Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 44

Ch.44 Apostle of the Goddess of War

—Swish, swish.  

Evening rain poured down, striking the roof of a collapsing building.  

Five people burst into the dilapidated structure, its entrance completely overrun by wildly grown weeds.  

However, there were already people inside, having arrived earlier and lit a fire.  

One adult and two boys.  

They were armed, appearing like wandering knights or roaming mercenaries.  

One of the five who had just entered to escape the rain politely asked,  

“There’s nowhere else to take shelter from the rain. Would you mind if we stayed in a corner until it stops?”  

One of the boys stared at them for a moment before replying,  

“This is an abandoned building. Please stay as you like.”  

In an age where darkness swiftly spreads wherever light doesn’t reach, even a child knows how dangerous it is to have five grown men in one space.  

Yet, why did they so readily grant permission? Was it because they were confident in their abilities?  

Or perhaps because they were simply kind-hearted?  

Regardless, the five men had gotten lucky.  

The man slightly bowed his head.  

“Thank you. I’d be ashamed to ask, but could I trouble you for one more thing?”  

“What is it?”  

The boy asked as he poked the fire with a stick.  

“Could I borrow some embers?”  

“Of course. Take it.”  

The boy readily handed over a burning log. The man accepted it, but his expression turned slightly sour at receiving such an unasked-for kindness.  

They were swordsmen, so as long as no harm came, it would be fortunate. Yet, it seemed they had encountered exceptionally kind people.  

The five travelers mixed grain flour into boiled water for their meal. The two groups passed time without much interaction.  

They were busy drying their soaked bodies and resting their tired feet.  

It wasn’t until late at night that conversation finally began.  

After silently agreeing on watch shifts and preparing to sleep, the man finally spoke, addressing the three swordsmen.  

“By the way… I’ve never seen your kind before. Where are you from?”  

“We’re priests.”  

“P-Priests?”  

All five men looked surprised.  

They had assumed wandering knights or mercenaries, never expecting someone in such rough attire to identify as a priest.  

And understandably so—clergy members usually wore elegant, traditional garments, often white or gold.  

They had never heard of a priest wearing a dull black cloak.  

“We belong to the Church of War.”  

The boy immediately added an explanation, perhaps fearing misunderstanding.  

“The Church of War? Never heard of it.”  

At those words, the expressions of the boy and the other two priests briefly twisted. For a moment, they looked displeased.  

“…?”  

Even the previously talkative boy had nothing more to say. Priests wouldn’t draw their swords over such a trivial matter.  

“No wonder you were so kind. So you’re believers. That makes sense.”  

“It’s nothing special.”  

“Still, the Church of War? That’s fascinating. What brings you here?”  

“Internal church matters. It’s a bit difficult to explain.”  

Sion’s words prompted the man to nod in understanding.  

It had been a question that could have crossed a line.  

If these men had been members of the Order of the Holy Sword, they might have been suspected as devil worshippers.  

Sion, the young priest of the Church of War, shrugged his shoulders. Secretly, for a brief moment, he had clenched his fists in frustration.  

“Are you people from around here?”  

Sion asked. All five relaxed slightly and nodded.  

If they were priests serving a Goddess, they likely weren’t the sort to harm others without cause.  

“Yes. We tend to our fields. Today, we went to help out in a neighboring village and were caught in this rain on our way back.”  

“I see.”  

Small talk continued. Gradually, Sion’s group and the farmers began to open up. Naturally, deeper topics began to emerge.  

“Things have been chaotic lately. Is your village doing alright?”  

“Hmm… It’s difficult. Naturally.”  

Sion skillfully steered the conversation, and finally, the bait was taken.  

“What’s the matter?”  

The man sighed deeply and rubbed his temples.  

“Lately, disturbing rumors have been spreading. They say a heretic who drinks the blood of the living is wandering around.”  

“What?!”  

Fear flickered in the eyes of all five. With such beings around, peace of mind while working the fields was impossible.  

“Has anyone been harmed?”  

