Episode 115: Dream in the game becomes reality

29. Goddess Sepia (2)

Duke Francis was not angry at the sight of the maid showing a disrespectful attitude even though two dukes were in front of him, but rather reacted as if it were absurd.

I understand.

What crazy person other than me would behave like that in front of the Duke of the Brigham Empire?

I have a reason and position to do so, but it was my first time seeing her, and no matter how she looked, she was just a maid.

A noble would not be working as a maid in a ducal household that was not a royal family.

In other words, it means a commoner.

"What you looking at?"

And Duke Francis had to feel a culture shock at the maid's subsequent remarks.

Well, this feels like seeing a back alley gangster rather than a maid.

Duke Francis looked dumbfounded at the maid's unexpected remark, and everyone around him was speechless.

"profit!"

Then, Duke Francis' subordinates, who had barely regained their senses, started shaking and looked like they might explode at any moment.

But then.

-puck!

"Ahh!"

Arcia, who had been silent, kicked the maid's butt.

The Auror Master's kick lifted the maid two meters from her spot, and she fell headlong to the floor.

"What are you doing!?"

The maid was furious and shouted.

Arcia pointed out, poking her forehead with her finger.

"Don't pay attention to the way you speak."

"Why did I... That's how it should be... "It's good."

"Because you could die."

In response to her question, Arcia asked if it was too obvious and hooked her finger on the choker around the maid's neck.

The maid was startled and closed her mouth.

I handed the apple to Duke Francis with a troubled expression.

"sorry. She's a little lacking. Since Arcia also punished her, can she just get over this?"

Why not?

The maid's identity was none other than 'Bug', wearing the shell of Isabella.

On Earth, the Internet is also called the trash can of emotions.

Because they hide behind anonymity and pour out all kinds of dirty stories.

And it was no different from Rondel.

Bugs grew up in the Hollywood system, Rondel's Internet.

Just as the environment is important to a child, she was exposed to an online environment where there was more anger than joy, and she grew up to be quite an unusual being.

"Ah, you certainly seem to be lacking in intelligence. Are you creating an image for no reason just because you are visiting a sacred place? "A nobleman who is active in hiring disabled people?"

"Haha, it's similar."

"Anyway, I heard you're smart."

So, to control the bugs, we are wearing dog collars and holding leashes to tame the dogs.

This is the leash that is related to life.

I said, looking at the bug.

"Today is an important day, so stay alert."

"… … Yes, Your Highness."

When the guy hesitated, Arcia pointed to a dog collar, no, a choker.

He bowed his head obediently again.

Of course, with a very angry expression.

I shook my head and turned my gaze straight ahead.

If a bug causes a problem, Arcia will take care of stopping it just like before.

"Who do you think you will be?"

"Of course, I believe it will be Miss Ivril, whom I support."

Duke Francis, are you treating me as one of your own now?

I asked lightly, as if it was obvious.

But when he heard my answer, he nodded obediently.

"It's Ivril Barnett, so the chances are high. "You were really good at storytelling."

"I feel like the compliments are generous today, don't you?"

"I'm just telling the truth. "On the other hand, we were too proud."

Is it surprising?

I didn't expect him to admit it so readily.

Normally, this is a character who should be conceited and say, 'No matter how hard you try, you won't be able to surpass us.'

Why is he suddenly like this?

"Ah, it's going up."

At my questioning gaze, he pointed forward with his chin.

Then, the image of a saint and a saint wearing exquisite pure white costumes, holding a cane with a circle draped over an inverted triangle, which is the symbol of the Sepia Order, was seen climbing the 'Way of the Goddess'.

The costume was flashy, but the arms were so big that it seemed risky that one might step on the hem of the dress and fall.

Following in the footsteps of saints and saints, 14 candidates for saints and 11 candidates for saints stepped forward.

No matter how you look at it, the huge facility that appears to be nothing more than an Aztec altar for human sacrifice had as many as 333 stairs... .

"Uh, why?"

"no!"

Even though there was a long way to go, the majority of saints and candidates for sainthood were unable to climb the stairs.

The lamentations of those who sensed the elimination of the candidate they supported or cheered for were heard here and there.

However, the people who were most shocked were those who were denied entry to the goddess.

After collapsing on the spot, they were able to leave the ceremony hall only with the help of priests.

To be honest, I had nothing to do with sainthood, so I paid no attention to it, and I was able to see five candidates for sainthood on the path to becoming a goddess.

Of the 14 candidates for sainthood, as many as 9 fell in a heap.

"The characters I expected remain."

"Right."

The five candidates who will follow the saint are the members that everyone expected.

Ivril Barnett, whom I support.

Evelyn Francis, daughter of Duke Francis.

Grace High Elven, the granddaughter of the Elf Queen, the axis of the Elysian Alliance.

Judy Esther, sponsored by my monk, the Dukes of Riverdale.

Even Princess Xia Lin, who is active on behalf of the East.

It was a reasonable appointment made by Shin actively accepting the results of the contest.

"Congratulations. "The first hurdle has been passed."

14:1 was reduced to 5:1.

Now I really had something to look forward to.

That's why I offered my congratulations to Duke Francis.

But he shook his head.

"I don't think there's any need to celebrate."

"yes?"

I narrowed my eyes, not understanding what he wanted to say.

But then.

- Roaring. Loud.

The surrounding murmur grew louder as when the eliminated candidate appeared.

So I looked up at the path of the goddess again to see what was going on, and I saw that Evelyn Francis, who was climbing the stairs, had stopped walking.

As a high-ranking Auror Expert, she had a hard time climbing stairs and couldn't catch her breath.

"no way?"

As one possibility crossed my mind, I looked at Duke Francis, and he stood up with a very calm expression.

