Apostle of the Goddess of War

Chapter 97

Ch.97 Apostle of the Goddess of War

Antarius asked with eyes like those of a cow—large, kind eyes that didn’t quite match his bulky frame.  

So then…

Why exactly was the Apostle of Wisdom awakening the next Apostle of the Goddess of War?  

It was an effort difficult to understand logically.  

They had come all the way here amid war with the forces of Chaos, at a time when their side was already losing ground.  

There were many battlefields that could be turned around if an Apostle joined.  

Even without Arwen, it would have been a great help just to deploy Antarius or Selana.  

So why had the core forces of the Wisdom Cult been specifically brought here?  

At the very least, the mission should have been worth such an investment.  

Though there could be no complaint about a divine revelation from the wisest Goddess, still, being human, he couldn’t help but be curious.  

Arwen hesitated for a moment, then decided not to give them the answer they wanted.  

Only apostles and priestesses could hear divine revelations.  

Currently, the position of priestess in the Wisdom Cult was vacant, so Arwen held both titles.  

No one had any objection to the current arrangement.  

Arwen was strong as an apostle and faithful as a priestess.  

Therefore, priestess Arwen understood and fully respected the Goddess’s decision.  

‘We must not let anyone know that our Goddess has abandoned the campaign to eradicate the Evil God forces.’  

Such a statement would crush morale.  

The teaching of Wisdom—that emotions should be thoroughly removed from humanity to properly guide the world—was wrong.  

In fact, Menesia had admitted her own error.  

The alternative she adopted was Achille’s plan of the ‘Strongest Sword.’

To raise a weapon so powerful it would make the Evil Gods shriek in fear.  

It wasn’t just a matter of being ‘strong.’

It meant forging a blade so powerful that a human born as such could kill even a Goddess.  

This was a fundamental shift in common sense.  

The reason Evil Gods torment and exterminate humans is because humans pose no threat to them.  

But if a human were born strong enough to kill a Goddess, the situation would change entirely.  

If a human powerful enough to hunt Goddesses were to be born—‘that would be the moment the Evil Gods are eradicated.’

The Goddess of Wisdom had long ago acknowledged this possibility.  

It was the method Menesia disliked most, but after all, the Evil Gods had revived and raised their heads once more.  

Acknowledging mistakes and failures is also wisdom.  

Thus, Menesia had made a deal with Achille and decided to assist in his awakening through a somewhat crude method.  

Arwen was the only one who could fully understand this situation and carry it out.  

It was a rather harsh mission.  

She had to endure hatred and could even face danger.  

But precisely because it was Arwen, they could entrust it to her.  

……And she had succeeded.  

Sion had fully entered his own mental world.  

He had achieved explosive growth in a short time.  

Without Arwen putting excessive stress on him, he would not have reached this easily.  

There were concerns, too.  

‘Impressive, but the speed is too fast.’  

Even by Arwen’s standards, Sion’s growth rate was excessive.  

From what she heard, he had only held a sword for less than a year.  

Even Arwen, who ranked among the top apostles, hadn’t manifested her mental world until three years after picking up the sword.  

Sion was overwhelmingly faster than that.  

It was abnormal.  

Even the most legendary geniuses across the continent couldn’t achieve such a feat.  

The significance of the boy Sion’s growth rate was enormous.  

‘Clearly beyond human level.’  

Exactly what Achille had claimed.  

A human who shouldn’t exist—might truly be Sion, that child.  

She looked forward to the day when her junior, Sion, would become the true Apostle of the Goddess of War.  

‘If that day comes, perhaps I will witness the end of the Evil Gods.’  

Just then, the treatment was finished.  

Arwen, having finished wrapping the bandages, stood up.  

Selana and Antarius immediately rose as well, waiting for her answer.  

So then, why?  

Why had they come all this way to endure such hardship?  

Arwen curved her lips into a crescent moon.  

“How could we possibly fathom the Goddess’s profound intent?”  

