Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 75

Ch.75 Apostle of the Goddess of War

The Black Banner unit’s camp was bustling from dawn.  

Horses flared their nostrils while chewing feed, and soldiers adjusted their armor, brushing off dust and dirt.  

The members who had kept watch overnight clearly showed signs of fatigue, yet their military discipline remained intact.  

Although the Black Banner unit generally had a relaxed atmosphere, they appeared highly organized and exceptionally skilled.  

“Departure in one hour! Finish breakfast and double-check your personal weapons!”  

Kegan’s voice rang sharply through the morning air.  

“Yes, Commander!”  

“The Commander seems unusually cheerful today.”  

“Maybe because of yesterday’s sparring?”  

“He seems to have already warmed up to that little guy.”  

“Now that’s unusual. Kegan, our Commander.”  

The unit members began moving with practiced ease—preparing food, checking personal weapons, and stretching bodies stiff from sleep.  

Sion sat beside the extinguished campfire, chewing dry bread.  

Yesterday’s sparring match had drawn more attention than he expected. Initially, the Black Banner unit had been wary of the unfamiliar Sion, but since last night, their attitude had slightly shifted.  

“That kid can actually fight, huh?”  

“Commander probably went easy on him, but still… there was something sharp about him.”  

“At that age, showing that kind of skill? Makes you look forward to what he’ll become.”  

“Not bad at all. Is the Commander thinking of recruiting him?”  

“We might have a new youngest member soon. Hehe.”  

Whispers swelled and then quieted. Sion knew they were talking about him.  

He didn’t intentionally strain to listen, but he felt eyes lingering on him, an itchy sensation that wouldn’t go away.  

That was when it happened.  

“Hi there?”  

Sion looked up at the cheerful voice.  

A female unit member stood before him, holding a piece of bread. She wasn’t tall, but her frame was lean and muscular.  

Her hair was cut short like a man’s, and her skin was rather dark, typical of a commoner woman.  

If her chest hadn’t protruded, one might have naturally assumed she was male.  

Yet, despite that, her features were delicate and refined. Many men unfamiliar with her likely experienced occasional confusion about her gender identity.  

“Want more? I don’t usually eat much for breakfast.”  

Sion awkwardly smiled and shook his head.  

“No thanks. I’m fine.”  

“Really? Your sparring yesterday was impressive.”  

Sion looked at her with mild surprise. The woman chuckled, placing her fingertip on her chest to indicate herself.  

“I’m Jena. Scout division of the Black Banner unit. Looks like we’ll be heading to the main base together from today?”  

“Oh, yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Sion.”  

Jena sat cross-legged, tearing off a piece of bread, and studied Sion for a moment.  

“You’re a knight, right? The War Cult?”  

“Yes, that’s right.”  

“The War Cult, huh. Interesting. I heard the Commander was briefly part of it.”  

“He doesn’t seem to talk much about himself.”  

“Exactly. He’s such a boring person.”  

Jena chuckled and crouched down in front of Sion. Despite camping, she didn’t have an unpleasant body odor—probably because she had washed first thing in the morning.  

Jena tilted her head slightly.  

“But, Sion… how should I put it? You don’t really seem like a knight.”  

“Is that a compliment?”  

Why was this woman suddenly acting like she knew him? He had planned to do more mental cultivation practice before departure.  

Although slightly annoyed, Sion answered earnestly. This woman would soon become a fellow war knight, after all. Reputation management was turning out to be such a tiresome task.  

“Of course it’s a compliment. Most knights are so full of themselves they don’t even see people when they talk. But you, Sion—how should I say it? Yeah, you seem more… human.”  

Calling someone ‘human’ as if it’s special. An interesting expression. Strangely, Sion liked that remark.  

“Thank you. You, Jena, seem surprisingly refined for someone in a mercenary unit.”  

“Oh my.”  

Jena was visibly startled by the completely sincere comment, dropping her piece of bread.  

This was a remark that could never come from men who dismissed her as an easy target or harassed her with mean jokes. For a brief moment, her heart skipped a beat.  

“Haha. Maybe because I’m always surrounded by gruff men. It’s been so long since I’ve heard a kind word—it tickles my ears.”  

They shared a brief laugh before parting ways and returning to their respective duties.  

Sion spent the remaining time observing his inner mental world.  

A suitable amount of time passed.  

Kegan mounted his horse and gestured toward Sion.  

“Time to go, kid. From now on, there’s no turning back. This is your last chance to run away.”  

Sion smiled faintly and slung his demon blade over his back.  

“I won’t run until I’ve brought you back, Senior.”  

“Damn, you’re jinxing me this early in the morning.”  

***  

The march was long.  

Even after leaving the forest, the mountain path continued, dry winds blowing across parched earth. Cracks appeared across the ground here and there.  

It seemed to reflect the continent’s deteriorating situation.  

After a day and a half of travel, rocky terrain and cliffs appeared over a distant hill.  

At the horizon’s edge, a protruding rocky mountain came into view, like a melon’s navel sticking out from the ground.  

“Finally, Kashibelli Rock is in sight!”  

“We’ll reach the main base soon!”  

The unit members cried out in excitement. Faces worn from the harsh terrain began to brighten.  

But…  

That peace was soon shattered.  

“Commander! We’ve found something strange!”  

A scout who had gone ahead rushed back in panic.  

It was Jena, the one who had spoken with Sion earlier. Her face showed a mix of fear and confusion.  

Kegan’s expression darkened.  

“Report.”  

“Evaphil’s condition is abnormal. The entire village looks like a pile of rotting corpses!”  

Instantly, the formation came to a halt.  

“Decay…”  

Kegan ordered with a grim face.  

