“So it is the same in your eyes as well, Nagrim.”
“Yes. It is.”
“If your eyes say so, then we may treat it as all but certain that Lian is the prophet.”
Nagrim Hilloriven.
A once-in-an-age genius who rose to Archbishop at a young age on an inhuman quantity of holy power and a deep breadth of knowledge.
Of course, the seat of Archbishop was not something genius alone could reach. He had one thing more.
The eye that sees another's potential. That eye had picked out talents before their Naming Rite or Baptism Rite more times than could be counted.
This time that eye had turned to Lian.
Lian was shining with purer ability than any child Nagrim had ever seen.
“It must have been an inconvenience. Thank you for helping to this extent.”
“Wearing an ordinary priest's habit hardly counts as an inconvenience, Your Eminence. I am simply grateful to have been among the first to find the great god's proxy.”
“No, thanks to you I have certainty now.”
“Do you believe a holy war will come, Senior?”
“The prophet's existence has appeared. Most likely.”
The bond between Nagrim and Lilliad went back to their days in the Inquisition Bureau, when she was an Inquisitor and he an inspector priest.
Even within the Church, the Inquisition Bureau handled a great deal of special intelligence. Both of them had risen quite high there, which was why both were among the rare few aware that the prophet existed.
Lilliad's eyes settled into calm.
In the past, some five hundred years ago.
The Demon God had wanted to seize the world Lord Elysian created. He led demons into a war upon the world of men and took the lives of countless humans and animals.
To hold back the flood of demons and to lead humanity, the god selected and sent down a prophet to serve as their center.
The prophet heard Lord Elysian's words directly and led the people, and drove off every last demon with the wondrous power received from the god.
This was unlike the Saint, who hears the god's voice indirectly, through dreams. The prophet was a being whose very appearance proclaimed a strong connection to the god.
“The odds that Cardinal Saverio knows the prophet exists?”
“Hard to say... The Holy Care Bureau he belonged to had no right of access to that intelligence, but he is of the imperial bloodline, so the possibility cannot be excluded.”
“Do you both consider Cardinal Saverio an obstacle?”
At Leilaik's question, the two of them nodded without a word.
“Whether he knows the prophet exists or not, the larger Lian's presence grows, the more he will obstruct us.”
“I agree with Senior Lilliad. His ambition is far too great.”
Cardinal Saverio. Uncle to the current Saint, and the man currently moving that Saint about like a puppet.
Everyone kept quiet about it, but the current Saint's link to the god was severed.
And at this of all moments, a prophet appears to threaten the Saint's position? There was no chance Cardinal Saverio would sit still.
“For now I think it best we keep silent until the prophet's mark reveals itself. In exchange, we would do well to begin work beneath the surface.”
Both Lilliad and Leilaik agreed with Nagrim's opinion.
Whatever else, the most important thing was Lian's safety.
***
Time passed.
Before I knew it, the last day of the year I turned five. My Baptism Rite was upon me.
Unlike the Naming Rite, which everyone born in the Holy Empire undergoes, the Baptism Rite is made up solely of prospective clerics.
Those able to receive baptism exactly at five are, for the most part, the ones on the elite track.
Born into a clerical family, or granted an enormous blessing by Elysian the moment they were born.
The Baptism Rite takes place on the last day of the year, with every child born five years earlier summoned together, and it is conducted in public.
“Haaauum...”
“Oh, Lian. Yawning is adorable on you, but it costs you dignity, so it's better to cover your mouth.”
“Yes, Mother. Understood.”
A full five years now since I was born in the Elion Holy Empire and started living as Lian Ludersk.
By this point I knew a great deal about this place.
It was an even more ridiculous fantasy world than I had imagined.
'Elly, does it feel good, having your wish come true?'
-So good! Lian is really making his idol debut!
'Strictly speaking, this isn't an idol debut.'
This country had a peculiar culture that made you wonder whether it really was a nation that served a god. Namely: the extremely high popularity of clerics.
Clerics who help the lives of ordinary citizens being popular is natural enough, of course, but this was past that point, if I had to put it that way.
The Baptism Rite is held publicly so the entire nation can watch, their stories spread far and wide as gossip, and there are even cleric competitions that the citizenry enjoy practically as a sport.
To the people of the Empire, everything clerics do amounts to entertainment.
This is a medieval fantasy world, and however much magic exists, the vast majority of ordinary people farm or trade and live dull lives.
Fundamentally, the world itself is short on stimulating amusement.
Elion's clerics are heroes who protect not only the Empire's citizens but every human on the continent from the threat of magic beasts and demons.
Watching heroes at work carried a clean, chest-opening thrill, and the healing services held at regular intervals sent their popularity soaring sky-high.
'And so, starting from the Holy Emperor two reigns back, they made the insane decision to turn every cleric activity and promotion procedure into an event.'
The stated purpose was to elevate the citizens' faith and to give them enjoyment. And it was a resounding success.
