The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 244: Landing
Upon reaching the deck, Natalia spotted Eric and Kasha leaning against the ship's railing, both peering through binoculars at the southern sea.

She also gazed at the horizon with her naked eye and saw a piece of land floating faintly on the southern sea. That was the largest main island of the archipelago nation.

The two quickly noticed her arrival; or rather, Eric had called her out.

"At this distance, the telescope can already see quite clearly."

Eric handed her the monocular telescope, saying, "Although you can only see some things along the coast."

Taking the telescope, Natalia looked towards the distant island. The coastline was barren and steep, with only a few scattered low stone houses, and some male fishmen could be seen coming and going.

Further away, where even the telescope couldn't see clearly, a port could be vaguely seen, with some ships moored there.

"This telescope can see really far," Natalia said, clearly delighted with it.

“Right.” Eric felt the same way. “The alchemy process is more advanced in the south. The crew said that you can buy telescopes that can see farther and more clearly in Port Wimmer.”

"Why don't they sell the telescopes as a commodity in Sunset City?" Natalia asked.

“Because the Empire has cheaper and clearer ‘human telescopes’,” Eric shrugged.

"...Winged Man?"

“Yes.” Eric looked at the leather-wrapped binoculars in her hand. “Most people don’t need or can’t afford these. They’re a luxury.”

Natalia looked down and examined it for a moment. "Was this lent to Your Highness by the crew?"

“It was a gift from the captain,” Eric said. “It was just opened; the box and velvet are still there.”

Kasha showed her the wooden box in his hand, which was filled with gold velvet and had a faint indentation in the middle from which the telescope had been taken.

Natalia looked to the other side; the continent was still beyond the vast ocean.

"We are now actually closer to the archipelago nation."

“Yes, the crew said there are more reefs in the waters closer to the mainland, but we are already very close to Goddess Bay,” Eric said.

Natalia gazed at it for a while longer, then reluctantly handed the binoculars back to him.

Eric didn't take it, saying, "This is for His Highness."

"..."

"Do you want the box?"

Natalia looked at him. "It's too expensive. I can borrow it occasionally."

Eric said nothing, took the binoculars, and looked towards the archipelago again.

Natalia looked at his profile, which was squinting with one eye, and after a while, she noticed that Kasha was staring at her, so she looked into the distance without making a sound.

Azure sea and blue sky, not a cloud in sight.

The Queen Vermeer sailed swiftly through the waves, and after nearly ten days from Sunset Harbor, the voyage was finally nearing its end.

That afternoon, they entered the vast Goddess Bay.

The number of ships they encountered at sea also increased, some of which had just set off from Goddess Bay, and others that, like them, had come from all directions.

The Queen Vermeer's destination was Westwind City, which occupied the largest port in Goddess Bay. The captain said that even if they arrived at the port late at night, they would not be able to enter the port until dawn. Therefore, they would stop their journey after sunset and wait to enter the port during the day the next day.

As evening approached, they passed by a small island in the bay.

“That island also belongs to the archipelago nation,” Eric said to Natalia, who was gazing into the distance.

She frowned, then remembered that the island on the map did indeed not belong to the Empire. "Aren't we already quite far from the Archipelago Kingdom?"

“The problem is that it’s still quite a distance from the mainland, and what’s worse, the location is rather awkward,” Eric continued, but didn’t finish his sentence.

Natalia glanced at him.

Ever since he confessed those things a few days ago and the two resumed normal conversation, he's been like this, always only saying half of what he means and waiting for her to ask the rest.

"Your Highness, can't you finish what you're saying?"

"Because I need to make sure His Highness is still listening to me, and not thinking about other things."

"...I'm listening."

Eric smiled at her. "The closest point on the mainland to this island is the border between Kus and Cogano."

Natalia understood when he said that.

"Anyone can manage it, but nobody wants to manage it."

"Yes, so this island has been occupied by the archipelago nation for hundreds of years."

Natalia picked up the binoculars that had returned to her hand. "This island isn't small, and it's just been occupied like this. It could easily serve as a springboard for the Empire to manage the southwestern seas... Ah."

She suddenly stopped moving, staring blankly into space.

"What did Your Highness see?" Eric asked casually.

“…It’s nothing.” Natalia came back to her senses.

Eric reached for the binoculars, and she instinctively pulled back.

"..."

The two looked at each other.

Eric raised an eyebrow, but didn't insist. "That's why I already said it's for His Highness."

Natalia paused for a moment, but still didn't say anything or hand him the binoculars.

The Queen Vermeer continued forward, gradually moving further and further away from the small island.

While passing through a rocky area, the sailors on board suddenly became noisy.

"Woo--Woo--"

Seeing the sailors on the mast lookout suddenly transform into monkeys and howl at the sea, Eric went to the ship's side and looked down.

"..."

A naked woman... no, a large group of naked women were floating in the water. They didn't seem to be in danger, but rather playing. Their limbs were spread wide, displaying every part of their bodies without leaving anything out, and their huge, white breasts were even whiter than the waves.

