The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 217 Stud is a kind of wisdom

Awakening on a huge bed in the Governor's Mansion, Eric vaguely thought he had returned to the St. Mary's Abbey.

But he quickly came to his senses, because his room in the Saintess's Abode was not so luxurious; the main impression was one of holiness.

As soon as he stood up, making the slightest noise, a maid from the governor's mansion entered the room to help him dress and put on his socks.

Eric did not refuse such a service, because he had to meet those nobles today and had to dress more formally—at least to look like a saint, rather than an adventurer or mercenary with more than ten years of combat experience before he was even twenty.

The governor's mansion was much larger than he had expected. Being new to the place, he looked at a few rooms and chose one that looked good to stay in, without much desire to explore. Eileen, on the other hand, was in high spirits and dragged Elise and Molly to sleep somewhere.

Eric didn't see them when he got up, but he did see Natalia in the restaurant, who was also wearing a gorgeous dress.

After they met, they first bowed to each other.

"I don't think I've ever seen Princess Natalia dressed so formally before."

"This is the first time I've seen Your Highness look like a true saint."

The two looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

Eric sat down at the table. "I estimate I can only visit two or three people at most today."

Natalia looked thoughtful. "Efficiency isn't the issue. I don't mind staying here a few more days. I'm just worried that a face-to-face plea will only get the same perfunctory response as a letter."

"Our defenses in Lutia have proven that the demons are not invincible, and the army of Grandia can ensure that their efforts will not be in vain."

Eric looked at her with unwavering eyes. “Use the threat of total destruction to intimidate them, and use real interests to bind them. As long as their concern for their own wealth and power slightly outweighs their fear of the demons, there is a chance to persuade them.”

Natalia looked at him, slowly nodded, and then smiled.

"Before His Highness left Lutia, he said that the battlefield was where he could make a difference. Didn't you already have a complete plan on how to deal with those nobles?"

Eric shrugged and turned his attention to the hearty breakfast in front of him.

"Methods are one thing, but execution is another. If I were to try to persuade those people, I'm afraid I'd end up holding a sword to their necks if the talks broke down."

Natalia frowned, but still smiled. "Your Highness..."

“Just do it the way we agreed. You persuade them, and I’ll be your deputy,” Eric said.

Natalia nodded gently.

The two continued having breakfast, and after a while, Eileen came to the dining room yawning.

"Good morning, Eric, Grand Princess."

Eric glanced in the direction she came from. "Where did you sleep last night?"

“The room on the far right has a big window that lets you see outside. Iris and Molly seem to be sleeping in the room next to mine,” Eileen said.

You don't look like you've had enough sleep.

"Hmm... I went to the Governor's Mansion library last night before going to bed. There are quite a few books here."

Eric didn't care. "You can stay inside for the next few days."

Eileen nodded, then asked, "When are you going to see those nobles?"

"We'll go after we finish eating."

After breakfast, escorted by a group of church knights and governor's guards, Eric and Natalia left the governor's mansion and boarded separate carriages. Their first stop was to visit a nobleman who had fled from Lutia, the Marquis of Temple.

The nobles of the Delan Empire mainly fall into two categories.

One type is the traditional noble family, such as the Chimino family, who own their own fiefdoms due to their meritorious service in founding the country or other achievements. Land is the source of their power and wealth, and they are nominally required to provide military support to the emperor.

Another type is the emerging urban nobility in large cities, mainly Lutia, who gain influence and noble status through their accumulated wealth or by holding certain official positions. Examples include Sophie's family and the Marquis of Temple, whom they are visiting today.

Although their sources of power differ greatly, their lifestyles have gradually become more unified.

In pursuit of greater power and wealth, traditional nobles would choose to reside in large cities like Lutia, while emerging urban nobles would acquire their own territories by purchasing land in the countryside or through marriage alliances with traditional nobles. This trend has become even more pronounced in the last one or two centuries.

Nobles like the Marquis of Temple, who fled to another major city as soon as the war broke out instead of returning to their own territories, belonged to the younger families among the emerging nobility—they had not yet had time to own their own land.

However, the wealth he possesses is not small.

Eric didn't know him well, but Natalia told him that the Marquis of Temple had built up his fortune over the years and owned almost half of Lutia's spice shops.

"Then he must have been one of the nobles who fled south as soon as the demons came, taking all their belongings with them, the kind whose carriages could stretch from the city gates to the outskirts of the city."

The two got off the carriage and walked together, talking in hushed tones before entering the Marquis of Temple's mansion.

"Perhaps not that many... but it won't be too few either."

Natalia glanced at him at his joking words, a slight smile curving her lips. "I'm fairly familiar with his daughter. I wonder if, after today, the Marquis of Temple will regret letting his daughter intentionally or unintentionally reveal the family's strength to me."

"To go even further?" Eric asked.

“To go even further,” Natalia nodded, “Although the royal family is in decline, they can still receive tremendous support in Lutia.”

Those with wealth demanded money and provisions, while those with land sought military aid; this was the primary strategy for the two men when dealing with different types of nobles.

