The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 256 Unknown

Hua Hua——

The storm that had been engulfing the main island since the evening of the previous day continued until the next morning, and had not yet subsided.

Eric was awakened by the sound of rain. Hearing that it was still pouring outside, he immediately got out of bed and went to the window to take a look.

The sky was so dark that if he hadn't actually slept through the night, he might have thought he had just taken a nap the previous evening—the sky was almost no different.

The rain poured down, weaving a fine white curtain, making it even harder to see through the flowing rainwater on the glass windows. Eric squinted at the hazy harbor for a while before looking away.

In the dimly lit room, the only light came from the bare back on the bed.

He climbed back into bed, and Kasha turned over, opened her eyes to look out the window, then closed them again, and hugged him.

“It’s dawn,” Eric said, stroking her back.

Kasha snuggled closer to him and gave a mumbled reply.

Eric didn't say anything, and the two lay there for a while longer. The sky outside was only slightly brighter than before.

Eric has a hard time falling back asleep once he wakes up, and even in this heavy rain, there's nothing he can do after getting up.

He turned over slightly, lost in thought, when he noticed Kasha looking at him from beside his pillow.

“It’s dawn,” she said.

“Hmm.” Eric moved from her waist to her chest.

She smiled and twisted her body, then half-sat up, looking out the window, her long, black hair hanging down, half-covering her chest.

“It’s raining so hard.”

“I remember when we first met,” Eric said.

Kasha smiled. "I remember now."

"Do you still want to go back to that forest?" Eric asked.

Her smile faltered, she thought for a moment, then nodded.

“I miss those days too,” Eric said, glancing at the ceiling. “At least we didn’t have to worry about what to do when the damn mermen got blown away by the storm.”

Hua Hua——

The heavy rain poured into his ears, and his vision was blocked by Kasha's upper body as she climbed on top of him, cupping his face in her hands.

“You have done enough. If the fishmen’s wooden houses are blown away by the storm, it is a gift from the god of nature.”

"Fishmen probably wouldn't think that way..."

Eric looked at her. "Are storms at sea also under the control of the gods of nature?"

“I think so,” Kasha said.

Eric took a deep breath.

The heavy rain disoriented time, but Eric wasn't too late when he actually got up.

Kasha had already returned to his room. He slightly opened the window, and a gust of wind and rain rushed in. He quickly closed it, but the slightly chilly air still rushed into the room, sweeping away the early riser's carefree spirit.

About half an hour later, Natalia knocked on his door.

"The fishmen's dormitories weren't blown away, were they?" Eric asked.

Natalia paused for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know. I was just about to call Your Highness to come and take a look."

Eric turned his head and glanced at the heavy rain outside the window.

"Does Your Highness have any clothes to change into?"

"...You don't need to worry about that."

With such heavy rain, no rain gear could keep them out. Magic like the Wind Barrier would work, but unfortunately, the two of them were not favored by the God of Truth and couldn't conjure it up, so they had no choice but to brave the rain and head out.

The training camp and the fishmen's dormitory were not far apart, but the two were completely soaked in less than ten seconds after leaving the hotel.

This was a good thing, as the two of them no longer had to worry about what was going on behind them, and they walked very fast in the heavy rain—partly because the wind was pushing them from behind.

However, seeing Natalia being blown faster and faster by the wind, Eric grabbed her arm.

Natalia turned around, her wet, messy hair smearing her face.

"...Where did this female ghost come from?"

"What—" she couldn't hear clearly.

“Be careful—” Eric shouted.

Upon arriving at the outskirts of the training camp, the good news was that several wooden houses remained sturdy and unmoved during the storm, demonstrating that the craftsmen had taken the island's weather into account when building them. The bad news was that the fishmen were inexplicably all standing outside the houses, letting the wind and rain lash them.

"What's going on?" Natalia asked, but there was no response. She turned her head, realizing he hadn't heard her, and leaned closer: "What's going on—"

Eric glanced at her, then at the merfolk: "Perhaps it's some kind of ritual the merfolk perform during a storm?"

The two walked over and asked one of the fishmen.

It gazed at the sky, "calling out, and receiving a response."

"Huh?" Natalia frowned, wanting to ask more questions, but was stopped by Eric.

"Find those who speak the Common Tongue fluently. Oh, and those mermen Trollope sent."

The two searched among the fishmen and easily distinguished the two types—the pirate captain wouldn't allow some dull, speechless fishmen to board his ship.

"In our understanding as fish people, storms at sea, like the ripples of waves, are also a kind of omen sent down by the sea goddess."

The fish-men's mouths seemed never to close completely; they were slightly open, as if catching raindrops. Eric wanted to ask them if they judged the goddess's mood by the smell of the rain.

"We gain perception from it."

Eric wiped the rain off his face and asked, "Did you get any insights? Those merfolk wouldn't have deciphered that this trip is dangerous and that it's not advisable to leave the island, would they?"

The merman laughed loudly, "Isn't that right? Human, you were just sending them to their deaths."

