Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 35

Ch.35 Apostle of the Goddess of War

The serene, detached expressions of the Wildflower Cult members vanished in an instant. Even Tier’s face was painted with shock.  

“Are you… truly serious right now?”  

Marquisin’s face turned fierce.  

Helping was one thing, but he judged that a line had been crossed.  

“Yes.”  

“You demand our sacred relic? You’re no different from a vile Blood Cultist! A duel it is—I shall cut down the warrior of the War Cult here and now!”  

The elf gripped his sword in fury.  

The atmosphere turned as sharp and dangerous as a blade.  

With the situation reaching this point, even the usually timid Tier could no longer stay still.  

“S-Sir Sion. No matter what, demanding a sacred relic seems unreasonable…”  

Sion cut Tier off sharply, like a blade.  

“No. It’s justified. And—”  

Sion stared straight at Marquisin and declared,  

“This is the only way to save the Wildflower Cult.”  

“What did you say?”  

Marquisin’s eyebrows twisted in anger. He glared at Sion as if sizing up just how far this insolent youth would push his luck.  

“Please calm down and listen, Sir Marquisin. If we assess the current power gap, we have no chance of victory.”  

“So what?”  

“Therefore, we abandon this place. Unlike other Cults, you can simply move your sacred relic.”  

“You speak so lightly about another Cult’s affairs. Garfenn, is this how you teach your disciple?”  

Garfenn stood with his arms crossed, shrugging his shoulders. His posture remained unchanged—clearly, Sion’s words reflected his own opinion.  

“I advise you. Listen to my disciple to the end, Marquisin.”  

“……”  

Marquisin slowly turned his head back toward Sion.  

“I apologize for my earlier outburst and harsh words. Please continue.”  

Sion calmly continued his explanation, completely unfazed by Marquisin’s anger.  

“When I asked for compensation in the form of a sacred relic, I was actually suggesting that you settle in Elim. Keep your sacred relic near Elim and live by tending the forest.”  

“…What do you mean?”  

“The worshippers of Evil Gods will continue expanding their influence. You can’t keep asking for help every time they attack.”  

This was a hard truth to deny.  

Even if they somehow survived this crisis, there was no guarantee they’d be safe from the next threat.  

“In other words, you’ll receive protection from Elim, through cooperation. If the Evil God worshippers retreat later, you may leave again at that time.”  

In truth, Elim itself was critically lacking in strength.  

If the Wildflower Cult was destroyed, there was no guarantee that the War Cult wouldn’t be next.  

If someone attacked while the Cult was unguarded, there would be no way to defend it.  

‘Even with me here, it’s the same. The War Cult is currently far too weak. Now that I have more to protect, I must grow stronger.’  

Having guardians to watch over the garden would bring at least a little peace of mind.  

‘Use the Goddess of Wildflower’s power and the Wildflower Knights as a guard force.’  

Since they couldn’t rely on help from the Round Table Cults, this was a proposal for minor Cults to unite their strength.  

Sion had devised a strategy to counter the rising threat of the Evil God worshippers.  

In his mind, a grand picture of the coming war had already taken shape.  

The first goal was to build walls and prepare defenses against enemies.  

…The curtain of war had officially risen.  

“—That is certainly a sound proposal.”  

“Isn’t it?”  

Marquisin’s face flushed slightly. Who would have thought such noble intentions lay behind this?  

“Uniting our strength to overcome difficult times and support each other is undoubtedly beneficial. The problem is…”  

The agreement between the Goddesses.  

This was the most delicate issue.  

The coexistence of two Goddesses in one place was synonymous with catastrophe.  

War would be inevitable.  

‘But the situation is dire. Without agreement, annihilation is certain. Can the Goddess of Wildflower truly endure that?’  

Sion didn’t think so. He had already calculated this and made his suggestion accordingly.  

Sion asked his master,  

“Master. May I ask the Goddess for permission?”  

“Very well. Wait here.”  

“I shall also offer a prayer.”  

Garfenn and Marquisin left their seats. A short while later, both returned with positive answers.  

“The Goddess has granted permission for you to temporarily reside in Elim.”  

“The Goddess of Wildflower says she will entrust herself to us temporarily, provided Lady Achille agrees.”  

“Excellent. The discussion went well.”  

The Goddesses had reached an agreement among themselves and conveyed their will to their apostles.  

No one knew what conversation had passed between the Goddesses.  

It surely hadn’t been easy.  

But in the end, an agreement was reached. That was what mattered.  

Centered around Sion, the two Cults had united their strength.  

[Remarkable skill, Sion. As expected, you know how to think big.]  

Both Achille and Emily, the Goddess of Wildflower, held Sion in high regard.  

