The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 209 Captive
Another enchanted boulder was launched by the catapult, soaring high into the air, over the city wall, and landing on the ravaged ground. The instantaneous impact exceeded the threshold, and the internal high pressure immediately erupted.

boom!
As a group of soldiers fell to the ground in the explosion on the demon's position, the soldier observing from the city wall excitedly pumped his fist.

"Well done! That's it!"

He went back to the other side of the city wall and shouted down, "Next, veer a little to the left, there are more people over there!"

Suddenly, his companions who were controlling the catapult below waved to him repeatedly.

"Get away, get away quickly!"

Before he could figure out what was happening, he instinctively turned around and a fist-sized rock had already flown in front of him.

With a muffled thud, the observer fell to the ground, blood gushing from his dented head.

Aside from their companions below, no one noticed at this moment, because the rain of stones thrown from outside the city had not yet ended.

dong dong dong dong-

The shields hastily cast by the mages were enough to block the small stones, but their effect could not cover the entire area of ​​the city wall, and many of the defenders who were standing at the back fell in this rain of stones.

Even some people who were relatively close to the city wall suffered.

Dang Dang Dang!
Stones rained down on the catapult, and several soldiers nearby clutched their heads in alarm. Fortunately, the barrage of stones finally ended.

"Patton! Go up and see where the attack is coming from. I need the direction and distance!"

"Yes!"

The new observer, Patton, rushed up the city wall and squeezed to the outward-facing side to look around. His movement immediately drew the glare of an archer nearby.

He quickly explained, "Did you see where those stones came from?"

"No! I don't have time to look that far!" The archer glared at him and then stopped looking at him, continuing to shoot arrows downwards.

Barton then noticed that demon soldiers were constantly rushing towards the moat, trying their best to throw sandbags into it to fill the river.

However, the water flow was much gentler than before—after the dredging of the moat began—and the sandbags that were thrown in were not washed away immediately as he had expected.

"The upstream is blocked!"

"Do you even need to tell me that? Hurry up and find another place to stand, you're delaying my drawing of the bow."

Barton could only move to a different spot and continue looking around. However, before he could find the catapults in the demon formation, he noticed a very conspicuous cart that was slowly approaching him.

There were at least a hundred sandbags piled up on top, not only being pushed from behind, but also being dragged with ropes by a large group of demons from the front.

—The demons want to push the entire cart in and completely block the moat!

Patton immediately lunged towards the other side of the city wall, raising his arm high, shouting, "This way! Fifty to one hundred meters! Quick!"

"So close?" The soldiers controlling the catapults below were all surprised.

"It's not catapults, it's a whole cartload of sandbags! They're going to completely block the moat!"

Those below dared not slack off and immediately adjusted the direction and height of the catapult arm. The sorcerer also picked up a larger stone and began to cast a spell.

"Gas Flame Burst!"

A short while later, the mottled, dark red stone was projected out.

Whoosh!
As soon as the stone flew up, Barton immediately turned to the other side, watching it trace an arc and quickly fall into the demon formation.

boom!
The explosion instantly killed a group of demon soldiers, but they were still some distance from the truckload of sandbags. Only the soldiers pushing the truck were affected, with a few falling down. But soon other demon soldiers came to fill in, and the truck even moved forward faster.

Barton felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.

Loading and launching both take time; it seems there's not enough time...

Because of the city walls, catapults had difficulty attacking targets that were too close to the walls, and they could even accidentally hit their own people.

"Look over there!" He even forgot to report the attack results to his companions below the city wall, and hurriedly ordered the mages and archers on the city wall to attack that area.

The latter had, of course, noticed this long ago, and their attacks were converging on that direction.

However, the closer they got to the moat, the more fearlessly the demon soldiers threw themselves into the fight. As soon as one fell, another would immediately take his place, pushing or pulling the large cart of sandbags forward.

Barton, squeezed between a mage and an archer, stared blankly as it drew closer and closer, until finally dozens of demon soldiers pushed it desperately into the moat, splashing up a huge spray of water.

it's over...

With the moat's current gentle slope, it cannot wash away these sandbags at all.

……wrong.

Barton rubbed his eyes and looked closely. He found that the river had suddenly swelled and was much more turbulent than before, returning to the frightening state it had just been in after the dredging.

The truckload of sandbags that had just been thrown in only lasted a short while before being washed away by the river and submerged in the turbulent waves.

"The upstream has been dredged again!" Patton quickly realized the reason, turned his head to look to the right, and could only see a section of the moat.

"Form a defensive formation!"

The mage beside him suddenly shouted and raised his staff.

Patton ducked, and then saw a dense barrage of stones raining down from the sky, hurtling towards the city wall.

Boom boom boom!
The rain of stones was blocked by the shield and fell down, soaking Barton's back.

He quickly found the catapults in the demon formation that were projecting these stones.

"I've finally seen it..."

The observers here hurriedly reported the direction and distance of the attack to their companions below the city wall. Meanwhile, in the commander's camp, some distance from the city wall, Edgar also received news that the demon city's western camp had been completely annihilated and that the upstream waterway of the moat had been reopened.

