Chapter 6.

 Debut Match

“Just as I thought. You see it that way too, Nagrim?”

“Yes. I do.”

“If that’s what your eyes tell you, then it is almost certain that Rian is the Prophet.”

Nagrim Hilloriven.

A once-in-a-generation genius who had risen to the position of Archbishop at a young age thanks to his inhuman amount of holy power and extensive knowledge.

Of course, possessing genius alone was not enough to rise to the position of Archbishop. There was something else he possessed.

The ability to see the potential of others.

Those eyes had identified countless talented individuals before they underwent their Naming Ceremony or Baptism.

And this time, those eyes were focused on Rian.

Rian shone with a pure potential unlike any child Nagrim had ever seen.

“It must have been troublesome, so thank you for helping us this much.”

“Wearing ordinary priestly robes hardly qualifies as troublesome, Cardinal. I am simply grateful that I was able to identify the great God’s representative before anyone else.”

“No. Thanks to you, I now have certainty.”

“Do you think a Holy War will break out, Senior?”

“Because the existence of a Prophet has appeared? Most likely.”

Nagrim and Liliard’s connection went back to the days when they were both members of the Inquisition—Nagrim as an Inquisitor and Liliard as an Inspector Priest.

The Inquisition handled a great deal of specialized information even within the Church. Since the two had risen to fairly high positions there, they were among the few people who were even aware of the existence of Prophets.

Liliard’s expression grew solemn.

Around five hundred years ago.

The Demon God had sought to take the world created by Lord Elysian.

Leading demons, the Demon God had waged war against the human world, taking the lives of countless humans and animals.

To restrain the countless demons pouring into the world and guide humanity, God selected and sent forth a central figure—the Prophet.

The Prophet directly heard Lord Elysian’s voice and led the people, using the miraculous power granted by God to defeat all the demons.

Unlike the Saint, who heard God’s voice indirectly through dreams, a Prophet was an existence whose very appearance signified a powerful connection with God.

“What are the chances that Cardinal Saverio knows about the existence of the Prophet?”

“I’m not sure… The Holy Healing Bureau, where he served, didn’t have authorization to access such information. However, given that he is of Imperial blood, we cannot rule out the possibility that he knows.”

“Do both of you believe Cardinal Saverio will become an obstacle?”

At Raillike’s question, both men silently nodded.

“Whether Cardinal Saverio knows about the Prophet or not, as Rian’s presence grows, he will inevitably interfere more and more.”

“I agree with Senior Liliard. His ambition is simply too great.”

Cardinal Saverio.

The current Saint’s uncle and the man who currently manipulated the Saint like a puppet.

Everyone was keeping quiet about it, but the current Saint had already lost his connection with God.

And now, at a time like this, a Prophet who threatened the Saint’s position had appeared?

There was no way Cardinal Saverio would remain still.

“For now, I think it would be best to keep quiet until the mark of the Prophet reveals itself. Instead, we should proceed with preparations behind the scenes.”

Nagrim’s opinion was met with agreement from both Liliard and Raillike.

Whatever happened, the most important thing was Rian’s safety.

Time passed.

Before I knew it, it was the final day of the year in which I turned five.

I was about to undergo my Baptism.

Unlike the Naming Ceremony, which was held for everyone born in the Holy Empire, the Baptism was reserved exclusively for prospective clergy members.

Those who could undergo their Baptism exactly at the age of five were mostly people following the elite path.

They were either born into priestly families or had received an immense blessing from Elysian immediately upon birth.

The Baptism was held publicly on the final day of the year, with all children born five years earlier gathered together.

“Yaaawn…”

“Oh my, Rian. It’s cute when you yawn, but it isn’t very dignified, so you should cover your mouth.”

“Yes, Mother.”

I had now spent a full five years being born in the Elion Holy Empire and living as Rian Rudersk.

By now, I knew a great deal about this place.

And it was an even more absurd fantasy world than I’d initially thought.

Eli, are you happy now that your wish has come true?

