Chapter 227: The Apostle Meeting
Tatar was going to ask something, but Lakrak was quicker.
"So the gods haven't left the sanctuary yet."
"Yes, that seems to be the case."
Tatar looked at the pantheon.
Inside the pantheon, there were many spaces. Some were closed off even to the highest of mortals, the Apostles. They were mainly the personal rooms of each god or the first and second conference rooms, and even in such cases, if one was appointed as a messenger of a god or sought permission, they could enter. However, that wasn’t the case with the sanctuary.
While the external training ground outside was vast and spacious, there were particular spaces inside that were even bigger than the entire pantheon building as seen from the outside, like the third conference room. The indoor training grounds were also vast because they were used by guardians whose sizes were measured in tens of meters, making even the horizon appear faint. The inside was larger than the outside, so to speak.
Those who had even a slight glimpse of the sanctuary said it was larger than any other space in the pantheon. There were hardly any apostles who had ever entered.
Therefore, there were only many rumors about the sanctuary, but the apostles who could have had some insight kept it to themselves.
'It’s the same for Lakrak.'
To warrior Tatar, even though they were in a spot to be confident that they were closer to the gods than anyone, the distance between them and the gods still seemed far.
'Of course, gods like the Folded Wing Golden Bird or Dancing Shadow God do converse with mortals like us, but...'
Whether it was a difference in divine status or just the personality of each god, Night Sky rarely spoke unless it was with an apostle. While other gods had hundreds or just a few messengers accompanying them, Night Sky never brought anyone along.
Tatar naturally felt a bit envious knowing that Lakrak was aware of Night Sky’s, no, Nebula's real name.
'Then it should be okay to ask this much.'
Tatar said, "While it may be as disrespectful as those guys to ask, what are the gods doing inside the sanctuary?"
Lakrak looked at Tatar like he was surprised by the question.
Lakrak replied, "It's not disrespectful to ask."
"...Then?"
"However, I don't even know what the sanctuary is precisely for."
"Um, but I've seen you follow Night Sky into it before."
"That's the thing, even after entering, I couldn't understand its purpose." Lakrak continued, "It's a massive room, as huge as the indoor training grounds used by the guardians. But the room is packed with square boxes."
"Is that all?"
"When I went in, that's what I saw. I waited near the entrance, and when I tried to touch a box, Night Sky told me not to, saying it would break."
"...."
Tatar understood. Lakrak had never been particularly good with what one might call advanced technology. Fortunately for Lakrak, he didn't need such things.
'Is it something formed from the combined knowledge of high scholars and the gods? I'm not sure.'
Lakrak said, "Maybe if Zaol, Star Catcher, or the second apostle went in, they might have figured something out."
"But not you, Lakrak."
Lakrak laughed and patted Tatar's shoulder. "One doesn't need to be curious about everything, right? The matter at hand is what's important."
"You're right."
Lakrak and Tatar shared a brief conversation. Even though they had known each other for a long time and seemingly wouldn't have much to talk about, once they started talking, there was a lot to say. Stories of battles from their lives were always a favorite topic. As warriors, they often discussed how they could've achieved better results in a fight or what they would’ve done if they went back. There were some new topics as well.
Both had children, and some of their descendants had also followed them into the afterlife. Many of them were ordinary and content with their place, so they didn't bother with the effort of climbing the Tower of Trial. However, some did decide to climb the tower to see the faces of their ancestors, perhaps due to the influence of their bloodline.
Recently, one of Tatar's descendants had ascended, but they were an artist who played musical instruments, not a soldier, and they didn't even know about their ancestor, Tatar.
Lakrak reasoned that whether it was fighting, studying, or art, they all boiled down to mastering a skill, so he easily understood and accepted that. Tatar was also convinced by Lakrak's words. Finding the flow in the midst of war and following the rhythm when reading music were both about mastering a skill.
As their conversation reached a pleasant point, and they began discussing finishing up their training early to go have a drink, a Lizardman messenger approached the two.
"What is it?"
"The gods have come out from the sanctuary. They're summoning all the Apostles."
Lakrak said, "I guess we'll have to have a drink another time."
"Whenever you want."
***
At the third conference room, the highest seats in the room were empty. These seats were reserved for the gods, the players. Below them, a circular table was designated for the apostles.
In fact, these seating arrangements were often disregarded when used by the players themselves. They were mindful of their hierarchy but couldn't always remember the many intricate rules, especially when efficiency came into play.
However, in the absence of gods, the apostles had a tendency to respect those traditions. They would always leave the highest seats empty and fill the seats below first.
Just entering the room was the third apostle, Mazdari.
"We see each other again, Mazdari.”
The first apostle, Lakrak, greeted Mazdari.
Mazdari gave him a brief nod and walked to his seat.
"Many seats are empty."
"The second apostle seems quite busy lately."
"I've heard about that. But such a low attendance rate..."
Then, from the opposite side, a Platy waved his arms above the table and said, "I'm here too! That makes it half the attendance!"
It was the apostle of the Folded Wing Golden Bird, the eighth apostle and the great inventor, madman Toolbo.
