The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 51 Sender: Eric, Experimental Class, Shengdu No. 1 Middle School

In the morning, he studied continental history, church history, and various theological classics in the monastery's seminary. In the afternoon, he studied ancient languages, Vatican etiquette, and various practical divine arts. He was on duty at the Tower of the Virgin one day every three days, following the female officials to gain a preliminary understanding and familiarity with the work procedures of the monastery. He went to the Apostolic Palace to visit the Pope and the College of Cardinals every five days, because the Saint was a special cardinal in the Vatican. Finally, he could rest one day every seven days. This was the preliminary study plan that the Saint herself formulated for Eric.

Eric sat below, motionless, listening numbly.

"There will be an assessment every month, and I will be in charge of it personally." The Saint continued, "If you fail..."

"—Will his status as heir be revoked?" Eric suddenly interrupted.

"Then can you find me a suitable heir?"

The Saint didn't even look at him and continued, "Of course you won't be dismissed, but your future study tasks will be doubled."

Eric grinned, but his eyes remained motionless.

Studying history, foreign languages, working six days a week and having one day off, practical classes every three to five days, and compulsory accommodation... Where is the point of this for him, Shengdu No. 1 High School?
"You better pray I live a few more years."

The Saint muttered, ignoring his small emotions. "Otherwise, when the time comes, you can't imagine how embarrassed you will be. More than sixty years ago, just a few months after I was chosen as the Saint's successor, the previous Saint returned to the Kingdom of God..."

The old saint talked about the past, but Eric listened with one ear and let it out with the other. He seemed to be listening, but in his mind he was thinking about what he should do.

The saint's words were obviously not a joke. As soon as he dared to leave, a group of knights came to capture him. The saint had just given an order to a leader of the knights in front of him, pointing at his face and saying that he must not be allowed to step out of the inner city.

But he couldn't really just wait here until the Saint ascended to heaven.

Irene's magical training was urgent, and his own strength needed to be improved. The demons were about to march south, and even if he couldn't stop them, he had to find a way to delay the process. If he had the chance, he would personally visit the front lines of the empire's defense against the demons, to see the Black Ice Wall in the far north...

What should I do?
Eric began to think hard, and the direction of his thinking gradually changed in an unconscious compromise.

At least for a while, he couldn't leave the Holy City. According to the Saint, his communications were still free. Perhaps... he could hand over some of his affairs to others?
"...Where was I?"

Because of a past event, the saint paused and recalled, and then found that she could not remember where she was talking about.

"You said that a nobleman from Lutia wrote to you, hoping to end his daughter's training early so that she could go back and get married, but you refused." Eric found that he was quite good at multitasking.

"Oh... yes, it's only been five years. How can you go back and get married halfway through your training? What do you think of the Saint's Convent?"

The Saint recalled and continued, "I wrote back and reprimanded him, and he was so frightened that he rushed over from Lutia within two days. He started from a place where he could see the Saint's Tower and knelt all the way to the gate of the Holy City."

Eric said casually: "I didn't expect that someone of your status would be involved in such trivial matters."

"He is my relative after all. Before I became a saint, I used to call him uncle when I saw him."

Eric was speechless.

"You're getting off topic." The Saint stopped the topic herself and looked at him. "Besides what I've said, is there anything else you want to learn?"

Eric lowered his head and turned to the side, looking away so that his eye roll wouldn't be too obvious. "These courses alone will take me several years to complete, Your Highness."

The Saint said nothing. "That's it. Get ready and go to the banquet. This is your first test."

Eric stood up and prepared to leave when he suddenly thought of something.

"Your Highness, do you allow me to learn anything I want to learn?"

The old man glanced over and said, "Don't beat around the bush."

"You should understand that I am a warrior and I need combat training," Eric said. The Saint looked at him for a moment. "With your current status, you are no longer fit to fight in person."

"It's hard to say what the future holds." Eric returned her gaze.

"Then it's up to you."

The Saint shook her head, not having the energy or the will to bother with such matters. "Anyone in the Knights is qualified to be your teacher. You should discuss this with Edward and arrange a time for training."

Edward was the captain of the third regiment of the Knights Protector of the Holy Metropolis. He and his men were considered the armed forces exclusive to the Monastery of the Holy Virgin. Eric thanked the Holy Virgin and got up to leave.

When he returned to his residence and looked at the exquisite luxury in front of him, Eric's mood was completely different from when he first came here.

——The presidential suite, which I originally thought I would stay in for a few days, has now become a luxurious cage that restricts my personal freedom.

Fortunately, apart from not being able to leave, all other requirements were met, so it wasn't too bad.

Eric thought for a while, went to the study and began to write a letter.

The first letter was to his uncle Edgar, explaining his situation here, including how he successfully became the successor of the Saint, the secret agreement reached with the Saint, and the fact that he had to stay in the Holy City.

The second letter was still to Edgar. Eric asked his uncle if he knew anyone in the garrison at the Black Ice Wall in the north. If so, he asked him to secretly investigate the possible mole. If not, he asked him to send some reliable people north to investigate.

The third letter...

Eric hesitated for a while, and decided to temporarily put aside his plan to ask his uncle to secretly find a magic teacher for Irene. Instead, he wrote a greeting letter to Irene, telling her about some interesting things he had seen in the Holy City.

After writing these three letters, Eric put down his pen.

He wanted to stay in the Holy City, and the guards like Willy who came with him could not wait here all the time. Eric planned to ask them to go back and bring the letter to his uncle.

Looking at the time, it was almost time for the banquet to begin. This was a banquet initiated in his name, so he could not be absent. He was the only one who would attend, and the Saint would not join in the fun.

Eric packed up and went outside. The banquet was held in a special banquet hall in the monastery. When he went there, the long table was already filled with delicious food. There was also some wine, but not much. After all, clergymen can drink but not get drunk. Directly limiting the amount is much simpler and more effective than controlling desires.

In addition to the nuns from all levels of the monastery, the participants in the banquet included some cardinals of the Holy See - in a sense, Eric was their future colleague - and some devout believers from other cities. However, Eric felt that it was more appropriate to call them "rich believers" because they were all wealthy people dressed in gorgeous clothes.

As soon as Eric came out, he attracted everyone's attention.

"Your Highness."

"Your Highness Eric!"

"Your Highness the Quasi-Saint Lady—"

No one seemed to have ever cared that the Saint's successor was a man.

The cardinals nodded to him restrainedly and politely, the believers cheered his name enthusiastically, and the nuns in the monastery surrounded him with more practical actions, declaring who was the host of the banquet.

Eric suddenly felt a familiar feeling.

"It's really the same everywhere..."

He raised his glass to the guests and drank it all in one gulp, skillfully and with a sudden feeling of emotion.

(End of this chapter)