Ch.85 Apostle of the Goddess of War
“Let’s get moving.”
With Kegan’s concise words, the return procession toward Elim began.
The injured were loaded onto makeshift carts, while light luggage was divided among Sion, Jena, and mbers of the Black Banner Unit.
So mbers of the Black Banner Unit remained behind to finish cleanup and maintain order, while only a small number would return with Sion ahead of the others.
“Commander. Are we officially knights of the Cult now?”
“War Knights, huh? Sounds kind of cool.”
Hearing their subordinates’ excited chatter, Kegan frowned and scratched his cheek.
“You’re not kids—stop getting so excited. Stay calm. Maintain the dignity of a knight. And no more spitting phlegm on the ground.”
“Pfft!”
“Commander, you quit drinking first!”
“What are you talking about? Alcohol is a basic necessity in the War Cult!”
“Really? Is that true?”
The knights turned to look at Sion. Sion felt his breath catch in his throat.
Damn these new recruits!
Yet, when he thought of Bishop Gustein or his master, it was a fact he couldn’t deny.
Sion let out a deep sigh before replying.
“Moderate drinking can help with morale.”
At Sion’s words, Kegan smirked and nodded.
“See?”
“Wow.”
“So the commander really was a War Knight back in the day.”
As it turned out, Kegan himself was the most excited. He felt pride more than anyone else.
‘War Knights.’
To think he’d co full circle and once again serve Achille. One truly never knows what lies ahead in life.
Kegan took one last look back at Kashibelli Rock.
There, he had rebuilt the graves of his old comrades. Even if temporarily, he had co to honor their souls.
He vowed to return again soday.
For now, Elim was urgent, so he couldn’t properly conduct a full morial service.
“Then from now on, should we call this kid… no, should we call him Sir Sion?”
Soone spoke up.
Everyone glanced cautiously at Sion.
His skill had already been thoroughly proven.
No foolish, hot-headed fool dared challenge him now.
“There’s no strict hierarchy. Just call
by my na, casually.”
“Hmm. R-really?”
The knights brightened visibly.
But Kegan quickly scolded them into order.
“Shut up, you idiots. He’s destined to beco an apostle of the Goddess. Show proper respect.”
“Yes, yes, sir! We weren’t planning anything, really!”
Jena added her voice.
“We’re not rcenaries anymore. If you don’t fix those rcenary habits now, you’ll never get a proper burial later. I’ll start by scolding you myself.”
“When did you ever serve as a knight?”
“You want to die?”
“Sorry.”
The implication was clear.
The rough life of a ground-level rcenary was over.
They had been reborn as sacred knights serving the Goddess, devoted to her.
They must now uphold the dignity befitting that role and demonstrate appropriate conduct and manners.
“This is tough.”
“You, a good-for-nothing bastard with no background, wearing a knight’s insignia—this is your rise in status. Be proud of it.”
“Fuck you. You’re just as rootless.”
“Haha. No fighting now.”
With Sion’s diation, the formal march finally began in earnest.
Though lively atmosphere was fine, this was the return procession of a knight order.
They raised the cross-sword banner high and made their presence widely known.
The War Knights are here.
This region is under the protection of the War Knights—no one should dare cause trouble.
Achille’s iron hamr strikes without distinction between human and monster.
Sion gazed contentedly at the fluttering banner.
‘We’ve co a long way.’
He had obtained a capable training instructor as planned, and acquired an excellent knightly order.
Not only had the War Knights’ combat strength visibly changed, but their sphere of influence had also expanded.
From Elim to Foils.
From Foils to the northern mountainous region of Foils.
And again to the southern marshlands of Elim and the eastern territory of Deogel.
At this point, it was fair to say the War Cult’s influence had grown significantly.
Foils now depended on Elim to the extent that their business couldn’t function without it.
The areas surrounding Foils and Elim were now under the War Cult’s responsibility for maintaining order.
