The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 249 I'll Debunk the Rumors
After leaving Duke Leo's mansion, Eric and Natalia quickly got into a carriage and headed towards the governor.

The carriage sped through the streets, bearing the insignia of the Governor's residence, and no one dared to block its way; it moved at a great speed.

In the end, they gained a lot from this trip: with almost no effort, Duke Leo took the initiative to provide a large sum of money to support the front line.

Natalia turned her gaze from the window to Eric, "I didn't expect that Duke Leo would believe so readily just because the Vatican leaked a little bit of information."

“For a down-on-his-luck nobleman who has fled to the south, the Papacy is far too authoritative.” Eric took a breath. “If the Papacy can’t wait, then he certainly can’t miss this ‘last’ opportunity.”

Natalia paused for a moment, then said, "So perhaps we shouldn't accept his aid at this time?"

“Why not take it?” Eric said. “That old man said he’d put all his savings into it, but he’d be lucky to get a third of it.”

He looked at Natalia and smiled, "He won't lose money either, it's just that it won't take as long as he thinks to get his principal and interest back... and the process might be a bit agonizing. That's the trouble, he might regret this aid."

By the end, his smile had completely faded, and Natalia was also unable to smile, letting out a heavy sigh.

"The church is definitely here to cause trouble."

At that moment, Eric got up, moved to the front of the carriage, and opened the small window.

"Go to church."

"Huh?" The coachman was taken aback.
“…to the cathedral,” Eric corrected himself. “Quickly.”

"Yes!"

He sat back down, and Natalia looked at him. "Your Highness intends to speak with the church people now?"

"We can't just stand by and watch them spread rumors and influence more people."

"How does Your Highness intend to begin?"

"I'm still thinking."

A moment later, the carriage stopped not far from the Westwind Cathedral.

Eric got out of the carriage and glanced at it. As he passed the coachman, he said, "I am a saint. You can just park the carriage in front of the church with the back of the carriage facing inwards. No one will dare to say anything."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness..."

He waved his hand, and only after Natalia caught up did he say, "Walking over there by yourself would be too unimpressive, it wouldn't give off any sense of aggression."

She didn't know if he was joking, but she could sense that he was a little irritated.

"The archbishop won't be waiting for Your Highness at the door without prior notice."

"……you're right."

Upon arriving at the cathedral, the Archbishop of Norfolk was both surprised and delighted by the sudden arrival of the two men, assuming they had changed their minds. He quickly appeared and invited them to his office.

Eric plopped down and blurted out, "Does your church really have no responsibility when it comes to what it says?"

"Huh?" Norfolk was stunned.

Natalia bumped Eric's arm.

"Um...does our church seem a bit irresponsible in its statements?"

Eric changed his tune and softened his tone, saying, "I've heard a lot of news in the city these past few days, saying that people in our church claim that we'll be able to defeat the demons in another month."

Norfolk remained bewildered, but there was something different about his expression.

Eric continued his fabrication: "It's true that we need to boost confidence during special times, but we can't just spout nonsense like that. What if the demons retaliate a month later? Wouldn't the believers who thought this collapse?"

Norfolk composed himself and looked at him and Natalia. "Where did Your Highness hear these words? At least we in the cathedral wouldn't spread such rumors without any basis."

“But I’ve heard a lot of sailors and peddlers talking about this in the port these past two days, and even Duke Leo, who is temporarily staying here, believes it when I visited him just now. They all say they heard it from people in the church,” Eric said without changing his expression.

Natalia glanced at him quickly.

"It's just a rumor."

Startled by the saint's sudden arrival and attack, the Archbishop of Norfolk gradually calmed down after discovering it was all a rumor.

"Westwind City is accessible by land and sea, and is a melting pot of all sorts of people. They come from all over the world, and perhaps some newly emerged cults and heretics are trying to create panic under the guise of the church."

Eric's expression turned serious. "If this is the case, didn't the church notice at all?"

The Archbishop of Norfolk had no choice but to take the matter seriously. "Your Highness, I will immediately have this matter thoroughly investigated."

"Ah."

Eric responded and leaned back. Norfolk had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Eric say, "A thorough investigation is not enough. Rumors have already spread throughout the city, and the Church must respond."

Norfolk looked at him. "Your Highness means..."

Eric looked surprised. "Of course, they posted notices and sent monks and nuns throughout the city to spread the word and dispel the rumors."

Natalia glanced at him again.

Norfolk took a breath. "Please enlighten me, Your Highness."

Eric didn't mince words either. "First, the demons on the front lines have only temporarily ceased hostilities. They have neither retreated nor given up their plans to annex the continent. They are digesting the parts that have already been occupied in the North and will surely make a comeback. The attack on Tebniz is a probe in another direction."
Second, the demons have been secretly building up their strength in the Demon Realm for decades, and their power is formidable. They haven't even used their full strength yet. It's impossible to drive them away within a month, let alone a year or two!

Norfolk looked troubled.

While it's a complete rumor that the demons will be driven away within a month, it's not necessarily true if the timeframe is extended to a year or two.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the Church's assessment of the Demon Race's weakness and impending defeat was based on actual contact with the Demon Race.

