The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 238 Set sail
"Eileen!"

Eric sat up abruptly and found that Eileen and the danger she was in had vanished without a trace. The unfamiliar environment around him was no longer blurring in his mind, but the presidential suite where he had been staying for more than a week.

As the dream collapsed and faded, he then found himself not even in bed, but sitting on the floor beside it.

"..."

Looking around blankly, Eric sniffed his arm again; it reeked of alcohol.

He then recalled that there had been another grand farewell banquet last night—to bid farewell to him and Grand Princess Natalia.

Including the banquet held by Governor Austin a couple of days ago to announce support for the front lines, this was the third banquet he had attended recently.

"A large family and a big business mean you can squander it all..."

Eric rubbed his forehead, climbed onto the bed and lay down for a while, but then felt uncomfortable all over. He pulled open his collar and sniffed around a few times, only to find that the smell of alcohol on his body didn't seem like he had drunk too much and become mellow, but rather like he had lost his grip and spilled alcohol all over himself.

Fragments of unrestrained revelry at the banquet flashed through his mind.

"...He's really drunk."

Eric got out of bed again and took a shower.

After washing away the smell of alcohol, I felt much more refreshed.

When he returned to his room, he found that Natalia's room next door was also quiet. When he went over to check, he saw that she was also lying on the bed, and she looked like she had also drunk quite a bit, but her posture was not as undignified as his.

He didn't intend to wake her, but as soon as he turned around, she called out to him instead.

“...Eric.”

Eric turned around, and Natalia was still lying there with her eyes closed, a smile on her face.

He stared for a moment, then asked, "Your Highness?"

She didn't respond; the call without any respect was just babbling in her sleep.

"...Hopefully it wasn't some too strange dream."

Quietly leaving Natalia's room, Eric rubbed his temples again.

"Thank goodness we're not leaving today."

The Queen Vermeer will depart Sunset Harbor tomorrow morning, and they will board the large ship to head to their next destination, Westwind City in the province of Kus.

Upon entering the other room, Kasha appeared quite sober and even greeted him upon his arrival.

She was the lowest in status among the three, yet the most carefree, deciding how much to eat and drink entirely according to her own mood.

At such a banquet, she couldn't possibly allow herself to get drunk.

Eric asked her to use the magic of the naturalistic school to cure his hangover. A faint green light shone from her fingertips, circled in his head, and swept away his fatigue and heaviness.

"Thank you..." Eric turned his neck, feeling a bit sore, and quickly recalled his state when he woke up.

Kasha told him that she had also tried to help him into bed the previous night, but he insisted on sitting on the edge of the bed.

"..."

Eric remained silent for a long time, trying to piece together the jumbled memories in his mind, but to no avail.

"Next time you can try to hold on a little longer, or give me a slap to bring me to my senses."

Kasha nodded. "I've got it."

"...Just remembering the first half is enough."

They were leaving tomorrow, and there was no one they absolutely had to see or anything they absolutely had to deal with. Eric spent the morning in Kasha's room.

Although they spent almost the entire day together, they didn't actually have much time alone together. Their most intimate contact was that kiss on the way here.

When they were alone, Kasha wouldn't ask for anything; she would simply snuggle up to him, and if Eric kissed her, she would blush and smile for a long time.

He didn't try any further intimate contact, since some windows, once opened, can't be closed again.

Around noon, Eric heard some slight noises coming from the next door.

“Natalia’s awake,” he said to Kasha. “She probably has a headache too. Go and help her.”

"it is good."

Eric went with her, helped Natalia with her hangover headache, and then quickly left her room—she had just gotten up, was also reeking of alcohol, and needed to wash up.

I saw Natalia again more than half an hour later.

She had even washed her hair, but hadn't completely dried it. As she walked towards him while drying it, she brought with her a unique dampness that was different from the seaside air.

"Thank goodness Miss Kasha helped me get rid of the hangover, otherwise I would have felt even worse after waking up... Just how much did I drink last night?"

Eric leaned against the window, watching her approach, and suddenly understood why her appearance seemed so unique: she had never shown this less-than-dignified side of herself in front of him before.

“I may not be fully awake yet,” Eric said.

Natalia frowned and smiled slightly. "Your Highness?"

Eric looked out the window. "I asked the maids at the Governor's Mansion this morning, and it turns out that many of the guests who attended the banquet last night stayed at the Governor's Mansion. It seems that it wasn't just His Highness and I who drank too much."

Natalia walked up to him. "There was no need to hold such a banquet. It feels like Austin is going to great lengths to please us."

"After all, you promised the entire Rentani to the Austin family."

"Don't say that, I'll feel sorry for our ancestors."

"……Feel sorry."

"I'm just kidding."

Eric glanced at Natalia, who tilted her head, wrapped a tuft of hair in a towel, and gently rubbed it with her hands.

Their eyes met, but she looked away first.

"I apologize for showing Your Highness a less-than-flattering side of me."

"No, I feel honored."

"……what?"

When she looked back, Eric was already looking out the window.

Most of Sunset City was within sight, and the sound of the ocean waves could be faintly heard.