Of those events, the Baptism Rite is the official occasion for debuting in earnest before the public.
Those who draw attention at this event are stamped into the public mind as 'rookies,' with interest following them ever after.
Popularity connects directly to personal wealth and honor, and naturally, the better-looking you were, the more popular you became.
Comparing it to Earth: clerics here are celebrities, and a popular cleric is a top idol or a top actor.
'Which makes a rookie something like a huge new idol who sweeps the conversation the instant they debut?'
From the citizens' point of view, the Baptism Rite is watching the very first steps of the heroes who will protect them. Naturally, a culture of attachment and cheering took root.
With public interest exploding, the Empire could not ignore that popularity either, and in the end it came to affect clerics' performance evaluations.
The result.
The crowd that had come to watch today's Baptism Rite, the one I was taking part in, was swarming.
When I turned my head slightly in the arena where the rite was being held, I could see the throng that had gathered.
'This many people come to watch this boring ceremony? Tell me how this is not fantasy-world idol culture.'
Think about it however I liked, it was a ridiculous world.
Thanks to which I had been subjected to every conceivable form of grooming since dawn on the day of the rite, and it was exhausting beyond words. Not something a five-year-old's stamina was built for.
'This is too hard. I'm tired.'
-Aww, our Lian is the best. The absolute best.
'Anyone hearing you would call you a doting fool.'
Well. It wasn't that Elly's reaction was hard to understand.
My proportions were far longer and leaner than the average five-year-old, and got up like a peacock the way I was now, I shone brightly enough to cast a halo.
Platinum-blond hair that seemed to glow in the sunlight, blue eyes that seemed to hold a lake. Even to me, my face was something else.
The baptismal robe of pure white silk prepared for the rite, and the lace veil of intricate, beautiful patterning laid over my head. And the glittering powder scattered over that veil.
'They said it was ground-up holy stone.'
Whether it takes after the attribute of Elysian, the god who governs light, holy stone scatters a lustrous radiance when it catches sunlight and shines in every color at once.
Since a holy stone with all its holy power spent loses its light and becomes a mere pebble, it was inevitably a holy stone packed full of holy power that had to be ground up.
The degree of shine varies with holy power content, apparently.
We may be a household with no need to worry about money, but having that scattered over my head is a bit...
'Oof. Nuclear-grade pressure.'
-No, it's so pretty!
Pretty it may well be.
Since clerics hold purity and nobility as virtues and so cannot be plastered all over with jewels, this was apparently the method they settled on.
'Hasn't this just become more extravagant?'
Thanks to which I was in a state where I could neither cough nor sneeze in case the powder blew away.
'Uncomfortable.'
-Beauty is uncomfortable by nature.
'I want to lie down.'
-If the body isn't uncomfortable, it isn't beautiful!
'Aargh, seriously! Elly, are you making fun of me?'
-Yep, I am.
Five years of living together and Elly was still a teenage girl through and through. The way she flushed whenever she looked at Father was also exactly the same.
“Lian. You remember what you studied about the Baptism Rite, don't you?”
“Yes. I remember all of it.”
At Mother's words from beside me, I straightened my posture.
There was nothing much to the Baptism Rite. You gather a crowd of children the same age in an arena and receive the baptism the Sacred Flame gives you, in order.
On Earth baptism was water, and here it's fire. Aside from being novel, it wouldn't amount to much.
I decided I would quietly manage my expression and zone out.
“Now! From this moment, the Baptism Rite of the year 595 of the Elysian Era beeegins!”
Right up until a cleric with a youthful face, newly made a bishop, started the proceedings.
...?
'What is this sense of déjà vu?'
Why does this overlap with the time I went on a variety show back on Earth?
As the bishop went on, my image of the Baptism Rite began to shatter into pieces.
“I'm dying to know just which rookies will stand out at this year's rite. Everyone! Are you curious?!”
““Yeeeeees!!””
No, seriously, how many spectators are there?
“Let's take a look at the footage of this year's baptism candidates!”
Looking now, a panel constructed out of holy power in midair was playing recorded footage.
'They use holy power for THIS...?'
These people are serious about the Baptism Rite. Far too serious.
Short introductions of each child's everyday life went past.
“Mother. When did you film that?”
There was footage of me too, which I had absolutely no memory of anyone shooting.
“Ohohoho. There's always a great deal of surprise content at a Baptism Rite. Just enjoy it.”
Did I say a moment ago that I knew a great deal about this place?
Yeah, no. I still do not understand this place.
“M-my face is up there...!”
“Aaah! I thought nobody knew about that!”
The saving grace was that, judging by the reactions of the children around me, they were exactly the same.
'Aren't I lucky that Elly and I only talk inside my head.'
-True. You'd have been the scary person talking to thin air.
'When they told me to study the Baptism Rite, they definitely only taught me the baptism procedure.'
-You got played, Lian.
Indeed. This was all a conspiracy of cunning adults!
