The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 197
On the way to see his uncle with Leslie, Eric learned that the title of the Chiminno family had been suddenly bestowed upon him by the emperor during his coma, who had promoted him directly from earl to duke, ostensibly to reward Edgar for his active support of the imperial border.

"Does my uncle know that he is now the Duke of Chimino?"

Leslie paused for a moment, "We didn't know on the way, but we should know by now."

Eric didn't say anything more, and sat behind Leslie as he sped through the city.

"Young Master, has your injury been healed?"

"Well, no problem."

"Why is it that other people's divine magic has no effect on you?"

"I chose a unique path..."

The area around the East Gate had been blasted into a large crater by Simagos, making it impassable. Edgar entered the city through the South Gate and temporarily stayed at Leslie's residence.

News of the demons' southward advance has spread, and coupled with the massive explosion caused by Xinmagu, the city is in considerable chaos, with many people leaving the city.

"The entire southern district has been in chaos these past few days."

"I'm afraid the chaos isn't limited to the southern district."

When Eric arrived at Leslie's residence, he was first met by the family guards, some of whom were strangers and some of whom were familiar.

"Master——"

“Here, you should call him Young Master and Her Highness the Holy Maiden!” Leslie shouted as he stopped.

"Don't say anything." Eric dismounted, hugged or patted the shoulders of a few familiar faces, and nodded to a few strangers.

“Eric.” The door opened, and his uncle Edgar looked at him from inside, a slight smile appearing on his solemn face.

The uncle and nephew had not seen each other for three years since Eric left Danteshire.

“Uncle.” Eric stepped forward and hugged his uncle.

Despite having much to say, Edgar silently observed his nephew for a while before finally remarking how quickly he had grown up.

"How's your injury?" Edgar asked again, concerned about his condition, though he could tell that he was basically fine.

“It’s been treated, and I’m fine now,” Eric replied.

Tell me in detail what happened that day.

"it is good."

After hearing about his confrontation and battle with Simmag, Edgar remained silent for a long time before asking, "You just said that this power comes from the demon race?"

"Yes."

"That demon warrior..."

“Don’t worry.” Eric shook his head. “If this were a power that every demon could wield, then it wouldn’t be Sinmag’s turn at all.”

Compared to humans, demons are simply tougher, have higher health, and higher base stats. If there's anything unique about them, it's that some individuals are born with the talent of curses, which has long been known to humans.

Edgar nodded, somewhat relieved, and continued, "The news of the demons' southward advance has reached Dante County. I am currently assembling troops and preparing to march north. I will be returning after seeing you."

Eric paused for a moment, then said, "It's too late to head north."

Edgar's expression was grave. "Can't we hold on?"

Eric shook his head. "With the defenses there, they can only hold out for a while. Sigh, the demons came too fast. I should have gone on patrol earlier... Uncle, you should bring the army to Lutia. Once the demons break through the Black Ice Wall, their first target will definitely be here."

Edgar nodded slowly. "In that case, I must first go and see His Majesty."

Eric suddenly remembered something, "Does Uncle know that the Emperor has restored our family's title?"

"I just found out." Edgar shook his head, his face showing little joy, clearly feeling that such an honor was meaningless at this time.

"Uncle, what do you think the emperor's intentions are?" Eric asked.

Edgar had clearly considered this issue, and immediately said, "Encourage more nobles to support the border, or send troops to defend the capital."

Eric relayed to his uncle what Natalia had said when they were at the Black Ice Wall.

"If we seize this opportunity to quickly take control of Governor Otwell and bring Otwell's troops and supplies to Lutia, we might be able to hold this place."

Edgar's gaze hardened. "Is this truly Princess Natalia's idea, or your plan?"

Eric sighed and raised a hand. "I swear on my brother Eileen's behalf, this is absolutely Her Highness's idea. I just think Her Highness's idea makes a lot of sense. Rather than relying on those people, it's better to take power into our own hands."

Edgar looked at him for a moment longer. “The governor of Otwell, Everett, is my friend. He… is not a bad man.”

“That’s perfect. Uncle can talk to him first. If the talks fail, Governor Everett won’t have time to prepare for a fight,” Eric said.

"..."

Edgar stared at his nephew for half a minute until he spoke up, saying that he was putting the governor under house arrest, not killing him.

“If we don’t concentrate our strength in one place, the only result will be that we are gradually devoured by the demons and we all die together.” Eric rubbed the wound on his chest, which had just healed, through his clothes. Edgar’s gaze also shifted to Eric’s chest.

Where is the wound located?

“Here,” Eric pointed to a spot just next to the heart, “almost there.”

Edgar let out a heavy sigh, grabbed his shoulder, and squeezed it hard.

"I'm going to see His Majesty now, and I'll be back here later. Bring Eileen here; I'd like to see her too."

"it is good."

Edgar mounted his horse and left with a group of guards, while Eric borrowed Leslie's horse to return to the vicinity of the cathedral to find Irene.

When he returned to the other side, he found that Elise had already woken up.

"...I thought you wouldn't wake up."

