Chapter 43: Ch 43: Unexpected Guest

Aiden had not been in this world long enough to know it inside out, but he was not ignorant enough to remain uneducated either.

He had gained basic knowledge and read up on the major powers in the world.

First, knowing all the gods was impossible, but everyone knew the 10 main gods that governed this world through their power. They usually left it alone (or were restricted by their position) and could hardly interfere.

The main gods of this nation were Aldaric, the God of Justice, and Veena, the Goddess of Love and Kindness. That was why there were numerous smaller gods. But that was on the religious side of things.

For the human side, there were seven main kingdoms, and Bazar was the kingdom that Aiden was currently in.

And Duke Bazar was a well-known figure in his kingdom, but he was known to be strict and a follower of God Aldaric.

For such a person to come to this festival...it could be troublesome. And the fact that they did not have accommodations...

’Is the Duke trying to cause trouble for us? I don’t have a good feeling about his visit. I better go and pay attention to him before he causes a mess.’

Aiden was supposed to bring Goddess Apophis outside to enjoy this festival during the evening, so he needed to make sure nothing happened before that.

So, taking care of the Duke and his people was of utmost importance.

For that reason, he decided that it would be for the best if he greeted the guests himself and did not leave it to the usual greeters.

The Duke’s party consisted of 10 people, 5 family members and 5 advisors. But not everyone had the same reception to his presence, despite having the same awed expression on their face.

Aiden decided to observe the party for some time, and he immediately noticed a few things. But perhaps, the most important fact was that the Duchess and the youngest daughter were both spoiled.

"Mommy, this place is so shiny and pretty. Can I have it? I want to make it my playground."

The youngest daughter, who was around 10 years old, demanded, and her mother looked at her with a doting expression.

Both she and her daughter had never not gotten anything in life, and with the same expectations, she turned toward her husband.

"Dear, our dear Kara wants-"

"That won’t be possible. We can cause a holy war if we try taking over another god’s territory by force. And it is not something I will accept."

The Duke was firm about it, but Aiden noticed that his words made his aide’s mouth twitch downward as well.

’It seems like this party will be a problem. I better head over right now and smooth things over.’

While the Duke’s youngest daughter pouted, his two elder sons stood rigid but fascinated. They noticed Aiden and caused everyone to look at him.

"Greetings, everyone. I am-"

"Are you the head priest of this place? Just what kind of accommodations do you have to run out like this? Do you even know whom you are facing?"

Before Aiden could finish his greeting, one of the aides decided to speak up. But this felt intentional, almost as if that man was baiting Aiden to get angry and snap back at him.

Unluckily for him, Aiden was someone who had lived in modern society, and despite his family’s well-off status, he had faced all kinds of people due to his hobbies.

He was quite used to getting chewed out and he had learned to tune such comments out.

"I would have to agree with you. The preparations this time did fall short of what we expected. We just...had a lot more people visiting than we anticipated for our first festival. We will make sure to have more accommodations starting next year. We also plan to expand the scope of the festival."

Aiden noticed how people were listening with interest.

The news of what he said would spread quickly, which was why he said it in such a public place.

Having done that, it was time to look after the Duke and his aides. Before the aides could make another scene, he decided to add his own words.

"That being said, how can I let guests as esteemed as you leave without enjoying the grace of my goddess? Our village might not be able to accommodate you, but the main temple is more than welcome to open its doors to you. Would you care to come and give us a visit? We made sure to pour all our love and care into it."

Aiden’s words made everyone gasp in wonder.

A god’s main temple was often their source of power and the most magnificent thing one could see. Everyone who came for the festival was determined to see it once. And how could they not?

The village with the second temple had become so advanced that it looked like another world, so how much better would the main temple be? What else would it have that was not present?

Even the Duke’s aides looked taken aback by this offer.

Only the Duke looked unfazed, but his eyes were brimming with curiosity.

"Hmm, it is an honor to be invited to a god’s main temple by their chief priest. How can I pass up this opportunity? Then, I will hire people to carry the luggage-"

"That won’t be necessary. We have paved the road to the main temple, so we can just take our cart there. My goddess has vowed to make life easier for everyone under her rule."

Aiden assured the Duke, who looked even more impressed. But his aides kept gritting their teeth in anger and annoyance at the fact that they were not able to pick apart any flaws in Aiden’s conduct and manners.

It was almost as if someone had put them up to the task of causing trouble.

’But it is not a worry. I am sure they will change their tone after some time in our territory.’

And if not, then Aiden could always blame an accident on them and kick them out. He was more than capable of pulling such a trick.