Not only Garfenn and Tier, but even Marquisin secretly marveled at Sion.  

“The Goddess of Wildflower has promised to use her power to protect us from outside threats while we reside in Elim.”  

“Thank you. That is more than enough.”  

At last, Sion had achieved what he wanted. Since the moment he heard of Emily’s Heart—the sacred relic—he had conceived this idea and now brought it to fruition.  

Now, his siblings’ safety was even more secure. It still wasn’t perfect, but step by step, he would make it better—just like this.  

“Then, you are saying you will help our Cult members escape safely?”  

“Yes.”  

Sion answered confidently.  

“By what means? Do you have a plan?”  

“It would be impossible to win in a direct fight, but escape should be manageable somehow—with the Goddess of Wildflower’s help.”  

“Hmm…”  

Marquisin crossed his arms and fell into thought.  

‘His confidence is extraordinary. Can a youth this young truly be this brilliant? In an instant, he found a breakthrough and guided two Goddesses into an alliance.’  

The situation seemed entirely under this boy’s control.  

A strange power emanated from Sion.  

Marquisin had lived many times longer than a human. In that time, he had seen countless humans and witnessed the rise and fall of kingdoms and heroes.  

In his eyes, this young swordsman named Sion was someone special—  

The kind of person people say holds the world in their hands.  

‘He will become great. Soon, his name will resound across the continent.’  

Clap.  

Sion lightly clapped his hands.  

“Then, let’s plan the escape. First…”  

***  

Under the protection of the Goddess of Wildflower, Sion’s party and the Wildflower Cult members headed east.  

They decided the escape route should avoid areas with many civilians as much as possible.  

Heading east, bypassing Foils widely, and then making their way to Elim seemed the best option.  

If pursued, the Goddess of Wildflower’s power would throw the enemy into confusion, allowing them to safely escape the Blood Cultists’ encirclement—this was the primary objective.  

It was a strategy that required the Goddess to guarantee the safety of her own believers.  

Sion trusted in the Goddess’s love for her followers.  

That was why he proposed this plan.  

The scent of blood in the air grew stronger the farther they moved from the Wildflower Sanctuary. It was the exact opposite of the flower fragrance emanating from the Wildflower Knights.  

‘The encirclement is quite wide. It won’t be easy to break through.’  

Thud.  

Marquisin, leading the group, came to a sudden stop. He signaled with his hand.  

‘There are Blood Cultists ahead.’  

Sion’s pupils pierced through the darkness, identifying the enemy.  

Three of them. Swordsmen of similar skill to the Blood Sword they had killed earlier.  

Garfenn and Marquisin exchanged a glance.  

Immediately, the scent of flowers intensified around them.  

Mist-like fog gathered, blurring their vision.  

The Goddess of Wildflower’s power had taken hold of the area.  

Only the Wildflower Knights and War Knights remained free from its influence.  

Whoosh.  

Through the swirling scent of blood, a massive shadow darted past.  

Kiiing.  

A clean, low ring of steel echoed. When they regained their senses, the heads of the three Blood Cultists had already rolled to the ground.  

It was Garfenn’s doing.  

With astonishing speed, he had sent all three blood-worshipping disciples to the afterlife.  

‘Now that I think about it… this is the first time I’ve seen my master fight.’  

There had been a few minor skirmishes before, but each time Sion had mostly subdued the enemies himself. Garfenn had never drawn his sword directly.  

In fact, this was the first time Sion had ever witnessed his master’s true strength.  

Sion approached Garfenn. Before he could say anything, Garfenn spoke first.  

“Sion, try not to fight if possible.”  

“What? Why?”  

“Because you still lack experience. Even if your skill is superior, these are dangerous men. You don’t know what sorcery they might use.”  

It was a reasonable explanation.  

Sion’s weak point was experience.  

Garfenn, who had lived through countless battles, had deliberately stepped forward for a reason. Even he believed this fight carried significant risks.  

“I understand.”  

Sion stepped back.  

Staying on the sidelines while others fought went against his nature, but he trusted there was a reason his master had said this so firmly.  

Garfenn gave a single nod and resumed advancing.  

The Wildflower Knights, under Marquisin’s command, silently assassinated enemies.  

Blood splattered across their beautiful faces, yet even that sight resembled roses in bloom.  

Slish!  

Garfenn unleashed merciless violence upon the Blood Cultists.  

Kiiing!  

Before they could react, the black wolf had already sunk its fangs into their throats.  

Yet Garfenn didn’t stop—he kept moving, swinging his sword again and again.  

Every strike was instantaneous and flawless, without a single wasted motion.  

‘This is… my master’s strength…’  

It was unbelievable that someone of such massive build could move with such agility.  

Sion stood nearly spellbound, absorbing every movement of Garfenn’s sword dance.  

