The day of the White God Festival—the first-ever celebration hosted by the Divine Realm—had finally arrived. Our group set out for the God Realm exactly as planned.
Under normal circumstances, visitors teleport there using gates located near the various temples. However, those temple gates are quite small, and given the sheer number of people expected to visit this time, they would have turned into a massive bottleneck. To compensate, adjustments had been made for today only, allowing teleportation to the God Realm from every available gate.
"Still, it’s probably going to be packed, right? I wonder if we’ll have to wait in line?" Hina-chan wondered aloud.
"No, I don't think that will be an issue for us... not with Miyama-sama here," Luna-san replied.
The others all nodded in agreement, seemingly convinced by her logic.
"I’m sure they wouldn’t dream of making Kaito-san wait in line, but... Kaito-san, have you heard anything specific?"
"Hmm? Oh, I haven't received any particular instructions on where to go. I figured we’d just head to the nearest gate. I can fly there with teleportation magic if I have to, but the only coordinates I have registered are for the Upper Level."
Aoi-senpai was the one asking, but all I knew was that I was supposed to spend the evening with Shiro-san starting at 6:00 PM, and that a guide would meet us once we reached the Middle Level. Beyond that, I hadn't been given any orders.
"Let’s just head for the gate! Regardless of Kaito-san, it would be highly inappropriate for the rest of us to go wandering into the Upper Level uninvited..."
Lilia-san sounded a bit panicked, so we stuck to the original plan and headed for the gate closest to the mansion.
For the record, I had already told Lilia-san that the Sky God would be our guide in the Middle Level. She’d made an indescribable face when she heard it, but since she’d already anticipated that we would have some sort of high-level escort, she didn't faint.
She did, however, mutter, "Usually, a High-ranking God is not someone you can meet so easily... but I suppose it’s far too late to start worrying about that now."
After about ten minutes of travel in the two carriages Lilia-san had prepared, we arrived at our destination. As expected, a massive crowd had already gathered near the gate.
"...Master, it looks like it would be faster if we got out and walked from here."
"Yeah. Lilia-san’s carriage has stopped too. They're probably getting out, so let’s follow suit."
I nodded at Anima's suggestion, as it was clearly impossible to get any closer in the carriage. I called out to Eta and Theta, as well as Caraway, who were riding with us. All three moved with practiced efficiency as we prepared to disembark. But the moment we stepped outside—or so I thought—the scenery abruptly shifted.
We were indoors now, in a vast, empty hall. Standing right in the center was a familiar figure.
"Hm? It seems you have arrived."
"Chronoa-san? Where are we?"
"This is the grand hall of my temple. I set it so that once Miyama and his party reached the vicinity of the gate, you would be automatically teleported here. For those in carriages, the spell triggers the moment you step out."
I looked around and saw Lilia-san and the others appearing beside us. It seemed the entire group had been brought here the same way. In the end, we’d bypassed the lines and ended up in the Upper Level anyway.
While I was processing that, Chronoa-san approached Lilia-san and handed her a small booklet.
"Lilia, I shall entrust this to you as the group's representative. This is the official guide for the festival. This is the latest version, containing some minor changes from the one distributed earlier, so please refer to this while you explore. I have provided enough copies for everyone."
"Th-Thank you very much. Um, Chronoa-sama... what should we do now?"
"Once you exit my temple, you will be teleported directly to the entrance of the Lower Level venue. Should any issues arise, simply call out to a nearby member of the God Realm. Every god has been instructed to memorize the faces of Miyama and your party, so they will move to assist you immediately."
"...I-I see."
She had casually mentioned that every single god now knew the faces of Lilia-san and the others, not just mine. Lilia-san gave a strained nod, her hand instinctively going to her stomach.
"...Aoi-senpai, as expected of Kaito-senpai. This isn't just VIP treatment; this is Super VIP treatment."
"Actually, I think they’re holding back. Considering he’s Shallow Vernal-sama’s lover, the treatment should probably be even more extravagant. They’re likely moderating it because they know Kaito-san would be embarrassed by anything more."
I’d actually been braced for a squad of gods trailing us everywhere we went, so it seemed they’d been thoughtful enough to spare me that. I was genuinely relieved. I had a feeling Fate-san might have been the one to smooth things over.
"Ah, and I forgot to mention, but your group has been granted free access to the Upper Level. If you wish to rest, feel free to return here. I have already informed the other gods."
"U-Understood. Thank you for your kindness... and your consideration."
"I understand how you feel, Lilia, but do not worry. We have kept the special treatment somewhat restrained, so there shouldn't be anything beyond the scope of your imagination. I will be keeping an eye on things, so if anything happens, I will move to support you. Try to enjoy yourself without so much stress."
"Ch-Chronoa-sama..."
It seemed Chronoa-san truly understood Lilia-san’s constant struggles. She even promised to back her up if things went south.
Lilia-san looked immensely heartened, but... didn't that essentially mean I was being officially recognized as a troublemaker? It was a bit demoralizing.
Unfortunately, I had no grounds to deny the accusation, so I simply had to accept it.
Lilia and the others: "...Something is definitely going to happen."
Chronoa: "...Something is definitely going to happen."
Alice-chan: "...Something is definitely going to happen."
Serious-senpai: "...There’s no way nothing happens."
Such deep, unwavering trust they had in me.