“I’ll make them understand why they died,” Eric shouted, leaning closer. “And I’ll pay them!”

The merman stared at him with his bulging eyes. "Don't be nervous, human. Mermen who can interpret the signs of a goddess from the waves or the wind and rain wouldn't be here. For most mermen, it's just a meaningless imitation. Just like how you humans like to worship in churches, do you think your gods will respond?"

Eric rolled his eyes, glanced around, and said loudly, "Then you guys can get soaked!"

Pulling Natalia along, the two hid in the nearby fishman dormitory.

"Looks like there's no problem." Eric ran his arm through his sleeve, squeezing out a splash of water.

Natalia swept all her long hair back, squeezed out the rainwater, and casually tied it up.

"I had no idea that fishmen would act like this when it rains."

“Me too…” Eric wanted to say that this was the first time he had ever seen this before, but then he suddenly remembered that in the game, when it rained, the merfolk would also stand still and stare at the sky. However, they were usually so clueless that it was hard for them to notice the difference.

"Let them get wet if they want to."

Natalia nodded, then began to squeeze the rainwater soaking into her clothes, her body shivering involuntarily. Although it was near the south, the October rain was already quite cold.

“In two days, once the ship from Westwind City arrives, this group of merfolk will head to the mainland. If any unforeseen problems arise, I just hope they will be exposed as soon as possible,” Eric said.

Natalia responded and then peered outside again. "Where are the humans who train the fish-men?"

“Probably taking shelter from the rain in another room,” Eric replied, his gaze falling on her back, where her clothes were soaked and clung tightly to her skin.

"Let's go back."

Natalia was taken aback, but upon reflection, she realized there was no need to meet those people.

They had no reason to stay here.

Braving the heavy rain, the two returned to the hotel and changed their clothes.

How long will this storm last?

“Who knows?” Eric was drying his hair when Natalia came in. “Perhaps some merfolk can sense something from the storm. Your Highness could go and ask them again.”

Natalia glared at him, her wet hair hanging to one side, looking slightly disheveled.

"Because of this storm, the winged people are also unable to send messages. Yesterday's message did not arrive."

“Hmm…” Eric looked out the window. “I feel the storm has subsided a bit and should stop before noon.”

“Really?” Natalia admitted that she didn’t see the difference.

“Intuition,” Eric smiled at her.

"Your Highness's hair is still wet, won't you dry it?"

"We're out of dry towels."

Eric handed her his towel, saying, "This is the only one I have left."

"..."

Natalia took the half-dry towel from his hand, wrapped it around her hair, dried it casually, and then turned to leave his room. "I'll come back when the rain stops."

Eric responded. Back in her room, Natalia took off her towel, which still had a few strands of his blond hair stuck to it.

She glanced back at the closed door, then covered her face and sniffed.

Their scents had become intertwined.

...It's just the taste.

"..."

She shook her head, walked to the window of her room, looked at the wind and rain outside which seemed to have subsided a little, and continued to dry her hair with a towel.

The storm stopped before noon.

Eric and Natalia went to check on the training grounds again. The fishmen had returned to normal and were undergoing basic training, or rather, brainwashing.

"Why did you come ashore—?"

"Kill the demons!"

What will you get in return?

"gold!"

"Whose advice do you listen to—"

"empire!"

"The consequences of deserting the group without permission—"

"die!"

These fishman mercenary reserves are screened not only for physical fitness but also for their information processing ability. If they cannot even understand these most basic pieces of information, they will only become a threat after they go ashore.

"Do they really understand the meaning of what they're saying?" Natalia murmured as she stood outside the training area.

“After filtering for so many days, those that I couldn’t understand have been basically eliminated,” Eric said, looking inside. “Although every time I see those merman heads, I still have the same doubts as His Highness.”

Natalia smiled.

Two days later, the transport ship dispatched from Westwind City arrived at the North Port of the main island.

Amidst the watchful eyes of the island's residents, hundreds of fish-men from the training camp boarded the ship one by one.

As Eric stood at the port, watching the fishmen surge onto the seemingly small transport ship, it was hard not to think of the words "slave ship."

"Fortunately, it's only a few days' sea voyage, not as far as from Africa to the Americas..."

"What place is Your Highness referring to?" Natalia asked, puzzled.

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to say that it’s relatively close to the mainland from here,” Eric said. “Shall we go and take a look at the ship?”

Natalia nodded, and the two boarded the ship. After taking a quick look at the living conditions of the fish-people for the next few days, they were both speechless for a moment.

"I feel like these fishmen would be better off jumping into the sea and swimming with the ship," Eric muttered.

"..."

Natalia paused for a moment, then nodded. "What is Danvers thinking, sending a ship like this?"

"Of course, it's to save money."

Eric took a breath. "But he has to make sure the fishmen don't suffocate on the ship. I'll have people counting them at the port over there. They're not black... they're not slaves, so the survival rate has to be at least 90%."

