The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 233 Over-promising
After meeting the old saint's family nephew and chatting for more than half an hour, and secretly encouraging some church knights stationed there, Eric left Rennes Cathedral and returned to the nearby governor's mansion.

Also because they lived so close, Natalia and Liliana had already returned before he went deep into the church.

When Eric returned to his room, he found a letter on the table addressed to him by Elise.

She told him that by the time he received the letter, Eileen, Molly, and herself had already embarked on their journey back to Lutia.

"I already told you there's no need to rush back. The ceasefire over there has only been going on for a few days..."

Eric continued reading, his eyebrows twitching suddenly before furrowing completely.

“Eileen Kinmino…”

When Eric returned, he greeted Natalia. The small door between their rooms was open, and she happened to come over at that moment. She was somewhat surprised to hear him gritting his teeth as he recited his sister's full name.

"What's the matter, Your Highness?"

When questioned, Eric paused for a moment, and Natalia was even more surprised to find a hint of shame on his face.

“Eileen dug up our parents’ graves.”

The whole thing was so absurd that Natalia initially thought she had misheard, her mind not even registering what she was saying. "Really? That must be quite a challenge."

"..."

Eric looked up from the letter.

Two seconds later, Natalia finally truly understood what he had said, and what she had said in return.

"...Excuse me, Your Highness, but you said Miss Eileen dug up your parents' graves?"

Eric nodded.

"Why?" Natalia asked, puzzled.

“Elise said she’s looking for some relic left by my mother.” Eric scanned the words on the letter. “It’s something belonging to a moon elf, and her moon elf teacher wants her to return it.”

Seeing Natalia's growing confusion, Eric remembered that she was unaware of his mother's identity.

"Eileen and I are half-human and half-moon elf."

Natalia's eyes widened. "So, Your Highness's mother..."

“Yes, she is a moon elf. It is taboo for moon elves to mate with humans, which is why my parents died so young. For the same reason, my sister is not even twenty years old yet, but she is already close to becoming an eighth-tier archmage,” Eric explained.

Natalia could hardly hide her surprise, and after a moment asked, "Then how come Your Highness knows nothing about magic?"

“…I inherited more of my father’s human bloodline.” Eric remembered who was opposite him halfway through rolling his eyes and abruptly stopped.

Perhaps because it was so sudden, Natalia made no attempt to hide her curious gaze. "Is Your Highness's handsome face also from your mother's elven bloodline? But I can't see any other elven features, like your ears."

Eric sighed, looked up at her directly, and then pointed to his eyes.

Natalia stared into his eyes for a moment before asking, "Eye color?"

"Yes. The same eye color as a moon elf."

"I really hadn't noticed that before..."

Eric didn't say anything, finished reading the letter, and then frowned.

"She actually found one..."

He didn't know whether he should be glad that what Eileen was looking for was in her mother's grave, otherwise who knew whose grave she would dig up next—Elise had also told him about the ransacking she had done in the lord's manor before digging up the grave.

The problem is that he had no idea there was an important item belonging to the Moon Elf in his mother's tomb, and his uncle had never mentioned it either, so he probably didn't know either.

Eric quickly recalled that his uncle had mentioned that he had returned to Oren after his brother was seriously injured and his sister-in-law, an elf who appeared out of nowhere, died. By then, his mother had probably already been buried, along with that thing.

"What is Miss Eileen looking for?" Natalia asked.

“I don’t know either. I’ve never heard of it. Elise said it’s a round ball that looks like amber, about the size of an apple.” Eric casually handed her Elise’s letter.

Natalia took the letter, her expression quickly changing as she gave him a cryptic look.

Eric suddenly remembered that Elise had said some intimate words at the beginning of the letter.

He quickly took the letter back, folded it slightly, and showed her the key sentences directly.

"..."

Natalia took a deep breath to refocus her attention on what he was referring to.

After reading it, she opened her mouth, but suddenly realized she didn't know what to say.

"...Now that Miss Eileen has found what she wants, she will surely restore her parents' graves to their original state."

“It wasn’t mentioned in the letter, but I think it will be restored, otherwise I’ll have to write to my uncle and ask him to break her legs.”

Natalia forced a smile and handed the letter back to him.

"In that case, Your Highness need not be too angry."

"What angers me is that she didn't explain this to me in detail at all when I was still at home."

Eric put the letter away, thought for a moment, and muttered to himself, "Isn't she trusting her teacher too much?"

"Does Your Highness think the Moon Elves are not worthy of too much trust?" Natalia asked.

Eric shook his head. "It has nothing to do with the moon elves; I'm more concerned about my sister's attitude."

Natalia looked at him. "I guess it's because Miss Irene is more like a moon elf than His Highness?"

Eric paused for a moment. “I’ve always considered myself a purely human being… No, I have to write a letter to Eileen.”

Natalia watched him fetch paper and pen, almost ready to write, but refrained from peering over. Instead, she walked to the window, gazing at the sunset outside, while the beginning of the letter she had just glimpsed quickly resurfaced in her mind.

