The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 135 Gaining Favor

After traveling for two more days, Eric and Elise finally left Gradia and arrived at Dorne Province, the main southern border of the Empire.

Dorne is not a large country, but many great battles have taken place here. Whether it is the war between humans and demons, or the several major battles fought by the southern kingdoms against the empire's annexation after the King of Heroes established his kingdom in Lutia, they all took place here.

After more than two hundred years of peace, the neighboring province of Arsha declared independence and became the Kingdom of Arsha. The Empire launched a war against Arsha, but ultimately failed to reclaim it. Dorne thus became the southern land border of the Empire.

Although there have been various minor frictions over the years, they have mainly been concentrated in the border areas directly bordering the Kingdom of Arsha and Castelfel. Dorne is relatively peaceful internally, and because it is a border region, most of the empire's trade with the southern countries has to pass through here, so it has developed quite well.

After entering Dorne, Eric and Elise continued their journey for another day and successfully arrived at Tallinn, Dorne's largest city.

According to the story from the previous life, this is the capital of Dorne.

The ancient battlefield is located southwest of Dorne, about two days' journey from Tallinn. Eric decided to stay there for a day, find the elven craftsman, place an order, and then set off for the ancient battlefield.

“The walls here are even higher than those in Lutia.” Elise and Eric rode into the city on horseback, looking up at the towering walls that were gradually approaching.

“This is the border after all, and the armies of the southern countries could very well march here,” Eric said, “although they don’t actually have the guts.”

There were also guards at the city gate, but they were much more sparsely guarded than those at Lutia. They barely looked at the people coming and going, serving only a deterrent purpose.

The two entered the city without incident. Elise had never been here before, nor had Eric, but they knew a little about it based on their memories from their previous life.

"That elven artisan workshop is in the West District, where we live. The market is also there, so we can replenish our supplies."

“I will follow you, Your Highness.”

Eric led the way, and the two rode to the West End, where they first found a hotel to stay in.

After settling in, the two walked together to find the elven craftsman.

"It should be around here in the market, it's not a very big shop." Eric looked around, searching based on his memory.

Tallinn is not as bustling as Lutia, but it is still very crowded, with people jostling shoulder to shoulder and constantly shouting. It is not easy to find a place you have never been before.

"Why don't we ask around?" Elise suggested.

Eric stopped at a roadside stall and asked if the person knew where the Wood Elf Mason's crafts workshop was.

The stall owner picked up a fruit that looked like an apple from his stall and waved it in front of him. "I think I've heard of it before, but I can't remember where."

Eric pursed his lips, took out his money and bought two apples. The stall owner immediately beamed and pointed to a corner of the market.

"It's over there. Just follow this road and you'll see it on your left."

A moment later, when the wood elf craftsman Mason looked up from his shop, he saw a man and a woman staring at him, munching on apples and muttering something to each other.

"...If apples this bad were sold at a stall in Ori City, Leslie would have already brought his men to smash the stall by now," the man said.

"Mmm," the woman replied dismissively.

Seeing that Mason had noticed them, Eric quickly finished his apple, wiped his mouth, and went into the craftsman's shop.

"Are you Master Mason?"

“I am Mason, but I don’t deserve the title of ‘master’,” Mason said.

If I really don't call you a master, you'll be unhappy... Eric thought to himself, knowing him well.

In *Thorns of Souls*, Mason is one of the top-tier crafting NPCs who forge equipment for players. Unlocking this level of crafting usually requires completing a series of prerequisite quests, and the wood elf Mason is among the most difficult to obtain.

“I came all the way from Grandia because I heard about your reputation.” Eric bowed. “It is very difficult to find an elven craftsman as skilled as you on the continent who is also willing to condescend to make equipment for humans.”

No one dislikes hearing kind words, and although Mason still had a stern face, his long, pointed ears had already perked up.

"Just some empty titles." Mason looked Eric up and down a few times. "What kind of equipment do you want to have crafted?"

“A complete set of protective gear,” Eric said, pointing to himself and Elise, who had just finished eating an apple beside him, “made to order for both of us.”

“I don’t usually do this easily…” Mason hadn’t finished speaking when he pulled out a stack of blueprints, and his face immediately fell.

it is as expected.

Eric sighed inwardly. He was unwilling to create equipment that wasn't designed by him, and the cost of asking him to design it himself was considerable. This was the most difficult aspect of dealing with the elven craftsman Mason.

He could only try to say nice things, “These are the designs I got from an old elven craftsman named Elias. He’s too old to wield a hammer. He told me that only Mason of Tallinn could forge the perfect equipment he envisioned.”

Upon hearing that it was a design by another elven craftsman, Mason's expression softened slightly. He didn't speak, but simply took the design from Eric's hand, glanced at it, and raised his eyebrows.

“Outdated design,” Mason said. “But new isn’t necessarily good, and old isn’t necessarily bad. His whole set of protective gear is quite interesting… Hmm, I think I’ve seen similar designs on some elves before.”

Eric looked at him and said, “Besides Master Mason, I’m afraid no one else could perfectly capture the brilliance of this design.”

