The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 99 Holding the Moon
At the invitation of the forest ranger Kasha, Eric stayed an extra day at her cabin as a short rest on his journey.

From day to evening, the two were mostly busy with their own things. Kasha was fulfilling her duties as a forest ranger, while Eric, apart from wandering around the cabin, was studying a more detailed map that Kasha had found for him.

As the sun set, Kasha returned with many fresh tree fruits, wrapped in a huge leaf.

“In the forest, we use these leaves to weave raincoats, which can also be used to cover the roof to keep it waterproof, but we have to change them often.”

Compared to the hasty preparation of carrying him back from the river yesterday, the dinner she prepared for him today was much more lavish, and these fruits were just one part of it.

When Kasha asked him if he wanted fresh wild boar meat or fresh bear meat from the mountains, Eric sweated a little and said that he didn't need anything so tough, and that what he had yesterday was fine.

Of course, he can't drink that much alcohol anymore.

Kasha didn't press the issue, but frankly expressed her regret at not being able to keep him for a few more days.

She handed me the glass. "Mr. Eric is the only Jera priest I feel close to."

The first cup.

Eric counted silently and bumped into her.

After downing a large glass of wine, the female druid licked her lips, her eyes brightening even more. "To be honest, I feel that Mr. Eric is actually a bit like us."

Eric smiled but didn't say anything.

Two years of training in the Holy Capital only made him more dignified when he needed to act as the successor to the Holy Maiden; his true nature remained unchanged.

“I haven’t asked Mr. Eric what he’s going to Lutia for yet,” Kasha said, looking at him. “Is it to attend the Exorcism Day celebrations?”

Eric shook his head. "If I have time, I'll probably go take a look. I'm mainly going to Lutia for... cultivation, and to see a few people while I'm at it."

And when he thought about one of the people he was going to meet, he couldn't help but consider the future of this female forest ranger.

This is the heartland of Grandia. The demons have moved south, so the flames of war haven't reached here yet, but the situation later is hard to predict.

"When did Miss Kasha start working as a forest ranger?"

Kasha thought for a moment, "It's been more than ten years, hasn't it?"

"...How old are you this year?"

The forest ranger smiled. "My father was the previous generation's forest ranger, and I've been with him since I was a child. When he returned to the embrace of the God of Nature, I took over his duties."

So, she's been living alone in this forest for over ten years?
"Does Miss Kasha intend to stay in this forest and continue working as a forest ranger?"

She seemed not to have considered the question, yet she also seemed to have the answer already, nodding slowly but firmly.

"There is no place more suitable for me than here. I have grown accustomed to this forest, and this forest has grown accustomed to me; we are inseparable."

As Kasha spoke, she rested her chin on her hand, leaned forward, and looked at Eric. "That's why I hope Mr. Eric will stay. We in the Natural Church can get married, you know."

"..."

Eric opened his mouth.

Is this a marriage proposal?
While the naturalistic school is known for its free-spiritedness, this is just too much.

"Living deep in the forest for too long will eventually lead to loneliness," Eric thought.

Feeling his face burning, he coughed, "I already have someone I love..."

Eric stopped abruptly, nearly biting his tongue off in shock, while Kasha on the other side was clearly stunned as well.

“Mr. Eric just said…”

"You heard wrong."

"No, I didn't hear wrong, did I?" Kasha's eyes widened as she turned to look at the horse tied up in the yard. "I didn't hear wrong, did I?"

Eric's mount lifted its hoof and exhaled a large breath from its nostrils.

"..."

In his panic, Eric was speechless for a moment. How did this even come into play?
"Is Mr. Eric really a clergyman from Raisel?" Kasha looked at him. "Or are you actually one of our Natural Churches?"

Eric was a little embarrassed. "I'm from Lesser... It's precisely because of my lack of willpower that I need more training and practice."

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” Kasha comforted him instead. “Just because you believe in your goddess doesn’t mean you have to give up love for others, does it?”

“Faith and spiritual practice... are two different things,” Eric said.

The female druid tilted her head, blinked at him, and silently asked why his words and actions contradicted each other.

Eric was speechless.

Drink up!

Kasha, of course, wouldn't refuse a drink, and smiled as she clinked glasses with him.

She glanced at his clothes hanging in the yard. "Mr. Eric doesn't dress like a clergyman either. I mean when he first came. He does now, but he's too young."

Eric glanced down at his linen robe and shook his head. "What you wear is all external; cultivation lies within."

Kasha pondered for a moment, then concluded: "Mr. Eric is indeed essentially the same kind of person as us. Why don't he come and follow our Natural Church?"

"..."

