Chapter 86

Ch.86 Apostle of the Goddess of War

“We’ve arrived.”

It had been quite a long journey. Leaving Elim, meeting Kegan, and returning again had taken a month and a half.

Sion gazed at the distant outskirts of Elim, which had grown larger than when he had left, and was immersed in emotion.

He felt like shedding tears of joy.

The sight of his newly found home steadily developing was, in fact, the very driving force behind Sion’s existence.

Meanwhile, the closer they got to Elim, the more visibly anxious Kegan became. He barely ate and spoke far less than usual.

“Are you very nervous?”

“I want to run away.”

“You’re a coward.”

“There’s nothing you can’t say to your senior. This kid.”

During their travels, Sion and Kegan had grown quite close.

They shared knowledge about swordsmanship and learned from each other.

Experienced Kegan had been a great help to Sion.

Kegan could share what Sion lacked.

Mercenary tactics, street-fighting techniques, information about world affairs and various cults, and so on.

Even during this time, mental realm training and the circulation of sacred rings never ceased.

A month and a half was short if you called it short, and long if you called it long.

At the very least, it had been enough time for Sion to consolidate and refine the new realm he had ascended to.

“Now that I think about it, we’re back in Elim now, right?”

“Hm?”

Sion smiled mischievously.

“Strictly speaking, aren’t I the senior now?”

“What, you bastard?”

“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“I’d rather bite my tongue and die right here than be treated as your junior.”

Kegan was more serious than ever.

And he was already being grilled by his junior like this.

……If he were treated as a junior?

He’d truly be driven to the point of nausea.

Kegan, Jena, and every single member of the War Knights had sworn it!

Sion chuckled and brushed it off.

They were fun, good people.

With their joining, Elim would surely become brighter and more secure.

Reinforcement of powerful combat strength.

The mere existence of this fact brought comfort.

It would even be fun introducing each of them one by one.

“Haha! I was just kidding.”

“That one isn’t joking. I’m sure of it.”

Jena giggled and comforted Kegan.

She had already been thoroughly outmaneuvered by that brat.

The members had teased Kegan about this topic every single day.

Sion laughed and urged his horse forward.

He wanted to reunite with his beloved younger siblings as quickly as possible.

Sion and the new War Knights entered Elim.

Naturally, many people waved their hands and greeted him warmly.

Our hero.

Elim’s future.

A capable young man who would lead the War Cult.

Elim had welcomed many refugees, and their age range had become diverse.

This place was less like a Cult and much more like an actual village, a city.

Everyone had endured hardship before settling on this land.

Because they shared the same pain, their bonds were all the stronger and filled with affection.

The way they welcomed Sion was just like greeting a beloved son, nephew, or little sister.

“He’s quite popular. More than I expected.”

Jena, who had been following behind, suddenly remarked.

Kegan silently agreed.

“Yeah, he does seem that way. He’s a fine fellow, personality-wise. I just wish he’d stop getting cheeky with me.”

“That just means he really likes the commander, doesn’t it? That one.”

“What about you?”

Kegan suddenly asked.

“What about what?”

“That kid. You don’t have feelings for him, do you?”

“Hmm……”

Jena smiled slightly, curling the corner of her lips.

Then her expression quickly turned neutral.

“Brother!”

Odo-dodo-doo!

A girl came running nonstop from the top of the nearby hill and threw herself into Sion’s arms.

She was even fair-skinned, slender-waisted, and had not a single scar on her arms. Her face was so delicate and refined that one could believe she was a noble lady.

Unlike Jena, whose short hair made her look boyish, her fine, silky hair flowed all the way down to her waist.

‘So that’s why she couldn’t answer when asked if she had someone special.’

Jena chuckled.

‘He was a bad man, wasn’t he?’

Her resentment toward Sion was quietly buried.

Jena dismounted from her horse and answered.

“He’s not my type, you know. I don’t go for younger guys.”

