Chapter 128

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on April 8, 2025

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128th Chapter

Whose Side Will the War Gods Favor?

“It’s quiet here.”

“That’s right. This is a place in the Mars Shrine that not just anyone can enter.”

The Mars Shrine has a back area. In the back, there’s a brown tent set up like a field office, and it’s filled with swords stuck into the ground here and there.

This was my first time coming here, so I was wondering what kind of place this was when—

“It’s the sword tomb for Mars’ fallen great warriors. Those swords stuck there are memorial steles for the fallen warriors.”

Hippolyte explained what this place was, which cleared up some of my questions. In short, it seemed like this place was akin to a graveyard for the fallen soldiers.

But instead of the spooky feeling one usually associates with a graveyard, there were candles and wreaths placed around, making it feel more like a place of remembrance, bringing about a solemn mood.

“Come inside. I’ve prepared everything roughly.”

Hippolyte, despite the discomfort of her shoes, walked in well and entered the tent.

I glanced once more at the swords stuck into the ground all around, then followed her inside the tent.

Inside the thick tent, the scenery was nothing special—something you would see anywhere.

Faint lanterns hung from the fairly high ceiling, a makeshift bed, and a sword and armor on the side storage rack.

The red armor with long cloth hanging from it looked like the one Hippolyte used. Was this tent her office? It’s strange that there’s a large stand mirror here.

“Hmm, this is the first time I’ve invited anyone here. You can consider it an honor.”

I thought it was just an ordinary tent scene, but when I realized I was alone with Hippolyte, who had radiant skin, my face started to feel hot, and I couldn’t calm down.

Swoosh.

Hippolyte drew the sword from the corner, glanced at its blade as if checking its state, and then said,

“The priests of Mars bless those going to war. It’s a tradition that has been around since ancient times. Its origins go even further back to antiquity, a time before history was recorded.”

“R-really?”

As Hippolyte began her somewhat dull story, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the dress she wore that had an open back, revealing her healthy, muscular physique, which was fascinating in its own way.

“And the origin of this ritual involves something extremely primitive… and also primordial. However, it was very effective.”

Swoosh, Thud.

Hippolyte returned the sword to its scabbard.

She then approached me with clicks of her shoes and pushed me down onto the makeshift bed behind me.

“…Yes, the ancient kings, before going to battle, took pure priestesses and smeared their bl**d. And what I’m about to do… it’s similar to that. I am a virgin, and I am a priestess.”

Hippolyte climbed onto my thighs.

Her burning body heat passed through my pants and quickly heated my body.

And what immediately touched my face were her unusually large br*asts. The unexpected warmth and touch made my lower body swell quickly, like a spear pointing to the sky.

“U-huh… H-Hippolyte-sama?”

“Hush… Even without experience, I know the method. However, if you break my concentration, the blessing might go awry.”

Her breath right in front of my face was incredibly sweet.

Moreover, her slightly spicy and yet tangy scent was overwhelming, almost frying my male brain.

Hippolyte’s face, slightly higher than mine, looked down at me.

She called out, “Hassan.”

But I, captured in this warm and soft trap, had no chance to respond.

What is this situation? It seems somewhat normal at first glance, but why would Hippolyte… Could she like me? Or if I mess with her, I might just get into some serious trouble… These thoughts spiraled on and on without end.

That was the moment.

“Hassan, the reason you’re going to war… is it because of past offenses?”

“Offenses?”

“Once someone becomes a Silver Tier Adventurer, they earn the right to do many things. Such as reading official documents of the Kingdom. And, if you’re a unique Samaritan like you, it’s common to have a record left somewhere.”

Hippolyte paused her story for a moment. Then, she grabbed my wrists and held them up, looking closely at them with narrow eyes.

“There’s no brand, but the records of the past are like unerasable words. Have you heard of the Deathros Coliseum, Hassan?”

“Th-that…”

With Hippolyte’s words, memories I had buried deep in my mind seemed to rise like smoke from a fire.

Places like the basement, littered with chains and broken fingernails.

