Holding hands with Shiro-san once again, I stepped out of the shooting gallery tent and began strolling through the festival grounds. For the record, since I had scored above a certain threshold in the target practice game, I had a sweets assortment in hand.
The event was designed for kids, so the prizes were really just little tokens. Even so, there was something about a bag of assorted candies that sparked a childhood-like excitement, no matter how old you got.
As those thoughts drifted through my mind, Shiro-san came to an abrupt stop and shifted her gaze.
"...Shiro-san? Something the matter?"
"Oh, no, it is nothing serious. It simply appears that Olivia has arrived in the capital."
"Huh? Oh, Olivia-san... Wait, Olivia-san?!"
She spoke with such casual nonchalance that I almost let it pass, but the sheer shock of the name made me whip my head around. There was no question which "Olivia" she meant—Olivia-san, the Pope of the Friendly City.
"Why on earth is Olivia-san here for the Founding Anniversary Festival?"
"Who knows? She is currently quite a distance from our position. Perhaps she is sightseeing?"
"I'm positive that's not it."
As a rule, Olivia-san never set foot outside the Friendly City. The White God Festival had been a rare exception; otherwise, she wouldn't leave her home unless it involved Shiro-san. She had said as much herself... Oh, wait.
That was it. Olivia-san was a hardcore believer—so devout that she spent every waking moment praying to Shiro-san.
Apparently, since our conversation during my visit to her city, she had started leaving the Temple occasionally for things like lunch, but her primary devotion remained her prayers to Shiro-san. During the White God Festival, she had left her city for the God Realm specifically to pray to her deity. If she had caught wind that Shiro-san was here in the Human Realm, it wasn't hard to guess her next move.
"I'm just guessing, but she probably came to greet you, right, Shiro-san?"
"Hmm. I see."
"Just to be sure, though... Olivia-san's power drops drastically outside the Friendly City, doesn't it?"
"Yes. Outside her city, her strength is likely below that of an average human. She can return home instantly if she wishes, so it should not pose much of a problem, but..."
Shiro-san didn't seem particularly bothered, but that was exactly the problem. Within her city, Olivia-san possessed power rivaling a Supreme God, but outside of it, she had less HP than a normal person. I remembered quite clearly how climbing even a gentle hill had left her panting and exhausted.
Trying to navigate a crowd as massive as the Founding Anniversary Festival was a physical ordeal in itself. Could she really make it to us on her own? Honestly, I doubted it.
"...Shiro-san, let's head to where she is. I'm sure she's desperate to greet you, after all."
"I understand. Shall we, then?"
My only concern was Olivia-san herself. She probably couldn't use Recognition Inhibition Magic out here, and since she had almost zero awareness of her own fame, she was bound to cause a major scene. The image of Laguna-san doubling over and clutching her stomach flickered through my mind. I had a feeling that wasn't just my imagination.
Serious-senpai: "Now that I think about it, she's a complete klutz outside her city and doesn't realize she's a world-famous celebrity... Her Stomach Pain Power in a situation like this is truly off the charts..."