Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 41

Ch.41 Apostle of the Goddess of War

‘Let’s try it.’  

Sion breathed slowly and quietly settled into his inner self.  

Observing his body’s interior, he gently touched the sacred energy gathered near his chest.  

The blessed cluster he had received from the goddess slowly rose.  

‘Spread the divine power to search. If I use it like Marquisin did, shaping it into thin threads, efficiency should be decent.’  

Of course, manifesting invisible energy into an imagined shape and size was extremely difficult.  

Performing an unlearned task was a high-level feat only a naturally gifted demon could accomplish.  

Yet, Sion was slowly, gradually succeeding.  

Creating pathways within the body was still difficult.  

For now, he simply followed his senses, treating the sacred energy gathered at his heart like a ball of yarn and gently unraveling it.  

He then stretched out the unraveled strands of sacred energy, making them long.  

Just completing this process left him breathless, sweat pouring all over his body until his clothes were completely soaked.  

The mental exhaustion was immense.  

He felt so fatigued he might collapse unconscious at any moment, but Sion gritted his teeth and focused solely on manipulating the divine power.  

The thread of sacred energy carefully probed the surroundings.  

This is soil.  

This is a sprout.  

This is fruit.  

This is stone.  

Each time he touched something, Sion received information about the object.  

‘So divine power can be used this way too.’  

If this was possible, finding hidden enemies or detecting them in advance would become much easier.  

It felt like a more reliable method since it didn’t rely solely on instinct.  

One revelation after another.  

Sion was growing in real time.  

And finally.  

When he was panting for breath.  

Thud.  

Sion’s sacred energy grasped Marquisin.  

“You were here.”  

Sion spoke, doing his best to hide his exhaustion and feigning nonchalance.  

Marquisin wasn’t far away—a distance easily allowing verbal conversation.  

“What…!”  

An Elf’s flustered reaction could be sensed beyond the thicket. When Sion opened his eyes, Marquisin was hurrying toward him in flight.  

He landed lightly and stood before Sion.  

“W-what did you just do? How?”  

“What?”  

“You actually found me by manipulating divine power!”  

“Weren’t there no other options?”  

“Yes, yes, of course! Hah! I can’t believe it!”  

Marquisin was so flustered he lost his words.  

Clearly, Sion’s genius and unexpected talent were at a level that stunned everyone.  

Even Achille and Emily, silently observing their training, were utterly amazed.  

[Amazing… So that child is the next Apostle. You must feel reassured.]  

[Hmm, yes! Of course. Sion is a devotee I’ve raised with great care, but such ability is simply natural for the War Cult.]  

[Is that so… Achille. You must be pleased. Our devotees…]  

Achille pretended to be as calm as possible in response to Emily’s words.  

Of course, Sion’s skill was anything but ordinary.  

This wasn’t a technique one could master in a day, or even in minutes.  

Honestly, Achille was so astonished he wanted to scream.  

‘Sion…!!!’  

But since he was enjoying tea with the Goddess of Wildflowers, he had to maintain decorum and react politely.  

“Hoo. I’m truly speechless. I’m almost at a loss.”  

Marquisin shook his head in disbelief.  

His head involuntarily shook side to side.  

“In any case.”  

Marquisin looked at Sion and said,  

“You’ve succeeded in the task. Honestly, I thought it would take months, but it only took minutes.”  

“Good thing. If it had taken that long, I’d have been really disappointed.”  

Sion calmly nodded, as if his remarkable achievement was nothing special.  

He wasn’t completely stoic by nature, but in this regard, his emotions showed no highs or lows.  

“Come here.”  

Marquisin led Sion deeper into the forest. He wandered around here and there, not heading to a specific destination but searching for something.  

“Here it is.”  

Marquisin reached out and picked a single fruit.  

The crimson-tinged fruit was about the size of a fist.  

“This is the Wildflower Cult’s secret medicine.”  

“This fruit?”  

