SALP Chapter 30

"It's warm inside the temple."

Batiya Temple's office was warmer than Vigo's office.

Lanthe's own church came to mind and she felt a pang of melancholy. The environment of the poor Hestan Church, which even scrimped on firewood to put in the fireplace, couldn't even dare to be compared to this place. Perhaps Father Conor, weary of winters spent shivering and huddled next to the brazier until his nose turned black with soot, had become a colt-like priest who spoke brazenly of hopes to become rich by welcoming the lord as a follower...

As she drank the warm honey water the attendant served, she fell into deep contemplation.

Money truly bewitches people in devious ways.

Ah... well, I'm in no position to judge—I just followed along to a foreign god's temple with a smile for a mere 5 dela.

Of course, in my case, the desire for new worldly experiences was greater than the money itself.

"Welcome. Thank you for coming all the way to our temple, Lady Lanthe."

Soon, the person called the high priestess of Batiya Temple appeared and bowed her head.

"Hello. It's an honor to meet the high priestess as Lord Vigo's proxy."

Lanthe also composed her expression and showed courtesy.

The attendant brought fresh teacups and tea water, and the discussion quickly moved to the main point.

"You see, our altar marble has grown old and cracked. We've been putting it off and putting it off, but we're finally replacing it this time. We're grateful that Lord Vigo, a devout follower, stepped forward to sponsor the cost, but we felt uncomfortable choosing the item by ourselves."

The high priestess appeared to be in her forties. The large golden pendant necklace engraved with Batiya's tree symbol was as splendid as the accessories Lanthe had worn at Newbella's palace.

"We've troubled you and Lord Vigo."

"Not at all. The lord said it was a joyful matter as a follower."

"We're so grateful."

The high priestess explained to Lanthe in quite a gentle tone, repeatedly smiling apologetically. The guild head who accompanied her also bowed obsequiously, reading the room.

Lanthe was inwardly puzzled. It was strange that people who supposedly weren't satisfied even with Knight Commander Warner were treating an inexperienced lord's proxy with such courtesy. And it was worlds apart from the cold attitude of the healing priest she'd seen a few days ago.

"Now, the candidates we've selected are as you see."

The guild head spread the samples on the wide low table and explained them one by one.

There were over a dozen types of stone and wooden boards cut into flat squares.

"What kind of wood is this?"

Before finishing the explanation, Lanthe pointed to a wooden board with a blackish tint. She remembered seeing decorative wood carvings with similar color and grain in Vigo's office.

"That's ebony. High-quality ebony made from Valon ebony trees. It's considered the finest for furniture wood."

The guild head answered eagerly with a smile.

"It's pretty. I like wood. It feels warm too."

When she gently stroked the ebony placed among the cold stones, a soft and smooth texture was transmitted. Though not exactly the same, Aunt Louise's house also had a blackish wooden hair comb...

Ahem. The guild head's throat-clearing brought her out of her reverie.

"Of course, ebony is also an excellent material, my lady. However, for a temple altar, marble is somewhat sturdier and easier to maintain. Moreover, it's the same material as the temple's building materials, so it doesn't create any sense of incongruity and blends naturally. Especially this item is marble shipped from Gallica..."

The guild head recommended two types of marble with slightly different patterns, launching into a lengthy explanation.

Even Lanthe, ignorant of worldly matters, could notice one fact here. The items he was strongly recommending now would likely be more expensive.

"Which items caught the high priestess's eye?"

When Lanthe passed the ball to the high priestess, she smiled with a slightly flustered look.

"You see, we are servants who worship the earth deity, who teaches us to value everything that comes from the ground. The priests gathered and put our heads together, but because the materials from nature all look equally beautiful, we simply couldn't reach an answer..."

Was she sincere? Lanthe's instinct to doubt others' goodwill activated after a long time.

Earlier, according to Warner's report, there was definitely an item among the temple's candidates that far exceeded the budget. If they truly valued all materials without material desire, it seemed unlikely they would have selected candidates that exceeded the budget. Perhaps she kept seeing them negatively because they'd made a bad first impression.

"Hmm. In my view, the ebony Lady Lanthe chose also looks very good. How about we follow Lady Lanthe's discernment this time, Guild Head?"

However, the high priestess seemed to have a weak personality, subtly avoiding Lanthe's sharp gaze as she spoke to the guild head.

