The Eve of the Election Ceremony

Although the Candle Holder Festival was held on January 1, that was merely a Holy Day relinquished by Constant Self. Since Constant Self had no intention of celebrating a festival, this day was handed over to the Candle Holder.

"Three" was the Candle Holder's Sacred Number.

Therefore, March 3 was the time each year when the Candle Holder's power was at its strongest. If a ritual required borrowing the Candle Holder's power, it could be held either on January 1 or March 3.

The day of the Pope's succession was always set for this day as well.

...But in truth, this year was not supposed to be a normal Papal Election Day.

Generally speaking, the Pope would tend to retire in a year ending in a whole number. Three hundred years was the ideal; three hundred and thirty-three years was the next best option. If a Sacred Number could not be chosen, then some other whole number would do.

It was now 1899, and next year would be 1900—from "one" to "nine," an extremely auspicious number in the eyes of the elves. What was more, next year would happen to mark the three-hundredth year of the current Eternal Pope's term.

They had stacked up so many BUFFs, only to ignore them... This was no longer merely an issue of driving people with obsessive-compulsive disorder to despair.

Even a passerby would guess that the current Eternal Pope had most likely been forced to step down ahead of schedule.

And precisely because of that... on the night before, passersby on the streets were already discussing the matter anxiously.

Preparations for the Papal Election ceremony would begin at one in the morning on March 3, and the ceremony itself would officially start at nine. Three hours later, the results would be announced at