Dominate Another World with a Brainwashing Skill!? No, If Anyone Finds Out, I’ll Be Executed, So I’ll Live Honestly and Upright! - Chapter 72: Lougunzel in the Tower

Chapter 72: Lougunzel in the Tower

“I’ve always wanted to see what it’s like inside!”

Holding my hand, Loug spoke excitedly as we walked toward one of the royal capital’s famous landmarks—the Great Cathedral of Reese, a major tourist attraction. People passing by kept giving us startled looks, but honestly, I was starting to get used to it.

“Loug, are you a follower of the Church of Divine Gifts?”

“Huh? I think it’s rarer not to be one. Didn’t you receive your skill at the church too, Hugh?”

“Oh… yeah, I guess that’s kind of like a baptism, huh?”

“There’s also the blessing we say before meals, the calendar system, and even public holidays. Hugh, you probably don’t notice it, but the teachings of the Church of Divine Gifts are everywhere in our daily lives.”

“Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”

The Church of Divine Gifts was deeply woven into everyday life, and without even realizing it, everyone was following its teachings in one way or another.

Thinking back, it was true—the simple prayer I’d been saying before meals since childhood was actually an offering to the divine, and the public holidays were all based on the feast days of saints designated by the church. It’s surprising how easy it is to overlook something that’s always been there.

“I mean, I’m not the type to visit the church regularly and offer prayers or anything. I think most people are like me and you, Hugh.”

“Then why did you want to visit the cathedral so much?”

“When I was a kid, I used to look down at that spire from my room’s window. I always wondered what kind of place it was.”

“I see.”

If she could look down at that massive cathedral spire, then she must have lived in a pretty high place… Not to mention, the only building taller than that spire is probably the royal castle. But pointing that out would just make me sound nitpicky, so I’ll let it slide.

As we walked a bit further, the entire cathedral finally came into full view. Compared to the surrounding buildings, it was still massive. A well-maintained park with lush greenery surrounded the towering white structure, making it stand out even more.

“Wow! It’s huge, Hugh!”

“Yeah… seeing it up close really makes an impact!”

Both of us stood there with our mouths open, staring up at the towering spire.

It wasn’t quite as tall as the skyscrapers and towers I’d seen in my previous life, but it must have been at least 80 meters tall. It could easily rival the royal castle or the royal academy in grandeur.

Back in my previous life, this would be the perfect spot for a commemorative photo, but unfortunately, photography doesn’t exist in this world yet.

I wonder… if I switched my skill to <Photographer>, would I somehow be able to create a picture?

Switching to the <Ninja> skill proved that even if photography doesn’t exist in this world, I could still theoretically activate the skill… But no, if I end up triggering another headache, it’ll be a disaster. Better not to mess around with things I don’t fully understand.

“Hugh, what are you doing? I’m going ahead!”

Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed that Loug had already gone ahead. She turned back, waving at me excitedly while bouncing up and down. Cute.

Damn it, I wish I could at least capture this moment somehow. But it’s not like I can just stop by an art store and buy supplies, and even if I could, I don’t have the money for it. I really wanted to keep a tangible memory of our time together…

Resigning myself to reality, I chased after Loug. Since the cathedral was a popular tourist spot, it was bustling with travelers dressed in various travel outfits.

After paying the “donation”—which was really just an entrance fee—we entered the cathedral. It wasn’t cheap, but after coming all this way, there was no way we were leaving without taking a look inside. …Though, I was starting to worry about my dwindling travel funds. The money my father gave me wouldn’t last much longer.

“Whoa… it’s so beautiful!”

As soon as we stepped inside, our eyes were drawn to the massive stained glass windows. The vibrant colors, illuminated by the sunlight, formed intricate patterns that sparkled with an almost ethereal glow. The sight was so breathtaking that I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks and just take it all in.

I’ve never seen stained glass this beautiful before—not even in my previous life. Sure, the church in the Pnosis territory had stained glass too, but those were tiny window-sized ones. They couldn’t even compare to this.

Not just the stained glass, but everything—from the altar to each intricately designed pillar—was far grander than anything back home. Even the statues of the gods were on a completely different scale. The ones back in Pnosis were barely palm-sized, but here… the goddess statue towering at around three meters was an entirely different story.

“…Wait, a goddess statue?”

Feeling something was off, I looked at the massive sculpture again.

Yeah, no doubt about it—it was definitely a goddess. The facial features were feminine, and there was a modest but unmistakable curve to her chest. She wore a flowing garment draped loosely over her body, both alluring and mysterious.

“What’s wrong, Hugh?”

“That statue… it’s a god, right?”

“Yeah, of course. I’m pretty sure every church has one. Didn’t your hometown church have one too?”

“Well, yeah… but only a tiny, palm-sized version. That’s not what I meant, though…”

The church in the Pnosis territory… The small statue that sat on the altar in the chapel—was it really in the form of a goddess? No, I don’t think so. In fact, when I received my skill, the voice I heard back then sounded like a man’s.

As I explained this to Loug, she smugly raised her index finger and said,

“Oh, that’s because—”

“That’s because God is a man, a woman, a boy, a girl, an old father, and an old mother, all at once!”

“My explanation got stolen?!”

Stunned, Loug and I turned around to see who had spoken.

Standing there was a girl dressed in a pure white nun’s habit, her twin drills of cherry blossom-colored hair making a striking impression.