Mason snorted, then looked at the other drawings. His dissatisfaction had faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

"If you want me to build you equipment according to these blueprints, that's fine too..."

Eric listened carefully as they began to discuss their terms.

“I’ve been researching a new forging material lately, but I don’t have enough of it. If you get me some, I’ll forge it for you for free,” Mason said, adding, “If you have enough, I can also help you forge other equipment in the future.”

Similar to the missions in the game, Eric felt reassured.

First, you collect a certain forging material, then you solve a problem. Mason's favorability increases rapidly, and you can unlock the crafting function.

Mason's problem stemmed from the demons' southward migration, and since it hasn't manifested yet, it doesn't need to be addressed.

“No problem, Master Mason. What kind of material do you need?” Eric asked.

Mason glanced outside and whispered, "It's a material that we don't have here. It has to be smuggled from Castelfel. It was made by human alchemists there."

Eric lowered his voice as well: "Where can I get this material?"

Mason was taken aback. "Didn't I tell you, Castelfel?"

Eric frowned. "Aren't there any smugglers around Tallinn? I'll just pay more and buy them all."

“Yes, they’re all here with me,” Mason said.

"..."

Eric was silent for a moment. "Still not enough?"

"It's not enough. I've never seen this material before, and I need to test all its properties, which will consume a lot of resources."

Eric took a breath. "Then where did you get these materials? I'll go ask that person, otherwise I won't know where to start."

Mason gave him a name and address: an alchemy supplies shop in Tallinn.

Leaving the artisan's shop, Eric muttered to himself, "Do I have to make another trip to Castelfeld?"

Elise followed him, "Didn't Your Highness say a couple of days ago that you were going to go there to take a look? Let's just say it's ahead of schedule."

Eric sighed. "I was planning to go there to find someone, but I didn't know how long it would take, so I scheduled it after I improved my strength... If I have to go now, I'll just ask around while I'm there."

The alchemy shop that Mason gave them was located in the West District. The two went there and were greeted by an alchemy apprentice. When Eric asked about the new material, the apprentice frowned and pondered for a long time before finally saying that he didn't know.

"Where's the shop owner? Let him come."

"My teacher's friend was on his way to Castelfel to sell some alchemical materials, but he was killed by bandits on the way. He went to collect the body," the alchemy apprentice said.

Eric frowned. What nonsense.

"Is there anyone in your shop who can understand this?" he asked.

"It's just me and my teacher in the shop." The alchemy apprentice thought for a moment and then said, "I can look for the ledger for you, maybe there will be a record, but I can't guarantee it."

"How long will it take?" Eric asked.

"If it's quick, it'll take a day."

Eric pulled out a gold coin, slammed it on the table, and pushed it towards the alchemy apprentice. "Please hurry." The alchemy apprentice's eyes lit up, and he accepted the coin. "Come at this time tomorrow, and I will give you a definite answer, whether you have it or not."

Eric and Elise returned to the inn, and instead of waiting idly for the rest of the time, they replenished their supplies in Tallinn, especially their food.

The next day, as soon as Eric arrived at the alchemy shop, the apprentice recognized him and quietly told him that the material was smuggled from Castelfeld.

“I know. I’m asking about the source of your shop owner’s smuggling.”

"Generally speaking, such secret channels must never be revealed to others..."

Without a word, Eric pulled out ten Supreme God Gold Coins and slammed them onto the table.

"But then again, the shop owner isn't here, so I'm the one who has to make the decision now."

The apprentice pulled out a slip of paper he had prepared beforehand, on which he had copied down the channel information.

“Castfield, Xingyuan Academy…McKin Campbell?”

“He’s a fairly well-known alchemist. Once you get to Xingyuan Academy, you can find him by asking around,” the alchemy apprentice said.

"Is he the only one who can provide this material?" Eric asked.

“Then I wouldn’t know.” He shook his head. “You probably don’t understand alchemy. It’s common here that only one alchemist knows how to make a new material. Unless there’s a large demand, no one will think about imitating it. But cracking the formula isn’t easy either; it usually requires…”

Eric had no interest in listening to his ramblings about alchemy. After confirming that the information he had received was correct, he left.

“Go to Castelfel, and be back quickly,” he said to Elise. “Leave today.”

She nodded.

Before leaving Tallinn, Eric went to Mason's craftsman's shop to tell him that he planned to go to Castelfel to find materials for him and hoped that he could arrange for the equipment to be made for them as soon as possible.

Mason said he needed to see the materials before he could build it for them, but he still measured the two men's body measurements and said he needed to come up with a design in advance.

"We will be back as soon as possible."

Leaving Tallinn, the border between Dorne and Castelfel is in the northeast corner, and it takes about a day to get there. Starry Sky Academy is located in the north of Castelfel, so it's not too far.

The two spent a day traveling to the border. A simple checkpoint indicated that they had arrived at the border between the two countries, and the border guards there paid no attention to them, allowing them and most pedestrians to enter and exit freely.

