"A Favored One!" When Romon came to his senses, several priests bowed to him, their faces alight with enthusiasm. "Congratulations, Favored One of Isidis."
Their eagerness to congratulate him left Romon somewhat bewildered.
"My lord, you aren't part of the Church hierarchy, so it's only natural that you don't understand. Allow me to explain," said the highest-ranking priest.
"Yes, please do. But shall we go somewhere else to talk?"
"Of course, of course!" Only then did the priests realize that it was inappropriate to discuss such things before the goddess's statue.
Led by the priests, Romon arrived at a small reception room in the Temple.
The Temple's reception room was little different from an ordinary lord's drawing room. It likewise had floor-to-ceiling glass windows, through which the June afternoon sunlight now slanted.
A bed of flowers grew outside the reception room's windows, filled with beautiful blossoms of many varieties. A delicate fragrance hung in the air.
Most remarkable of all, despite the blazing sunshine outside, the reception room was pleasantly cool.
Romon knew this was the work of the Temple's ward. One of its functions was to keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer, much like permanent air-conditioning. Priests certainly had a comfortable life!
Sofas stood on either side of the coffee table. Although sofas normally felt rather hot in summer, in this cool air, sitting on one felt cozy and comfortable.
"My lord, please wait a moment." Someone was being sent to fetch milk tea.
Milk tea was a premium beverage in this world. It was entirely different from the tea drunk in China on Earth, though somewhat similar to that of Europe and India.
The tea leaves were not steeped directly, but first processed into tea bricks.
To prepare the drink, a small piece was