"...Eric, I miss you even more than yesterday. I want to kiss you, hug you, or just do nothing, just look at you..."

Eric stopped after writing almost a whole page in one go, glanced at the strongly worded content, and suddenly felt that he had gone a bit too far in many aspects.

"...Who told me that you're my only sister?"

He sighed, crumpled the letter into a ball, and while he was thinking of a new beginning, he glanced at Natalia standing by the window.

She leaned there, head down, biting her thumbnail, lost in thought.

After looking at her for a while, he looked away and started writing the letter again.

He changed to a gentler tone and asked Eileen to explain what the moon elf wanted. He then emphasized that this matter should be discussed with him first, indicating that he was a little angry, but not very angry.

"wrong……"

Eric crossed out the sentence he had just written and replaced it with a sentence that linked his level of anger to the level of her honesty and reflection.

After finishing the letter, a restrained scream came from the window. A bird flew into the room and then transformed into a human in front of Eric and Natalia.

“Miss Kasha…” Natalia was pulled out of her endless reverie.

Eric folded the letters as he spoke, "You've been out there for quite a while. What have you accomplished?"

Kasha nodded. "I've seen many places."

"Alright, I'll take you with me when we go out from now on, so we shouldn't get lost." Eric put the letter in an envelope and stood up.

Kasha smiled.

Eric had the maid outside mail the letter, then walked to the window and looked at the setting sun in the west. "The sunset here isn't as good as at the seaside, but it's still quite nice."

Natalia glanced at the setting sun, then at the afterglow reflected on his face, and responded with a soft "yes".

"Yes."

During the dinner, Eric did not meet the host of the governor's mansion. He did not know whether the host was genuinely busy or was trying to minimize contact with them, fearing that discussing money would damage their relationship.

Eric and Natalia both stopped thinking about the matter. The morning's probing was meant to help them focus their limited energy on the present. What the old governor was thinking was something they would have to consider later.

The next day, the two continued to visit the nobles in the city in the established order.

Kasha accompanied them this time, appearing, of course, in animal form as well.

Their judgment was largely unsurprising; those nobles or wealthy merchants who were at the top of the visiting list, even after shaking off the momentary impulse and lapse in judgment at the banquet, still maintained a high level of enthusiasm.

Even if someone regrets making a boast, Eric and Natalia can work together to get him to offer a new amount of support that he is willing to accept.

The situation remained basically the same on the third and fourth days.

Eric and Natalia visited as many places as possible, urging them to send supplies or reinforcements to Lutia as soon as possible while their enthusiasm was still high.

"Because of the actions of the two princes, the market in Sunset City has been much busier than usual these past few days."

With their early mornings and late nights, the two had fewer opportunities to see Governor Austin, though there were exceptions.

Good morning, Governor Austin.

Eric sat down at the dining table. "Although I've been living at your house for a long time, I haven't had many opportunities to see you."

Natalia sat down next to him. "Our impact on the market is probably less than the impact of a cargo ship being delayed in arriving."

Austin shook his head. "Your Highness underestimates your influence. Prices for many things are rising, and everyone can see that."

The two exchanged a glance, and Eric spoke up, "This proves that our trip was not in vain. Sunset City is located on the frontier, but there are quite a few nobles and wealthy merchants who are devoted to the Empire and concerned about the safety of the continent. Princess Natalia and I are very pleased."

Austin gave an ambiguous chuckle and put his breakfast into his mouth.

Eric and Natalia continued eating their breakfast, while Kasha, standing next to them, didn't even look up.

Even after they finished breakfast, Austin, who had arrived earlier and left earlier, didn't leave, as if he still had something to say.

“Few people choose to purchase grain in Sunset City and transport it all the way to Lutia, as the cost is too high. The nobles who were persuaded by the two princes have mostly chosen to purchase grain from Grandia and then transport it to Lutia. However, the price of grain in Sunset City has still risen a bit. Do Your Highnesses know why?”

Eric and Natalia exchanged glances. "Perhaps our arrival has also caused some panic, prompting the city's residents to start hoarding food as a precaution?"

"The panic arrived before you, Your Highnesses. It came from the heavens. Our news here may not be as timely, but it's not as delayed either."

Austin didn't keep him in suspense any longer, "It's those nobles and wealthy merchants you persuaded who went on a buying spree in the city, driving up the prices of all sorts of things—those things weren't sent to Lutia as free aid, but rather they were transported there to sell in order to recoup their losses. Even grain, which has a higher cost, can still earn a little money if it's transported to the Lutia area."

Natalia was silent for a moment. "That's understandable, because their support for the front lines is genuine. Is the governor trying to blame us for affecting the Sunset City market?"

“Not so, Your Highness. I originally wanted to remind you that there are no truly good people, and no one is indifferent to their own losses. I hoped Your Highness could show more understanding towards the nobles of Sunset City.” Austin looked at the two of them. “However, it seems that this does not require my reminder.”