“It seems you wanted to keep it a secret. In that case, I won’t ask further. In this, we’ve created a secret between you and me.”

“Secret?”

“According to Lord Mercury’s words, the path of fate opens when two souls share each other’s secrets. You know mine now. We’re even. I can’t handle being at a disadvantage.”

Synchronously with her words, Hippolyte caressed my chest with her palm.

“Then, Hassan, you shouldn’t speak anymore. I’ll now officially bestow my blessing.”

As her hand slowly caressed my chest, it halted on the pronounced bite marks of Luna that were clearly visible through my leather jacket, and she furrowed her brows.

Then, a moment of silence.

“…No, this isn’t going to work. All I feel is a sense of defeat. I don’t like it.”

Hippolyte abruptly stopped talking and stood up from my knees. She walked to the far corner and slowly began to undress her boots and dress.

Her abrupt actions and the sight of her back left me thoroughly startled. Soon, she picked up the undergarments and armor in the corner and put them on.

“Crrk. Clk.”

“It seems you don’t need my blessing. Too much attention might only tear the rat that’s being pulled too hard.”

“So… is this the end? There will be no blessing?”

“Yes. But at least, I’ll make sure you don’t d*e from an arrow before you even reach the battlefield. Follow me outside.”

And Hippolyte drew her sword with a swoosh.

“Why are you drawing that?”

“Doesn’t it feel more like me this way?”

When I returned to the cabin where Luna was, she was peeking out the window and watching me come in.

As soon as she saw me in the distance, Luna startled and hid her head. Moments later, she burst out the door on the first floor.

“Hassan! U-uh… How’d it go? Did you receive the blessing?”

“The blessing? She didn’t give it.”

“W-what!? Then what were you doing there this whole time?”

Luna circled me, inspecting my body. Upon seeing my tattered leather clothes and minor injuries, she frowned in discontent.

“Did you fight a tiger?”

“Something similar. Swear, I thought I was going to d*e.”

Under the pretext of training my courage against incoming arrows and swords, Hippolyte had me endure staring at her swinging fists and sword tips.

Every time I blinked, I got hit once. Before I knew it, I lost count of how many times I got struck in an hour. Swear, using such brutal methods as training is insane. What a barbaric world.

But Luna seemed oddly cheerful at the fact that I got hit by Hippolyte.

“Th-this is strange… The god of war’s blessing is truly effective, but, Hassan, let me cast a protective sorcery on you! Quickly, take off your clothes!”

She said this and quickly ran into the workshop on the first floor.

After a while of loud noises, Luna appeared with a brush and a bucket-like container filled with a rather foul-smelling mixture.

“I realized that there’s something I can do for you, Hassan, before you go to war!”

Goo, Goo.

Inside the bucket were some bug-like larvae wriggling in red paint, quite a grotesque sight.

Luna crushed them with a small mortar.

Crunc, Crunc.

As the gooey substances mixed with the red material, Luna used a brush with most of its fur gone and held it towards me.

“What, what are you going to do?”

“Battle ritual! All men of Ideope paint protective charms on themselves before going to war!”

Like tribal warriors painting war paint, I guess? Honestly, I wondered what meaning this holds.

Goo…

Seeing Luna’s firmly shut lips and intensely tensed eyes, I reluctantly agreed to let her paint me.

“It must be applied well on the eve of the battle and allowed to dry fully. And you have to pray through the night tonight!”

“I’m setting out tomorrow; do I really have to stay up all night?”

“With devotion! You must dance too!”

The West Gate of Sodomora, where parties typically gather.

As the morning sun rose, the place was much more crowded than usual with all sorts of people.

Among them were people wielding swords and clubs, long spears and farming tools, while others had used pot lids as shields.

This city is crazy, but I never realized just how crazy until now. Did they all hide until the war started and then got dragged out?

It’s kind of like reserve training. Of course, this isn’t training; it’s the actual thing—bloody scary.

“I can’t believe I’m going to war. I’ve never even held a weapon.”

