The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 231 Bitter ...

As suspicion grew stronger in Natalia's eyes, Eric finally came up with an idea.

After listening, Natalia pondered for a moment, "Such a test may not be accurate."

“Consider it a reference for allocating your main focus during this period,” Eric said.

Natalia thought for a moment, then nodded. "Let's try it this way."

At Eric's suggestion, she made a new copy of the list.

This time, Eric was much more well-behaved. Instead of looking around, he walked to the window and gazed at the city's night view.

The wind that kept blowing carried the scent of the ocean. He looked towards the sea, but could only see darkness. The sound of the waves, however, was much clearer than during the day.

“The sound of the waves here is clearer than on the walls of the Black Ice Wall.” A short while later, Natalia’s voice came from behind her; she had finished copying another list.

Eric took it and looked at it. "After all, the Ice-Free Bay is just a bay."

“The ice-free bay no longer exists,” Natalia said, her voice flat and even.

"..."

Eric glanced at her, then quickly put the list away. "It's getting late, Your Highness. You should get some rest. I'm going to see Austin tomorrow morning, so there's no need for you to get up early."

Natalia nodded, went back to her own room through the small door between the two adjacent rooms, and then went to the window to gaze at the dark ocean.

Wow - Wow -

The waves surged one after another, like the Great Wall defenders relentlessly attacking the demonic blades as they covered her escape from the Black Ice Great Wall.

Looking at the completely open door, Eric didn't see anyone on the other side. After thinking for a moment, he decided to close the door a little.

Although the room is large enough, leaving the door open won't have much of an impact.

After an unknown amount of time, Natalia, by the window, snapped out of her reverie and prepared to rest.

As she walked past the small door connecting the two rooms, she noticed the change in the door, stopped, and stared at the not-quite-closed crack for a while.

At one point, she looked down at her chest and then pulled her dress open slightly.

"..."

She quickly loosened her dress and touched her slightly flushed cheeks.

The alcohol did have some effect on her after all.

It's time to rest.

If a certain sound is regular, then at certain times it can also be regarded as a kind of silence.

Eric fell asleep to the sound of the ocean waves and woke up to it. As he stared at the ceiling, this was the first thought that popped into his mind.

He woke up earlier than he had expected. After lying down for a while, he got up, saw the list on the table, reviewed last night's plan, and also brainstormed his lines.

There was no sound from Natalia's room, and Eric didn't disturb her. Instead, he knocked on the small door that connected to Kasha's room.

The door was also open, and she, already awake, quickly replied, "Come in."

Eric went through the door and found her fully dressed, seemingly having woken up earlier.

Kasha told him that she had already gone out for a walk and returned.

"Flew away?"

"Yes."

"So, do you like the environment of Sunset City?"

Kasha thought for a moment and shook her head. "It's too humid, and there aren't many forests around. But it's lively here, and the climate is neither too cold nor too hot. For a normal person, they might prefer this city."

Believers in the Natural Church always see themselves as abnormal people who are far removed from human society. Eric didn't say much and walked to the window to look outside.

“If it weren’t for the heavy responsibilities I have, I would like to settle here for a while.”

Kasha looked at him. "Then I can stay and keep you company."

Eric laughed.

"Let's talk about it when I actually have time to settle down. The restaurant should have breakfast ready, let's go get something to eat."

"it is good."

Before going downstairs, Eric deliberately put down the list he was going to bring in a prominent place.

I went downstairs to the Governor's Palace dining room, where Governor Austin happened to be.

Eric greeted her normally, and Austin responded normally, then asked about Natalia.

"Hasn't Princess Natalia gotten up yet?"

"Probably, Your Highness drank quite a bit yesterday. To be honest, I still have a bit of a headache myself, and I won't be able to see anyone this morning," Eric said.

Kasha looked over, got up and came to his side, and cast a spell to cure his hangover.

"..."

The light was green and shimmering. Eric hadn't actually drunk much, nor did he have a hangover headache, but he could only pretend to be refreshed.

"Thank you, I had forgotten you knew this divine magic."

Kasha returned to her seat and continued eating breakfast.

Governor Austin glanced at Kasha a few more times before asking, "What are your plans for today, Your Highness?"

"I thought the governor already knew yesterday."

"There should be a proper order to visiting the nobles and wealthy merchants in the city."

Eric nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "By the way, His Highness and I have compiled a list based on last night's banquet, listing some people who seem quite reliable. I would like to ask the Governor to take a look."

Austin looked at him and slowly nodded. "Okay."

Eric got up to go back to his room to get it, but the governor stopped him and sent a maid upstairs.

A moment later, the maid took the list she found in his room, first showed it to him, and then gave it to the governor on the other side.

Eric began, “I’m new here and not very familiar with the nobles and wealthy merchants of Sunset City, but Governor Austin is a different story.”

Austin said he would take a look first, scanning the list one by one before speaking, "To be honest, I don't know much about their inclinations either, but the people Your Highness has listed are all worth talking to."