“We haven’t seen it ourselves, but people have gone missing. There are villagers who’ve seen corpses drained of blood, left pale and lifeless.”  

Sion nodded.  

Appearing satisfied, he exchanged glances with Garfenn and Tier.  

“Indeed. That’s unfortunate.”  

“Wait—did you come to help?”  

“Can’t you assist us? We’d be shameless to ask, but…”  

The villagers began speaking all at once. Their pleas were filled with hope.  

And answering that hope was the sacred duty of the Church of War.  

“In fact—”  

Sion revealed a gentle smile.  

“We came here specifically to exterminate these Blood Cultists.”  

“W-What? Impossible! In the world!”  

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”  

“The Church of War, you said? We’ll pray day and night…”  

The people reacted with ecstatic joy. One even jokingly said he’d convert. Their original faith was with the Church of Wisdom.  

Tier enthusiastically encouraged the idea, asking if they truly didn’t intend to convert.  

Tat-tat-tat.  

To the pleasant sound of the crackling fire, everyone naturally drifted off to sleep.  

Sion, taking the first watch, wrapped his cloak and gazed outside. From the other group, someone also stood guard.  

Neither exchanged words, wary of waking the others.  

Time passed.  

The rain grew heavier.  

It wasn’t just a shower anymore—it felt like the beginning of the rainy season.  

“It’s about time I woke the master.”  

Just as that thought crossed his mind,  

Sion suddenly felt murderous gazes on his right cheek and gripped the hilt of his sword.  

“So you’re not villagers after all.”  

Turning his head, he saw all five had risen to a sitting position, glaring at him.  

Their once innocent eyes… were now stained with blood.  

“How did you know?”  

“It’s impossible to believe villagers would go help a neighboring village during a time when blood-drinking cultists are roaming around—especially without any weapons.”  

“Tch. We were careless.”  

“Besides, we just came from that village.”  

Kink.  

Sion flicked his thumb and drew his sword.  

“There were no living people there.”  

The five Blood Cultists grinned, their mouths stretching unnaturally wide.  

***  

“So these bastards really were Blood Cultists.”  

“Did you notice?”  

“Of course!”  

Garfenn and Sion stared at Tier in disbelief.  

And understandably so—Tier had only just opened his eyes after Sion had already finished off the attacking cultists.  

“But I’m not to blame! I woke up immediately!”  

Tier protested, genuinely indignant.  

It was a fair excuse.  

Sion’s sword strikes had simply been too fast.  

Had these been criminals, the fight would still have been raging.  

The massacre had ended as soon as it began, thanks to Sion fully unleashing his newly mastered Church of War-style Divine Power Utilization Method.  

Tier had also woken instantly upon sensing the killing intent, proving he had improved beyond the level of an ordinary person.  

“Still, you’re getting better.”  

“I agree.”  

Garfenn and Sion teased and praised Tier with smiles.  

Tier clenched his fist with joy, a flicker of confidence growing.  

“I’m glad I came despite the danger.”  

Cuck, cuck.  

Tier prodded a Blood Cultist’s corpse with the tip of his axe.  

No movement. Their blood had been offered to the Goddess of War, leaving them pale and lifeless like dolls.  

“Still, they’re cunning. Attacking when we were about to sleep.”  

“Blood-sucking mosquitoes, aren’t they? Tch.”  

Garfenn sneered coldly, then turned toward the one cultist they had kept alive.  

His mouth was gagged with a wooden stick, making muffled “Uh! Uh!” sounds.  

His blood-stained eyes glared at Sion’s group as if to kill.  

Sion removed the wooden gag and asked,  

“It’ll be less painful if you speak honestly.”  

“Shut up. How dare a filthy servant give me orders?”  

Thud!  

At that moment, Tier’s fist slammed into the cultist’s abdomen. Blood spurted from the cultist’s mouth.  

Tier had spent his life working in mines. His fists were bound to be powerful.  

“Stop screaming, devil-worshipping bastard.”  

Tier stepped forward, taking on the role of interrogator for Sion and Garfenn—a reflection of his deep faith in the Goddess of War.  

