Chapter 139

Ch.139 Apostle of the Goddess of War

Elim’s winter prospects were decent compared to other regions.

It was the year of Elim’s revival, and the new Apostle and the War Priestess, who had been vacant for centuries, protected Elim.

The Goddess of War’s power was also rising again.

People coming to set up new homes in Elim were endless. If you stopped anyone heading from the eastern or northern continent to the southwest, at least 20% were going to Elim.

With the world’s light extinguished, anxiety had peaked. If quantified, the end would be unknowable.

People desired strong power during this frightening time.

They needed a Goddess who would protect their families and homes with the strongest force.

The Goddess that naturally came to mind was none other than the Goddess of War.

War.

It was the name symbolizing this era.

The bad rumors had now almost disappeared, and the excellent aspects of Sion, Garfenn, and the Goddess of War had spread throughout the world.

These days, a reassessment of the Church of War was active.

Achille watched with a satisfied face as her Saint collected offerings.

[Isn’t it a bit, excessive……?]

However, it seemed a bit overdone to the Goddess. While a moderate amount would suffice, Kaili deliberately took even a little more.

And yet, she skillfully persuaded the believers with all sorts of dazzling rhetoric.

She had just become a Priestess.

Her spiritual efficacy was the highest, and the Goddess’s grace upon her was immense.

The futures or families of believers who came to pray would automatically appear in her mind.

If she threw out a comment, it would usually hit the mark.

Even if Kaili didn’t want it, believers came on their own to offer money.

‘Goddess. This is how we can catch up to the large-scale churches.’

[Hmm.]

‘The gap is at least centuries. To catch up to the wealth and trust they’ve built, even being more ruthless might not be enough.’

Achille rested her chin on the back of her hand. It felt somewhat familiar.

The radical speech and groundbreaking ideas strongly resembled Sion.

[My priestess, you resemble Sion.]

‘I learned from my brother.’

[You learned something good?]

‘Of course.’

Saying that, Kaili called the next believer with a smiling face.

Since they came with hands full of items, her voice accepting them was bright.

Achille watched that scene and smiled awkwardly.

[It feels like presiding over Abundance.]

‘Anyway, if you become the Supreme Goddess, you’ll have to manage everything.’

Kaili spoke readily. It was a burdensome future Achille had never considered.

[…….]

‘Goddess, you just need to give strength to me and Brother Sion. We’ll handle the rest ourselves.’

[Child. You frighten this Goddess. Can you say that with such certainty?]

‘Even if we can’t, we’ll make it happen. That’s my brother.’

Upon reflection, she seemed to trust Sion more than the Goddess.

She trusts the Goddess that Sion trusts.

Although that was her thought process, Kaili seemed to have her own unique faith.

Even to Achille, who had existed since creation, Sion and Kaili’s faith was unique.

[Groan.]

Achille groaned alone.

This Goddess was too ancient to keep up with the progressive policies and actions of the new Apostle and Saint.

It was burdensome just to follow their way of thinking.

[Well……]

That said, it wasn’t that she didn’t trust them.

With Gustein holding the center, and Sion, Kaili, furthermore Ruina and Set, and the Order of the War Knight leading Elim, it looked reliable just to see.

[As my priestess says, I need only bestow blessings and authority.]

And if she gathered information by interacting with other Goddesses, Achille’s role would be sufficient.

She had gathered talented people for this very time. Achille decided to trust her own discernment.

[Elim truly runs well on its own now.]

It was thanks to Gustein supporting it steadfastly like a pillar. Feeling reassured, Achille delivered an oracle to Kaili.

[Priestess. An oracle.]

At that moment.

Kaili threw her head back as if struck by lightning.

[Wh, why are your eyes rolling back!]

‘It’s for dramatic effect. Now, Goddess. Please give the oracle.’

Achille’s heart sank.

[What have I brought to Elim?]

It was truly terrifying. Kaili was a more frightening child than Sion. Left like this, she seemed poised to create a second Holy Kingdom.

“Wh, what is it?”

“The Priestess suddenly……!”

People buzzed. They couldn’t hide their confusion. A nun attending to Kaili noticed this and shouted.

“It, it’s a revelation from the Goddess! Everyone, bow down and pray!”

A pre-arranged performance.

Kaili was thorough and cunning.

[Th, this is unbelievable.]

Achille was astonished.

My church, is it okay like this?

Anyway, the oracle was delivered. It was the gracious revelation of the Goddess of War to build a new church in Foils.

“Ooh!”

“May the Goddess of War be with us. Now, everyone, join your voices in praise. Let us sing a song of victory!”

Achille rejoiced hearing the believers’ voices. The war sanctuary was filled with divinity.

* * *

On the swaying ship, Sion was deep in meditation.

Two War Knights guarded his left and right.

Just this meant Set and Jien had fulfilled their roles as attendants. They were saving the Apostle’s time.

While the two watched the sailing pirate sailors with solemn eyes, Sion was engrossed in organizing information about the changed world.

‘It’s too chaotic.’

It was a time of rapid change.

The information from the Goddess, Foils, and the refugees alone was excessive.

Now that the Round Table and Heaven were gone.

The world was divided into 4 factions.

The Evil God faction.

The Imperial faction.

The Mage Alliance faction.

And.

‘The Church of War.’

