The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 205 The Demon King's Invitation

Seeing the emperor's subconscious gaze, Eric understood that, at least for this moment, he was somewhat tempted.

He couldn't allow such thoughts to take root and grow in the emperor's mind, so he spoke directly: "Is Your Majesty willing to believe his words? Or rather, believe the demons and hand me over?"

The emperor quickly shook his head. "The Holy Maiden is my weapon. What's the difference between handing over the Holy Maiden and surrendering without resistance?"

Eric bowed and said, “Your Majesty has proven to the Demon King’s messenger that you are not a mediocre person who can be fooled with a few words, but a true ruler of the empire.”

The emperor waved his hand, feeling his face burning.

He then looked at the middle-aged nobleman lying on the ground, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Get this bastard out of here!"

"His Majesty!"

Before the rushing guards could reach him, the Demon King's messenger crawled forward a considerable distance along the floor, shouting, "You won't have to pay any price! Just hand over the Holy Maiden, and the Demon King will immediately cease his attack! It's all because the Holy Maiden killed the Demon King's most trusted prime minister, Luca, that the Demon King led his army south! Your Majesty—"

"Purge the court of corrupt officials, huh?"

Eric was much faster than the palace guards; with a leap, he was behind him and crushed his right ankle with a single stomp.

"You've already reached Lutia, and you're still bringing this up? You're just someone sent by the Demon King to sow discord between me and His Majesty. Your Majesty, wouldn't you agree?"

"..."

Amidst the demon king's messenger's heart-wrenching screams, the emperor nodded, sweating profusely.

"Get him out of here right now..." The emperor waved his hand and turned his face away. "Holy Maiden, you can deal with this person yourself."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Eric bowed and continued, "The Demon King has now arrived outside Lutia City. I estimate that the demon army will launch a large-scale attack soon. Your Majesty, please stay in the city. The Grand Marshal will defend Lutia to the death."

"Has this finally come to this...?"

The emperor looked flustered, but quickly became much more determined.

"I will not leave here until Lutia is destroyed. I will witness the bravery of the Grand Marshal and the Imperial Warriors with my own eyes."

Eric was somewhat surprised, but he kept it to himself. He bowed deeply to the emperor above and then ordered the guards to drag the still screaming demon envoy away.

Once outside, Eric knocked him unconscious, carried him to his horse, and dragged him to the military camp outside the city.

"Well!"

Thrown to the ground, the middle-aged nobleman who had just woken up looked up and saw Edgar frowning. Just as he was about to speak, a foot stepped over him and then squatted down in front of him.

"There were some things I didn't understand just now. Could you explain them more clearly?"

Eric gripped his crushed ankle, a pure white holy light emanating from his hand, his expression calm. "What do you mean the Demon King wants to see me?"

Upon hearing this, Edgar frowned even more deeply and swallowed back what he wanted to say.

A healing power surged into his ankle, and the pain subsided considerably. The Demon King's messenger quickly said, "Your Highness... this was all the Demon King's will, not my intention to send you to your death..."

"I know, that's why I asked you to explain clearly... Ouch, your bones are all shattered. They felt quite soft when I stepped on them just now. The divine art of bone healing is too advanced. I don't know it, but I will try my best to alleviate your pain."

"..."

The middle-aged nobleman lay motionless on the ground, not daring to move or speak. Eric squeezed the broken bone hard, and the intense pain forced him to speak.

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you... The Demon King said that His Highness Eric killed the key figure who enabled the entire demon race to rise again, namely the demon prime minister Luca... and almost killed the Demon King's most important collaborator..."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about Simmagur?"

“Yes… After High Priest Simago committed those acts in Lutia, he encountered the Demon King’s party on his way north, and the Demon King learned of his ordeal in Lutia. The Demon King said that he was very interested in Prince Eric and wanted to meet him… Yes, just to meet you. The Demon King is sincerely inviting you.”

