The Celestial Maiden’s Young Master in Another World - Chapter 8

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 8. The Goal is First Place
The all-time New Record for the Sacred Flame Hunt stands at forty-five.
The one who achieved this New Record is Archbishop Nagrim Hiloriavn, hailed as a once-in-an-age prodigy.
The record that follows belongs to Rian’s father, Reillaike Rudersks, who collected forty-three.
Which means Rian’s current tally is, in practical terms, on par with a Cardinal-level record—assuming all of them are genuine Sacred Flames.
“Rian! In terms of count, you’re overwhelmingly in first place!”
“Waaaaaah—!!”
Yet hardly anyone believed that every Sacred Flame Rian had collected was authentic.
“Hold on, forty-five is the same as the New Record set by Archbishop Nagrim Hiloriavn, isn’t it?”
“That’s insane.”
“Insane? Only if they’re all real. Otherwise it’s just nonsense.”
“Well, he’s from House Rudersks—the odds are pretty good most of them are genuine, aren’t they?”
Even those who rated the odds favorably stopped short of believing all of them were real.
“If you ask me, the whole thing’s a wash. He’s just stuffing them in randomly.”
“But it looks like he’s at least checking them first?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking? He’s just pretending to check. Tch, cunning for a kid his age….”
Some took to gossiping that Rian was employing some underhanded strategy.
Reactions were mixed, but the general sentiment leaned negative.
The same held true for the other children participating in the Sacred Flame Hunt.
A broadcast screen hung where they could all see it.
‘He collected them so fast, and now he’s already at forty-five?’
‘Surely they can’t all be real….’
‘Damn it, I should’ve just crammed in as many as I wanted.’
‘So that’s how you get noticed.’
More than anything, the children envied how often Rian’s face appeared on the broadcast panel.
“Now, while Rian is certainly dominant, Lionel Londoa in second place also has a remarkable count!”
True enough. Despite the twenty-count gap between first and second place.
Lionel Londoa’s twenty-five is still an absurdly high record.
“This is just the midpoint check, remember! Right now Lionel and Rian are moving at almost exactly the same speed!”
Lionel had spent the opening stretch figuring out what a genuine Sacred Flame actually looked like, then once he’d grasped the pattern, he immediately picked up his pace.
His eyes flicked to the panel, and he accelerated further.
“Ah yes! And that’s because there’s only a limited number of genuine Sacred Flames!”
Genuine Sacred Flames were not infinite in supply.
Once everyone had developed a feel for them to some degree, it became a race against time.
“Lionel, this is where the real sprint begins!”
‘This should be enough.’
Enough or not, the Cage was now packed full—there was no more space to add anything.
-Aw~, but there’s still more!
-Yeah, yeah!
The spirits protested, but there was nothing to be done. I couldn’t carry them in my hands and submit them together.
‘I’d better leave some for the other kids anyway.’
My gaze tracked toward the blue-haired head that darted between the children, plucking out only the genuine Sacred Flames with surgical precision.
‘Wow, that kid is seriously no joke.’
I had it easy thanks to the Spirit Eye and the spirits, but that child was genuinely talented.
‘His name was definitely Lionel Londoa.’
House Londoa—I’d heard of them. If I recalled correctly, the patriarch of House Londoa was the Supreme Commander of the Order of Holy Knights.
-Kyaa!
A sharp cry suddenly pierced my ear.
-Future Mr. Cool and Aloof!
It was Eli.
Wondering what the commotion was about, I noticed that Lionel Londoa, who had been running until just moments before, had come to a stop and was staring directly at me.
‘…? What?’
His dark eyes swept across the surroundings once or twice before he abruptly turned his head away.
-Huh?
‘Why?’
-I think he saw me.
‘Huh. But you said there’s no Spirit Eye here.’
-Yeah, I know. But it’s hard to say. We didn’t quite make full eye contact, but his gaze seemed to drift vaguely toward where I and the spirits are.
His look didn’t lock onto that area completely, she explained.
‘Maybe he’s just got good instincts. Either way.’
-Is that so? Anyway, Rian! Try getting to know her a bit. That’s a lottery ticket you don’t even have to scratch!
Good grief.
I shook my head with visible reluctance and made my way to the submission counter.
Despite my protests, the spirits kept hauling Sacred Flames over, so I ended up stuffing a couple more into the Cage.
“Will you be submitting?”
“Yes.”
“First submission!”
Somehow, even the Cage submission was first.
Good. I’d found my theme.
‘Today, I’m taking first in everything.’
“Hey! Did you really submit everything?”
