Chapter 21

Ch.21 Apostle of the Goddess of War

“A bandit has taken root in the mining village where Holt hid, and he only kidnaps women? Something feels off.”

The situation unfolding was strange.

“Could Holt and that bandit be the same person?”

Apur’s request and Tier’s problems were intricately entangled inside Sion’s mind.

Clues were scattered in various places, making everything chaotic.

“Only women, huh. The ransom money must have been woefully insufficient. Maybe they never intended to release anyone from the start.”

“Exactly! They demanded a huge amount of gold coins—how could an ordinary woodsman possibly have that kind of money!”

“Hmm.”

According to Tier, these bandits were quite skilled—so dangerous that even seasoned mercenaries hesitated to take on jobs there.

If even mercenaries, who’d do anything for money, avoided the task, the level of danger could be roughly imagined.

“I don’t know why they’ve settled here, but mining operations have become impossible, and I’m going out of my mind. Without money, how the hell am I supposed to save my younger sister!”

Tier gritted his teeth.

He struggled to control his anger, barely keeping his emotions in check.

“So you ended up clinging to the mercenaries’ coattails.”

“…Yes. All I got in return was beatings for being a nuisance.”

The circumstances made sense from both the mercenaries’ and Tier’s perspectives.

A bandit gang of about twenty people was serious enough that the local lord should have raised an army to exterminate them.

Hiring a few mercenaries wouldn’t work—nobody would accept such a dangerous job, and even if someone did, the cost would be enormous. But if he had that kind of money, he wouldn’t have been a woodsman in the first place.

Furthermore, hadn’t Apur, the guildmaster, already sent mercenaries who failed to resolve the issue?

Apparently, word about the mining village’s troubles had quietly spread and become hushed up.

Sion crossed his arms, tilting his head thoughtfully.

Even if money was an issue, there was still the option of seeking help from a religious order.

Unlike Apur, whose interests were entangled in profit, Tier could legitimately ask for help purely as a plea for assistance.

“What about the Church? Why not ask them for help?”

When he asked this, Tier’s hostility flared even more intensely than toward the mercenaries.

“No! There is no Goddess! This damned world!”

“…”

Instantly, Sion’s fists clenched tightly.

He had only just realized he was becoming a priest himself.

“Haa. Calm down, calm down.”

It irritated him that the existence of Goddess Achille herself was being outright denied in such sweeping generalizations.

“There is a Goddess. I understand you’re angry, but―”

“I’m certain there is no benevolent Goddess!”

“Ahem.”

Before Sion could even mention the ‘Goddess of War,’ the agitated Tier began spewing curses about other religious orders.

“I went to the Church of Light first, and they demanded a donation right away. So I paid. They listened to my story and said they’d write a letter to the Holy Kingdom, requesting troops. But? Of course, there’s been no response. It’s been a month already. They wouldn’t take someone like me seriously.”

Sion crossed his arms. The Order of the Holy Sword had passed through here not long ago, yet it seemed they hadn’t heard Tier’s situation at all.

The priest who heard Tier’s story must not have sent any letter.

“The Church of Light seems to be a lost cause. It’s the downside of having too many believers.”

Sion politely defended Tier.

“Exactly. The Church of Darkness flat-out refused me at the door. Inside the church, they keep fires burning constantly and sing eerie songs. I couldn’t tell if it was a church of the Goddess or a church of evil spirits!”

Sion calmly nodded his head.

“My master also said the Church of Darkness consists of shady individuals whose motives are impossible to understand. He said they’re the kind of people you’d rather avoid getting involved with.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sion felt slightly better.

Criticizing other religious orders was surprisingly enjoyable.

Unconsciously, even Goddess Achille’s lips were twitching upward.

[Their sinister intentions are well known to this Goddess. Go on, go on, poor woodsman. Stir the heart of my champion!]

Tier’s next target was the Church of Wisdom. He vented his greatest resentment toward them.

