After getting off the dragon carriage, thankfully without seamlessly transitioning into a cat carriage, Miles and the others safely landed within the imperial capital.
Someone of Homar's status was, to the Holy Varian Empire, an absolute guest of honor among guests of honor. There was no way the Empire's upper echelons would dare show even the slightest neglect.
They had barely touched down when specially arranged imperial reception staff took over, guiding Homar and his party toward a consulate that looked incomparably luxurious and solemn just from its exterior.
After that came visits from all sorts of imperial high officials—people Miles neither recognized nor had any desire to recognize.
Even though the Empire Emperor's birthday banquet, the main event, was still two days away, as the crown prince of a nation representing Livorden, Homar had no spare time at all and immediately threw himself into political duties.
Of course, Miles was still Miles; he had zero interest whatsoever in political exchanges.
Staying inside the consulate, watching Homar maintain a polite smile that had grown visibly stiff from the very beginning, Miles felt tired despite having done absolutely nothing.
"So boring." The young princess Nova puffed out her cheeks.
Indeed, Miles wasn't the only one who found watching political exchanges exhausting; Nova felt the same.
It was just that, as Livorden's Third Princess, she seemed to occupy the role of a mascot during political interactions.
Every imperial official who came to greet them had to praise the Third Princess's cuteness a few times before using that as a bridge to open further conversation.
An adorable tool person.
Out of concern as her older brother, Homar noticed that his sister clearly didn't want to continue serving as a tool.
"Nova, if you're feeling bored, how about going out for a walk? Go experience the Holy Varian Empire's unique culture and scenery."
"Really?!"
Her round golden eyes flew wide, disbelief overflowing in Nova's gaze.
You had to know—normally, even in the Livorden royal palace, it was practically impossible for Princess Nova to go out and play. Only after finally enrolling in Fusion Academy did she gain a bit more freedom.
And now, here within the Holy Varian Empire, Homar was actually agreeing to let her move around freely.
The sun must have risen in the west.
Nova repeatedly confirmed in disbelief, "Big brother, can I really go out and play? You're not worried about danger?"
Alice said, "Don't worry. The Empire's public security is famous across the continent."
An Empire that worshiped military might; when there was no war, where did all that reserve force go?
The answer was: it was mostly used to crack down on crime and illegal activity.
As a result, even those who made a living in the underworld didn't dare show their faces in the Empire.
The Spirit Continent was huge—people in the underworld were just trying to make a living. Why go looking for death by challenging the highest-difficulty dungeon?
Homar's eyes rolled slightly as he smiled. "I can see that Lord Miles also looks like he wants to go out. Nova, you should go together with Lord Miles. With him protecting you, I can feel much more at ease."
As an older brother, this is as far as I can help you. My adorable little sister, your remaining happiness, you'll have to strive for it yourself!
Although Miles hadn't been very comfortable with Homar's excessive zeal on the dragon carriage, what Homar just said now really spoke straight to his heart.
Compared to continuing to stay in the consulate listening to mind-numbingly boring political exchanges, being able to go out onto the streets and experience the Empire's customs sounded hundreds of times more pleasant.
Even if it meant bringing Nova along, basically a childcare outing, Miles was more than willing.
Hitting it off at once, Miles was excitedly dragged away by Nova at last, finally escaping that unbearably dull political hell.
Poor Aisha, however, was different. She was also an officially invited guest of the Empire, and as Livorden's renowned Royal Knight, she represented the Carlos family.
Even with Alice, the family head, present, many imperial nobles were there precisely because of the Royal Knight title.
Aisha absolutely couldn't break away from the consulate for now, and could only watch with envy as little Nova grabbed Miles by the wrist and pulled him away right in front of her.
As for Irena—this quite unrestrained free spirit—she had probably anticipated this dull situation long ago. After getting off the dragon carriage, she didn't even enter the consulate, disappearing on her own without a trace.
"Freedom!"
Having escaped from danger, Nova threw both hands up and struck an exaggerated pose, looking even more excited than before.
"This is a date, right? It's a date, Miles!"
"It should… count as one, I guess."