"The demons won't give up control over there..."

After the winged messenger left, Edgar whispered something.

The best option is to send a large force to guard that area, but the biggest problem is that he doesn't have that many troops at his disposal.

Even after losing this batch of soldiers, the demons were still able to send out the same or even twice the number of troops to regain control of the upper reaches of the moat.

Exhausted, Edgar stared at the map in silence for a while before stepping out of his tent and saying to the winged man on duty, "Expand the search area and see if there are any reinforcements approaching Lutia."

"Yes."

The winged man took to the sky, and Edgar looked up at him for a while before returning to his tent.

"Eric should be back soon too."

At this moment, Eric had just returned to the west gate and was listening to the winged people who had flown in from the east gate report on the battle situation there.

"So, the sandbags we threw in were all washed away by the river?"

“Yes, Your Highness. The current has become swift again, and that large pile of sandbags was quickly washed away…”

As the winged man answered, he couldn't help but glance to the side.

In a corner, several knights were keeping a close watch on a demon who was bound hand and foot.

“I understand.” Eric didn’t ask any more questions, and his gaze fell on the demon sorcerer. “Take him to the camp.”

The knights escorted the demon sorcerer into a tent in the camp, and Eric followed him in, coming up to him: "An intellectual like you should be able to understand and speak a little common language, so we can communicate."

The sorcerer simply stared at him coldly, without uttering a word.

“You will not die.” Eric said calmly. “You have many of our prisoners over there. I will exchange your life for theirs. Sorcerers seem to have talent as well, and they should be a very valuable resource for demons. I think the Demon King will agree to this exchange.”

The sorcerer's cold expression softened slightly. "The question is, are your words of any use?"

Its common language is quite fluent. Eric looked to his left and right: "See, intellectuals are more pragmatic, it's the same no matter where they are."

Seeing its face fall again, Eric said, "Of course my words have an effect. Don't you know who I am?"

The sorcerer stared at his face. "Eric, the saintess, a member of the clan of Imperial Marshal Edgar."

“To be precise, he’s his nephew.” Eric smiled. “What I’m about to say might carry more weight than you think.”

The sorcerer thought for a moment, "My life can be exchanged for a hundred human warriors."

“That’s not up to you,” Eric said quickly. “I’m not here to bargain with you; I have some other questions for you.”

The sorcerer's expression changed instantly. "I will not answer any questions."

“Is that so? Then there’s no need for our deal to continue.” With that, Eric drew the longsword from the knight beside him and slashed it down at the neck.

"Wait a moment--"

Staring at the longsword that had almost cut into his skin, the sorcerer broke out in a cold sweat. He realized that Eric's murderous intent was not just a feigned threat, but a serious one.

Eric gestured to his left and right, and the knights withdrew from the tent, leaving him alone to confront the demon sorcerer.

“Next time you’ll have to shout faster.” Eric wiped the blood from the sword in front of it. “If there’s a next time.”

Cold sweat trickled down his skin to his neck, seeping into the tiny wounds, but causing intense stinging pain. When the sorcerer spoke again, he had lost his previous imposing manner.

"...What do you want to ask? If you reveal too much, even the Demon King won't let me go. You might as well kill me."

"Just a few minor issues," Eric said with a smile. "I won't make things difficult for you."

"...You ask."

Eric took a half step back so that it could see him holding the longsword without having to look down.

"My first question is, on the battlefield outside the East City a few days ago, did you intend to kill me?"

The sorcerer glanced at him and quickly nodded. "The Demon King has ordered his personal guard to capture you alive. If they cannot capture you alive, they will shatter your soul."

It paused for a moment, then looked at him again, "You weren't attacked?"

"Was it a soul attack?" Eric asked back, then said, "Of course I was attacked, otherwise I wouldn't have fainted at that time."

"Then how could you still be alive... I mean, even if you don't die, you'll become a mentally challenged person who can't think straight."

Eric didn't speak, but instead gave a mysterious smile.

he does not know.

To be precise, he didn't have a definitive answer either.

Eric estimated that his soul strength was stronger than that of ordinary people, probably due to his elven bloodline or having lived two lives. This was why the demon sorcerer's soul-targeting killing move only made him unconscious for two days, and he had a headache for a while after waking up.

"It seems the Demon King is indeed very interested in me," Eric continued. "Do you know the specific reason?"

"You killed Luca, that's the main reason."

The sorcerer replied, "Secondly, that human who came to the demon realm last year, Simmagu, is also very interested in you. He said that you were once favored by the gods, and the Demon King therefore considers you special."

Eric thought for a moment, "What exactly did Simmagu get from you?"

"The power left behind by the old demon king."

"What power?"

The sorcerer shook his head. "I can't describe it accurately, but the source of that power is the countless souls collected during the time of the old demon king. What's more terrifying than the power itself is the malevolent intent of the dead that cannot be dispelled. For hundreds of years, no one has been able to control it... Even the slightest touch will drive one into madness."

