The system was not an on-demand service, so unfortunately, Aiden did not have another way to get money. But he also refused to sell his goddess’s gifts. He was willing to go a few more days without eating meat if that was what it took.
Luckily for him, it did not come to that, and his savior arrived in the form of the builder from yesterday.
He had three young people behind him who looked like his apprentices, and he handed Aiden a small basket filled with supplies.
"Priest, it is nice to see you well and healthy today. Yesterday, I noticed that you did not have much here, so I decided to bring you a few things to make your stay more comfortable. Here, this basket is an offering from me and the old couple for the temple."
The small basket was handed over to Aiden, and it felt heavy in his arms.
But more than that, its solid weight reminded Aiden that this was an offering. And since it was an offering, he could exchange it in the Shop, right?
[New offering detected. It can be exchanged for 10 Coins.]
[Would you like to exchange it now? → Yes → No]
The system was willing to accept this offering, which meant it would accept other tributes as offerings as well.
So that meant that as long as his goddess had more followers who were willing to make offerings, Aiden would never be short on money to spend in the Shop.
’I knew following my goddess was the right choice. The Shop is incredible. It even has modern inventions like electricity and technology to build trains!’
Aiden’s mood immediately lifted, and he welcomed the builders inside to begin restoring the temple. His decision to let them leave alive yesterday was already paying off.
...
The builders started repairing the temple while Aiden browsed through the Shop to see what he could buy.
Ten Coins were barely enough to purchase the basic necessities, and Aiden mourned the bed he could have bought.
But other essentials came first, so he purchased a portable stove, cooking oil, and a few basic cooking utensils instead.
After all, he did not mind sleeping on the ground, but eating raw food would eventually make him sick. And if he got sick, then who would take care of his goddess?
For the first time since coming to this world, Aiden carefully lit the stove and poured oil into the pan before he started cooking. He seasoned the meat, shaped it into patties, and carefully placed them onto the hot pan.
The oil, seasonings, and cooking supplies had all been bought with his ten Coins, leaving him with nothing.
But Aiden did not mind being broke for now.
He quickly processed as much meat as he could and prepared a generous meal as an offering for his goddess.
She finally woke up by the time he finished.
"Something smells good. What have you prepared for breakfast?"
The goddess slithered over in her snake form, and Aiden proudly showed her the feast he had prepared.
"I made meat patties. Could you please change into your human form before you eat? It would put my mind at ease."
Aiden was sure that his goddess would be able to digest the food in her snake form as well, but he did not want to take any chances.
His goddess gave him a strange look but ultimately decided to comply.
Her form quickly changed, and soon the goddess stood in front of him with her upper body bare.
Aiden immediately draped a piece of cloth over her shoulders to cover her.
He did not mind that his goddess was unclothed, but he did not want anyone else to see her in such a state.
Luckily, the goddess did not take offense to his actions.
Instead, she let out a quiet chuckle before taking a bite of the offering.
Aiden allowed her to eat first, eagerly watching her face for a reaction.
Apophis took a few bites before stopping and looking at him with a strange but worried expression.
She picked up a fresh patty before extending her hand toward him.
"Eat."
It was an order, and she likely meant for Aiden to take the offering from her hand.
But instead, he leaned forward and took a bite directly from it.
The warmth of his lips brushed against her bare fingers, and his breath lightly touched her skin before Aiden quickly pulled away and chewed the food.
"You were supposed to take it, not bite it from my hand."
Apophis sounded a little flustered by Aiden’s actions, but she did not sound offended or angry.
So Aiden decided to count that as a small victory.
Still, he immediately lowered his head before his goddess could misunderstand.
"Please forgive me, Lady Apophis. I will make sure not to overstep again."
He promised, and the goddess scoffed at his words.
"It is fine. I offered it to you without giving any instructions, so you were free to accept it however you wished. Besides, I do not wish to dine alone. From now on, once I have taken the first bite to check the food for any irregularities, you may begin eating as well. It is not because I doubt your sincerity. Simply remember this for all future offerings."
Aiden was not offended by the goddess’s words because he could clearly feel the sincerity behind them. She genuinely intended to protect him by making herself taste the food first.
However, one part still bothered him.
Checking the goddess’s food for tampering was supposed to be his duty.
What kind of believer would he be if he allowed his goddess to risk herself instead?
Lady Apophis reached forward, grabbed Aiden’s face, and pulled him closer.
Her golden eyes narrowed as she spoke.
"I do not wish to lose my believer to something that can easily be avoided. You are my precious treasure, and you have willingly devoted yourself to me. So stop wasting your thoughts on such pointless matters and simply follow my instructions."
The goddess emphasized every word, but Aiden barely heard half of them before he nodded.
How could he ever refuse when his goddess was looking at him like this?
She could ask for anything, and Aiden would willingly give it to her.
After all, that was what it meant to be the believer of a goddess.
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