attacking this place? You don’t seem to pose any particular threat in size or conduct.”  

Marquisin paused briefly before answering.  

“What they seek is our sacred relic—Emily’s Heart.”  

“Sacred relic?”  

“Yes. Our church has no sacred land or church building. Instead, wherever the relic is kept becomes our sacred ground.”  

Emily’s Heart contained the powerful essence of the Goddess of Wildflowers.  

It was a divine ability overflowing with life force—the power to make life flourish.  

Wherever the relic was placed, grass and trees grew, and beautiful flower fields formed.  

Sion stared quietly at the flower field and said,  

“The Church of Blood isn’t trying to make flowers bloom. They must intend to use the relic for another purpose.”  

“You are correct, Sir Sion. They must be after the power of life.”  

Though exactly what they plan to do with it remains unknown.  

Marquisin added, his face filled with exhaustion.  

Losing the relic meant the annihilation of the church itself.  

No, it would be worse than annihilation—a disgraceful fate.  

Now it was Garfenn’s turn to ask.  

“What is the Holy Nation doing?”  

“The Holy Nation… well, you know how it is. The Church of Wildflower isn’t particularly close to them.”  

“Hmm.”  

Garfenn quickly understood. Only then, with Marquisin’s additional explanation, did Sion and Tier grasp the situation.  

The Holy Nation was originally a union of churches centered around the  Church of Light.  

Even minor Cults joined to receive help and protection.  

In return, they had to abide by the Holy Nation’s laws. Churches that disliked this didn’t join.  

They could remain free, but they also had to give up protection.  

“So you had no choice but to seek help from the Church of War.”  

“Yes. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to actually come.”  

Marquisin laughed humorlessly. It was an unusually blunt smile for an elf.  

Two churches hated by the Holy Nation, cornered and forced to join forces.  

It was a sad, ironic situation that only evoked a hollow laugh.  

“The Holy Nation… should I say they’re narrow-minded? They really are something.”  

Sion said as he sipped his tea. The bitter taste of the leaves didn’t suit him. He grimaced.  

“Haha. You’re absolutely right, Sir Sion. They are narrow-minded.”  

“And their oppressive doctrines too… yeah, not impressive at all.”  

Sion recalled Roben of the Holy Sword Brigade he’d met before.  

They’d parted on good terms, but the first impression hadn’t been pleasant.  

His prejudice against the Holy Nation only solidified further.  

“What’s the enemy’s strength?”  

Garfenn sighed and asked.  

“Roughly a hundred. Possibly more. Two demons are currently leading them.”  

“Hmm. Not easy.”  

The Church of Wildflower had only three capable fighters.  

Overwhelming disparity in strength. Truly like a candle before the wind.  

Sion asked Marquisin.  

Something had been bothering him from the start.  

“By the way, is the barrier that makes people lose their way really real?”  

“Yes. Do you see those children spinning around that flower stalk over there?”  

“Yes…”  

“Though they seem to be playing mindlessly, they are actually praying fervently. They are offering their Divine power to the Goddess of Wildflowers.”  

Sion reluctantly nodded. He had misjudged them. He felt ashamed as a clergyman.  

At the same time, he felt a chill.  

‘To mobilize children like this…’  

Garfenn’s words were true. The Church of Wildflower was far from ordinary, and certainly not purely good.  

In a way, they might be closer to a heretical Cult.  

“The Goddess of Wildflowers has done her best to erect a barrier here. However, due to insufficient believers… that’s the limit. The barrier is weakening even now.”  

Ah— Marquisin’s beautiful face twisted in distress.  

Even the knight of wildflowers couldn’t hide his helplessness.  

That was why he had called for Garfenn’s help.  

There truly had been no other option.  

I didn’t want to reach out to another church, Marquisin said with self-derision.  

“It’s ironic. I pleaded for help from countless churches, yet the only one to extend a helping hand was the Church of War—the very concept most threatening to the wildflowers.”  

Knights who served the Goddess of Wildflowers inevitably, by nature, disliked war. That was understandable.  

Since his beliefs didn’t manifest in his attitude or actions, he could be called a true gentleman.  

In fact, his effort to respect others despite his biases was more mature than Sion’s.  

“How much longer can you hold out?”  

Ideally, they’d hold out until more reinforcements arrived.  

But Marquisin’s answer wasn’t optimistic.  

“At most, a few more days. The children praying also have their limits. Don’t be fooled—they’re enduring tremendous strain.”  

Ahaha—!  

The pure laughter of children rang from afar.  

…After hearing the truth, it now sounded like the anguished cries of suffering children.  

Perception is indeed terrifying.  

“It’s worse than I thought.”  

“I’m ashamed.”  

“…….”  

Garfenn closed his eyes.  

He was praying to Achille.  

He sought an answer from the Goddess, but since this was another church’s territory, even Achille had no clever solution.  

For now, the only honest path was to fight.  

“There’s no option to abandon this place, is there, Marquisin?”  

“…We could move the relic. But… ah, I cannot accept letting evil worshippers trample the flowers we’ve nurtured with such care.”  

When Elim was invaded, did Sion and Garfenn consider abandoning it?  

Putting themselves in his place, the answer was obvious.  

Sion pondered quietly before speaking.  

“If we help, what do we gain?”  

“Pardon? Hmm.”  

“Given the hopeless situation, we need a reason worth risking our lives for.”  

Marquisin showed rare discomfort.  

He hadn’t expected such a direct demand for compensation.  

Until now, Garfenn and Achille had never helped the weak with the expectation of reward.  

“We currently… have nothing to offer. I’m sorry. Once the situation improves, I’ll personally gather funds and repay you…”  

“No. We will only help if you provide compensation now.”  

“Listen here, Sir Sion!”  

The moment Marquisin raised his voice in protest, Sion extended his hand.  

“Emily’s Heart. I’ll take the sacred relic.”

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