His contact with the saint was also at the behest of the Vatican, based on this judgment.

He had no doubt about the saintess's statement, because he had indeed discussed this matter with several bishops below him. It was likely that when they discussed it with lower-ranking clergy, the information was spread through the mouth, turning the imminent defeat of the demons into a claim that they would be driven away within a month.

Most rumors start in a similar way.

However, in just a few days, the news had already spread to the port's merchants and vendors.

Could there really be some cult or heretical group stirring things up?

Norfolk muttered to himself, then considered for a moment before speaking: "Does Your Highness really think so?"

"Which aspect is the archbishop referring to?"

"Naturally, it's the strength of the demon race."

Eric squinted and leaned forward. "Where does the Archbishop think I was two months ago?"

"That was not what I meant!"

Norfolk quickly apologized, "Her Highness, you held Lutia and faced the main force of the demon army head-on, so of course you know the strength of the demons better than anyone else... uh..."

He was momentarily at a loss for words.

How could he forget that this Holy Maiden fought her way out of the front lines?
When he heard the news of the fall of Lutia reached Lessé, the Apostolic Palace prepared a eulogy for the saint that very day, and was just waiting for news of her death. But she actually survived.

Those are real achievements.

Which is more accurate, the saint's judgment or the Vatican's judgment?

"..."

The moment the thought crossed Norfolk's mind, he knew his idea was somewhat dangerous.

—He is an archbishop appointed by the Pope, so this shouldn't be a problem.

"Times have changed, Your Highness."

Taking a deep breath, Norfolk resorted to the same words he had used to appease the saintess a couple of days ago.

"Your performance on the battlefield proves the perseverance and courage of humanity, and the clash between the Church and the Demons in Tebunet also proves that the Church is deeply blessed by Yera. What do the Demons have? Besides being more numerous, they have nothing!"

Norfolk looked at the saintess's face and said, "Even if they don't realize it themselves, the valiant blades of the imperial warriors and the devout holy light of the church knights will make them understand... What I mean is, the demons now are not as powerful as the ones Your Highness faced back then."

Eric looked at him for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Could it be that the rumors really originated from within the church, or even from the archbishop himself?"

"..."

Norfolk felt a little guilty and a little frantic.

“Your Highness! This is not my judgment, but a judgment made by the Holy See based on feedback from the Tebni advance line. His Holiness the Pope also approved of it. Do you think His Holiness the Pope’s judgment is also problematic?”

When he couldn't win an argument, they resorted to labeling him. Eric wanted to retort that the Pope was an idiot, but he remained clear-headed.

But how do I refute that...?

"—Does the Archbishop of Norfolk mean that if rumors spread in Westwind City and cause chaos among the city's residents, it is also the responsibility of His Holiness the Pope, who is far away in the Holy City?" Natalia suddenly spoke up.

"I didn't say that!"

Norfolk almost shouted it out, then quickly lowered her voice, "Your Highness, you can't do this to me!"

Eric turned to look at Natalia, wanting to give her a big kiss.

"The archbishop has taken things too far."

After taking a deep breath, he found a new idea. "There are rumors in Westwind City. The archbishop should just do as I said and refute them. It's that simple. Why do you have to drag the pope into it?"

"I……"

"Aren't demons very dangerous to ordinary people? Shouldn't we be on guard? Shouldn't we not let our guard down? Who can refute such a blunt truth? Will saying this affect the authority of the church?" Eric pressed on.

Norfolk paused for a moment, then seemed to deflate, his shoulders slumping.

"No……"

Eric leaned back. "Let's act quickly before the rumors get completely out of control. Not just Westwind, but several nearby cities need to take action."

He looked at the archbishop and said, "These are all dioceses under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Norfolk. You are responsible for them."

"..."

Just stating some unbiased, straightforward truths shouldn't have any impact, right?

The Church believes that the demon race has weakened, but that doesn't mean they are no longer dangerous, that we don't need to be wary of them, or that we can let our guard down.

After some deliberation, Norfolk quickly made a decision. In front of Eric and Natalia, he summoned several bishops and issued the order almost exactly as Eric had intended.

After finishing all this, he wiped the sweat from his brow and secretly resolved to strictly discipline the bishops and even lower-ranking clergy members below him.

"Your Highness..."

Norfolk then looked at Eric and Natalia, who were sitting there drinking tea. "The bishops have already taken action and will soon see results. The rumors will be swept away within days."

“I will also write to the surrounding monasteries, in the name of the saint, and ask them to help spread the word and dispel the rumors,” Eric said casually, then quickly added, “The festival of Helling is coming soon. Although it is not a festival of our Yela sect, causing chaos at this time will hurt the hearts of us Yela believers.”

Norfolk didn't have time to ponder the actual meaning of his offer of help; upon hearing the last sentence, he quickly nodded.

"Yes, the Sea Spirit Festival is in a couple of days..."

Eric asked him to sit down again, and then asked casually, "I'm actually quite curious about how the cathedral views this annual festival of the Maritime Church?"