—I’m super happy! Rian is really making his idol debut!

Technically, I’m not an idol.

There was a peculiar culture in this country that made me wonder whether this really was a nation devoted to God.

And that was the immense popularity of high-ranking members of the clergy.

Of course, priests who helped ordinary citizens with their daily lives were naturally bound to be popular.

But this went far beyond that.

Baptisms were held publicly so the entire nation could watch them, stories about the clergy spread widely as gossip, and there were even competitions among priests that the citizens of the Empire enjoyed almost like sporting events.

To the people of the Empire, everything the clergy did was practically entertainment.

This was a medieval fantasy world.

Even though magic existed, most ordinary people lived rather uneventful lives farming or engaging in commerce.

At its core, the world simply lacked stimulating forms of entertainment.

The clergy of Elion were heroes who protected the people of the entire continent, including the citizens of the Empire, from the threat of magical beasts and demons.

Watching heroes in action was exhilarating in itself, while their regular healing services sent their popularity soaring even higher.

In the end, starting from the previous Holy Emperor, they made the insane decision to turn every activity and promotion process involving the clergy into public events.

The purpose had been to encourage the people’s faith while also providing them with entertainment.

And it had been a tremendous success.

Among all those events, the Baptism was the official occasion when newcomers made their debut before the public.

Those who attracted attention during the ceremony were branded as “rookies,” becoming the focus of public interest.

Popularity directly translated into personal wealth and fame, and naturally, the more attractive someone was, the more popular they became.

If I compared it to Earth, priests here were celebrities, while popular priests were top idols or top actors.

A rookie is basically a major new idol who takes the entertainment industry by storm immediately after debuting?

From the citizens’ perspective, watching the Baptism was like watching the first steps of the heroes who would protect them in the future.

Naturally, a culture of becoming attached to them and cheering them on had developed.

As public interest exploded, the Empire could no longer ignore their popularity.

Eventually, it even began affecting the clergy’s evaluations and advancement.

As a result…

The venue was packed with spectators who had come to watch today’s Baptism.

I turned my head slightly while standing in the arena where the ceremony was being held.

A huge crowd had gathered.

They’re actually coming to watch this boring ceremony in these numbers?

If this isn’t the fantasy world’s version of the idol industry, then what is?

No matter how many times I thought about it, this was one hell of a bizarre world.

Thanks to that, I’d been subjected to every possible form of grooming and decoration since dawn today.

It was exhausting beyond belief.

There was no way a five-year-old’s stamina could handle this.

I’m so tired. I’m exhausted.

—Wow, our Rian is the best. Absolutely the best.

Someone’s going to hear that and call you a doting fool.

Well, I could understand Eli’s reaction.

My limbs were longer and more slender than those of an average five-year-old, and after being dressed up like a peacock to the fullest extent today, I was practically glowing with a halo around me.

My platinum-blond hair shimmered beneath the sunlight, while my blue eyes were as clear as a lake.

Even I had to admit that my face was rather extraordinary.

For the Baptism, I’d been dressed in a pure-white silk baptismal robe.

A delicate lace veil with an intricate and beautiful pattern had been placed over my head.

And sprinkled across the veil was glittering powder.

They said they ground up Sacred Stones and sprinkled them on it.

Perhaps because they perfectly reflected the attributes of Elysian, the god who governed light, Sacred Stones scattered brilliant, multicolored radiance when struck by sunlight.

Once all the holy power contained within a Sacred Stone was depleted, it lost its light and became nothing more than an ordinary stone.

Naturally, they had to grind up Sacred Stones packed with holy power for this.

Apparently, the amount of light they emitted depended on their holy-power content.

Our family certainly didn’t have to worry about money, but having all of that sprinkled over my head was a little…

Ugh. This is so embarrassing.

—No, it’s super pretty!

I’m sure it was pretty.

I’d heard that since priests valued integrity and nobility, they couldn’t simply decorate themselves from head to toe with jewels.