Elise had already heard from Sophie that he had woken up, but seeing him and the relaxation after being overly tense still made her unable to hold back her tears.

Eric took her hand and squeezed it. "Without you, I really wouldn't have had the chance to wake up again."

"I should have noticed sooner that that person was trying to harm you." Recalling that terrifying moment, Elise still felt a lingering fear.

"Don't think about it, I didn't even notice him when I was right next to him."

"You were completely out of sorts back then..."

Eric offered a few more words of comfort, then went with her to find Eileen, and took her back to Leslie's place to wait for her uncle to return.

“After Uncle meets the Emperor, he will be returning to Dante County.” Eric looked at his sister. “You will go back with him.”

Eileen was taken aback and blurted out, "No."

Eric frowned, and Eileen said, "Didn't Eric say that Uncle would bring troops to protect Lutia? Are you telling me to go back to my hometown alone?"

"You're just going back first..."

“If Uncle can protect Lutia, why would I go back? If he can’t, then I’ll need to do my part even more.” She conjured a flame at her fingertips. “Eric, I’m not a child anymore. I came out of my mother’s belly on the same day as you.”

Eric stared at her silently for a while. "Then you can't run around recklessly, and you definitely can't do anything reckless."

“I’m not a child anymore!” Eileen glared at him.

Eric smiled.

“In that case, after you see your uncle, go back to the academy and find Archmage Agnes. Ask her to organize the academy’s young mages to join the city defense… I think she won’t refuse. Many of them were originally going to take this path.”

"I see."

While waiting for her uncle to return, Eileen asked, "How much longer until the demons arrive?"

Eric gazed northward and took a long time to answer.

"It shouldn't be too long."

Half a day later, Edgar returned with a rather complicated expression.

"Upon learning that I was to lead troops to defend Lutia, His Majesty appointed me as the military commander of Lutia and even refused to let me go back to reorganize the army first... He said that many people had written to him in the past few days, but I was the only one who came to Lutia in person."

"..."

Eric took the letter of appointment from him and looked at it. He opened his mouth and remained silent for a long time.

This is Lutia's supreme military commander, usually also the supreme military commander of the entire empire, also known as the Grand Marshal, a title held by the emperor himself—although the last emperor to specifically mention this title was many years ago.

"This makes the act of seizing power from the governor of Otwell even more legitimate."

Edgar glanced at him, then sighed, "But I know I'm not cut out for this; I can't lead too many soldiers..."

“Uncle!” Eileen came downstairs and hugged her uncle.

“Eileen.” Edgar looked at the brother and sister carefully for a while, talked to them for a bit, patted them on the shoulder, and then hurried back to Dante County.

Eric rode to escort him to the south gate of the city, saying as they parted, "Uncle, you must act quickly, and if necessary, you must not be soft-hearted."

Edgar nodded, flicked the reins, and galloped away with his guards.

After watching his uncle leave, Eric took the opportunity to wander around the outskirts of Lutia, finally arriving at the giant pit, more than ten meters deep, at the east gate.

The church has already taken action; many people are carrying soil to fill the large pit. Judging from their ragged clothes, they seem to be the vagrants from outside the city.

Eric saw church members distributing food to people who had finished carrying soil in the distance.

When the church is willing to act humanely, it is quite efficient.

Eric suddenly felt more confident in holding Lutia.

The horse beneath him kicked its hooves, and Eric pulled on the reins, looking towards the distant north.

If they can hold out for a little longer...

boom!
When the familiar explosions rang out again, Natalia didn't even flinch.

As dusk settled, another day was drawing to a close.

Although the demons' attacks on the Unfrozen Bay didn't stop even at night, once darkness fell and the massive, dark demon army was no longer visible, Natalia's tense nerves could relax slightly, even though she knew it was just self-deception.

Those who remained on the Great Wall at that time generally shared this mindset, though they themselves may not have realized it.

"Fire volley from the northern shore—"

With a mage's hoarse command, another volley of ice spikes shot into the sky, tracing an arc before landing precisely on the north shore of the ice-free bay.

boom!
The mages had been working in shifts for several days. Even with the shifts, the supply of magic stones had not been interrupted, but there were still too few of them. Everyone was exhausted, and some mages even began to experience adverse reactions such as magic depletion or even a complete loss of magic power.

To alleviate the pressure on the mages as much as possible, Natalia had already had several ballistae moved to the city walls, but their coverage and accuracy were still far inferior to the mages' spells.

Meanwhile, more archers were dispatched by boat to enter the bay and snipe the demons who jumped into the sea to self-destruct at close range.

"Your Highness, we've borrowed all the fishing boats from the nearby harbors. Larger ships from further afield are on their way, but due to ice, it will take quite some time..."

"I see."

Natalia looked down into the bay, where an illuminating sphere was gradually dimming.

"We need more mages, more warriors, more priests... more food, more supplies..."

She murmured to herself, then turned her gaze to the west.

Apart from the scattered lights, she could only see darkness.

There has been no news. What is the current situation at the Great Wall West Ice-Free Bay, which is hundreds of miles away?
The explosions outside continued until I fell asleep at midnight.

