The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 61 Talking about Marriage
Ymir is a lecturing nun at the seminary of the Holy Lady Monastery. However, she doesn't lecture on theological classics, but rather on the history of this continent, especially its religious aspects. No matter how many people are sitting in the audience, her attitude remains the same: she tells the history that needs to be told.

If students ask questions, she will happily add some factual details.

However, if students ask too many questions, she will feel a little embarrassed because these are usually not difficult questions related to knowledge.

"Before the church was established, the myth of 'Goddess Yela creating the world' had already been circulated among human tribes, right?" Eric looked at the nun preaching above. "I happened to read about it in a book when I was back home in Dent County."

"That's right," Ymir replied thoughtfully. "The story of Yela creating the world was passed down orally among the tribes of the first humans who created it. Because of this format, there are some deviations in the content..."

"But at the same time, there seems to be religious worship of other gods?" Eric asked again.

"...That's true, but the number is very small, and there are almost no complete records to verify it."

Eric seemed to think for a moment. "So, the conclusion that 'during the Dark Ages before the Prophet Raphael established the Church, humanity had no faith and therefore continued to sink into depravity' is actually incorrect?"

Ymir sweatdropped, "Your Highness..."

"It's okay, I'm just asking casually, please continue." Eric didn't delve into it, he just found it a little funny.

He, the successor of the saint - whose future status will be second only to the Pope - studied church history within the church, but what he learned was still these veiled and concealed contents.

Ymir glanced at Eric once more before continuing his lecture.

When the fate of humanity was plunged into darkness, the Holy Prophet Raphael received divine revelation in the wilderness of Lasir: humanity had forgotten its innate duty—to serve the gods—and therefore remained unable to defeat the demons. All the suffering it currently endured was divine punishment for humanity.

Raphael asked how humanity could atone for its sins. God said: Reclaim the forgotten vocation and serve the gods with a pure body and sincere faith.

"So, Raphael and ten of his disciples founded a church where they received divine inspiration. They worshipped the goddess of creation, Yela, and aimed to spread the gospel of God. They spread faith among the remaining humans who had suffered from the ravages of the demons, and built eleven 'Gates of Redemption'..."

"What is the door to salvation?" Sophie couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, then immediately covered her mouth.

"I want to know, too." Eric came to her rescue. "The scriptures only give the name, but don't explain it in detail."

Ymir paused to explain, "The so-called 'Gates of Redemption' are eleven stone portals built by the Holy Prophet Raphael and his ten disciples using the power they prayed to the gods. These portals are named after each of them. With Lesir as the center, the eleven Gates of Redemption fly to various parts of the continent. Anyone who encounters one simply needs to pray sincerely, asking Yela for redemption, and they will open the Gates of Redemption and instantly reach Lesir."

"Portal?" Eric's eyes lit up.

Unlike the content in the game "Crown of Thorns", this world does not have convenient and fast means of long-distance travel such as portals and teleportation arrays - but this is Eric's previous understanding based on what he saw and heard. Now it seems that this method is not completely non-existent, at least there are records of it in ancient times.

Ymir continued, "Ten of the Gates of Redemption were recovered by the Church after their divine power was exhausted. They are now displayed beside the tombs of the ten disciples in the Holy Mountain Cathedral. Raphael's Gate of Redemption has yet to be returned, perhaps lost somewhere. There's also a legend that Raphael ascended to the Kingdom of God through the Gate of Redemption."

"So the Gate of Salvation can no longer be built?" Eric asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. There is no longer any material on the continent to build the Gate of Redemption." Ymir replied.

"What a pity." Eric sighed sincerely. The idea of ​​setting up a portal at home to fly directly to various places on the continent was indeed just a thought.

Seeing that he had no other questions, Ymir continued with the previous content and continued the class until the Yela faith became widely spread among the human community in the Dark Ages.

The two classes in the morning, Continental History and Church History, are interrelated in content and have a unified progress. The Continental History class taught first will not exceed Church History by much.

