Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 69

Ch.69 Apostle of the Goddess of War

Sion stayed in the desolate village until night, protecting the people—guarding them from any monsters or bandits that might suddenly attack.  

The villagers relied on Sion. They offered him food as thanks, but Sion firmly refused.  

In the end, he only shared the food they were eating.  

‘Money is good, but I can’t take even this from people like them.’  

Sion ate a fluffy roasted sweet potato while listening to the villagers’ stories.  

Information gathering about the Siren region was proceeding smoothly.  

‘The Sword Ghost was a mage or monster who appeared relatively recently.’  

The Chaos Cult, which troubled the Wisdom Cult, had no influence here.  

Instead, the real problem was another malicious group, and the group protecting the people from them was called the Black Banner Unit.  

The Owl Knight Brigade was also active, but that was in a completely different area.  

For Sion right now, what mattered most was still the ‘Sword Ghost’ and the ‘Black Banner Unit.’ He had to meet Kegan, the one chasing the Sword Ghost.  

“Have more. Here.”  

A child offered him the sweet potato in their hand. It was the child Sion had saved. Blessed by the Goddess, their condition had quickly improved.  

Sion smiled and accepted it. He couldn’t refuse this. It was their way of showing gratitude and relieving their own sense of burden.  

“It’s delicious.”  

When Sion said that, both the child and the villagers smiled happily.  

A few people asked Sion for the War Cult’s prayer. Once again, Sion became a mute.  

‘Why don’t we have a prayer? Seriously.’  

[Th-that’s…!]  

Goddess Achille answered faintly, covering her face with her hair.  

[I’m embarrassed!]  

It was a confession that reached only empty air, unheard by Sion. Indeed, the Goddess of War, Achille lacked the literary sensibility to craft elegant phrases like the other Goddesses.  

She feared that if she clumsily tried to write one, some arrogant Goddess would mock her, so she chose not to write one at all.  

Ironically, not having an official prayer ended up reinforcing the image of the Goddess of War as straightforward and unpretentious.  

Sion didn’t know the full story, but he improvised convincingly.  

“There isn’t a separate prayer dedicated to the Goddess of War.”  

“Why? Why not?”  

“I thought all other Cults have one.”  

“I’m curious.”  

Questions poured in. The pressure grew heavier.  

But Sion wasn’t foolish enough to miss the chance to care for new believers.  

He relied on improvisation.  

He used his greatest strength.  

“Prayer is only needed on the battlefield. For those living their daily lives, the Goddess always watches over them.”  

“Oh.”  

“So we don’t need to pray separately?”  

Sion smiled gently like a priest.  

“What matters is sincere action. When you truly feel gratitude, or when you need help—whisper then. Our Goddess is always listening.”  

Heavens! The Goddess of War was deeply moved.  

[Sion’s sharpest weapon is always that tongue of his, no matter how many times I see it.]  

The Goddess shook her head slightly. He was human, her believer, yet truly a frightening child.  

If he were an enemy, she would have decided to eliminate him without fail.  

And there were others who were even more amazed, touched, and moved to tears.  

“Goddess of War, I beseech you.”  

“How can the Goddess of War be so gentle?”  

“Could it be her name has been passed down incorrectly?”  

Now, the newly converted believers competed to ask questions. Sion fulfilled his role as a priest perfectly.  

‘The Goddess said she lost her true name.’  

Her real name still existed. It was the name sealed when the Goddess of Light punished her.  

Reclaiming the true concept that defined the real Achille was also the Apostle’s mission.  

Reaffirming this, Sion carefully answered every question the people had.  

In this way, they temporarily forgot the pain of the previous night, and conversation flowed for a long time.  

That was when it happened.  

The sun had completely set. Cold night winds eerily swept through the gaps between ruined buildings.  

Sion’s eyes narrowed. The villagers visibly tensed.  

“He said he might come again at night, right?”  

“Yes… We don’t know why he suddenly disappeared yesterday, but he seemed flustered when he left.”  

