Down in the lower level of the God Realm, near the teleportation gates where the White God Festival’s crowds were at their thickest... yet slightly removed in a quieter pocket, Rosmiel stood with her face frozen in a mask of rigid anxiety.
Camilia, who had been staying by her side, spoke to her with a worried tone.
“...Elly, are you okay?”
“...I-I can’t do it. No way, no way, no way... There are just too many people. The crowds have grown so much.”
“Well, it was bound to get busier than when we first arrived. More importantly, how are you holding up? Do you think you can make it to the teleportation gates?”
“...I-I-It’s absolutely impossible. If I try to dive into that many people... I’ll literally die.”
After parting ways with Kaito’s group, the two had made their way back to the lower level to head home. The primary issue was that teleportation magic was fundamentally unusable within the God Realm.
To be more precise, the entire realm was under a heavy layer of teleportation interference. Only a handful of exceptionally powerful individuals—the Six Kings, for instance—could forcibly override it.
Furthermore, within the Sanctuary where Shallow Vernal resided, teleportation was out of the question for anyone who didn't possess Quasi-Almighty Class power—beings like Kuromueina or Eden, who could actually rival the Creator God’s authority.
“Neither of us can break through the interference ourselves, so we have no choice but to use the gates, but...”
“...I-I mean... besides the Six Kings-sama, the only ones who can teleport inside the God Realm are probably... maybe Gluttony from the Phantasm King-sama’s faction... and Jutia?”
“True, it might be impossible for anyone below their level. Regardless, we have to use the gates to get back to the Human Realm. That means eventually going where the people are... but...”
Usually, anyone at the top of the Count-class could handle most tasks, but everyone had their personal specialties and weaknesses.
The God Realm’s teleportation interference was of an incredibly high caliber. Breaking it required one to be among the absolute best teleportation magic users in the world.
It required someone like the Predator of Subspace Gluttony, renowned as one of the Demon Realm’s foremost experts in the field, or the Great Tree Princess Jutia, the World's Greatest Spirit Mage and the master of the very spirit magic that teleportation principles were derived from. One needed to be on that specific level.
This left Rosmiel and Camilia with no choice but to use the gates, which were visibly swarming with people even from their vantage point. For someone as pathologically shy as Rosmiel, plunging into that sea of humanity was an ordeal of monumental proportions.
Adding to her distress was the high probability of a long wait in line. For Rosmiel, it was a literal vision of hell.
Seeing her friend trembling in place with a petrified expression, Camilia gave her a gentle, reassuring smile.
“Let’s just take a break here for now. There aren't many people around this spot. Maybe the crowd will thin out if we give it some time.”
“...Y-Yeah... Thank you, Lia...”
“If I had known it would be this bad, we should have invited Jutia-san to come with us.”
“...Y-You're right. B-But... I didn't think it would be this overwhelming...”
They decided to rest and wait for a gap in the crowds before attempting to approach the gates.
As they sat there engaging in idle conversation, a familiar, high-energy voice suddenly reached their ears.
“Oh my, oh my! What a coincidence to run into you here! Nice, nice! Seeing you by chance like this is such wonderful luck, it is!”
“Jutia-san?! Why are you here?”
“I came to buy some black tea! And then, and then, I thought I’d stop by Rigforresia for a bit. The teleportation gates looked so busy, so I was looking for a spot where I wouldn't be in the way before I teleported myself out. And then, and then, I found you two, I did!”
At the sight of the Great Tree Princess, Camilia’s jaw dropped in surprise. Rosmiel, however, moved with a sudden, desperate burst of speed. She closed the distance, grabbed Jutia’s shoulders, and leaned in close.
“...S-Salvation... My savior has come... Ju-Jutiaaa... P-Please, help me.”
“Oyo?”
“Th-Th-There are too many people... I can’t go near the gates... P-Please, take us with you using your teleportation magic!”
“I see, I see! You really don’t like big crowds, do you, Rosmiel? Sure thing, sure thing! I’ll send you back, I will! Should I just take you straight to Rigforresia?”
“Y-Yes... Once we’re back in the Human Realm... I can teleport on my own... Thank you so much, really.”
To Rosmiel, Jutia—who could bypass the God Realm’s teleportation interference with ease—was nothing short of a literal god of salvation.
Jutia agreed to help them with a cheerful smile, allowing Rosmiel to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“It might just be my imagination, Jutia-san, but while you’re always high-spirited... you seem to be in an even better mood than usual today.”
“Oyo? You can tell? Yes, yes! I’m in a very good mood right now, I am! I’m happy, I’m happy! I had a wonderful encounter, and I’m just so satisfied, I am!”
“An encounter?”
“Listen, listen! Just a little while ago, up in the middle level...”
With a beaming expression, Jutia began to recount the events of her meeting in the middle level, and the three of them spent the next while animatedly discussing Kaito and his group.
Serious-senpai: “Well, now that we’ve caught up with the various groups after they parted ways... what’s next on the agenda?”
???: “Maybe another accidental encounter, ssu?”
Serious-senpai: “I don’t know. Is there anyone else even left? Anyone who might be lurking around?”