The trio arrived at the entrance of a dessert shop near the city center. Looking at the scene of people coming and going inside, it didn't look like a secret meeting spot at all, leading them to wonder if they had come to the wrong place.
"Are you sure it's this dessert shop? If you're just craving sweets, just say so. How can a shop with this much foot traffic serve as a secret base? Isn't this a bit too conspicuous?"
Talulah asked Lemuen skeptically as she looked at the line that was almost spilling out the door. If she were setting up a stronghold in a city like this, she would certainly choose a shop with very few customers.
"It's here. This chain has stores all over Terra. A long time ago, they apparently reached some kind of agreement with the Church, so they provide assistance to the Laterano Church."
Lemuen introduced the shop to them in low tones from inside the car. As it happened, they had arrived at a bad time; it was currently the peak hour for office workers in the area to buy snacks, so naturally, it was crowded. It wasn't convenient for them to walk in and make contact under these conditions, so they waited in silence for the flow of customers to thin out...
"So, why exactly are we waiting like idiots in the car? Wouldn't it be fine to go in, have something to eat first, and then handle our business? Didn't you two feel hungry after not eating breakfast?"
Jeanne couldn't help but complain as she watched the two people beside her who intended to wait it out. The key point was that she wanted to eat. The sensation of having a dessert shop right in front of her, with that sweet aroma drifting into her nose while she hadn't eaten her fill that morning, was particularly intense.
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the car again. The other two wore expressions of "Oh right, why didn't I think of that?" causing Jeanne to facepalm, speechless.
The three of them walked into the shop. Upon seeing their appearances, the several Sankta staff members froze. They weren't sure about the Vouivre beside them, but they had received word long ago about the golden-haired girl and the red-haired Sankta.
Lemuen walked up to a man who appeared to be the supervisor and gave a subtle hint to talk later when there were fewer people, then pointed to Jeanne beside her. Immediately after, she led the other two into the crowd.
The shop supervisor instantly understood Lemuen's meaning. After nodding to his employees—whose eyes behind him were filled with anticipation—everyone's gaze turned into one of excitement and fanaticism.
However, this also caused the customers buying things today to notice that the staff seemed a bit strange. These Sankta employees were unusually excited for some reason. From time to time, they would steal glances in one direction; it might have been an illusion, but the fluorescent light tubes above their heads seemed even brighter than usual.
Yet, the moment the customers followed those gazes, they understood. They saw three beautiful girls sitting at a table, chatting and laughing while eating desserts. No wonder the employees kept looking over there. If the customers didn't have to go back to work, they too would have wanted to stay and admire their beauty.
The clerks didn't know what the customers were thinking. They had heard from above long ago that the Saintess might visit this shop, and they had been fully prepared every day to welcome her arrival. They hadn't seen the Saintess's true face—it was said the Church had chosen not to go public yet at the Saintess's own suggestion—otherwise, they would have skipped work long ago to search the entire city for her.
They only had a few pieces of intelligence: it was said the Saintess had long golden hair that fluttered like wings when spread out, and her beauty could no longer be described simply as "beautiful"—it was a sense of profound holiness...
The even stronger evidence was the Church's statement that a red-haired Sankta was protecting her. The moment they saw Jeanne, a throb from their very souls let them know: that golden-haired girl was their Saintess!
For this day, everyone in the shop had given up their vacations, even going so far as to volunteer for overtime. In their view, if they missed the scene of the Saintess's arrival because they were on leave, they wouldn't even have a place to go cry about it.
Jeanne felt the fanatical gazes around her and somewhat regretted her suggestion. Being watched by these zealots meant she had to maintain a dignified and elegant temperament at all times, which was truly exhausting.
About half an hour later, when the surrounding customers had mostly left, the supervisor walked up to Lemuen, gave a signal, and then departed.
Following the supervisor, Lemuen led the two others into an office. On the surface, this was the manager's office, but it also served as the contact point for completing Laterano Church missions.
"Miss Lemuen, Your Eminence Jeanne, Miss Talulah. I didn't expect you to arrive so soon; I thought it would take a few more days to reach this city."
After entering the room, the three were led into another windowless chamber. Inside, there was not only the supervisor but also a Notarial Hall Executor and a Laterano Bishop.
During the conversation, Jeanne learned that the Bishop had come here following the official Laterano motorcade for the Ursus talks. However, he had gotten off early and blended in with the Knight to execute the meeting plan with Jeanne.
Subsequently, the Knight pulled a case from a corner. Lemuen opened it with great anticipation to reveal a revolving grenade launcher. However... its muzzle was shorter than a standard one.
"This is a specially modified firearm. Although the power is slightly reduced because it lacks the long barrel, it excels in portability. It is much easier to conceal than a standard revolving launcher."
Despite saying that, looking at the barrel—which was significantly larger than a submachine gun's—one could guess how much power it packed. Moreover, it was lighter than a standard model, which was very important.
But these details weren't important to Lemuen anymore. Her eyes sparkled as she happily caressed the barrel; it seemed she wouldn't be returning to normal anytime soon.
"May I ask where Your Eminence Jeanne is currently staying? If you haven't found a stable residence, we can make arrangements."
The Bishop seemed accustomed to Lemuen's behavior and showed no surprise, instead looking at Jeanne to inquire about her situation.
"We are currently staying at Azazel, so we won't trouble you."
"Azazel?" The Bishop seemed to recall something upon hearing the name, but then his gaze softened into one of realization.
"Your Eminence, if you are currently residing at Azazel, you must be careful of this person. She is very dangerous."
As if remembering something, the Bishop took a file from the shop manager, pulled out a document, and showed it to Jeanne. She saw a photograph of a female Feline printed on it—it was exactly the likeness of Kal'tsit!