The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 1 God descends
In May of the 728th year of the Gaian calendar, just a few days after the grand celebration of the Demon-Exorcism Day, the Goddess Square in the city of Orei was once again crowded with citizens from all over the place early in the morning.

On the high platform, the city lord, Earl Edgar, could not contain his excitement and loudly announced that his niece Irene had been chosen as the heir by the saint, and the ceremony of handing over the token was about to take place.

Eric stood beside him, his eyes following the two holy lady messengers who were gradually approaching below, and suddenly felt a headache.

"hiss……"

He was the Earl's nephew, sixteen years old, and Irene's twin brother. The brother and sister looked very similar: both had fair hair, handsome faces, and slender figures.

The inexplicable headache continued, and the two conservatively dressed but graceful nun messengers had already climbed onto the platform amid the cheers of the citizens.

The young nun held a wooden box, and another mature nun first bowed, then opened the box and took out the saint's token with both hands.

It was a pure white scarf.

The emblem of the Holy Virgin Monastery is engraved around it, and in the middle is the divine emblem of the goddess Yela, decorated with gold edges. It is extremely exquisite. Even if you ignore the sacred attributes ascribed to it, it is still a beautiful headscarf that most women can hardly resist.

"Irene." Earl Edgar quickly reminded his ignorant niece to kneel on her knees and pray.

Eric beside her was staring at the scarf and couldn't take his eyes off it.

——On the scarf, a line of translucent orange text appeared out of thin air.

【Saint's Scarf】

Is this... the name of the scarf?

But why does it appear like a label and flash?

Eric was confused and puzzled, and his head felt even more painful.

And the next moment, a long memory, like a flood bursting through a dam, completely and uncontrollably flooded into his mind.

The impact and cleansing made Eric's vision rise higher and higher, even beyond the world itself, and the vision of the memory that could perhaps be called "previous life" was suddenly compressed into Eric as an individual.

Tearing and merging until the three perspectives are reshaped and the soul is transformed.

What seemed like an extremely long process to Eric subjectively was just a moment in reality.

As Irene was about to get into a prayer posture, Earl Edgar noticed that his nephew looked painful and said something concerning.

"..."

Eric stared at him, then looked at Irene and the two nuns, and finally glanced at the hundreds of citizens watching the ceremony below the stage, unable to control his emotions.

"Fuck me."

The Earl frowned and said nothing for a moment, but just asked him to step away from Irene. What was coming next was an occasion exclusively for the Holy Maiden's Messenger and the future Holy Maiden.

Eric didn't hear a word.

His attention was focused on the memory that had just awakened in his mind.

Those were memories from a higher dimension, overlooking the world. When combined with Eric's original memories, they elevated his perspective to another level.

Gaia Continent, Delan Empire, Goddess Yela, Saint... This is the world of a magical online game called "Crown of Thorns".

He was a veteran player of this online game, and was participating in the 10th anniversary event with two accounts. Somehow he suddenly lost consciousness, and when he woke up, he was already here.

And precisely because of this identity, the moment his memory awakened, he saw his own or Eric's ending: disgraced and mutilated.

All this is because Eric wants to protect his sister Irene, who is ignorant and led astray by the villains after going to the Holy City and eventually degenerates into a witch of the fallen country.

Irene's ending was even more tragic than his. Not only was she killed, but her soul was also extracted, her consciousness was shattered, and it was sealed as some kind of energy.

"Eric!"

The Earl, who had stepped aside, gave another reminder. On the other side, the nun holding the saint's relic came to the praying Irene, ready to put a holy veil on her.

——We must never repeat the same mistakes.

This thought flashed through Eric's mind, and his body moved, grabbing the scarf from the nun's hand.

Just don't let Irene become some kind of saint!

"..."

The token was suddenly taken away, and the Holy Maiden Messenger didn't react for a moment, looking at him in shock.

The earl's face showed the same expression, and the cheers from the audience seemed to be strangled and stopped abruptly.

Eric thought to himself that this was not good.

I almost forgot... this is an occasion that everyone is paying attention to.

You have to find a reasonable reason.

Eric looked at the saint's scarf in his hand and suddenly found that he could see more information.

He soon had an idea that he would regret for the next two years.

"The one who will become a saint in the future..."

Eric shook out the white scarf and put it on his head, even adjusting it a few times, and then tossed his hair elegantly.

"It's me—"

The whole square fell silent.

The sun climbed higher.

The sunlight shines on the high platform in the middle, and also illuminates the beautiful golden hair under the veil that flutters in the wind.

The light is shining, the hair reflects an almost transparent texture, the scarf falls on both sides, the young face with eyes closed, slightly raised head in the sunlight, has a kind of sacred beauty.

The sudden silence was thus prolonged.

If a saint who serves as God needs to have a clear and specific image, then it would probably be this image in front of us... This is the thought of quite a number of spectators at this time.

Until a noisy spark suddenly burst out, slowly but quickly igniting the entire square.

"Madman! Madman!"

An old monk waved the holy book and tried to rush onto the platform, but was stopped by the guards below. He could only raise his head and shout angrily.

