I was at the Great Holy Prayer Place.

　This place in the territory within the Holy Republic reserves a vast expanse of land.

　A place where a circular, two-meter-long wall wraps around the earth with nothing but giant statues. There were four doors on all sides, with people coming in from all sides.

　In the center, a giant statue of the goddess Astaire, enough for ten people, is exposed to the blue sky, and underneath it is a simple but well-crafted pedestal of sorts.

　Moreover, the pedestal was not only for the giant statue, but there was also another pedestal prepared for it as well. The knights of the Holy Republic and Soria are there as well.

　But there was nothing else. That's all there is to it.

　Even though it was supposed to be just that place, the square was already filled with more than fifty thousand people.

　And from outside the walls, there were still people trying to get in.

　It just doesn't feel strangely small.

　The giant statues would rust if it were to rain, but they are still shining beautifully, with a level of maintenance that is not neglected at all times.

　This is a curious place.

It's been a long time since you've been here, hasn't it?

　He called out to me.

　I turned around and saw a familiar face.

'Um,'

What, have you forgotten?　You received a leaflet inviting me to join the True Astaire religion.

Yeah. That time.

　The man was the one who had handed out leaflets to me when I was watching the True Astaire religion's recruitment efforts in the royal capital some time ago.

　However, how could he remember me so well, on the contrary?

　I'm glad I kept the mask I had bought earlier to watch the True-Asterean activities. It was strong enough to make a sound when tapped, and although it was hard and hard to use in its own way, it was still useful.

　It was heartbreaking to see the occasional suspicious look, but it was no use.

　Riff had told me I didn't have to hide it, but I put it on, just in case.

'What religion did you come from?　He didn't end up coming to our house, though.

Nowhere to be seen.

A spectacle. ...... That's a little out of season for you, huh? You might want to come back later, huh?

　The man says with a bitter look on his face.

　'I wonder if he means the crowd of people.

'It's just too much trouble to go back now. I mean, is there anything here but Astaireism?　From the way you were talking earlier, it sounded like there was more than just Astaireism. And you guys are there, too.

Of course there is. There's a lot of things in Astaire, too. Even if you don't include us true Asteans, there are many different factions.

　Come to think of it, he doesn't say or do anything to persecute the true/asterly religion like I felt in the royal capital.

　Rather, they fit in naturally.

　If you look closely, Sufi is there too.

　There were priestly beings of several other religions as well.

But isn't it Astaireism that is in charge?　Is everything okay?

I don't see how that's possible.　But this year is rare. There's so many things at stake, it's time to collude. And--

　The man looks up.

　He was looking not at the blue sky, but at the colossal statue of Astaire.

'--because everyone has faith in Astaire-sama, right?

Okay.

　If you look, people who might be followers of another religion are looking up.

　Collusion.

　For me, it's like being led by the Astaire religion, but is that kind of thing not of interest to those who believe in something?

　Or do they think that the magic power sent to Astaire is the same regardless of where and who is in charge of the prayers--?



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　Around the time each person was just barely spaced apart, the wall entry restrictions were put in place.

　There's at least room to sit. That would be plenty of room in case I got sick.

　Do the Astaireans standing on the wall have a tight control over it? It's quite amazing.

　And all of them have quite a bit of magical power. --knights, or.

　I shook my head thinking that far.

　This is within the Holy Republic. You're right, it's not. It should be .......

　And I can only feel one magic power. It's impossible, it should be.

　So why is that?

　I'm not sure how many magicians I've unknowingly deployed in my vicinity.

　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to find out what's going on.

It's a good thing that you're all here.

　Suddenly, a man's voice rang out.

　There is a magic item loudspeaker on a pedestal that is twice the size of a man. A man clad in priest's clothes is speaking there.

　No, he's a little more fancy than the priest. He is a blue-haired man, but he has a strength more suited for battle than a priest.

''In these days of instability, if the goddess Astaire blesses you--''

　And so on.

　He speaks of the past, the present and the future through Astaire.

　Some of us were in tears at that.

　It means that not a few of us here have gone through painful experiences.

　However, the people, including the man next to me, who would be true Astaire believers in terms of distance from Sufi, are more bitter than sad.

　They look like they are waiting for something.

It's a good idea to end the conversation rather than make it long. We'll move on to the time of prayer.

　The priestly-looking man said. Then a cheer could be heard from inside and outside the square.

　And some of them were enthusiastic, "Whoa! I'm even shouting. What are they so happy about?

　Is there a religion that prays out loud?　Part of me felt that the priest's story had been long, and maybe he was getting excited that it was finally over.

　What a thought, and then I found out why - I found out why.

　It was Soria who ascended to the pedestal. The inside of the square sprang up more when she showed her face from above.

''With all due respect, I, Soria Aiden, will serve as your prayer ritual.

　Soria bowed lightly as she said this.

　The audience was even more excited by her appearance, making the ground tremble.

　This isn't the goddess Astaire anymore, it's the religion of Saint Soria. It's so lively that it makes you think that it is.

"The idol here will be this huge statue.

　Soria explains by pointing her hand at the giant statue behind her.

　An idol. It's an object of prayer.

　They range from pendants and fist-sized statues to those that prominently display their presence in this square. They exist in a variety of ways.

　They became the medium to deliver the magic of the goddess.

　I researched this before I came here. It would be useless to just come to the site, so I secured my prior knowledge.

''Then let's pray.''

　As she lays her hands on them, Soria begins to pray with her eyes closed.

　As if to match that, the people also began to pray with their hands on top of each other. The flow of magic power is absorbed towards the statue.

--It looks like, from my eyes, the flow of magic power has been transferred to something else.

　The destination flowing from the statue is the man who was standing on the pedestal before Soria, and the men standing on the wall.

　An enormous amount of magical power was flowing into their bodies one after the other.

　It was a familiar magic formation.

--A demon race.

　It was a scene of the demon tribe that I had seen on the battlefield.

　But the thing that surprised me the most was.

'That's enough!　The High Priest of Astaire--Zay Fonde!

　It was a girl, Sufi, who started shouting as if she was expecting it.

　And the flow of magic power I was looking at had a red color on it. It's the color of the flow of magic power that any ordinary person can see.