Pavel did not leave Rostov II. By his own account, he intended to wait until the first batch of "Loyalty" officially went on sale, then return to the Mariupol capital with the first batch of Blessed Wine under escort from an Imperial Navy patrol fleet.
During that time, he would remain on Rostov II, though by "remaining on the planet," he meant staying aboard the Ecclesiarchy Ship he had arrived on.
Although the first batch of "Loyalty" had already been brewed, wine needed to age; it was not something that could simply be drunk as soon as it was made.
Though drinking it immediately was not impossible, both Chen Xi and Pavel felt that aging it for a year was the best choice.
This was not merely because the brewing recipe specified that it needed to age in oak barrels for a year, but also because during that period, the wine would receive the Order of the Sacred Rose sisters' unceasing hymns of praise.
This process would accumulate the Emperor's sacred power within "Loyalty," granting it greater potency and making it more capable of identifying heretics.
As for the difference in taste between new wine and aged wine... in the Warhammer universe, even the sour, harsh wine produced on Baal could sell throughout the Imperium. Blessed Wine's taste was not a problem at all.
While it could not compare to Quaddis White Wine to such an absurd degree, it was still among the finest of the Imperium's popular wines.
Not to mention that "Loyalty's" primary purpose now was not drinking, but identifying heretics.
In recognition of Chen Xi's creation of this Blessed Wine and the Ecclesiarchy's importance placed upon it, Pavel arranged a reception of considerable grandeur when Chen Xi arrived aboard his flagship.
Though they were aboard a warship,