The chapel we arrived at was, for lack of a better description, far more massive than I had anticipated. At a glance, the scale was staggering; it looked less like a house of worship and more like a fortress—or perhaps the grand cathedral of a major religious order.
"It’s... ridiculously huge," I muttered. "Are all chapels like this?"
"No," Sky replied. "This chapel is the largest building in the God Realm. Since it is the place where prayers are offered to Shallow Vernal-sama, the Supreme God-samas and the rest of the God race would never allow it to be smaller than the Supreme God-samas' own temples. It reached this size as a matter of necessity."
"I see."
The exterior was a masterpiece of majestic, sacred architecture. Even a cursory glance made it clear how much effort the Gods had poured into its construction.
Furthermore, if it was this massive, it should have been able to hold a considerable number of people, yet the lottery odds for entry were still said to be astronomical. It was truly an impressive feat.
"There are ten prayer rooms within this chapel, numbered one through ten," Sky explained. "I have prepared the First Prayer Room for you. Within the chapel, this is the location closest to the Sanctuary where Shallow Vernal-sama resides."
I followed Sky-san, who had apparently secured an exceptionally exclusive spot for us, and stepped inside. The interior was so silent that it was hard to believe a festival was raging outside. The air felt cool and refined, as if it had been purified.
We walked down a corridor wide enough for even the most massive of races to pass through until we reached the First Prayer Room. The atmosphere here was even more profound.
The far wall of the hall was dominated by a colossal stained-glass window. It depicted a large pattern that appeared to be Shiro-san’s silhouette viewed from behind.
Aside from that, there were no extraneous decorations at all, giving the impression of a space built solely for the purpose of offering prayers to her.
The room was quite spacious, and judging by the number of people present, the area allotted to each individual was generous.
Moreover, many of the people already praying looked particularly virtuous. Here and there, I noticed individuals who radiated a truly serious, dedicated aura.
For example, a silver-haired woman dressed in priestly robes was offering a prayer with her hands clasped. She possessed an aura that wouldn't have been out of place on a Saint.
...Wait. That woman... have I seen her somewhere before?
"Milady," Luna-san whispered. "Isn't that... the Pope?"
"It certainly is," Lilia-san replied in a low voice. "It wouldn't be strange for her to be here given her position, but to think we would be in the same prayer room..."
The whispered conversation between Luna-san and Lilia-san jogged my memory. Ah, that was it. That woman was the representative of the Friendly City Hikari, the one who handled the Hero Festival—the Pope. I thought I had caught a glimpse of her during the festival festivities.
Although located in the Human Realm, the Friendly City Hikari was treated as an independent city that belonged to no country. As its leader, she was the one entrusted with the Original Manuscript of the Friendship Treaty by the God of the World, Shiro-san.
It was said she was one of the few beings in the world who had spoken directly with Shiro-san. Beyond that, however, I didn't know much.
"Lilia-san, does the Pope have deep ties to the God Realm?" Aoi-chan asked softly, having apparently arrived at the same question I had. "I’ve only ever heard that she guards the original manuscript of the treaty..."
"I don't know all the details myself," Lilia-san said, "but the Pope is said to be a being specifically created by the Creator God Shallow Vernal-sama to protect the Original Manuscript of the Friendship Treaty and the Friendly City Hikari. In that sense, she is very nearly a member of the God race herself."
"Your understanding is correct, Lilia-san," Sky-san added. "You could say she is like an independent member of the God race who does not fall under the command of the Supreme God-samas."
I see. So she was a member of the Gods with a unique, special status. Her intense respect for Shiro-san was palpable even from the way she prayed.
Just as I nodded at Lilia-san and Sky-san’s explanation and prepared to offer my own prayer, the Pope—who had been motionless until then—stood up smoothly and turned toward us.
She had shimmering silver hair and deep blue eyes. She stood about 160 cm tall and exuded a mysterious, ethereal beauty.
The Pope walked toward us with silent, elegant grace. She stopped directly in front of me and dropped to both knees. What is happening!?
While I stood there paralyzed by confusion, the Pope clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and remained perfectly still in a posture of prayer. After about ten seconds of silence, she rose, gave me a small, respectful bow, and returned to her original spot to resume her vigil.
"Um... what on earth was that?"
"She was likely greeting Kaito-san as Shallow Vernal-sama's Lover," Sky-san explained. "She is extremely devout and would never dream of speaking during a sacred prayer. However, her pride wouldn't allow her to ignore someone she reveres as much as she does you, so she chose that form of greeting instead."
"I... see."
Wait... did Sky-san just casually group me in with whatever the Pope reveres? That had to be a mistake, right? I really wanted to believe I’d just misheard her...
???: "Well, with our regulars around, the Fanatic Category is certainly reaching its quota."
Serious-senpai: "Don't you dare lump her in with that group of perverts..."