After I accepted Rozeph-san’s request, we were ushered into a side room as if being pushed along.
"The Sanctuary lies just beyond. I shall be waiting out here for you."
"Eh? No, I don't know how long we'll be, so you don't really have to wait."
"No! Please, I insist on waiting!"
Lang-san showed no intention of backing down. I could see a fierce resolve in his eyes, as if he were declaring he wouldn't let us escape.
I didn't have any intention of skipping out at this stage, though. Unfortunately, it seemed I had completely lost his trust. I didn't think I’d said anything that strange...
Well, whatever. I should finish my business quickly so I don't keep Lang-san waiting too long.
"By the way, is it alright if we go too?" Lowell asked just as we were about to head toward the back of the room.
Garna was the one who answered.
『It should be of no concern. People call it a "Sanctuary" to be dramatic, but in reality, it’s more like a branch office for the gods. Besides, everyone here is an Apostle, are they not? Even if a qualification were required, it is safe to assume everyone here meets it.』
"Is that how it works?" Lowell nodded, his tone light.
On the other hand, Lang-san looked taken aback. Was he surprised that the Sanctuary was being treated like a branch office? Or was it the part about everyone actually being Apostles? Well, the Petit Golems shrinking down and hiding in my pockets were the exception, but Lang-san probably wasn't even aware of them.
I felt a little bad for surprising him over and over. I hoped he’d get used to it eventually.
"Well then, we're off."
I called out to the dazed Lang-san and headed toward the back of the room. Standing there were two pillars engraved with mysterious patterns. The space between them was indistinct, as if covered in a thick haze. It looked like these stones marked the entrance to the Sanctuary. The moment we stepped through, we were enveloped in a space of dazzling light.
"Welcome, bearer of the Power of Creation, and your companions. We celebrate your arrival."
Before I knew it, a beautiful woman was standing before us—or at least, I thought she was. Honestly, I couldn't see much because of the glare. I assumed she was a goddess, though.
"Excuse me. It’s a bit too bright, so could you turn down the intensity?"
"Bright?! Not 'divine' or 'radiant'?! That is your first impression?!"
When I spoke my mind, the Goddess reacted with exaggerated shock.
...True!
Now that she mentioned it, I suppose it could be seen as "divine." Maybe I had chosen the wrong words.
No, but look. If I didn't know any better, I might have been impressed, but I knew for a fact that this was just a special effect. The other gods didn't clothe themselves in light like this. That was why her being so shocked felt a little off to me.
"Hahaha! I told you, Promina. There's no point in using such cheap tricks on Ruto."
"You say that, Lamuyadas, but isn't a first impression vital?"
Ren-kun appeared with a laugh. The Goddess shot back at him with a sulky expression. In the meantime, the blinding light had vanished. Finally, I could see our surroundings.
The one arguing with Ren-kun was indeed a goddess. She had fiery red hair and wore white vestments. "Vestments" was a modest term, though, considering how flashy they were—covered in so much gold embroidery it was almost excessive.
"Is this the Sanctuary?"
"What a strange place!"
"It certainly is... unsettling," Lowell, Halfa, and Spira each gave their impressions.
I agreed with them. The place was an endless expanse of white, but the surroundings occasionally wavered or flickered. I wondered if there was some profound meaning behind it.
"How is it? Seems meaningful, doesn't it? It's a gimmick to create a mystical atmosphere!" the Goddess explained when she saw me tilting my head.
So there was a reason... but it was a pretty trivial one.
"Hmm. Your reaction is quite poor. Most people are moved to tears of gratitude."
"If you blurt out the trade secrets, there’s no room for gratitude," Ren-kun said, looking exasperated.
I didn't want to be rude, but this Goddess also lacked any real divine dignity. She seemed approachable, though, which I didn't mind.
"What are you doing, Promina? Put an end to this idle chatter and get on with the business at hand."
Garna, who had somehow taken the form of a cat-eared girl, interjected from the side.
"Oh my, Garnalava. What happened to you?"
"Hah? What are you talking about?"
"The cat ears. Oh, is it a change in branding? Certainly, the perception of you as an evil god has spread. This might be a clever way to soften your image."
"I ask you, what on earth are you talking about? I have no memory of any cat ears..."
Looking puzzled, Garna reached up to her own head. Her hands met with soft, feline ears. Her bewildered expression instantly shifted to pure shock.
"Wh-What in the world is this?!"
So she really hadn't noticed.
"Garna-chan, you had cat ears earlier too," Halfa pointed out.
"Mm-hmm," Spira agreed.
"Impossible!" Garna screamed. Apparently, this was entirely unintended. I thought they suited her, though.
"Why is such a thing here?! Could it be because I spent so long in the form of a cat?! Were you people playing a prank on me?!"
"That's a misunderstanding, Garna. We did no such thing. Keeping you in the form of a cat was the punishment itself," the Goddess said, shaking her head. In other words, the gods' punishment had nothing to do with the ears.
As I wondered about the cause, Ren-kun suddenly burst out laughing.
"Don't laugh!" Garna snapped at him.
Ren-kun hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "No, sorry, sorry. I wasn't laughing at you. I just thought Ruto is as interesting as ever."
"What? Tort?"
"Wait, me?!"
Garna turned a suspicious glare toward me, but I had no idea what he meant.
"Think about it. There are very few existences capable of exerting such a strong influence on us," Ren-kun explained.
"I see... so it is Tort. Hmmm..." Garna groaned. She didn't deny it—in fact, her suspicious gaze grew even more intense.
"My own appearance is pretty much fixed in this form because of Ruto’s mental image. If that's the case, it wouldn't be strange for Garnalava's appearance to be influenced as well."
"...Certainly!"
With that, Garna seemed convinced. Her eyes narrowed as she stomped over to me.
"You fool! What have you done?! Change it back! Change me back to my original form this instant!"
Even if she told me that, I was at a loss. I mean, if it really was my influence, I could see why it turned out to be cat ears. Since the form I usually saw her in was a cat, it was almost inevitable.
But that was just a theory. Even if it were true, I wasn't doing it consciously, so there was nothing I could do to change it.
"N-No, that's impossible. Oh, I know. How about making your usual form something other than a cat?"
"I see, that’s a thought. How about a rabbit? I think bunny ears would suit you too," the Goddess chimed in, jumping on my suggestion.
"Hmm, another classic would be a fox, I guess?" Ren-kun added.
Garna let out a frustrated shout. "Then different ears will just grow instead!"
That was... yeah. She was probably right.
Honestly, I thought she might as well just stick with the cat ears. They really did suit her.