Eric did not doubt the Demon King's desire to recruit talents from other races. Whether it was the already dead Luca, or Sinmag, or the many human NPCs who would later side with the Demons, they were all quite concrete examples. However, he did not doubt the Demon King's murderous intent towards him, since he could not possibly side with the Demons.

"In addition, Princess Kiraya, the Demon King's daughter, also wishes to see you again... She said that the two princes met briefly in Lutia last year."

Edgar looked over.

Eric was taken aback upon hearing the name, then shook his head.

"She's not dead yet? She actually managed to escape back to the Demon Realm alive... What a pity for my good horse."

He thought for a moment, "The demon army has been in Lutia for so many days, surrounding it without attacking, are they waiting for the Demon King to come?"

"Yes, Your Highness... His Majesty said he had to be present for the first battle that destroyed the human empire."

Eric turned to his uncle and said, “This demon army is a coalition of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of demon tribes. It seems that they are not as united as they appear. The Demon King needs a great victory that he can personally command to consolidate his prestige and rule, and he may have even missed the best opportunity to conquer Lutia because of it.”

Edgar nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

The middle-aged nobleman on the ground didn't dare to answer. After a moment of silence, seeing that Eric didn't ask any further questions, he tentatively asked, "The Demon King sincerely invites you, Your Highness... what do you think?"

Eric didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "If I refuse, will the Demon King immediately launch a large-scale attack?"

He opened his mouth, his voice trailing off: "I think so..."

Eric then looked at Edgar, who took a deep breath. "I already have a plan. If the demon army launches a strong attack, we can retreat back into the city very quickly."

Eric then looked at the Demon King's messenger, "I regret to inform you that in order to allow more time for our retreat, we cannot let you go back."

The middle-aged nobleman looked like he was about to cry.

"Your Highness... I will commit suicide and die for my country once I return to the Demon King's camp. I will not say anything. Please let me die with my family."

"It makes no difference. Even if you die here, the Demon King will not spare your family either."

Eric gestured on the ground, "It's very close, not far. Your souls can hold hands and return to God's Kingdom together."

"Your Highness—"

He grabbed his leg and cried out, tears streaming down his face.

“Let him go back.” Edgar waved his hand dismissively. “At this point, it makes no difference whether he's here or not.”

"Okay, you're lucky."

Eric went outside the tent and had a horse brought over. He helped the Demon King's messenger onto the horse and patted his thigh before parting. "If Lutia ultimately fails to hold on, remember to say a few good words for me to the Demon King and ask him to give me another chance."

“…I understand, Your Highness.”

Eric smiled and let him go.

Once his horse was out of the range of Lutia's guards, the demon envoy, who had been listless just moments before, suddenly perked up, looking back and shaking the reins vigorously.

"I'll scare you to death..."

Eric returned to the commander's tent, and the smile on his face quickly faded.

“If we hold out outside the city, the losses will probably be considerable,” he said, looking at his uncle.

The so-called retreat was merely a rhetoric intended for the demon envoys; Edgar's preparations were actually for a fight.

"If we retreat into the city without fighting a single hard battle, I can't imagine how low morale will drop."

Edgar looked at him and said, “And as you said, the Demon King needs a quick victory to consolidate his rule, so we can’t give him that victory so easily.”

Eric nodded. "Then the knights and I will join the battle on the front lines."

Edgar took a deep breath: "Can you guarantee you'll leave the battlefield alive?"

"Of course, I haven't lived enough yet."

Edgar agreed, allowing him to lead his cavalry to the main battlefield and wait for an opportunity to strike.

"Also, Eileen is with the mage faction today, take her back to the city."

"I'm afraid it won't be easy."

"This is a military order."

Eric stood at attention. "Yes, sir!"

Leaving the commander's tent, Eric looked up at the sky and frowned.

At such a critical juncture, it would be strange if Eileen were willing to go back to the city.