Crossing the border and arriving in Castelfair's territory, Eric glanced back on horseback and saw a wagon carrying goods being stopped. The people on board handed a small bag to the guard before they were allowed to pass.

"It seems there's still a tax to pay when crossing the border." He looked away. "But it seems they only collect taxes from people who are dragging things."

Elise gestured for him to look ahead, where there was another checkpoint not far away, and each person who passed through the checkpoint handed something to the guard next to them.

"Toll fees?"

As he got closer, Eric saw a wooden sign standing nearby that read that a road repair fee of five silver coins was required to enter the country.

He looked further into the distance, where dust was billowing in the air.

Elise took out ten silver coins, handed them to the guard, pointed to Eric behind her, and the two of them passed through smoothly.

"They'll let you through if you pay them, they won't check anything. These guards are probably the most disciplined people in this chaotic place called Castelfel," she told Eric.

Eric shook his head. "They are Imperial soldiers too. Although their armor looks a little different, their weapons are the same type as those of the guards at the previous checkpoint."

"..."

Elise turned her head and looked at it, somewhat speechless.

But they had indeed entered Castelfeldian territory by this time.

Eric's main basis for determining direction along the way was the main road under his feet. However, the Hero's Road, which runs through the entire empire, only extends to the border. All he could see ahead were ordinary roads with yellow dust everywhere, so he had to ask for directions as he went.

However, he soon discovered that there were quite a few people with the same destination as him, and the latter were already familiar with the route, so he could just follow them.

Eric chose to travel with one of the carriages.

The owner of the car was a traveling merchant named Robertson who made a living by buying and selling between Castelfel and Tallinn.

"Are you going to the academy to study?"

Just as the first thing that comes to mind for northerners when they think of "academy" is Lutia Magic Academy, the only "academy" that southerners usually think of is Xingyuan Academy.

Eric smiled. "Do I look like I have a talent for magic?"

Robertson shrugged. "If I could see that, I wouldn't just be reselling these cheap goods. Things that are truly valuable and can fetch a good price require a magical eye, which I unfortunately don't have. People talk a good game about it, but I don't know if it's true or not. One mistake could bankrupt me."

"Are scammers really that rampant?"

“This is a chaotic place. Some people want to make money off those spellcasters, and naturally, others want to make money off those who want to make money.” Robertson drove the carriage and looked at Eric again. “Seeing how young you are, I’d like to give you a special reminder: in this place, the only person you can trust is yourself.”

“You trust us so easily,” Elise said.

“Just by looking at the horses you’re riding, I can tell who you are.” Robertson raised his head slightly. “Two Lille warhorses. Even ordinary country nobles can’t afford such fine horses. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve come from Lutia.”

“You guessed right,” Eric smiled.

Robertson wore a smug expression that said, "I rarely misjudge people, so when you said you wanted to come to the academy with me, I agreed immediately, saving you the money of hiring guards at the next place... Sigh, many of the guards in the city are in cahoots with the bandits outside the city. By the time you realize something's wrong, a knife is already at your throat."

“This is the chaotic place I know,” Eric said.

Robertson looked at him. "If you just came out of your house and came here to take a risk, then you're taking too much risk. You're easy targets looking like that."

“There’s no other way.” Eric shook his head. “I took on a job that requires me to make a trip to Xingyuan Academy.”

Robertson reminded him that when they arrived at the next place, it would be best to change into simple clothes that wouldn't attract attention.

"Is it still far?" Eric asked.

"It's not far, we'll arrive before dusk," the merchant said. "We'll set off early tomorrow morning and see the palace before noon."

The two followed the carriage, and as dusk fell, they could indeed see a small town ahead.

No one dares to walk at night in this area. This small town is a necessary route to Xingyuan Academy, so it is quite lively.

To save money, the merchant planned to spend the night in the carriage, but Eric and Elise found an inn to stay at and arranged to leave the next morning.

"Eric..."

On the way, because she didn't want to reveal her identity, Elise called him by his name directly. Now it just came out naturally, and then she suddenly realized what he meant.

"...Your Highness, shall we go buy some inconspicuous clothes?"

“Just call me by my name,” Eric said. “This outfit is simple enough as it is. Do you want me to change into a robe that offers no protection?”

Elise didn't say anything.

The next morning, the two found Robertson waiting for them at an intersection near the inn. Robertson led the way in a carriage, and the three continued their journey together.

"This way."

At a certain intersection, the carriage turned onto a less crowded road.

After walking a while longer, the road became narrower and narrower, and the surrounding area was overgrown with weeds.

Eric and Elise were initially walking alongside the carriage, but as they walked, they ended up following behind.

At one point, Eric suddenly saw a bare tree at the intersection ahead, with more than a dozen corpses hanging from it, swaying in the wind.

A group of people stood below, holding swords and knives, watching this side.

The carriage passed by without any obstruction and stopped behind them.

Robertson got out of the car, looked at the two people who had been stopped, and said with a pained expression, "I told you, you look like you're easy targets. Remember that? Here, spend a little money to buy peace of mind."

(End of this chapter)