The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 200 Where to go

When the third fortress at the northern pass of Lutia also collapsed in the demon warriors' self-destructive charge, Edgar knew that it could no longer be held.

The advantage of their high vantage point was ruthlessly negated by the demons with sheer numbers of flesh and blood. As this cruelty continued, both externally and internally, the valley's unfavorable terrain for the defenders became fatal.

"Order: The army shall retreat to Lutia in batches. Take as much supplies as possible with you. If you can't take them, have the mages burn them. Be quick."

"Yes!"

boom!
Another loud roar came, and Edgar frowned. Could it be that his ancestors faced such demon warriors more than 500 years ago?

"Are they going to retreat to Lutia?"

At that moment, his nephew, dressed in armor, rushed in.

"We've been holding out for so many days, and our supplies are almost exhausted. The demons are attacking relentlessly, and the fourth checkpoint won't last much longer."

Edgar stepped out of the tent and looked at the mages behind the checkpoint who were firing spells into the sky. "You should get ready too."

"Yes, Grand Marshal." Eric responded and immediately relayed the message of preparation for retreat to his men.

The army was under Edgar's command, while the church members obeyed him.

The knights, priests, and nuns were all busy, and just moving the wounded kept them occupied for quite some time.

Fortunately, the escape route was clear, and the evacuation was carried out in an orderly manner under Edgar's command, far from being a rout.

boom!
Explosions rang out one after another. Eric arrived at the last checkpoint on the city wall and looked down at the demon warriors who were charging up against the rain of arrows and spells. The image that came to mind was the Great Wall in the far north.

Was the Black Ice Great Wall destroyed in such an explosion just over twenty days ago?
He had never seen such self-destructing demons in "The Thorn Soul Crown". Perhaps it was because the demons had stopped attacking the city and had no need to self-destruct, or perhaps these demons had all died in the process of conquering cities and fortresses along the way south.

The black flames left behind after the demons self-destructed looked very familiar to him.

Could this also be the work of Simagu?
A giant boulder appeared out of nowhere and rolled down the steep mountainside, smashing two demon warriors into mincemeat. The sloping terrain caused the boulder to continue rolling downhill, killing and sending more than a dozen demons flying along the way.

Eric's gaze followed the boulder as it rolled down to the bottom, where a vast army of demons stood, their numbers growing ever larger.

He still remembered how relaxed the guards were when the first demon vanguard cavalrymen who arrived couldn't get too close to this high pass, just over ten days ago.

Some even claimed that even if the demon army arrived, they would have to pay an extremely heavy price to break through this huge terrain disadvantage.

But everything changed when the main force of the demon army actually arrived.

The first checkpoint quickly fell during the demon soldiers' self-destructive charge. Although it was recaptured several times later thanks to the terrain advantage and the mages' firepower suppression, the tug-of-war finally became unsustainable when the demons shifted their target to the checkpoint itself. The second checkpoint, which had been urgently reinforced, began to face the demons' onslaught head-on.

Then comes the third challenge.

By this morning, they only had one last checkpoint left.

Suddenly, a dark cloud appeared in mid-air, and a burst of freezing rain poured down, turning into ice as it landed, making the already sloping ground even more slippery and difficult to walk on. Then, a huge rock fell, knocking away more than a dozen demons like a bowling ball.

boom!
Eric looked up at the mountains on both sides. The mages who had the advantage of the terrain were retreating down the mountain in batches. Eileen was among them and should have already descended the mountain by now.

"Prepare—release!"

On the city wall, archers unleashed a volley of arrows, repelling another wave of demonic attacks.

Eric stood on the city wall for a while, occasionally throwing a few Holy Light Smite spells at the demons that rushed close, watching as wisps of experience flew into his body, while the experience bars remained motionless.

These demons who charged forward recklessly were indeed just cannon fodder.

“We need to leave more mages behind,” Eric said to Edgar as he climbed the city wall. “Otherwise, with the way the demons charge, those covering the rear won’t have much time to retreat to safety.”

“It’s all arranged,” Edgar said. “The demons shouldn’t have realized we’re retreating yet. Based on our observations of their habits over this period, if we attack too fiercely for a period of time, they will pause their charge. We have enough time.”

Eric didn't say anything more.

The two looked down at each other, and amidst the constant roar of explosions, Edgar sighed, "If we retreat to Lutia, they'll attack in the same way. I don't know how long we can hold out."

"Although there are many of these self-destructing demon soldiers, they are still finite and cannot be endless."

Eric then looked down at the demon formation below. "Back in Lutia, the terrain is more conducive to our deployment, and we won't give them too many opportunities for a desperate charge."

“I hope so,” Edgar said. “Memphis has sent a lot of food, but he still refuses to send his troops. I don’t know what he’s waiting for.”

Eric was also puzzled. According to the background story he knew, Memphis personally led the army to stop the demon army in Lutia. He should have been quite proactive...

Seeing him suddenly frown, Edgar asked, "What's wrong?"

Eric suddenly remembered that Memphis's leadership in fighting the demons occurred after the emperor's family fled and were killed by a falling boulder.