"That's good. Do you have anything to add?"

"Um...no."

Eric asked for the list back and continued eating his breakfast. At the end, he said, "I plan to visit the first nobleman on the list this afternoon. Please ask the governor to arrange a carriage for us."

“That’s not a problem,” Austin said.

Eric bowed and left the restaurant with Kasha.

He sighed as he stepped onto the magical floating staircase.

Kasha looked at him.

“It’s okay.” Eric took a deep breath and then said, “Are you coming with us today?”

Kasha considered it for a moment and said she wanted to look around the city first.

“No problem. Feel free to browse around.” Eric pulled out a handful of gold coins and gave them to her. “Buy whatever you like.”

Kasha smiled, but declined.

Back in his room, Eric gazed at the scenery from the window for a while before he heard any movement from Natalia's side.

After a moment, she knocked on the door, "Your Highness?"

"come in."

Natalia came to his room, and Eric got straight to the point: "Austin has seen the list, and he said it's fine and there are no additions."

Natalia opened her mouth slightly, then sighed.

"Yeah."

The second list she copied by hand removed some nobles or wealthy merchants from the first list who had shown considerable enthusiasm at the banquet the previous night, and added several names that had not come to greet them at all during the entire banquet.

Austin said there was nothing wrong with the list.

“Such probing may not be accurate. Austin may genuinely be indifferent to the inclinations of the other nobles in the city, which does not mean he intends to obstruct them,” Eric said. “But at least before leaving Sunset City, we don’t need to invest too much energy in him.”

Natalia nodded slowly. "Interactions with other nobles can also help us understand the real Austin."

“He still owes us a favor. If he really doesn’t want to, at least get back the aid he promised yesterday. Every little bit helps,” Eric added.

Natalia sighed, "That's hardly a small amount; many nobles can't even afford it..." The two discussed their next plan and, based on the first list, reorganized the order of visits.

In the afternoon, Eric and Natalia boarded a carriage sent by the governor's mansion and headed towards their first destination in the city.

The front lines are constantly awaiting aid from the rear. They rearrange their visitation lists based on inclination and enthusiasm, and those at the top are easier to persuade and can receive aid more quickly.

“In the past, I preferred to tackle the difficult issues first, then the easy ones,” Natalia said from inside the carriage.

“No pain, no gain, I like that kind of thing too.” Eric shook his head. “But not anymore.”

It's sweet at first, then bitter, and the further you go, the more bitter it gets. Who knows if the last few nobles on the list will even let them in?

The carriage traveled smoothly, and Eric gazed out the window, when he suddenly spotted a shop that looked somewhat familiar.

"Your Highness?" Natalia looked at Eric, who was practically half-out of the car window.

He quickly pulled himself back. "I saw a dwarven craftsman's workshop. Judging from the weapons hanging on the wall, the owner's craftsmanship must be quite good. On my way back, I thought I'd stop here and pick out a new weapon."

Natalia paused for a moment, then nodded.

"I always forget that Your Highness is a true warrior."

Eric smiled but didn't say anything more.

Every major city has some relatively high-level quests that reward unique weapons, equipment, or skill books. He remembered that the dwarven blacksmith shop he had just passed was one of them. After completing the quest, he could choose a magic-grade weapon based on his class.

Ever since he threw the Mist Longsword into Xinmagu's body, he has been using the standard weapons of ordinary soldiers, or even the scimitars he has stolen from demon warriors. They are usable, of course, but he often has to deal with the fact that weapons are consumables.

There are still a few years until that mission's timeline, and we don't know if it will be triggered.

If all else fails, Eric thought, "I can just spend more money."

Of course, this is just a transition. The weapon that is truly suitable for him needs to be custom-made, and he has already found an elven craftsman to make the weapon for him and established a good relationship with him.

Forging weapons takes time; perhaps he should write a letter to Mason in Tallinn beforehand…

While Eric was lost in thought, the carriage had already arrived at its destination.

He jumped off the carriage first, then reached out and pulled Natalia along.

She took his hand, stepped down from the carriage, and together they looked towards the enthusiastic middle-aged nobleman outside the mansion.

"The Marquis of Brendon".

"Welcome, welcome, Your Highness Natalia, Your Highness Eric."

The two sides bowed to each other.

“Perhaps we should cherish the opportunity to be personally greeted by someone,” Eric suddenly said as they entered the mansion.

Natalia glanced at him but said nothing, while the Marquis of Brendon asked, "Have the two princes been given the cold shoulder?"

“I just have this feeling,” Eric replied. “Does the Marquis of Brendon think my feeling is reliable?”

The middle-aged nobleman chuckled twice, and after inviting the two to sit down, he replied, "This place is too far from Lutia. Among some merchants or nobles in Sunset City, there is even a saying that 'Lutia is so far away that it feels like a foreign land.'"

“I think before Lutia fell, this was just complaining about the long distance and high shipping costs,” Natalia said. “Their goods still ended up being sold in Lutia anyway.”