On the rocks sat many more naked women, posing seductively and singing songs that were incomprehensible but beautiful.

“So they’re sirens,” Eric muttered, then noticed Natalia standing expressionlessly to the side, also watching the unusual female fish-men.

He suddenly understood what she had seen through the telescope earlier.

"So many sirens, it's very dangerous."

Sirens love to eat human brains. If a young sailor with a weak will saw so many naked women calling out "Grandpa, come down and play!", he might actually jump in.

At that time, these beautiful and well-endowed sea creatures will reveal another side of themselves.

Natalia turned to look at him. "It's dangerous for Your Highness to keep staring at these people."

Eric smiled, showing no sign of lingering, and returned to his previous seat.

"Woo--Woo--"

The monkeys' cries on the mast never ceased. Natalia looked up a few times, suppressing her disgust.

“They’re seasoned sailors,” Eric explained on behalf of the sailors. “They probably know the dangers of sirens better than we do, so they’re just talking big.”

"Just hurry up and go over there, don't pay any attention to her," Natalia said.

"Let's just consider it a little bit of mental relaxation during our boring life at sea."

Eric pointed to the side and behind him, "Your Highness should be glad the sun hasn't completely set yet; we won't be stopping here tonight."

Natalia glanced at the setting sun getting closer and closer to the sea, but said nothing.

At one point, she suddenly looked around and asked, "Where is Miss Kasha?"

Eric was taken aback and looked around, but he didn't see Kasha anywhere.

"Could it have turned into an owl and flown to those sea monsters...?"

The two went to the ship's side and looked at the reef area. Sure enough, they saw a gray owl among the white seabirds, circling around the siren. The siren seemed to have noticed something and were chasing her away.

Suddenly, the owl swooped down and pecked one of the sirens hard in the chest.

"ah--"

The siren let out a sharp, mournful cry and plunged into the sea with a splash, a stark contrast to her gentle singing voice just moments before.

After turning over in the sea, the siren surfaced again, coldly staring at the owl that was flying into the air to escape the pursuit of other siren.

Her lower body had reverted to the appearance of a female merman, transforming into a fish tail.

After circling the reef once, Kasha flew back to the ship, regaining her human form, and then waved to the siren on the sea below.

"..."

The singing stopped abruptly, quickly turning into fierce cursing. "I've passed through here so many times, and this is the first time I've ever seen a siren swear..."

Eric overheard sailors talking nearby, while on the other side, Natalia's gaze toward Kasha seemed to hold a hint of inexplicable approval.

He was speechless.

The commotion lasted for a while, but the Queen Vermeer kept going and soon left the rocky area behind, and the siren's curses gradually faded away.

As darkness fell, the sailors lowered the sails while the last rays of light remained.

They are now not far from the port of Westwind City, and they will wait until the next day when the view is clearer before entering the port.

For Eric and his two companions, this was their last night at sea.

Perhaps because the bay was calm, or perhaps because there were many ships anchored nearby, they rediscovered the connection between humans and land. That night, they felt more relaxed than at any time in the past ten days.

"With Austin's letter and so many role models, even if Governor Cuth isn't very interested in us, his attitude won't be too bad."

Eric sat on the deck, gazing up at the starry sky. "When we go ashore tomorrow, there might be a huge crowd waiting for us."

Natalia sat in the chair next to him, also looking at the starry sky. "I hope so."

The gentle sound of the waves was relaxing. Kasha transformed into a black panther, lying down next to Eric and enjoying his caresses.

The same sentiment was spreading among the sailors, or rather, they were even more excited.

"Finally, we're about to dock. We can rest for another two weeks..."

"Speaking of which, it's almost October already. Are we just in time for the Sea Spirit Festival in Westwind City?"

"What do you mean by 'just in time'? We came directly to Westwind City for this festival, and we didn't even stop at the port of Divine Grace."

“Owen, I order you to take me to that brothel with the siren as soon as we get ashore. I’m going to rip those big white...

The sailors' conversation drifted on the sea breeze to the other side of the deck, and all three could hear it clearly.

Natalia selectively ignored part of it. "Oh, by the way, the last day of September is the Sea Spirit Festival in Westwind City."

Eric responded, "It should be quite lively then, and it would be great if we could take advantage of the festival."

Natalia looked at him. "Does Your Highness know about this festival?"

"I don't know much about it."

Eric shook his head. "I only saw it in the books my uncle made me read. It's roughly a celebration to worship the sea goddess Nansh. Westwind City was born from the sea, prospered because of shipping, and even developed into the largest and most prosperous seaport on the entire continent. Its worship of the sea goddess is no less than that of other places."

Natalia thought for a moment, "In that case, Your Highness, this saintess of the Yela sect, probably won't receive much attention."

Eric looked up at the starry sky. “I can talk about it too. I can use Yera’s name to say some good things about the sea goddess.”

"..."

"Just kidding. If you really said that, the Vatican would have an excuse to arrest me."

Natalia was speechless.

The two men and the leopard sat on the deck enjoying the sea breeze until midnight, then went back to their rooms to rest.

