So it was that I ended up having a chat with Life-san and Erne-san over tea. Once I had taken a seat at Life-san's urging, she immediately turned to Erne-san.
"God of Fertility, prepare the tea... and make sure it is a cup worthy of being served to Miyama-san."
"Eek! Why did you have to add such a daunting requirement at the end? I-I'll do my best, but..."
From Life-san's perspective, she surely spoke with the conviction that Erne-san was capable of brewing something I would enjoy. However, for Erne-san, being told to serve the perfect cup to someone who held Shiro-san's Blessing was like having the bar set impossibly high. Her face went visibly pale.
Even so, she seemed to recognize that Life-san trusted her. Despite the palpable pressure, she carefully brewed the tea and placed a cup before me.
"Here you go. I hope it is to your liking..."
"Thank you."
To be honest, I felt a bit guilty. Erne-san looked like she was awaiting a final judgment, but I really wasn't much of an expert when it came to the nuances of tea. Sure, I’d started my own black tea brand and drank it often enough, but I wasn't skilled enough to notice every subtle difference in flavor.
"...It’s delicious."
"Phew... I'm so glad."
Since Erne-san's tea really was excellent, I gave her my honest impressions. She breathed a sigh of relief, set out some cookies to go with the tea, and finally took a seat herself.
"Erne-san, it's true that I have Shiro-san's Blessing, but I’m really just an ordinary human. You don't need to be so formal with me."
"I see... an ordinary human... ordinary... Oh dear, my definition of 'ordinary' seems to be quite different from yours."
"God of Fertility," Life-san interjected, "Miyama-san isn't fond of overly stiff or grandiose treatment. He clearly wants you to be more at ease."
"I-I see. So that's how it is."
"Yes," Life-san continued. "But of course, there are limits. While you should be as casual as Miyama-san desires, you must never lose your sense of reverence. I trust you can manage that balance?"
"Y-yes! I'll d-do my absolute best!"
I had a few things I wanted to point out, but it was clear neither of them truly accepted my claim of being an "ordinary human." Still, even if Erne-san seemed a bit stressed, I was grateful that Life-san had picked up on my intentions and encouraged her to relax a little.
"Come to think of it, Erne-san, your temple is in the Arclesia Empire, right?"
"Yes, my main temple is in the capital. As far as those in charge of the Arclesia Empire go, there's also the God of Hunting, but his temple is located in the empire's second-largest trade city rather than the capital."
"I see. In the Kingdom of Sinfonia, the God of Health has a temple in the capital, but are there others stationed there too?"
"Yes, the God of Health and the God of Law are assigned to the Kingdom of Sinfonia. For the Hydra Kingdom, it's the God of Love and the God of Freedom."
"However," Erne-san explained, "being 'in charge' usually just means having a temple in that specific country. Low-ranking gods might attend Human Realm festivals as guests, but they are usually chosen from among the subordinates of the Supreme God overseeing that nation. It's the same when high-ranking gods visit the royal families to bestow New Year's blessings. In that sense, all of my subordinates could be considered 'in charge' of the Arclesia Empire."
I remembered hearing something about that when I first arrived in this world—how high-ranking gods would visit the castle every year to bless the king.
"Well, lately the gods have been visiting the Human Realm for non-work reasons more frequently. Since I've always had a temple there, people have been coming to me with questions more often."
"It's probably because you have such a gentle aura, Erne-san. You seem easy to talk to. Or maybe it's just that you're well-acquainted with the Human Realm."
"Hahaha, I'm happy to hear you say that. If you're ever in the area, Miyama-san, please feel free to stop by my temple. You'll always be welcome."
"Thank you. I'll certainly take you up on that if I have the chance."
Erne-san's gentle smile made her kind nature obvious. That, combined with her easygoing personality, made her very easy to be around. She definitely had a "healing" vibe. I hadn't visited many temples yet, so it might be nice to stop by hers the next time I was in the Arclesian capital.
Serious-senpai: "I’m not even going to mention how the title has absolutely nothing to do with coffee anymore... I won't say a word. You're headed to see Fate next, right? Can I... Can I go now?"