“One way or another, it’ll work out. We’re lucky to be gathering at the West Gate. We’re joining Lady’s unit, after all.”

In small groups, they discussed among themselves. The West Gate was as noisy as a bustling marketplace.

Maybe I’d find someone I know, so I looked around, but not a single familiar face was in sight. I could only stand there awkwardly.

Am I the only one drafted? Or is it a different unit?

“Hassan, be careful. If it looks really dangerous, just pretend to be dead by lying among the corpses!”

Luna, standing beside me, gave her endless advice and encouragement. She looked quite refreshed, unlike me, despite not sleeping the previous night.

I, on the other hand, felt only fatigue and dizziness. A mix of tension and sleepiness made my heart race like it had been drugged, and my vision spun at the loud noises.

I never imagined I’d be forced to dance while reciting strange gibberish until morning.

Now, I understand why the male warriors who left Ideope never returned. They must have run out of energy before even reaching the battlefield and ended up dying somewhere.

But Luna’s sincerity was so immense that I couldn’t bring myself to refuse her. If I didn’t do something like this, she might go insane before I do.

To be honest, Luna was rather unhinged last night.

Clop, Clop.

At that moment, a loud murmuring arose from the crowd. Somewhere in the distance, hoofbeats echoed, and riders clad in golden armor burst through the crowd.

The brass armor they wore was dazzling, and they were mounted on horses—easily discernible as high-ranking individuals.

“The young lady has arrived.”

“It’s Lady Enya. It seems Lady Enya truly intends to join us in this battle!”

“Wow!”

The people cheered and waved high in the air as they saw the golden armored riders.

The grim expressions they had just moments ago were suddenly brightened, making me feel as if I were witnessing some kind of magic.

Clop.

After riding around our area for a while, the horsemen finally came to a halt on a raised platform.

A rider with a banner-topped halberd lifted it high above and shouted from beneath a scarlet peacock-feathered helmet covering his face.

“We hate Cultists!”

The riders next to him struck their spears against the ground with a loud clatter, shouting in unison.

“Destroy the Cultists!”

“Wow!”

What’s going on?

I was utterly confused. Luna, too, seemed unable to grasp the situation, blinking her eyes and looking around.

“Let’s k*ll the Cultists!”

“They are my enemies!”

The atmosphere around us began to heat up, as if we had been swept up into some kind of fanatical festival. Is this what they call raising morale?

However, amidst all this, I felt out of place and awkward, akin to a non-believer invited to a fervent summer Bible camp.

Just as I stood there awkwardly, someone nudged my side with their elbow.

“What are you doing? Quickly, at least pretend to cheer!”

“Uh?”

“The young lady is well-known to be meticulous about the soldiers’ morale. If you don’t cheer louder, we’ll be stuck here all day!”

sh*t.

So, Luna and I also joined the crowd, lifting our hands high and screaming loudly.

“k*ll… the Cultists!”

“The Cultists are my enemy!”

Wow!

As these strange cries echoed for several seconds, the flags that were raised high slowly came down. The heated atmosphere cooled down accordingly, and the mood suddenly dimmed.

What is going to happen now? As I looked on with a tense expression,

The woman spoke. Looking closely, she had an Owl-like helmet adorned with peacock feathers on its top.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Enya Sardicci, the eldest daughter of Count Hawkins of the Frontier. I am the Great Warrior of Minerva, the guardian of Sodomora, and the sister of all of you here—.”

Murmur, Murmur.

I couldn’t make out what the woman was saying. The stage was too far away, and the people’s murmurs were too loud.

Luna poked me in the side and asked,

“Hassan, what’s the young lady saying?”

“I don’t know.”

This is a world without a microphone. Even if you’re speaking to a crowd, unless you have an incredibly loud voice, it’s hard to be heard.

Just as people began to clap their hands, Luna and I joined in with large claps as well.

sh*t, what is this?

A hastily assembled army.

A hastily arranged command structure.

With no clear idea of what the young lady was saying, I decided to focus more on the warmth of Luna, who stood next to me.

“Luna, I’ll be back soon, so wait for me.”