The eye-catching Platy had a plump body and goggles on his eyes, and initially, Mazdari had underestimated him. However, after fighting together on the battlefield, Mazdari's perspective changed. Once, after Mazdari saved Toolbo's life, Toolbo shared an idea for an airship and even gifted it to Mazdari.
Due to Toolbo's small physique as a Platy, the chairs and table were too big for him. Even when raising his arms over his head, he could barely reach above the table.
Mazdari responded, "I apologize."
Mazdari, who had become more gentle with age, refrained from saying that he didn’t see Toolbo because he was small.
"But how are the three of us half the attendance?"
“Oh, that’s because…”
Before Toolbo could answer, a Satyr woman appeared from the corner with a cushion.
"You're here, Mazdari."
"Ah, Keiju."
It was Apostle Keiju, the fifth apostle, an apostle of Crampus, also known as the Harvester. Keiju could be called an orthodox warrior, who followed in the footsteps of Lakrak. Born to poor farmers, she led a volunteer army against the Union Kingdom troops during the early days of war. With her innate strength and primal instincts, Keiju's weapon, a large scythe, had become a symbol of Danyum.
She lifted Toolbo by the nape of his neck, placed the cushion beneath him, and set him back down.
Toolbo replied, "Thanks, Keiju!”
“Don’t mention it.”
Lakrak, Mazdari himself, Keiju, and Toolbo were present. Considering the two apostles who couldn’t fill the other seats due to some circumstances, they occupied five seats in total.
Mazdari then said to Lakrak, "Whom are we waiting for?"
"Night Sky will come."
"Is that so?"
"But most apostles agreed to attend, so let's wait a bit more."
Before Lakrak could finish speaking, a loud noise came from beyond the room's entrance. It was the sound of a salute.
"In the third conference room, Obin Mabru enters!"
"Enters!"
With a click, the door opened.
Dressed in the Empire’s military uniform, a Renard, Obin Mabru, stepped in. Despite being a Renard, which resembled foxes with bushy fur, their face was full of scars and injuries. One of their canine teeth Renards took pride in was broken, and their left eye had lost its color.
Behind them, the Renard military band played an officer's entrance song.
Obin saluted as they entered, and Lakrak stood up and slightly saluted back.
The military band then closed the door.
Obin, the sixth apostle, an apostle of Lunda known to the others as Special Forces, took off their beret and made a bitter smile.
"I apologize, Lakrak, for making you put up with this military charade every time."
"It’s fine, I enjoy it."
About 50 years ago, when the war with the Union Kingdom almost escalated into an all-out war, Obin was the soldier who miraculously forced the enemy troops to retreat. They were nicknamed Special Forces, but back then, Obin was just an ordinary conscript. Obin’s unbelievable sacrifice and heroic struggles became well-known throughout the Empire through novels and dramas, so there wasn’t anyone who didn’t know Obin. Being highly revered by enemies and the Empire alike, Obin's popularity remained high even in the Afterlife, and other apostles adapted accordingly.
Renards also had small physiques, but unlike Toolbo, Obin skillfully brought a cushion for themself and sat down.
Meanwhile, a small commotion sounded from outside the door.
"Seems the next person has arrived," Keiju said.
"Is it the seventh Apostle? Or Ninth?”
As the door opened, a massive shadow appeared.
Mazdari said, "It's the seventh."
They were dressed neatly and wore a military uniform similar to Obin's. However, they were a giant close to 3 meters in height, an Ogre.
"It's been a while, everyone."
It was the seventh apostle, an apostle of the player Lim Chun-Sik, and known as the supreme commander, Dordol.
After Lim Chun-Sik became a vassal because of Sung-Woon, the Ogres dispersed and lived in the northern part of the third continent. However, even after living for over a hundred years, the Ogres that were descendants of the bloodline of the tribal chief from that time, Kajin, still possessed high intelligence. It was this intelligence that kept them undiscovered in Black Scale. And when their god returned, members of the bloodline joined the Empire alongside their god.
Dordol had a smaller physique compared to other Ogres, but their size wasn’t the surprising part. Dordol was shrewd, was able to calculate things quickly, and more importantly, had a deep understanding of strategy and tactics. Despite their large body, the commanders on the field were more interested in Dordol’s mind than their physical strength, and Dordol quickly ascended to higher commands and eventually to the general staff, largely due to their numerous victories.
After the death of Vasen, the old emperor Kyle, his brother, was the one who appointed Dordol as the supreme commander. While there was significant opposition to this from the palace, which had still been dominated by Lizardmen at the time, Kyle believed Dordol would prove their worth in war, and Dordol did not disappoint. Under Dordol’s leadership, they successfully defended the fourth continent during the offensive against Vaseniol and pushed the enemy back to the south. Since then, Vaseniol hadn’t been attacked again.
Lakrak said, "Our supreme commander is always busy, so it's inevitable that we rarely see you."
"That's an overstatement. There are many other excellent commanders here."
Mazdari said, "So, the ones left to arrive are the ninth…and fourth apostles. But neither of them have shown their faces until now, always providing some excuse."
Suddenly, someone walked out from the back of the conference room. Caught off guard by the sudden presence, everyone turned their heads and stood up. It was Sung-Woon.
Sung-Woon said, "Both of them will come today."
He then snapped his fingers lightly. At his gesture, flames shot up from the center of the conference room.
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