They were all speaking to us at the same time.

Returning their greetings in my duck voice, I felt increasingly anxious. This is bad. At this rate, we’ll stand out. Or rather, we’re already standing out plenty, Misaki doesn’t seem to have arrived yet; the way it’s going, though, it’s only a matter of time before she sees through our disguises.

For the moment, we decided to retreat temporarily. Asking the housewife where the bathroom was, we hurried from the meeting hall.

“This is no good, Satou.”

“It’s bad, isn’t it, Yamazaki?”

We caught our breath while relieving ourselves in the sparkling clean bathroom.

“Why are those people being so friendly to shady people like us?”

“I’m kind of moved.” I was somewhat surprised by myself. This was the first time in my long life that I had ever experienced anything like this. A large number of people had openly welcomed me with smiles on their faces. I had no idea how to deal with it.

“Ha ha ha, maybe I should convert!”

I heard Yamazaki, who had gone into the private stall, suddenly burst into laughter. Next came the sound of toilet paper unrolling. I heard him blow his nose, and then he came out of the stall. The pupils of his eyes had dilated behind his colored contacts. White powder stuck to his sleeves.

“How about you, Satou?” Yamazaki held out a plastic packet filled with the drug. I gently refused. As my espionage activities were about to begin, I couldn’t afford to lose my level-headed judgment.

Putting tissues inside my mouth, I changed the contours of my face, creating an even more perfect disguise. Yamazaki, an off-the-chart smile plastered across his face, meanwhile busied himself walking in circles around the bathroom.

A short time later, we heard a choral hymn coming from beyond the bathroom walls. The assembly seemed to have begun.

Casually, we headed toward the meeting hall.

As I mentioned, the meeting hall’s interior lacked any sort of religious atmosphere at all. It looked like a youth training center. Even so…

Why had I gotten goose bumps up and down my spine? I was moved. It might have been a side effect of the drugs I’d taken before leaving the apartment. My emotional amplification might have been nothing more than a side effect. But…

Almost one hundred people had gathered in this hall, and they were singing without hesitation, with remarkable spirit. Older men, older women, young men, young women—they had turned in unison to face the lectern and single-mindedly sang a hymn praising God. Here, I could certainly feel holiness. Oh, this is true religion! This is wonderful!