The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 186 Night Snow
Eric spent five days at the Black Ice Wall. Besides frequently exchanging ideas with Princess Natalia about how the demons might break through the Black Ice Wall and how to deal with it, he also spent the rest of his time meeting with many of the chaplains who accompanied the garrison.

As a saint, he encouraged them to stay put, emphasizing his unwavering resistance against the demons and subtly hinting that the church was about to adopt a conservative strategy involving sacrifice and abandonment.

Natalia was always by his side when he met with the priests.

“When the demons truly invade, those people abandoned by the church may once again gather around Your Highness.”

"Then what I just said wasn't in vain."

Natalia smiled for no apparent reason.

Seeing Eric looking at her, she explained, "I just suddenly thought that one day in the future, His Highness Eric might be branded a heretic by the Holy See."

"..."

Eric was speechless for a moment, then smiled.

"It's highly likely. Heresy... at least in the official documents of the Vatican, this word hasn't appeared for over a hundred years."

“Then you will not only be the first male saintess, but also the first heretical saintess,” Natalia continued.

"It seems that every step I take now is making history."

After a brief moment of relaxation, Natalia's smile faded considerably. "Your Highness, are you really not going to stay here for a couple more days?"

Eric shook his head. "I came here privately. The people at St. Rosell Monastery thought I was still in my room reflecting on what I had learned along the way, and that it was about time for me to go back."

"You are Her Highness the Holy Maiden, and you should have the freedom to visit this place at will."

“That’s right. But I don’t want to attract too much attention from the Vatican. On my way back to Lessé, I have to say those words to many people.”

Natalia looked at him. "It seems you're determined to become a heretic."

“I am a saint. If the Holy See wants to abandon them, then let me save them.”

The two chatted about various random things along the way. After a few days, they had long since run out of serious business to discuss, but they were able to talk more about other things.

Finally, Natalia asked, "How did Your Highness feel after seeing the state of the Black Ice Wall with your own eyes?"

Eric pursed his lips.

Seeing that Natalia was still staring at him, he still spoke up: "The so-called defense here relies entirely on this indestructible and insurmountable Great Wall, but we still cannot predict how the demons will break through it. The only one who can reassure me is Your Highness, the Princess."

Natalia gave a smile with a furrowed brow.

"I think so too."

"Therefore, I remind Your Highness once again that when the city falls, you must flee immediately to the south. You cannot die for your country; humanity still needs you."

Natalia smiled and pointed towards the hanging basket in front of her.

The two sat down, and as the basket slowly rose, she said, "On the condition that I can survive the crisis of the city falling. I will hold out until the end."

“I will leave a few knights to serve as your personal guards. They will only obey my orders, which is to protect Your Highness. You cannot send them to other sections of the Great Wall.”

Natalia exclaimed in surprise, "Those are Your Highness's own guards. I heard there weren't many of them to begin with. If you leave them to me, what will you do with yourself?"

"We'll get replenished on the way back."

Eric gripped the edge of the basket. "Your Highness may not know, but the Vatican is gradually transferring elite knights stationed in churches and monasteries across the country back to Leslie. It seems like a normal rotation, but those being sent to the local areas are mostly older knights past their prime, or newcomers with little potential. Fortunately, they are not moving too fast, so I should be able to intercept quite a few."

Natalia's expression was not good. "If the demons come, won't the local monasteries be even less able to resist?"

Eric shook his head. "The Vatican only cares about whether their elite forces can be preserved."

"Then on what grounds will you keep them?" she asked again.

"On her way back, the saintess will be assassinated."

"..."

Eric continued, "The saintess was terrified and, in order to protect herself, temporarily conscripted the knights who were originally going back to Leslie to escort her. I will try to absorb them into my guard of knights during this process. Until we return to Leslie, they will be my force."

Natalia stared at him for a moment. "Has Your Highness made arrangements for the assassin? If not, I can provide some manpower."

Eric smiled and quickly nodded, "Uncle has made all the arrangements, just waiting for me to pass through that place."

As the gondola was about to reach the top, Natalia unconsciously loosened her grip on the edge. "The assassination of the saintess is no small matter. The Vatican will definitely investigate carefully. Once Your Highness starts, there will be no turning back."

“The sky is about to fall, so of course we should strike first,” Eric said calmly.

Natalia then said no more.

Back on the Great Wall, Eric was leaving the next day. For the rest of the time, Natalia didn't talk to him about the things they had already talked about to death these past few days. Instead, she talked about the exorcism anniversary that had just passed two days ago.

“Last year…at this time of year, I should have been reminiscing about the revelry of that celebration in the suburbs.”

When the young princess reminisced about the past, a smile, one that had been rarely seen in recent days, appeared on her face.

“Speaking of which, I missed the birthday celebration I had planned with my sister last year,” Eric said.

"Is His Highness's birthday around May?"

Early May.

"That was just a few days ago? Sorry, I didn't know."

Eric just smiled.

"What's it like to have a younger sister who's the same age as you?" Natalia asked, looking at him.