“Though it looks like an ordinary fruit, it’s a rare fruit formed through the deep grace of the Goddess of Wildflowers and the devoted care of the Cult members. It’s truly rare to see.”  

It was a precious item, also a gift carrying the heart of the Wildflower Cult.  

Sion received it with both hands.  

“The flesh tastes bad. It’s inedible. You eat the seeds. The seeds are soft and nutty.”  

“Thank you.”  

“Since you won it in our contest, I hope you’ll put it to good use.”  

It was a fruit best consumed during long battles. Sion tucked the secret medicine into his clothes.  

Without either leading, they began walking through the forest. After a difficult training session, it was a sweet rest.  

The fresh forest air and the pleasant fragrance of wildflowers soothed their bodily fatigue.  

“This is really a wonderful forest.”  

“Thank you. It’s all thanks to your consideration and that of the Goddess of War.”  

“Oh, it’s nothing.”  

Marquisin smiled brightly, hands clasped behind his back. Sion’s humility always lifted his spirits.  

“Recently, I’ve constantly felt it in my ears. The Wildflower Cult becoming indebted to the War Cult is a favor I can never repay.”  

“No, it’s the opposite. Thanks to you, Sir Marquisin, I feel secure. The War Cult is also gaining much as the forest grows.”  

“I appreciate you saying so.”  

Marquisin started walking again.  

“Fortunately, Goddess Emily said Goddess Achille treats her well too.”  

“Our Goddess is kind, after all.”  

“Haha! Indeed. That’s why preconceptions are scary.”  

“We should correct bad rumors as soon as possible.”  

“If you keep performing like this, Sir Sion, it won’t be long.”  

They arrived back at the original clearing. They had walked a short loop around the forest.  

“Now, shall we move to the next stage? Did you feel anything during our walk?”  

“…?”  

Sion’s eyes widened. Suddenly, right here?  

But Marquisin seemed genuinely to have attached meaning to the brief walk.  

Sion pondered briefly, then frowned as if disbelieving.  

“Wait. You weren’t just looking for fruit… You were mapping a path, weren’t you?”  

“Correct,” Marquisin hummed a tune and turned around.  

“This was the flow of magical energy from the demon we fought earlier. Only a part of it. Please analyze it carefully.”  

***  

“What is it?”  

A few days later, Sion went to find Garfenn.  

Garfenn was carrying heavy straw, clearly doing manual labor at someone’s request.  

‘Anna must have asked. The master probably stammered and agreed. How amusing.’  

Sion didn’t mention it.  

If he did, he’d never hear the end of it.  

He barely suppressed the twitching at the corner of his mouth.  

“Please start teaching me now. The War Cult’s method of divine power manipulation.”  

“Hmm?”  

Garfenn set down the straw and asked back.  

“Already? I thought I sent you to Marquisin?”  

“Yes, I’ve been there.”  

Sion looked up at his master blankly. Garfenn stared back at Sion for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face.  

“But why are you here already?”  

“Sir Marquisin said it was fine.”  

At Sion’s flat reply, Garfenn became a mute who’d swallowed honey.  

“What…?”  

This was impossible.  

He’d sent Sion to develop a sense for divine energy. There was no way he’d already mastered it—was there?  

“Were you kicked out?”  

“Oh come on. Master, are you teasing me?”  

“Aren’t you the one teasing me?”  

“No. Sir Marquisin truly said there was nothing more for me to learn.”  

“…”  

He had been astonished by Sion many times before and knew his brilliant talent better than anyone, yet even now, he found it hard to believe.  

Garfenn closed his eyes briefly and communicated with Goddess Achille. Achille confirmed it.  

[Sion’s mind has opened. The boy is truly ready to receive my teachings.]  

‘Huh.’  

Just when he thought he could rest a bit, the boy had already learned everything?  

Garfenn let out a bitter laugh.  

‘What kind of monster is this?’  

Not only in swordsmanship but also in divine power control—his talent was exceptional. The world felt unfair.  

Still, Garfenn remained skeptical.  

