The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 58: Holy Maiden's Court

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Hearing the bells in the monastery, Eric's eyelids moved and he woke up. He found that the dawn was just breaking outside the window and it was still early.

This was the time when the nuns woke up, so he could still sleep a little longer.

After staring at the gradually brightening window for a while, Eric closed his eyes, and his consciousness became even clearer. He was the type who found it difficult to fall asleep again after waking up.

I don't have to go to class today. Instead, I will go to the Holy Maiden Tower as an intern to understand how the Holy Maiden Tower operates and familiarize myself with the work flow. Therefore, I can get up later than usual.

However, it all depends on when Alena comes to call him.

Eric lay there motionless. After a while, he heard some slight noises outside.

Alena was already up.

After a while, the door opened and Eric heard footsteps approaching. When he opened his eyes, Alena had come to his bedside and was leaning over and extending her right hand to him.

"..."

Seeing him open his eyes, Alena withdrew her hand, "Your Highness, you are awake."

It was summer now, and the nun's uniform was thin. She had just gotten up, and her collar was slightly open. When she leaned over, she could just see the vague depth and swaying of her breasts.

"Yeah." Eric was just complaining that the sun rose too quickly, and now he was complaining that the room was not bright enough.

Since he was awake, Alena didn't stay, but bowed slightly and left his room.

"Being too close is not a good thing..." Eric glanced at the bulge in the sheets and realized once again that he now had an extremely young and energetic body.

The saint's warning is not without reason.

Once the youthful reaction wore off, Eric got up and changed.

The saint seemed to think that Alena was his personal attendant and did not make any other arrangements for him. Only he and Alena lived in the quasi-saint's side room. Eric was more accustomed to being self-reliant - at least he didn't need others to help him dress or bathe - and he did not make any new requests, so this situation remained.

But most of the time, Alena was aware of taking care of Eric. She thought it was her duty, and this was accompanied by a subconscious feeling that she had not yet noticed.

"Your Highness, the collar."

Alena stood in front of Eric, raised her hand, and turned up the back of his collar for him, and the latter glanced at her collar.

He has put on a white scarf.

Proper, conservative, just the way a nun should be.

Eric looked away and said, "I told the Saint yesterday that I would take you to the Saint's House today, and Her Highness didn't object."

Alena gently stroked the lace on his clothes, "Thank you, Your Highness."

After finishing their meal, the two went directly to the office of the Holy Virgin House - the Holy Virgin Tower, which is independent of the monastery.

The Tower of the Holy Maiden is a structure that is pointed at the top and wide at the bottom. The top of the tower is the space belonging to the Holy Maiden - the current Holy Maiden has not been there for a long time - the middle is a slender tower body that is several dozen meters high, and the area below, close to the ground, is the Holy Maiden's Courtyard, which is divided into two floors and occupies a considerable area.

All orders from the Saint must be conveyed and executed through the Saint's House. Under the Saint's House are nine nominal convents, each managing a number of nuns. Alena was previously the head nun of the seventh convent, and they are the main executors of the Saint's orders.

"Your Highness Eric."

As soon as Eric appeared, all the nuns in the ground hall saluted him together.

These nuns are responsible for the operation of the convent and are called ladies-in-waiting. Their status varies, but according to what Alena told him, the senior ladies-in-waiting are all at the top.

The main work of the Convent of the Holy Virgin comes from the Saint's multiple identities: the owner of the Convent, the Cardinal of the Holy See, and the nominal leader of nuns across the continent.

Therefore, in addition to the daily management of the Holy Virgin's Monastery, these female officials also have to receive various types of information from the Holy See to provide a basis for the Holy Virgin's decision-making in choosing sides or at the Cardinal's Council, as well as manage the numerous monasteries dominated by nuns in the empire and even the entire continent.

Eric and Alena walked around the ground hall. The ladies-in-waiting were not too busy, so whenever they stopped, the ladies-in-waiting would explain to them what they were dealing with - the Saint had already asked Sister Gabi to greet them.