"I mean, the maids can help Your Highness dry his hair; it will be dry quickly."

Natalia glanced at him, then looked down at the ends of her hair peeking out from under the towel. "Never mind, I've dried it all myself."

The two stood by the window for a moment, exchanged a few more meaningless words, and then Natalia returned to her room, threw away the towel, and stood in front of the mirror for a short while.

"You've abandoned all decorum and dignity because of a strange dream, Natalia. You've utterly disgraced the royal family..."

She leaned closer to the mirror, raised one hand, and covered her face with her still slightly damp hair, looking at herself through the gaps in the hair.

...like a female ghost.

Natalia let go of her hand, and her hair, which had been hanging down, became a little messy again.

She wiped her hair a few times, straightened it, and then shook it.

It's time to wake up.

When Eric saw Natalia again, she had returned to her usual appearance—not just in appearance, but also in demeanor.

"Your Highness, are you still feeling regretful about leaving here tomorrow? We're departing tomorrow." Natalia asked.

"Regret? No, I don't think so."

Eric thought for a moment, "If I had to say, it's probably that we didn't have a chance to explore some of the dungeons near Sunset City. But they don't give us anything particularly good anyway."

"A dungeon?" Natalia frowned.

“I mean mysterious, undiscovered ruins or something like that,” Eric rephrased.

Natalia glanced at him, assuming he was reminiscing about his days of free adventure. "Are there places like this around Sunset City?"

“Of course there is,” Eric said, then paused. “I heard about it during my adventures before, but I haven’t had time to confirm whether it’s true or not.”

He recalled that the main dungeons in Sunset City were either about fighting the chaotic forces at the harbor or kicking the pirates who plundered the surrounding waters. There weren't many lost ruins where you could take the items and leave without anyone noticing.

Natalia seemed somewhat interested. "For example?"

Eric opened the list of "Thorns of the Soul" dungeons in his mind, which he was extremely familiar with from his previous life, and listed the dungeons near Sunset City.

"For example, in the sea northwest of Sunset City, there is a shipwreck from more than two hundred years ago, which is said to have a lot of treasure on it."

"On the cliffs of the northern coastline of Sunset City, there is a cave that leads to a natural labyrinth. At its deepest part, there are piles of rare minerals collected by the dwarves, which they have kept there since ancient times when they lived underground."

“Hmm… even beneath this Sunset City today, there lies an ancient Sunset City, most of which has sunk and been buried under mud, but some areas remain to be explored. It’s said the entrance to the underground city is a cave beneath the water near the harbor, requiring a dive of over ten minutes to enter.” Natalia smiled, as if listening to a story, yet also as if taking it seriously. “Doesn’t that mean no one but the merfolk can get in?”

"I heard that an alchemist has developed a potion that allows people to breathe underwater. After drinking it, anyone can stay underwater for half an hour."

Natalia sensed a hint of nostalgia in his tone. "Your Highness, did you ever drink that kind of potion?"

Eric smiled, then shook his head.

"Just heard."

Natalia stared at his face for a while longer, but said nothing.

"Since we're leaving tomorrow, let's wander around Sunset City a bit more."

"Okay."

As they went downstairs, Austin's youngest daughter, Liliana, noticed them and followed them. The three of them rode horses, with Liliana sharing one horse, just like when they first arrived, and drove around the city.

After passing the harbor and climbing the seaside city wall on the west side of the city, Natalia asked Liliana about the legends of the ruins that Eric had mentioned. The latter was very surprised and said that even the locals might not know as much as she did.

"These legends have existed for a long time, but they are all rather vague. No one knows the exact location of those ruins, and it's hard to say whether they are even true. How did Your Highness know where they are?"

Natalia looked at Eric.

“I heard it from an adventurer from Sunset City when I was adventuring in the ancient battlefield,” Eric said without changing his expression. “He also searched around based on the legends and discovered the possible locations of several ruins, but he himself did not have the ability to explore them.”

"That's it..."

"Does your governor's mansion have no interest in exploring?" Eric asked.

Liliana paused for a moment. "Is it authentic? I can mention it to my father."

"It's very possible."

She laughed, "Alright, if we really find any treasure, Father will give Her Highness a reward for the information."

"Don't give it to me, use it to help Lutia as well."

"no problem!"

So when Eric returned to the governor’s mansion in the evening, he carefully recorded the locations of the copies with pen and paper, making a detailed account with pictures and text.

"Is this a hole?"

"This represents Sunset City, but it's just a somewhat abstract way of indicating relative location."

"Oh... so this is a sword? I think Your Highness deliberately applied it thickly."

"...This represents the cliffs of the coastline."

Natalia simply watched without saying a word.

Her silence only put more pressure on Eric, who had to add labels to everything he drew to prevent it from being too abstract and incomprehensible to others, especially the woman next to him.

He wrote down several dungeons that he could think of that were worth exploring, and at the dinner party, he personally handed them to Austin.

Although the most valuable thing in those dungeons of "Thorns of the Soul" is a few sets of equipment, Eric believes that in the real world, there is much more to explore than that.

