Rival Temples' Generous Gifts
Actually, I was rather pleased. When the saintess and priests from the Armonia Temple first came calling, I'd been truly flustered. I never dreamed that one performance would earn me a goddess's divine revelation and bring a whole crowd from the temple rushing over.
But this time, I was somewhat mentally prepared. I even resolved not to panic like last time.
"The Akat Temple must be brimming with confidence because all they have is money."
"Hmm. Poor temples usually don't scorn wealth like that."
But my resolve crumbled in an instant. I had no idea why both groups had arrived simultaneously, as if on cue, or why they were bickering right here. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one caught off guard. My father standing beside me and my brother both wore stunned expressions as they watched the two temples' priests exchange sharp words.
Wait, was it really fortunate? This whole mess was my fault to begin with.
"Ahem."
Reaching that thought, I cleared my throat cautiously. The priests, who had been trading barbs while pretending otherwise in their calm tones, turned to me in unison.
"First off, thank you for coming all this way."
They were guests here for me, so it was only right that I handle them. Father seemed to agree, nodding silently.
"Your proposals are such an honor that I personally feel they're almost too much for me."
This wasn't empty flattery. An enthusiastic invitation from major temples? It really was overwhelming.
Who did I think I was?
"That said, for the time being, I'd like to focus on performances for the Armonia Temple. To repay the goddess Armonia, who recognized me first."
This was a decision I'd already made before they even arrived. I'd planned to turn down other commissions for a while, at least. If I weren't in such comfortable circumstances, I might have thought differently. Why miss the boat when it comes in, right?
But money wasn't what I craved right now. Rather than rushing through jobs sloppily, I wanted to pour my all into everything I did.
Besides, how could I possibly choose between these two? It was obvious they'd take offense if I picked one over the other.
"Hmm. Can't be helped, then."
"It's regrettable, but we understand."
The priests from both sides nodded at my words. No, judging by their expressions, they seemed a bit disappointed but inwardly relieved. Their satisfaction at both being turned down outweighed the regret of rejection? Seeing those looks only convinced me I'd made the right call.
"True art isn't perfected by haste. We'll be in touch again. Oh, and this is a token of our temple's sincerity."
As if he'd never spat sharp words at the Akat Temple, the Millen priest smiled warmly and handed over something. It was a small box.
"Ashtra Rosin harvested only from the depths of our temple's sacred mountain."
At the word "rosin," I flinched. Rosin is the sticky resin from pine trees, a violinist's best friend. You have to rub just the right amount on the bow for a good sound. And Ashtra Rosin was the top choice among musicians—especially the variety from Millen Temple's sacred mountain, hailed as the absolute finest. It was something even money couldn't always buy.
"How could I accept such a precious gift..."
I tried to school my expression, but my lips twitched upward anyway.
"Haha, it's nothing."
The Millen priest smiled and stepped back. But I didn't miss the way he smirked at the Akat priest on his way out.
And sure enough, the Akat priest stepped forward, unwilling to be outdone.
"We've prepared a humble gift as well. Please accept it."
He offered another small box, engraved with the Akat Temple's emblem, which somehow radiated a holy aura.
"It's an item blessed by our temple's priests. Carry it with you, and you'll tire less and brim with vitality."
"Pardon? This wouldn't be..."
"It's nothing much. Just a simple Blessed Artifact."
A Blessed Artifact. While holy relics generally held divine power, these were artifacts crafted by priests. Some temples called the former "relics" and the latter "holy items," but commonly, they were distinguished as holy relics and Blessed Artifacts.
Naturally, they weren't commonplace. Only high priests with exceptional holy power could create them, and the effort involved was immense. Akat's Blessed Artifacts were particularly renowned among temples, their effects universally beneficial, just as the priest had said.
"Please take it without burden."
His eyes were sparkling a bit too eagerly for those words, but I accepted gratefully. Unlike in Korea, refusing gifts here was considered rude. Probably.
"Then we'll take our leave."
