The Central Cathedral, a building of staggering proportions, rose up just beyond the central square of Friendly City Hikari.
I had been able to spot it from quite a distance, but standing before it now, its sheer scale was overwhelming. Interestingly, this cathedral wasn't actually the physical center of the city; that distinction belonged to the central square itself.
As soon as I stepped inside the entrance, a person dressed in priest robes smoothly glided toward me.
“Are you here for a tour today? Or perhaps to offer a prayer?”
“Ah, no, my name is Kaito Miyama. I had an appointment to meet with the Pope...”
“I have been informed of your arrival. The Pope is currently in her private prayer room. This way, please. I shall guide you.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
It seemed the message had been properly relayed, as they were ready to receive me immediately. Still, a private prayer room just for the Pope, huh? From what I’d heard, she was known to spend months on end in prayer whenever she had the time.
While these thoughts crossed my mind, I was led into a relatively small chamber. Inside was a teleportation magic circle, which reportedly connected directly to the prayer room.
At the guide’s prompting, I stepped onto the magic circle. With a sudden flash of light, the scenery shifted instantly.
The room I arrived in wasn't as expansive as I’d expected—it was slightly smaller than a standard church—but at the far end stood an altar. Kneeling before it was the Pope, her head bowed as she offered her prayers.
For some reason, an ornate, lavishly decorated chair had been placed atop the altar. It was the kind of throne that wouldn't look out of place under a king, yet I had no idea what purpose it served in a place like this.
Well, setting that aside... how should I put it? The prayer room was so strikingly silent that I found it difficult to speak up.
As I hesitated, the Pope rose smoothly, turning toward me. Her beautiful blue eyes fixed upon my figure. She walked toward me with steady, graceful steps; bathed in the light filtering through the stained glass, she possessed an almost mystical aura.
“...I am humbled that you have made the journey here today. Once again, I am truly delighted to meet you like this, Kaito-sama. I am Olivia, the City Representative of Friendly City Hikari and the Pope of the Central Cathedral.”
Her voice was clear and melodious, yet it felt strangely devoid of emotion. It wasn't quite the monotone of Shiro-san, but rather an odd, matter-of-fact cadence, as if she were reciting text directly from a page.
“Nice to meet you, I'm Kaito Miyama. Um, it’s a pleasure.”
“The pleasure is mine. I look forward to our time together.”
“Yes.”
“……”
“Um, would it be alright if I called you Olivia-san? You can call me whatever you like as well.”
“Yes.”
“……”
“……”
This is... difficult. The conversation isn't flowing at all. Olivia-san was extremely businesslike, giving off a very stoic impression. It was clear she wasn't the type to take the initiative in a conversation.
That meant the burden was on me to lead the talk, but... what on earth was I supposed to say?
“...U-Um... the cathedral is a truly beautiful place. I only caught a glimpse of it on the way in, but every detail is lovely. It has a very spiritual atmosphere.”
“I believe the one who constructed it would be pleased to hear you say so.”
I was in trouble—serious trouble. The conversation was dead in the water. Even with Sympathy Magic, the emotions I sensed from her were perfectly flat. I couldn't get a read on what Olivia-san was thinking at all.
Just as I was racking my brain for a way to break this awkward tension, Olivia-san spoke quietly.
“Kaito-sama, would you mind if I offered a short prayer?”
“Eh? Ah, yes. Of course.”
I didn't know much about the etiquette of prayer, but since I had interrupted her earlier, I figured there might be a specific timing or ritual she needed to complete.
As soon as I gave my consent, Olivia-san dropped to both knees directly in front of me. She clasped her hands and closed her eyes.
...Wait, you’re praying to me?! What is this? What is even happening right now? I was standing awkwardly in the middle of a prayer room while a woman with silver hair and blue eyes, dressed in pure white priest robes, offered prayers at my feet.
How was I supposed to react to this? I had no idea when this prayer was supposed to end.
“Forgive me for such a brief prayer.”
“N-No, it’s fine...”
“I have prepared a seat for you. Please, this way.”
“Ah, yes.”
Thankfully, the prayer ended quickly. Olivia-san stood up and led me... right to that luxurious throne sitting on top of the altar. Wait, so this was prepared for me?! I had wondered why there was a chair sitting so unnaturally atop the altar, but... what? She wanted me to sit up there?
“...Olivia-san, if I were to sit there, where would you be?”
“If it would not be an eyesore, I intended to kneel on the floor before you.”
“...Can’t we just talk while standing? For some reason, I’m just not in the mood to sit down right now...”
“If that is what Kaito-sama desires.”
...How should I put it? This meeting was off to an incredibly unsettling start.
Serious-senpai: “...I think I see what's happening here. There's a fundamental gap in perception between Kaito, who treats her like any other person or high-ranking god, and Olivia, who views him as a holy object of worship because of his connection to Shallow Vernal.”