Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 84

Ch.84 Apostle of the Goddess of War

Kegan flourished as a warrior of the War Cult.  

Leading a mercenary unit he had built with his own abilities, he became a War Knight under excellent conditions.  

Blessed by the Goddess of War, he achieved victory after victory wherever he went.  

Kegan was a man who knew no defeat.  

For a brief moment, the War Cult seemed poised for revival due to his rising prestige—but it was merely a fleeting dream.  

Arrogant Kegan insisted on his own way.  

He demanded to exterminate the earth dragon that had taken residence in Kashibelli Rock.  

The Goddess declared it impossible.  

Garfenn relayed her words, and Gustein tried to dissuade him.  

Garfenn even offered to go himself.  

Yet Kegan was convinced he could win.  

The War Knights were invincible heroes; surely, a mere worm crawling underground could be easily captured if they combined their strength.  

But this was merely a human perspective.  

Though called a genius, Kegan was not truly one.  

He had no equal except Garfenn.  

And even Garfenn hadn’t encountered every human, mage, or demon.  

To the Goddess Achille, the Order of the War Knight and Kegan were incapable of killing the earth dragon.  

The earth dragon was a demonic beast that had grown by feeding on mineral deposits infused with demonic energy deep beneath the ground for ages.  

Even a typical apostle would consider avoiding it the wiser choice.  

Nevertheless, Kegan insisted.  

Blinded by past victories, Kegan marched toward Kashibelli Rock.  

At that time, Garfenn had received a more important mission and headed north.  

Garfenn would forever regret not accompanying him.  

Kegan intended to proudly return after defeating the earth dragon.  

From the start of his march, he imagined and savored the glory and honor awaiting him.  

But.  

The world was not so easily conquered.  

“Kkuaaak! Save me, save me!”  

“Commander… my lower body is gone… find it for me…”  

“Ggeok, Commander, run away. At least you should escape.”  

His subordinates were annihilated.  

The earth dragon was a monster no single Sword Master could handle.  

Kegan screamed in agony.  

He wept bloody tears and swore revenge.  

He cried out to the Goddess of War.  

Achille pitied Kegan.  

Though she was also furious, it was unavoidable.  

[I will grant you the power for revenge. The price will be your memories and the blood of your subordinates.]  

[In return, you will spend the rest of your life haunted by an inexplicable guilt and nightmares.]  

[Someday, when I regain my power and you are ready, we shall meet again.]  

When Kegan regained consciousness,  

countless corpses and blood were all that remained.  

Only sin was left behind…  

***  

“…That’s how it happened.”  

Kegan’s long confession.  

Sion listened while replenishing his strength with the tasteless soup Jena had cooked.  

He already knew the entire story.  

He had refrained from mentioning it, fearing it might embarrass Kegan.  

Still, hearing it directly from the person involved felt more poignant and impactful than hearing it from Garfenn.  

It was a tale of human arrogance and error.  

Kegan, who should have ended his life after exacting revenge, had his memories erased—a gesture of Achille’s quiet compassion.  

“Fleeing in death is cowardly. You must stand and fight until the end.”  

Sion agreed with the Goddess’s sentiment. He, too, despised a life of running away.  

Even if he shattered in battle, he would never evade.  

Sion reaffirmed his resolve as he listened.  

“That’s a heartbreaking story.”  

“Yet your expression is surprisingly calm.”  

He was called out directly.  

Sion smiled calmly.  

“I’ve never been expressive.”  

“I see.”  

Jena, sitting beside him, poked Sion’s side and laughed.  

“You’d be cuter if you smiled more often.”  

“Ugh.”  

One knight gagged mid-meal. Others reacted similarly.  

“Big sis Jena, are you flirting with a kid right now?”  

“Do you have that kind of preference?”  

“What are you saying, you ugly bastards?”  

Jena clenched her fist, and the squad members yelped and quickly turned away.  

Jena awkwardly glanced at Sion, who showed no reaction.  

Kegan continued.  

“Right after my memories returned, I truly wanted to die. But when I looked around, I found reasons not to.”  

“The Goddess has been waiting for you all this time.”  

“I think so too.”  

Kegan let out a small sigh.  

Now that his memories had returned, suicide wasn’t an option—he had new comrades and subordinates.  

New people to protect.  

The way he could atone for his sins was to take full responsibility for them until the end and serve the Goddess of War.  

It had taken him a long time to realize this.  

“I’ve taken such a long detour.”  

This incident reminded him once more how insignificant and trivial humans are.  

He had felt utterly lost, like being trapped in a cave, unsure how to repay his karmic debt.  

But there was an answer.  

The path Achille herself had shown him.  

“Sion.”  

“Yes, what is it?”  

“Thank you.”  

“For what?”  

“Take charge of training when we return to Elim.”  

Sion smiled, lifting his soup bowl.  

“Welcome, senior.”  

“Yes. I suppose I can finally hear that title without discomfort.”  

It was a foregone conclusion.  

Recruiting Kegan, bringing the Black Banner Unit into the War Knights, and strengthening their forces.  

On top of that, experiencing a miracle had instilled them with faith.  

Everything had unfolded exactly as Sion had planned.  

“Everything worked out well. I was lucky.”  

Sion gazed silently at the campfire for a moment.  

Suddenly, concern for the Goddess surfaced.  

Without her, they wouldn’t be enjoying this peaceful atmosphere now.  

At best, they’d be dead.  

