Whether it was unexpected or, in a way, entirely predictable, I finished my prayer to Shiro-san despite the bizarre circumstances.
As for the phenomenon from earlier, the God presiding over the Prayer Room smoothed things over by explaining that Shallow Vernal-sama must have received everyone's heartfelt prayers. The surrounding crowd was buzzing with excitement and emotion, as if they had witnessed a miracle with their own eyes. Personally, the attention made me feel a bit out of place.
Amidst the stir, the Pope alone remained silent and motionless. She stayed locked in her prayerful posture without moving an inch. It was a profoundly quiet prayer, making it feel as if time itself had stopped for her.
"Sky-san, um... is the Pope going to be much longer? If she’s finishing up soon, I thought I should probably say hello."
"Please wait a moment. She is occupying one of the slots reserved for the Gods, so I will go check her scheduled time."
I didn't want to disturb such a serious prayer, but after what had happened, I felt a greeting was in order. Sky-san quickly headed over to the God in charge of the room to confirm. She returned a moment later with a rather complicated expression.
"She apparently has about six more hours to go."
"I’ll save the greeting for another time, then."
That was a staggering amount of time to spend praying. I suppose that was the level of dedication one expected from a true believer.
"Six hours of prayer is incredible," Aoi-san remarked. "She really deserves the title of Pope."
"Actually, Aoi-san, she has been here since this morning. She’s already been at it for nine hours."
"T-That’s even more amazing."
"If anything, that’s on the shorter side for her," Sky-san added. "When she has no other obligations, she is always offering prayers at the Central Cathedral in the Friendly City. On occasion, she has been known to remain in that prayerful posture for several months without moving a muscle."
She was as hardcore as they came. 'Pious' didn't even begin to describe that level of devotion. Regardless, I decided to give up on meeting her today.
"I shouldn't disturb her. If the opportunity arises again, I’ll greet her then."
"Miyama-sama, why don't you visit the Friendly City Hikari for some sightseeing at some point?" Lunamaria suggested. "Aoi-sama and Hina-sama, you both have likely only seen it during the Hero Festival, haven't you? The atmosphere is quite different during the rest of the year, and the city itself is full of famous tourist attractions."
"Ah, that’s a good idea."
It was true that I’d only been to Hikari during the festival. Between the crowds and the endless rows of stalls, I hadn't really had the chance to slow down and appreciate the city’s layout or architecture.
The first time I had been near the city, Noin-san—who probably wanted to visit Hikari less than anyone else in the world—was with me, so we couldn't go in. Consequently, I had never actually seen the city under normal circumstances.
It was a well-known tourist destination, famous for its Hikari Manju and the massive mural depicting the Adventures of the First Hero. Just as Lunamaria said, it might be worth taking a trip there soon. If our schedules lined up, I could offer my greetings to the Pope then.
With those thoughts in mind, I left the chapel. Once outside, I pulled out my pocket watch to check the time. Since the sky in the God Realm was perpetually blue, you couldn't rely on the position of the sun to tell the time.
It was currently 3:30 PM. We still had time, but after visiting one or two more spots, I’d need to start thinking about the right time to head toward the Sanctuary.
"Still, we really do run into all sorts of people," Sieg-san noted. "Normally, one shouldn't encounter so many famous figures one after another."
"Well, as far as that’s concerned, we have Kaito-san with us," Lilia-san replied, nodding with an expression of total resignation.
It was certainly unusual to run into so many high-profile individuals. Given how many people were attending the festival, the odds of bumping into them specifically should have been astronomical, yet it kept happening. In fact, I had a sinking feeling I’d run into someone else at the very next place we went.
"Sky God, so this is where you were."
"Earth God? What’s the matter?"
I didn't even make it to the next location. Lilia-san gave me a look of pure exasperation. I wanted to believe this wasn't my fault, but...
"No, I simply thought I would take the opportunity to greet Miyama Kaito-sama. I came over as soon as I had a free moment."
...It was definitely my fault.
Bonus Introduction
"Pope" Olivia
The leader of the Friendly City Hikari and a unique deity created by Shallow Vernal. She is an independent existence who does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Gods; only Shallow Vernal holds the authority to command her.
She is responsible for the management of the Friendly City Hikari and the preservation of the original manuscript of the Friendship Treaty. She also serves as the Chief Executive of the Hero Festival.
Her abilities are extremely specialized. As long as she remains within the borders of Hikari, she possesses overwhelming power comparable to a Supreme God. However, outside the city, her power level drops to that of an ordinary person. Because she is only a top-tier powerhouse within a specific territory, she has never participated in the major conflicts of the God Realm.
In addition to her combat power, she possesses several unique traits: she can teleport to the Central Cathedral of Hikari from anywhere in the world, bypassing all forms of spatial interference; if she is killed, she automatically resurrects at the cathedral in a fully recovered state; and no one can interfere with the original Friendship Treaty without her explicit permission. She is a being perfectly designed to protect the city and the treaty.
Furthermore, she has been granted absolute discretion over the management of the Hero Festival. In matters concerning the festival, her decisions take precedence over the kings of various nations, the Supreme Gods, and even the Six Kings.
Because she answers only to Shallow Vernal, she maintains an extremely neutral position within the three worlds. By nature, she is serious and quiet, spending most of her free time in prayer at the cathedral.
Furthermore, because all priests are required to learn the basics of their faith at the Central Cathedral in Hikari before serving in temples across the various nations, Olivia is widely referred to by her common title, the Pope.