The children's flustered reactions and at-a-loss expressions were being caught on the panel in real time, all of it.
When my face was caught, I changed my expression with swift reflexes.
““Whoaaaa!!””
'This is what a professional looks like.'
-Ooh, Lian, the old skills haven't died yet.
I have been a blue chip of the broadcasting world on a decent face, tremendous physicality and outstanding ability. This much is a piece of cake.
They said they were keeping it short, but with so many people gathered, the introductions alone ate up quite a lot of time.
Running late did not, however, cool the heat.
Buoyed by the crowd's expectant roar, MC Bishop's excitement level was steadily climbing.
“Now! Shall we move on to the main event!”
The moment the bishop finished speaking, white flames popped into being in the air above our heads.
“Wooow...”
“So pretty!”
Admiration spilled from the mouths of the gathered children at the beautiful sight.
And I was looking at the flames with my brow slightly furrowed.
'They all look about the same in shape... but the properties are different?'
-Ooh! Spot-the-hidden-picture?
'Hidden picture or spot-the-difference, I'm not sure which, but it looks like that kind of game, doesn't it?'
The instant Elly and I caught that the flames differed in property, we understood the intent of this game. The bishop went on.
“Do you see the flames floating in the sky above your heads? These flames are Sacred Flames.”
“But not all of them are genuine Sacred Flames! Real Sacred Flames and fake ones created out of holy power are mixed together.”
“From this moment, all of you must find the real Sacred Flames among these many flames!”
The rules were these.
A Sacred Flame is plus one point, a fake Sacred Flame is minus two.
Even if you gathered two Sacred Flames, putting a fake one in by mistake left you back at square one.
'Which means gather nothing but fakes and your score can drop below a child who gathered none at all.'
I could feel the intent to sort out ability, judgment, strategy and various other things inside this simple game.
'Isn't this a bit brutal for five-year-olds?'
-Still, even if they're nothing like you, Lian, kids born with a knack for attunement won't find this all that hard?
'And how many of those are there going to be.'
Every child receiving baptism this year had gathered inside the arena.
'This is a straight-up survival game.'
There was no actual elimination system, but the structure was that of a survival format through and through.
And this is being broadcast live.
Shine here and you'd sail forward as a rookie, but slip up and get marked?
It would probably leave a vivid impression and trail you like a tag for the rest of your clerical life.
Perhaps beginning to feel everything Lian felt, the faces of the children nearby stiffened faintly.
Mm. This is going to get fierce, isn't it?
I was moving to line up in my assigned order according to the guidance when it happened.
“Hey! You're Lian, right?”
“I am. Who are you?”
At the feeling of being poked in the side I turned around, and there was a light-brown-haired brat.
'His eyes are a bit insolent for someone aspiring to the clergy.'
The gaze that swept me from top to bottom was ill-mannered.
“Ha, you can't even recognize your own relative?”
“Today is the first time I've ever seen you, so how would I know?”
“Huh, what?”
The brat retorted as though dumbfounded.
Look, it isn't as if we've ever interacted, so how would I know.
“Got a little famous and now you're arrogant. Honestly, ha!”
What is this. What is this cliché line.
Years of experience as a reader of fantasy novels were telling me something.
'Could this be... the prelude to a payback moment?'
-Good grief. Here we go again.
Every time I brought up anything fantasy-related, Elly reacted about the same way. This time too, I could see her shaking her head.
When I just stood there blankly, the brat started introducing himself.
“Ahem. I am Lumiel Ludersk. Your cousin. I'm going to place higher than you today, so just you watch.”
“Sure, sure. Work hard out there.”
“Eeeergh...!”
I answered him casually and he trembled, then stomped off to his own place.
A tiny, cute little villain.
Honestly, calling him a villain was generous. Then again, what kind of villain is a mere five-year-old brat.
From the look of him this isn't the early-villain-extra cliché but the other kind.
If I had to put a name to it...
'The sucker cliché, the one whose weakness the protagonist grabs and then drags around?'
He's a cousin, so family either way. Shall I watch him a while.
I turned my head away from the departing Lumiel and looked at the crowd gathered in the arena.
Roughly fifty or sixty, at a guess?
Taking part in the Baptism Rite means there are this many future clerics.
The ones who stand out here will be a minority.
Most will end up living ordinary lives helping people at a small-town cathedral.
'Put that way, it really does resemble Earth's idol industry.'
After a short wait, a small birdcage-like object was distributed to each of us.
Once we were holding the cages, MC Bishop's explanation began.
“Each of you should have been given a cage. This is a special cage coated with holy power converted into a barrier attribute.”
“You can collect Sacred Flames in it! Right then, we begin from this moment!”
The game had begun.
For me this was an easier task than drinking cold soup.
-Wow! There's a whole bunch of sparkly white fire here!
-So pretty! Huh? Huuuh? Those ones are scooping them up?
-Ah! But we found them first!
Right up until I saw the small beings chattering beside the Sacred Flames.
Hold on, what are those?