“A killer who’s flustered.”  

The Sword Ghost’s identity was puzzling. His behavior was strange, even for a mage.  

“Anyway, he said he’d kill us all. It wouldn’t be strange if he came back.”  

“I understand.”  

Sion nodded. At least for tonight, he intended to protect them.  

At dawn, he planned to lead them to the nearest and safest city.  

“Then everyone, hide inside. All in one place.”  

“A-are you sure? All alone…”  

There wasn’t a single able-bodied man left. All had died fighting the Sword Ghost. Only children, the elderly, and women remained.  

In the village, Sion was their only shield.  

Where strength was needed, a knight of the Goddess of War had arrived.  

By chance? Or by fate?  

What mattered was that tonight, they would be saved.  

Whoooo—  

The wind grew sharper.  

The air changed. Sion slightly extended his tongue to taste the air.  

‘Bitter. It stings.’  

That meant magic was mixed in.  

Just as the people predicted, the Sword Ghost had returned.  

‘The people are safely hidden inside the building.’  

They would be safe while Sion faced the Sword Ghost. Sion waited alone outside.  

As time passed, the magical energy grew thicker.  

Sion instinctively heightened his entire body’s senses. He repelled the malicious aura emanating from the magic with his divine power.  

‘Not easy.’  

Suddenly, Sion’s eyes widened.  

Kyaak……  

Kaang……  

A black shadow passed between the buildings, dragging a long sword behind it.  

It was taller than expected and slightly thinner in build. Despite its large frame, it looked lean.  

If such a monster roamed among ordinary people, it would have been overwhelming violence.  

Tzugzug……  

Then, turning the corner of the rubble, the Sword Ghost revealed itself.  

It was a person. A human, but wearing a black hood that obscured its features. What had it done to become a ghost wielding a sword?  

Kiiing!  

Sion drew his sword.  

Faced with the Sword Ghost’s deadly aura, his consciousness rapidly entered combat mode. The instincts of a knight surged.  

His rationality froze completely. His body burned with the desire to carry out justice as a knight of the Goddess of War.  

“Intruder… is it?”  

Surprisingly, those were the words the Sword Ghost spoke upon seeing Sion. Sion’s brow furrowed. Who was calling whom an intruder?  

The Sword Ghost muttered in a slightly hunched posture.  

“What did you say?”  

“…An intruder. I won’t let you live.”  

“That’s ridiculous.”  

Who was the one that invaded this peaceful village and slaughtered the people?  

Sion scowled deeply. As soon as he focused on the Sword Ghost, he sensed that its aura was unnatural.  

‘A mage? A demon? Neither.’  

He had never felt such a presence before. Its very existence was different from both, yet the magical energy was clearly perceptible.  

A being beyond comprehension.  

“Could it really be a ghost?”  

Who knows?  

Sion raised his sword to cut it down. The Sword Ghost also lifted the long sword it had been dragging and placed it on its shoulder. Though hunched, it somehow radiated strong intimidation.  

‘No openings.’  

A formidable opponent.  

It was understandable why this being had earned the nickname ‘Sword Ghost’ in this region.  

With a ghostly appearance and ghostly swordsmanship, it was only natural it was called that.  

Whoosh!  

The Sword Ghost attacked first.  

Its tall body instantly cut through the air. It swung its sword down at Sion with overwhelming force.  

Kwaaaaang!  

Dust and ash scattered in all directions. The powerful wind from the strike mercilessly scraped the building ruins. Wooden pillars collapsed helplessly.  

Kakakak.  

As the thick dust cleared, the two figures stood facing each other.  

Sion had blocked the Sword Ghost’s longsword. A heavy impact reverberated from his arm bones up to his shoulder. The black-bladed sword, wrapped in dark energy, was as solid as rock.  

Sion confirmed the Sword Ghost’s face hidden beneath the hood. It was a pale, handsome man. But there was no soul in his eyes.  

‘What is this?’  

