It had been two weeks since eight candidates for the Sorcerer Supreme Battle came to the town of San Venganza.
Each of them began to act and began to implement what they thought was 'salvation.'
Loki, the Princess of Asgard, the Goddess of Mischief, took her silly brother and looked for the mayor first.
"What? Gold is buried under the ground in San Venganza?"
The mayor met the two strangers in the office and then got surprising news.
"That's right."
Loki lifted the thick glasses on the bridge of her nose and spoke solemnly.
She changed her dress, wearing a small black lace hat and a pair of long riding boots under her feet.
The half-high collar white shirt and suit trousers made her look particularly capable and gallant.
Of course, it was also in line with the image of a female scholar she designed.
"We are geologists of the Royal College of England. After careful investigation and repeated confirmation, we believe that there are large gold deposits buried under the ground."
Seeing the doubt on the mayor's face, Loki took out a stack of drawings from the satchel hanging around her waist, depicting the terrain and landforms near the town.
If someone wanted to win people's trust, they had to act like a professional.
Loki thought that her impersonation was perfect.
The mayor's mistrust must have originated from Thor.
He was more like a bodyguard than a geologist.
"Mr. Mayor, you see. Here and here, the undiscovered gold mine is buried here."
Loki pointed to two places and spoke in a low voice.
"I have explored the rock composition around here and verified the age. It can be initially determined that a gold-rich deposit lies beneath San Venganza."
She talked excitedly as her hands danced.
Expectations in her eyes and excited tone. This was superb acting.
Thor, who was standing on the sidelines, began to wonder if there really was a gold mine, waiting for the townspeople to find it.
"Then what do you want to do?"
Without a doubt, the mayor was moved.
Indeed, a gold rush broke out in the western region, attracting an endless stream of newcomers for nearly a century.
With the dream of making money, they traveled long distances by train to this desolate land.
At that time, everyone said that gold was everywhere in the west.
They were exposed in the riverbed and only required simple digging to find the large, magnificent nuggets of gold.
However, in fact, not many people in the mighty gold rush brigade made a fortune by this.
Those who really earned the first pot of gold were actually businessmen who provided services for the gold diggers.
"We can provide professional advice, mining methods, and some machinery and equipment."
Loki acted shrewdly and made a condition, "But I need a lot of workers for the excavation work."
"That's not a problem. However, how should the salary be settled?"
The mayor touched his beard.
He already believed these two outsiders in front of him.
Although the gold rush in the western region had long passed, people's longing for gold and their desire to get rich overnight had never cooled down.
If it was true that there was an undiscovered gold mine waiting to be mined beneath the town of San Venganza...
Well, that was good news for everyone.
"That's exactly what I wanted to say."
Loki smiled as if she had already thought about it.
"The reason why I looked for you, Mr. Mayor, I hope you will be inclined to cooperate in this area."
"I have to buy mining equipment and hire a team of professionals, which will inevitably cost a lot of money."
The mayor frowned slightly. He understood Loki's meaning and asked hesitantly, "You mean, I should be responsible for the workers' compensation...?"
"That's right. This will be considered as a share. For every ounce of gold mined in the future, one-third of it will be yours, Mr. Mayor."
Loki said leisurely.
The mayor hesitated, thought it over and over for a while, and finally nodded vigorously.
People in the west couldn't resist the temptation of gold.
"San Venganza has no gold."
Leaving the mayor's office, Thor scratched his head and said so.
He didn't know why Loki bothered to weave a lie. Would it help her pass the test?
"I know. But people yearn for gold."
Loki put her hands behind her back, and her mouth slightly tilted, "The townspeople of San Venganza sold their souls to the devil and became degenerates."
"Therefore, every night, the desire for violence, greed, and killing will prompt everyone to commit evil acts like beasts."
"The test set by the Vishanti is 'salvation'. But what is salvation?"
"Let them be redeemed and ascend to heaven?"
"That's impossible. The fallen man who turns his back on God cannot be forgiven."
"A lot of wealth, a good life, a bright future ... These are the things people yearn for."
"if I give the people of San Venganza a goal and give them something to fantasize about, is it not a kind of salvation?"
The Princess of Asgard smiled slyly. The day and night of San Venganza are two sides of the same coin.
She thought that as long as the townspeople in the daytime were calm in some way, they could be saved at night.
"Dreams are the easiest to satisfy."
Loki whispered softly, with mixed emotions hidden in her eyes.
"But, they would always wake up."
Thor said hesitantly.
Loki, who walked in front, raised her chin and proudly said, "Don't forget, I'm a master of illusion."