If including the Church of Wisdom and Church of Abundance, who formed a weak alliance with the Church of War, it was a scale worth dividing the continent’s major powers.

The Evil God faction vanished in an instant.

‘Whatever they are plotting.’

Their current action is highly likely to be Loenhaughter’s kidnapping.

‘Why him?’

The reason is unknown. Even Magwen didn’t speak about this. She seemed to genuinely not know.

Magwen’s role was merely to guard a ‘gate’ leading to a secret place.

‘I’ll find out soon enough.’

The Imperial faction was currently the one lying low the most while rapidly growing power behind the scenes.

They were originally ones who didn’t involve themselves much in politics, living in their own world.

The Holy Kingdom handled most matters related to the Empire.

The Imperial family was merely an honorary position and a figurehead, with little actual authority.

Now that their mother, Eru, has disappeared.

It’s a complete mystery what the royal elves are thinking or plotting.

However.

‘The Goddess churches that sided with them are unusual.’

From what Sion knew, the Goddesses of Fire and Water had colluded with the Imperial family.

The fact that the two Goddesses with the worst relationship amiably joined the Imperial family suggests a lot.

Whatever the reason, their goal is unlikely to be moderate.

‘Although there’s no significant movement yet, we need to monitor the Imperial side.’

The person to assign that role to is Loenhaughter.

The more he thought about it, the more the value of information-gathering power increased.

They should have built an information collection system sooner, but there was no leeway before.

They were worried about making ends meet immediately.

It’s too late to think it’s too late, but it can’t be helped.

War, Wisdom, Abundance.

And the remaining Goddesses of the Round Table, excluding Fire and Water, were all absorbed into the Mage Alliance faction.

It would be closer to ‘plunder’ rather than ‘absorption’.

He heard that from the Goddess of Purity to the Goddesses of Life and Penitence, they were establishing churches within the Mage Alliance.

They would transform into the form of the Mage Alliance, granting new knowledge and continuing the worship of magic even more powerfully.

‘Everyone is lying low.’

In the background, they are reforming their systems, uniting forces, and growing power.

Meanwhile, they are waiting for something to be the trigger.

It seems the moment some incident occurs, everyone will straighten their hunched shoulders and start moving.

It’s truly the calm before the storm.

‘Probably, the start will be the Holy Grail shards.’

Someone will find their whereabouts.

When news of a discovery spreads, cracks will begin to appear in the tense balance.

Be it invasion, war.

Or civil war.

Something big is about to happen. Like this swaying ship now.

Where is humanity, having lost its Supreme Goddess, heading?

There is no Goddess or wise person to answer this.

It is truly an era of each fending for oneself, a world of survival of the fittest.

They merely navigate this dark era with a single faith in the Goddess they serve.

‘I’m confident.’

And Sion likes this situation.

Even though it seems like everything will end.

Conversely, it’s an opportunity to start everything anew.

‘Elevating Goddess Achille to Supreme Goddess.’

And ending all wars.

Pioneering an era of peace that will never come again, with Sion’s own hands.

Swe—

While circulating the divine circuit, Sion’s eyelids slowly opened.

He felt a sense of incongruity and opened his eyes involuntarily.

As expected.

The distant scenery was slowly changing.

They seemed to have come very far. No land was visible. It was to the point of wondering if they were lost.

“Here it is.”

The sea was utterly still, as if they were on a lake.

The sea, reflecting the night sky perfectly like a mirror without a single breeze, was the perfect accompaniment for drinks.

“Waa—”

Jien exclaimed in admiration. Rontel’s sailors and the exhausted pirate crew also couldn’t take their eyes off the beautiful sight.

Sion, having shaken off the obvious emotion, spoke.

“Well, it seems we’ve found it.”

Sion said, scanning the sea with his maximized vision.

As Magwen said, this place was surrounded by a barrier and magic circle close to a kind of gate.

The methods demons use to hide specific spaces or passages are all similar.

Now, the degree of concealment depends on how much more complex and elaborate they make it.

The spatial barrier engraved in this vast, open sea was transcendent even to Sion’s eyes.

‘A magic circle is engraved on the entire visible surface area of the sea.’

If that were the end, it would be fortunate. But this barrier was so complex and voluminous that even Sion thought it would take at least half a year to decipher.

‘This is not a level of barrier I can handle.’

Even Sion had to admit it.

With barrier techniques of such a high dimension, it was understandable why it hadn’t been discovered until now.

If not for Magwen’s betrayal, they wouldn’t have found it.

‘No…….’

As expected.

“It’s strange that we can find it.”

Sion moved his lips inaudibly and swung his arm.

Swish!

Before Magwen could even react, her head fell.

Black flames sprouted from the cross-section of the giant demon’s neck.

“Battle— stations!”

Sion’s voice, drawn from his dantian, erupted. The ship became chaotic in an instant.

The pirate crew, not understanding the situation, believed Sion had broken his promise and rebelled.

Rontel and his sailors immediately drew their weapons and began subduing the pirates.

Set and Jien, without asking or questioning what was happening, immediately drew their swords and rushed first towards the pirate crew members who seemed threatening.

Cha-chang—!

A battle broke out on the ship. The uncomfortable companionship ended and turned into a bloody battle.

Sion walked teobeok-teobeok and placed Magwen’s head on his hand.

Magwen was laughing.

“You noticed, cleverly.”

“I was unsure. But, a demon is still a demon.”

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