The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 265: Detention
On the morning following Eric's arrival in the capital city of Arsha, Sakanran, at the invitation of the eldest prince Alaric, the saintess and the Grand Princess of the Empire visited the palace.

After touring the palace, Eric and Natalia, led by Alaric, met the ailing old king.

As far as Eric knew, the old king wasn't too old, not even eighty yet. However, he had probably been too indulgent in his youth, and his health had deteriorated by the time he was in his fifties or sixties. He had been bedridden for many years, barely clinging to life, and was now nearing the end of his life.

Upon hearing that the Holy Maiden had come to visit, the old king's spirits actually lifted considerably. He grasped her hand, his mouth opening and closing, and he made hoarse breathing sounds, but it was impossible to understand what he was saying.

Eric had no response, so he could only sit by the bed, holding Eric's frighteningly cold hand, reciting scriptures and praying for him.

As for the Grand Princess of the Empire who came with him, she only received a silent gaze from the old king for half a minute.

Natalia didn't seem to care. She exchanged a few simple greetings and went outside to wait.

Eric stayed a little longer than her before leaving the oppressive atmosphere of the royal bedchamber with the eldest prince.

Once outside, Eric felt much easier to breathe, while the eldest prince, Alaric, seemed to have gotten used to it all along.

"I remember Your Highness has a younger brother, named Ah..."

“Albert,” the eldest prince continued, “he left the capital a long time ago, and I don’t even know if he’s still in Arsha.”

Eric glanced at Natalia, who was standing not far away gazing at the sky, and asked, "It seems the old king won't be able to hold on much longer. Is it still impossible to contact the second prince?"

Alaric shook his head. "He chose to disappear on his own. He can't blame anyone else for not being able to contact him at a time like this."

He paused, then sighed. "But I've had people searching everywhere. My father loved Albert very much, and if he could see him one last time before he died, he probably wouldn't have any regrets... I don't want Albert to regret this in the future either. He's already over thirty; even if he's rebellious, it should end by now."

Could it be that the second prince turned against his brother and even started a rebellion because he failed to see his father one last time?

Eric pondered for a moment, then spoke up: "Last year, I was training in the ancient battlefield. During that time, I visited Star Origin Academy in Castelfel. There, I met a man who called himself Albert Capcona. He looked somewhat similar to Your Highness."

Alaric paused, turned to look at him, his expression quite complex, a mixture of doubt, surprise, and what seemed to be a mix of mockery and pity.

"The Starry Sky Academy... I really know nothing about magic. If he wants to surpass me in this area, then he has certainly chosen the right path. How is he doing? Can he summon fireballs yet?"

Eric shook his head. "I've only met that person once or twice, so I can't be sure if it's true or not. But Your Highness could send someone over to check... no, just send a flying messenger. We should have the results by this time tomorrow."

Alaric said he would send a messenger shortly.

Eric didn't care whether the second prince would rebel in the future, but since he stood on the side of supporting the empire in resisting the demons, letting him return to Arsha as soon as possible to see his father one last time might help him put aside his so-called rebellion and reconcile with his brother. In the future, he could also persuade this seemingly ambitious but actually conservative new king to move in the direction of resisting the demons.

“The winged people who flew to White Horse City should bring back the results we want in the next day or two,” Eric added.

Alaric nodded without saying a word.

Afterwards, he took Eric and Natalia on a tour of the capital and invited them to move into the palace as a gesture of hospitality, but they politely declined.

It was afternoon when the two parted ways again. Eric and Natalia returned to the royal monastery, while Kasha, who had been separated from them for most of the day, had already returned.

“Unless the second prince receives the letter and rushes back to Sakanlan, he will most likely not see his father one last time,” Eric said.

Natalia looked at him. "Is this conclusion Your Highness reached after observing with divine magic?"

Eric paused, then shook his head.

“There is no such magic… or maybe there is, but I don’t know it either. I judged it from the temperature of his hand when I shook his hand—it was frighteningly cold, no different from a dead person. I even doubted whether he could make it through the night.”

Natalia glanced out the window. "This could also be due to the season..."

Before she could finish speaking, Eric grabbed her hand.

“No matter how cold the weather is, as long as you have energy in your body, your hands won’t get that cold,” he said, holding her hand.

"……Yeah."

Natalia calmly withdrew her hand. "Your Highness is more experienced."

“It’s not actually that plentiful,” Eric said.

She looked at him. "What is Your Highness saying?"

“What is Your Highness referring to?” Eric countered.

The two looked at each other for a while, then Natalia looked away first.

"...I'll go back to my room now. Please let me know if Sterling's letter arrives, Your Highness."

"it is good."

Eric watched her leave the room, then looked at his own hands.

"Don't look anymore, she's gone."

"...You're still here."

Eric glanced back and then remembered that Kasha had come into the room with him after he returned and was lying on his bed.

"Am I affecting you guys?" Kasha turned to the side, resting her head on her hand as she asked him.

