Sylvester's actions during the race reaped him the sweetest fruits he could expect. Before the competition, the old Bishops had some jealousy, and once Sylvester made fun of them, there was annoyance. But after the recent events, all Sylvester could smell was the scent of worship, hope and happiness.
Sylvester had successfully planted his image in their minds as the true Bard of the Lord, who should be respected and followed around. After all, no matter what, Sylvester was higher ranked than all of the old men, so they had to accept that there was a lot of merit behind Sylvester's rank.
Not to mention, it was no secret that Sylvester was denied a justified promotion by the council. So, the accumulation of all that resulted in the perfect situation that Sylvester exploited now.
