In the Hydra Kingdom of a different dimension, Olivia had received instructions from Shallow Vernal to go on a date with Kaito. Having finalized the plan with Kaori’s help and successfully secured Kaito’s invitation, she was currently immersed in deep prayer within the Pope's Chamber, located in the innermost reaches of the Central Cathedral of Friendly City.
There were still fifteen days until the date itself. The prayer she was currently offering was a regular one, unrelated to the official Rite of Prayer she had declared she would perform starting ten days prior to the event. For Olivia, who spent almost all her free time in meditation, this was her standard state of being.
However, perhaps because the day was drawing near, the thought of it wouldn't leave her mind.
(My immature self can hardly fathom Shallow Vernal-sama's profound intentions. However, since she judged it necessary, this date must be of vital importance to me. I also offer my deep gratitude to Miyama Kaito-sama for graciously accepting…)
Up to this point, Olivia’s thoughts were still relatively composed. She was offering her prayer with a heart as tranquil as a waveless sea.
But knowledge can be a double-edged sword. Being extremely earnest, Olivia had tackled her date planning with everything she had, scouring various reference materials. As a result, her understanding of romance had grown exponentially.
(However, a date… Yes, Shallow Vernal-sama specifically commanded a date. If that is the case, it is only proper to engage in behaviors that one would perform only on a date, rather than a mere outing. This goes beyond the itinerary; it concerns my conduct and how I interact with Miyama Kaito-sama. For instance… walking while holding hands? Holding… hands…)
Olivia’s shoulders, which usually remained as still as a statue, suddenly twitched. Normally, she never moved a muscle while in deep prayer. Her physical reaction meant that a wave of agitation had surged through her heart, strong enough to force a response from her body.
(B-But isn't that far too scandalous? To hold hands means to bring my skin into direct contact with Miyama Kaito-sama's. What if he thinks I’m some sort of indecent woman? N-No, Miyama Kaito-sama is not that kind of person. Even if the Ignorant One, in her folly, were to propose walking hand-in-hand, he would surely smile kindly…)
In truth, Olivia’s assumption was correct. Had she proposed holding hands on the day of the date, Kaito likely would have graciously agreed.
But as she visualized the scene, her composure shattered. In a panic, she squeezed her eyes shut with all her might.
Suddenly, pillars of fire and pools of magma erupted within the Pope's Chamber. The room filled with enough heat to incinerate an ordinary human in a heartbeat, yet Olivia remained motionless, desperately focused on her prayer. She tried to tell herself the flush in her cheeks was solely due to the surrounding temperature.
(W-What shameful fantasies am I entertaining?! This is a grave act of lèse-majesté against Miyama Kaito-sama. I must clear these worldly thoughts… I need deeper, more sincere prayer. Come to think of it, one of the books mentioned feeding each other—!?)
It was a classic trap: the harder she tried to ignore a thought, the more her mind fixated on it. Olivia was no exception. Romantic scenarios from her research flashed before her eyes, followed immediately by vivid imaginings of herself and Kaito in those exact situations.
Her face turned a scalded red, regardless of the room's actual temperature. To regain control over her spiraling mind, she opted for even more extreme asceticism.
As she poured mana into her hands, a space isolation barrier snapped into place. Within the localized pocket of reality, massive meteorites and bolts of lightning began raining down upon her.
(Worldly thoughts… My mind is in such disarray. I have never experienced a distraction this severe during prayer! I must clear my head… pray with a pure heart… but Miyama Kaito-sama’s face won’t leave my mind! W-Why? If I’m like this already, what will I do on the day of the date?! As expected, the trial imposed by Shallow Vernal-sama is not a simple one. I must firmly prepare my heart by then…)
Because she was so relentlessly serious, once she fell into a mental whirlpool, it was nearly impossible to climb out. It took a significant amount of time before the redness finally left her face.
As a side note, the priests who later saw Olivia looking utterly drained began to whisper a rumor: "Within Shenism, there exists a prayer ritual so grueling that it leaves even the Pope herself in a state of total exhaustion."
Serious-senpai: "She’s so earnest that she focused every ounce of her being on the planning. Now that she's finished the first stage and got Kaito's okay, she finally has some mental breathing room—and this is the result of all that overthinking. She’s actually being a proper heroine, isn't she?"