"What difference could it make? If you're not there, will I be able to hold her hand a little longer?" After making sure the door was closed, Eric got up and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Hard to say… ah.” Kasha lay back, watching him put his hand inside his collar, then looked into his eyes. “Your hands are cold too.”

Eric paused, inevitably thinking of the dying king.

"You've never experienced truly cold hands..."

“My father also died gradually in front of me,” Kasha said, looking at him. “I’ve experienced it.”

Eric remained silent. "I'm sorry."

Kasha smiled and shook his head. "No need to apologize. He has simply merged into the dust and mud, truly returning to the embrace of the God of Nature."

Eric pulled his hand away from her chest, then took her hand again and kissed it.

"I sometimes think, what if I really could live to be three hundred years old?"

Kasha looked up at him. "You will gradually become lonely. After I die, you can take a piece of my rib and carry it with you. I will be with you forever."

Eric shook his head, closed his eyes again, and leaned down to bury his face in her chest.

"It's too early to think about this now. Let's talk about it in seventy or eighty years."

Kasha held his head in her hands.

In the evening, the letter from Whitehorse finally reached Eric's hands.

Sterling said he had instructed the border guards to gradually withdraw, depending on the response of the Arshan garrison, until both sides had returned to their normal troop numbers.

“By the time this letter reaches us, the troop withdrawal at the border should have already begun,” Eric said as he took the letter to Natalia.

“The complete evacuation should take a few more days.” Natalia glanced at the letter. “Let’s wait here for further news.”

"Ah."

Both sides had winged people as scouts, who were extremely familiar with the terrain on both sides of the border. It was basically impossible for them to feign a withdrawal and actually lay an ambush. Neither Sterling nor Alaric were very sensible enough to attempt such a thing.

Three days later, with the last corps from both sides withdrawing from the front lines, the tense standoff between the two countries, which had lasted for one or two months, finally came to an end.

Sterling wrote a letter thanking the two princes for their mediation efforts and indicating that the troops withdrawn would be sent to Guradia soon.

Crown Prince Alaric also expressed his gratitude.

From Arsha's perspective, the other side of the border has never been just the province of Kogano, but the entire Delan Empire, even though the empire is old and frail. The pressure they feel is much greater than the actual situation, and they are bound to sometimes overreact.

For the sake of stability, Eric and Natalia could only reiterate the Empire's determination to resist and expel the demons, and that they would not provoke conflict with other human kingdoms on the continent. They also hoped that the latter would focus on the bigger picture.

“Of course. I can guarantee that,” Alaric said.

“I believe the Crown Prince’s promise.” Eric bowed slightly and continued, “Now that the crisis has been resolved, Princess Natalia and I should continue our journey.”

"Won't Your Highnesses stay a few more days?" the eldest prince pleaded.

“Before the next large-scale attack by the demons, we hope to secure as much support as possible for the front lines.” Eric looked at him, without emphasizing anything.

Alaric pretended not to notice and smiled, indicating that since that was the case, he wouldn't try to keep him any longer.

We'll leave tomorrow morning.

"I will arrange for the citizens of the capital to see the two princes off."

“No need for such a large mobilization, Your Highness. We already felt the warmth of the people of Sakanran when we entered the city.”

Alaric said he would personally see the two princes off.

Before he left, Eric asked about the second prince. "Albert... just as His Highness said, he is indeed at Star Origin Academy in Castelfel. After receiving the letter, he is hurrying back."

Alaric paused for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, if you stay in Sakanland for two days, you should be able to see my good-for-nothing brother."

“There will definitely be more opportunities in the future.” Eric shook his head. “After driving away the demons, I will continue touring the continent and visit Sakanran again in a more formal manner.”

“I look forward to that day,” Alaric said, making a praying gesture.

After seeing the eldest prince off, Eric and Natalia had nothing else to do here and would set off early the next morning.

At night, the three of them climbed the monastery's bell tower again and gazed at the night view of the capital.

“Sakamran is a fairly prosperous metropolis, but it’s the most oppressive city I’ve ever lived in.” Natalia looked down, her gaze sweeping over the distant, lifeless lights.

“We just came at the wrong time,” Eric said, looking towards the palace. “Once the new king ascends the throne and the situation stabilizes, this place will reopen.”

“But the domestic situation should have been under the control of that eldest prince for a long time,” Natalia said. “With the old king bedridden, he is already the de facto king.”

“Prevention is better than cure,” Eric shrugged. “Arsha is a military state, and the desire to control the situation flows in the veins of every king and king-to-be.”

Natalia didn't speak, but turned her head to look at the palace and smoothed her wind-blown hair.

Kasha leaned against the railing with her back to him, her eyes closed.

A night breeze was blowing, and after a while, Eric felt a little cold.

"Go down."

"Wait a minute," Natalia called out to him, her gaze fixed on the other side.

Eric looked over and didn't see anything at first glance, but he soon noticed a fast horse galloping from the direction of the palace.

"Running this fast even in the city..."

Natalia turned to look at him, and they both guessed what was going on.

