The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 59: Longing
Near dusk, Eric and Alena took the magic-powered floating ladder to the top of the Holy Maiden Tower.

At the top is the Saint's study, but Eric is also qualified to come up.

This place doesn't take up much space, with a desk behind the window and several bookshelves around it. Other large and small decorations are also arranged quite exquisitely. The view is not as good as the Pope's Tower, but it also overlooks the whole city and you can see almost everywhere.

Eric walked to the window and looked at the Pope's Tower, which was taller than a head on the other side of the Holy City Square.

It is said that this place was originally where the Saint handled government affairs, just like the room at the top of the Pope's Tower. However, as the Saint pushed most of the affairs to Sister Gabi, she herself has not come up here for a long time.

And during his one day at the Saint's House, the person Eric interacted with the most was Gabi.

She represents the power of the Saint and is an indispensable part of many processes. The Saint is now able to live out her days in peace, all thanks to Gabi who has taken on most of the tedious and stressful chores for her.

And her self-evaluation and perception of Alena are also very accurate: the latter is indeed far behind her.

Therefore, when Gabi took the initiative to "sell" herself, although Eric took Alena's feelings into consideration and said that he would appoint people based on personal relationships, he did not say it firmly. He really needed this senior nun who was only in her early fifties.

"When the previous Saint returns to the Kingdom of God, what happens to the Arch Sister she appointed?" Eric asked. "Does she continue to shine in her original position, or does she retire with honor?"

Alena's lips parted, but she just shook her head blankly, "I haven't experienced this before."

Eric thought so too. The current saint has a very long lifespan. She is the only one who can outlast the retired senior nun, and no one has outlasted her yet.

Of course, not all Saints could live to their eighties. The previous Saint died in her thirties, and the original next Saint, Irene, died in her early twenties...

"If Sister Gabi is willing to compromise on the matter of Teacher Alena, I plan to let her stay in the Holy Maiden House in the future." Eric said, looking at Alena.

Alena was startled for a moment, then realized he was asking for her opinion. She lowered her head and said, "Sister Gabi and I have no grudges against each other. I admire her abilities. If she agrees to let Teacher Dania come back, I'm willing to do anything."

Eric said, "It will be difficult to get her back to the convent."

Alena raised her gaze, and he continued, "But what Alena wants more than returning to the convent is to keep Sister Dania away from the dangerous life on the border, right?"

"Yes……"

"That's easy. Find an opportunity to transfer her to a local monastery to serve as abbess. That way, although you won't be able to see her often, she won't have to risk her life on the border."

Alena suddenly realized, "That's why Your Highness asked that question before..."

"I only have status now, but no power. Her Royal Highness the Saint is unwilling to interfere in this matter. I can only find a solution from the perspective of complying with the procedures of the Saint's House." Eric said.

Alena didn't know what to say to express her shameful gratitude.

She had actually made up her mind to wait.

Waiting for the Saint to pass away, waiting for Eric to become the new Saint, and then granting her the power to allow Teacher Dania to return to the Saint's Monastery...

But she didn't know how long this wait would last, and staying one more day in such a bitterly cold border could mean the difference between life and death.

She was powerless and couldn't force Eric, who had already made a promise, so she could only comfort herself by saying that she had done her best.

At this time, Eric told her that he was still thinking of a solution, and he really came up with a very feasible solution.

"Your Highness..."

Seeing Alena's eyes welling up, Eric quickly looked away. Forty years of life experience combined hadn't given him much resistance to tears.

"If you want to thank someone, you should wait until it's done."

Alena closed her eyes and let the gathering wetness disperse before flowing out.

"Without Your Highness, I can't do anything." When she spoke, her voice was a little distorted, but she quickly adjusted it.

"Me too, there's nothing I can do."

Alena looked at Eric. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the tower, casting a brilliant shadow on his face.

"Because I can't do anything now, I have to do something to comfort myself. Now I'm not just waiting in vain." Although Alena didn't quite understand what he meant by waiting, she could still feel some of his emotions from his words and his expression at the moment.

It was a kind of anxiety that left one helpless and unable to do anything but wait, and waiting itself seemed to have become a kind of comfort against the anxiety...

She's pretty much the same as before.

Rather than encouragement for the future, what each other really needs is comfort in the present.

"Your Highness has helped me. This is something I can confirm now." Alena looked at him and said.

Eric turned his head to look at her, and after a brief silence, he smiled.

"Go ahead. I'll talk to Gabi about this. If she agrees, we can implement it as soon as possible."

Arriving at the room at the foot of the Holy Maiden Tower where Gabi was, the head nun stood and saluted. "Your Highness, have you seen the view from the top of the tower? What do you think?"

"How do you feel? It's lonely up there, right?"

Eric answered casually, then continued, "I've also thought that I won't have the power to command Sister Gabi until I become a Saint... But before that, I have some questions I'd like to ask no matter what. Whether Sister Gabi is willing to answer or not depends on your mood."

Gabi saluted calmly, "Your Highness, please ask."

Eric didn't beat around the bush: "What's the reason for your feud with Sister Dania?"

Gabi was silent for a moment, sighed slightly, and shook her head.

Eric thought she still didn't want to answer, but Gabi continued, "She killed my sister, Monica."

Eric and Alena were both surprised.

And once she opened her mouth, Gabi took the initiative to explain.

"More than thirty years ago, Monica, Dania, and I entered the convent of the Holy Virgins at the same time and lived in the same room. During those years, we formed an inseparable friendship.

"A few years later, the monastery arranged for a group of nuns to serve as chaplains in the Imperial Army. I stayed in the monastery, while Dania and Monica were sent to the border between the Empire and the Kingdom of Ravane.

"A year later, Monica died. She was shot through the heart by a ranger from Ravana while protecting civilians. Dania was there."

As Gabi recounted the story of Monica's death, the expression on her face was not much different from before. She was so calm that it didn't seem like she was talking about her own sister.

She was still like this when she expressed her hatred for Dania.

"Daniya neither protected Monika nor kept her alive. Since then, the more reports the Imperial Army sent me about how she treated patients, saved lives, and saved illnesses, the more resentful I became: If she could do so well and save so many lives, why couldn't she protect the most important Monika?"

Gabi looked at Alena.

"Especially you. A border refugee with nothing, yet you were protected and raised by her, and even sent to the Saint's Monastery to practice. Meanwhile, my sister can only sleep forever beneath that cold land. I will never forgive Danya, and I will never see her again."

Alena's lips trembled and her face turned pale.

She finally knew the truth of the past. Even if she wanted to defend her teacher, she didn't know how to start in the face of such lingering sorrow.

She lowered her head, and a tear suddenly fell, hitting the ground in front of her.

She raised her eyes and saw Gabi still maintaining her calm expression, but there was a tear mark on her left cheek.

"Once I see her, I'll have no choice but to forgive her: Twenty-five years ago, I was the one chosen to be stationed in the Imperial Army. It was me who, fearing the bitter cold of the North, exchanged with Monica and made her the army chaplain."

"I will never see Tanya again," Gabi said.

The Silver Alliance extra update by book friend [Cat King_maizi] (10/10).

The debt for the previous book has finally been paid off.

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(End of this chapter)