If the definition of a date was a man and a woman going out together, then this did count.
It was just that Miles had not the slightest romantic thoughts toward Nova.
Even if his physical age had regressed, he was absolutely not a lolicon.
"So now that we're finally free, where are we going next, Nova?"
"You're a knight, Miles! The content of a date should naturally be decided by you. Anywhere you want to go is fine!"
Little Nova habitually grabbed Miles' arm and hugged it to her chest, her face full of radiant smiles.
Such intimate behavior—passersby might very well take the two of them for a young couple.
And it was precisely because Nova so often clung to Miles regardless of time or place that, at Fusion Academy, Miles had become the target of blazing jealousy among the first-year boys.
"Somewhere I want to go, huh?"
Even though this was his first time visiting the Holy Varian imperial capital, and he hadn't done any preparation beforehand, there really was one place Miles wanted to go.
"It's just that the place I want to go… you might not be interested, Nova."
"That's fine! As long as it's arranged by my knight, anything's okay!"
"Then let's head out."
Walking along the streets of the Holy Varian Empire, Miles could indeed feel an atmosphere of daily life different from the other two great nations.
To put it simply, the Empire's streets gave him the sense that everyone was busy, that the pace of life was very fast.
Probably because magitek stones were strictly forbidden within the Empire, even magitek workshops—which had already become very common in Livorden—were nowhere to be seen here.
With no magitek transportation and no magitek workshops, it naturally led to lower efficiency in some areas of production.
And how was that lost efficiency made up for? The only answer was a fast-paced work rhythm—making up for it with hard work and overtime.
Miles had long heard that big cities were full of corporate drones. He hadn't expected it to be true.
"Miles, are you very familiar with the place we're going? Or have you been to the imperial capital before?"
Clinging to Miles like chewing gum the entire way, Nova couldn't help but ask, even though she'd said anywhere was fine.
For Nova, this was her first time in the imperial capital. The surroundings were totally unfamiliar, the complex streets like a maze that made it impossible to tell east from west.
Yet Miles, who should also be here for the first time, moved with ease and confidence, heading straight toward their destination.
Miles explained, "I've never been to the imperial capital either. It's just that the place we're going is simply too conspicuous."
If one were to name the most iconic buildings of the imperial capital—those that could be spotted from far away as clear 'coordinates'—aside from the vast and luxurious imperial palace, it would undoubtedly be the towering cathedral crosses.
As the primary battlefield where divine authority and royal authority confronted each other, the imperial capital's grand cathedral was built even more magnificent and sacred than the churches of other cities.
So even though this was Miles' first time in the imperial capital, all he had to do was head in the direction of the cross.
"A cathedral?" Standing before the grand and sacred church gates, Nova wore a look of surprise. "The place you wanted to come to is actually a church… what's fun about a church?"
For people who didn't believe in gods or religion, churches indeed weren't particularly fun places.
And even though he held God Cards, Miles himself had no religious faith.
"It's just to experience the atmosphere of the cathedral, since it's an unignorable feature of the Empire. And besides, there's something I'm very curious about and want to confirm inside."
Stepping into the cathedral together with Nova, a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere—accompanied by soothing, melodious classical music—washed over them, as if their souls were cleansed the instant they crossed the threshold.
Worthy of being a nation where divine authority was most developed, the feeling here was quite different from those cheap churches back in Livorden.
As for what Miles was curious about enough to come all the way to the imperial capital's cathedral…
Unlike the chaotic, miscellaneous mix of religious factions within Livorden, this cathedral—both in exterior and interior—was absolutely uniform across the entire Empire. It clearly represented a single, shared religious power.
Then the question was: which god did this vast Empire worship together?
That was what Miles was most curious about.
It certainly wouldn't be Jesus—this otherworldly Spirit Continent probably had never even had the concept of Jesus.
Although every church had a cross, that cross was likely derived from the artwork of [Monster Reborn].
Just as Homar had said, the Holy Varian Empire worshiped gods not out of pure faith, but because God Cards were real, usable sources of immense power.