Sion and Garfenn were secretly astonished. Had this gentle person always been so merciless?  

“Urk, kek… You damn bastard…!”  

Sion knelt and locked eyes with the cultist.  

“The Demon Lord of Blood. Is Belzama truly active here?”  

Belzama—the name of the Demon Lord of Blood who had inflicted a near-fatal wound on Sion.  

This valuable information had been uncovered by Garfenn during Sion’s training period, when Garfenn hadn’t been idle.  

Belzama was the highest-ranking official of the Church of Blood,  

One of the Seven Vampire Lords.  

Garfenn had already slain one, leaving six remaining.  

Though it was also possible the number had increased.  

In any case, the purpose of this expedition was Belzama.  

Motivated by personal vengeance.  

The crimes were so heinous that even the Goddess Achille had declared she would not forgive them.  

She had witnessed the slaughter and consumption of a hundred humans before her eyes.  

Even without Sion, the Goddess Achille would have used Garfenn to deliver justice.  

“Kik!”  

The cultist laughed.  

It was a disgusting laugh.  

“So you came looking for him. How amusing—to come here willingly as sacrificial offerings.”  

“Him? So you really are Belzama’s underling.”  

The cultist laughed, his shoulders shaking.  

“Kek, kek. Underling? How amusing, Church of War dog.”  

“…?”  

“The only thing I serve is blood. The Crimson King also worships blood. All life is connected through His blood. Your petty distinctions mean nothing!”  

The cultist’s twisted logic left nothing to say.  

Sion suppressed his inner rage.  

Their brazen words, in his eyes, were as meaningless as their claims.  

“You talk too much.”  

That was all.  

Swish.  

Sion pulled out a dagger and slit the cultist’s throat.  

There was nothing more to extract.  

Even if they pressed further, the cultist wouldn’t answer—only wasting their strength.  

The cultist fell into a peaceful sleep, bathing in the blood he so adored.  

The rain stopped.  

***  

After a night of relentless rain, the air was damp and muggy.  

Their wet cloaks weren’t fully dry, so they vigorously shook them off.  

“Where are we headed now, Sir Sion?”  

Tier asked as he helped Sion put on his armor.  

Sion narrowed his eyes slightly and looked toward the mountains.  

“We’ve confirmed Belzama is nearby. Now we just need to find his lair.”  

“Do you know where it is?”  

“Yes.”  

Sion was certain.  

He had already spread his sacred energy as taught and detected it.  

His application was exceptional.  

“Extremely useful for tracking and sensing.”  

While sharp senses could achieve similar results, detection via sacred energy was far more reliable.  

“There’s a place with an unusually strong concentration of dark energy. Most likely, he’s hiding there.”  

“That mountain?”  

“Yes.”  

Tier followed Sion’s gaze upward to the tall mountain. Its peak was so high it was shrouded in clouds.  

The rugged ridges looked nearly impossible to climb. The wind carried a faint scent of blood.  

“Ugh.”  

Tier shivered and rubbed his arms.  

The mountain’s uniquely sinister aura instilled fear just by looking at it.  

“It looks creepy as hell.”  

“It might be Belzama’s hideout. That’s how it feels.”  

In truth, Garfenn had been tracking the Blood Cultists’ movements and had recently identified this mountain as their central hub.  

Its height and harsh terrain made it a perfect hiding place, deterring anyone from climbing.  

The Church of Blood maintained hidden bases across the empire.  

It was a notoriously difficult heretical cult, widespread and highly organized.  

How many people had fallen victim to them?  

Unforgivable.  

“Normally, they operated in the shadows, but recently they’ve become overt. Something is happening.”  

The evil deeds of devil worshippers must be eradicated before they take root in the empire.  

The Holy Kingdom had recognized the seriousness and was already dispatching troops.  

“…”  

Sion glared at the mountain. Veiled by clouds, it resembled a Demon Lord’s fortress.  

The Church of War disciples set their steps toward it—without hesitation, like heroes from ancient myths.

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