Lightning-fast strikes, overwhelming power combined with stealthy movements. Not a single motion was wasted; only the precise amount of energy was applied with perfect timing.  

‘…Incredible.’  

In this moment, Sion truly understood his own abilities.  

‘I am still nothing.’  

Though both the Goddess of War and his master called him an unmatched genius, that was a judgment that included future potential.  

In terms of actual current skill, there were far more areas where he fell short. Only endless experience and relentless effort could fill that gap.  

Seeing Garfenn’s swordsmanship made this crystal clear.  

The world was vast, and strong people were countless.  

Compared to the true masters who ruled over this immense world, Sion was still terribly insignificant.  

His heart pounded involuntarily.  

He couldn’t calm his racing chest.  

‘There’s still so much path left to climb. Endless.’  

He could feel the gap in strength even though his master hadn’t used his full power.  

The strongest warriors of each Cult, the apostles, the leaders of various knight orders… magicians and mages alike.  

Countless powerful beings existed in the world, and each of them was a wall, a mountain that Sion would have to overcome.  

‘Not bad.’  

The idea of becoming the blade of the Goddess of War, pursuing the path of conquest, slowly settled into Sion’s heart.  

Was it because he was loved by the Goddess of War that he felt this way?  

Or was it because he was this kind of person that he had pleased the Goddess of War?  

‘…It doesn’t matter.’  

He would grow stronger, stronger, and stronger.  

Shocked by Garfenn’s swordsmanship, Sion’s mind quickly healed. He gathered his enlightenment and took another step forward in growth.  

Slash!  

Meanwhile, Garfenn cut down the blood-worshipping disciples in a state of near-enlightenment.  

It was closer to slaughter than ambush.  

Combined with the Goddess of Wildflower’s interference, the Blood Cultists’ encirclement was easily dismantled.  

There was no obstacle to their breakthrough.  

‘At this rate, he might just wipe them all out alone.’  

The difference in strength was that overwhelming.  

Later, Marquisin and the Wildflower Knights could only stand by helplessly.  

Garfenn had already surged far ahead, decapitating enemies one after another.  

Even in the dark forest, the sacred energy of war shone brightly. A cluster of glittering stars traced orbits, igniting justice.  

When Garfenn had slain about ten disciples of the War Cult, he finally stopped swinging his sword.  

“It seems I’ve killed all the scum wandering around here.”  

“They’ve set up quite an extensive perimeter. They must be doing it for that purpose.”  

Garfenn and Marquisin exchanged words.  

“They must have drunk a lot of blood.”  

“It’s disgusting that my comrades’ blood is being used in such a filthy place.”  

Marquisin grimaced as if something foul had touched the back of his neck. Garfenn reacted similarly with disgust.  

Sion already knew from prior explanation.  

‘They’re gathering corpses to drain their blood, I suppose.’  

Sion pictured the revolting scene in his mind. Ugh, it was indeed repulsive.  

It would probably be less disgusting to just stare blankly at dismembered corpses.  

Just then, Garfenn approached.  

Blood dripped steadily from his sword.  

“Sion. Tier.”  

“Yes, Master.”  

“Yes, sir.”  

“You remember what I told you earlier?”  

Both Sion and Tier nodded simultaneously.  

“Very soon, they’ll realize and come swarming. We’ll turn the tables and hunt them within the Goddess of Wildflower’s barrier.”  

“We understand.”  

“But absolutely—”  

Garfenn warned, carefully regulating his breath.  

“Do not fight the one with red hair. The moment you see him, you must flee. Understand?”  

“…Yes.”  

“We understand.”  

Garfenn gave this warning with rare tension.  

For Garfenn, who trusted Sion’s strength above all, to say they must absolutely avoid fighting him—how terrifying must this red-haired Blood Cultist be?  

“There are at least two demonkin. Do not under any circumstances confront them.”  

“We understand, we’ll be careful—”  

“Suddenly, the rats are fleeing. So other Cult members have gotten involved?”  

Whooo!  

In an instant, a chill seeped from beneath their skin.  

Sion’s head snapped around mid-sentence.  

Up in the trees.  

Everyone in Sion’s party stared at the same spot.  

“R-red… hair.”  

Tier muttered.  

There, just as they had been warned about, a man with red hair stood upside-down on a tree branch like a bat.  

How a human could stand upside-down wasn’t the important point at this moment.  

What mattered was—  

‘An impossible level of killing intent.’  

Garfenn’s concern was not unfounded. An overwhelmingly powerful being had appeared, leaving them speechless.  

‘Haha.’  

Sion gripped his sword tightly. Simultaneously, overwhelmed by fear and fighting spirit, he burst into an indescribable laugh.

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