Monopoly (4)
A saying goes that time is more valuable than money. I never imagined I would truly feel that truth one day. I lived a normal life as an ordinary civilian on Earth, yet here I am now, in a world so far beyond my wildest dreams. And now I’ve come to realize something even more obvious: spending money is actually a shortcut to saving time.
“Wow, look at the experience gain rate. The gap between worlds is insane.”
“The combat patterns are complex, but her magic resistance is low, so the hunting speed is overwhelmingly faster.”
“Complex patterns and fast speed… Is that not the best of both worlds? It means I can keep leveling up and sharpening my combat instincts at the same time.”
“Yeah, that’s definitely true.”
I had carefully chosen this high-efficiency hunting ground, and now I monopolized it entirely, fighting without a single interruption. Compared to my usual cautious battles where I kept glancing around, my experience gain rate had more than doubled.
On top of that, because the targets were Chimeras, I was free to use wild, unpredictable attacks. My response to sudden situations had improved noticeably too.
Thanks to that, we were able to level up once every 1.5 days at this monopoly spot, giving my stagnant growth a real kick of momentum.
When the fourth rent installment came due, I reached level 220.
‘If things keep going like this, I might reach level 250 (the 8th-stage quest) far faster than I expected.’
Originally I thought it would take at least half a year, but even accounting for normal experience growth, two to three months should be enough.
Of course, that’s only if there’s no interference at all.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Highness! The Holy Land is progressing faster than expected…”
A few days ago I thought we could keep leveling up without issues, but a month had already passed when a sudden situation appeared.
—— October 7, 2019 in the Mage Age —
“Your Majesty, I heard the Saint Selection Tournament is being brought forward.”
“Yes, I was told it would normally be held in the second half of next year, but they’re rushing to pick candidates right now and plan to finalize everything by the end of this month.”
The Saint Selection Tournament had been suddenly accelerated.
While I was training the newly recruited girl Ibril Barnet to become a saint, this news hit me out of nowhere.
Since Pessius, the head of information, already knew about saint cultivation plans, his reaction was one of pure bewilderment.
But I didn’t view the situation as entirely bad. Because the tournament was rushing ahead, the number of rival candidates would naturally decrease.
What I needed to do right now wasn’t worry, but a winning strategy to put Ibril on top of the list.
“Do you have any ideas ready?”
“First, we have to make Ibril the saint candidate representing Lheinhatz Kingdom.”
My plan was simple.
“Two weeks ago I sent a massive donation to the Lheinhatz Kingdom’s Sepia Diocese in Ibril’s name.”
If I had been even a little slower, it would have looked too obvious and the effect would have been minimal.
But our donation arrived before the tournament news even reached the public, creating a huge impact.
“Tomorrow the Grand Archbishop of Lheinhatz Kingdom will visit our territory. And I will be the one to welcome him, along with Lady Ibril.”
“Ah, so you plan to first draw in the kingdom’s Grand Archbishop.”
I had poured a fortune into building ties with church officials and connecting with the Grand Archbishop.
Surely a man of his caliber would recognize Ibril’s saintly potential.
If the Grand Archbishop spots the true qualities, it will be a win. If not, I’ll pull him in politically.
“And if we successfully draw in the Grand Archbishop, I’ll request backup from the royal family.”
“Truly… you’ve thought of everything.”
I would first ask for support from the second prince.
We had clashed with him before, but I had still been operating under his faction on the surface.
The second prince would benefit greatly from a larger power base, so he wouldn’t refuse.
And if I quietly tip off the crown prince, making Ibril the saint candidate for Lheinhatz will be easy.
But Pessius nodded along while showing clear worry.
“But will the girl actually follow our plan?”
His concern was completely reasonable.
Ibril was only fifteen, and she had only been studying theology for a month.
Moreover, the lessons were something I had arranged for her; she had no personal conviction that she would become a saint.
It was an impossible situation.
Telling a convenience store part-timer she had the qualities of a saint wouldn’t hit home at all.
She worked hard because she was told to, but motivation was a different matter.
I shrugged it off, saying I wasn’t worried.
“Since there’s someone constantly encouraging her, she’ll be fine.”
“Someone to encourage her?”
“I plan to assign Eric as her aide-de-camp. Or rather, he’s already acting in that role.”
Eric Jones possessed both political and administrative talent.
What made him special was his silver tongue.
It was like a passive skill; his words carried a strange sense of trust.
“Ah, that slippery guy…”
To me he was absolutely loyal, yet to the outside world he had a reputation as a schemer.
Well, considering his political talent, wasn’t that the perfect evaluation?
“Ibril trusts and follows him a lot. Eric will handle the numbers perfectly.”
“If the master says so, then it must be true.”
Pessius then opened a holographic window and shared the data.
“This is the information you requested, Your Highness.”
“Oh, excellent work.”
The tournament wasn’t just Ibril’s fight.
So I asked Pessius to investigate her potential rivals, and he had prepared everything.
“Among the top candidates for the Saint Selection Tournament, these three stand out.”
The first was an elf with dazzling beauty.