This was also one of the few courses arranged by the Saint that Eric was truly interested in: the demons were making a comeback, and perhaps history would provide the answer to the problem.

What surprised him was that Sophie actually persisted in the courses day after day.

"Because...attending class is at least more interesting than practicing and praying." Sophie whispered during the lunch break.

"How dare you say that."

"I only dare to tell His Highness... If the head nun finds out, I'll be finished."

After spending more time with her, Eric could see the liveliness hidden beneath her well-behaved appearance. "With your personality, it seems you shouldn't be a nun."

"I was sent here by my father."

Sophie leaned over the table in front of her. "Which of the noble ladies in the monastery came here of their own accord? They were all sent here by their families to 'cultivate their minds and cultivate their character' before being taken back to get married."

Eric looked at her and said, "In two years, you will have to go back and get married." Sophie was silent for a while, then lowered her head, resting her forehead on the table, and responded in a muffled voice.

She is sixteen years old now and will be eighteen in two years, but in this world, it is not too early to get married at this age.

Eric thought back to his coming-of-age ceremony not long ago. Many people had come to his uncle, saying they were willing to marry their daughters to the young master of the city lord's mansion—or to the still-single earl himself—but his uncle had declined them all on the grounds that he was still young.

He still remembered that his uncle had told him later that the Kimino family had no tradition of marrying into the nobility. In terms of marriage, his uncle fully respected his wishes. As long as he found a human being, even a humanoid intelligent race that was not far from the minimum standard of "looking like a human being", his uncle would not object.

At that time, Eric didn't realize his uncle's intention of mentioning the humanoid race. He thought it was just something the tiger maid passing by mentioned casually. Now that he understood, he was helpless.

The problems left by the previous generation's interracial marriages have not been resolved yet...

Eric was distracted for a moment, and when he regained consciousness, he found Sophie lying on the table, looking at him with her one exposed eye.

"Your Highness, I don't want to get married yet."

Eric was silent.

She raised her head and said, "If I must get married, I only hope..."

"-You are still a nun in the Holy Virgin Monastery. If you say something serious, I can only ask a few nuns to take you to the scripture hall to recite scriptures for a few hours." Eric interrupted her.

"..."

Sophie buried her face again and mumbled something. Eric didn't hear clearly and didn't intend to ask.

"If you're not hungry, just lie down. I'm going to the Knights."

Sophie quickly caught up with him.

When they parted, she suddenly said, "I want to stay in the convent and practice for the rest of my life, just like Sister Alena."

"No way." Eric glanced at her and said, "When I become a saint, I will kick you out of the convent."

Sophie's eyes widened, "Your Highness?!"

Eric waved his hand and went to the Knights.

Sophie stayed where she was, looking at his back, and couldn't help but sigh.

Mr. Eric has truly become His Highness Eric...

If she really had to marry someone she didn't know, she would rather stay with him and practice for the rest of her life, even if it was just as an ordinary nun who always kept her distance.

"—Sophie."

Sophie turned around in surprise when she heard a call from behind, "Sister Alena!"

Alena had just come from the Holy Virgin House and saw Eric and Sophie talking here from afar, but she didn't have time to say hello to the former.

She did hear from Eric that Sophie was taking classes with him, but Sophie didn't know where she had been these days - Alena had been suddenly removed from her position as head nun a few days ago, and not many nuns dared to ask about this matter.

As soon as Alena came over, Sophie grabbed her arm and started to act coquettish. "I went to the Mother Superior's room and couldn't find her. I asked the other nuns, but they all said they didn't know... Mother Superior, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Alena shook her head. "I'm no longer the head nun. I can't live there anymore."

"So where do you live now? An ordinary nun's dormitory?" Sophie asked again.

"I'm currently..." Alena hesitated, "living in the side room of His Highness Eric."

Sophie blinked, her ears ringing.

hum-

(End of this chapter)