He arrived at the mage camp and quickly found Eileen, who was in a group of a dozen or so mages wearing the same robes. A circular magic circle stood beneath their feet, and Eileen was leading the casting of a spell. However, it seemed that due to the Demon King's arrival, the demons had temporarily halted their self-destructive charges, and they were currently practicing with a target in front of them.

"Eileen."

"Eric?" Eileen turned around. "What are you doing here?"

"Military order: Transfer Eileen Chimino to the east gate of Lutia city wall to assist the city wall defenders in consolidating the second line of defense."

"Huh?" Eileen frowned.

Eric called her to his side before saying, "Your uncle wants you to go back to the city wall; it's too dangerous for you here."

"This isn't the front line, and I've been here for several days already. Why are you suddenly saying it's dangerous?"

“The demons are going to launch a serious attack.” Eric stroked her hair. “Uncle is planning to fight a tough battle against the demons.”

Eileen tilted her head, dodging his hand, "Then I have to stay here even more!"

“But the final outcome of this battle will inevitably be that we retreat into the city, and our safety during the retreat will depend on the long-range firepower of you on the city walls,” Eric continued.

"..."

Eileen frowned.

"really?"

Eric looked back at the walls of Lutia. “During the retreat, the suppressive fire you can provide is the hope for the survival of the Imperial soldiers. The stronger the firepower, the more people can retreat to the city alive.”

Eileen seemed to have also imagined the scene of defeat, "Okay... but do I really need to go back so soon?"

“Go back and rest first, keep your magic and concentration at their best. Retreat isn’t something that can be done in a short time,” Eric said finally.

"Ok."

Eileen eventually accepted his suggestion and, along with some academy mages, temporarily retreated into the city.

Molly was off duty today and had been staying in the city.

Eric rode his horse around the military camp. The orders had been given, and everyone was tense, ready for battle.

He looked towards the distant demon army. The envoy had already returned, and he wondered when the Demon King planned to launch an attack.

Eric didn't stay there long. When he returned to the east gate, Eileen and the mages she led were searching for suitable casting positions on the city wall.

The brother and sister looked at each other, and Eileen suddenly pointed at him:
"Target that knight, Frozen Rain—"

"..."

The mages looked at each other in bewilderment. Eric pointed at his sister twice from a distance, then swung the reins and hurried into the city.

Back at the cathedral, Eric summoned Edward and explained the situation.

Although the latter felt that this was risky and very dangerous, the situation had reached such a critical point that he was not afraid of fighting and said that he would immediately gather the knights and make preparations for battle.

"By the way, let's not bring that Holy Flame Priest with us for now. In the upcoming battles on the front lines, we probably won't give him many opportunities to cast spells, so let him go back to his original ranged firepower formation."

"Yes."

It was not yet noon, and the atmosphere in the city was no different from yesterday. Only a handful of people knew that the demons were about to launch a large-scale attack.

Eric then summoned Archbishop Dorian and instructed the clergy in the city to prepare for the treatment of the large number of wounded, including in terms of facilities and supplies.

The battle broke out suddenly in the gloomy afternoon, when Eric was inspecting the defenses at the south gate.

By the time he arrived outside the city with the Church Knights, the two sides were already locked in battle.

On his way there, he heard the booming sounds of many demons exploding, and when he joined the battle, demon warriors and human soldiers were clashing and hacking at each other with swords and blades.

Edgar gave him the authority to act independently, which also meant that they needed to find opportunities on their own.

"Your Highness, there's a breakthrough over there!"

They joined the battle later, so they had enough time to observe the situation. Edward quickly discovered the archer positions exposed by the movement of the demon phalanx.

"rush!"

The knights raised their longswords high, and accompanied by a dazzling golden light, the entire cavalry column appeared suddenly from behind the human lines like a golden arrow, piercing into the archer ranks of the demon army in the blink of an eye.

Pfft!