“Really? I never knew your type.”

“From today onward, that’s my type.”

“What?”

“Never mind. Let’s go. Looks like someone’s calling over there.”

Jena gestured toward a figure standing alone.

From attire to posture, the person exuded the unmistakable aura of someone in charge of Elim.

Kegan took off his helmet and bowed his head at the spot. It was a greeting to his old benefactor, Bishop Gustein.

“You’ve returned.”

To his homeland.

Somehow, his vision blurred.

***

After a brief reunion, the people of Elim quickly gathered at the training ground.

The official founding ceremony of the War Knights began, surrounded by onlookers.

Until now, everything had been temporary.

There hadn’t even been an official commander, let alone instructors to train the knights.

But now, things were different.

Commander: Kegan.

Training instructor: Kegan.

Deputy commander: Jena.

‘……Still short-staffed, though.’

But even this much was a blessing.

Recalling the past, when they had taken complete beginners and thrown them into real combat missions as the so-called War Knights, Sion still felt dizzy.

‘It was too reckless.’

The moment he fought against the Death Priestess was still unforgettable.

Even now, Tier, Set, and the rookie knights standing in the middle of the training ground during the ceremony remained vivid in his mind.

‘They’ll do well.’

Now they had a training instructor.

A veteran mercenary—now a fellow War Knight—to guide them.

It was a beautiful harmony of old and new. Sion smiled contentedly and savored the cheers they shouted.

“Goddess of War!”

“Is with us!”

“Goddess of War!”

“Is with us!”

“Goddess of War is with us” had now become the official slogan of the War Knights, used as a formal greeting and prayer within the War Cult.

It was the most spirited phrase, perfectly representing the Goddess of War.

Above all, Sion loved it. That’s why he had consistently pushed for it.

Now, he was finally reaping the benefits.

“Ahem. Sion.”

It was Gustein. He called out to Sion.

“Yes, Bishop?”

“How exactly did you trick that guy?”

“What? Trick him?”

“There’s no way you brought him here legitimately. You didn’t beat him up, did you?”

Sion laughed, incredulous.

“What kind of strange person do you think I am in your heart, Bishop?”

“A lot?”

Sion chuckled.

It was a funny story.

“If I’d beaten him up, I’d have come back sooner. Haha.”

“So I thought.”

Gustein gave a slight smile and asked.

“Everything’s been settled properly, right?”

“Yes. About five of them stayed behind in the Deogel territory to wrap things up. They had places they were living, debts accumulated from mercenary work, and so on. Seems like they have a lot to sort out.”

“Hmm.”

Gustein stroked his beard and nodded. Unnoticed, he had grown a rather long beard.

“Any news from the Wisdom Cult?”

Sion exhaled deeply and pondered for a moment. Then he spoke again.

“That’s actually something I wanted to talk about. We need to be careful.”

“Careful about what?”

“The Wisdom Cult. They seem to be targeting Kaili soon.”

“Did you hear something?”

“It’s less about having clear evidence and more that the circumstances are too obvious.”

No sooner had Sion finished speaking than Gustein understood the situation.

“I heard the Chaos fanatics have become too fierce. The front lines are being pushed back. That must be why.”

“Yes.”

“It’s a time when a priestess is needed. It really will be dangerous.”

Gustein grasped the flow of current affairs without lengthy explanation. He wasn’t holding his position as bishop and maintaining the War Cult for nothing.

“Waaaah—!”

“Goddess of War! May you live forever!”

The founding speech ended.

As Kegan bowed, a thunderous cheer erupted.

Sion and Gustein also clapped.

Sion clapped his hands hard and asked.

“By the way, I don’t see Master anywhere?”

“Garfenn has temporarily stepped away.”

“A mission?”

“No, a summons.”

Sion turned his head.

There was only one thing that could involve the word ‘summons’.

Well, how long had it been since they left?

It was more than enough time for contact to have come.

“Did you get a message from the Holy Kingdom?”

