Chapter 151

Ch.151Apostle of the Goddess of War

“Priestess.”

Sion bowed respectfully to Priestess Kaili.

It was the proper demeanor within the church—

especially since they weren’t alone.

The Priestess was the avatar, the very incarnation of the Goddess.

Her image before the faithful had to at least resemble that of the deity herself.

Even if Tartania—fully aware of all their private circumstances—was watching,

Sion still retained an oddly traditional streak.

“Are you really going to act so distant, Brother?”

Kaili pouted. She’d grown noticeably taller since he’d last seen her.

No longer could anyone mistake her for a child.

She was transforming from a little girl into a graceful young woman—

a change the faithful of Elim observed with quiet satisfaction.

“Sorry.”

Sion hadn’t yet adjusted to Kaili’s newfound delicacy.

Dealing with her now required more tenderness and familiarity than before.

Yet he remembered the promise he’d made back then:

when entrusting her with the lonely, heavy mantle of Priestess,

she’d need a refuge for her heart—

and that refuge was him, along with her sisters and brothers.

So he couldn’t afford to act awkward.

He had to treat her as naturally as ever.

Casually, he spoke up.

“Finished your prayers?”

“Yeah. Since the Goddess herself is in Elim, there’s not much to pray for, really.

It’s just part of the Priestess’s daily routine.”

Sion ruffled Kaili’s hair with a chuckle.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Hmph.”

Only then did Kaili finally smile in contentment—

and immediately clung to Sion, glaring pointedly at Tartania.

“But I’m exhausted because of that older sister.”

“Older… sister?”

Sion glanced at Tartania.

She merely shrugged, her expression relaxed,

as if silently saying, ‘Look at these adorable kids.’

Not surprising, really.

She was a Goddess who’d lived for thousands of years—

what could mere mortals say or do to truly affect her?

“I have to periodically purify her dark energy and heal her—do you have any idea how toxic it is?”

“Ha… ha…”

Well, she was an Evil God.

That was only to be expected.

Truthfully, if Tartania had been in her full, uncorrupted state,

even the Priestess wouldn’t have been able to do a thing.

And yet—even now, having discarded her divine vessel and exposed her entrails—

she remained this potent.

“You holding up okay?”

Sion was genuinely worried for Kaili.

She gave a slow, confident nod.

“Of course. I’m of age now. It’s just that ill-tempered older sister who’s a nuisance.”

“You’re just as ill-tempered yourself.”

“See that?!”

Kaili screeched at Sion like she was tattling.

Tartania, finding her utterly endearing, covered her mouth and giggled.

“Aha~ha! Still, take good care of her. Despite appearances, she’s now Elim’s guardian—and while I’m away, she’ll be Elim’s strongest asset.”

“She came from filth, though. How can we trust her?”

“You can.”

Sion said it calmly, with absolute certainty.

Kaili looked at her brother with a sullen frown—

then quickly steeled her resolve.

“If Brother says so… then I’ll believe it.”

“You’ve raised your little sister well, haven’t you?”

Tartania teased with a snort.

Kaili opened her mouth to retort—

then chose to ignore it instead.

She’d recently realized that maintaining serene detachment in all things

was actually good for her mental discipline.

“I know you were once an Evil God, but please—

at least in Elim—tone down that nasty temperament.”

“Oh my! Look at how fiercely protective you are of your little sister.

I’m honestly getting jealous~”

“It’s part of our contract.”

Sion refused to play along with her teasing.

Since he’d entrusted Kaili into her care, he wanted absolute clarity.

The Evil God of Corruption quickly read the mood—and surrendered.

“Alright, alright. I’ll keep teasing, but you won’t have to worry about anything serious.”

“Thank you, Lady Tartania.”

“Call me ‘older sister.’”

Ignoring that, Sion turned to Kaili.

“How’s Ruina? Is she doing well?”

At the mention of Ruina, Kaili rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Brother, don’t even get me started. Older sister-Ruina has totally lost it.”

“What happened?”

“She took over the church—and started running a business!”

Sion tilted his head, confused.

What did that even mean?

“The merchant magnates from Foils came visiting, offering bribes and everything! It’s like Older sister-Ruina has become some underworld tycoon.”

“What exactly has Ruina been doing?”

Kaili shook her head, just as bewildered.

“No idea. Not my problem.”

Sion swallowed hard.

‘What on earth is Ruina up to?’

He felt a sudden chill—

had he accidentally shackled a business prodigy to the church?

“Humans really know how to live interesting lives. How fascinating.”

Tartania smirked, amused.

But neither Sion nor Kaili bothered engaging her.

The Evil God of Corruption sulked for a moment—

then perked up again.

“Well… as long as everything’s going smoothly.”

“Older sister-Ruina got Older brother-Set watching over her, so it’ll be fine.

By the way, Brother—you’re heading south next, right? To the marshlands.”

A cold shiver ran down Sion’s spine.

“Kaili… you really know everything now, don’t you?”

“I’m a Holy Apostle. Your future appears clearer to me.”

“Man…”

Sion was starting to find his siblings genuinely terrifying.

Set was still relatively human—but even he was growing at an unnatural pace, by human standards.

He was already eyeing the position of War Knights commander.

Sion could only pray this future would come to pass.

“The shard is near the Church of Fire’s territory. I need to recover it quickly.”

“Hmm…”

Kaili furrowed her brow.

“I sense something ominous… fire… and some lurking evil.”

“Your premonitions are usually accurate, right?”

“Lately, almost always.”

“How remarkable,” Tartania chimed in beside them.

Sion turned to her.