On the mornings of the second and even the third day, Natalia woke up to the sound of explosions.

That morning, good news came from the south.

The assassinated saintess has awakened and has organized the Church's forces in the Lutia area to quickly deploy defenses in Lutia.

The winged woman who delivered the message also said that she saw a large army rapidly advancing towards this direction, and the vanguard cavalry should be able to reach the Black Ice Wall today.

The news thrilled all the garrison troops along the Great Wall, and the excitement reached its peak when the cavalry arrived at dusk.

However, just as Natalia was sitting in the gondola, preparing to go down to see them, dozens of muffled explosions rang out in the bay behind her.

The suspended basket came to a stop.

"..."

Natalia turned her head and stared at the city wall behind her, paused for a few seconds, then poked her head out and shouted, "Let me up!"

The basket slowly rose again, returning to the top of the city wall.

Natalia climbed out of the basket and went to the other side, looking down at the bay.

Huge bubbles, unlike anything she had ever seen before, were churning in the bay.

She hurried to the watchtower and found Chief Mage Field. "What happened?"

Field shook his head, staring down below, "We've stopped almost all the demons we could see along the bay..."

Natalia frowned. "Did they swim across from the shore...? But the seawater is so cold, can they really swim across?"

Field looked at her, then down below, his face paler than the snow piled up in the lookout window.

“If that’s the case, then we really can’t stop them, Your Highness.”

The sky was rapidly darkening, but the muffled explosions echoing from beneath the bay did not cease as the sun set.

Explosions echoed intermittently across the blocked sea, confirming Natalia's judgment: the demons that sank to the bottom of the sea had indeed swum from the bay or further afield. Although only a small number of demons managed to reach the location of the magic circle, they continued to try.

The excitement of reinforcements had vanished. Natalia stood in the watchtower all night, listening to the violent explosions and muffled roars that echoed below.

With the demons constantly sacrificing their lives to self-destruct, and the demons being powerless to stop them, the only question left to consider was: how long could the magic circle last?

Two nights later, Natalia, exhausted and devastated from lack of rest, received the final answer.

With a loud bang, a beam of light shot into the sky from the bay, instantly illuminating several hundred meters around the East Watchtower. For the first time, the Black Ice Great Wall, which is covered in snow all year round due to extreme cold, was hit by a heavy rain with a salty taste.

Natalia shivered in the heavy rain, the sound of the waves crashing back into the bay filling her ears.

When the brief downpour stopped, she raised her arm and found that her cuffs were freezing.

Beneath the Great Wall, soldiers gazing up at the dark night sky over the bay were horrified to discover that a thin layer of ice was forming on the seawater at their feet.

"It can't freeze!" Several soldiers nearly collapsed, stomping on the newly formed ice. "It can't freeze!"

However, they could not stop the entire bay from freezing over rapidly.

On the other side of the Great Wall, a thunderous cheer erupted from the demon army.

"..."

On the city wall, Natalia wiped away the almost frozen seawater or tears from her face, went to the watchtower, and looked at the silent mages: "It will still take a long time for the seawater to freeze to a passable level. Tonight, everyone can get a good rest."

After saying this, she left the watchtower, took a gondola down to the ground, and encouraged the soldiers to prepare for the real challenge when the seawater completely froze in a few days.

"Military support from Frostwind City is on its way—"

Natalia's throat was already hoarse, but she still forced herself to speak.

"Reinforcements from all over the mainland are on their way. The demons are coming across the sea, but we are standing on solid ground. As long as we break the ice beneath their feet, they will fall into the sea. The advantage is always on our side. As long as we hold this position, reinforcements will keep arriving!"

The soldiers' near-collapse was somewhat salvaged, and those who were constantly stomping on the broken ice on the beach were taken back to camp to rest.

Natalia, who was also taken to a tent in the camp to rest, suddenly felt more relaxed than she had in recent days.

Now, she no longer had to worry about how long the underwater magic array could last.

Without the roar of an explosion, she slept peacefully without being disturbed.

The next morning, after Natalia woke up, she began to make arrangements for the shift in the defensive focus.

"That's not enough. We need at least three more catapults... They need to be able to launch far enough and have enough impact to break the ice... Oh, and we can have the mages create huge blocks of ice on the watchtowers and smash them down!"

"However, the distance that can be hit is very limited..."

"I don't need to hit a few demons, just enough to break the stability of the ice surface."

"I understand, Your Highness."

As Natalia was making arrangements, a cavalryman covered in blood charged into the camp.

Her heart sank to the bottom—she saw the Frostwind City emblem on the cavalryman's armor.

The cavalryman lost his footing and fell while dismounting, but was immediately helped up.

When he looked up again, the pale-faced princess was already standing in front of him.

"Your Highness... our men encountered a demon army on their way north and were almost completely wiped out... the demon vanguard cavalry is rapidly advancing south!"

"..."

The white world before her eyes suddenly turned black, and Natalia swayed, taking two steps back.

The demons will not appear out of thin air on the other side of the Black Ice Great Wall.

—The west has fallen.

(End of this chapter)