The knight's destination was the royal monastery, and even the bell tower where they were located.

His figure disappeared into the distance, hidden behind the courtyard wall, and a short while later, the monk responsible for ringing the bell in the monastery hurriedly climbed up the bell tower.

"Your Highness...?" He climbed the bell tower and found that there were three people enjoying the breeze, one of whom was the Holy Maiden.

"What happened?" Eric asked.

“The king has passed away,” the monk replied. “I will toll the death knell.”

Eric refrained from clicking his tongue, turned to face the direction of the palace, and began to pray.

Boom--boom--

The death knell tolled in the city, and Eric and his two companions had already come down from the bell tower.

Looking up, Natalia then looked at Eric and said, "Perhaps we should have set off this afternoon."

"Who knew the old king wouldn't be able to hold on for even one night... Now, he'll have to stay here for at least another five or six days."

If they insisted on leaving, the eldest prince certainly wouldn't force them to stay. However, out of courtesy, given the recent loss of the king, Her Highness the Holy Maiden and the Grand Princess of the Empire should stay for a few more days to attend the king's funeral.

Boom--boom--

The death knell continued to toll, and before returning to his room, Eric remembered something.

"The second prince ultimately did not get to see his father one last time."

Natalia looked at him. "Your Highness seems to care a lot about him?"

Eric didn't know what to say, he just shook his head.

The next day, the old king's funeral was held at the Royal Cathedral in the capital. His coffin was placed in the center of the cathedral for people to pay their respects, and he was buried five days later.

Eric and Natalia, dressed in formal attire, walked around the cathedral, paid their respects to the old king's remains, and then came out from the other side.

“For the eldest prince, for the capital, and even for himself, this is a long-awaited relief,” Eric said in a low voice.

Natalia nodded gently.

Standing outside the cathedral, Eric looked back for a while.

"It suddenly occurred to me that it's been less than a year since I last attended a funeral of this scale... I thought it had been a long time."

Natalia paused for a moment, then realized he was referring to the passing of the old saintess at the beginning of the year.

"Yes...it hasn't even been a year. It feels like it was years ago when I escaped from the Black Ice Wall."

The two stood outside the cathedral for a while, sighing, when suddenly they heard an announcement that His Majesty the King had arrived.

The one who arrived was, of course, the new king Alaric, who automatically succeeded the old king after his death.

"Your Highnesses."

The new king, who arrived at the cathedral gate surrounded by a large crowd, immediately noticed Eric and Natalia.

"Your Majesty." The two men were of noble status and not Arshaans; they had merely changed their form of address, but the formalities remained the same. "Please accept our condolences."

Alaric nodded, exchanged a few words with them, and then went inside.

Although his father lies inside, his outermost identity is that of the new king, and he doesn't need to stay here all the time. He can simply make a few appearances during the funeral to see those who come to pay their respects.

Eric and Natalia waited outside for a few more moments before the king came out, spoke a few more words to them, and then hurried back to the palace.

“We’ve met and expressed our opinions, let’s go back to our rooms,” Eric said.

"Mmm," Natalia responded.

In the following days, the two would still come to the cathedral, which was quite a show of respect—there was nothing to do in their rooms at the monastery anyway.

People came in droves to offer their condolences, including envoys from the southern kingdoms, as well as governors or nobles from several imperial provinces near Arsha.

“That is Sterling’s messenger.”

Sitting on a pew in the cathedral, Eric quietly introduced a newly arrived messenger to Natalia, "I remember his face."

Natalia glanced at it and recognized it.

After conveying the governor's condolences, the latter saw the two princes and came over to greet them.

"When you return, please give my regards to Governor Sterling."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Eric wanted to ask the messenger a few more questions about what he had witnessed on his way from the border, but his gaze suddenly sharpened as he looked at a figure who had just burst into the cathedral.

The man, disheveled and travel-worn, stumbled and ran to the old king's coffin, gazed at it for a long time, and then knelt down and wept bitterly.

"Is that the second prince?"

"That's him... Albert."

Even without hearing the whispers around him, Eric recognized him at a glance.

Natalia leaned closer, "This is..."

“It’s him,” Eric nodded.

The second prince, who arrived late, knelt and wept for a long time before the old king's coffin. Finally, someone helped him up, whispered a few words in his ear, and then helped him to sit down on a bench.

Albert's gaze swept over the people around him, stopping when he saw Eric.

"Please accept my condolences, Your Highness Albert," Eric said calmly.

“You are…” Albert had only seen him twice at Xingyuan Academy, and now he just felt that he looked familiar and was still trying to remember.

"This is Her Highness the Holy Maiden," someone nearby immediately reminded her.

Albert paused for a moment, then said nothing and lowered his head to mourn silently.

At noon, the king came to the cathedral again. He was not surprised by his brother's appearance and did not even look at him. He only took his brother with him when he left.

"At least they made it back before the old king's burial..."

Eric turned his head to watch the figure receding into the distance outside the church, secretly anticipating future changes.

(End of this chapter)