Chapter 34: A Visit to the Temple
“Shall we go visit the temple today?”
“Yay!”
Upon announcing today’s plans, Rio responded with enthusiasm. After hearing about it from Anya yesterday, we decided to check it out. Since we still don’t know the price of the custom-made outfits or when they’ll be ready, we have no intention of making a reservation just yet.
“Hehe. I wonder what the temple is like?”
“It might be similar to a church back on Earth?”
We walked along the approach that stretches straight northeast from the central square. As we got closer to the temple, the number of people dressed in priestly robes began to increase. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease, reminiscent of the princess and the high priest I first met when I was summoned. It seemed Rio shared the same sentiment, her brow furrowed in thought.
“Well, there probably aren’t any princesses here, so we should try not to worry about it.”
“You’re right.”
After a short while, a large stone building came into view. Stone columns, reminiscent of the Parthenon, surrounded a slightly elevated area. Climbing the stairs and passing between the columns, we entered the temple’s interior, where another stone structure awaited us. A bell was perched atop the roof. There were no doors at the entrance, allowing anyone to enter freely.
Inside, it resembled a chapel with rows of long benches.
“Just as I expected.”
“It really does look like a church.”
It seemed to serve its purpose, and visually, it resembled a church as well. While there were no stained glass windows, a statue believed to represent the goddess was enshrined at the altar. It appeared to be a goddess rather than an old man with a white beard.
Where did that old man go? Was he not a deity of this world after all? Well, it hardly matters now.
“It’s more spacious than I thought.”
There were four rows of benches, and it looked like there were about twenty of them. Various people were scattered throughout—some relaxing in the chairs, others conversing with the esteemed priests near the altar, and some offering prayers to the goddess.
“Welcome to Elright Temple. How may I assist you today?”
As I observed the interior from the side entrance, a young woman in priestly robes approached us. She appeared to be in her early twenties, with a slender figure that exuded a mature aura. So the temple’s name is Elright, huh? It must be related to some kind of religious practice.
“We’re just here to take a look, so no need to worry about us.”
“Understood. A marriage ceremony is about to take place, so please feel free to stay and watch.”
Seriously? I would love to see that, but is it happening in front of a crowd? That thought made me feel a bit embarrassed…
“Really?!”
Rio was incredibly excited, resembling Anya when she spoke about the marriage ceremony. After a short wait, a couple in their late teens, dressed in neat attire, entered the temple with slightly nervous expressions. After conversing with the female priest for a while, the sound of a bell rang out from above, “Galan-galan.”
“Looks like people are gathering…”
“Seems that way. Could it be that the sound of the bell is the signal for the marriage ceremony?”
With the bell’s chime, more people began to trickle into the temple. The couple, having finished their conversation with the female priest, held hands and slowly made their way to the altar, kneeling before it. The priest standing before the altar raised his voice in a prayer to the goddess, and it felt as if the statue of the goddess glowed.
“Do you vow to love and cherish one another in times of happiness and hardship, in wealth and poverty, in sickness and health, until death do you part?”
“We do.”
As the couple answered in unison, a soft light emanated from the statue of the goddess, enveloping them.
“Congratulations!”
Cheers and applause erupted explosively from the surrounding crowd. We too were swept up in the moment, offering our congratulations and clapping along. As the couple stood and exited, people around them showered them with words of celebration.
“Being congratulated by strangers like this isn’t so bad after all.”
“Yeah…”
Rio gazed dreamily at the entrance as they left the temple, seemingly lost in the afterglow of the ceremony. That statue of the goddess really did shine, didn’t it? It seems that in this Otherworld, some kind of magic or divine blessing is necessary for a marriage ceremony.
“Shall we head back now?”
I gently took Rio’s hand, and together we left the temple. We had seen what we wanted, and it was worth the visit. Still in a lighthearted mood, we made our way toward the clothing store located to the west of the city, as we had heard.
“Are you Shu and Rio?”
A group of four men, clad in leather armor and wielding swords, called out to us.
“Uh, yes, that’s us…”
I tilted my head in confusion, wondering what they wanted, but I didn’t recognize any of their faces.
“Sorry, but we need you to come with us to the guard station.”
“Huh?”
Rio exclaimed in surprise, and I felt the same way.
“What do you mean?”
“Hmph. You are both suspected of attempted murder and theft.”
“What?!”
What on earth is this guy talking about?
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Thinking back, I had no recollection of any such incidents. After all, it had only been a few days since we emerged from the Forest of Enchantment. My interactions with others had been minimal. We registered at the Adventurer’s Guild and did a bit of work in the Forest of Enchantment…
“Regardless, we need to hear your side of the story, so come with us to the guard station.”