The Fox of France

Chapter 367: The Torch Relay

In essence, the inaugural Prometheus Awards successfully veiled the conflict between the Vatican and Austria. As the fervor around the Prometheus Awards gradually subsided, with both the Vatican and Austria seemingly forgetting their past differences, no further voices were raised regarding the Vatican's excommunication of Emperor Francis II.

Austria's Cardinal Archbishop still referred to Francis II as 'Your Majesty,' and Francis II continued to partake in various religious activities, still receiving blessings from church officials—as if Austria had never had any conflict with the Vatican.

During this time, public attention gradually shifted toward the upcoming Olympics. Initially, the Scientific Truth Gazette began introducing the main venue of the Olympics and outlining the event's competitions.

Reporters from the Gazette interviewed Mr. Lucien Bonaparte, who chaired the French Olympic Committee. Lucien displayed a massive model of the main stadium in his office.

"Look, this is how the main stadium will appear upon completion. There will be grandstands all around, accommodating a whopping eighty thousand seats. Alongside these seated areas, there are other sections—overall, the entire grandstand can accommodate around ninety thousand people."

"What's this structure?"

"The Olympic flame holder," Lucien explained. "We'll use a concave lens at the ancient Olympic site to ignite the torch symbolizing these Olympics. Then, the torch will pass through various individuals in a relay, traversing country after country from Greece to Paris. As the torchbearers pass through each country, they will represent France, extending peaceful invitations to the nations they traverse, inviting them to participate in the Paris Olympic Games. If these nations are willing to embrace an Olympic truce, to cease all war activities during the two weeks of the Games, they'll earn the right to send athletes to participate."

"The torchbearers will follow these routes. The first will head to Constantinople, extending the invitation to Turkey, then northward into Russia, all the way to St. Petersburg, inviting Russia, followed by Sweden, Prussia, and Denmark. Next is the Rhine Federation and the Netherlands, then by ship from the Netherlands, ultimately reaching England before returning to France by ship."

"The second route will first go to Austria, then the North Italian Republic, Spain, and Portugal before sailing to the United States and returning to France from there. The last two routes will converge at the Pantheon in Paris, continuing to the main venue. A representative elected by the people of Paris will hold the torch, igniting the main flame, marking the official start of the Olympics. The flame on the main torch will burn ceaselessly until the end of the Games."

"Minister Bonaparte, I must say, the relay of the sacred flame is an incredibly creative endeavor. It traverses the entire civilized world, bringing peace. This creativity is remarkable! I imagine such an undertaking requires a lot of coordination among nations; the work must be quite extensive, isn't it?" the journalist inquired.

"Yes, it's an intricate task, but it's incredibly meaningful. Therefore, we're all dedicated to it. The countries of the civilized world have shown tremendous support for this initiative. People from every country we're passing through in this relay are enthusiastic about it. We intend to recruit volunteers from these cities to participate in this grand event. Even if you can't come to Paris for the games, you can still personally carry or escort the Olympic torch."

"It's perfect. Also, if I wish to participate in the Games or the torch relay, where should I sign up?"

"You can register at the Ministry of Truth building, at the Olympic Games office. Whether as an athlete or a torchbearer, registration is done there. However, if there's an overwhelming number of registrations, we might resort to qualifiers or a lottery to decide who qualifies," Lucien responded.

"One last question, we've heard rumors that this edition of the Games will have some differences in the events from the ancient Olympics. Is that true?"

"Yes," Lucien replied, "We respect tradition, but we also see the changes in our times. We cannot replicate everything from ancient times. Otherwise, should we speak Ancient Greek during the Games and have athletes compete in the nude? Obviously not. In ancient times, only men were allowed to watch the contests, but now we must consider female spectators' sentiments. Therefore, we're making some adjustments to the sporting events…"

After this interview was published, Europe buzzed once more. Almost everyone's attention shifted back to the new Olympic Games. Governments of the countries through which the torch would pass also announced registration procedures for participants. However, it was said that Turkey didn't select participants through voluntary registrations and draws; instead, they allowed volunteers from other nations to carry the torch along specified routes. They had concerns about idol worship and the pagan nature of the torch relay. However, considering their friendship with France—a rarity in Europe nowadays—they permitted the torch to pass through Turkey and pledged to send a team for the equestrian events at the Olympics.

In contrast, Russia appeared more open, albeit considering its vastness, the torch relay in Russia involved horseback riding. Russia, too, committed to sending athletes to the Paris Olympics.

Austria also expressed eagerness to participate. Even Archduke Karl of Austria expressed a desire to compete as an equestrian athlete. With an overwhelming number of registrations for the torch relay, a lottery became necessary for selection.

As for the Rhine Federation, they were effusive in their praise for France. The people of the Rhine Federation voiced that France was the beacon of democracy and liberty, and aligning with France was the greatest honor. They pledged unconditional support for this grand event.

In England, the reaction was intriguing. After feeling overshadowed by the French in scientific aspects, the British saw this as an opportunity to showcase their prowess and revive national pride. Therefore, while not many signed up for the torch relay, there were numerous registrations for the Games, prompting multiple rounds of eliminations. This notably bolstered the performance of the British in subsequent events.

Other countries were equally willing to cooperate, even the Vatican showed positive signs.

It was rumored that when news of Turkey's reluctance to allow its citizens to participate reached the Vatican, a journalist seeking a sensational story posed a pointed question to a certain bishop of the Vatican.

"Are the gods of Greece deceptive demons?"

"Yes, my child, understand that apart from Jesus, there is no salvation. Besides the Holy Trinity of God, there are no other gods in this world; all those claiming to be gods are actually evil spirits. The gods of Greece are no exception," the bishop replied.

The assistant's response had no issue at all. This was the fundamental creed of Catholicism; if they deviated from this, what would remain of the Catholic faith? Although in later years, due to political correctness regarding religious freedom, they rarely expressed such beliefs openly, doctrinally, they still considered figures like Buddha or Laozi to be evil spirits.

So, the journalist continued, "Mr. Bishop, as you know, the ancient Olympics originated from the worship of those pagan spirits, which the Vatican later banned. Now, the French are reviving such pagan activities. Doesn't this go against the basic teachings of the Catholic Church, leading to idol worship?"

Upon hearing the mention of the Olympics, the bishop immediately understood the journalist's ill intentions. To question if the French were betraying the teachings of the Church, veering onto a sinful path? Did it even need asking? Any devout believer would know the answer. However, this was the era of political correctness; it was no longer acceptable to question others' beliefs openly. The bishop's response was carefully considered.

"The Catholic Church has always strived to rid the world of idol worship. As long as France doesn't openly embrace idol worship during the Olympics, as long as the torch relay and Olympic Games don't become a form of idolatry, the Vatican has no intention of interfering in France's decision to hold the Games. Of course, we will continue to guide our followers to the righteous path, following the teachings of Jesus Christ."

The bishop's answer seemed diplomatic but still expressed the Vatican's stance on the matter. The Vatican had no intention of overtly opposing France's Olympics, but they didn't want to be seen endorsing it either. They maintained a cautious stance, acknowledging France's autonomy while subtly reminding their followers to stay true to their faith.

As the Vatican didn't completely oppose it, it became clear that the French Olympics would be a grand event without any major hurdles. This international event, aiming to bring together various countries under the banner of peace, gradually became a reality.