The guild head, receiving the ball, smiled ambiguously and tilted his head.

"Well. If the high priestess says so, we should go with ebony. Though I do think it's rather a shame. Nothing seems to match Batiya Temple's stature quite like Gallica marble. That's why I went to the trouble of securing these items, isn't it? The followers will also feel more comfortable with materials similar to the existing altar... Ah, of course, I absolutely don't mean to pressure you. Haha."

At his elaborate explanation, Lanthe narrowed her eyes further.

Heh-heh-heh. The guild head's awkward laughter grew louder.

What should I do? Vigo told me to choose as I pleased. If my choice would cause problems, he wouldn't have left it to me.

"I understand."

Lanthe reached a conclusion without long hesitation.

"Let's go with the Gallica marble."

"Oh...!"

The guild head brightened and smiled broadly.

"You certainly have an eye for quality, my lady!"

Lanthe smiled as if embarrassed while subtly taking credit.

"People's eyes are all similar, aren't they? Though the lord specifically trusted me and told me to choose whatever I liked, since he promised to support the cost as a follower who made a dedication oath to Batiya Temple, I thought it would be better to choose the highest quality rather than selecting with my inadequate judgment regarding public materials."

"But it will greatly exceed the budget."

Rather, the high priestess looked at Lanthe with cautious eyes as if surprised. At the gaze that felt free of pretense, Lanthe gave a bitter smile.

"What's the total construction cost? You can write an estimate before finalizing the payment, right?"

Recalling a conversation she'd once overheard in Newbella, Lanthe raised her chin high and demanded of the guild head. She herself had no knowledge to judge construction costs, but the aftermath was Vigo's responsibility.

"An, an estimate, you say?"

The guild head repeated as if he'd heard an unexpected request.

Was this wrong? Had she misunderstood some procedure in her request?

When she glanced at the high priestess, for some reason her face had also reddened.

"Um, I'm sure Lady Lanthe doesn't mean to suspect Roberia Merchant Guild. Lady Lanthe is someone devoted to a religion from beyond the continent. She must apply different laws regarding business procedures."

The high priestess spoke to the guild head as if making excuses.

Oh no. Apparently transactions here had different customs from Newbella's royal court. Had I committed a discourtesy in my excessive enthusiasm?

Lanthe struggled not to show her embarrassment as she spoke.

"...Since I'm not yet accustomed to acting as the lord's proxy, I thought it would be better to receive and report a document written by the guild head rather than heard through my own mouth. Was it an unreasonable request?"

"Oh, not at all! Since the temple isn't paying the cost and you need to report to the lord, of course I should deliver it clearly in writing—I was the one lacking in thought!"

Fortunately, the guild head seemed convinced, his face quickly returning to a summer-sunshine brightness.

He soon spread out a large sheet of paper and filled it with complicated numbers and various technical terms.

"Then I'll take this and get confirmation from the lord. The construction can start after that, right?"

"No problem. I'll summon the finest craftsmen and have them stand by."

Lanthe put the estimate he'd written into her dress pocket and stood up.

Whew. A small sigh escaped.

In any case, she'd pushed aside her personal values and made the most acceptable decision for them. A choice she thought a wealthy and devout follower would make for a temple. Externally she was presenting the grandiose title of 'lord's proxy,' but in truth she was merely a 5-dela errand runner.

She certainly hadn't come to spite the annoying Vigo or Batiya Temple. There was no need to childishly cause trouble and damage the relationship between Vigo and the temple. Even if thinking of the desperately poor Hestan Church made tears prick her eyes at the world's unfairness...

"Thank you so much, Lady Lanthe. You've resolved so simply what we couldn't decide among ourselves."

At the high priestess's polite words, Lanthe gave a perfunctory smile.

"The lord would have made the same decision if he'd come."

Though her entire contribution was deciding to "Please go with the most expensive one," she didn't feel like criticizing the high priestess who praised her problem-solving ability. What harm had she done to deserve hatred?

"I'll give my card to Lady Lanthe as well, so please keep it and summon us again. There's no item our guild doesn't handle. We even have accessories once worn by the Empress of Atla, along with rare jewels and fabrics."

"Yes. If I need any special items, I'll contact the head of Roberia Merchant Guild first."

She nodded to the guild head as well.

But it would be a promise she couldn't keep. Someone who wasn't even a real lady would never have occasion to purchase rare jewels or fabrics...