Chapter 262
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 262
Chapter Title: Apostle (2)
“Apostle?”
When Creon showed signs of surprise, Noah gave him a benevolent smile.
“I understand your shock. Even I would be surprised if someone suddenly called me an apostle.”
“......I haven't heard any news of an apostle being born.”
“It's the will of the god. There's no need to explain it to every believer, is there?”
Creon's face twisted at Noah's words, which pinned Zenith's sword as a mere believer.
“Are you calling this body a mere believer?”
“Hahaha. Of course not, you're no mere believer. Still, since you're Zenith's sword......”
Noah, who had been laughing, withdrew his smile and asked Creon.
“How long do you intend to speak so informally?”
“What?”
“I've been respecting you all this time, but seeing the subordinate treat the superior so rudely makes me wonder if this is right.”
“Me...... a superior?”
“Isn't that so?”
Noah spread his arms wide with a radiant smile.
“I was chosen by Father Zenith and became his incarnation. In the Zenith Church, I'm the highest being after Father himself. But you? Ah, of course, I know you're not lowly. Even so, you're not higher than me, are you? You should be pledging your loyalty.”
Creon, who had been stunned for a while, stared at Noah before suddenly bursting into laughter.
“Kikikikikikik! Kkukkukkukikik!”
“Ho. What's so amusing?”
“Father! Father! Is this another trial you've given me?”
Creon suddenly looked up at the sky and shouted like a madman.
“If so, I understand.”
Then he extended his hand toward the soldier's corpse sprawled on the floor.
The sword gripped by the corpse was sucked into his hand.
As soon as he grasped it, a fierce aura erupted wildly from the blade.
An unrefined yet overwhelming power befitting a Grand Master began to swirl like a storm.
Noah muttered in a regretful tone.
“It seems you've grown quite weary over the past five years.”
Then he slowly raised his hand.
“It wouldn't be bad to correct your manners first. After all, you're Father's sword, so I can't discard you without Father's permission......”
Pure white divine power of Zenith condensed at his fingertips.
“They say hunting dogs are tamed through training, so think of this as part of your education.”
“You've been spouting nonsense from the start! Annoying!!”
Unable to listen any longer, Creon erupted in rage and charged at Noah.
No matter if he was a god's apostle, not even a dragon could easily block the sword of Creon, who had become a Grand Master.
Unlike before, with full sincerity, he swung his sword intent on severing Noah's neck in one stroke.
“Let's start by teaching you the difference in our realms.”
Noah lightly extended his right hand forward.
The high-density aura blade struck his right hand.
Creon aimed to blow off his hand and neck together.
Thud-
Noah's right hand was pushed back slightly, but that was it.
The surging aura blade couldn't even slice his hand or push it away with force; it simply ignited in mid-air.
Creon's eyes filled with shock.
No matter how much strength he poured into his sword-gripping hand, the blade wouldn't advance further.
It was a power that could slice through a massive mountain like paper, yet it couldn't pierce a slender human palm.
It was an incomprehensible situation.
The opponent hadn't used any special strength.
The divine power gathered in his hand felt honestly insignificant.
At that moment, Noah spoke.
“I told you, I'm an apostle.”
An apostle.
The proxy of a god.
The incarnation of a god.
The messiah chosen by a god.
“It's impressive that a human born wielding just a single sword has obtained power far beyond human limits. But......”
Creon's aura wavered.
An unknown, unprecedented force began dispersing Zenith's divine power.
Creon couldn't hide his panic at the sudden phenomenon.
It felt like everything about him was submitting to what was happening now.
As he tried to step back, Noah lightly gripped the blade.
He had gripped it so lightly that it seemed he could pull it out anytime.
However, Creon couldn't withdraw the sword.
No matter how much strength he applied, it was impossible.
For a Grand Master, who transcended the limits of strength, this was utterly unbelievable.
Noah provided the answer to his doubt.
“You're putting in a lot of strength.”
“Why...... why won't it come out?”
“Hehe. You're misunderstanding something.”
“What do you mean?”
To Creon's flustered voice, Noah replied.
“You're not even trying to pull it out. Yet you're asking why it won't come out?”
“That I'm not trying to pull it?”
That couldn't be.
Creon was exerting all his strength to pull out the sword even now.
Look.
His Grand Master arm was trembling violently.
It was clearly in that state......
‘Why am I only straining?’
He was applying strength to his arm, but not pulling.
Why was he under the illusion of pulling?
No, he was clearly trying to pull, so why wasn't he?
“That's exactly it, Sir Creon.”
“What have you done to me?”
“It's not something I did. It's just a natural phenomenon.”
“......”
“I am Father's proxy, incarnation, and the savior, messiah, sent by Father to this land. And you are the sword that protects such a Father. In other words, you're also the sword meant to protect me, aren't you?”
“No way......”
“It's impossible for a protecting sword to point at its protected object. It violates the sacred laws and cannot exist under Father's commandments.”
Noah released the sword and took a step toward Creon.
Creon unwittingly stepped back.
Just moments ago, he had been ready to mercilessly kill Noah, but now, unbelievably, no such intent arose.