Eric paused for a moment, then said, “Sometimes I feel like a father… even though I’ve never been a father.”

Natalia's eyes widened slightly. "Is this what it feels like?"

"Maybe it's because I'm special," Eric said vaguely, though his soul was indeed old enough to be Eileen's father.

Natalia looked out at the distant snowfield. "My brother probably doesn't feel that way. He probably still thinks of himself as a young man."

The emperor was only in his thirties, which is not a problem to call him a young man.

"Your Majesty is indeed still very young."

“I’m talking about teenagers, the kind who don’t have to worry about anything,” Natalia said, then smiled at him. “I’m only telling this to His Highness Eric, please don’t tell anyone else.”

Eric nodded.

"My father, the late emperor, had already died before I was born. My mother only lived until I was a teenager."

Natalia's voice lowered slightly. "I only have one brother, His Majesty, but I have quite a few sisters. As I grew older, one less sister lived in the palace. Some died young, but most of them got married. Although they mostly lived in Lutia, they could no longer live in the palace... About a few years ago, my last sister also married a nobleman in the North District. I didn't feel much sisterly affection."

Eric made a sound to indicate that he was listening.

"Sometimes I wish I had been born into an ordinary noble family... Of course, that's just a thought. If I were really born into that family, I would definitely envy the royal family's honor, just like those noble ladies in Lutia."

Eric gave a brief laugh.

"What's the environment like in Dante County? Is it much hotter than Lutia? I've never been to the south before," Natalia suddenly changed the subject to him.

“It’s alright,” Eric replied quickly, then hesitated for a moment before adding, “In terms of latitude, Dante County and Lutia are not that different, it’s just further west. For me, it’s at least Dorn that I consider it the south.”

Natalia smiled. "Your Highness, that's in relation to the entire continent."

“Your Highness should also see yourself as the future leader of humanity across the entire continent,” Eric said, looking at her.

Natalia's smile faded slightly, her gaze drifted into the distance, then lowered again.

"Your Highness is about to leave, let's talk about something lighter."

“I’m sorry.” Eric quickly picked up where he left off. “I’ve also been to the real South, as far as Castelfell. Is there anything Your Highness would like to know about that place?”

"Hmm... I heard that Castelfel's magic academy is an ancient royal palace. Has Your Highness ever been there? How does it compare to Lutia's royal palace?"

"Apart from its longer history, it is incomparable to the Rutia Palace in every other respect..."

In the afternoon, Eric spent most of his time telling Natalia about his experiences in the South.

By evening, Her Highness the Princess had descended the city wall to attend to some matters. Eric returned to his cramped room, stayed there for a while, and then wanted to go outside to brave the wind and snow.

Elise hadn't been with him much these past few days, and only now did she come to ask him how his talk with the princess had gone.

"The serious business has been discussed to the last few days."

"You guys talked about inappropriate things too?"

"...No. Just chatting."

Elise squinted at the illuminated orb. "Let's go upstairs. Even if it's cold in the corridor, I don't want to stay down here. I feel like I might bump my head on it at any moment."

The two returned to the dark passage above. The temperature was almost the same up and down, except that the bottom was more enclosed and the wind couldn't get in.

Between the two illuminated crystals, in a place that was both bright and relatively dim, the two found a wooden box to sit down.

"Return to the monastery tomorrow morning?"

"Hmm. If we stay any longer, I'm afraid Sophie will go crazy from being cooped up in her room."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"It's too cold here, and everyone's voices are so monotone. I kind of miss her occasional chatter."

The two sat on the same wooden crate, Elise leaning against him. "I'll come to your room tonight." "The rooms here don't even have doors," Eric tapped his feet. "And Natalia's in the room right next to mine; she might overhear us if we're not careful."

"The wind howled like ghosts at night, but she couldn't hear it."

"It's so cold... I don't want to take my clothes off."

The two couldn't sit still for long; their legs were trembling from the cold, so they started wandering around the passageway again.

"I really don't know how these garrison soldiers manage to get by..."

"What else can we do but tough it out?"

"Were you like this when you were in the tribe?"

“Those days were even harder, Your Highness. What was even harder to avoid than the cold were the tax collectors of your empire.”

"Isn't this just what you told me before to fool me? You actually have tax officials who can find you?"

"Hmm... I haven't seen it with my own eyes either."

"...And yet you were talking to me with that expression that made it seem like those tax officials were sent by me."

"Stop talking, I'm so cold."

The two of them stomped their feet and swayed back and forth until it was time for dinner.

Natalia didn't return until then, saying that there had been a small disturbance in the other camp, but it had been calmed down.

"Is it because there isn't enough food, or...?"

"Yes, all of these things happen. There are just as many of these kinds of things here."

“I will write to my uncle and ask him to provide you with as much supplies as possible.”

Eric looked at the snowflakes clinging to her hair. "When we get to Lutia, I'll try to get some donations from the nobles. After passing through Kilan in Guladia, I'll personally go to see Memphis and ask him for some grain."

Natalia took a deep breath and lowered her head. "Your Highness Eric, I don't know how to describe my feelings other than guilt and gratitude..."