So this was the method they’d chosen instead.

Didn’t that just make it even more extravagant?

Thanks to all that powder, I couldn’t even cough or sneeze in case it blew away.

It’s uncomfortable.

—Beauty is always uncomfortable.

I want to lie down.

—Beauty requires suffering!

Aaah! Eli, are you making fun of me?

—Yep. Exactly.

We’d been together for five years now, but Eli was still a girl at heart.

She also still blushed whenever she looked at Father.

“Rian. You remember everything you studied about the Baptism, don’t you?”

“Yes. I remember everything.”

I straightened my posture at Mother’s words beside me.

The Baptism itself was nothing special.

You simply gathered a bunch of children around the same age in the arena and, in the designated order, received a baptism from the Holy Flame.

On Earth, baptism involved water.

Here, it involved fire.

Aside from that being fascinating, I figured there wouldn’t be much to it.

I decided I’d just maintain a proper expression and zone out quietly.

“Now! We will begin the Baptism of the 595th year of the Elion calendar!”

That was the plan.

Until a young-looking clergyman who had apparently only recently become a bishop stepped forward to host the event.

…?

What is this strange sense of déjà vu?

Why was my experience of appearing on variety shows back on Earth suddenly flashing through my mind?

As the bishop continued speaking, my understanding of the Baptism began to crumble.

“I wonder which rookies will stand out during this year’s Baptism! Everyone! Are you curious?!”

“Yeeeees!!”

No, seriously, how many spectators are there?

“Let’s take a look at videos of this year’s Baptism candidates!”

Only now did I notice that panels made of holy power had appeared in the air, playing recorded footage.

They use holy power for this…?

These people are way too serious about the Baptism.

Short introductions showing the children’s everyday lives began playing one after another.

“Mother. When was that filmed?”

There was even footage of me that I had absolutely no memory of having recorded.

“Ohohoho. There are always plenty of surprise contents at the Baptism. Just enjoy it.”

I said earlier that I knew a lot about this place, didn’t I?

Yeah.

Never mind.

I still didn’t understand this place at all.

“M-my face is up there…!”

“Ah! I thought no one would ever know about that!”

Fortunately, judging from the reactions of the children around me, everyone was just as shocked as I was.

Thank goodness Eli and I only talk inside our heads.

—Yeah. We almost would’ve become those scary people who talk to empty air.

When Mother told me to study the Baptism, she definitely only explained the procedure for receiving the baptism.

—We got tricked, Rian.

Indeed.

It was all a conspiracy orchestrated by cunning adults!

The children’s bewildered reactions and helpless expressions were also being captured live on the panels.

The moment my own face appeared, I quickly changed my expression with lightning-fast reflexes.

“Wooooooah!!”

This is what it means to be a professional.

—Oh, Rian. Looks like you’ve still got your old skills.

I’d once been a blue-chip prospect in the entertainment industry thanks to my decent looks, incredible physique, and exceptional talent.

Something like this was child’s play.

Although they’d said the introductions would be brief, so many people had gathered that quite a lot of time passed just introducing everyone.

But the excitement didn’t die down simply because the ceremony was running late.

Buoyed by the crowd’s enthusiastic cheers, Bishop MC’s excitement continued to rise.

“All right! Shall we move on to the main event?!”

The moment the bishop finished speaking, white flames began popping into existence in the air above our heads.

“Ohhh…”

“Prettyyy!”

The children gathered there exclaimed in awe at the beautiful sight.

As for me, I stared at the flames with a slight frown.

They all look more or less the same…

But their properties are different.

—Oh! Is this a spot-the-difference game?

I don’t know if it’s a hidden-picture game or a spot-the-difference game, but it seems like something along those lines.

The moment Eli and I detected the differences in the properties of the flames, we immediately understood the purpose of the game.

The bishop continued explaining.

“Can you see the flames floating in the sky above your heads? These flames are Holy Flames.”

“But not all of them are real Holy Flames! Mixed among the real Holy Flames are fake Holy Flames created using holy power.”