“Scouts, continue monitoring the situation. Everyone else, prepare for combat. We’re entering Evaphil.”  

“Yes!”  

“I’ll go with the scouts.”  

Sion stepped forward and spoke to Kegan. The situation was dangerous and urgent. Having a capable fighter with the scouts would provide peace of mind.  

Kegan nodded.  

Sion followed Jena as she ran, leaving the forest and climbing up the hill.  

And then he saw it for the first time.  

A village rotting and decaying on a massive scale.  

Roofs had collapsed, wooden pillars rotted and broken. The village entrance was covered in black mud, unrecognizable in form.  

It didn’t take long to realize the mud was made of human remains.  

A sharp, foul stench hit Sion’s nostrils.  

“This is… blood?”  

“Corpses. The stench of decomposing bodies.”  

Jena said tersely.  

“Look at the ground. People rotted here, lying face down. Some who went inside were found stuck to the walls, dead. As if they’d tried to escape but failed.”  

Sion activated his divine power, pushing back the stench and miasma.  

Only then did a hidden presence become clearly perceptible.  

“There’s someone.”  

“What?”  

“There’s still someone alive.”  

“Is it a villager?”  

Sion shook his head. His eyes glinted sharply.  

“No. A demon worshipper.”  

Jena signaled to the scout team—spread out and find the demon worshipper.  

“Don’t let a single one escape.”  

“We’ll go too.”  

“Yeah, let’s go. Good to have you with us.”  

Jena gave a slight smile and led the way. Sion followed, drawing his sword.  

Inside the village, it was deathly silent.  

Sion and Jena cautiously crossed the ruined alley.  

Not a breath of wind, not even dust dared disturb the stillness.  

Within that silence, a faint, alien presence could be sensed.  

“…Can you feel it?”  

Jena whispered.  

“Yes.”  

Sion nodded.  

He heightened his sense of awareness.  

Tangled energies like noise—among them, a faint trace of a living presence.  

“They’re nearby. Hiding and doing something.”  

They circled a collapsed wall and approached the end of the alley.  

There stood a dilapidated mansion.  

Part of the roof had collapsed, windows were shattered, but the door remained tightly shut.  

Thin smoke seeped from beneath the door.  

Pale, yellowish smoke. Faint voices came from within—multiple people.  

“Flesh rots and returns to the earth… blood flows into the purest Goddess’s mouth…”  

Sion and Jena exchanged glances.  

The voices were low, but clear.  

Someone was praying.  

“It’s a ritual of decay. I’ve heard of it.”  

Jena whispered quietly. Sion and Jena exchanged looks again. They silently agreed on a surprise attack. Without speaking, their rhythm matched perfectly.  

‘One, two.’  

Jena folded her fingers.  

On three, they synchronized their breath—  

And simultaneously kicked the door open.  

Boom!  

The door shattered inward, crashing to the floor.  

“Who’s there?!”  

The figures inside jerked their heads around.  

Before a shabby altar, five men and women knelt in prayer.  

Behind them, stacked corpses. The bodies of the mansion’s inhabitants, chopped into pieces and piled up. Some were still in the process of decomposition.  

The followers of decay, wrapped in blood-soaked cloth, raised their eyes wildly.  

“An attack? The Black Banner unit!”  

“Defilement! Don’t let them interrupt the ritual!”  

“Kill them!”  

The demon worshippers rushed forward simultaneously.  

Sion kicked the nearest man in the abdomen.  

Crash!  

The decaying follower flew back violently the moment he charged.  

Sion’s kick carried no hesitation. The War knight’s gaze was chillingly cold.  

“To do such things…”  

Sion gripped his demon blade. Now wielding a blade in each hand, black mist coiled around the blades.  

“And not even feel guilt.”  

Just die.  

Enraged, Sion swung both arms.  

Blades of energy erupted from his demon blade, tearing apart the charging followers of decay from all directions.  

Jena, who had wisely retreated to safety, widened her eyes in shock.  

Boom! Boom! Boom! Crash!  

The entire mansion collapsed. Wooden pillars, not yet rotted, were blown apart by Sion.  

Where the war goddess’s divine power had swept through, purification occurred. Even the curse of decay was eradicated by the intense divine force.  

The surviving followers of decay trembled. They weren’t just afraid—they were shocked by Sion’s ability to suppress the power of decay itself.  

“S-such power!”  

“He uses unholy strength! That one must be killed!”  

“Kill him!”  

Whoosh!  

One fanatic blew a whistle.  

Sion focused on the divine power he had spread. One by one, presences began registering in his awareness.  

‘Good.’  

This saved him the trouble of having to hunt them down.  

Whoosh!  

Sion dashed forward. The scouts and Jena, arriving slightly later, joined the battle.  

Clang! Clang clang!  

The scouts fought back-to-back. Rather than fighting individually, they formed well-trained formations and counterattacked.  

Their roles in defense and offense were clearly defined, allowing the battle to flow smoothly.  

This was proof of how well Kegan had trained his unit. This was why the Black Banner unit had earned its reputation in the region.  

The resistance from the decay worshippers was fierce. They had secretly gathered their strength. Each individual was remarkably skilled.  

Crash! Bang!  

Yet they lacked the ability to withstand Sion’s dual blades.  

Sion didn’t fight alongside the Black Banner unit but moved independently, operating like a special detachment centered around the scouts.  

He blocked every threatening movement.  

Wherever Sion passed, the power of decay was purified, and the decay worshippers fell dead.  

The battle ended quickly. Before Sion’s overwhelming force, everything was equal.  

The fallen disciples of decay prayed as they died.  

“O Goddess of Decay, please let my flesh and bones rot and return to the cycle…”  

But their corpses did not rot.  

The divine presence of the Goddess of War would not allow it.

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