I decided to continue the conversation while we remained standing. Olivia stared at me in silence, her posture that of someone perfectly content to wait for my lead indefinitely.
"Um, Olivia-san, did you have anything specific in mind for what we should do next? Like a plan or an itinerary?"
"No. My own business is concluded," she replied. "As for what follows, I shall abide by your wishes, Miyama Kaito-sama. I have cleared my entire schedule for today."
Well, I suppose the formal greetings were officially over. Now, the ball was entirely in my court. Hypothetically, I could have just said, "Okay, we're done here," and headed home without any issues. But that felt incredibly awkward, and I really did want to try and deepen our relationship somehow.
"For starters, I still don't know much about you... Tell me, are you officially classified as a member of the Gods?"
"No. I was created by Shallow Vernal-sama as a neutral existence belonging to none of the three realms. While my origins are similar to those of the Gods, even the Supreme Gods have no authority over me. Only Shallow Vernal-sama may issue me commands."
This was likely a matter of semantics and individual perspective. Depending on whether someone viewed Shiro-san as the leader of the God Realm or as the Creator God—a transcendent being at the very top of the world separate from the hierarchy—and regarded the Supreme Gods as the true heads of the God race, their classification of Olivia would vary.
As expected, she became significantly more talkative when the subject turned toward Shiro-san, or the specific duties Shiro-san had assigned her. If I wanted to get her to open up, this was clearly the path to take.
"Is your neutral status due to your role as the representative of this city?"
"Precisely. The Friendship Treaty was established on the principle of equality between the three realms. To ensure this, Shallow Vernal-sama created me as an entity separate from the God, Human, and Demon Realms. She then appointed me as the representative of this city and entrusted me with the protection of the Original Manuscript of the Friendship Treaty."
"The original manuscript... I suppose that must be incredibly important."
"The friendship between the realms would not collapse even if the document were lost. However, it holds immense global value, and so I remain its guardian."
"I see."
I felt like we were finally getting somewhere. Emboldened, I decided to broaden the scope of the conversation by pivoting toward the city itself.
"On a different note, I did a bit of sightseeing around town before coming here. There are so many unique shops I haven't seen in other places. The vibe is totally different compared to during the Hero Festival. Do you have any personal recommendations for spots I should visit?"
"I have prepared a city guide for you here. I believe it will provide the information you seek."
"Um... no, that's not what I meant. I was asking if there are any places that you personally recommend, Olivia-san."
"I do not know."
"You don't know?"
Wait, what? This was weird. I’d expected that asking the city's representative about her own town would be a surefire way to spark a conversation, but she’d just handed me a pamphlet. And she didn't even know of any good spots? If she’d said she couldn't give a recommendation to maintain her neutrality, I would have understood. But "I don't know" was a bizarre response.
"Aside from attending events in the Central Square for the Hero Festival and the recent White God Festival, I have never set foot outside this Cathedral. Therefore, I cannot say."
"Wait... what? You've never been outside? Not since the Hero Festival ten years ago, or the White God Festival just the other day?"
"Correct. I am strictly the city's figurehead. Tasks such as inspections are the responsibility of the District Representatives, not mine. My role is primarily limited to making final decisions during administrative meetings."
"So... what do you do when there aren't any meetings?"
"I offer my prayers."
Her flat response left me speechless. I could tell she wasn't lying. This woman had literally only left the Cathedral a handful of times in her entire existence. She probably didn't even know what the streets of her own city looked like.
"My assigned duties are to lead the city and guard the Friendship Treaty," she continued. "In the time remaining, I believe that abstaining from unnecessary activities and praying in silence is the proper form for my existence. I believe this is exactly how Shallow Vernal-sama wishes me to be."
"I think you're wrong."
"Wrong? Do you mean to say my understanding is incorrect?"
"Yes. I can't speak for what you personally want to do, Olivia-san, but I can say one thing for certain: that is definitely not what Shiro-san wants."
"...Is that so? Am I... failing to follow... Shallow Vernal-sama’s true intentions?"
For the first time since we met, her stoic expression shifted. She looked visibly anxious—or rather, completely and utterly bewildered.
"I... I find it hard to believe. And yet... if these are the words of Miyama Kaito-sama, the man who knows Shallow Vernal-sama better than anyone else in existence..."
It seemed my unique status was finally working in my favor. If anyone else had told her she was wrong, Olivia probably would have brushed them off without a second thought. But because I carried Shiro-san's Blessing and was her lover, my words carried weight she couldn't ignore. She was clearly rattled.
I felt like I finally had a handle on who Olivia was. I also felt that her current worldview needed a serious correction, even if I had to be a bit blunt about it. It was time to set her straight and clear up this massive misunderstanding.
Serious-senpai: "And so, the Special Grade Flag Architect makes his move... I’ve got a really bad feeling about this."