Finally, the War Cult had secured a solid ho base. Centered on Elim, they aid to gradually expand their influence and dream of a complete revival of the Cult.
And if, ultimately, they could end the rampant chaos caused by the increasingly unstable evil deities—
‘My Goddess…’
Sion suddenly placed a hand over his chest.
His chest, shoulders, arms, and back still ached sharply. It wasn’t just fatigue from battle.
It was closer to aftereffects from his soul being invaded by the decaying magical energy.
‘If it weren’t for the Goddess, this wouldn’t have ended with re aftereffects.’
He would certainly have lost his life.
He deeply wished to express his gratitude.
He offered prayers constantly even now.
But for so reason, no answer ever ca back.
Communication had always been impossible, but recently he had felt a sensation at the crown of his head, allowing him to sense the Goddess’s will.
Since awakening, he hadn’t felt it even once.
‘She must have overexerted herself because of .’
He felt remorseful.
Suddenly, anxiety crept in.
‘Is everything really going to be okay like this?’
No one would show him the way.
He had to find it himself, to push through alone.
Now it was winter.
Sion continued riding forward, facing the cold wind.
***
Several days passed, and Sion and the War Knights arrived at a certain estate.
All the villages and towns they had passed through on the way were deserted, but this place was the only one still inhabited.
It was Deogel Castle, where the people Sion had rescued during the past Sword Ghost incident had settled.
A modest but sturdy-looking fence surrounded the area, and the shabby roofs were in the middle of repairs.
An old woman at the village entrance was startled when she saw Sion.
“Oh my, who is this? Isn’t it that knight from back then!”
“It’s an honor that you rember .”
Sion dismounted and accepted her greeting.
“If it weren’t for you back then, we’d have been dead long ago. Please, co in, at least have a al.”
“Perhaps I will. I’d also like to see the lord once.”
“Oh, Lord Yohart?”
“Yes. How has he been lately?”
People spoke in unison, praising him.
“He’s doing well. Really doing well.”
“You can see he’s putting in effort. Soone of his status doesn’t need to care about commoners like us.”
“Still don’t like him much. But what can you do? He didn’t choose to be like that either.”
Their relationship still carried mixed feelings.
But now, affection outweighed hatred.
When soone seeks forgiveness and lives trying to atone for their sins, people’s hearts naturally shift.
Seeing this, Kegan also felt deeply moved.
Sion had intended to simply greet them and move on, but the village was already in an uproar.
Children rushed over and surrounded Sion.
“It’s really him! The uncle knight!”
“We were really grateful back then!”
“Brother, here. A gift.”
Before he knew it, a child was holding out wildflowers to Sion. In the small hand were broken daisies, dandelions, and unnad grasses tangled together.
“Thank you.”
Sion politely bowed and carefully accepted the flowers. The child’s eyes sparkled.
“Co back again! Promise!”
“Okay.”
For a mont, he had forgotten what it felt like to be soone others waited for. That feeling gently caressed Sion’s heart.
Jena, watching from behind, giggled.
“You’re popular with girls, aren’t you?”
“Not exactly absent.”
Sion gave an awkward smile.
“Hard to seduce, though. Don’t tell
you’ve got soone waiting in Elim?”
At Jena’s words, Sion’s breath caught.
Not exactly a lover, but soone similar did exist.
Sion couldn’t easily bring himself to speak.
Still, she was his sister.
Jena’s lips curved downward in a disappointed arc. She genuinely looked let down.
“Oh? Not saying anything? So there really is soone?”
“Hahaha! She got rejected. Rejected!”
“Who’d go after such a young boy anyway?”
“You really want to die?”
Jena suddenly lashed out in irritation.
Sion deliberately ignored her expression, which clearly showed lingering regret.
Just then, Kegan slowly approached, a few wildflowers resting on his shoulder.
“The kids look at
like I’m so kind of important person too, you know.”
“You really are important.”
“What have I done? The important one is you.”
