A Game's Opportunity Becomes Reality, Episode 77
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A Game's Opportunity Becomes Reality, Episode 77
22. Monster Subjugation (2)
"The permit came through more easily than I expected."
"I hear Her Holiness the Saintess laughed out loud at the Marquis's selection."
"I can only thank His Holiness Sylvester for being so gracious in understanding."
"But complaints are pouring out from the other candidates' camps. They're calling it a loophole."
"They claim it's a loophole even though His Holiness approved it? I understand, but making that argument right now would only irritate His Holiness."
"That's how desperate everyone is."
Archbishop Fred, whom I met at a hotel in the Holy Land Everhill rather than at my own Lord's estate, looked at me as if I were a curiosity and voiced his question.
"Honestly, I thought the chances of the Marquis's selection being accepted were very low. What kind of magic did you cast on His Holiness?"
"Let's call it excellent composure, suitably tactful speech, and the ability to read the other person's mood."
"If I may say so, the Marquis seems to have a strong sense of self-regard."
"Haha, I'm joking. Perhaps it was the wit shown through such an unexpected move that was appreciated. Or maybe Her Holiness the Saintess recognized Miss Ibril's worth and took a liking to her."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
Currently, Ibril, along with the personnel I assigned to her, is in the midst of registering as a mercenary in the Jordy Kingdom, where she previously appeared on broadcast with me.
During the Saintess and Holy Son contest, cameras constantly follow each candidate around.
And the contest's progress is broadcast live through television and online; since each candidate is assigned one channel, viewership ratings can be understood as support counts.
[Current Contest Channel Viewership]
1.21% Grace Hielven
1.16% Lloyd Hielven
1.12% Ibril Barnet
0.81% Judy Esther
Ibril's viewership currently ranked third, and she was in a tight race with the Elf Holy Son candidate and the Elf Saintess candidate, having opened a considerable gap from the others.
"When she first threw herself into broadcast appearances, I wondered if it would have any effect, but Lady Ibril's recognition has risen beyond imagination."
"Indeed. The majority of viewership comes from commoners, and we focused on raising recognition among them. But still, broadcasting among handsome and beautiful elves is tough."
"The elves' popularity can't be helped. It's never been any different. But this doesn't have a big impact. The Saintess and Holy Son aren't chosen by popularity vote, after all."
I exchanged words with Archbishop Fred while watching Ibril's broadcast, then nodded with a bitter expression.
Elves really are cheating existences in every way.
Not only are they beautiful, but every single one of them possesses high stats.
It was a mountain I absolutely had to cross for her to become the Saintess.
'Hold on, Ibril.'
I cheered her on inwardly and changed the subject.
"The reason I asked to see you at the Holy Land today is that I have separate business."
Archbishop Fred tilted his head, wondering what important matter there could be at the Holy Land apart from Ibril-related affairs.
Saying it was better to show than to explain, I took out something like a pure white glass rod from my subspace and handed it to him.
"This is!?"
Archbishop Fred, who had been examining it curiously, widened both eyes in shock.
"Is this not Orichalcum? No, it's not a simple lump of Orichalcum. The Divine power faintly emanating from within is... Could it be?"
Knowing what he was about to say, I silently nodded and answered.
"Yes, it's a Holy Relic. Estimated to be from about 20,000 years ago."
This Relic was an unexpected gain from the last Domain War.
[Heavenly Tribe Sword Hilt(?) / Holy Relic]
-Presumed to be the hilt portion of a sword used by the Heavenly Tribe in the Mythic Age.
-When mana or Divine power is infused, it appears to condense, amplify, and release energy; it is presumed to take on a form similar to an Aura Blade enhanced with force.
-Currently inoperative as part of the internal divine magic circuits have been destroyed.
-May be repairable by high-ranking technicians of the Holy Land Everhill.
-Material: Orichalcum (350g), Holy Blood Stone (32g)
The Karma viscount family, which had possessed the Relic, had simply owned it as a lump of Orichalcum with a high refund rate, but I, who had the cheat key called the Myriad Mirror, could understand the value of this Holy Relic.