"But Simmagu seems pretty normal?" Eric countered.

The sorcerer sneered, "Because the Demon King trusted the wrong person. He is nothing but a human with a hollow reputation. Even we sorcerers, who are born with the ability to control souls, are helpless against that power. He simply does not have the ability to control that power. In a year, all he could think of was to make the demon warriors swallow a trace of power and self-destruct."

The demons' self-destruction was indeed related to Xinmagu and that power.

Eric then asked, "But when he was in Lutia, he used that power to blast a crater tens of meters deep around the East Gate. I don't think that could be done by magic alone."

"what?"

The sorcerer immediately frowned. "Impossible. He's just a human. How could he possibly utilize that power? He himself said he hasn't made any progress..."

Suddenly, it remembered something and cursed viciously, "He actually dared to deceive the Demon King!"

Eric raised an eyebrow.

The Demon King allowed Simago to study the power left behind by the old Demon King in order to gain immortality. Now, it seems that Simago has no intention of revealing his research progress to the Demon King.

No wonder he didn't use that power to destroy the Black Ice Wall...

The frenzy that erupted during the standoff at the cathedral was probably a manifestation of power spiraling out of control.

The sorcerer cursed Simmagus relentlessly, and Eric discovered that it had a remarkably good grasp of the Common Tongue, including many of the swear words he had never heard before.

"Alright, you can save those words for the Demon King."

Eric tried to stop his rant, “My second question is…”

"The second question? Only the second question?"

The sorcerer was so engrossed in his tirade that he lost control of his emotions, so Eric had to shake the longsword in his hand to help it come to its senses.

"What is the Demon King's true goal? Don't tell me it's to conquer the entire continent in one war. You can't do it. Lutia alone can hold you off for at least a year and a half. Once reinforcements arrive, you'll be attacked from both sides."

The sorcerer stared at him coldly for a moment, then looked away.

"I don't know either. At least the Demon King's intentions have always been to conquer the entire continent and restore the glory of the Demon race in ancient times, which you say is impossible."

Eric immediately pressed further, "Surely not everyone within your ranks completely submits to the Demon King?"

"...No comment."

"I understand."

Eric smiled, then thought for a moment and asked the last question that was currently on his mind: "Has Simmagul obtained all of the power you spoke of?"

The sorcerer immediately shook his head. "He only temporarily obtained a negligible part of it for research... That power still slumbers in the old demon king's tomb. No one can truly obtain it, not even if the old demon king were to rise from the dead."

Where is Simagu now?

"After meeting the Demon King, he continued north and returned to the Demon Realm."

“What if Sinmaggu has already set its sights on that power?” Eric asked.

The sorcerer was silent for a moment. "If he really overestimates himself like that, then he will go mad first."

Eric could hardly laugh. "It's hard to say he's not crazy right now."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, that's all I wanted to ask for now."

"Temporarily?" The sorcerer immediately seized on the word in his words.

"Do you think the Demon King would immediately release a hundred prisoners to exchange for you if I hung you outside the city walls?" Eric retorted.

"..."

"You'll stay in the city for now... and be locked up."

Eric glanced at the ropes binding him. "We'll talk about exchanging prisoners once the Demon King's aggression subsides."

"You lied to me!" the sorcerer cried out in fury. "You just said you would release me immediately!"

"Did that punch damage your head?" Eric asked coldly. "I only said I wouldn't kill you."

The sorcerer glared at him angrily, then quickly added, "I am from the same tribe as the Demon King. If you send an envoy now, the Demon King will immediately release the prisoners and exchange me for him."

"No problem, I'll write to the Demon King right away. Until the Demon King's messenger arrives, you can condescend to wait here. There's plenty of food... well, you won't starve."

After saying that, Eric crawled out of the tent.

Eric spoke briefly with the soldiers guarding the west city, instructing them not to starve the demon sorcerer or grant him any freedom. Then, Eric led his men back to the east city to see his uncle.

“Prisoners? The demons probably aren’t in the mood for exchanging prisoners right now; they just want to take down Lutia.”

"I think so too, so let's leave it for now."

A messenger came to report on the casualties on the east gate wall. Edgar thought for a moment, gave a few instructions, and after the messenger left, he looked at his nephew.

“The demons will not give up control of that river, and they will send more and more troops. I have already sent the winged people to scout out any possible reinforcements. If they do not arrive, we will need your elite cavalry to keep the western city occupied as much as possible, and even launch a preemptive strike. We can’t spare any troops for the main battlefront.”

Eric replied firmly, "I understand."

Lutia is not yet at the point of immediate collapse, but each contraction of their actual control will shorten the time they can ultimately hold out.

Despite having limited initiative, Edgar still wanted to do as much as possible.

boom!
Faint explosions could be heard from outside the city. Eric left his tent and looked towards the eastern city wall.

The fighting never stopped, the flames of war never ceased, and Lutia was in turmoil, but it still did not fall.

(End of this chapter)