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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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The audience chamber inside the temple.
Yuma was facing Bell.
“Bell.”
Bell looked at Yuma weakly.
No matter how much she swung her sword, she could not achieve corresponding results.
The sword path she had displayed while receiving the [Blessing of the Martial God] from Yuma.
She had made continuous efforts to recreate that sword path, but it was still impossible to reproduce the sword that transcended those limits.
Bell answered Yuma’s words in a low voice.
“Yeah.”
Yuma spoke without hesitation.
“I appoint you as an apostle.”
Immediately after Yuma’s words ended, a young voice echoed in Bell’s mind.
Apostle.
A red aura in the shape of a sword bloomed behind Bell’s back.
It was proof that the Martial God had appointed Bell as an apostle.
Bell felt a fulfilling energy rising from her toes.
It felt as if her body was being refined to become more solid.
“You don’t need to blame yourself for not being able to enter a higher realm. Bell, you have already surpassed the limits that humans can reach. From now on, further growth will happen together with me, while receiving power from me.”
Yuma placed his hand on Bell’s shoulder.
“Do you understand?”
It was just an infinitely harmless, light touch.
However, Bell felt that touch very heavily.
“I understand.”
Bell ended up blaming herself for yet again leaning on Yuma’s shoulder in this situation.
She felt self-loathing.
However, she accepted all of it without avoiding it.
By accepting her powerlessness, she could receive the power to break free from her limitations.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Good.”
Yuma patted the shoulder of Bell, who was smiling broadly.
The red sword-shaped aura that had risen like giant wings behind Bell’s right back scattered red light and disappeared.
When she used her power at full strength, the sword-shaped aura would spread like wings again, but in moments when she wasn’t, it orbited around Bell’s heart.
Yuma came out of the audience chamber ahead of Bell.
As Yuma was going outside, he stopped walking.
A black-haired, golden-eyed mage, Cloney, had appeared before his eyes.
Cloney stared intently into Yuma’s blue eyes.
“You appointed sister Bell as an apostle, didn’t you?”
Yuma nodded.
“Yes.”
He couldn’t answer no when it was correct.
How did she know?
“But how did you know?”
Cloney immediately gave an answer.
“Sister Ermel told me. No, rather than told me… I unintentionally overheard her trembling and talking to herself. It seems like only I, who was nearby, heard it.”
He had never heard that a saint had such excellent mutual empathy that she could know everything a god does, or that she could know the actions a god performs.
She probably made an inference after seeing Yuma calling Bell separately.
‘Anyway, knowing too much is also a problem.’
In some ways, Ermel, who was a saint, might know more about gods than himself, who was a god.
“Am I still lacking? The criteria?”
Cloney asked very straightforwardly without beating around the bush.
“Yes, you need to rise one more level to be appointed as an apostle.”
Cloney immediately understood what level Yuma was referring to.
‘…7th Circle.’
The realm she had intended to surpass soon no matter what.
Cloney’s reason for having to reach that realm had just become clearer.
Bell, who was listening to the conversation between Cloney and Yuma, stayed still with her body pressed right against the audience chamber door.
She didn’t want to encounter Cloney if possible.
‘…Cloney, her eyes are scary.’
When Yuma looked at her, there were times when Cloney’s gaze would turn toward her.
Whenever that happened, she always felt a chill.
Eyes that narrowed like a crescent moon.
Bell had completely forgotten the truth that she was five years older and was properly scared.
“Please wait just a little.”
Cloney began speaking again.
“I will definitely reach the 7th Circle.”
“Good.”
Although Yuma had heard promises to become stronger from both of them consecutively, those words were never lacking no matter when he heard them.
It was true that their becoming stronger was desperately needed for Yuma.
The saint appointment and apostle appointment were finished.
Now it was time for deployment.
Yuma stepped up onto the platform again.
It was time to make a declaration about the deployment.
“Right now, I am the only one who can hold the position of god in this middle world.”
Yuma continued speaking.
“Therefore, the beings currently occupying the Silmaria continent and other continents cannot become gods. They are merely invaders who must be eliminated.”
By greatly lowering the status of the targets, he raised the morale of the legion.
“I will become the fortress that protects you all.”
The person who was most reluctant to say such nauseating words was none other than Yuma himself.
However, this level of formality had to be done.
“I will become the sword that cuts down the enemies you face.”
Thud───
Yuma struck his sword down to the ground.
Dust spread out widely in a circle.
“We depart.”
Sling
Whoosh
The sounds of checking their respective weapons spread countless times.
Heat rose from the bodies of warriors of each race.
It was fighting spirit kindled just before battle.
