Chapter 38

Ch.38 Apostle of the Goddess of War

“You’ve awakened. Sir Sion.”

The first words Sion heard upon opening his eyes.

The Knight of Wildflowers, Marquisin, had been watching over Sion’s side the entire time.

“Sir Marquisin?”

“Do you remember? The fight with the blood cultists?”

Sion nodded.

Marquisin was concerned about the aftereffects of the magic. Fortunately, Sion’s health and memory were intact.

“Yes… I clearly remember being defeated by that female demon.”

“Haha, but in return, you took one of her arms. That created an opening, allowing me to land a successful attack. The demon did manage to escape, though.”

Marquisin laughed brightly. It was a smile showing boundless trust in this extraordinary young swordsman.

“Then… is everyone safe?”

Marquisin rummaged through a basket and pulled out a fruit, handing it to Sion. The unfamiliar fruit emitted a subtle fragrance even without being eaten. His mood instantly improved.

“What is this? Wait, now that I think of it, where am I?”

“Familiar place, isn’t it? Elim.”

Marquisin pointed toward the window with his finger. Sion turned his head and saw an unfamiliar landscape.

“Trees…”

“We planted the relic into the ground. It’s definitely holy ground of the Goddess, so it grew quickly. That fruit you’re holding was picked from that tree. Try a bite.”

Sion lifted the fruit to his nose and smelled it.

“Oh.”

Indeed, it wasn’t the ordinary scent of regular fruit. It was closer to the fragrance of flowers.

Sion took a bite. The juice was incredibly sweet, as if restoring his vitality.

“It’s delicious.”

“Isn’t it? It’s the power of life nurtured by the Goddess of Wildflowers. It’s sweet to the point of being gracious.”

Sion looked back at the tree. It was quite large. Even considering the Goddess’s power, how had it grown so big so quickly?

No matter how divine the power, such growth couldn’t happen overnight.

He suddenly became aware of the passage of time.

“Um… how long was I asleep?”

“It’s been quite a while. It’s already been a week since that incident and our arrival in Elim via Foils.”

“That long…”

Sion couldn’t find words and only moved his lips slightly.

It meant at least half a month had passed.

Being unconscious for that long implied he had nearly died.

Given the intensity of the Vampire Lord’s magic, most would have died instantly.

How had he survived?

“Come to think of it…”

With this question, Sion looked at Marquisin.

His skin was wrinkled and dry, like an old man’s.

The handsome face he had when they first met was completely gone.

He had started talking so naturally that Sion hadn’t noticed at first.

“Sir Marquisin’s face… Could it be—”

“Don’t worry about it. I simply did what needed to be done.”

Sion stopped eating the fruit and closed his eyes for a moment.

He had understood Marquisin’s sacrifice without needing it to be explained.

A warm sensation emanated from near Sion’s heart.

‘My divine power has increased enormously. Conversely, I can’t sense Marquisin’s divine power at all.’

Marquisin had poured all the divine power he had accumulated over hundreds of years into Sion to save his life.

He had revived a young human at the cost of his elven immortality and beauty.

“Even so… there was no need to go that far for me…”

Marquisin stared at Sion for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing—“Pff!”—a mischievous, playful laugh.

“Don’t get too serious. I’m not dead, after all.”

“What? Then…”

“I only gave up the divine power I’d accumulated over centuries. I can rebuild it again.”

“But… your handsome face?”

Marquisin touched his rough, dry skin and smiled bitterly.

“This will gradually recover with time, won’t it?”

“Wow.”

“That’s what’s good about being the Lord’s creation. Haha. That’s what elves are.”

Their innate bloodlines were different. The world seemed unfair. Sion laughed weakly and finished the rest of the fruit.

“So don’t carry any guilt. I have absolutely no regrets.”

“I’m grateful for your sacrifice.”

“No, I’m the one who should be grateful. You saved the Wildflower Cult. I’ve truly received a great blessing.”

Thanks to Sion, the Wildflower Cult had gained a safe new home.

The Wildflower Cult and the War Cult.

In a way, two things that seemed utterly incompatible had begun to coexist.

It was a miracle created by Sion.

“Sir Marquisin saved my life. I’ve received a great blessing as well.”

Sion bowed his head.

The elf accepted the bow.

“The Wildflower Cult will do our best for the War Cult. The Goddess Emily is also establishing a strong barrier over this land to ensure safety from the looming threat of war.”

“Thank you.”

As a result, Sion had gained considerable divine power and strengthened Elim’s influence.

He had gained much through a bit of hardship and patience.

Though Marquisin felt endless gratitude toward Sion, in truth, the War Cult had gained even more.

“Let’s talk more later. For now, focus on recovering. There might be lingering aftereffects.”

“Understood.”

Marquisin stood up and walked toward the door.

“Oh, and a young lady named Ruina has been crying constantly. She glares at me every time she sees me. I’ve never in my hundreds of years of life received such a look before… Should I call her?”

Sion chuckled and nodded slightly. Marquisin closed the door and left, and Sion exhaled deeply.

“Thank goodness. Things turned out better than I expected.”

It was a sigh of relief.

***

Ruina stared at Sion for a long time.

It was closer to glaring.

How dare you go off, lose consciousness, and come back? Without my permission?

What about me and my younger siblings if you die?

…That’s what it seemed like she was saying.

Ruina didn’t say a word, but Sion apologized first.

“Sorry, Ruina.”

“You know, do you?”

“Well, I did cause you worry.”

Ruina hit Sion as if reproaching him. It didn’t hurt. Only his heart ached.