Before he could react to his slight surprise, the Sword Ghost stomped his foot on the ground.  

Kuuuung!  

A crack formed beneath his foot. Instantly, he felt it as he pushed off the ground and leapt backward. It was a magic sword.  

‘There’s no soul. The sword is controlling the Sword Ghost.’  

Not a mage, not a demon. The human’s mind was no longer intact.  

The only thing in the Sword Ghost that seemed alive was the sword itself.  

Occasionally, it was said that demons infused magical energy into swords and wove spells into them. If such a sword drank human blood and absorbed souls over a long time, it could develop a certain will.  

That was how magic swords were born.  

The Sword Ghost’s true identity was a man consumed by a magic sword.  

‘Judging by his face, he looks like a noble.’  

The Sword Ghost didn’t give him time to think. It charged again.  

Hwaaaaaak!  

The wind roared like it was striking his eardrums. Then the Sword Ghost swung its long sword in a wide arc.  

Bu—ung!  

Sion thought of the rear. This was an enormous sword wind. It was better to dodge. But if Sion dodged, the building where the people were hiding would likely be destroyed.  

The sacred ring flared violently. Starlight shimmered along the blade, turning black.  

Kiiiiing!  

He swung.  

He split the sword wind with an even stronger blade aura.  

The black blade energy tore through the sword wind and shot straight at the Sword Ghost. The Sword Ghost bent his arm and set the side of the blade upright.  

Kaaaang!  

The Sword Ghost blocked Sion’s blade energy. As if acknowledging Sion’s skill, it muttered again.  

“Not bad… for an intruder.”  

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. What are you?”  

“I am…”  

At Sion’s question, the Sword Ghost briefly shook his head. It was a reaction of pain.  

“Shut up! Don’t shake me. Step back, you filthy follower of an Evil God!”  

“What?”  

The Sword Ghost violently shook his head. He looked mentally unstable. It seemed possible to end this without killing him.  

‘I need to make him drop the sword.’  

He had a goal. He wanted to try that instead of killing.  

Sion pressed his toes deeply into the ground.  

With a sudden creaking sound, the ground beneath his feet sank. His thighs bulged as if about to burst. Thanks to his newly perfected divine power technique, he could freely control the power throughout his entire body.  

Bu—ung!  

Sion charged like a leopard and swung his sword.  

Along the black blade, a cluster of stars sparkled.  

The Sword Ghost stretched out his arm.  

Wuuung!  

Magical energy violently surged from the magic sword. Faint crimson currents layered upon each other, forming a barrier—a wall made of magical energy.  

Tung—  

The moment the sword struck the barrier, the air burst with a sound. Sion was also flung backward.  

‘How can the resistance be so strong?’  

The magic sword’s power exceeded expectations. Sion was momentarily stunned. This wasn’t an ordinary magic sword.  

Sion barely regained his balance and stared ahead.  

“Kk-keuk! Kheuk!”  

The Sword Ghost clutched his head and cursed. Was he trying to regain his mind from the magic sword? The louder his groans, the more immense the sword’s power became.  

“Kheuk. Next time, I’ll definitely kill you!”  

The Sword Ghost began retreating. He had probably fled the same way last night.  

Sion couldn’t let him disappear like that. He vowed to save this suffering man tonight.  

‘I have to break through the magic sword’s barrier.’  

He had to break through with divine power stronger than the magical energy of the magic sword.  

That was why he had trained relentlessly for the past month. From Elim, through his journey away from Elim to this village. The sacred ring that turned even in his sleep.  

Now was the time to reveal the Goddess of War’s power, honed to destroy evil.  

Hwah!  

When Sion raised his sword, the area brightened.  

How could such a bright light shine from a blade of black divine power? No one could explain it.  

It could only be called a miracle of the Goddess of War.  

“Receive the sword of the Goddess of War.”  

Flying ash swirled in the stream of black divine power, forming a vortex. A black storm, as if to annihilate all evil in the world, began swirling around Sion.

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