Facing the visibly shaken Olivia, I spoke in as calm a voice as possible.
"First of all, Shiro-san might give the Gods or you, Olivia, a specific role, but she doesn't tell people how they should behave or who they should be. I don't think she would ever desire that. Unless the way you’ve been living up until now was something you personally enjoyed, then believing it was Shiro-san’s intent is simply a mistake."
"..."
"Shiro-san said herself that she didn't create the Gods to be incapable of growth. She was delighted by the progress of Fate-san—the God of Fate—and she wants to see the other Gods grow as well. I’m sure she feels the exact same way about you."
I was certain of this. Shiro-san celebrated and encouraged the development of the Gods. Most recently, the White God Festival, which was centered on the Supreme Gods Chronoa-san and Life-san, was likely a move intended to foster that growth.
In fact, interaction between the Gods and other worlds seemed to have increased because of that festival. Even Sky-san had mentioned that it was a great opportunity for the Gods to shift their perspectives.
If I were to ask whether someone like Shiro-san would want Olivia to spend her entire life confined to the Cathedral, doing nothing but praying, I could say with absolute certainty that the answer was no.
"...Was I... wrong?"
"I wouldn't go that far. You might have just been operating under a misunderstanding... but it's not too late. You can fix it as much as you like, starting right now."
As I said that, a certain idea suddenly occurred to me. There was a way to kill two birds with one stone that would benefit both me and Olivia.
"I know! Olivia, you kept your schedule open for the rest of the day, right?"
"Yes."
"In that case, since we have the chance, why don't you come and see the sights of the Friendly City with me?"
"What?"
Perhaps my words were unexpected, as Olivia wore a blank, stunned expression.
"You’ve almost never been anywhere except the Central Square during the Hero Festival, right?"
"Yes... however, as the city representative, I have memorized information regarding a certain number of districts and shops."
"I see. But if that's the case, then you probably only 'know' them as data. Even if you have the information in your head, actually going there, seeing it for yourself, and experiencing it is something else entirely."
"...Just... knowing."
"I don't know if this will definitely be the spark that changes your future, but you'll certainly gain something new... So, what do you say?"
It was a spur-of-the-moment suggestion, but I thought it was a good one. I would get to enjoy sightseeing in the Friendly City and potentially get closer to Olivia, and for her, it might be the trigger for a change of heart.
Hearing my proposal, Olivia closed her eyes and remained silent for a moment as if thinking. Then she opened them and spoke.
"...Understood. I cannot say for sure whether this is necessary, but..."
"Then it's settled. First things first, though... I'd like to do something about your clothes. Olivia, do you have any private outfits?"
Olivia was currently wearing magnificent priest robes that marked her as the Pope at a single glance. To put it bluntly, she stood out far too much.
She would draw an immense amount of attention within the Friendly City, and there was a high probability we wouldn't be able to enjoy sightseeing peacefully like that.
On the other hand, because the impression of this outfit was so strong, I suspected that if she changed her clothes, no one would even recognize her.
I checked just in case, but I figured she didn't own any other clothes. After all, she never left the Cathedral except for the Hero Festival, and even then, she wore exactly what she was wearing now.
"I do not possess any other clothing."
"I thought so... Alice, sorry to bother you, but can you handle this? Pick out something that looks good."
"Sure thing! Leave it to me~"
Since the answer was exactly what I expected, I decided to borrow Alice's power, even if it felt a bit like cheating. At any rate, I felt I needed to lead Olivia forcefully here.
When I handed a gold coin to the appearing Alice, she sensed my intent and slid her finger horizontally. The space in front of us tore open, forming something like an entrance.
"Well then, please step into the dress-up room."
"Huh? No, I am fine with these clothes... Besides, you, how did you create a subspace inside this prayer room? This place is under my authority..."
"I reached the Quasi-Almighty Class ages ago during those training parts that got completely cut, ya know. Setting aside someone like Fate-san, who’s actively boosting her rank as a God, I can handle anyone on the level of the other Supreme Gods with ease. Now, move it."
"Wha—"
Alice grabbed the astonished Olivia and pulled her into the rift in space. From where I stood, I couldn't see what the subspace looked like, but their voices drifted back to me.
"For now, let's go with this and maybe this..."
"No, as I said, I will stay in these clothes—wh-what are you doing!?"
"Shut it, I'm not listening to your opinion. Come on, take them off quickly... Wait, what's this? You're just like Fate-san—why aren't you wearing any underwear?! Sigh, for now, put these on too."
"W-Wait! At least let me do it myse—!?!?"
I heard something like a wordless scream, but I decided to leave the rest to Alice. For the sake of Olivia’s dignity, I made sure to keep my ears covered.
Serious-senpai: "...So you're basically saying it's a date?! Dammit!!"