Natalia looked at him and nodded slowly.

The two disembarked and watched as the fishmen continued to board. After a long while, they replenished their supplies, including fresh water and food. The transport ship then departed from the North Port of the main island, carrying the first batch of fishman mercenaries back to the mainland.

Eric and Natalia kept watching from the port until the transport ship was completely out of sight before turning their attention away.

When the two turned around, long queues had already formed at the recruitment points near the port.

“The process is basically finalized, so we can leave now,” Eric said to Natalia, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Natalia also showed a slightly relaxed smile.

"Leaving today?"

"Tomorrow. The Queen Vermeer has already sailed away, and the voyage back to the mainland may not be in the same condition as when it came."

Eric turned and pointed to one of the ships currently docked in the harbor. "I've inquired, and that ship departs tomorrow. We can go with it."

"Are we going back to Westwind City? Or directly to Kogano?" Natalia asked.

“Back to Westwind,” Eric said. “No matter where this ship is headed next, it will have to stay in Westwind for a few days.”

Natalia understood the reason, so she didn't ask any further questions.

The process of recruiting murloc mercenaries has been verified. The money and manpower were provided by Governor Danvers of Kuss, who will also ensure the continued operation of this place. They are no longer needed here.

Before leaving, however, the two gave some extra instructions to the people in charge of each process.

After all, the beginning is the hardest. Once the momentum is established, it won't take much effort. The fishmen from the archipelago will continue to flock here and be transformed into effective combat power heading to the battlefield of Lutia.

Even though it's not just Lutia who needs support now.

—During the half-month they stayed in the archipelago, a large demon army that attacked from the north joined forces with the demon vanguard that had invaded Tebunet, posing a real threat to the holy city of Lessier.

"What is Your Highness thinking about?" Natalia asked when she saw him lost in thought.

“I’m thinking about the news I received a few days ago, and how to deal with Tebniti’s current predicament,” Eric said. “The Vatican has definitely asked Lutia for help, and we don’t know how the Military Council will react.”

“Winter is coming soon in the north, and I have a feeling that the demons will launch another offensive soon, taking advantage of the harsh winter,” Natalia said. “After all, they came from the coldest part of this continent, so this bit of cold is nothing to them, but it’s a different story for us.”

Eric was silent for a moment, then sighed, "If that's the case, then I can't see how this war will go either."

In the timeline he knew, the truce between demons and humans lasted for at least four years. But how many events occurred after he arrived in this world that would have influenced the course of the war?

"..."

Eric thought for a moment, then took a deep breath.

There are so many, you could grab a handful.

“All I know is that we can’t stop yet,” Natalia said, looking at him.

Eric looked at her. "Of course."

The next day, with few people seeing them off, the three boarded a sailboat returning to Westwind City.

"Does Your Highness feel lonely?" Eric asked.

"Is that what His Highness thinks?"

Natalia watched the dock recede into the distance. "This is good. When we return to Westwind, Danvers shouldn't hold any more welcoming or farewell ceremonies... I hope not."

"Yes. We can stay for one night and then head to White Horse City."

This ship is much smaller than the Queen Vermeer, so the cabin environment is naturally not as good, but it's not too bad either. At least it guarantees one person per room, but the bed is right outside the door, and there's not much space left.

Therefore, when there was no storm, the three of them basically stayed on the deck.

"Did we forget to say goodbye to that pirate captain before we left?"

"Your Highness, isn't it too late to realize this now?"

"We might even spot one of his ships in this area."

"...I don't want to see them."

After four days at sea, the ship arrived at Goddess Bay. After waiting for a while, Eric and his two companions took a small boat back to land.

Once back on land, Eric turned back and reached out his hand: "This should be the last time we take a boat on this trip south."

“Really?” Natalia took his hand and stepped ashore. “At least for now, I don’t feel any nostalgia at all.”

"Who isn't?"

Westwind Harbor and Westwind City remained as prosperous as ever. The three arrived at the Governor's Mansion and first went to see Danvers.

"Your Highnesses have worked hard. The merfolk you sent are currently in the newly built camp outside the city and will set off early tomorrow morning to march on Lutia."

“It seems we can give them one last send-off before we head to White Horse City,” Eric said.

"Ah." Danvers clasped his hands together. "Then Your Highness must get up early."

"Set off before dawn?" Eric raised an eyebrow.

“Lutia is quite anxious. His Highness’s uncle has written me several letters these past few days,” Danvers said. “After all, these merfolk will need to undergo training once they’re sent there.”

Eric thought for a moment, "Is it still because of Lesser?"

“It seems His Highness is already aware,” Danvers nodded. “But the Chairman has a different opinion.”

Eric was taken aback at first, then realized that he was referring to Memphis, the chairman of the Military Council.

"Winter is approaching, and the demons' true target is Grandia, the empire's main grain-producing region—to say something Your Highness may not like to hear, it is the weakness of the Holy See that has fueled the demons' ambitions."

(End of this chapter)