“Oh.”  

“That’s right…”  

It wasn’t a clear answer.  

But there was no point in pressing further.  

Had the Goddess of Wisdom ever explained things in detail, making sure her followers understood before issuing a revelation?  

Followers simply obeyed.  

They listened, studied, and acted accordingly.  

Faith cannot be weighed on a scale.  

“Let’s go. There’s one final plan left.”  

The young apostle said.  

The Wisdom followers, united in belief, turned without a word.  

The footsteps of the Scales Knights racing through the night were light.  

***  

“Brother. Eat this.”  

“Thanks, Set. Sit beside me and eat too.”  

“Yeah.”  

The next day, the War Knights and Sion awoke utterly exhausted. No one was in good condition after what they had experienced the night before.  

This was the mental domain created by a knight who stood at the pinnacle of the world.  

It was only because she held back that they merely suffered headaches. An ordinary person would have had their mind collapse the moment they stepped into that domain.  

‘Exactly…’  

Sion stared at the brilliant sun rising over the horizon as he ate a rice ball with Set. Flames flickered in Sion’s blue eyes.  

Though exhausted, he had not broken.  

He had ultimately endured and protected Elim.  

However.  

‘There are still parts that feel uncomfortable.’  

There were many things about Arwen’s actions that he couldn’t understand.  

The skill Arwen had displayed was beyond imagination—almost on par with Garfenn.  

If such a person had genuinely attacked Elim and tried to take Kaili, she could have done so long ago.  

Her presence or absence of Sion was irrelevant.  

If her intention from the beginning had truly been to secure Kaili, her approach would have been entirely different.  

‘There was no need to sneak in secretly at all.’  

Sion pressed his fingertips hard against his temples. No clear answer came to him.  

‘Her way of fighting was strange too.’  

These actions made no sense unless her true objective lay elsewhere.  

‘It wasn’t about Kaili, nor conquering Elim.’  

Then what was it?  

Judging only by the outcome of last night’s battle, it was simple: Sion had grown.  

He had finally been able to unfold his own domain.  

A space of absolute nothingness.  

Within it, stars with unknown meanings sparkled, forming constellations—that was all.  

‘Ah, I could actually hold the stars in my hand…’  

Because he had collapsed into sleep, he hadn’t been able to review and consolidate his achievement.  

Now, new insights began to awaken his dormant mind.  

‘What exactly was her intention?’  

Sion said as if gazing at Arwen far away.  

It wasn’t over yet. She said she would return soon. Perhaps this was only the beginning of a long winter.  

Thud.  

Sion ruffled Set’s hair as he ate a rice ball beside him.  

“Set.”  

“Yeah, brother.”  

“How about it? Is it doable?”  

Set answered bravely to Sion’s question.  

“Every day is new, thrilling. It seems like becoming a War Knight means there’ll never be a dull moment.”  

He knew these words were meant to ease his brother’s worries. When had this reckless kid learned how to comfort others?  

His tone had subtly become more mature.  

Where had the playful, childish prankster gone?  

It was a pity he had grown up so fast, but at the same time, it made him feel more reliable.  

‘What a dependable kid.’  

Sion smiled and shared his own rice ball.  

“What? I’m full.”  

“You have to eat to grow. You’re at the age where you’re growing fast.”  

“No way, that’s ridiculous. You’re still at that growing age too, brother.”  

Sion almost smacked Set but held back.  

“You’ve grown a lot, you brat. Now you dare challenge me?”  

Set grinned with rice still stuck to his face.  

“Now I can probably go head-to-head with you, right?”  

“Wow— this is really ridiculous.”  

“Fight me! Let’s fight! Brother!”  

Sion thought about how to crush the kid’s pride, then decided to let it go.  

“Later. Right now, I’m so tired I feel like dying.”  

“Hehe. Actually, me too…”  

The two finished their meal so quickly that it was impossible to tell whether they were eating with their mouths or noses, then collapsed back onto the city wall.  