If he had even nodded at that moment, the saintess would have been furious. Less than three days after leaving the monastery, Eric had encountered both a life-threatening crisis and a crisis of faith. He once again realized how naive he had been and how far-sighted the saintess had been.

He just shook his head, picked up his cup and took a small sip, unable to recall why the topic had veered off course.

Fortunately, Kasha didn't force him. Seeing that he wasn't interested, she stopped talking about it and instead told him to eat and drink more, as fresh food would spoil if it wasn't fresh for long.

After sipping small amounts of fruit wine without realizing it, Eric suddenly realized he couldn't drink anymore.

Kasha complained bluntly, "It doesn't seem like it now."

She was probably a little drunk.

Eric remembered the special gift she had mentioned during the day and asked about it. Kasha looked up at the night sky and said it wasn't time yet.

However, the two had eaten and drunk their fill, and Kasha asked him if he wanted to take a walk in the woods.

Is he going to go on a drunken rampage again...?

Eric said yes, but he wanted to ride his own horse, which Kasha said was exactly what she meant.

The forester hung the lantern on his horse's head, mounted her horse, and extended her hand to Eric.

"..."

Eric hesitated for a moment, then mounted his horse, sat behind her, and restrainedly supported her waist.

Kasha swung the reins, and the sound of hooves, accompanied by a series of crisp clinking sounds, was especially noticeable on the quiet forest path.

"So that's the sound of gold coins."

Eric glanced down at the bag beside him. "Miss Kasha, didn't you ever wonder what was inside all the way back?"

“I was curious, but these are Mr. Eric’s things, and I can’t just rummage through them.”

Kasha paused for a moment, then continued, "With so much money on him, I now believe Mr. Eric is a clergyman of the Yera sect, because practitioners of other sects are relatively poor, such as our Natural Sect."

Eric couldn't tell if she was speaking her true feelings or being sarcastic.

“That’s prejudice, Miss Kasha.”

“Is that so?” Kasha turned back and smiled at him. “Then I apologize to you.”

Walking slowly along the forest path, Eric gradually realized they were ascending.

Are we going to that cliff from yesterday?

"That's right. But for the last part, you'll have to dismount and climb back up yourself."

It's probably a common trait for many people to enjoy climbing mountains after drinking, Eric thought, and of course he had no objection to that.

The mountain path was winding, and even with the moonlight and lanterns, it was sometimes dark and sometimes bright. When the road became steep and difficult to walk, the two dismounted.

“Because I need to conserve my energy, I’ll have to ride a horse to get here. But we’ll be at the top of the mountain soon. Mr. Eric, come up with me now.” Kasha said, handing him a small glass bottle before transforming into a reindeer.

Conserve energy?

Eric looked at the small glass bottle in his hand with doubt, but still climbed on it and jumped with her all the way to the top of the cliff.

The moon was high in the sky, and the cool midnight breeze soothed the restlessness caused by too much alcohol. Eric sat down on a relatively flat rock, while Kasha remained in her reindeer form.

She slowly walked to the edge of the cliff, and Eric couldn't help but feel nervous.

Reaching the edge of the cliff, the reindeer gracefully raised its front hooves, tapped them on the ground, and then looked up at the high-hanging moon. A faint glow emerged from its body, gradually becoming clearer.

"Is this some kind of magic from the Naturalist sect?" Eric wondered.

After a while, the moonlight that was scattered across the sky suddenly seemed to take on a tangible form, as fine as silk threads.

With a single open mouth, the reindeer caught a few rays of moonlight.

She took a step forward, leaped forward, and caught a few more rays of moonlight.

There's a cliff ahead!
Eric suddenly stood up, and the reindeer, which had already leaped high into the air, suddenly stepped forward in mid-air, its four hooves shining, and it leaped even higher into the air.

He stood there, stunned, while the reindeer in mid-air chased the moonlight, constantly taking food into their mouths. The light shimmered beneath their hooves, making her feel as if she were walking on flat ground, and she even jumped higher and higher. Eric could only look up at her.

This scene lasted for more than ten minutes. The reindeer then leaped down through the air, and just as it was about to reach the ground, it suddenly transformed into human form and plummeted straight down.

Eric rushed over and caught her.

"The bottle." She held it in both hands, inside which was a handful of faintly glowing liquid, the color of which was no different from the moonlight.

Eric opened the small bottle and carefully filled it; she still had some left in her hand.

Kasha raised his hands, brought them to his lips, and drank it all in one gulp.

“Miss Kasha, this is… um.”

She suddenly kissed him.

Beyond the shock and tenderness, Eric felt a cool sensation flowing into his mouth, seeping into his limbs and bones.

(End of this chapter)