So if Miles' guess was correct, the god worshiped across this Xyz Empire should itself be a God Card that truly existed within Duel Monsters.
The interior of the cathedral was simply too vast. From the moment he entered, Miles had been searching for clues of the god's identity, but now found himself unsure where to even begin.
That was when the card case at his waist suddenly produced a reaction—something only Miles himself could sense.
Reaching into the case, Miles drew out the restless card.
"This—[Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder]? It's reacting to the god that exists within the cathedral?"
As the culmination of Xyz Summoning and a god-slaying weapon, it wasn't strange for [Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS - Sky Thunder] to react to the god worshiped by the Xyz Empire.
What was surprising was that the reaction seemed to be guiding Miles in a specific direction.
Like a puzzle game, whenever Miles faced the correct direction, the vibration from the Zeus card at his fingertips grew more intense.
Following the card's guidance was still far more efficient than wandering aimlessly through the enormous cathedral.
So he kept adjusting his direction, feeling the vibrations of the Zeus card as it guided him—move forward, turn, adjust again.
After repeating this process several times, the vibrations from Zeus finally disappeared.
"Miles, look! Over there!"
Compared to Miles, who had been focused entirely on the card's reaction, little Nova—who had been observing their surroundings the whole time—spotted the target first.
"That statue is huge! Is this… an angel?"
Guided by Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS, the two of them had unknowingly reached the prayer hall deep within the cathedral.
This was an area so deep that even the soothing classical music failed to reach it. The atmosphere was solemn and silent, with several devout believers kneeling in prayer.
And the object of those believers' worship was undoubtedly the massive 'angel' statue before them.
If nothing unexpected had occurred, the statue before them was the god worshiped by the Xyz Empire.
Since it was able to provoke a reaction from Divine Arsenal AA-ZEUS, a god-slaying weapon, the original form of this godly statue was certainly a Duel Monsters card.
Yet for the moment, Miles simply couldn't recall which monster, or which God Card, it was.
It was called an 'angel,' but upon closer inspection, it didn't quite look like one.
As everyone knew, Fairy-type monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh! tended to have bizarre appearances.
This statue was no exception—its body was pure white, but its wings were black, giving off a black-and-white, chaotic impression.
And because Nova had mistaken it for an angel at first glance, Miles began to wonder whether this thing was even Fairy-type at all.
After all, the ones that didn't look like angels were usually the Fairy-types.
"If I asked a clergyman, they should be able to tell me this monst—cough, this god's exact origin, right?"
Religious belief always went hand in hand with preaching.
Surely the devout clergy, when faced with keen questions from foreign visitors, would be more than willing to explain their faith.
Thinking this, Miles looked around nearby—yet couldn't find a single priest or nun.
"Skipping work in broad daylight? Are all clergy this lazy?"
After muttering his complaint under his breath, Miles suddenly noticed that a particular area inside the cathedral had gathered an unusually large crowd.
And it looked like everyone was lining up.
"Lining up inside a church?"
Afflicted with the incurable condition of 'must-watch-any-commotion,' Miles and little Nova both squeezed over.
Only after getting closer did Miles realize that all these people were lining up just to enter a small room.
The confessional.
A facility brimming with religious flavor, the confessional was where ordinary people went to find a priest and seek the Lord's forgiveness.
Inside the enclosed confessional, the priest would tell you that your sins were known only to heaven, earth, you, and him—and that he would never tell a third person. That was the professional ethics of a priest.
Then you could confess your sins, and the priest would comfort you and tell you that God would not blame you, that God would forgive you, because you were one of His people.
It was a very special way of easing one's sense of guilt.
What Miles didn't understand was why it was just a confessional, yet so popular… why so many people were lining up.
Did the people of the imperial capital all have that much to confess?
Shifting his gaze to the line of people waiting to confess, Miles spotted an extremely familiar figure among the crowd.
A highly distinctive wide-brimmed witch's hat—so eye-catching that even in a crowd, it stood out in no time.
Irena was actually lining up in front of the confessional.
"What is that woman doing?"
You've been in the Empire for less than half a day… what on earth have you already done that needs confessing?
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