Flutter─
Swoosh─
The wings of fifty griffons spread simultaneously.
The sight of fifty griffons all at once stepping on the ramparts of the empire’s outer walls and gliding was…
The elves had provided all the griffons they could deploy externally for the kingdom.
The person riding behind Yuma, who was on the griffon Ethan, was Saint Ermel.
Next to Ethan, another griffon was flying.
Bell was holding the reins of that griffon, and behind her were Cloney and Hestia.
“We basically move together. It doesn’t matter if we’re far apart, but in that case, send a signal.”
Bell, who was an ‘apostle,’ could have telepathic conversations with Yuma, who was a god, through the medium of divine power.
At least Yuma had designated the range of communication permission that an apostle could have as such.
Bell nodded vigorously.
“Yes! My lord.”
Screech!
The two griffons that were close together drew acrobatics side by side.
Yuma’s divine power also enhanced the griffons’ bodies and functions.
They headed beyond the Geherhen continent, toward the Silmaria continent.
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Whoooosh…
Wind permeated the forest.
Beings for whom the very ordinary sound of wind felt like terror were holding their breath.
Silmaria continent, Valcares Empire.
The last remaining royalty hiding in the middle of a mountain in the outer territory of Belmin on the right side of the capital, Third Prince Ricardo, looked at the pitch-black sky with a blank expression.
It had been a journey where he didn’t know when he might die.
But now that this journey had reached its fifth day, he could somewhat calm his mind.
Ricardo’s blond hair swayed.
He lowered his head to look at the knights, soldiers, and mercenaries who had kept him alive until now.
Those who, unlike himself, continued to watch their surroundings vigilantly.
One mercenary approached.
“Your Highness, please have at least a potato.”
Ricardo nodded while looking at the brown-haired female mercenary, Camille, who casually handed him a potato while wearing gloves.
“…Thank you.”
At other times maybe not, but now was not the time to be concerned about etiquette or hygiene.
He had learned much from watching those who silently wielded their weapons solely to survive.
For two days, he hadn’t seen any monsters or magical beasts that emitted sinister energy.
He knew that was all thanks to the mercenaries who knew the geography of the territory like a defensive fortress.
“Your Highness… please stay still.”
But it seemed something unusual was happening.
The voice of Ragnarok, the only knight of Sword Master level remaining by his side, reached Ricardo’s ears.
“Ominous sounds are coming from outside the rock fortress.”
Through the layers of rocks, the sound of slow cracking could be heard.
It was the sound of destruction being carried out.
Crack… Crunch…
The cliff edge right above the cave where the Third Prince’s group was gathered.
A black-headed beast peeked its head out from the edge of the cliff.
Growl…
A giant troll with black skin.
Sticky saliva dripped from the troll’s mouth.
The mercenaries, soldiers, and knights all knew.
That wasn’t an ordinary troll, but a troll enhanced by some unknown being.
Starting from the day of calamity, all the trolls they encountered were mutant species that could easily withstand the slashing attacks of Expert knights.
Grrrrrr
….
The sound that had been coming from the troll’s mouth suddenly stopped abruptly.
“I clearly killed all the royalty I could see… I wondered why the royal blood of this land didn’t completely extinguish. So a little rat was hiding here.”
It was a very strange voice.
A grotesque voice mixing a beast’s voice with a woman’s voice.
The [Goddess of Dead Bones], Angelica, was looking and speaking through the troll’s eyes and mouth.
“Kill them all.”
Crack─ Crash!!
The sound of cracking completely changed to the sound of complete destruction.
The rock fortress completely collapsed.
Rumble rumble rumble…
The ground shook violently as if an earthquake had occurred.
Trolls, ogres, various monsters, and demon summons made from the bodies of dead empire citizens swarmed toward the cliff edge like an ant colony.
The twenty-seven members of the Third Prince’s group literally sensed death.
Then.
“Living ones, listen.”
A voice was heard.
“If you are alive, kindle a flame.”
The voice of the Martial God echoed.
Very resoundingly throughout the entire Silmaria continent.
At the voice of the only supreme god of the middle world, the movements of the monsters stopped for an instant.
Seeing this, the Third Prince’s group believed.
Someone was looking down at them now.
And that being was an ally.
Crackle.
A large piece of wood caught fire.
Mercenary Camille raised a torch.
Third Prince Ricardo hurriedly ran to her.
And while holding the torch together, he opened his mouth.
“Acerek.”
Ricardo knew how to use magic.
And the magic he had just chanted was magic that amplified light.
Whatever form of light it was.
The light of the torch pierced through the cliff and shot upward.
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🙏