Once she realized what she was holding, Austin simply raised an eyebrow and complimented Her Highness on her wide range of knowledge.

"When the governor's men find the treasure hidden in these places, just remember that it was me who provided the information."

"Your Highness is too kind... Of course I haven't forgotten."

On his last night in Sunset City, Eric didn't feel sleepy until after midnight.

He didn't force himself to go to bed early, because starting the next day, for a considerable period of time, he wouldn't need to travel on his own.

"I wonder if it's the sea breeze or the land breeze blowing at night... Once I start training the successor to the saintess, I'll have to add geography to the compulsory subjects."

Eric sat by the window for most of the night, enjoying the breeze, before finally going to bed. When he opened his eyes again, it was already dawn.

Austin had sent people throughout the city well in advance, and a great many people came to see Eric and Natalia off. The governor's mansion arranged a particularly high level of farewell, and the two rode in a tall, open carriage from the governor's mansion to Sunset City, with crowds of people coming to see them off along the way.

"Mom, why is there a strange owl perched on the saint's shoulder?"

"Shh, that must be Her Highness the Holy Maiden's pet..."

Eric waved to both sides, smiling, and said in a voice only Natalia and Kasha could hear, "I've never received such a warm farewell."

Natalia smiled as well, waving slightly less frequently than him. "Before arriving in Sunset City, who else could arrange such a farewell ceremony?"

Eric thought for a moment, "It seems like I'm the only one here?"

Oren was his home, and Hiss... could now be considered Edgar's territory as well.

Natalia continued waving, smiling but saying nothing.

Amid cheers, the carriage sped to the port. Eric and Natalia disembarked one after the other to bid farewell to the various nobles waiting there, while Liliana was escorted directly onto the Queen Vermeer.

"I know Your Highness is probably not coming back here, so I don't expect you to come back to baptize my child. I just hope that the two princes can travel smoothly and extort money from the nobles on the continent."

Eric smiled. "Princess Natalia and I just gave it a little push. Everyone here volunteered to help on the front lines, just like your father."

“Let’s leave it at that.” Liliana looked at the two of them and waved goodbye. “Goodbye, Your Highness Eric, Your Highness Natalia. It has been a great honor and pleasure to have met you.”

“Let’s meet in the future.” Natalia looked at her. “Once Lutia is rebuilt after the war, I will invite Miss Austin first.”

"Really? Then I'll wait for Your Highness's letter!"

It was time to set sail. Liliana hurriedly disembarked and stood on the dock waving goodbye. Eric and Natalia also stayed on the deck to bid farewell to those seeing them off.

Among them was a unique group of farewell party members, namely the church knights that Eric brought with him.

Because of the time constraints, they couldn't all board the ship, so they simply didn't board and continued by land to meet up with them in the city of Zephyr in Kus.

With the sound of a horn from the bow, the Queen Vermeer weighed anchor and slowly departed Sunset Harbor.

Eric only looked away with a touch of melancholy when the seaside city was no longer visible.

"The atmosphere really does affect people. I didn't feel this reluctant to leave when I left Ori City."

“…Hmm,” Natalia responded in a muffled voice.

Eric looked over and saw her gripping the railing tightly with both hands, staring straight ahead, her forehead covered in sweat, as if she was enduring something.

He paused for a moment, then realized what was happening.

She was seasick.

I wonder if divine magic can alleviate these physiological symptoms...

With a tightness in her throat, Natalia could only grip the railing tightly, forcing herself to distract herself, but the surging urge still tested her every time.

She felt she was about to do something inappropriate and embarrassing when, just then, a hand touched her back.

"..."

Natalia turned her head away. Eric placed one hand on her back and gripped the Holy Spirit pendant tightly in the other, muttering something under his breath.

A soothing wave emanated from his palm, enveloping her body, and Natalia found that the anxiety in her heart had subsided considerably.

"How are you feeling now, Your Highness?" Eric asked, releasing his grip.

Natalia nodded slowly. "Much better... Thank you, Your Highness."

"Will it work? That's great. There's no magic specifically for seasickness, or maybe I just haven't encountered it..." He clicked his tongue again, "I should have asked when I visited the cathedral a few days ago."

Natalia turned her head and forced a smile at him, but the next moment, an uncontrollable urge surged up and, without thinking, she immediately stuck her head out of the railing and into the sea.

"Wow——"

Eric looked up at the sky.

It seems that calming the mind can't cure seasickness.

The journey was long, and Her Highness the Grand Princess suffered greatly on this trip.

With a silent sigh, Eric raised his hand and gently patted Natalia's back, who was suffering from severe seasickness.

Kasha had already returned to human form and was standing on the other side, gently patting him along with him.

"Your naturalistic sect doesn't have any divine arts related to this either?" Eric asked in a low voice.

Kasha's eyes darted around, and she uttered three words: "I don't know."

"All right……"

Natalia leaned on the railing, watching the things that were swallowed by the waves in an instant, still feeling ashamed, her body and mind tormented.

It's so embarrassing...

(End of this chapter)