The holy maiden Ermel of the God of War and the high priest Hestia chose their next destination, a place where Lycanthropes and Celestial Beings were intertwined.
There was no need for Ermel to showcase her usual condescending tone towards Hestia.
The Lycanthropes, a race with the heads of wolves and human-like bodies, resided in the continent of Geherden. The great warrior Gale from the continent of Baugalak quickly approached Hestia.
“Oh! Has the temple of the God of War finally been completed? I must pay my respects!”
No sooner had Gale’s words finished than other Lycanthropes rushed forward.
“I’ve already sent urgent news to Lord Berkan! He will surely come to the Astes Empire as soon as he can. I’ll make sure to schedule a visit to the God of War’s temple!”
The Lycanthropes, witnessing the overwhelming sight of Duke Yuma sweeping away you and his three hundred followers, were already thoroughly captivated by Yuma’s strength.
Having transcended the human race and achieved god-killing prowess, the wolves could not help but be mesmerized by Yuma.
They had been praying to Yuma since three days ago, right after he saved their lives, or more precisely, the continent of Geherden.
Gale was full of admiration.
Saliva was flying like rain from the mouths of the gigantic wolves as they worshipped Yuma, but Hestia and Ermel were unfazed by the thick splashes of drool.
“You have become the God of War…! I expected this, but now that it’s real, it’s a new sensation!”
The diverse beings who worshipped the same god together, even a few droplets of saliva from the Lycanthropes were easy to overlook.
Including the great warrior Gale, the remaining Lycanthrope forces of ten thousand pledged to head to the God of War’s temple before Hestia and Ermel.
Thus, another definitive non-human believer was added.
The reaction of the Celestial Beings was not significantly different from that of the Lycanthropes.
Of course, their demeanor was more dry and subdued due to their nature, but there was an atmosphere of unanimous recognition for Yuma, the killer of gods and the first god of the Intermediate World.
The male Celestial Being, Garenmoon, alongside the great angels of the Celestial Beings, all knelt and bowed towards Hestia and Ermel.
They were showing respect to the priests of God.
Hestia felt something within her mind. She couldn’t define this sensation, but it was undoubtedly dopamine.
It couldn’t be defined, but it was definitely dopamine.
Rising dopamine…!
A more intense level of dopamine settled in Hestia’s body than when she unlocked her talent with the sword due to the excessive courtesy of the Celestial Beings.
“Alright…! Everyone, to the Temple!”
Having finished her preaching to the Lycanthropes and Celestial Beings, Hestia retraced the places she had visited with Yuma.
Hestia thought of the Mullen Tribe across the sea.
“Oh! I should tell Tasha and Yeerkur too!”
At Hestia’s words, Ermel, who was dressed in pure white holy maiden robes, slowly nodded.
“They worship the sea, not any specific god, so they can definitely have faith in Lord Yuma.”
Ermel analyzed it coldly.
In Ermel’s mind, countless blueprints were drawn.
‘Temples.’
Commoners find it hard to come to the Temple of the God of War.
Even if they are given permission to enter, their time is insufficient. So, Ermel thought of building a temple right in the middle of the capital.
‘Various places.’
Not just the capital, but small and medium cities, and outskirts. She planned to ensure that all citizens of the Empire could worship the name of the God of War, Yuma.
‘For now, I have to move busily.’
Vitality began to flow in Ermel’s eyes.
Her enthusiasm for her long-lost professional activities was boundless.
*
A week flew by in a blur.
Before Yuma stood Brigitte, the emperor of this land, the Astes Empire.
Brigitte’s and Yuma’s azure eyes met in the air.
Brigitte slowly parted her light pink lips.
“Yuma, it’s better to widely announce your achievements. And the Evil Gods who are eyeing this continent, the Gehergen Continent… no, all continents of the Intermediate World. To inspire faith in the people.”
Brigitte made a judgment.
She had heard the news that half of the nearby Kamaceron Continent had been invaded.
And she received word that the Silmaria Continent, which lay far away, was already in the grip of entities that were worse than necromancers, who dragged up the corpses of the dead to hunt the living.
‘Perhaps it’s the work of the gods.’
Brigitte continued speaking.
“I said they’re not gods belonging to the Eight Evil Gods. Then they must be under them… We need to instill a sense of urgency in everyone on the continent. It’s no exaggeration to say the whole continent is in danger.”
Brigitte smiled bitterly.
“Do you know? Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is pray to you, Yuma.”
“I’m just saying it’s about raising it.”