“Don’t get hurt…”

“Yeah, I won’t.”

“If you die, I’ll die too.”

“What kind of thing is that to say?”

“My life was already dead anyway. You’re the one who saved me. Without Brother Sion, I’d have no hope of living.”

Ruina had a talent for murmuring chilling words softly, persuading him like a threat, stirring overwhelming guilt.

“Were you planning to leave us behind?”

“No, no, not at all.”

Sion lowered his head in apology. Protecting his siblings was the reason he lived, and he had nearly failed that resolve.

‘What is my priority?’

This mission had taught him a great deal. I could die too. The duty of an Apostle truly is dangerous…

“Uhh… uhh…”

Ruina’s shoulders trembled. Sion silently embraced her. Ruina’s tears soaked the edge of the blanket.

When Ruina calmed down, Sion asked.

“How’s the Cult?”

“What about it?”

“The master or bishop. You brought another Cult here without permission.”

Ruina sniffed loudly and said.

“No problem. Didn’t the Goddess permit it?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Then there’s nothing to complain about. The bishop understood well and prepared a place for them. See that tree over there?”

“Yeah.”

“The Wildflower Cult has settled there. What was it they said? They’re building a fence around Elim with the power of the Goddess of Wildflowers to protect it.”

Sion closed his eyes and reawakened his dulled senses. He pulled surrounding information in through his physical intuition.

Indeed… he could sense things he hadn’t before.

‘The divine power of the wildflowers surrounds Elim.’

Marquisin was right.

The Goddess of Wildflowers was truly exerting her power to protect Elim.

“If you’re ever in danger while I’m gone, go to that tree. Understand?”

Ruina pinched Sion’s thigh lightly.

“Don’t disappear.”

“Ah, got it. I won’t.”

“Ah, my heart hurts.”

Ruina clutched her chest as if genuinely in pain. She had clearly been through a lot emotionally.

Everyone in Elim except Sion knew this fact.

Ruina glared at Sion with slightly bloodshot eyes.

“In any case, focus on getting better quickly.”

“Yeah, thanks. I will.”

***

While recovering, Sion spent his days in Elim and the newly formed forest of the Wildflower Cult.

The Wildflower Cult began cultivating a forest along the riverside right next to Elim. Even the barren Elim now visibly showed signs of life.

‘Resting in nature feels good.’

Sion dipped his feet in the river while watching Kaili playing with the children of the Wildflower Cult.

Sounds of children running and playing echoed everywhere.

Since the Wildflower Cult joined, the atmosphere in Elim had improved.

Despite worshipping different Goddesses, coexistence was possible because the Wildflower Cult adapted everything to the War Cult.

As a result, relations between the followers weren’t hostile but gentle.

Interactions mainly centered around the children.

It would take time to fully blend together.

‘I hope things continue like this.’

Garfenn had said that when you can rest, you should rest thoroughly.

An Apostle of the Goddess of War rarely had time to rest.

In fact, Garfenn said serious injury was an opportunity.

Since recently fighting the demon, Sion had felt the meaning of those words more deeply. To keep fighting such monstrous beings, both body and mind desperately needed rest.

“Now I understand why the master only sleeps whenever he returns to Elim.”

As Sion sat there blankly, Set and Tier approached and spoke to him.

They had been training swordsmanship across the river. A strong scent of sweat radiated from them.

“Brother!”

“Sir Sion! We swung exactly as you said!”

Sion greeted them slightly nervously. Were they really just going to report diligently and do exactly what he told them? Did they even think to find their own shortcomings and train accordingly?

He’d tried lecturing them before, but their answer was always the same.

“Sir Sion is the strongest, so we must learn his training method.”

“Right, brother. I want to become like you.”

The truth was, Sion didn’t have any special, established training method. He had only trained through instinct and used his sword in real combat, so their response was natural.

‘How could I possibly have a system?’

Sion made them stand before him, rested his chin on his hand, and fell into thought.

Then, a sudden idea popped into his head, and he blurted it out.

“Is it because you lack a system that you’re weak?”

“Huh?”

“Sir Sion? What did you say?”

Sion closed his eyes and seriously pondered.

Until now, he had fought relying only on instinct. It had seemed like no opponent in the world could match him.

But meeting and fighting the Vampire Lord had changed Sion’s thinking.

At this rate of growth, it seemed impossible.

‘I won’t even dream of defeating an Apostle of the Evil God.’

Feeling suddenly serious upon realizing how weak he truly was.

This couldn’t continue.

Hadn’t he already been scolded by Ruina?

Now Kaili and Set kept bothering him too.

‘I must never lose again. To anyone, no matter who.’

Muttering to himself, Sion opened his eyes.

He pointed out to Set and Tier in a nonchalant tone.

“You two are still physically too weak. You can’t even properly wield a real sword or axe, can you?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Sword… heavy. Too heavy.”

“That’s natural for iron. So the task is simple. Build muscle. Keep lifting heavy things.”

Sion clearly gave them the answer. Currently, Set and Tier weren’t at the stage of handling weapons. To Sion’s eyes, that was obvious at a glance.

“First, try building a stone bridge across the river. Move large stones. Keep finding tasks that require strength.”

Set and Tier vigorously nodded their heads up and down.

They even gave a thumbs-up.

Truly Sir Sion! Truly Brother Sion!

“Got it! Let’s go, Set!”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Set and Tier enthusiastically jumped into the river.

Splash, splash!

They splashed water everywhere near where the girls were playing, searching for large, flat stones.

Watching Kaili scold them, Sion fell back into thought alone.

‘System, system…’

Sion needed the next step forward.

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