“You must walk the path bestowed by the divine.”
It was the year Evan turned 14 when the Pope visited him with a gentle smile.
“W-Why…?”
In response to his bewildered question, the Pope pointed at his wrist.
There was a pattern that resembled a dragon spreading its wings.
“Evan is the chosen Apostle of the divine.”
Apostle. Nine beings blessed by the gods who protect the nine nations.
Evan couldn’t comprehend how he had become such a being. He had been growing up just like any other kid, and suddenly the divine had chosen him. It didn’t even make sense that this was a god from another empire—
Thinking there must be some mistake, he spoke to the Pope, but all he got back was, “There must be a divine will in this.”
“So what am I supposed to do now?”
“You must embark on a journey to defeat the Demon King. According to divine will, you are to cleanse the world of evil.”
Evan shook his head vehemently at the Pope’s words.
“I… I don’t want to.”
He still wanted to play with his friends, to stay in his parents’ arms, and hated the thought of being away from home for too long. He didn’t want to embark on a journey of killing and being killed.
“I refuse to go.”
“But if Evan doesn’t go, your family could die.”
That was a sinister statement. Yet the Pope still wore a gentle smile as he said it.
“If Evan does not go, the unchecked Demon King and countless demons might advance towards the Empire. If that happens, Evan’s family, friends, and hometown… none of it will be safe.”
The history of the Great War he’d read about flickered in Evan’s mind.
Seven hundred years ago, when the previous Apostles did not act, the event that caused a third of the continent’s population to perish due to the actions of the Demon King.
The Lunia Great War.
If he chose not to go, a similar situation could unfold again.
“Do you truly intend not to go?”
The Pope’s subsequent question. After much contemplation, Evan finally nodded.
“I’ll go.”
It was a sign of acceptance to join this journey. Of course, he wished to be with his friends and family. He didn’t want to embark on a perilous journey far from home to capture the Demon King. But more than that, the thought of witnessing the death of those he cherished made him cringe even more.
So he decided to partake in this long journey, the duration of which was uncertain.
“Then I will escort you to the Holy Kingdom.”
*
After deciding to head to the Holy Kingdom, a week had passed since he boarded the carriage.
In the distance, white marble walls began to come into view.
‘That must be…’
The Holy Kingdom of Lorencia.
The second smallest country among the nine nations of the continent. A place where all its inhabitants lived as devout saints.
“I thought I’d never intersect with it unless there was a special case, whether as a tourist or a resident…”
But here he was, about to enter as an Apostle.
Evan found himself chuckling at the realization of why adults always said life could be unpredictable.
“This way, please.”
As he entered through the walls, guided by the attendant, the scenery inside the Holy Kingdom caught his eye.
Just as he had seen in books.
The residents strolling about all carried thick scriptures, and the Holy Knights wore white armor emblazoned with the emblem of Lorencia.
A little further in, he also saw a few people praying in the streets.
‘Indeed, it is a land of clergy.’
Evan was captivated by sights he had never seen back home when one enormous building caught his attention.
Unlike the small structures lining the streets, this towering white edifice likely exceeded twenty stories.
“That is…”
“Yes, Helia.”
The Grand Temple of Helia. Located at the very center of Lorencia, it was the largest structure on the entire continent, not just within the Holy Kingdom.
“From now on, Evan will live there with the other nine Apostles.”
“I’ll be at Helia?”
“Yes, because you have been chosen by the divine. Let’s go inside.”
The Pope led Evan towards the Grand Temple. Ten Holy Knights blocked the entrance, yet they parted with respect upon seeing the Pope.
‘It appears the Pope holds the authority of a king in the Holy Kingdom, and that’s no falsehood.’
As Evan entered, his gaze drifted to the massive paintings adorning one side of the temple.
Each one was grand enough to cover the temple walls.
‘The Ten Deities…’
The ten gods who protect each nation. Except for the leftmost one, the God of Illusions, Buer, all the others were real entities.
Evan approached the painting of the black dragon, which had its wings spread wide—similar to the mark on his wrist.
‘Inferna.’
The Apostle of Destruction, Inferna. The god of all dragons, the one who chose an insignificant boy like him as an Apostle.
Even now, Evan couldn’t fathom why he had received their blessing instead of a more powerful dragon.
‘If it were me, I’d rather give it to the strongest dragon out there.’
Why was he chosen, setting him on this arduous journey?
As Evan pondered these resentful questions, someone approached him.
Turning his head, he met the gaze of a girl who seemed around his age.
Her serene blue eyes reminded him of a calm sea.
As he gazed at her, it felt like time had frozen.
Her white hair, reminiscent of snow that had fallen on a wintry day, fluttered in the wind. The small, warm smile on her lips sparkled like the sun.
If one were to mold the word “beauty” into a human form, would it feel like this?
As he entertained that thought, the girl spoke.
“Are you the Apostle of Destruction, Evan?”
Her clear voice flowed into his ears.
Snapping back to reality, Evan replied.
“Um… it seems so. May I ask who you are?”
“Oh, I apologize for the delay. I am the Apostle of Light… also commonly known as the Saintess.”
Evan’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of the Apostle of Light. The deity who protects Lorencia and the god of light, Amor. Aside from inheriting the name of the Holy Kingdom, her true identity remained vague.
A being often called the miracle of the Holy Kingdom for her ability to heal anyone unless they were dead or completely drained of magical power.
Compared to the other Apostles, whose deeds were often less known, she was widely recognized, and he had been curious about what kind of person she would be…
‘I expected someone much older, not a girl around my age.’
It was beyond his imagination.
“Please follow me. The other Apostles are waiting.”
With that, the Saintess, still wearing her gentle smile, took his hand.
Evan followed her without resisting, and as they moved deeper inside, a vast open space came into view beyond a narrow corridor.
The Pope was waiting there along with others.
Some appeared younger than Evan, while others were older individuals.
‘Those individuals…’
The Apostles blessed by the gods.
Each one possessed strength comparable to entire nations, chosen by the deities to protect the continent of Aisha.
Though Evan had only recently received his powers and didn’t fully understand them, he could easily sense that they all bore monstrous strength.
Being awed by their beautiful faces, Evan hadn’t fully registered earlier, but… the Saintess beside him was no exception.
‘Then what about the Demon King they will have to capture with these nine?’
A tension gripped him, fists clenched tightly.
Just as he was lost in thought, a voice filled with mockery reached his ears.
“Hey, kid. Are you the so-called Apostle of Destruction?”
Turning towards the sound, he saw a giant Ice Giant with blue skin.
‘Blue skin, and the mark on his wrist…’
Could he be the Apostle of the god of cold, Puella?
“I see no dragon blood in you. How can a snot-nosed kid be the Apostle of the Dragon of Destruction?”
That was an obvious taunt.
In an instant, Evan’s temper flared, and he retorted.
“It seems the Apostle of Ice has quite a mouth on him.”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t that true? Since you’re the God of Ice, you’re the ‘Frost Apostle’ now. Am I wrong?”
The air immediately chilled as frosty mist began to settle around them at Evan’s words.
“This little guy sure has a sharp tongue…?”
The Ice Giant flashed a grin, baring massive teeth. Yet there was no friendliness in that smile.
“The atmosphere’s grown tense. Care for a hit?”
“If I really went all out, you wouldn’t even have time to scream before you were dead, kid.”
Upon hearing that, Evan stepped forward, coming within striking distance.
“Go ahead and hit me if you dare,” he said while looking straight at the Ice Giant.