Even if they hadn’t expected the evil god to appear directly, it had truly been dangerous.  

“I nearly never saw my siblings again.”  

Sion shuddered at the memory, placing a hand on his chest.  

His wound had healed completely.  

The divine ring was functioning normally.  

The experience of dying from the curse of decay still felt surreal.  

Thanks to the Goddess’s grace, he had narrowly escaped death multiple times.  

At first, he had disbelieved.  

Then, he had pretended to believe.  

Now, he truly believed.  

Faith had sprouted and grown.  

When the flower blooms in full,  

Sion will hear the voice of the Goddess.  

“Then, I’ll truly…”  

Bow my head and greet her.  

“Thank you, my Goddess.”  

But the Goddess couldn’t hear Sion’s prayer.  

Because she wasn’t present at his side now.  

Kegan gently patted Sion’s shoulder and stood up.  

“Let’s depart for Elim tomorrow. I’ll take care of some matters in the meantime.”  

“Understood.”  

***

At the boundary of dimensions beyond human perception, two absolute beings faced each other in a space where starlight flowed like a river and the concept of time was faint.  

One was Achille, the Goddess of war, who had just moments ago scattered blood and fury across the mortal realm.  

Due to the intense aftereffects of her manifestation, her divine radiance flickered more faintly than usual.  

Yet, her mere presence still exuded an overwhelming aura that seemed to warp space itself.  

Opposite her, sat a Goddess calmly upon a floating throne, turning a celestial globe inscribed with tens of thousands of stars.  

The Goddess of Wisdom, reason, and truth.  

Menesia.  

Her deep, blue eyes were as vast and tranquil as the universe itself, appearing to penetrate all causality and possibility.  

“Thanks to you, the child has been saved.”  

Achille broke the silence first. Her voice carried relief, tinged with faint anger.  

Without looking away from the celestial globe, Menesia replied in a clear, composed tone.  

“The deal is sealed. Now it’s time to pay the price, Lady of War.”  

“I know. But was this truly necessary?”  

Achille’s brow furrowed. She couldn’t understand Menesia’s intentions.  

When her apostle was on the verge of death, Achille had been desperate.  

She needed the power to manifest, and few beings could lend it to her.  

Then, the Goddess of Wisdom, Menesia, had extended her hand.  

In exchange for granting Achille the power to descend into the mortal world, she had demanded one condition.  

“A mother bird that only guards her nest in the midst of a storm cannot send her chick soaring into the sky.”  

Menesia finally turned to face Achille. Her gaze, devoid of any emotion, was chilling.  

“Your child is a vessel of great potential. But that vessel is still empty and must be filled through countless trials. Your overprotection is the greatest shackle hindering his growth.”  

“Preposterous. The evil Goddess’s manifestation was beyond my knight’s capabilities. I would have found another way, even without you.”  

“Before you found that ‘other way,’ your apostle would have been utterly erased, soul and all. Would you deny that?”  

Menesia was right. Achille had no rebuttal.  

She closed her eyes briefly. The image of Sion writhing in pain flickered before her.  

“…State the terms of the deal again.”  

Menesia finally looked away from the celestial globe.  

Her expression was difficult to read.  

“It’s simple. You cannot remain by your child Sion’s side. You must offer no advice, no revelation, no blessing. Until he overcomes the next trial by his own strength, you can only watch.”  

Watch.  

The most uncharacteristic word for the Goddess of War.  

She was a deity who always stood at the forefront of battle, shattering and seizing everything with her own hands.  

“What are you scheming?”  

“Perhaps another chance to prove himself. A crisis unlike any he’s faced will come.”  

At Menesia’s cold words, black divine energy burst like flames from Achille’s clenched fist. The surrounding starlight trembled as if in fear.  

“You don’t mean—!”  

“Yes, exactly. Achille. My temple needs a priestess. It’s been vacant far too long. I need a vessel capable of fully receiving my knowledge and wisdom.”  

Menesia smiled calmly. It was the first hint of subtle emotion she had shown.  

“Every deal deserves fair compensation. I intend to claim my share by binding your hands. Isn’t that fair enough?”  

“…”  

“A storm will soon descend upon Elim. The pure vessel held by the young priestess—quite appealing, I must say.”  

Only then did Achille grasp Menesia’s true intentions.  

A murderous glint flashed in her eyes.  

“Kaili. You truly intend to take that child?”  

The Wisdom Cult is targeting Kaili, the priestess of Elim.  

They will head to Elim to claim her.  

And at that moment, Achille will be powerless. Even a small whisper to warn Sion of danger is sealed by the contract.  

Sion will have to face the immense power of the Wisdom Cult alone, with no information or help.  

The deal she had made to save Sion would ultimately thrust him into even greater peril.  

“You’ll think me cowardly.”  

“You have no shame, Menesia. Nothing’s changed.”  

“It doesn’t matter. As long as my wisdom can prevent the coming destruction.”  

Gritting her teeth, Achille asked,  

“You won’t succeed. Elim and my children won’t fall easily.”  

Menesia turned her gaze back to the celestial globe. Her finger pointed to a small star symbolizing Elim.  

“Then I will… gladly accept defeat and step aside. After all, everything is merely a phase within the vast flow decreed by Eru.”  

Achille said nothing more. Suppressing her fury, she turned without hesitation and vanished into the darkness.  

Left alone, Menesia quietly observed the stars.

Schedule: Every mon, wed, fri and sun

Review at

NovelUpdate