While we were still a bit bewildered by the Pope's brief greeting and silent prayer, Sky-san began teaching us the proper manner of prayer so we could offer ours to Shiro-san.
Actually, calling it "etiquette" was a bit of a stretch—it wasn't as if there were detailed procedures to follow. Formal ceremonies apparently involved very intricate steps, but a simplified version was sufficient for this setting. We were only taught the basics: our posture and how to fold our hands.
"The most important thing, above all else, is your feelings," Sky-san explained. "As long as you are sincere, minor mistakes in form aren't a problem. Just keep your respect and gratitude for Shallow Vernal-sama, the Creator of the world, firmly at the center of your heart. That alone constitutes a proper prayer."
I see. Respect and gratitude for Shiro-san, huh?
(So excited. So excited.)
...Uh, why has the person being prayed to been chanting "excited" in a completely monotone voice in my head for a while now?
(Because it seems like Kaito-san is about to praise me, and I am looking forward to it very much. If you praise me, I will be happy.)
Ah, right. I suppose thanking someone naturally involves a bit of praise.
...This was incredibly awkward. Knowing the recipient was reading my mind and eagerly anticipating every bit of my gratitude felt like some kind of strange humiliation play.
Still, gratitude... I had so much of it that I didn't even know where to start. Shiro-san really had done so much for me; she was always helping me out. Sure, I often found myself dragged along by her natural airheadedness, but even so, the times she had helped me far outweighed the headaches.
Thinking back to everything that had happened since I'd returned from Earth... there was the matter with my mother and father, the way she had assisted Alice in building my house, and the gifts she'd prepared for the guests at my housewarming party. There were so many other things that the list would never end if I tried to name them all.
She was eccentric and ditzy, but I truly felt Shiro-san was a kind person who went out of her way to think of me. The straightforward affection she showed me could be embarrassing at times, but the joy and happiness I felt far surpassed any awkwardness.
Besides, her being an airhead wasn't even a bad thing. It was just part of Shiro-san's charm. She might cause a mess occasionally, but everything always worked out for the best in the end, so I never really felt like complaining.
If anything, I had mountains of things to praise her for. Lately, her expressions had softened, and she had become more expressive. Honestly, I felt like her cuteness was reaching new heights. I had never once felt bored during our tea times; if anything, the hours always seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye.
Our date at the amusement park had been frantic but fun. Even at the beach, she had tried harder to communicate with the people around her than I’d expected, and that had made me really happy.
In the end, no matter how much I reflected on it, I always arrived at the same conclusion: Shiro-san was a wonderful, precious lover... and I loved her from the bottom of my heart.
It was excruciatingly embarrassing to think this while knowing it was being broadcast directly to her, but... I truly was happy to have met her. Maybe it wasn't strictly "gratitude," but... I love you, Shiro-san.
Since it was a special occasion and my inner voice was for her ears only, I let myself be a little bold.
"...Wait."
"What? This... this is..."
Suddenly, voices of shock and bewilderment echoed through the prayer room, which was supposed to be silent. I opened the eyes I’d closed for prayer only to find the stained glass shining brilliantly. The glass, which depicted Shiro-san from behind, was emitting a light so intense it felt as though the entire room was being swallowed by it—yet strangely, it wasn't blinding.
But wait... looking closer, there were patterns of light and shadow within the glow. In fact, those shapes formed characters...
"Smug."
She was flexing. She must have been incredibly happy, because she was literally glowing with smugness. As a sense of exasperation washed over me, I glanced around. Most of the people were wearing expressions of pure awe, moved to tears by what they perceived as a miraculous event.
Amidst the crowd, Aoi-chan and Hina-chan briefly looked skeptical, but they quickly shook their heads and returned to their prayerful stances.
...I knew exactly what happened. Since the word "Smug" was written in Japanese characters, Lilia-san and the others couldn't read it; they likely just saw it as some holy pattern. Aoi-chan and Hina-chan, however, could read it perfectly. They’d probably been confused for a second before concluding, "There’s no way the divine light would say 'Smug.' It must just be a trick of the light," and went back to praying.
Well, that made sense. Normally, you wouldn't expect a god to express "smugness" through a miraculous light show.
Inside the prayer room suddenly engulfed in a miracle, I felt as if I were the only one left behind—trapped in a very subtle, indescribable state of mind.
[Shallow Vernal has unleashed Doyaaa Shining]
[A light of smugness showers down]
[The local people are unable to read the characters]
[The Otherworlders were confused, but recovered immediately]
[Kaito is wearing a subtle expression]
[Shallow Vernal is deeply satisfied. To repeat, she is deeply satisfied.]
[Shallow Vernal's tension is in top form]