Norfolk sighed. "Your Highness should understand that along the coast of the continent, the influence of the sea goddess faith has actually subtly surpassed that of our Yera sect."

"Just vaguely?" Eric showed no respect for his own church.

"...Okay, it's clearly exceeded."

Norfolk wiped his sweat. "However, the Ocean Cult has always been respectful to us and never oversteps its bounds. Of course, we will also give them face. After all, the power of the Ocean Goddess ultimately comes from Yera, and the faith of the Ocean Cult's followers will eventually flow to the Goddess Yera."

The church's position was presented with clear justification, leaving Eric speechless.

He had nothing to say, but Norfolk had a lot to say. However, as soon as he opened his mouth, Eric said he had to go back and write to a nearby monastery to help dispel the rumors, and then hurriedly took his leave.

Norfolk escorted the carriage all the way to the church, watching it drive away, and then looked at the lower-ranking clergy who were busy at the bishop's command, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Of all times, they had to pick on us..."

The carriage sped toward the governor's mansion. Eric was pondering how to write letters to the other monasteries when he suddenly snapped out of his reverie and found Natalia staring intently at him.

Their eyes met, and she subtly looked away: "Has Your Highness decided how to 'refute the rumors'?"

Eric laughed, "It's definitely easier than spreading rumors."

She smiled, "After all, it was His Highness who spread the rumor."

She paused, then continued, "In this way, at least the nobles around Westwind City will regain some of their senses."

Eric nodded, thought for a moment, and didn't say much for the time being.

"Duke Leo might come looking for us again tomorrow."

"so troublesome……"

Upon returning to the governor's residence, Eric immediately began writing letters to several monasteries in the area, the main content of which was the same as what he had told the Archbishop of Norfolk, requesting their assistance in dispelling the rumors.

However, at the end of the letter, he added an extra sentence, requiring the monasteries that received the letter to copy it and spread it out, passing it on to at least two other monasteries, and those who received the letter should also carry out the same order, in order to maximize the scope of the clarification.

Natalia, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but sigh, "The Archbishop of Norfolk probably never imagined that this matter would spread throughout the entire empire so quickly... Your Highness has really spread a huge rumor."

"Nonsense, I haven't said a single lie, how can it be considered spreading rumors?"

Natalia also helped him hand-copy several letters to other monasteries.

“These ten letters, once sent out, will immediately become twenty letters sent to the next place, then forty letters to even more distant places, eighty letters…”

After copying the last letter, she turned her wrist, then turned her head and found Eric still writing a letter.

"Give it to the Convent of Saint Mary. Get their cooperation and expand our influence as quickly as possible."

It was more than a day later when the St. Mary's Convent in Lessée received the letter.

"Deacon Sister, His Highness has sent a letter."

Inside the convent, Alena looked up, took the letter from the nun, and glanced at the sign in the corner indicating the letter's origin.

His Highness has arrived in the province of Kussic...

She opened the letter and read it quickly. Eric had written quite frankly in the letter so that they could make full use of their abilities.

Alena read the letter once, then read it again, and then took it to High Sister Jabi.

After reading the letter, Jia Bi pinched the bridge of her nose. "Your Highness's judgment is correct. I don't know the exact strength of the Demon Clan, but the Holy See's attitude is quite clear."

Alena nodded. "This is the attitude the Papal Palace has been using to put pressure on us recently. They believe the demons will be driven back soon and are urging Her Highness to rebuild ties with the Holy See as soon as possible."

“His Highness has asked us to find a way to expand our influence, but the Papal Palace keeps putting pressure on us…” Jia Bi thought for a moment, then looked at her, “What do you think we should do?”

Alena had already been brainstorming on her way here, and now she spoke up directly:
"The Holy Maiden issued a decree stating that during this special period, monasteries in various regions should join hands to overcome difficulties and help each other within their capabilities. Once Her Highness's letter spread, they would know what to do, and as for the Papal Palace, this decree, which had no specific target, was beyond reproach."

Jia Bi nodded at her. "Let's do it this way. The Holy Maiden's decree... never mind, I'll draft it myself. You wait a moment."

"it is good."

Alena waited nearby, and soon, Gabi drafted a concise decree from the saint.

She read it once. The edict contained little substance and was more like encouragement in a time of crisis, which was better than she had expected.

"I'll go get the seal."

"Go."

Holding the decree, Alena ascended the Tower of Saints and, at the empty top, stamped the Saintess's seal upon it.

After using the seal, she did not go down immediately, but stayed in the small room at the top of the tower for a while longer.

Her Highness left the Holy Capital in April and has not returned since; half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

The news kept coming, including a near-real death crisis; she had no idea how she had survived the past six months…

But no matter how tough it was, we got through it.

Alena walked to the window and looked down at the inner city of the holy city, which remained as peaceful as ever.

Meanwhile, in the outer city, military training for the newly joined church knights was in full swing.

She stared at the Papal Palace across from the Grand Place of the Holy City for a while, then went down with the Holy Maiden's decree.

White wings took flight from the holy city.

The following evening, Eric smiled as he looked at the copy of the Holy Maiden's Edict delivered to him and set it aside.

(End of this chapter)