“You’re absolutely right, Your Highness, but they don’t feel they have any obligation to do so.” The Marquis of Brendon paused. “You can threaten them appropriately during negotiations.”

Natalia looked at him. "For example, after defeating the demons, should their goods be prohibited from entering Lutia?"

“That’s too blunt, Your Highness. How about letting other people’s goods enter first? It’s not an impolite threat, but it will still make those merchants or nobles who own certain industries furious,” said the Marquis of Brendon.

Natalia nodded, then looked at him, "For example, someone as enthusiastic and proactive as the Marquis of Brendon."

The Marquis of Brendon smiled.

Negotiating with nobles who are already proactive requires almost no effort.

Eric and Natalia didn't need to bring up any national sentiments or the idea that they were all in the same boat. Marquis Brendon believed that the demons would eventually be driven out by humans, but he also valued interests, so they could just talk about terms directly.

Both sides were very pleased. The Marquis of Brendon even said that the first batch of supplies to support the front line would be ready to depart before sunset today. This made Eric regret that he should have postponed his order. It's always better to suffer a little bit than to suffer a lot.

The Marquis of Brendon agreed with him, and then said that they could come to him anytime to try their luck.

The two men politely declined with dry laughs, but Eric, remembering what had happened that morning, tentatively asked, "What does the Marquis think of the Governor?"

"Austin?"

The Marquis of Brendon looked at the two men. "What aspects would you two like me to evaluate?"

“We don’t care much about other aspects; we just want to know his willingness to support the front lines,” Natalia said.

Brendon pondered for a moment, "To be honest, the governor talked to us about this after the fighting broke out on the front lines, but he didn't express his opinion."

He suddenly realized something, "Could it be that the governor is actually on the other side?"

"We can only speculate."

Brendon thought for a moment, "Perhaps there's some misunderstanding?"

Natalia sighed softly, "I hope so too."

"Let's start with his daughter. Didn't the two princes just send her back? She should trust you more."

Brendon offered a suggestion, then continued, "Heh heh, the governor is probably having a headache right now. Six daughters, each married to a good family, and now his most beloved youngest daughter has run back. The two princes might just be in a bad mood. Let's wait and see."

“That’s also what we’re planning,” Eric said.

After chatting for a while longer, the two said goodbye and left, even though it wasn't even three o'clock yet.

"It's still quite early, shall we visit another place?"

Natalia glanced at the sky and thought for a moment. "Let's leave it until tomorrow morning. Even if we reach an agreement today, the supplies won't be ready to be shipped out in time. Doesn't Your Highness have a workshop to visit? Let's resolve this matter first."

"it is good."

The two rode back in a carriage. When they passed the dwarf artisan's workshop, Eric stopped the carriage and got out to find out what was going on.

He glanced at the weapons hanging on the wall and quickly found the one he wanted.

"Is that sword for sale?"

"The customer has excellent taste, but I also really like that sword, so I'm not selling it."

Eric was not surprised at all. "Do you have any difficulties? I'll help you solve them. You sell me the sword."

The dwarf craftsman looked up at him for a moment. "Human, where did you hear that I'm having trouble?"

“During my morning prayers, I had a premonition that a dwarf in the northeast of the governor’s mansion was in trouble. And you are the first dwarf I have encountered.”

As Eric spoke, he took out the Holy Spirit Pendant from his chest. This was a divine medium that only high-ranking clergy could possess. The dwarf craftsman quickly recognized it, exclaimed "Oh!" in surprise, and his attitude changed considerably.

"So, the goddess Yela sent you to solve my problem?"

“That’s one way to understand it,” Eric nodded.

"Praise be to Yela, praise be to the goddess of the earth."

The dwarf clasped his hands together, prayed for a moment, and then told him that his shop in the North District, which was closer to the wealthy area, was about to go out of business, and the governor's office ordered him to move to the West District or the South District as soon as possible.

"That's all? That's easy to do."

Eric readily agreed; it was just a matter of a word, and Austin had no reason to refuse.

But he quickly realized that if he asked Austin for help at this time, even if it was just a small matter, the latter would probably solve it for him under the pretense of repaying a favor.

Seeing that he first agreed and then hesitated, the dwarf craftsman asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"It's a bit difficult, but it can still be solved. It just needs some time, four or five days... no, six or seven days."

Let's leave this little matter until we've resolved Austin's issues.

Seeing Eric return to the carriage empty-handed, Natalia was surprised. "Your Highness didn't find a weapon you liked?"

"I've chosen one, but the seller won't sell it. I need to do him a favor first."

"What kind of help?" Natalia asked.

"There's nothing I can do to help right now."

Eric smiled at her, telling her not to worry about it.

"It's still quite early. Does Your Highness have any new plans? We should still have time to visit another noble who is inclined to support us."

Eric glanced at the white seabirds flying overhead.

"Or should we continue with yesterday's itinerary and visit the harbor in the southern district that we didn't have time to explore?"

(End of this chapter)