At least until lunchtime, they didn’t want to move from this spot.  

“Set.”  

“Yeah?”  

“Thank you. Thanks for holding on. You’re doing great.”  

Set smiled.  

“I should be thanking you.”  

***  

“Unfolding your mental world against the Apostle of Wisdom is quite an achievement. Even watching, I couldn’t close my mouth.”  

“It was really tough.”  

“It was originally an impossible feat.”  

Kegan affirmed Sion’s growth with brief praise.  

Then he added:  

“But there were many strange points.”  

“Indeed, weren’t there?”  

Kegan furrowed his brows.  

“You noticed too.”  

“Yes.”  

“Those guys. They never cared about the priestess from the beginning.”  

This was a question someone perceptive could reach. In Elim, Sion and Kegan had both realized it.  

Arwen and her knights had never been interested in securing the priestess from the start. They had barely even tracked Kaili’s movements.  

They didn’t need to draw attention in such a way or engage in such a wasteful fight.  

“They’re not from the Round Table Cult trying to save face. Everything about them was strange.”  

“I don’t know what their purpose was.”  

“Hmm.”  

It was a bizarre story.  

Kegan had one guess, but he thought it too far-fetched to even mention.  

‘They were trying to accelerate Sion’s growth? That’s too much.’  

That simply didn’t make sense.  

It was just a speculative thought that came and went, nothing more.  

Sion couldn’t even bring himself to consider that idea.  

Anyway, they needed to focus on what they had to do now.  

Worries forgotten due to last night’s events were slowly raising their heads.  

“She said she’d come back soon.”  

“Next time, she’ll probably bring an army. The entire force of the Scales Knights might come.”  

“…It’s difficult. If the priestess isn’t their goal, then what could possibly be their reason for going to such lengths?”  

In every way, it would become a pointless battle.  

Even for the defenders of the city, it would be a disheartening war.  

Kegan let out a sigh so deep it seemed the ground would sink, then spoke.  

“Well, this is all just our uncertain speculation.”  

“That’s true too.”  

“We should still prepare.”  

“Can we match their strength with our forces?”  

Sssk.  

Then, as if dew had slipped from a blade of grass, a silent figure appeared and joined the conversation.  

“The Wildflower Cult will help as much as we can.”  

It was Marquisin.  

The elf, who usually wore only a single thread like a hermit and acted as a physician, had appeared in full armor for the first time in a long while.  

“Oh.”  

“I came because I was asked for assistance.”  

Kegan smiled. He had moved quickly, appearing right after they woke up.  

‘Certainly…’  

With one more trustworthy person, Sion’s burden lessened.  

At this point, the Wildflower Cult couldn’t have been a more reliable ally.  

Moreover.  

“The Wildflower Goddess has already deployed a barrier. The fools from the Wisdom Cult will have to be prepared if they try to enter Elim.”  

There was a Goddess who could even fill the void left by Achille.  

Tears welled up in Sion’s eyes.  

‘My efforts weren’t in vain.’  

Many small things add up to something great.  

That phrase perfectly described the current situation.  

Even if helping others was difficult and seemed to offer no grand reward,  

in crucial moments—right now—it returned as a blessing.  

His heart swelled.  

He felt an inexplicable excitement.  

Even without Garfenn and the Goddess, Elim wouldn’t fall easily.  

Sion wasn’t alone.  

“Thank you. Everyone.”  

“It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to stretch my body.”  

Marquisin said, rotating his shoulders.  

Sion asked him.  

“You’re a doctor, so a brutal fight… are you sure you’ll be okay?”  

The elf glanced at Sion.  

“You!”  

***  

It was two days after the conflict when the Apostle of Wisdom, Arwen, appeared before the gates of Elim leading the Scales Knights.  

The blue tide of the Scales Knights crashed into Elim.  

Like a violent wave striking a fortress.  

The War Knights did not fear.

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