Curly brown hair. It was Lumiel.
“Yeah. Got first place and everything.”
Her face flushed scarlet as she puffed indignantly.
“Damn it… I got beaten on submissions.”
“You came to collect too?”
“Yeah!”
At a glance, she had far more than twenty.
‘Oh. She’s got some skill.’
Sure enough. Her ability was respectable.
“You, you just wait! Once I get to the Academy, I’ll be the one in first!”
“Sure, sure~”
Why was she so intent on fueling this rivalry?
When I turned to leave, she kept chasing after me, trailing off a string of nagging words.
-Wait! Isn’t that the girl from earlier?
-Should we open the Cage again?
Great. At this rate, we’d have an accident right before submission where I’d lose all my Sacred Flames.
“Hey, hey—hurry up and make your submission. Are you going to lose second place too?”
“Oh!”
The moment Lumiel dashed off to submit, I took the opportunity to slip far away.
-She’s not really my type.
‘What do you mean?’
-Her face doesn’t match Rian’s. Try talking to that blue-haired cold beauty from earlier.
‘…….’
So that was the big deal, was it?
Time passed. By the time everyone had finished submitting their Cages.
“Everyone! Are you all having a wonderful time?”
“”Yes, we are!””
“Haha, such enthusiastic cheers—I love it!”
The MC Archbishop maintained the energy with practiced ease as he continued.
Ah. I had a feeling about this.
‘This Baptism Ceremony’s going to end incredibly late.’
And my gloomy premonitions were never wrong.
“Now then! All our candidates have completed their submissions! While we tally the results, I thought we might have a little talk segment.”
Sure enough. There wasn’t even a hint of starting the Baptism.
“I’m sure you all have plenty of questions!”
“”Yes, we do!””
“Wahaha! Then let’s conduct interviews in the order of those who stood out in the midway rankings!”
Huh?
-Rian’s interview, let’s go!
The MC Archbishop walked toward me with a radiant smile plastered across his face.
I had no idea where he was broadcasting from, but my face was blown up massively on the aerial display panel.
*Click*—I shifted my expression in an instant.
‘Capitalist smile activated!’
-Kyaaaa!
Judging by Eli’s reaction, I’d nailed it perfectly.
‘For a former celebrity shaman, a simple interview like this is child’s play.’
I pulled every ounce of boyish charm from my fingertips upward to fuel the radiance.
My eyes curved into perfect crescents.
Behold—the capitalist smile of one who survived the Korean variety show circuit!
—Kyaaaa!
“Kyaaaaa—!”
Eli’s screams and those of the crowd echoed from all directions in surround sound.
“Well! You certainly have our attention, Rian. I hear you also submitted first place work—is that correct?”
As the MC Archbishop finished his question, a gleaming spherical object floated before his mouth, suspended in mid-air.
‘So that’s a Microphone.’
So this was a Microphone in a fantasy world.
“Yes, that’s right.”
I answered deliberately, like a shy child.
A five-year-old boy with smiling eyes, his cheeks flushed with bashful color—there weren’t many adults who could look upon such an adorable, lovable child with disdain.
“How do you feel about placing first in the midterm rankings?”
“Oh… well, I feel wonderful, of course! I think it’s the result of working hard. Mother always told me to do my very best.”
“As someone who’s experienced the Baptism Ceremony myself, I know firsthand that it’s not easy for a five-year-old to distinguish genuine Sacred Flame. How were you able to identify them so quickly?”
“Ah, well, it wasn’t anything special…”
I paused deliberately. This was the perfect moment.
“The truth is, the Sacred Flame came to me.”
This was my chance to make an impression, after all.
“You could say I didn’t choose it—the Sacred Flame chose me.”
I smiled with an innocent expression. For a moment, the arena and the crowd fell silent.
“Wow, wow! Did everyone hear that! Rian, you’ve got nerve!”
“Wooooow!”
“Wheeew!”
When the Sacred Flame chooses you, it means the Elysian chose you—that’s what that really meant.
‘This interview scores first place too.’
Some might think it arrogant, but what could I do? I’m five years old.
“That’s amazing! Rian Rudersks!”
A bearded man in the distance whistled and shouted.
“Hahahaha! The enthusiasm is incredible. Well then, let’s move on to the next interview—”
I’d definitely drawn their attention.
When my eyes met those of Lumiel in the distance, her gaze burning with jealousy, I smiled back at her.
Her face flushed red as a tomato.
‘Lumiel placed seventh in the midterm rankings, didn’t she?’
She probably wouldn’t make it to an interview.
Soon after.