"I will give up the saint's seat."

"omg."

At my surprised expression, Evelyn Francis turned and started coming down the stairs.

That means only one thing.

'That Duke Francis is abstaining?'

This means giving up the position of a saint.

It was good to have one less candidate, but it was an embarrassing situation.

Only then was I able to understand Duke Francis' quite friendly attitude and the reason why he treated the contest as if it were someone else's story.

'I can only say it's amazing in another way.'

To be honest, anyone could have predicted that Evelyn would be able to climb the path to becoming a goddess.

However, the idea that she will beat the rest of the candidates and become a saint inevitably raises a question mark.

'In my personal opinion, if Ivril, Esther, and Grace are first priority, then Princess Francis and Princess Xia are second priority.'

Perhaps Duke Francis's thoughts are similar to mine.

Of course, expectations can be overturned as the final decision is made by a goddess, but Duke Francis chose honor rather than hanging on to low odds.

Princess Francis is one of the five finalists on the path to goddess.

Now, she will be recorded as someone who voluntarily gave up the position of saint to other candidates.

The difference between giving in and dropping out is very big.

'Other people would rush in even if there was only a 1% chance.'

In fact, didn't those who didn't make it to the top 5 continue to participate with that wish?

In that sense, the choices made by Duke Francis and the Princess can only be described as different.

For the first time, I saw Duke Francis approaching his daughter in a cool way.

After a while, Duke Francis and his daughter Evelyn left the venue without looking back.

Since it has become irrelevant to them, they are going to stop paying attention.

"Huh, really… ."

Those who noticed Duke Francis' judgment responded with a mixture of admiration and bewilderment.

I made Arcia sit in the empty seat after Duke Francis disappeared.

"I think Ivril was momentarily offended by Princess Francis' showmanship?"

"It doesn't look like there are any injuries."

There was a brief incident, but soon everyone's eyes turned to those who had climbed to the top of the altar.

There were real-time broadcasting screens on holographic broadcasters here and there, but I, who had a magnifying glass, did not necessarily rely on the broadcasts and observed the situation with my own eyes.

Then, the saint, saint, and each candidate began praying toward the church symbol erected on the foundation.

Their every action was very polite.

-ridge! ridge! ridge!

Then, as I bowed once, twice, and three times to the sound of the drums, the white light that appeared on the altar at the top of the Goddess' Path grew in size.

-Paaah!

"Oh oh."

When the 10th bow was finished, the light exploded in all directions, creating a scene that looked like falling snow.

But what followed was something strange.

-Go go go go go!

"W-what is this energy?"

I had to break into a cold sweat due to the tremendous presence that began to be felt from above the event venue rather than the fluttering light powder.

'Certainly Advent?'

A frog before a snake?

No, it can't be compared to anything like that.

I feel like a baby sea turtle taking its first step into the ocean.

In addition to the vastness and holiness, there is a feeling of distant fear that cannot be surpassed.

Truly a god.

The presence itself was different.

As if I wasn't the only one feeling this way, Arcia swallowed dry saliva and grabbed my arm.

-Cow!

After a while.

With a sound effect that sounded like an old door opening in the empty air, the clouds dispersed and a door opened in the sky.

What appeared next was a huge black door reminiscent of an abyss and, in contrast, a small woman.

-Paaah!

As she approached the altar, the light powder that was scattering like snowflakes in the sky transformed into pure white feathers.

At first, it was just a contest.

I thought it was just a global festival that repeats every 50 years.

However, the moment I witnessed the goddess' descent, I realized that this was not that simple.

"Ahhh… ."

"Oh my god."

"The Great God Himself."

The woman's appearance was anything but ordinary.

The costume, which moved organically as if draped in space, contained stars, and the entire body was made of gold translucent glass.

It was an appearance that left one with nothing but admiration.

The priests all shed tears at the appearance of Sepia, and ordinary people could not raise their heads in reverence.

'I've never heard anything like this.'

When I heard about being chosen by the goddess, I thought it was just a matter of communication, but now that it's Advent… .

When the saint and saint looked at this, wondering if this was the case, they were also visibly embarrassed and quickly bowed their heads.

'The saint and saint were embarrassed?'

In other words, this is not a situation that was predicted.

It means that there is someone who has caught the goddess's attention, no matter who it is.

[I will choose.]And the goddess conveyed her thoughts to everyone in a simple tone of voice.

The saint and the saint rose from their seats and retreated to either side of the candidates.

Because now they were the ones to step down.

The goddess looked at the candidates one by one.

"huh?"

But, was it an illusion that I felt like our eyes met during the process?

Next, the goddess seemed to have decided on the next great saint and saint, and the body floating about 5 meters above the altar gradually began to increase in altitude.

[Remain in Jihad. Girl Everil.]A very simple presentation.

With those last words, the goddess disappeared into the darkness of the bottomless pit, the door in the sky.

[As the chaos in the world continues, we must be careful of the fall of the black star.]Then, after saying a line that sounded meaningful even though I don't know the meaning, the door that had appeared in the sky disappeared.

-Ssssss.

At the same time, the presence of the goddess disappeared, and everyone was frozen in their seats and unable to move, as if a storm had struck.

"Oh my god, what is going on?"

"The goddess descends?"

Everyone's reaction was that they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

It was no different for me and Arcia.

"What, what is it, Sissy. "I'm scared of dogs in the outside world."

In addition, even Bugs, who are still lacking in artificial intelligence, expressed their sentiments passionately.

"But first of all, Everil was chosen, right?"

"Yes, unless I misheard."

I am so happy that Everil was chosen as a saint.

But I couldn't express that joy honestly.

This was all because of the goddess who devastated the earth.