No wonder, since she came from the highest-ranking group in the Elysia Union.
“An elf from the Elysia Union?”
“Yes, a strong candidate pushed by the Elvenheim Kingdom, the core of the Elysia Union. She is the direct granddaughter of the current queen.”
—— Grace High-Elven / 210 years old / Granddaughter of Elvenheim Queen / Top-tier Spirit Summoner (7th Circle) ——
She was too strong from the start.
A direct descendant of the Elvenheim Queen, pushed by the entire Elysia Union. In an elf society that values lineage, she would definitely hold strong succession rights.
I clicked my tongue and scrolled down the holographic window.
“The second candidate is Evelyn Francis of the Francis Duchy, backed by the Brigham Empire.”
“Wait, the Francis Duchy?”
“Correct.”
—— Evelyn Francis / 21 years old / Third daughter of Brigham Empire’s Duke Francis / Aura Expert-level High Knight ——
Another massive figure appeared.
I frowned at the name Francis Duchy.
Because the current Duke Francis was a Grand Master equal to an 8th Circle Archmage.
Even if the background wasn’t a princess, no matter who her parents were, she would still fall short compared to the direct descendant of the Elven Queen.
But if the Brigham Empire pushed her at the national level, the situation changed.
I felt a headache coming and examined the final rival.
“The third candidate is a commoner woman from the Holy Land, Everhill.”
The third one actually seemed the easiest…
—— Judy Esther / 19 years old / Commoner from Everhill / Chaplain ——
—— Sponsor: Duchess Olivia Riberdale of the Lucias Kingdom ——
Out of nowhere, my official mentor’s name “Riberdale Duchy” and the name “Olivia” popped up.
I let out a dry laugh.
“They really are fierce.”
“It’s almost too much. I think this is the most intense competition in recent times.”
The first candidate, Grace High-Elven, was a top-tier spirit summoner equal to a 7th Circle mage.
The second, Evelyn Francis, was a high knight of Aura Expert rank.
The third, Judy Esther, had already entered the clergy and was active as a chaplain.
Removing backgrounds, they were all superior to Ibril.
The moment I saw the list, I wanted to shout “I surrender,” but I held it in and organized my thoughts.
“I knew rivals like this might appear, so there’s no need to panic.”
“Any hope?”
“It won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible.”
“Your Highness is truly serious.”
“I can’t give up the title of sponsor who created a saint.”
What I believed in was Ibril’s potential.
I knew they were all talented, but whether they possessed the unique talent and characteristics specialized in holy power like her, I couldn’t be certain.
No one could see a person’s core like I could.
“By the way, may I ask Your Highness one thing?”
“What is it?”
The meeting was almost over, so I was about to stand up, but Pessius suddenly asked a question.
“How much did you donate? From what I know, the Grand Archbishop of our Lheinhatz Kingdom supposedly doesn’t move for money.”
No matter how upright a person is, receiving an absurdly large amount would surely make them express gratitude.
There is no such thing as a person who doesn’t move for money. They just have smaller amounts.
I smiled and spread my index finger.
“One big one.”
Since the person asking didn’t need the exact figure, I didn’t reveal the detailed cost.
The value of one big donation differed for everyone.
How big was the gap between the amount I calculated and the one Pessius imagined?
—— Riberdale Tower, Lucias Kingdom ——
“Huh?”
The strongest tower in Lucias Kingdom wasn’t the royal tower, but the Riberdale Tower, home to three Archmages.
Officially it was the tower founded by Duke Kain Riberdale, who had trained seven disciples into Archmages, including me. It possessed the ability to produce every kind of artifact, from hovercars to Force Armors and Sky Fortresses.
Thanks to that, the market cap of Riberdale Tower ranked first in Lucias Kingdom and within the top ten globally.
As a result, Duchess Olivia Riberdale, the current head of the Riberdale lineage, was evaluated as equal in power to the royal family and kept very busy.
Today she arrived at the tower with her personal guards, Lake Marquis and Preston Count, and even as she was working on documents, Olivia showed interest at Lake’s perplexed reaction.
“Our cute priestess seems to have plans for the Saint Selection Tournament.”
“What do you mean?”
Lake Marquis handed Olivia a single report, saying she should see it herself.
It was a document from the information team he oversaw.
—— New Saint Candidate of the Sepia Church ——
—— Name: Ibril Barnet ——
—— Age: 15 ——
—— Affiliation: Commoner, attached to Lawrence Duke’s talent management office in Lheinhatz Kingdom ——
—— Description ——
Two weeks ago, a 10-trillion-coin donation was sent to the Lheinhatz Sepia Diocese, forging ties with the Grand Archbishop.
The Grand Archbishop of Lheinhatz has expressed support, stating that Ibril Barnet possesses the qualities of a saint.
It appears to be genuine support, not mere public relations from the large donation, so additional investigation is needed.
Ibril Barnet’s sponsor is “Duke Adrian Lawrence,” and the 10-trillion-coin donation was also paid by him.
After reading the contents, Olivia’s lips curled into a smile.
“Truly an interesting priestess.”