“The people gathered here—all were protected by the Black Banner Unit. There’s a reason they welco us so warmly.”
Kegan laughed bitterly.
“It feels strange. I wonder if what I’ve done was truly aningful.”
Sion shrugged.
“Just seeing these people smile again is proof enough.”
At Sion’s pure, untainted answer, Kegan’s heart began to race, unable to calm down easily.
His soul was more innocent than Kegan could have imagined.
In that mont, Kegan finally fully understood why Sion had been chosen as the Goddess of War’s knight.
‘That’s right. Only a soul pure to its core can beco the Apostle of the Goddess.’
There was sothing inexplicable by skill alone.
Garfenn was rough, yet more tender than anyone. This boy Sion was more sincere than anyone in saving people.
His guilt fell away like being sliced by a knife. Though his mistake couldn’t be undone, he could live to repay it.
Forgiveness would be sought in death.
Even if he wasn’t forgiven, it didn’t matter.
He would do his utmost in this life to save people.
An unbidden surge of emotion rose up. He struggled hard to swallow it without showing it.
He turned his head.
The horizon he had passed through ca into view.
Land filled with painful mories.
A place where mistakes, regret, despair, and sin had been born—a battlefield where he had fought fiercely.
He turned his head again, looking at Deogel Castle.
People were living.
These were lives saved from the perilous Decay Cult.
This alone was an achievent he had no reason to envy.
Well done.
He had done well.
As long as he continued like this from now on, everything would be fine.
‘Save people.’
That was how Kegan had been saved.
***
“You’ve truly co.”
Lord Yohart Deogel, worn down by exhaustion, warmly welcod Sion and Kegan.
He looked like soone who hadn’t slept much. Yet his expression was far brighter than before.
He wasn’t the only one who had been saved.
Sion and Kegan explained what had happened.
As the lord protecting this land, it was necessary to share information.
Yohart stroked his slightly grown beard as he murmured.
“…So the Decay Cult was operating in secret. How horrifying.”
“Yes. But now it’s gone, so this region is safe.”
“Could soone else co to fill the void?”
“As long as the Wisdom Cult doesn’t collapse, it should be fine. And—”
Sion said confidently,
“If anything happens, the War Cult will intervene.”
“Oh.”
Yohart was genuinely impressed.
Sion’s words had never felt so reassuring.
“Does that an the Deogel Estate can receive protection from the War Cult?”
Sion tilted his head.
“It’s been that way all along.”
At the sa ti, he lightly nudged Kegan’s shoulder.
“If you’re in crisis, my senior here will imdiately send the knightly order.”
“Hmm? Y-yes, that’s right.”
Kegan belatedly chid in.
He still hadn’t fully adjusted to the fact that he was now the Commander of the War Knights and their training instructor.
He needed to adapt quickly.
“Haha, this is truly reassuring. I can live with peace of mind.”
“Yes. Any problems at the castle? Did any monsters appear while we were away?”
Sion asked.
“No. As Sir Sion predicted, no monsters appeared. Only the cursed sword I held was the issue.”
Yohart smiled bitterly, glancing at the cursed sword Sion had taken from him.
“Yes. The terrain doesn’t seem particularly favorable for monster habitation. It’s actually better suited for human settlent.”
Yohart nodded.
Now all that remained was for him to resolve himself, lead his people well, and revive his estate.
The hand holding his teacup tightened with resolve.
“…Deogel Estate will officially begin serving the Goddess of War.”
Sion smiled and said,
“Yes, please tell everyone about our Goddess. And when you have ti, it’d be great if you could visit Elim.”
“R-really?”
“Yes. When a noble from a prestigious family visits, it’ll help with promotion too, right?”
“Ah, I see. I’ll do that. Right after this winter passes, I’ll co with a modest gift…”
“You don’t need to bring anything! But if you do, make it sothing practical!”
Kegan inwardly couldn’t suppress his shock.
‘This kid… his skill at manipulating people with words…?’
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