"I understand, of course I understand."

Eric looked at him. "In fact, most of the nobles who aided the front lines weren't doing so without expecting anything in return. Princess Natalia promised a return in the future. Humanity will inevitably achieve final victory. If we can't even be sure of that, what's the point of our current efforts?"

The governor slightly raised his hand, indicating that he believed in their vision for the future.

"But that's exactly what I want to ask: How much of the reward Your Highness has promised truly belongs to the royal family?"

Natalia's expression changed.

"I had someone investigate a bit. If Your Highness is to fulfill all your promises, I'm afraid that after the war with the demons ends, another war with the traditional dukes and marquises will have to begin immediately. If you don't take back their lands first, what will Your Highness use to distribute to others?"

Austin crossed his arms and rested them on the table, staring intently at the two of them.

Natalia took a slow breath and replied, "All I know is that if we don't drive the demons out first, everyone, whether royalty or nobles, will become the Demon King's. Is dividing the spoils of war really more difficult than driving out the demons?"

“But I don’t want what belongs to me, Rentani, to become a part that His Highness can arbitrarily divide up.” Austin spoke quite bluntly when he spoke again.

“Rentani belongs to the Empire, not to you, Governor Austin. You and your son are merely the administrators here.”

Natalia raised her voice and looked him straight in the eye without flinching.

“You are my elder brother, the governor of Rentani appointed by the late Emperor Chik Utu. Have you forgotten? I think that appointment letter should still be hanging in your governor’s mansion.”

Austin's face fell.

Natalia continued, “If Governor Austin wishes to continue governing this land for the Empire, he should not remain indifferent to the war in the North. Of course, if your contributions are outstanding enough, this right of governance may rightfully be passed down through your bloodline.”

Austin looked at her for a moment. "Is this the same promise His Highness made to Memphis and Edgar?"

"—Governor Austin may speculate on Memphis's intentions, but don't drag my uncle into it."

Eric spoke up, “While people can’t imagine what they don’t understand, the sense of responsibility that has been passed down through our bloodline in the Chimino family is perhaps more resilient than you think.”

Austin ignored his sarcasm and sneered, "Did your uncle take over Otwell just out of some so-called sense of responsibility? Everett was his friend, yet he betrayed him without hesitation and sent him south."

"That's because Governor Everett stood by and watched the demons march south without saying a word. If he had ulterior motives, why would my uncle have gone to guard Lutia?"

"It's because he's afraid the demons will take over the territory he just acquired."

"Do you think that after the demons conquer Lutia, they will first head south to attack the bountiful Gradia, or they will go around the mountains to attack Otwell?" Eric countered.

Austin stared at him for a moment, then sneered, before turning to Natalia. "Your Highness, you haven't answered my question yet."

"His Highness Eric has already answered the question regarding Duke Edgar."

Natalia and Eric exchanged a glance, and then Natalia said, "As for Governor Memphis, just as His Highness Eric said, with the fall of Lutia, his country of Gradia will face the threat of the demons and thus rise up in resistance."

"If that were the case, Memphis should have already led his army to deploy outside Lutia City when the demons broke through the Black Ice Great Wall that you were defending."

Austin waved his hand. "Let's be frank, my High Princess, what did you promise Memphis?"

Natalia seemed reluctant to speak but also wanted something. After a brief silence, she sighed and replied, "It's exactly the same promise I made to the governor."

Austin looked at her. "A legitimate, blood-lined, perpetual right of governance?"

"Yes."

“If that’s all there is to it, Memphis would have already gotten almost everything.” Austin still had some doubts.

The question is, does he have any other options?

Eric spoke up, "Everything he has gained will soon be lost as the demons march south. Joining the resistance front formed by Princess Natalia is the best way to preserve it all."

Austin remained silent, but Natalia suddenly spoke up again: "Of course, he still needs to shoulder the responsibilities and obligations to the empire like a true imperial governor, whether in terms of taxation or military affairs. Without all of this, what kind of empire is it? The demons were able to reach Lutia in a single attack. Isn't that the responsibility of you who have betrayed the royal family?"

Eric and Austin glanced at her simultaneously. The latter paused in thought and said, "What betrayal? I was personally appointed Governor of Rentani by the late Emperor. The letter of appointment is still hanging on the wall of the Governor's Mansion."

Natalia sneered, then said, "Past events can be put aside for now, but the newly formed empire must possess the power to truly resist external enemies, and this only requires you to hand over a small portion of what you have extracted from the common people to the empire, just as you have done in the past."

Austin pondered for a moment, "Is this also a condition Memphis agreed to?"

“Once the root cause of this disaster is understood, no one will sacrifice long-term stability and peace for short-term gains,” Natalia replied.

Austin remained silent, lost in thought, as the wall clock struck.

"Your Highnesses must have quite a few people to meet today, right? You should head out now."

(End of this chapter)