"I-If that's true, it would have considerable propaganda effects..."
As expected, it was Archbishop Fred who, upon seeing the Holy Relic, immediately thought about how to use it for Ibril's benefit.
But this shouldn't be used that way.
"This Holy Relic has the potential to be repaired if there's a skilled technician."
"You mean an ancient Relic could be restored?"
"Yes, the possibility is high. There are divine magic circuits inside that appear to be from the Mythic Age, but only part of them are destroyed. The rest is clean."
"Ohhh!"
Unless one were a fool, it was impossible not to understand the reason I had taken this out now.
"What you want from me, Marquis, is for me to arrange for a skilled technician, correct?"
"That's right."
"Of course I'll look into it. This is a tremendous discovery."
I put the Holy Relic back into my subspace and asked.
"Does the Holy Relic have to be handed over to the church?"
"No, there's no need for that. The royal families and imperial families of each nation also hold at least one Holy Relic each. However, considering the propaganda effect for Lady Ibril, donating would be the best option but if it's a properly functioning Holy Relic from the Mythic Age, donating it for simple propaganda purposes would be excessive."
The fact that he didn't insist on donation without question made him trustworthy.
Hearing that put my mind at ease.
"And even if you don't donate, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the propaganda effect with the Holy Relic."
"That's true."
To be honest, I had never even considered donating in the first place, but I wonder if he's seeing me as too good a person.
"Will you be staying at this hotel for a while?"
"Yes, that's the plan."
"Understood. Then, I will find the best technician and bring them here."
"I appreciate it."
Archbishop Fred seemed to think there was no need for prolonged small talk and rose from his seat immediately.
There really are many people working behind the scenes to make Ibril a Saintess.
I will use every means available so that this effort isn't wasted.
With that, I turned my gaze to the broadcast showing Ibril floundering around at the mercenary guild.
* * *
The world had become one where highly advanced technology allowed giant weapons to dominate the skies, yet even so, countless monsters still lived in Rondel, threatening human survival.
In the past, numerous nations with strong military power including Bringham had poured enormous funds, manpower, and time into exterminating such monsters.
But no matter how many monsters were killed, they kept appearing from somewhere, and after such battles continued for decades, the great Grand Mage, Grand Duke Manuel Lucas, proposed a highly plausible hypothesis.
'An extinction prevention system.'
That was within the laws of the Creator that upheld the world of Rondel, might there not be a system that prevented the extinction of life?
If you thought about it, to the Creator, monsters and humans were both the same creations.
Considering Rondel's situation where the influence of the gods was strong, it was a plausible story.
From the perspective of an Earthling who had lived while driving many species to extinction, it was truly an amazing and wonderful system but from a Rondelian's perspective, it was nothing more than an annoying rule that hindered progress.
Because of monsters, even as technology advanced and military power grew, people still had to build walls for safety.
To a Rondelian, monsters were nothing more than a virus eating away at the world.
'Exterminating all monsters isn't necessarily the best plan.'
But not everyone wished for the extinction of monsters.
No one knew how the natural food chain would collapse, and surprisingly, a great variety of resources could be obtained from monsters.
Especially for mercenaries who made their living hunting monsters, the extinction of monsters was tantamount to threatening their survival.
So when the monster extermination plan concluded in failure, the mercenaries cheered unanimously.
In the end, it means that monsters and mercenaries the basic elements of a fantasy world are in an inseparable symbiotic relationship.
"Well, well, we have some distinguished guests."
Hunting monsters as a mercenary is a job that can earn a lot of money.
However, since it requires risking one's life in battle every single day, it's not considered a high social status.
That's why they weren't too pleased to see a newly formed party of knights, mages, and a Saintess candidate show up looking for mercenary work.
Ibril, who had visited the mercenary guild of the Jordy Kingdom, flinched and hunched her shoulders under the hostile gazes pouring in from all directions.