“Yes. Roben, that guy, sent another letter.”

“What… what did it say?”

Sion asked.

“The right to apply for priestess appointment. Suspended.”

“What?”

“To be precise, they say it requires an evaluation.”

“What kind of nonsense is that!”

Sion raised his voice slightly.

Fortunately, no one heard him.

The founding ceremony was still in full swing.

After the announcement, people blessed each other, cheered, and showed off their martial arts.

“Still, it’s not entirely bad.”

Bishop Gustein stroked his beard.

The beard suited his rugged face well.

“Why?”

“In the past, they would have flat-out rejected it.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The fact that they’re talking about evaluation means there was disagreement among the Holy Kingdom’s leadership.”

Sion slapped his chest.

No, he wanted to punch it.

He wanted to scream until his throat tore.

“But it’s practically the same as evil cultists starting a war. Is this really the time to be leisurely doing evaluations?”

He was so frustrated he could go crazy.

He wanted to draw his sword and slash at anything in sight.

Gustein smiled bitterly.

“Yes. You’re right. This isn’t the time to be fussing over such things. They’re rotten. The stench is overwhelming.”

“But why—”

“Because they’re human.”

“What?”

Gustein clicked his tongue.

“Even the Goddesses developed factions and fought foolish internal wars. How could humans be any different?”

“That’s……”

“We humans are more foolish than the Goddesses, weaker, and more wicked. The Holy Kingdom—what a joke, calling it a Holy Union—is ultimately just a group of stupid pigs grabbing power and showing off.”

Gustein criticized everything with a deeply pessimistic tone. Even the Goddesses were included in his target.

“The Goddesses are never perfect. Humans, modeled after them, are even more imperfect beings. Too vulnerable to corruption.”

“Isn’t that a dangerous statement? I don’t think it’s wrong, though.”

“I serve the Goddess of War. Dangerous statement? Go eat shit.”

Sion turned his head forward, a smile spreading across his lips.

“As expected of the Bishop. I like you.”

“Disgusting brat.”

Gustein continued.

“The Holy Kingdom… I don’t know what the Round Table Goddesses are thinking. Probably disagreement among them led to the summons.”

“Will Master be alright?”

“Worrying about Garfenn? Don’t waste your energy on unnecessary things.”

“Well, not exactly that.”

The founding ceremony was coming to an end.

They stood on the hill, blankly staring down below.

In many ways, their heads throbbed with stress.

The Holy Kingdom needed to grant the authority soon, so Kaili could be appointed as priestess before the Wisdom Cult arrived.

If the Wisdom Cult moved first, things would become extremely troublesome.

“If it’s delayed, we’ll have to prepare for the worst-case scenario too.”

Gustein made a soft hum.

“Well, still, you’ve returned, and Kegan is here. For now, we can breathe easy.”

“You were waiting for me?”

Sion asked playfully.

“Yes.”

But Gustein wasn’t joking at all.

His serious answer left Sion flustered.

“I was annoyed with no one around to boss around as I pleased. I waited until my neck ached.”

“Ugh.”

As expected. Sion still couldn’t beat Bishop Gustein at joking around.

Seeing this, Kegan really seemed like a gentle person.

Bishop Gustein said,

“Let’s wait until we hear from Garfenn. Until then, let’s do what we can.”

“Yes, Bishop. We must prepare for the storm.”

“A storm. Yes……”

Gustein lightly chuckled and patted Sion’s shoulder once.

“Well done. You’ve done a great thing.”

“It was nothing.”

“Then I’ll go settle things with Kegan. You go show your face to your younger siblings.”

Gustein turned away. Sion called after his back.

“And don’t drink too much alcohol.”

“Alcohol is fundamental—absolutely fundamental—for a War Cult follower.”

Sion chuckled.

Kegan had said the same thing.

Now he knew exactly who had taught them that phrase.

He could already picture the two of them tomorrow.

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