Upon arriving at the mansion that the Marquis of Temple had purchased after fleeing to Heath, the Marquis himself and his family were already waiting outside the gate. Upon seeing the Grand Princess and the Holy Maiden, they solemnly bowed to each other.

“Your Highness Natalia, it has been more than a year since we last met. You have lost a lot of weight… Your Highness, when you came to Lutia last year during the Exorcism Memorial Day, we met briefly at the venue outside the western suburbs. Do you remember us? You do remember? It is such an honor.”

After a few brief greetings, the Marquis invited the two into his residence.

On the way, Natalia exchanged a few more words with the Marquis's daughter, although the latter's gaze kept drifting unconsciously toward the face of the Saintess on the other side.

"You came from Lutia, did you encounter any trouble?"

"Your Highness doesn't know how many people wanted to leave Lutia when the news of the demon invasion first came... How long did it take Your Highness to get here from there, half a month? We took a full... four days?... Did you ride horses the whole way?... In short, it took us more than a month to get here."

The Marquis's daughter glanced at Eric again, then suddenly added as if remembering something, "We traveled over mountains and valleys, fearing being caught by the demons, and lost more than a dozen carriageloads of valuables along the way. After arriving here, we bought this house, and almost spent all of our remaining wealth..."

"—Then your family is doomed."

Eric suddenly spoke up, “I heard from Her Highness the Grand Princess that the Marquis of Temple made his fortune in the spice business, and before he left Lutia, he almost completely controlled Lutia’s spice business.”

"They're in the spice business... but it's not that big..." the marquis's daughter said softly, her gaze constantly glancing at her father, who was walking ahead and seemed oblivious to her.

"But the demons don't love spices. They won't patronize your business, and when they take over the empire and even the entire continent, and the Dark Ages return, Miss Temple, do you think anyone will still be interested in buying your spices?"

Miss Temple looked at him, her face flushed and pale.

"Your Highness is too pessimistic about the situation."

Natalia spoke up at this moment, "Not to mention that Duke Edgar and Governor Memphis have already stopped the demons in Lutia, you have been holding out in Lutia for two months. Haven't you noticed that the demons are not actually that difficult to deal with? Just the demons who have died at His Highness's hands, there must be at least seven or eight hundred, if not a thousand."

Eric sighed.

"If the support from various places had arrived earlier, not only Lutia, but the Black Ice Wall would not have fallen."

The Marquis of Temple, who was walking at the front, kept rolling his eyes.

He knew perfectly well what these two men were up to, and he understood who they were talking to—one was trying to intimidate him with the future situation, while the other was trying to appease him with the present situation; they were both just waiting for him to hand over his money!

But he had to admit that what they said wasn't entirely unreasonable.

Once the rule of the human empire and even all of humanity is over, and the demon race comes to power, who will still do his spice business?
According to the messages that the winged people sent back to Lutia every day, the demons were not as terrible as he had imagined—at least they could be stopped.

But will his current investments really yield returns in the future?

Neither of these princes are easy to deal with.

One was able to hold out for more than a year in the bitter cold of the Black Ice Great Wall, personally resisting the invasion of the demon race, while the other even personally shot and killed the emperor. Now, his more famous title is not "Holy Maiden," but "King Killer"... The group soon arrived at the huge reception hall inside the mansion.

“It’s clear that the Marquis of Temple must have spent a considerable amount of money to buy this mansion,” Eric said sincerely, looking around at the decorations.

The marquis's daughter glanced at him, then at her father, and blushed.

“When an investment offers a foreseeable return, I usually choose to go all in, which is also the root of our Temple family’s success,” the Marquis of Temple said meaningfully, before inviting the two princes to sit down.

“Hmm,” Eric replied casually, still looking around. “Going all in is a kind of wisdom.”

"...All in?" Marquis Temple asked blankly.

Eric snapped out of his daze and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Don’t worry about it… What I mean is that the Temple family’s wisdom is indeed unique, and if the Marquis of Temple can still uphold this in the current chaotic times, he will surely be able to bring the entire family to a higher level.”

Marquis Temple nodded slowly. "Therefore, before making an investment, I must ensure that my investment will indeed yield a considerable return in the future."

“I’m quite envious of the Marquis,” Natalia suddenly said.

The Marquis of Temple looked at her. "Your Highness envies me?"

"I admire the Marquis's confident mindset."

The Marquis of Temple was even more puzzled.

"In today's world, I would rather preserve the assets I have worked so hard to earn than expect huge future gains."

Natalia looked at him and said, “Take the Marquis’s mansion for example. If I were to acquire it, I would only hope that it could be passed down intact to my descendants, rather than being occupied by the demons tomorrow. I would not dare to hope that it could appreciate in value in the future and be sold at a high price.”

Marquis Temple understood; she was subtly reminding him not to ask for too much, that the crisis of destruction was imminent, and that he should be content with holding onto his current assets.

The unspoken negotiations have begun.