"Don't worry. No one's going to try anything while the cameras are rolling. And unless they're out of their minds, hardly anyone will dare touch our party protected as we are by the Sepia church and the Kingdom of Rhinehearts."
There was someone reassuring her the party's leader, Allen Lopez, a former knight who had newly begun his studies after Adrian uncovered his talent for magic.
He was a true Magic Swordsman, possessing the skill of a regular Knight (Aura User) and a regular Mage (3rd Circle).
And since the other three members were also hybrids capable of using both magic and the sword, they were a high-grade asset rarely seen in the mercenary world.
"R-really?"
"Yes, so take it easy and steadily do what you can as a cleric, a Saintess candidate, and a mercenary."
"Thank you, Sir Lopez."
The half-witted knight of the Otis Earldom, Lopez, was nowhere to be seen.
Having found a second life after meeting Adrian, he'd come to realize his own talent late and had fully regained his confidence.
Moreover, as a leading figure of the Genius Hall, which gathered the talents of the Marquis Lawrence domain, Lopez was well accustomed to dealing with people.
"Sorry for the wait. Here are your mercenary badges."
And a moment later.
The receptionist practically the face of the mercenary guild approached them with a nervous expression and presented their mercenary badges.
[B-Rank Mercenary Badge]
Name: Ibril Barnet
Age: 15
Occupation: Cleric
Ibril looked at the mercenary badge she'd thought she would never receive in her lifetime, a curious expression on her face.
"Per regulations, we had no choice but to assign a B-rank. Please don't take offense we ask for your understanding."
"Offense? Not at all. Thank you for your consideration."
Ibril, being a commoner herself, knew quite a bit about mercenaries.
Mercenaries had seven ranks from F up to S (F, E, D, C, B, A, S).
Even reaching the middle rank of C supposedly earned more than double the pay of an average office worker.
Yet here she was, being handed a B-rank badge not even C.
Even if the profession was unstable with one's life on the line, plenty of people would clamor for the chance to be a high-ranking mercenary of B-rank.
That was how much the B-rank meant success among mercenaries a position every newcomer to the trade dreamed of.
"What the hell she gets B-rank without even doing anything?"
Naturally, many mercenaries found this situation grating.
They were out there risking their lives every day, and then these flashy-looking people waltz in with cameras and get B-rank as a starting grade.
Ibril's shoulders hunched once more.
But only for a moment.
With a determined expression, Ibril made an unexpected move walking straight toward the mercenary who had cursed out loud.
Her party members, including Lopez, were startled, and so was the broadcasting station's cameraman.
"W-what?"
Was it because such a noble lady a Saintess candidate, no less had approached him?
The mercenary clamped his mouth shut, as if he'd never said anything crude at all.
No matter how rough they were, this world was fundamentally a class-based society, so it couldn't be helped.
"You're hurt, aren't you?"
And what Ibril did next shocked everyone.
She stared at the cast on the man who had insulted her and looked at her with disdain, then placed her hand on it and used holy magic.
"Huh?"
The mercenary who had been healed after cursing at her wore a dumbfounded expression, and the guild hall fell dead silent.
"Please be more careful from now on."
"Ah, thank you."
Though she looked grown on the outside, Ibril was still just a girl of fifteen.
As the pretty young miss with neatly styled hair flashed a shy smile and ran back to her group, the mercenary who'd cursed found himself placing his casted hand over his own heart.
Ibril's holy magic didn't end with that one time.
Before the monster subjugation mission, whenever she spotted an injured person, she would fearlessly walk up and use holy magic on them.
"Lady Ibril."
"Thank you."
Before long, mercenaries smitten by her beauty, freshness, and innocence began to appear in the guild one by one.
And as such days repeated one, two, three ...
"Ibril! Ibril! Ibril!"
"Ibril! Ibril! Ibril!"
Whenever she appeared at the guild, mercenaries would chant Ibril's name.
"Why, why are you all doing this!"
The Jordy Kingdom mercenary guild had become a group of zealots.