He had to see it with his own eyes to believe.  

“Then, show me the shockwave I showed you earlier.”  

“The force that threw me?”  

“Yes. Ah, don’t blow away the straw. I worked hard stacking it.”  

“I won’t.”  

“Why do you look disappointed? Were you hoping to blow away the straw?”  

“It’d be more dramatic that way.”  

“Hrmph.”  

Garfenn crossed his arms. Sion stepped back slightly and closed his eyes.  

Whoosh…  

As if lying, wind arose around Sion. His bangs lifted. The circulating divine power was creating the wind.  

Swoosh.  

Sion raised both hands.  

He formed not one but two spheres.  

They were black orbs, identical to Garfenn’s.  

But they were larger and spun with greater force—like a concentrated typhoon rushing in.  

If you stood still, you felt your body being pulled.  

And then.  

PAAAAANG!  

The divine power exploded in midair, striking the air with a sonic boom.  

It sounded like a bomb had detonated.  

Below, the workers building a structure startled and looked up the hill.  

People murmured in surprise.  

The wind raged, and eventually, even the straw flew about.  

The force was stronger than expected.  

“…”  

Garfenn couldn’t close his mouth.  

‘Three days? Four? He achieved this in such a short time.’  

Garfenn’s mind was stolen by Sion. Astonishing. Truly astonishing.  

‘Goddess Achille, I worry whether I can truly handle this boy.’  

[Haha. I feel the same. He’s terrifying.]  

‘I’m going mad, really.’  

Garfenn awkwardly lifted the corner of his mouth. A thousand emotions crossed his heart. He hesitated whether he, of all people, was worthy to teach such a monster.  

Sion brushed straw off his head and said,  

“Did you see?”  

“I saw well.”  

“How was it?”  

“Excellent.”  

“Then will you teach me now?”  

“…I suppose I must. But first—”  

Garfenn grabbed Sion’s ear and twisted. One side of his scalp burned as if completely peeled.  

“Ow, ow, ow!”  

“This first. This is the price for poor force control.”  

A tear welled up in Sion’s eye.  

“It was for dramatic effect…”  

Sion, who had been impressed by his master’s dramatic demonstration.  

***  

It was late at night.  

Even Bishop Gustein and Ruina, who had been quietly praying, had fallen asleep.  

In a place undisturbed by anyone, master and disciple stood facing each other.  

“First, well done. Though the training wasn’t easy, your achievement is astonishing.”  

A rough yet warm voice enveloped Sion. A rare, heartwarming atmosphere swirled between them.  

“Thank you, Master.”  

Sion bowed formally.  

Garfenn, unusually serious, accepted the gesture.  

Garfenn slowly opened his mouth.  

“There’s no special name for what I’ll teach you. My master never named it either. If you wish, you may name it yourself.”  

“A name.”  

It was a tremendous honor, for it meant establishing the foundation of a martial tradition.  

“Divine power. I’ll teach you how to handle the blessing the goddess bestowed upon you as a reward for your deeds, making it even more refined. In the spirit of the War Cult, it will be oriented toward combat.”  

Garfenn continued with a smile.  

“Come behind me. Place your hands on my back and feel the sacred energy.”  

“Yes.”  

Without hesitation, Sion stepped forward and stood behind him.  

But there was no sensation of contact, so Garfenn turned around.  

“Put your hands on— Huh?”  

Garfenn’s words stuck in his throat.  

Sion was bowing deeply.  

This was the utmost courtesy Sion knew, though he hadn’t been taught it.  

The two children of war had truly formed a master-disciple bond and reached the point of receiving instruction.  

Sion rose, brushing off his knees.  

Meeting his master’s gaze, Sion smiled lightly, warmly.  

Garfenn responded with a pleased smile and turned forward again.  

“Place your hands on my back and focus. I’ll show you only once.”  

“Understood.”  

The master’s back, under his gently placed hands, felt as hard as a boulder.

Schedule: Every mon, wed, fri and sun

Review at

NovelUpdate