“From this moment onward, you must find the real Holy Flames among all these flames!”

The rules were simple.

A real Holy Flame was worth +1 point.

A fake Holy Flame was worth -2 points.

Even if you collected two real Holy Flames, picking up a fake one by mistake would completely cancel out your gains.

So if you collect a bunch of fake Holy Flames, you could actually end up with a lower score than a kid who collected nothing.

I could feel the intention behind this simple game.

They wanted to evaluate various qualities, such as skill, judgment, and strategy.

Isn’t this a little harsh for five-year-olds?

—But kids with naturally strong sensitivity, even if they’re nowhere near as talented as you, probably won’t find this particularly difficult.

How many children like that could there possibly be?

All the children who were receiving their Baptism this year gathered inside the arena.

This is basically a survival game.

There wasn’t actually an elimination system, but the whole setup was exactly like a survival competition.

And this was being broadcast live.

If you performed well here, you’d rise rapidly as a rookie.

But what if you messed up and became known for the wrong reason?

That impression would probably stick with you throughout your entire career as a priest.

The children’s faces around me seemed to stiffen slightly, as though they had begun to realize the same thing Rian had.

Hmm.

This is going to be fierce.

I was just about to move to the assigned line according to the order we’d been given when—

“Hey! You’re Rian, right?”

“Yeah. Who are you?”

I turned around after feeling someone poke me repeatedly from the side.

A little boy with light brown hair was standing there.

For someone who supposedly wants to become a priest, his eyes are a little too insolent.

His gaze swept over me from head to toe in a rather hostile manner.

“Hah. You can’t even recognize your own relative?”

“I’m seeing you for the first time today. How am I supposed to know you?”

“What? Seriously?”

The little boy responded as though he couldn’t believe me.

I mean, we’ve never even interacted before. How am I supposed to recognize you?

“You’ve gotten a little famous and now you’re acting all high and mighty. Seriously, tsk!”

What is this clichéd dialogue?

My years of experience as a reader of fantasy novels immediately told me.

Could this be…

The beginning of my cathartic revenge?

—Oh, great. Here we go again.

Whenever I brought up anything related to fantasy novels, Eli reacted similarly.

This time, too, I could see her shaking her head in disbelief.

When I simply stared blankly at him, the little boy began introducing himself.

“Ahem. I’m Lumiel Rudersk. Your cousin. Just you wait. I’ll rank higher than you today.”

“Sure, sure. Work hard.”

“Grrr…!”

After I gave him a half-hearted response, he trembled with anger before stomping away toward his assigned position.

What a tiny and adorable villain.

Actually, calling him a villain would be too generous.

He was completely insignificant.

Well, how could a five-year-old kid possibly be a villain?

Judging from the situation, he didn’t seem to be the cliché of an early-story villainous extra.

It was something else.

If I had to describe it…

The pushover cliché who gets blackmailed by the protagonist and ends up being dragged around by them?

Since he was my cousin and therefore family, perhaps I’d keep an eye on him for a while.

I turned my gaze away from the retreating Lumiel and looked around at the people gathered in the arena.

Roughly fifty or sixty children?

The fact that they were participating in the Baptism meant that there were at least this many future priests.

Only a small number of them would stand out here.

Most would go on to live ordinary lives, helping people at small village churches.

This really does feel like Earth’s idol industry.

After waiting for a while, a small cage-like object was handed out to each child.

Once I was holding the cage, Bishop MC began explaining.

“You should all have received a cage. These are special cages coated with holy power converted through barrier properties.”

“You can collect Holy Flames inside them!”

“All right, then. Let’s begin!”

The game began.

For me, this was easier than drinking cold soup.

—Wow! There are so many sparkling white flames here!

—They’re pretty! Huh? Wait, wait! They’re collecting them!

—Ah! We found them first!

That was, at least, until I noticed the tiny beings chattering beside the Holy Flames.

Wait.

What the hell are those things?