"May the goddess's blessings be with you."
Having bestowed their gifts, the priests quietly departed. Once they were gone, Father said to me,
"They don't usually come on so strong. They must be very interested in you."
"Yeah. I was honestly a little surprised."
"It's proof of how much recognition you've earned."
Kyle smiled and added his thoughts after Father. I returned an awkward grin and thanked him.
After a brief chat with Father and my brother, I returned to my room. I didn't head straight to the practice room because I wanted to check out the gifts first.
"Whoa."
I placed the two boxes on the table and let out a sigh of admiration. Even the boxes themselves screamed luxury.
From rivalry to outright bribes, huh? They were far more blatant than the Armonia Temple's visit. And their simultaneous arrival didn't seem like mere coincidence. They'd probably been watching each other and timed it to arrive together, neither wanting to lag behind.
Suddenly, I recalled the moment both gods had granted their revelations. They'd arrived almost competitively back then too, just like the priests today.
Hmm. Nah, couldn't be.
Gods wouldn't do that.
"Anyway."
I shook off the irreverent thought and examined the gifts one by one.
"So this is a Blessed Artifact."
It was a round medallion, with a clasp for easy attachment to clothing. I tried pinning it inside my shirt, and it felt great. The moment I put it on, a warm energy spread through my body, washing away the fatigue from late-night work lately.
"Whoa."
The effect was no joke. I'd probably wear it all the time. It would need recharging by a priest once the power faded, but that was no issue—recharging was something even ordinary priests could handle, unlike creating them.
"And..."
I opened the next box. A pleasant aroma wafted out immediately, followed by the reveal of exquisitely hued rosin.
"Nice."
Honestly, this rosin thrilled me even more than the Blessed Artifact. It was for my precious instrument, after all.
"Top-grade quality, no doubt."
The color, scent, texture—perfection. I'd tried sourcing some before, but nothing this good. These were usually reserved for gifts, impossible to buy no matter how rich you were.
"Well, it's definitely not an ordinary present."
Of course, gifts like these came with strings. I'd probably have to visit both temples later. With the Armonia Temple performance behind me, I'd be diving into music full-time anyway. Venues wouldn't be an issue.
It felt a bit surreal, but all good things.
"Alright."
I stood up. For now, nail the next performance.
The date for the Armonia Temple performance was set: exactly 60 days from now. Sixty days was more than enough time to prepare—not like it was a hours-long show.
That said, the details left me a bit taken aback.
"Gratia Hall...?"
The venue was none other than Gratia Hall. I'd figured it would just be a few pieces at the temple itself.
But the temple had grander plans.
"Gratia Hall, of all places."
Gratia Hall was one of the empire's premier concert venues, built by direct divine revelation from the goddess of music. A dream stage for any musician. Sure, some haughty non-human nobles dismissed it as merely the pinnacle for "humans," but that was their problem.
To me, it was astonishing.
But it was too late to back out now. I'd committed to this, after all. And honestly, I wanted to stand there. Even once was a lifelong dream.
"Guess I'll have to prepare extra hard."
I resolved to deliver the best performance possible.
"Yeah, yeah. You're psyching yourself up too much—sit down already."
A voice came from beside me as I steeled myself. Monica was there.
"Aren't you going home?"
"Home? Why, when I've just sat down?"
Monica was planted at the piano. The moment her break ended, she'd rushed over declaring she wanted to see it and showed no signs of leaving. It felt like hours already.
"Whoa, it's seriously gorgeous."
Left alone, she'd probably hug it and fall asleep. I shook my head and said to her,
"Enough about the piano. Tell me about the plan."
"What plan?"
She turned to me.
"We're just taking the warp gate. Blink, and we'll be there."
"Still, it's a whole other country."
"Pfft. They use the common tongue there too."
True. I, Monica, and a few others were heading to another city—a schedule set months ago that I couldn't skip. Nor did I want to. Our destination was Ramisel, the art city drawing every race imaginable.