“Are all Priestesses like this?”

“She has an unusually wide spiritual channel connected directly to the Goddess.

She’s exceptionally gifted.”

“Hehe~” Tartania gave a seductive smile and added,

“You’d do well to heed her warning. I, too, sensed something unsettling in the south—familiar energies growing stronger.”

“Thank you, Lady Tartania.”

Sion ended the conversation.

If evil presences were stirring, speed was essential.

“Be careful, Brother. I’ll pray for you.”

“Thanks. Take care.”

Sion exchanged farewells with Kaili.

“See you~ Sion!”

Tartania lazily waved goodbye as he departed.

* * *

Later, Sion completed his preparations and left Elim.

He traveled alongside the War Knights—

their southern marshland patrol coincided perfectly with his mission.

Kegan, marching beside him, spoke up.

“We’ve recently started cooperating with the Church of Fire on marshland patrols.

They cover the southern half; we take the north.”

“When was this arranged?”

Sion was genuinely surprised.

He was only now realizing just how much the Church of War had accomplished without his knowledge.

No wonder Bishop Gustein was always drowning in alcohol and exhaustion—the man’s workload was truly beyond imagination.

And Ruina’s administrative brilliance, which had supported him so flawlessly, now seemed even more chilling in hindsight.

With the growing influx of religious refugees, the quality and quantity of recruits were steadily improving.

One could safely say Elim’s revival was already underway.

“It just happened gradually. Ever since the Apostle’s last feat, we’ve had to step up our vigilance.”

“I see. That’s good to hear—honestly, I had no idea.”

“You’re far too busy, Apostle. You don’t need to bother with such details.”

After all, this was where an ancient demon lay slumbering—

increased patrols were inevitable.

But forging cooperation with the Church of Fire?

That was pure administrative prowess.

“The last patrol was three weeks ago. We received reports of several demons slain then.”

Kegan’s voice carried concern.

“But the Church of Fire has also reported rising demon activity, so I decided to inspect the area personally.”

“Convenient—I’m heading that way myself.”

“Indeed.”

To Sion, Kegan felt reassuringly solid.

Without him, Master Garfenn’s absence would’ve weighed unbearably heavy.

Thanks to Kegan, the War Knights were growing stronger—

and executing their duties without a hitch.

Sion truly only needed to focus on his role as Apostle now.

“Let’s go take a look. In turbulent times like these, it’s best to settle things decisively.”

“You could just turn back, you know. No need to waste your time.”

Kegan treated Sion with greater reverence now—

his demeanor shifting ever since Sion’s formal appointment as Apostle.

He clearly regarded him as a superior officer now.

Grateful, Sion replied earnestly,

“Actually, cutting straight through the marsh is faster. Time is critical for shard recovery.”

He recalled the radiant energy pulsing through his body—

an intense, gravitational pull drawing him southward.

The shard lay beyond the marshlands—

and judging by location alone, the Church of Fire might’ve already secured it.

But he’d learn the truth soon enough.

Kegan stroked his neatly groomed mustache thoughtfully.

“Understood. I’ll ensure the knights don’t hinder your mission.”

“Ha! I’m counting on you.”

* * *

A murmur rippled through the ranks.

“Seriously? Did I hear that right?”

“They say the Apostle himself will patrol the marshes with us!”

“Unbelievable!”

“This is an honor for my house!”

“Oh! The Goddess of War walks with us!”

The knights buzzed with excitement at Sion’s words.

Their eyes burned with renewed fervor.

This was no ordinary patrol—

the famed Apostle of the Goddess of War himself was joining them.

For newly recruited knights, Sion was a living legend:

The liberator of Kashibelli Rock.

The slayer of Evil Gods and their Apostles in the Holy Kingdom.

His exploits had already become a myth among the ranks.

Now, not only would they march alongside him—

they might even fight side by side.

How could their hearts not blaze with passion?

Kegan glanced back and chuckled.

“You have no idea how popular you’ve become lately.”

To Sion, it all still felt strange.

It always had—and still did.

Fervent praise and adoration were things he’d never truly adapt to.

“Ha…”

He gave an awkward smile and looked ahead.

Beside him, Goddess Achille floated gently, smiling fondly.

[My Apostle… your shyness is utterly adorable.]

‘Goddess, please don’t tease me. Unlike you, I don’t enjoy fame or praise.’

[That only makes you even more adorable.]

Sion shut his ears.

[S-Sion…?]

The Goddess sounded on the verge of tears.

* * *

On the way to the marshlands, Sion initiated light sparring—

partly to stretch his limbs, partly to assess the knights’ skills and offer guidance.

None lasted beyond three exchanges.

Three exchanges was the mark of an elite warrior.

And even then, Sion had only been warming up.

For the knights, it was an invaluable experience.

Facing the Apostle firsthand, they vaguely grasped just how high the mountain Sion had climbed.

Several who’d once dreamed of becoming the next Apostle now humbly redirected their ambitions toward becoming Knight-Captain instead.

Before long, they entered the marshlands.

Half a day later, Kegan raised a hand—

halting the column with a silent signal.

Quick hand gestures followed.

The knights drew their weapons, forming disciplined ranks.

“Demons. Prepare for combat…”

Kegan barked the order, posture rigid.

The knights exuded focused, tempered killing intent.

Sion admired their readiness—then scanned the surroundings.

His hand briefly touched his sword hilt… then withdrew.

‘Let’s test the Corrupted Sword.’

He reached into empty air.

His fingers brushed past every blade at his waist—

except the short sword—

and Achille’s divine power guided his choice.

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