Aiden soon came to realize that he had made a huge mistake.
In his haste to cook the food for his goddess, he had ended up preparing far too much. While he could preserve the leftovers for later, he had a better use for them.
"Lady Apophis, would you mind if I shared the leftovers with the builders working on your temple? We should show them your grace so they keep coming back."
After all, those builders were the reason Aiden had gotten to cook this food in the first place.
"Hmm, is that so? You may do whatever you want with the food you cooked. I will be heading back inside now."
The goddess quickly returned to her snake form before slithering back into the room.
Aiden packed the leftovers and took them to the hardworking builders. They had been working tirelessly, and receiving a reward would only encourage them to work even harder.
The head builder noticed Aiden first and stopped what he was doing before walking over to him.
"Is there a problem, Sir?"
The head builder was extremely polite, which made Aiden quickly shake his head.
"No, there is no problem. In fact, I am here because I would like to give you all something. Here, please accept these as offerings from the temple. I prepared them myself."
The patties were still fresh and warm, and the builders did not hesitate to accept them. Their eyes widened as the flavors exploded across their tongues, causing several of them to gasp in surprise.
"This seasoning... where did you get it? I have never tasted anything like this before."
Their surprised reaction made Aiden realize that spices were probably difficult to obtain in this world.
An idea immediately formed in his mind.
"I am glad to see you enjoying the meal I prepared. I grew these spices myself. You can even take some home... as long as you spread the word about where you got them."
Aiden gently persuaded the builders with his soft words and delicious food.
By doing this, he was creating value for the temple.
Now, he just needed to wait for his investment to pay off.
"Priest, you are a good man. You are even willing to part with the spices you worked so hard to grow. I have a feeling you are going to receive a lot of visitors over the next few days."
The builder looked almost apologetic for the trouble Aiden was about to face.
But he did not need to worry.
In fact, this inconvenience was exactly what Aiden wanted.
The more people who learned about the temple, the more visitors it would attract. Eventually, people would begin leaving donations, and he could use those resources to spread his goddess’s name even farther.
...
The builder and his apprentices headed home before the sun went down. Their bags contained not only their usual tools but also the special spices Aiden had packed for them.
They could not wait to return home and show their families the wonderful discovery they had made.
As soon as the head builder reached home, he handed the spices to his wife.
His wife looked hesitant. She did not want to add an unfamiliar seasoning to the food she had cooked, so the builder simply sprinkled it over his own portion instead.
The taste of his otherwise plain meal changed instantly, drawing the attention of his elderly parents and children.
They all looked curious but hesitated to taste the food he offered them.
However, after seeing that nothing happened to him, they finally agreed to season their own meals as well.
The moment they took their first bite, their expressions brightened, and all their hesitation disappeared.
The seasoning was so delicious that keeping it to themselves was impossible.
The builders’ wives soon began boasting about both the seasoning and the meals they had prepared with it, even handing out small samples to their neighbors.
By the end of the day, everyone in the village knew about the mysterious seasoning and where it had come from.
Soon, the name of Lady Apophis’s temple began to spread.
The following morning, the temple finally welcomed its first visitor who had come out of devotion.
...
[Goddess Apophis has gained a new follower.]
[Goddess Apophis has received a tribute.]
[Would you like to check it?]
Aiden was busy preparing another meal when the sudden notification made him stop and look outside.
He noticed a lone figure kneeling before the altar before placing a small basket upon it.
This was the first genuine visitor to the temple, and Aiden quickly stepped outside to greet him.
"Can I help you with anything? Are you here to pray to Lady Apophis? You can share your worries with me."
Aiden knew he might have been coming on a little too strongly, but he did not mind.
As long as he could spread Lady Apophis’s name, he was willing to become as desperate as necessary.
The visitor looked surprised by Aiden’s words before awkwardly rubbing his hands together.
He clearly had something he wanted to say, but Aiden’s eager expression made him hesitate.
Finally, after several more seconds of silence, the man spoke.
"My wife sent me here to pray to the goddess for good fortune. But... I think she might also be hoping for something else."
The visitor never directly admitted that he had come for the spices.
But Aiden understood exactly what he meant.
The mention of his wife made it even more obvious.
Aiden quickly went back inside and packed a small bundle of spices for the visitor.
"Since you came all the way here and even offered a tribute to my goddess, I cannot let you leave empty-handed. Here, please take some of these spices with you. You are always welcome to come back for more."
Aiden sent the visitor home with his gift.
Word quickly spread throughout the village that anyone who visited the temple with a small tribute would receive the mysterious seasoning in return.
The next day, the number of visitors increased dramatically, and Aiden finally completed his current objective.
His goddess now had more than ten followers.
[Current Objective: Gather 10 Followers (Completed).]
[Reward: +0.5% Divinity.]
[Additional Reward: Promotion to Lesser Goddess.]