"Your Highness Eric."

A female official in her thirties had already spotted the two men wandering over. When they finally stopped, she immediately saluted Eric. Eric nodded, and Alena saluted like an ordinary nun.

"What are you doing here?"

Eric glanced at the female official's desk. There were many open booklets on it, as if they were placed there specially because he was inspecting, indicating that he was very busy.

"The abbot of the second monastery in the capital of Varane returned to the kingdom of God a few days ago. The monastery asked the saint to send them a new abbot." The female official replied.

"Varane..."

Eric glanced at Alena beside him. He had heard the name of this northern kingdom several times in the past few days.

This kingdom became independent from the empire more than a hundred years ago. Its royal family is the Libar family, descendants of the twelve founding knights. Eric's ancestors also had a close connection with the independence of the Kingdom of Varane.

——In the year 551 AD, Duke Libar declared the independence of the Valence region and established the Kingdom of Varane. The emperor attacked Marquis Kiminno and was defeated. Marquis Kiminno was demoted to count and his originally rich territory was taken back and moved to the remote County of Dante.

"Even the abbot of the monastery in Varane was sent by the Holy Virgin Monastery?" Eric asked.

Although the distance between the Holy City of Lassel and the capital of Varane is closer than to the imperial capital.

"According to the rules," the lady-in-waiting replied, "the monastery over there provides an annual donation to the Saint's Monastery, and the Saint's Monastery provides them with various assistance, including sending nuns to manage the monastery over there. However, generally each monastery will only send one nun."

This is the difference between the rules and the actual operation. Eric listened carefully. "What do you mean?"

"Because there are simply too many monasteries on the continent," the female official explained, "and the nuns sent out usually have to have practiced in the Saint's Monastery for over twenty years, so there aren't that many to choose from. Therefore, for the monasteries that have already sent their abbes, we will select a suitable successor from within their ranks."

She pointed to her desk and said, "These are the information about the nuns in the local monastery."

"The dean selected internally is more familiar with the monastery and easier to manage," said Eric.

The lady-in-waiting nodded, "Yes, Your Highness."

Eric thought for a moment. "Do nuns assigned to local convents have to stay at the Saint's Convent for a full twenty years? If a nun entered the convent early and was then assigned to other missions, remaining outside for decades, would she be eligible?"

The female official had obviously never encountered such a question. She frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Apart from being assigned to become a nun, there is no other mission that would send a nun abroad for decades, Your Highness."

Eric glanced at Alena who was silent beside him. Who said it didn't exist? The student in question was right here.

"What if there is such a person?"

The female official replied: "Then he should be qualified."

She paused and added, "Everything in the monastery comes from the Holy Virgin's judgment."

Eric had an idea. Without saying anything, he pointed at her desk and asked, "Have you chosen one?"

"There are already two suitable candidates, Your Highness," the lady-in-waiting replied, "Sister Tabitha in their convent and..."

Eric raised his hand to stop her, indicating that this was not what he wanted to hear. "What's next?"

The female official bowed her head and replied, "The candidates will be reported to the superior female official, who will decide the final candidate, then ask the Saint to review it, draft the Saint's decree, and finally arrange for a courier to send it to Varane."

So in the following time, Eric and Alena followed the female official and went through the entire process.

The steps that were originally reviewed by the Saint were now performed by Senior Sister Gabi.

"No problem. Draft the decree and send it out."

After explaining this to the female official, Gabi looked back at Eric. "I have worked for Her Highness the Saint at the Saint's Abbey for decades. My experience and ability in handling various matters far surpass what the ordinary nun by Her Highness Eric's side can compare to."

Is she recommending herself to him?

Eric was startled, then laughed.

"Of course I believe in Sister Gabi's abilities, otherwise Her Highness the Saint wouldn't have given you such an important position. But no one can predict what will happen in the future..."

He paused and looked at Alena beside him, "If I have the chance, I still want to experience the feeling of nepotism."

(End of this chapter)