“Your Highness is overthinking it. When I’m far enough away from danger, the risk is naturally smaller,” the Marquis said, picking up the teacup of black tea in front of him, taking a sip, and then pushing it from the edge of the table toward the center to avoid the risk of falling.

“If Heath City isn’t far enough, I can continue south to Rentani, Cuth, or even Cogano or Dorne. There will always be a place for me and my family to settle down.”

Natalia smiled, then took a sip of red tea, a hint of nostalgia on her face.

"I haven't had this quality of black tea for over a year... Your Highness, please try some."

Eric picked up his black tea and took a sip. Although he hadn't drunk much, he could still appreciate its quality. "Hmm, very good. If Your Highness likes it, I'll send you some later."

Natalia's eyes brightened, and her smile became more genuine. "It's probably hard to buy outside of Lutia."

“That was before.” Eric leaned back. “The nobles of Lutia have all fled, and the finest black tea will no longer be transported there. I don’t think the Marquis of Temple’s black tea was brought from Lutia specifically, after all, more than a dozen cartloads of valuables were lost along the way.”

"..."

Temple blushed slightly. "Her Highness is right. These teas can be bought in Heath City. You don't need to bother. Since Her Highness the Grand Princess likes this kind of tea, I'll have some prepared and sent to your carriage."

Natalia smiled and thanked her.

"Thank you for your generosity, Marquis, but there is something I must remind you of. Right now, it is indeed safer to be farther away from Lutia, but when the demons are driven back and Lutia is rebuilt, you may not be able to return as quickly as other nobles who live nearby."

Temple's smile froze slightly.

"Just like when the Hero King established the Delan Empire hundreds of years ago."

Eric chimed in, "Those who ran fast, like my ancestor, became dukes. Those who ran slowly, well... by the way, Marquis Temple, what were your ancestors' titles?"

"...My ancestors were just commoners who were lucky enough to survive thanks to the hero king's rescue."

“Oh.” Eric sipped his tea.

Natalia stopped talking about other things and continued drinking her tea. Then she quietly chatted with Eric about the purple thorn vine leaves they had drunk together in the North.

"Has Your Highness developed a liking for that kind of flavor?"

"No, not really... but I do sometimes miss the energizing effect of those special teas. Lately, I always feel like I can't wake up properly..."

“Your Highness is just too tired. You shouldn’t worry about so many things. We’ve already left Lutia… If you have time, I can cast some calming spells on you.”

"Really? I'm really looking forward to it..."

Just as their eyes were about to meet in a kiss, the neglected Marquis Temple, feeling awkward and helpless, spoke up.

"Your Highness, let's stop beating around the bush. What do you want me to do? What will you give me in return after the war?"

Natalia's first reaction was that she was somewhat annoyed by his interruption.

But she quickly came to her senses, and Eric, in a moment when only she noticed, raised an eyebrow at her, indicating that the old man had taken the bait, the first phase of the negotiations was over, and it was time to move on to a more straightforward phase of negotiating terms.

She took a deep breath and smiled.

"Let's start with the current war in Lutia."

Next up was Natalia's turn. Eric had little say in negotiating the terms, as Natalia was promising official positions, industries, and even territory for the new empire, and he had no right to speak.

So, all Eric had to do next was drink tea.

The maids in the mansion brought over some baked tea snacks. Eric tried a few pieces and thought they tasted good. He ate and drank as he ate, and soon finished most of the plate.

Regardless of the outcome of today's negotiations, he's had enough...

The negotiations ended at noon. Natalia and the Marquis of Temple were both exhausted, but they breathed a sigh of relief.

The Marquis is willing to support the Lutia front with a large sum of gold coins, which will be converted into actual food, weapons, and even pig iron and transported to the front. The Grand Princess promises a powerful court position and a not-so-small territory.

Of course, a verbal promise alone could not fully convince the Marquis, so with the saintess as a witness, the two parties signed a contract.

"I have prepared a lunch at the manor. Please have lunch before you leave, Your Highnesses."

Neither of them refused, and seeing that Eric had been eating and drinking all morning, and still ate quite a lot at noon, Natalia was somewhat amazed by his appetite.

“I am still growing, Your Highness.”

"I'm not much older than you..."

After the meal, the two politely declined the Marquis of Temple's invitation to stay for afternoon tea, stating frankly that they had another nobleman to meet later.

"Your Highness, you've really gone through a lot of trouble."

"Only by working together can we defeat the demons."

On his way to another nobleman's mansion in a carriage, Eric received a message from the winged people.

After making inquiries among the winged people, they learned of the Horn family's escape in a small town in Guradia. Count Horn had died of illness on the way, while the others were only slightly frightened and otherwise unharmed.

"I see."

Eric looked out the car window, stared at the sky for a while, and decided to write a letter to Sophie when he got back.

A moment later, the carriage carrying the two princes stopped in front of the mansion of another nobleman who had fled from Lutia.

The two got out of the car one after the other. The elderly nobleman waiting outside glared at Eric.

"Princess Natalia may enter, but those who have murdered their king are not welcome here!"

Eric laughed.

"Those who abandon the emperor speak with such confidence."

(End of this chapter)