Sword of Salvation-Chapter 53: Interlude 2 - Evil King Apophis

The conflict between Great Kingdom of Celtekhna and Camelot had reached its peak in the past five decades.

This was worsened by the brutal defeat Camelot suffered in last month’s battle. Two members of Knights of the Round Table were killed, and ten battalions they led were annihilated. Worse yet, fewer than a hundred enemy soldiers were slain.

That defeat allowed Celtekhna’s forces to take control of part of Camelot’s southeastern region. They had not claimed the territory as theirs, nor had they ordered their forces to advance. However, the number of troops sent there increased by the day. It was clear they intended to launch a full-scale assault on Britticia.

Due to the massing of Celtekhna’s troops near Britticia, Camelot’s southeasternmost city, tension enveloped the town.

Every day, residents feared an attack. They lived in constant dread. Those who couldn’t bear the anxiety temporarily fled Britticia, but their numbers were insignificant. Far more residents chose to stay, trusting in their kingdom.

King Arthur IV responded to this faith by bringing all Knights of the Round Table to Britticia. Each knight led four battalions of soldiers. They left Pendragon four days ago. Selena didn’t know whether they had reached Britticia, but she wasn’t worried about them.

More than Britticia’s situation or the possibility of total war, Selena was now more concerned about Pendragon’s state.

Selena’s uncle, King Arthur IV, left the kingdom under Marryphimia’s control until his return. The princess held more authority than the prime minister or even the queen. If she issued an order, no one could oppose her. Selena was worried about what her cousin might do.

Marryphimia Pendragon was known as the perfect princess—beautiful, intelligent, kind, and friendly. Whatever qualities defined perfection, Marry had them. If she had one flaw, it was her restless sleeping. There should have been nothing for Selena to worry about.

However, an event two months ago had changed Selena’s perception of Marry. That day, she had pranked the princess by making her wake up in a bathroom and filling her room with ice monsters. Selena had caught a glimpse of another side to Marry’s perfection—a sight that sent chills down her spine.

"Hey, Selena."

Caught staring at Marry, Selena struggled to maintain her composure. Her gaze remained on the princess, who sat behind the king’s desk. Looking away would be an indirect confession.

"What?" Selena asked.

"Have you ever heard or read about the mythology of the evil god Apophis?"

The question was unexpected. Selena thought Marry would ask why she had been staring. Instead, the question was far from anything Selena anticipated. Mythology about the evil god Apophis? Who cared? Selena didn’t waste time on useless information.

"No. Why? Are you interested in that mythology?" Selena asked, shifting in her seat. She took the opportunity to look away from Marry and toward the stack of papers on the glass table in front of her.

"Yes, I’m interested. I just finished reading about it," Marry said, lifting the book she had been reading to show its title. "This book isn’t detailed, but its content is quite fantastic."

Selena glanced at the golden-eyed girl and briefly looked at the book cover.

Saying "oh" would end the conversation Marry was trying to start. Selena had no interest in the evil god Apophis; the only mythology she cared about was related to her spirit, the Frozen King Leztheria. She wanted Marry to discuss what she planned to do with her temporary authority.

But that would dampen the enthusiasm of the pink-haired girl.

Under normal circumstances, Selena wouldn’t care. She’d just say "oh" to annoy Marry. But now was different. She still remembered Marry forcing her to dance for the palace staff as punishment for a prank.

So, Selena had to avoid giving a response that the princess wouldn’t like.

"If you say it’s fantastic, I guess it probably is." Selena showed mild interest. "But what’s the myth about? Is it fantastic in your view only? Your taste can be questionable, Marry."

"It’s funny hearing that from you, Selena. Your taste is even worse than Margareth’s. But I won’t criticize you." Marry put down her book with a warm smile. "The evil god Apophis is one of three gods symbolizing chaos. He and Seth (the underworld god) were the main enemies of the sun god, Raophia. Seth was a coward and never challenged Raophia directly. But Apophis was bold and cunning."

Stories didn’t necessarily reflect a person’s character. Yet seeing Marry tell the tale with such enthusiasm reminded Selena of the princess’s hidden side, increasing her concern.

"At one point," Marry continued, "Apophis grew tired of Raophia’s excessive worship. He allied with the moon goddess, Tsukiterasu, to destroy the sun. Apophis also persuaded the dark goddess, Chernovira, to weaken Raophia by devouring the sun’s light. Apophis succeeded in defeating Raophia."

"What happened after Raophia’s defeat?"

"The world no longer knew daylight. The sky was fully under Tsukiterasu’s control. Raophia’s allies lost their influence one by one. Chaos spread across the world. Apophis grew stronger, surpassing Seth and Chernovira. Even Zeindra, king of the gods, couldn’t overcome Apophis’s influence. He became the new king of the gods."

Selena was now fully engrossed in Marry’s story. She could imagine the world’s destruction without anyone to stop Apophis. Was that why the era of gods ended?

"For ten decades, darkness and chaos consumed the world," Marry said. "Apophis became so powerful that he dared to challenge the seven guardians of Edevalha. He sought to defeat the universe’s creator and cement his position as the supreme god."

"Did he lose?"

Marry nodded. "Apophis lost," she confirmed. "His power was immense, but it was impossible for him to defeat the combined might of seven gods representing virtues. If he had fought them one by one, Apophis would have won. But his arrogance from having great power led to his downfall. He was defeated and imprisoned in Tartaros."

"What happened to the world?"

"Gabriel, the goddess of patience and one of Edevalha’s seven guardians, descended to the world and restored Raophia’s light. With Raophia’s return, Tsukiterasu’s influence vanished. Chaos disappeared, and the world returned to normal." Marry paused, flashing a broad smile at Selena. "What do you think? Pretty fantastic, right?"

Selena didn’t answer Marry’s simple question. Her thoughts were occupied with the princess’s story, which had left a strong impression. One thing remained for Selena to confirm.

"Is there any truth to this, or is it just mythology?" Selena asked.

Marry didn’t answer immediately. She tossed the black book toward Selena. "Believe it or not, that’s up to you," she said with a mysterious smile.

"Evil King Apophis...."

Selena flipped the book’s cover.

"...The Forgotten History of the Gods, written by—huh? This...!"

Selena’s eyes widened. She looked between Marry and the book’s title page.

"That’s right, Selena. When I said I ’just finished reading about the mythology’, I lied. I actually just finished writing it. What do you think? Fantastic, isn’t it?"

Evil King Apophis: The Forgotten History of the Gods, written by Marryphimia Pendragon.