He flicked a copper coin at Peter, which he caught easily.
"Here, buy something for yourself."
"Thank you."
The old guard laughed again. "Despite his sharp tongue, he sure knows his manners when he needs to. You've raised him well, Mariah."
"He's also my son, you know," Joseph complained.
"Sure is. That's where he got his sharp tongue and courage from."
"I don't know whether to take that as a praise or an insult," Joseph sighed.
"Figure it out yourself, Captain."
Everyone chuckled. The guards stepped aside, letting them pass once their banter ended.
After that, they didn't encounter anyone else until they reached the church.
It was a simple building—nothing fancy. One of the few structures in the village with two floors. Peter had been here a few times before, so he already knew the layout.
Religion in this world was different. After all, the gods were real. That didn't mean they interfered in mortal affairs often, though.
Mariah had already given Peter a basic education on divinity the last time they visited this place. People only came to places of worship when they needed a blessing or some kind of help.
The reason for this was faith.
Back in the Peter's previous world, it was hard to tell if someone was truly devoted or just going through the motions—praying, reading holy texts, visiting places of worship, and all that. Here, gods were real. Faith wasn't just a concept. It was measurable.
If you were truly devoted, your faith would be high. If not, religion remained fairly transactional.
Donate money to the church? Get a blessing.
Oh no, you burned your arm while cooking?No problem. Ask a priestess to heal you for the low price of three silver coins.
Humanity had three gods.
The newest one ascended to godhood around 3,500 years ago.
Yup. Every once in a while, some lucky person gets promoted to godhood.
Rumour had it—at least according to the tavern gossip—that the Elven Sovereign was so close to godhood that she could ascend whenever she wanted.
It wasn't a new development either—apparently, she had been qualified for centuries. Why she hadn't ascended yet was unknown to common folk.
Peter sighed, thinking, 'Ugh… I ended up sidetracking again,' as soon as he spotted Aunt Amelia standing before the stone statues of the Trinity.
"Good afternoon, Aunt Amelia," He said, bowing his head alongside Mariah and Joseph, following custom.
As the only priestess in the village, Aunt Amelia was also the highest-ranking devotee. Right now, standing in front of the Trinity, she was effectively their representative.
"Good morning, Peter. How are you feeling today?" Aunt Amelia asked, nodding before handing them holy water to sip.
"Same as usual," Peter replied.
Aunt Amelia stepped aside, allowing them to pay their respects to the Trinity.
From left to right stood Elyssaria, Orvandel, and the newest member, Avaris.
Elyssaria was depicted as a slim, stunning woman in her early twenties. If her statue was anything to go by, she could have easily been a supermodel in the protagonist's past world.
Orvandel, on the other hand, was shown as a young boy, no older than fourteen. It was hard to say if that had been his actual age when he ascended to godhood, but he was the oldest among the three.
The newest member, Avaris, had the most followers right now. She was depicted as a woman in her forties, with a round, motherly figure, standing solemnly. Her carved face bore gentle lines of wisdom, and her eyes held deep, ancient knowledge.
Her massive following was likely due to the abilities granted to her devotees. Elyssaria was a pure war goddess, while Orvandel governed multiple domains—he was known as the God of Merchants, Law, and Contracts, among other things.
Avaris, however, was the embodiment of nurturing care. She was the Goddess of Healing, Agriculture, Fertility, Growth, and Compassion.
Peter finished praying soon enough.
"Follow me to the side room, please. The artifact is kept there."
Aunt Amelia led them into a nearby chamber.
Inside, there was a table with a few chairs, and on top of the table sat a magical instrument.
As far as Peter knew, the artifact was Orvandel's work.
It wasn't particularly rare or valuable—every settlement had a few of these lying around.
"Come, Peter. Sit on this chair as comfortably as you can. The process won't take long."
Peter nodded and did as Aunt Amelia instructed.
"It won't hurt much. I'll heal you afterward," she assured, picking up a golden needle.
She took his's palm in her hands and extracted a drop of blood from his finger using the needle. Then, she inserted the needle into the artifact before turning back to Peter.
"Let me heal you first."
Aunt Amelia closed her eyes and muttered a prayer under her breath.
{Minor Heal}
Peter watched as the wound closed before his eyes.
She then turned to his parents.
"Would you like a copy of it?"
"Yes, please," Mariah replied for both of them as Joseph passed a silver coin to her.
Registration was free for everyone. It was one of those rare things where the government and the church actually cooperated.
Almost everyone had to register upon their first advancement. The process was usually hassle-free, but if an unlucky kid awakened a Skill that was too powerful to be left unchecked…
That child would be adopted by the Church, so they could—and I quote—"learn to use their power properly and for the good of everyone."
And if that child were to disappear a few years later, without a trace…
Well, who was going to care?
...To be continued
P.S. A bit of software terminology that can be skimmed if don't understand