Blood splattered as Eric gripped his longsword, swinging it left and right, each attack taking the life of at least one demon archer. His warhorse, meanwhile, charged relentlessly through the archers' ranks, relentlessly pursuing them.

Without stopping or turning back, the cavalry weaved through the enemy lines, then quickly regrouped, creating an opening before galloping away. They circled back to their own safe positions, where they once again observed the battle situation and awaited their next move.

The next breakthrough came from their side.

A troop of elite demon cavalry charged into their own lines, quickly tearing a gap and rushing into the enemy ranks. Just as they had been rampaging through the demon archers' positions, they were just as unrestrained.

Eric immediately led the charge, shouting, "Block that opening!"

A burst of golden light appeared, and the two knightly teams clashed head-on, immediately engaging in fierce combat.

Eric's entire face was almost completely covered with holy marks. Not to mention the demons, even the knights on his side were secretly horrified. With the blessing of these golden marks, his combat attributes were greatly enhanced.

The longsword slashed with the power of a giant sword. If one strike failed, it would change direction and attack again, even faster than a dagger. Few demon cavalrymen could withstand it; they were either knocked off their horses or killed on the spot.

The crisis quickly reversed, or rather, shifted to the other side. Sensing that something was wrong, the leading demon cavalryman roared and used short bursts of demonic language to order his companions to retreat immediately.

Eric issued the order almost simultaneously: "Block their path! Don't let them retreat!"

A dozen or so church knights circled around from the rear to the flanks, blocking the demon cavalry's retreat, while applying continuous pressure from the front. Golden light flashed constantly as they attacked from both sides, squeezing the battle space with an oppressive force. They quickly killed all the demon cavalry, with only seven or eight cavalrymen who had been on the perimeter from the beginning managing to escape.

The human soldiers' morale soared, they cheered, and immediately joined the new battle.

Eric withdrew from the battle and reorganized his troops. Four or five knights who had fallen in the earlier fight were now being treated urgently at the rear.

Edward quickly reminded him that on the other side of the battlefield, an Imperial cavalry unit was surrounded by demons.

Eric felt like he had become a firefighter on the battlefield, and he had to go wherever the fire was to put it out. Although he had also seen a position that could threaten the flank of the demons, the situation of the imperial cavalry was more urgent, so he had no choice but to lead his team to rush over and relieve the siege immediately.

"charge!"

The golden, sharp blades were unstoppable, immediately tearing a gap in the encirclement, then a second, then a third... After a round of charges, the encirclement was reversed, and the two cavalry units quickly attacked from both inside and outside, before being completely wiped out.

The captain of the cavalry expressed his gratitude to Eric and asked him what orders Edgar had given him.

"The Grand Marshal has ordered us to break through the demon lines here and relieve the pressure on the infantry."

"Alright, you continue to follow the Grand Marshal's orders and don't worry about us."

"Yes!"

Moments later, the cavalry, enveloped in golden light, tore open another gap in the demon army's front line, forcing some demon infantry to retreat and fill the gap.

Meanwhile, at the far rear of the battle line, on a makeshift platform, even the Demon King Latrell could hardly help but be drawn to them, squinting as he stared at that sharp golden light for quite a while.

"Look, this is what you meant by the Imperial garrison quickly withdrawing back into the city."

The person behind him knelt down with a thud.

"Are those knights the true elite of your human empire's army?"

“No, no, Your Majesty…” The Frostwind nobleman, who had been the Demon King’s messenger that morning but was now trembling and acting less like a servant, replied, “That was a knight of the Church.”

"Oh?"

"The knight leading the group should be the Saintess Eric that His Majesty wishes to meet..."

Latrell narrowed his eyes.

He gazed at the scene for a moment, then raised a hand, and immediately someone approached, "Your Majesty..."

The Demon King gazed ahead without turning his head.

"Send a squad of guards over there to capture the leading knight alive. Remember to bring a few sorcerers; if you can't capture him alive, shatter his soul."

(End of this chapter)