34. The Official Dark Veil

Regarding the various actions I took during my “date” with Nilu today, the jealous Kefir insisted on a form of “compensation” from me, which ultimately concluded with the strange promise that I must also acknowledge Kefir, dressed in a maid outfit, as a proper maid.

I wasn’t sure why Kefir was so adamant about declaring herself a “qualified maid.” After all, why did she feel the need to compete with Nilu over the identity of a “maid”? To be honest, I didn’t really want to know; as long as the big shot was no longer angry and was happy, that was enough.

After all, our plan was still in motion. Nilu, who could now be considered a “new candidate for the saint,” had a second round of “screening” awaiting her.

Later, on the invitation letter Nilu received for passing the first round of screening, the time for the second round had arrived. The opportunity was right in front of us, so there was no time to hesitate. Naturally, Nilu would disguise herself again as the “fragile girl” she had been before to continue her candidacy. However, this time, aside from me, she couldn’t have anyone else accompany her. Kefir, who could provide me with the “protagonist’s halo” protection, had to stay back at our residence and wait for news.

After all, the location for the second round of screening for the new saint was rather special, and it surprised me: it was at the home of the “Miss Jader,” who had previously been taught a lesson by Nilu for her arrogant behavior and would ultimately not remember it.

At this moment, within the luxurious mansion of this young lady.

As Nilu and I arrived here, arm in arm, the waiting hall was already filled with a dozen other candidates who had passed the first round of screening. I wasn’t clear on the criteria the church used to select the new saint this time; after all, even the pamphlet only stated the vague phrase, “Everything is based on the church’s internal standards.” However, just from the flawless image of the beautiful girls gathered here, I could roughly guess what standards had been used to select the new candidates.

Though it was enough to have one oddball among them.

“Nilu, she’s here too.”

“I’ve already seen her.”

While I whispered with Nilu, my gaze also fell upon the Miss Jader, who had also appeared here as a “new candidate for the saint.”

Should I say it was “expected”? This young lady had indeed “successfully” passed the first round of selection. After all, on that day when she caused trouble and was quietly taught a lesson by Nilu, the order from Jias was merely to “restore everything,” without mentioning anything else to avoid revealing any flaws. So, it wouldn’t be surprising that this “daddy is a judge” Miss Jader had passed.

“You…”

“Don’t worry, Jias did perfectly. I’ve confirmed it.”

Just as Nilu said, although this Miss Jader quickly noticed my gaze and looked at Nilu and me with some confusion, she ultimately shook her head and walked away with a face full of disdain—after all, I was not this young lady’s “type.” As for the identities Nilu and I had disguised ourselves with, they posed no problem in front of the other new candidates. Perhaps because most of those who emerged from the first round were young and beautiful girls, during this second selection, they all brought along family or acquaintances to accompany them. Nilu and I were merely an “unremarkable” pair.

And now, the “main event” was about to begin!

After waiting for a moment, a middle-aged man with blonde hair walked in, accompanied by a group of clergy. I no longer needed to look at the script; just seeing the expression of Miss Jader, which suddenly radiated confidence and assurance, made me guess the identity of this “interviewer.”

“Dear candidates for the Holy Maiden, you have been favored by the goddess and selected from thousands of applicants. Welcome to this place to undergo further trials. I am the clergy responsible for evaluating you.”

I didn’t pay much attention to his lengthy speech, not even catching his name. After all, this man was Miss Jader’s father, so I’ll just call him Jader Dad!

And right after that, with the emergence of new content in the script, some things I could roughly anticipate also surfaced.

[Jader Dad has begun the second round of selecting new Holy Maidens!]

[Jader Dad used various tactics to dissuade other candidates, allowing Jader to successfully enter the final selection.]

The script was clear; the seemingly fair methods Jader Dad spoke of, even including exams, were merely for show. Not to mention, as he spoke, he secretly glanced at his precious daughter. After a silent exchange of understanding between the two, Miss Jader’s demeanor became even more relaxed!

And Jader Dad’s actions soon commenced!

“Now, all new Holy Maiden candidates and their companions will continue to wait here. Then, according to the numbers on your invitations, you will come to separate rooms one by one to face inquiries and trials from our clergy! Starting with number one, please follow me!”

With that, Jader Dad led a group of priests into a room within the hall. One of the girls, joyfully clutching her invitation, stepped out. At least in terms of appearance, she was undoubtedly impressive, which gave her a fair amount of confidence. Unfortunately…

The script quietly revealed the cruel and tragic fate awaiting this background character.

[New Holy Maiden Candidate A chose to forfeit her candidacy due to threats from Jader Dad.]

“Mr. O’Keefe…”

“Shh, I already know the outcome.”

Sure enough, not long after, the door at the back of the hall opened, and the girl who had entered with a cheerful demeanor emerged with a sullen face. Without waiting for the other candidates to ask her about it, she hurriedly ran out.

Though everyone was puzzled by her strange attitude, most simply assumed she “didn’t perform well in the interview and exam.” Besides, who wouldn’t be pleased with one less competitor? Soon, the second Holy Maiden candidate called also entered with a similarly confident expression.

Then… the process repeated.

[New Holy Maiden Candidate B was forced to forfeit.]

[New Holy Maiden Candidate C was forced to forfeit.]

Scripts appeared one after another, and these candidates, who believed “everyone else is weak, and I am the best,” had not the slightest sense of crisis. In fact, they felt pleased with the successive eliminations, completely oblivious to the triumphant smile of Miss Jader, who was hiding in the corner, already exuding an air of victory.

In this situation, as one of the candidates for the Saintess, Nilu would definitely be rejected for some reason. However… I didn’t have time to prepare anything, because just at that moment, Father Jia stepped out of the inner room with a smirk that hinted at a plan coming to fruition, and then called for the next one.

“Next candidate for the Saintess, please come in!”

It was already Nilu’s second round of “selection.”