No, only one feeling welled up from the depths of his heart.
It was incomprehensible, but upon second thought, there was no need to comprehend it.
Creon faced Noah and slowly knelt on one knee.
Then he said.
“This knight pledges to dedicate his body to the proxy of the god.”
“That's all, Sir Creon. I look forward to working with you.”
Light poured through the stained glass in brilliant colors into the church's main hall.
A boy with soft, silk-like brown hair was kneeling in prayer.
The boy appeared to be in his mid-teens at most, dressed in a pure white uniform, holding a rosary made of pure gold.
At that moment, someone opened the door to the main hall and entered.
A handsome man with bright golden hair, dressed as a paladin.
He placed his right fist over his heart toward the praying boy and bowed his head in greeting.
“Holy Executor Ras Armetic, reporting back.”
“You're back?”
“If I'd known you were praying, I would've greeted you later. My apologies.”
“Why apologize so formally between us? The goddess herself would command you to greet me instead of my prayers to her.”
At those words, Ras smiled faintly and raised his head.
The boy also stopped praying and stood up.
“Hoo. I've finished today's prayers, so shall we go eat?”
The boy, Riki, turned with a refreshing smile.
Ras chuckled at the cheerful sight and nodded.
“They say the meal is ready.”
“I told you to speak casually when it's just us.”
“The fewer people, the more formal I must be. You're no longer a child.”
“Thirteen is still a child.”
This year, thirteen-year-old Riki was performing his duties perfectly as the Apostle of the Pyro Church, the highest rank, beyond his age.
As such, those around him, including Ras, no longer treated him as a child.
Riki himself thought of himself as an adult regardless of age, but he always referred to himself as a child, believing that losing innocence would mean losing creativity too.
“Where's Anna?”
“Lady Saint seems to have stepped out briefly.”
“Well, she's at that age where wandering everywhere is fun.”
Thinking of his younger sister, Riki smiled unwittingly.
Blind Anna had fully awakened her divinity a year ago and finally opened her eyes.
Having lived ten years in darkness, she had regained the light, and since then, she had been tirelessly exploring everywhere without rest.
“How's the front line?”
“Same as always. The nations around have deployed their Masters, and <olbia> has balanced its forces similarly, so only small skirmishes are occurring.”
The eastern continent , led by the Zenith Church.
To subjugate the Zenith Church, the northern alliance centered on Seldam and the Pyro Church had united.
With the justification in northern , the western <arisha> and southern <brion> declared non-intervention.
And the central continent had not expressed any stance.
It bordered both continents, making threats impossible.
But the leadership knew.
“No proper battles have broken out yet, but if the war escalates, there's a high chance some kingdoms led by the Lily Church will join.”
The god of war and peace Zenith, Dragon God Brahman, and the goddess of beauty Lily formed one faction.
The Dragon God couldn't recklessly move the dragonkin, so it wouldn't intervene in this war.
If they did, the high elves and lan wouldn't stay silent.
But the Lily Church was different.
“We can only hope other denominations keep them in check. Secret negotiations are underway on that front.”
“It's a blessing this world revolves around religions.”
This land was peculiar in that every nation guaranteed religious freedom.
No matter how corrupt a state, it couldn't block the right to choose a faith.
Riki believed it was because the 12 Gods' influence was too overwhelming.
On this land, the 12 Gods were absolute—not abstract concepts, but real transcendent beings—so even a king couldn't casually condemn another faith.
Thus, while other religions could be rejected, outright refusal was rare.
It felt like insulting that faith.
As a result, territories within a nation often had different dominant religions, and even within those, residents followed various faiths.
Unification was more common, but this trait made it hard for the Lily Church to move freely too.
“It's good that has a perfect alliance system.”
“Seldam Kingdom played a big role.”
The northern hegemon Seldam condemned the Zenith Church for summoning demons through dialogue rather than force, using it as justification to unite the northern kingdoms' power.
But behind it were many contracts exchanged, and interventions from gods disliking the Zenith faction.
“The 12 Gods' system has already collapsed. To survive, we must strike first.”
“That means......”
“I need to meet the Pope.”
Though youthful in appearance, he was the incarnation of the Pyro goddess, her proxy, and the savior she sent.
He was also the highest in the church hierarchy.
His will was the church's will, his choice the church's choice.
“Right now?”
To Ras's question, Riki smiled and said.
“First, let's eat. Nothing gets done on an empty stomach, right?”
Ras didn't know how to play along with that innocent expression.
He smiled wryly and nodded.
“You're right.”
“By the way.”
“Yes?”
“I wonder if Jamie's doing well.”
“Jamie......”
Five years ago, after Upton, they hadn't met even once.
Only occasional news.
“I heard he made a huge splash a few months ago.”
“He repelled the holy water of Driane God and played a major role in turning Harmonia into a new nation.”
“What a cool guy. We'll meet soon, right?”
“It won't be long. Jamie wants it more than anyone.”
Riki understood what he desired without words.
He nodded silently.
It really wasn't far off.
The all-out war between the northern and eastern continents was right around the corner.