Episode 75: Dream in the game becomes reality

21. Saint Contest (6)

On November 25, 2019 in the Magic Century, a proclamation was delivered to the world from Everhill, the sacred site and headquarters of the church that worships the Creator Sepia.

[With 15 candidates for saints and 11 candidates for saints selected, a contest to elect two leaders to lead the denomination begins.] [The contest is scheduled to run for about a month, and the content of the contest will be transparently broadcast and online. It will be made public.]It was about electing a saint and saint who could be considered the religious president of Rondel.

This was a bigger event than the war between the Brigham Empire and the Prius Republic.

So much so that on the day when the saint and saint are finally selected, the war between the two great countries will have to stop.

In addition, along with the proclamation, a list of candidates who could be considered successful interns according to the company interview was released.

[List of saint candidates]-Grace High Elven (210 years old / Elysia Alliance)

-Judy Esther (19 years old / Holy Land Everhill)

-Evelyn Francis (21 years old / Brigham Empire)

-Ivril Barnet (15 years old / Reinharts Kingdom)

.

.

-Rami Curtis (18 years old / Croisen Empire)

No matter how hard you try, if you don't get selected as a candidate in the end, you're out of luck, but fortunately, Ivril's name was on the list.

And she ranks fourth among the 15 prominent candidates for sainthood.

First, these candidates were recommended by high-ranking clergy at the level of a bishop or higher, and the recommenders were then evaluated and passed using an evaluation table prepared in-house.

Candidates' names are revealed in order of highest score, so it means that Ivril was chosen 4th among the candidates for sainthood.

After all, all the hard work was not in vain.

I feel truly fortunate.

There are only seven broadcasts in which Everil appeared, and a huge amount of advertising money was poured into the media to keep her exposed.

Thanks to this, her awareness soared in a short period of time, and even though she had no special achievements, she was able to receive evaluation without discrimination due to the high public interest.

'Now is the beginning.'

I'm making all this fuss about making a saint with my own hands, but if you ask me if it's that much better to have a saint as a hundred, I can immediately reply that it's obvious.

Fame is fame, but it also means becoming the patron of a saint from a single religion around the world.

There was no choice but to enjoy great benefits, both business and political.

Of course, the saint's name must be used appropriately to avoid being cut off.

"Can I do well?"

"We will provide sufficient backup so that you can do well. So please relax and just focus on the contest."

"Ugh, I understand."

The saintess contest is not just a battle between candidates.

It can also be said to be a political battle between sponsors who support each candidate.

Naturally, if the sponsor's power was weak during the process, the candidate had no choice but to be pushed back.

In that respect, I understand that there are many questions about whether I, a new noble, are suitable as a patron of a saint.

Although a marquis was not a low status, considering that there were people directly sponsored by dukes and royal families of the empire, it could not be considered a very high status.

However, if applicants were to be ranked by sponsors, Ivril can confidently say that she is in the top three.

The reason is that not only is the broad-minded archbishop actively moving to make Ivril a saint, but the Reinharts royal family is also showing great interest in this matter and providing national support.

In that respect, there was no need to worry about political standing.

"Let's move slowly too."

"yes!"

Currently, we are participating in a commemorative event where saints, saint candidates, and sponsors who support each candidate gather together.

As expected, as expected from the world's richest organization, the event felt large and grand, but it was not as loud as a religious event.

The number of people who can participate in the event for each candidate is limited to four, and Eric Jones (possessor of political talent), who was named as Ivril and her entourage, I, Ivril's sponsor, and Arcia as my entourage.

"Oh, the author is that?"

"Considering the importance of the position, isn't he too young?"

"But you are very resourceful. "He may be young, but he is someone no one here can ignore."

As our group walked across the venue, sharp glances and murmurs came from all around us.

We stood out the most at the event venue because the candidates, sponsors, and entourage were all young people who could be said to be young.

Moreover, the member's gorgeous appearance was also a major factor that attracted attention.

"If nothing else, they look gorgeous."

"Is it made up of young and beautiful people? You did a good job with your head. It definitely stands out."

Ivril is Ivril, but Arsia's beauty in a proper party dress was by far the best.

I don't think I'm intimidated by looks, but whenever I see Arcia, I feel excited.

This is what I'm stuck with every day, so how can other people be so miserable?

There were a lot of male gazes following Arcia.

Even candidates for sainthood.

The place we arrived at attracted people's attention.

"I meet you, saint, saint, and saint king."

It was the place where the three leaders of the holy city of Everhill and the pinnacle of religious figures around the world were sitting.

The holy city of Everhill is also a country, and its influence on the world is greater than that of the Brigham Empire, but by no means small.

It is questionable whether such a force will work properly if the three of them manage it together, but surprisingly, there is no conflict between the three, and they get along like good friends, each doing their best in their given field.

The reason why this ridiculous system is possible is because God is directly involved in religion.

Generally, when you think of feudal religion, you think of a corrupt organization that enforces twisted beliefs, but in the religious world of this world, that was impossible.

A priest who commits a mistake gradually loses his divine power, and is arrested by priests in the position of judge and made to pay the penalty.

Therefore, Rondel's religion was able to have an image of integrity even though it was the only religion in the world.

'Among the three leaders, the person who should receive attention from Everil is, of course, the current saint, Sharon Sylvester.'

[Sharon Sylvester / Saint]Race: Human

Age: 67

Affiliation: Saint Mary of the Holy Land Everhill Church of Sophia

Talents: Divine Power (High), Intellectual Ability (High), Commanding Power (High), Administrative Power (Medium), Commanding Power (Medium), Communicative Ability (Medium)

Traits: Innocent Leader / Goddess' Blessing / Demon Slayer

Relationship: Interested/Neutral

Status: Observation / Interested

This is the person who will become Ivril's predecessor.

