After we finished enjoying our meal at Kaori’s place, the group naturally began to disperse. Kaori and Akane had already achieved their goal of buying clothes, and I had finished picking out my own items as well.
Megiddo seemed satisfied with our shopping trip and lunch. "We'll have to do this again sometime!" he shouted, clearly in high spirits.
He was the type of person who appreciated a clean break. Since we had accomplished our original goals—shopping together and visiting Kaori’s shop as promised—it felt like the right time to wrap things up for the day.
I told him I was planning to visit Olivia next, but since he wasn't particularly interested in the cathedral, he decided to buy some local sake in the Friendly City and head home.
It was a relief to be around someone like Megiddo; his straightforward personality meant I didn't have to walk on eggshells. Well, he did say, "If you're in the mood to embrace me, I'll stay with you until morning," and Alice had promptly sent him flying with a punch for it... but still, it was a very Megiddo thing to do.
At any rate, with the group dispersed, I headed toward the cathedral carrying the clothes I had purchased for Olivia.
Kaori apparently knew Olivia’s size. I had picked out a few things I thought would look good on her, handed them to Kaori, and had her check with the clerk to see if they had them in Olivia's specific measurements.
Given her physique, I suspected a size small would have been fine regardless, but I wanted to be certain. It would have been a disaster if they didn't fit.
After all, knowing Olivia’s personality, if the clothes I gave her were the wrong size, she would probably react by saying, "It is my own fault for failing to convey my measurements to you..." or something equally self-deprecating.
I did wonder how to actually get a hold of her once I arrived. I figured I could just ask one of the priests at the reception desk. If that didn't work out, I could always reach her via Hummingbird.
The Central Cathedral served as the headquarters of the Divine Religion in the Friendly City Hikari. Within the Pope’s Chamber, tucked away in the deepest part of the building, Olivia was immersed in quiet prayer.
She was currently carrying out her pre-planned ten-day Prayer of Gratitude to Kaito. Her mind was a perfectly still, transparent void, utterly free of any stray thoughts.
Initially, her focus had wavered as her mind wandered back to him, but she had prepared for this ten-day session by undergoing a series of grueling ascetic trials—the kind that would have killed an ordinary person several times over. Through that hardship, she had tempered her spirit.
The Olivia of this moment truly deserved the title of Saint. She exuded a solemn, pure aura that seemed to make the very air around her shimmer with light.
Still deep in prayer, she calmly opened her eyes when she heard the sound of the door opening.
"Pope-sama, please forgive me for interrupting your session."
Every priest in the cathedral had been notified that Olivia would be performing an essential ten-day prayer. Under normal circumstances, she was not to be disturbed.
To interrupt her was considered an act of hostility, a fact every member of the clergy understood perfectly.
That was exactly why Olivia slowly turned toward the priest. She knew that he would only come to her with a matter of the utmost urgency.
"Report," she said.
"Yes! Miyama Kaito-sama arrived at the cathedral just a moment ago. He is requesting an audience with you, Pope-sama."
"Miyama Kaito-sama? I see. That is of the highest priority. Escort him to the VIP room and serve him drinks and light refreshments. Inform him that I shall purify myself and change before joining him. Please politely ask him to wait for two minutes."
"At once, Pope-sama."
Naturally, for Olivia, Kaito took precedence over any prayer. The moment she heard of his arrival, her session was immediately suspended.
(However, what could Miyama Kaito-sama's business be? For him to visit in person rather than send a letter... is it something vital? No, it is lèse-majesté to speculate. My duty is to go to his side as swiftly as possible. I am ready. My faith and my mind are honed to a fine edge. I will be able to host him with the dignity befitting my office. At the very least, I will not repeat the unsightly display I made when I last invited him to my room.)
Having attained crystalline clarity through her trials, Olivia walked through the halls, deep in thought. She felt certain that her current self wouldn't be so easily shaken.
She had no way of knowing then that after Kaito eventually left, she would be left clutching her head as a wave of stray thoughts surged back even more intensely than before.
~Summary of the Situation~
Olivia: "My heart feels so light... This is the first time I've ever stood before Miyama Kaito-sama with such a clear mind. I'm not afraid of anything anymore!"
Serious-senpai: "...Wait, so it’s not her stomach this time? Her spirit is the one getting punched instead?"