Is this guy just waiting for the royal family to completely disappear?
"Memphis might have hoped that Lutia would fall, and that the emperor would die in the war."

Edgar frowned, but did not immediately refute him.

After a moment of silence, he said, "That's an unfounded guess. Once we return to Lutia, take my letter and go to Kieran City in person to see Memphis. He may simply not be taking this war seriously yet."

Eric glared. "What if he's determined not to send troops and keeps me there?"

“Then you can survive too,” Edgar said.

"..."

Eric pursed his lips. "The people in the church all listen to me, and Archbishop Dorian is a coward. They still need me here."

Edgar sighed and said nothing more.

The rear guard was making the most of the time to retreat. When it was almost time, Edgar ordered an increase in the intensity and pace of the attack, assuming a counter-offensive posture. As expected, the demons' attack was temporarily halted.

"retreat!"

The last mages and archers to retreat then hurried away, with Eric and his knights providing cover on horseback until they mounted their horses or boarded carriages before following them toward Lutia.

After running for a while, a huge roar came from the pass behind them.

Eric turned around, and a dazzling pillar of fire shot into the sky.

The magical traps left by the mages were triggered, which meant that the demons had completely captured the pass.

This explosion will delay the demons for a while longer, and these people are safe for the time being.

After stopping and glancing around a few times, Eric waved the reins. "Back to Lutia!"

The knights immediately followed.

Outside Lutia, preparations for the siege had already begun when news of the demon army's arrival arrived.

The moat, which had been tranquil for hundreds of years, was dredged, deepened, and filled with water. The stone bridges leading into the city from several directions were demolished and replaced with drawbridges.

The scorched-earth campaign had already begun with the support of the church. The forests outside Lutia were almost completely cleared, the residents of nearby towns had been evacuated, and the camps where the wanderers gathered nearby were burned to the ground, leaving nothing behind.

The Lutia Magic Academy, located on the shore of the western lake, was too far from the city walls to be included in the defense system, so most of its students were transferred to the city. Only a small number of professors or archmages insisted on staying to guard the academy.

Eileen had originally planned to stay and defend the academy, but her teacher stayed behind and was severely reprimanded by Eric, so she obediently returned to the city.

After passing through the military camp outside the city, Eric returned to Lutia through the east gate, only to learn as soon as he entered the city that his uncle was looking for him.

He went to find them and learned that it was the emperor who wanted to see them.

"Want to meet?"

Edgar glared at him. "Of course I want to see him."

“The emperor is probably just frightened by the news of the fall of the northern passes,” Eric said.

"That's precisely why we should put His Majesty's mind at ease."

“Alright.” Eric returned to his horse. “It won’t be long before the emperor sees the demon army outside the city with his own eyes.”

You should address him as Your Majesty.

"understood."

Upon arriving at the palace, the emperor, his eyes bloodshot, indeed inquired about the breach of the pass. "How could it have fallen? Edgar, you assured me that the demons would never break through there."

“I made no such guarantee, Your Majesty,” Edgar replied calmly. “That pass has been in disrepair for years and was only temporarily put into use; it can only delay the demons for a short time.”

"Have the demons already reached the outskirts of Lutia?" the emperor asked again.

"The demons have just broken through the northern pass and will need quite some time to reach us. But it won't be too late," Edgar replied. "The terrain outside Lutia is open, allowing both the demons and our forces to deploy. Our fortifications are already in place, and our long-range firepower is more than sufficient..."

The emperor interrupted him, "Tell me, how long can Lutia hold out?"

Edgar pursed his lips. "Lutia has ample supplies and strong walls. Even if the war goes against us and the demons surround us on all sides, it shouldn't be a problem to hold out for a year."

"One year..."

Upon hearing this time, the emperor raised his gaze and seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"So, Lutia will fall one day, and that time won't be long, right?"

"Your Majesty, Lutia is the largest and most fortified city on the continent," Eric began. "Even the Holy Capital cannot match Lutia in terms of military defense."

The emperor looked at him, "What does the Holy Maiden mean..."

“An attack that cannot be stopped in Lutia will be even less likely to be stopped elsewhere. But it will take time and a considerable price for the demons to conquer Lutia. While we hold Lutia, reinforcements from all over the continent will continue to wear down the demons until they are completely annihilated,” Eric said. “But that will require His Majesty to rally the forces of the continent to fight against the demons.”

“I have written many letters, and everyone says they will come to Lutia’s aid, but no one has come! ... Of course, this does not include Duke Edgar and the saintess, two loyal and devoted people.”

The emperor paused, his expression somber. "They weren't listening to me before, and now that the demons have arrived, there's even less chance they'll come to Lutia's aid..."

“If the governors of the provinces and the kings of the southern kingdoms are not yet confused, they will understand the consequences of turning a blind eye to the demons.”

Eric exchanged a glance with his uncle and continued, "Your Majesty, please continue to maintain contact with the outside world and explain the advantages and disadvantages. They will respond accordingly."

The emperor raised his hand, but it was unclear whether he agreed or not; he remained silent for a long while.