The current saint is 67 years old, but thanks to the goddess's blessing, she maintains her appearance as in her prime.

Thanks to this, she only looks like she's my age, but even though she looks like this, she's a real grandmother who got married 40 years ago and even recently saw her great-grandchild.

"nice to meet you. "Did you say he was the Marquis of Lawrence?"

"Yes, it is. "Your Majesty Sylvester."

"He is a very young person. "If I were just a little younger, I would have started working on it."

The good thing about the Sophia Church is that it does not force excessive abstinence on believers and clergy.

So, there are quite a few celebrities who have romantic relationships with saints and saints, and whenever that happens, controversies like this arise.

[The content is about grandfathers and grandmothers, but they look beautiful in their 20s! possible? impossible?]ㄴAvailable!

ㄴBut it's not like this!

ㄴHow dare these things come to you... … .

This means that just because it is a denomination, it does not mean that it is rigid and imposes mystery.

"It's hard to give an answer because my fiancée is by my side."

"Oops, I'm in charge. ha ha ha."

After all, both on Earth and here, appearance is a weapon for both men and women.

Even though it was the first time we met, didn't we receive such favorable attention?

But since I didn't approach the saint to seduce her, I introduced Ivril to them.

"This is Ms. Ivril, whom I am sponsoring this time. Please take care of me."

Of course, being visible to the saint in front of you will be beneficial in many ways during the contest.

In that sense, I didn't need to put in a lot of work... … .

"This is so… … ."

This is because I did not think that they would not know the value of Ivril, which even the Archbishop recognized.

Just by showing Everil, you will be able to attract favorable attention.

And this prediction was right on target.

"It's amazing."

"The Marquis of Lawrence has selected the right person."

The saint, a priest above the archbishop, immediately recognized Ivril's value.

The faces of the participants, who were looking at us from the corner of their eyes at the two people's reactions, showed bewilderment.

I answered politely and not rashly.

"I wouldn't have entered this contest if I hadn't discovered her. "I didn't participate simply for political gain."

It would be a lie if I said I did not seek political gain.

However, unlike most candidates who were raised by political choice, Ivril was the best in his own right.

Therefore, I felt sincere when I seriously presented a person who could become a saint without flattering like others.

[Relationship: Interested / Neutral].

.

[Relationship: Favorable / Neutral]And this created a positive response from the saint.

After confirming that the relationship had changed from 'interest' to 'favor', I had a short chat with the saint, saint, and saint king.

However, it wasn't long before the conversation ended with a polite bow.

"Oh my, are you leaving already?"

"Wouldn't it be fair to give space to others?"

"You're a smart guy."

The reason is that the saint's condition changed from 'interested' to 'somewhat interesting'.

So I decided to leave the place cleanly.

No matter how favorably the relationship developed, he didn't seem to like taking up a lot of time from the first meeting.

As I noticed and hit and run in moderation, her condition returned from 'slightly interesting' to 'interesting'.

That way, I was able to make a small profit.

Then, he looked around to find his ally, Olivia, the Duke of Riverdale, and the corners of his mouth curled when he spotted an unexpected person.

"Who is this?"

I walked forward with great strides and pretended to know him as I approached the sturdy middle-aged man.

"hmm? you?"

"Nice to meet you. Duke Francis. "I am Marquis Adrian Lawrence of the Kingdom of Reinharts."

He was none other than Duke Francis of the Brigham Empire, who had sent an assassin to kill Ivril.

* * *

'Gregory! What does that mean!'

'I told you that I don't think I can be with His Royal Highness any longer.'

'How dare anyone do whatever they want!'

'Thank you so much.'

Marquis Lawrence of the Kingdom of Rheinharts and the saint candidate he sponsored, Ivril, were an eyesore and ordered Gregory and Auguste, who commanded his shadow troops, to assassinate him.

I had no doubt that those two would definitely achieve their goal as they had done so far.

That's how much Duke Francis had a lot of trust in the two people.

Of course, the foundation of that trust was the skills of the two people.

The combination of an assassination-type Aura Master and a top-level spirit-type elementalist was at a level that even the Grandmaster himself could not easily defeat.

however… … .

It is said that those two failed their mission.

No, just the failure of the mission was surprising, but the two people suddenly announced their retirement because of what scared them.

This was never acceptable.

'Do you think I look funny? You can come in as you please, but you must have my permission to leave.'

So, I used force to stop the two people.

Even though Grandmaster Duke Francis and his excellent subordinates rushed in, they lost sight of the two men.

'71 Vanguards were killed, and one Sky Fortress crashed.'

'… … .'

'The damage to the sky fortress is not severe, so it can be restarted with a little repair. However, the place where the sky fortress fell was an industrial district, so there was property loss... … .'

He also missed it with great damage.

It was a time to reaffirm the incredible fighting power of the two men.

However, Duke Francis could not forget the words Gregory spoke before leaving the estate rather than the damage to property.

'Considering our past affection, let me give you one piece of advice. Never be an enemy of the Marquis Lawrence. He is a monster.'

As a result, we were able to be sure that the reason Gregory and Auguste left the estate was because of the Marquis Lawrence.

In addition, the scene where Auguste, who can be said to be a collection of madness, trembled while Gregory's advice continued, was unbelievable even when I saw it in person.

'How on earth? How can those two be done?'

Duke Francis was confused.

But now.

"Who is this?"

A being who could be said to be the sum of all that confusion appeared before Duke Francis.

"Nice to meet you. Duke Francis. "I am Marquis Adrian Lawrence of the Kingdom of Reinharts."