Eric had nothing else to say, "Let's eat first."

After dinner, Eric stayed in the watchtower on the city wall for a long time.

When their final long conversation ended, it was already late at night. The two stood at the window of the watchtower, looking outside.

The wind had subsided somewhat for once that evening, but the snow continued to fall, swirling and dancing in the lamplight. All was silent; even the sound of the falling snow was barely audible against the high walls.

“It’s so quiet tonight… I wish it could always be this quiet here,” Natalia said.

Eric looked north, where the light of the illumination spell could not reach, where it was even quieter, but it would not remain so forever.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Natalia turned to look at him for a while, and only spoke when he looked at her: "Although I don't want to say it, Your Highness has to travel tomorrow, so you should rest early."

"Your Highness, are you still not sleepy?" Eric asked in return.

Natalia smiled. "Here, with Prince Eric by my side, I feel like I can fall asleep quickly. It's a different story back in my room."

Eric opened his mouth slightly.

"Your Highness, could you please cast that divine spell on me again, the one that can calm people down?"

"……Row."

Eric raised his right hand and, using the magic ring on his hand, cast a spell on Natalia.

Bathed in holy light, she lowered her eyes, clasped her hands together, and wore a peaceful smile.

“It’s amazing… I’m not cut out for magic, but perhaps I should have spent some time practicing in a monastery in my younger days.”

“It’s just a simple divine spell; all the chaplains in the army know it. Your Highness can call them up when you’re feeling troubled,” Eric said.

Natalia just smiled.

"Go and rest, Your Highness. I should rest too. Let's go down together."

One last glance at the swirling snowflakes in the air, the two descended the tower together, Eric in front and Natalia behind, their hesitant footsteps echoing down the spiral staircase.

Back at the entrance to their respective rooms, the two said goodnight to each other.

When Eric touched Elise, who was as cold as a corpse in the blankets, he remembered that she had said she would sleep with him that evening.

She is still awake.

"Did I delay Your Highness from inviting another prince in?"

“No.” Eric lay down beside her. “I’d completely forgotten you were lying here.”

"..."

Elise was so cold that she lost all her sneer. She rolled over and pressed herself tightly against him. "I'm freezing to death."

"Me too... Have I run out of fire crystals?"

"We need to save the rest for tomorrow's journey."

"Ok."

The two hugged each other tightly for warmth, unable to concentrate on anything else, until dawn.

Their breakfast today was a little more substantial than usual, and even hot, as Her Highness the Princess had specifically requested this early in the morning.

After breakfast, they rode down the city wall in a gondola, with Natalia following along.

The two sides said goodbye at the foot of the city wall.

"Protect Princess Natalia."

"Yes!" The few guards left behind saluted in unison.

“You yourselves need to survive too,” Eric said, looking at them.

During his two years at the monastery, each knight taught him at least one combat skill. In his eyes, they were not only subordinates but also friends, and he did not need to prove his loyalty through sacrifice.

The knights bowed again.

Eric then looked at Natalia, "Please assure me, Your Highness, this is not the last time we will meet."

Natalia bowed slightly. "Natalia Utu assures Her Highness that I will return to Lutia alive, even if I am being chased by the demons in a wretched state."

The two gazed at each other one last time. Then, Eric mounted his horse, and Natalia climbed into the basket, her eyes following the receding figure.

"Go up."

The wind kept blowing, the snow kept falling; the journey there was just as difficult as the journey back.

Considering the circumstances of their arrival, Eric and his party stayed overnight in the town with the hot springs before continuing their journey the next day, returning to the Saint-Rozelle Abbey in the evening.

Under the cover of the wind and snow, Eric quietly entered the monastery through a side door and returned to the saint's room.

The nuns who opened the door breathed a sigh of relief when they saw him.

"Thank you for your hard work these past few days," Eric said.

"It's good that Your Highness has returned safely."

The two nuns who remained left, and Eric told them not to announce the end of his "seclusion" for the time being.

"Yes."

He went inside and found Sophie kneeling asleep in front of the statue of Yera, with his clothes draped over her.

Eric woke her up.

"Um... Your Highness!"

"I am back."

Sophie complained a bit about how long he had been gone, but she was still very happy and relaxed.

"Nobody seems to want to see me these days, right?"

"Yes! Many people want to see Your Highness!"

Eric paused, glanced at Elise who was stuffing fire crystals into her pockets as soon as she returned, and asked, "Who are they?"

“There were monks and nuns from the monastery, and a nobleman who came all the way from Frostwind City after hearing the news.”

"A nobleman? What do you want with me?"

"Perhaps he is just being devout and simply wants to see His Highness."

Eric thought for a moment, "Is that nobleman still alive?"

“I don’t know… I told the nuns to say that the saintess had reached a crucial stage in her cultivation and could not show herself, and that sent them away.”

“Go ask.” He sat down in front of the statue, looking up at the unchanging face of the deity. “Just say that Her Highness the Holy Maiden has gained some insights and is about to emerge from seclusion.”

(End of this chapter)