Just as the uncle and nephew were about to leave, the emperor suddenly spoke up again: "I don't necessarily have to stay in Lutia, do I?"

Eric and Edgar were both taken aback, and the younger one couldn't help but say, "Then why bother guarding? We'll just go wherever His Majesty goes."

"Eric!"

Eric lowered his head.

Edgar glared at his nephew, then stepped forward and said to the emperor, “Eric means that Your Majesty is the emperor of the empire, and only by surrounding Your Majesty can the imperial warriors muster the courage to resist foreign enemies. Your Majesty is the faith of the imperial subjects.”

The emperor tentatively asked, "Could you pretend I'm still here?"

Edgar took a deep breath and said, “Unless His Majesty is willing to disguise himself like a commoner, wear commoner clothes, eat commoner food, abstain from all luxury, and not go out to meet people at will, the morale of the garrison will collapse once they know that His Majesty is not in Lutia City.”

"I can endure it for now..."

"If His Majesty persists for a few years, he may have the opportunity to return to Lutia."

"..."

The emperor fell silent, caught in a moment of hesitation.

After a moment, he slumped back in dejection.

"If Lutia can't hold out, will I still have a chance to leave alive?"

Edgar lowered his head. "When that time comes, we will fight to the death to protect His Majesty as he breaks through the encirclement."

The emperor, looking utterly dejected, said nothing more in the end, simply waving his hand to dismiss the two men.

“It’s always the same few sentences. I won’t come next time,” Eric said as he walked out of the palace.

Edgar mounted his horse. "To defend Lutia, we must have His Majesty's support. Only with unity of purpose can we avoid being hindered. Maintaining His Majesty's confidence is also our duty."

“No, I am a saint, from the church.”

"..."

Under his uncle's glare, Eric quickly changed his tune: "Okay, what I meant was that His Majesty calls us over whenever he's anxious, which is such a waste of time. We need to make him realize that we're actually quite busy."

Edgar nodded. "Next time I enter the palace, I will make His Majesty understand."

The two rode away from the palace and parted ways in the eastern district. Edgar went out of the city to the camp, while Eric returned to the cathedral.

He hasn't returned for more than ten days since he went to garrison the northern pass.

As soon as Archbishop Dorian saw him, he asked, "Your Highness, this northern pass... hasn't it fallen a little too quickly?"

"Is the archbishop blaming us for not guarding that place?"

"no no!"

Dorian immediately denied it, "Of course I know how much effort Your Highness and the Grand Marshal have put into defending the pass... What I mean is, how could the demons' offensive be so swift? The news that came back a few days ago said that they couldn't even get close to the pass."

"Because what came a few days ago was just a vanguard of cavalry, and they didn't have the ability to attack the pass."

Several nuns came over and helped Eric remove his armor. "Once the demon army arrives, the situation will be completely different."

Dorian was deeply worried. "How long can Lutia hold out?"

Eric took off his weapon. "It won't be shorter than the rest of our lives."

Dorian was speechless for a moment, then said some other random things before leaving.

Then Elise came to find him with a letter: "News from the monastery in the North: Princess Natalia is still alive; they have seen her."

Eric, who had been slumped there, suddenly stood up, took the letter, and began to read it.

“Boer Monastery…Where is this monastery? Did we stay here?”

“I don’t remember,” Elise said, pressing him back into his chair. She then walked around behind him and looked at the letter in his hand. “At least you can rest assured that she didn’t die at the hands of the demons, nor did she freeze to death in the icy wilderness of the North.”

Eric read the letter over and over again. Regarding Natalia's movements, it only stated that she suddenly arrived late one night, rested for a night, asked for some water and food, and then continued on her way.

"The knights who were guarding her originally intended to sacrifice themselves to send her away from that town. Who would have thought that the demons lying in ambush there were just weak deserters, and the knights killed them all... and ended up losing Natalia."

"Do you need me to get you a map?" Elise asked.

"Ah."

She quickly found a map showing the location of the monastery, and the two searched together for a while before finally spotting the Boer Monastery.

“We’re not far from Lutia…” Elise said, then frowned. “But in this situation, can she still get back from here?”

Her fingertip slid down the map and stopped at the northern pass that had just fallen.

“I’m afraid that won’t work…” Eric pursed his lips. “There are demons all along the way. No matter how lucky she is, she can’t escape their sight… I just hope she can be more patient.”

"Should we continue to linger outside?"

“Turning back is better than going to your death.” Eric looked away from the map. “The Frostwind City army was almost completely wiped out. When the demon army passed by, they didn’t plan to break into the city immediately. They only left a small number of people to guard it. Their focus was on taking down Lutia… Once the demon army is more concentrated outside the city, she may have a chance to return to the vicinity.”

Elise didn't say anything more, glanced outside, leaned on his shoulder, and touched his chin.

"Are there any other saintesses with such a big beard?"

Eric gave a brief laugh. "I haven't had time to shave these days."

"Then keep it. Although it's not old enough, it will make it look more dignified."

"Yeah."

That night, the demon army arrived outside the city of Lutia.

(End of this chapter)