“The Church of Wisdom… really makes my blood boil.”

“Why is that?”

“At first, they seemed to listen to my story. When I started crying, they comforted me and welcomed me warmly. That’s when I decided I wanted to serve the Goddess of Wisdom. But―”

“But?”

Tier scrunched up his face as if he were confronting a mortal enemy.

“They said they needed solid evidence before sending knights.”

“What? Evidence?”

“They claimed they have a very important event coming up soon and are extremely cautious about moving their troops.”

Huh.

Sion couldn’t suppress a bitter laugh, and Tier couldn’t suppress his fury.

“Does that even make sense? Why do you need evidence to help someone in distress?”

“They said it’s their doctrine to judge matters with strict rationality.”

“What in the―!”

Sion frowned and clicked his tongue.

Tier began sobbing again.

“That’s just an excuse, isn’t it? In reality, it’s a flat-out refusal. So I had no choice but to beg the mercenary lords… but without money, I can’t do anything. My younger sister might be suffering who-knows-what kind of torment right now…”

The bandages he had carefully wrapped were soaked with tears.

Sion was speechless, deeply moved by the tragic tale.

Sion silently prayed inwardly.

“Goddess. Are all religious orders like this? Why is it that the churches of the Goddess are so full of conditions and obstacles… when helping the weak should be their duty?”

The Goddess empathized with Sion’s compassion and was delighted.

“My child. Not all orders are like this. The farther they stray from the holy lands, the more churches deviate from doctrine and inevitably become corrupt.”

“Especially large orders like those three—they have a stronger tendency toward such corruption. When popularity grows, even Goddesses can grow arrogant and change. Not this Goddess, of course… ahem ahem.”

The Goddess’s subtle self-promotion failed to reach Sion.

Yet Sion shared similar thoughts.

Surely not all religious orders could be rotten.

It was simply because Foils had such a massive population that these flaws became more noticeable.

“You can think for yourself. Well done, Sion.”

After organizing his thoughts, Sion spoke to Tier.

“Your story is truly heartbreaking. But Tier, you also lacked any real plan.”

“…?”

Tier lifted his head, sniffling.

Here was someone his own age, yet so composed and mature.

“Instead of blindly begging for help, you should have used your head to raise money or find another way. Or better yet, you should have risked your life fighting. Your sister was captured, after all.”

“But―”

“Yes, I know. If you’d tried that, you’d have died pointlessly. Well, I suppose that’s why you’re in this situation now.”

Tier slumped, his spirit broken, and lowered his head again.

He sniffled, worrying about his sister.

“I wonder what kind of suffering she’s enduring now. I don’t even know if she’s still alive… damn it…”

Sion thought of Riuna, Set, and Kaili.

If his own sister had been taken, he would have grabbed his sword and charged in immediately.

“But not everyone can fight well.”

That’s why holy knights exist.

That’s why apostles exist.

To protect the weak with blessed strength and talent.

That was the duty of the Goddess’s champion.

His resolve was firm.

Sion firmly gripped Tier’s shoulder and said:

“Tier.”

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry. I’ve been whining too much. How can I ever repay your kindness today…”

“You said there’s no kind Goddess, didn’t you?”

Tier flinched in alarm and denied it.

“A-Ah, what I said earlier was just me losing my mind for a moment―”

“I’ll show you.”

“What?”

“That there is a kind Goddess.”

“W-What?”

The Goddess of War’s child smiled at Tier, who wore a foolish expression.

“I’ll help you. I’ll drive away those evil bandits and rescue your younger sister.”

“A-Ah?”

“Stop making those dumb sounds.”

“Y-Yes, uh?”

“…Are you joking?”

Tier wasn’t teasing Sion.

He was genuinely so shocked that his head felt numb.

“Wh-What? No! Ah, no!”

“Just promise me one thing.”

“A-Anything!”

Tier dropped to his knees before Sion’s feet.

Sion knelt on one knee and helped him up.