“Everyone! The scores have finally been tallied! Please direct your attention to the screen!”
At the MC Archbishop’s words, all eyes turned to the panel floating in the air.
Pop-pop!
A cute sound effect rang out as the screen changed.
‘Wow! First place!’
First place indeed. Every Sacred Flame I’d filled the Cage with was genuine.
As the scores were announced, a moment of silence fell over the arena before the roar erupted.
“Woooooooow!”
“Wow, wow…”
“Is that real?”
“Woooow! Rian! Rian! Rian!”
“Rian! We believed in you!”
“Impossible!”
The crowd’s roar engulfed the entire arena.
And for good reason.
1st Place: 52 points — Rian Rudersks
2nd Place: 40 points — Lionel Londoa
3rd Place: 39 points — Biera Tribel
4th Place: 35 points — Hoshana Rinu
.
.
.
8th Place: 27 points — Lumiel Rudersks
.
.
.
My score just broke past the forty-five from the midpoint check!
‘Damn. The Cage was too small to fit more in. But at this rate….’
My thoughts cut off there.
“Wooooaaaaahhhhh!!!”
The MC Archbishop had let out a shriek.
“A, a n-n-n-new record!!!”
What?
“E-everyone!! The new record score for the Sacred Flame Hunt just got broken!!”
“”Woooooaaaahhhhh!!””
“Seriously?”
“That’s insane!!”
Wooooaaahhh—!!
‘Huh.’
I’d set a new record, apparently.
-Wow wow wow! Congrats, Rian!
-Congratulations! Congratulations!
-Hip hip hooray!
I must have pushed harder than I realized.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen a score above fifty points in the Baptism Ceremony Sacred Flame Hunt! Do you see my hands shaking, everyone!”
“Candidate Rian Rudersks! We’re all very much looking forward to your next mission!”
Insane.
‘Could I actually aim for Rookie status?’
I’d already known before coming here that they select a Rookie from the promising candidates in the Baptism Ceremony.
I just hadn’t expected the ceremony to work this way.
My eyes drifted to second place. Lionel Londoa—forty points.
I couldn’t tell if he’d collected more than forty and taken a penalty, but either way, the guy was no ordinary candidate.
‘If I can just beat him, I’ll take first and grab the Rookie slot.’
My mind began clicking through calculations.
“Aaaaarrrgghhhhh! I’m in dead last!!!!”
Then came another scream, even louder than the MC Archbishop’s.
‘What, what is it?’
I was startled.
Of course, we weren’t the only ones who heard it.
Unfortunately, it carried through the Microphone and reached the imperial citizens watching.
“Last place?”
“That must be Corin Dalofes!”
“So he’s Cardinal Dalofes’s son?”
Since the scores were displayed on screen, he was identified instantly.
“Ugh, uuuggghhhh….”
Realizing it, he covered his face and hunched over completely.
‘Sixty-second place… negative eighty points?’
A negative score.
If he had negative eighty, that meant he’d collected at least forty Sacred Flames and every single one had been a dud?
He might have thrown in even more than that.
‘What the…?’
-Oh! I know that guy!
The spirits spoke up.
‘You do? How?’
-He grabbed every single one we marked!
You marked them?
‘Marked them? What do you mean?’
-Before we met you, we were fooling around and coated a few flames with our Spirit Power!
-But only a tiny, tiny amount!
‘I didn’t feel anything.’
-It was so small you wouldn’t notice unless you paid attention!
-Wait, I didn’t know about it either.
You didn’t know either, Eli?
Even with how weakened she is now, Eli is Divine-rank.
-It was reeeeeally minuscule!
So what you’re saying is—he felt the Spirit Power they hid well enough that even I with my Spirit Eye and Eli couldn’t detect it, and collected every single one of them?
‘Seems like there’s something more impressive going on here than what I’m managing.’
Though I suppose my instincts were sound enough.
Judging purely by the intensity of what was accomplished, this feat surpasses even what Lionel and I achieved in first and second place.
‘That one’s worth watching too.’
Another candidate to keep an eye on.
The commotion died down quickly.
The MC Archbishop smoothly steered the conversation forward.
“Well then, shall we move on to the next event? The Sacred Flame Hunt was merely the appetizer—this is the true main course of the Baptism Ceremony!”
‘Wouldn’t the main course of a Baptism Ceremony actually be the baptism itself?’
Oblivious to my thoughts, the MC Archbishop continued.
“The relay through the Labyrinth, moving the Sacred Flame!”
“”Oooooh!””
Wait—the Labyrinth?
Why is the Labyrinth suddenly part of this?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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