"How dare you! You have defiled the sanctity of the Saint! That is not something that your filthy body can touch! How dare you--"

His voice was like a thunderclap, spreading fast and far, waking up the other citizens watching the ceremony from their absurd silence:

Although he had a handsome face and was very similar to the Saint's heir who was still kneeling there, he was still a man after all.

The young master of the City Lord's Mansion actually wants to be a saint!

The entire square was in an uproar, and all kinds of speculations and discussions followed like a rainstorm after a thunderclap, quickly drowning out all other sounds.

"Eric!"

Earl Edgar, who had been standing aside since the ceremony began, finally came back to his senses from his incredible shock.

Is this still his young but calm nephew?
"Why are you crazy?"

He strode forward, grabbed his nephew's arm, and reached out his other hand for the scarf on his head.

Just thinking of the old believer's roar just now, he paused, let go of Eric, and pulled up his niece who was still kneeling.

"Erin, take the scarf back. It's yours."

Irene stood up in a daze and looked at her twin brother, only to be greeted by a sharp blade that was suddenly unsheathed.

"…Eric?"

The cold light reflected from the sword flickered across Edgar's face. His eyes widened, and the anger that instantly rose up overwhelmed his doubts, and his voice also turned cold.

The captain of the guards looked at the earl, who stared at his nephew coldly and raised his right hand.

With just a wave of his hand, the dozen or so guards who had already been in position behind him would rush forward and pin down the crazy young master who had drawn his weapon.

And at the focus of everyone's attention, Eric seemed to be completely unconcerned about what was happening here.

He stood up straight, with the sword in his hand hanging naturally, lightly touching the ground, and then quickly raised it, drawing a perfect arc from bottom to top, pointing straight to the sky.

Then, he laid the sword flat and raised his other hand, taking hold of the blade and holding it tightly.

Then, suddenly pulling out——

Pfft!

The blood splashed, causing a burst of simultaneous gasps from people on and below the platform, and the spectators' gazes became more focused.

Eric knelt on one knee, lowered his head slightly, and placed the blood-stained sword against his forehead.

The blood was bright red, slowly flowing down the sword, staining his golden hair and white veil, and flowing towards his face.

The noble young master, who had been extremely rebellious just a moment ago, now lowered his head and eyes, revealing the most pious attitude.

"Blood bath ceremony..." Earl Edgar's wide eyes couldn't help but shrink.

This was the highest etiquette of the Imperial Knights and Nobles, and he had only a superficial understanding of it, as it was only used on one occasion: swearing an oath to the Emperor before going to war. Eric, his nephew, was truly mad.

Even though he was extremely confused, Edgar could only wave his hand dejectedly, signaling the guards to take his nephew back first.

At this moment, Eric, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke loudly:
"Goddess Yela—"

If what I just saw and heard is not an illusion, but the enlightenment bestowed by you, then please continue to give me your oracles and guide me——"

Several guards who had already stepped forward stopped and looked back at the city lord.

The two nuns from the Holy City also looked at each other. The younger one looked confused, while the older one frowned.

Edgar stared at his nephew for a few seconds, then signaled the guards to take action.

The guards no longer hesitated and rushed forward.

One of them first tried to snatch the sword from the young master's hand. Rather than hurting others, they were more worried that he would hurt himself when he went crazy.

At this moment, something unexpected happened.

"Wow!"

The nearest guard only had time to see a white light suddenly appear on the young master's head. The next moment, the light spread and quickly spread across the entire field of vision, leaving only a vast expanse in front of him.

His body was pushed by an oncoming force, gentle but irresistible, and he kept retreating, unable to stop even if he bumped into his companions.

By the time this inexplicable push disappeared, he had already retreated more than ten steps, and his vision, which was filled with white light, gradually recovered.

"Oh my God... this is..."

The guard's eyes widened and his legs went weak.

Before his eyes, a tall white shadow appeared out of thin air, standing upright.

The translucent shadow was glowing all over, and its face was clearly visible. It was exactly the same as the statue of the goddess of creation, Yela, in the square!
"Goddess!"

As the sacred hymns faintly rang in his ears, the guard's knees softened and he knelt down involuntarily.

Below the platform, the citizens watching the ceremony saw the process more clearly - holy light emerged from Eric's body, and the goddess Yela descended onto the platform.

The light at that moment almost enveloped the entire square. In the early summer, it brought people a different kind of warmth that was different from sunlight, fire or any other source, making people want to worship it.

This impulse soon turned into actual action. Citizens in the entire Goddess Square knelt on the ground, and the sound of excited prayers rose one after another.

"Yela! God!"

"God..."

"This is a miracle! The goddess has arrived!"

The goddess's shadow opened her arms, covering Eric below. Although her radiant face was peaceful, it still gave people a sense of sacred majesty.

After a brief pause, the goddess' arms gradually dropped and her body squatted down, as if she was trying to pick up something.

And the place in the center of her clasped hands, as if protecting, was the young master of the City Lord's Mansion who was still kneeling on one knee.

