Romon followed the maid, strolling down the corridor.
Along the way, he encountered more young women. As expected, they were all lovely, their beauty almost flawless, but their clothes came in all sorts of styles and colors, bearing the hallmarks of different eras.
Unlike the maids who had welcomed him, however, most retained their Elven forms, and none had any aura of divinity.
They were Petitioners.
Romon could not help scanning them. He discovered that their bodies were indeed real, but those bodies had been created entirely by a god. That was why Petitioners would never betray their deity.
These beautiful young women were all exquisite, but Romon knew he would have some of his own in the future. Though tempted inwardly, he merely gave them a passing glance, showing no great surprise.
After all, encountering young Elven Petitioners in the domain of the four elemental goddesses was perfectly normal.
This also showed that even in a goddess's palace, very few possessed divinity.
The greatest distinction between deities and mortal beings lay in whether they possessed divinity.
Possessing divinity meant obtaining the key to the gates of eternal life. Even a god would not be generous enough to bestow it freely, for that would undoubtedly mean creating a future rival.
Of course, being welcomed by young women with divinity was therefore a mark of great honor, second only to being greeted by the goddesses themselves.
"Your Highness Romon, my lady's palace is just ahead. This way, please," one of the young women leading him said softly. They changed direction, taking a small path to one side. A vast garden lay before them, and Romon followed them through it. Once they rounded the garden, the sight before him took his breath away.
It was an enormous open space. Apart from green