Duke Yuma shook his head.
Because he had no idea at all.
“…There’s really no need for that.”
A wave of completely justified shame began to wash over him…!
Princess Brigitte chuckled.
“How can you not directly worship someone who’s breathing right in front of you?”
Princess Brigitte then put on a seriously playful expression.
“Anyway, I’m convinced that announcing the incursions of the Evil Gods that have happened so far is the right call. Moreover, if we go into detail about the demon realm invasion that almost all the citizens of the Empire saw, it should be easy to draw faith from them.”
Duke Yuma nodded slowly.
In the end, it meant explaining the dark clouds that had loomed over the Empire until now, and spreading the truth that it was Yuma who broke through them to all the citizens.
‘I don’t really want to.’
Yuma also felt that it would inevitably serve as a cornerstone to enhance the mythos of the Intermediate World.
“First, I’ll give a speech at the Glory Cross, where I was appointed as Emperor… and then we’ll widely distribute newspapers.”
Princess Brigitte stifled a laugh and carefully placed her hand on Yuma’s chest.
“You don’t have to come out. It’s better for a god not to reveal their true form, after all.”
Yuma agreed with her a hundred times over.
‘Do you think you can stand that?’
Given Yuma’s personality, there was no way he could stand on a podium and say, “Aha─ I did all of that,” after a long list of achievements was read out.
A god shines when they’re wrapped in some sort of veil.
“Ermel has started building temples so that the people of the small towns and outskirts can fully worship you.”
Princess Brigitte giggled again.
“Now that she’s back to her actual job, she’s working really hard. How about formally appointing her as a Holy Maiden?”
Princess Brigitte tilted her head and added another comment.
“Didn’t she come asking for that?”
Duke Yuma let out a slight sigh.
“She did come asking.”
That radiant face he saw just five days ago was still vivid. The image of Holy Maiden Ermel striding toward him, her silver aura shining, declaring boldly her intentions.
—I will prove it with results.
And Ermel was fulfilling that declaration.
‘The mythos…’
It’s rising.
With divine power in her eyes, thinking about mythos made him see just how much mythos flowed across the land of this Empire.
That figure was still small but very steadily increasing.
*
The front of the Temple of the God of War had quite literally turned into a pilgrimage route.
In front of the Temple of the God of War, a pilgrimage path had literally formed.
A path created to serve God of War Yuma.
A line of people stood densely, non-humans.
Nobles of the Empire and non-humans within the Empire were endlessly queuing.
Wilbeserk.
The vast domain Yuma had received upon ascending to the title of Grand Duke.
Yuma had yet to set foot on the land next to the temple, now Yuma’s Temple, which was once the temple of Incrinew.
If he stepped foot there, the nobles and non-humans queuing would immediately prostrate themselves in worship. The temple was originally part of Yuma’s territory, Wilbeserk.
Thus, the pilgrims had no choice but to conduct themselves more reverently.
Thud thud—
They moved to enter in the order of the nobles.
Among them were nobles who had directly met Yuma.
And among them was someone who had come from a very far place.
Count Rubelt’s family, whom Yuma had saved from the clutches of the black dragon Acreon. The newly appointed count, Kaisen, had come all the way to Wilbeserk to greet Yuma.
Next to Kaisen was his younger sister Luine, who had the same striking blonde hair.
Beside Luine was someone else, a brown-haired boy named Haruk. He had journeyed with Hestia, who treated him like a real brother.
He was currently working in the territory of Count Rubelt.
All three were those who had received considerable help from Yuma.
“Ooooh… It truly captures Lord Yuma’s likeness perfectly,” Kaisen said, and Luine vigorously nodded.
“It really does.”
“Exactly,” Haruk chimed in.
A colossal gray statue stood solidly inside the temple.
The statue even replicated the long coat that Yuma frequently wore.
The expressionless God of War stood steadfast inside the temple.
Yuma had only come once before the temple was completed, and for some inexplicable reason felt a rising sense of shame, so he never set foot inside after its completion, making this statue something he had never seen.
Swish…
The sound of fabric rustling echoed from all directions as everyone bowed deeply and offered their prayers.
The mythic power was steadily accumulating.
Centered around Wilbeserk.
*
When Empress Brigitte set out to explain the crisis that loomed over the entire Silmaria Continent in the capital’s Glory Crossroads,
Yuma decided on his task.
“The Silmaria Continent.”
The area that had suffered the most from the invasion of two gods.
He decided to first remove the gods gathered here.