"what……"

After the goddess's shadow descended, some people lowered their heads but still glanced upwards, thus witnessing the final scene before the miracle dissipated:
A tear welled up in each of the goddess's eyes, flowed down her cheeks, met at her chin, and dripped down, landing squarely on the figure under the shadow.

A holy light shone from Eric's body, and the goddess's shadow suddenly lit up, then gradually dissipated until it disappeared.

The wound on the palm of his hand caused by the sword had completely healed at this time. Eric took a look at it and ignored it, standing up before the holy light completely dissipated.

The miracle was fleeting, but the atmosphere in the square had completely changed. The citizens knelt down, and whispers of prayers could be heard one after another.

"God..."

Some people shed tears and murmured about their misfortunes and sufferings; some people lowered their heads and remained silent, but their repentance was more sincere than ever before.

"Let me up!"

The old monk who had just scolded Eric tried to break through the guards' obstruction again, but there was no anger on his face, only the fanatical excitement that came from piety.

When Eric, who was standing at the center of the miracle, raised his hand and slowly glanced around, the spectators, no matter how far or near, all fell silent.

“I heard the voice of God—”

The young master of the City Lord's Mansion spoke, immediately causing a burst of excited yet restrained cheers.

Although the wound on the palm of his hand had healed, there was still a lot of blood on his face. But at this moment no one felt it was hideous or uncomfortable, but instead thought it was very sacred.

"The goddess Yela gave an oracle: 'Talented people who go to the wrong place are the source of disaster.'"

Eric tightly gripped his blood-stained sword, raised his hand and reached out to Irene, pulling up his still confused sister.

As the sun rose, the brother and sister, who looked very similar but had very different temperaments, stood side by side on the platform. The scene was so impressive that many citizens of Ori City would never forget it.

"Irene's selection as the Saint's heir was an unintentional mistake."

Eric glanced below the platform and raised his voice, using the shock of a miracle to convey his will to everyone present.

"And this mistake will be corrected by me——"

In response, he was met with cheers that echoed throughout the square, followed by more and more people joining in the prayers to praise God.

Most of the citizens watching the ceremony were ordinary people. After witnessing the miracle with their own eyes, no one thought that the behavior of the young master of the City Lord's Mansion was unorthodox. They just felt proud of their own experience today.

"Supreme Holy Yela, because of your favor, we have been blessed with grace, freed from sin, and reborn..."

When he saw a noble woman in the audience crying bitterly while keeping her hands clasped together and praying, Eric knew that his performance had successfully fooled the audience.

But he also knew that he didn't just have to convince them.

Eric turned around and faced the mature and silent Holy Lady Messenger, but he still couldn't help but be amazed by her.

The two nuns sent by the saint were fair-skinned and beautiful, each with their own temperament. Especially the older nun, there was nothing wrong with her appearance. Her outstanding figure supported the black nun's robe, and her chest was particularly prominent.

At a glance, he also saw that the nun's brows were deeply furrowed under the black headscarf with white edges, and her eyes looking at him were full of vigilance and inquiry.

...Sure enough, this envoy from the Holy City was not as easily fooled as the citizens of a remote town.

But whether she agreed or not, she had to respond. Eric was betting that she would not embarrass the family of the future saint under such circumstances.

His demands were not high. Even if it was just an ambiguous response, as long as he was not directly exposed, other things could be discussed later.

Hmm, what was the name of this messenger...

"Sister Alena..."

As soon as Eric opened his mouth, he saw the nun in front of him suddenly become half a head shorter - her legs went weak and she knelt down.

Eric was in a daze. Alena, who was kneeling on the ground, murmured "Oh God" and then fell limply on the platform with her eyes closed, as if she had fainted.

"..."

Eric opened his mouth as his eyes swept across the white stockings exposed under the nun's uniform.

How come this Holy Lady Messenger is also acting?

Since the person has "fainted", naturally there is no way for him to make any response.

"Sister Alena!"

The young nun standing by, completely unaware of the truth, rushed towards the fallen head nun, her anxiety and panic evident.

Eric looked back at the citizens who were still praying devoutly below the platform.

At least the problem here is solved.

Only by bringing today's ceremony to a smooth conclusion can he proceed with his next plan.

The sun was still rising, and the sunlight had unknowingly become somewhat dazzling, shining directly on all the absurdity in the square.

Eric narrowed his eyes, then rolled them up again, his gaze falling on the white scarf on his forehead that fluttered in the wind, and lingered for a moment.

A few lines of text that only he could see appeared again.

【Saint's Scarf】

"The white headscarf is woven from holy fine yarn of unknown origin. It is soft and light, with the divine emblem of Yela, the god of creation, embroidered in the middle.

A divine spell that can strengthen Yela's faith.

Before the original saint returned to the kingdom of God, she handed the scarf to her successor, and it became a token of inheritance.

Additional Skill: Goddess's Guardian (Charging)
[Goddess's Guardian]: Divine spell. The goddess's shadow descends briefly, repelling all nearby enemies and blocking attacks from all sources. Heals all external injuries to the caster.

Eric muttered under his breath.

"Luckily, it arrived fully charged..."

The factory was too hard, so I came back
A new book by a newcomer, please collect and recommend it


(End of this chapter)