The next morning, when Eric woke up, the Queen Vermeer had resumed its voyage and was speeding toward the port of Westwind City.

When he got to the outer deck, he could see more and more ships around him, and the long-lost land was also faintly visible.

Eric thought Natalia's breathing became rapid, and he thought she was about to throw up again. But when he turned his head, he saw that her face showed more excitement at being able to return to land.

“At this distance, we should be able to get ashore in at most an hour,” Eric said.

She nodded emphatically, while Barnabas, the ship's life assistant assigned to them by the captain, poured cold water on their enthusiasm.

"Look at all those ships waiting there. Just queuing up will take a long time. It's hard to say whether we'll be able to dock... If the captain doesn't spend more money, we might have to stay at anchor."

Facing their gazes, he quickly added, "Of course, Your Highnesses can take a small boat ashore first, without having to wait. However, this will happen after we enter the port."

Eric pursed his lips. "It seems that mooring won't be a simple matter. We'll have to wait a while longer."

Natalia could only nod in agreement.

Eric raised his binoculars and looked out over the harbor, where a tall statue of the Ocean Goddess came into view.

Is the statue modeled after a siren...?

He paused briefly at the white jade-like statue, then looked out over the bustling harbor, where ships were waiting, including many of the same size as the Queen Vermeer.

Ships that have docked are already unloading cargo, while some ships anchored at the harbor are also unloading cargo or passengers ahead of schedule by using small boats, unable to wait to dock.

Eric looked closely and saw quite a few small boats flowing from the harbor toward the moored ships. On board were all sorts of people: vendors hawking their wares, officials who looked respectable, and even groups of prostitutes approaching the ships.

Large ships were moored, and small boats shuttled back and forth, making the entire harbor bustling with activity. He truly began to understand what Barnabas meant by the long queues he had mentioned.

Eric handed the binoculars to the eager Natalia, then turned around and saw that many passengers from the regular cabins had also come to the deck, their faces also showing impatience.

These are all businessmen; they are the most anxious people on this ship.

Whether entering port or anchoring, it would take quite a while. Eric looked out from the deck for a moment, then went back into his cabin.

Natalia remained on deck, witnessing the Queen Vermeer's journey from approaching the port to queuing up alongside the restless merchants.

The pilot, who arrived in a small boat, seemed to be attracted by the dazzling figurehead of the Queen Vermeer. He bypassed the waiting ships ahead and came directly to them, boarding the ship.

Natalia seemed to hear shouts and curses from another ship nearby.

The pilot, however, paid no attention. He exchanged a few words with the captain, calmly accepted the bag of gold coins the captain handed him, and then gave the captain a flag.

"Mate!"

The first mate took the flag, attached it to the flagpole, and stood at the bow of the ship waving it continuously.

"What are they doing?" Natalia asked.

“Your Highness, that’s to notify the church’s quarantine monks to board the ship and check whether the crew is infected with plague or curse.” A merchant next to him replied happily, “Once the inspection is complete, the Queen can dock and we can go ashore.”

"I see... Does everyone need to be checked?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Oh, here they come, Your Highness. Look, the quarantine monks are on that small boat."

Natalia looked in the direction the merchant pointed, and saw a small boat flying the same flag approaching.

The first mate was also instructing the crew and passengers to prepare for inspection on deck.

At the moment, it seems that only Eric and Kasha are not on the deck.

Natalia returned to her cabin to find the two men, and when she opened the door, they were already together.

"..."

Natalia left, telling them she was going to check, and slammed the door shut.

Eric glanced at the slammed door, then at Kasha. "Didn't you close the door?"

"I forgot... um... kiss..."

"Let's not kiss anymore, let's hurry up."

After the two finished, they rushed to the deck. Most of the crew and passengers had already been checked. Natalia stood to the side with her arms crossed, her cold face slightly red.

When he stopped beside her, she took a step to the side, clearly distancing herself from him.

Eric stepped forward. "Sorry, I forgot to lock the door."

"..."

Natalia glared at him for a moment, then turned her head away.

Eric soon witnessed the so-called inspection. The clergy sent by the church performed purification on each crew member. If the halo around the body was still green after it finished rotating, then there was no problem.

"So that's how you check it. I can do that too."

Even though he knew there was nothing wrong with his own people, Eric still performed a purification on himself and Kasha separately, going through the proper procedures.

When it was Natalia's turn, because of what had just happened, she subconsciously raised her hand, intending to refuse, but he grabbed her wrist.

"do not move."

"..."

She opened her mouth, looked at his face, but still didn't pull away.

Holding the Holy Spirit pendant, Eric pointed at her, and a green light appeared above her head, then expanded into a halo that quickly circled her body.

"Alright, His Highness is healthy."

After examining Natalia, Eric turned to look at a clergyman who was staring blankly at him and raised an eyebrow.

“We’ve all been checked, and there’s nothing wrong with us. Look at this face. Don’t you have my portrait hanging in your monastery? I am a saint. Quickly arrange a small boat for us to get ashore, and hurry up.”

"...Yes, yes, Your Highness!"

(End of this chapter)