“Convert. Join my faith.”

“Convert?”

“Yes. In exchange for my help, you’ll believe in the Goddess I serve. How about it?”

Wiping tears and snot with his bandages, Tier nodded vigorously.

“O-Of course! But, sir… were you a priest?”

Ah, I didn’t introduce myself, did I?

Sion thought Tier was rather slow for only asking now.

He lightly traced the holy sign of war and smiled.

“Sion of the Church of War. A knight.”

“Eh? The Church of War?”

Tier said, snot dripping from his nose. He looked like some simple-minded friend.

“Yes.”

Sion calmly nodded.

Tier stopped crying and stared blankly at Sion. Was ‘war’ the problem again?

After revealing he was a ‘War Cult follower,’ he’d grown somewhat accustomed to the abnormal reactions he received from people.

Whether it’s hostility or surprise…

Given the Church of War’s reputation and current status, negative reactions were only natural—

“Are there churches like that?”

—Or so he thought.

Sion was slightly taken aback by this unfamiliar response.

[Oh, my.]

The Goddess staggered in shock and leaned against the wall.

“It’s a church that serves the Goddess of War, Achille. To prevent misunderstandings, let me clarify—I don’t mean we seek war. We’re a church striving to truly end war.”

Sion quickly seized the first impression, giving Tier no time to think.

“Then it’s a good place?”

“Of course.”

Contrary to Sion’s expectations, Tier was someone completely free of prejudice.

So free, in fact, that it was almost concerning.

“Our Goddess never turns her back on those in crisis. We’re different from other churches.”

Sion spoke like a priest.

A solemnity that didn’t match his youthful appearance emanated from him.

Tier looked at Sion—someone his own age but so different—and teared up again. He swallowed hard and said:

“R-Really? Will you really save my younger sister?”

Sion almost asked if he thought he’d been living a lie all this time, but then remembered he actually had been, and closed his mouth.

Instead, he extended his hand.

“The blessing of the Goddess of War will be with us. The night road is dangerous, so we’ll leave at first light. Rest for now.”

Kheeeh—!

Tier couldn’t hold back his sobbing and bowed his head.

“Thank you… thank you so much…!”

He clung to Sion’s hem and wept bitterly.

The woodsman’s helpless wailing continued until snot filled his mouth.

Only after crying for a long time did Tier finally calm down.

“Rest for now. I’ll wake you in the morning.”

“I-I’m so ashamed, sir.”

He must have had many things to say, but the moment Tier lay down on the bed, he fell into a deep sleep as if unconscious.

No doubt from the exhausting struggle he’d endured until now.

***

Sitting cross-legged opposite Tier’s sleeping bed, Sion assumed a meditative posture. He never skipped meditation at night.

It was a kind of prayer routine he’d learned from his master.

―Even if you don’t truly pray, recite the prayer every day. Just doing so will build faith, and the Goddess will bless you.

Sion closed his eyes and began reciting the prayer.

Faith takes decades to truly form, even for Garfenn.

But if Sion steadily built his own, he would reach it someday—

Until the glorious day when he could hear the Goddess’s voice directly.

With a reverent heart, Sion murmured:

“Great Goddess, guide me along the path of the sword.”

This was a fight against corrupted knights of other churches.

The upcoming battle would undoubtedly be the greatest crisis Sion had ever faced.

Even skilled mercenaries or Loenhaugter, whom Sion held in high regard, had openly admitted defeat—this fact must not be forgotten.

Thus, Sion prayed with more reverence than ever before.

“Please grant me the smile of victory, Goddess.”

In response to his prayer, the divine power nestled within Sion’s chest stirred and revealed its presence.

“The divine power has grown slightly stronger. The Goddess must have heard my prayer.”

From accepting Apur’s request, to heading toward the quiet guild, to meeting Tier—

The Goddess’s guidance had subtly woven itself into every step of his journey.

Feeling his divine power grow stronger, Sion smiled gently.

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