This chapter is sponsored by The Bitch in the Fantasy World Patrons:
• [Adventurer] GrimV
• [Adventurer] The orc warrior 261
• [Mercenary] Tafadzwa Kungwengwe
********************
********************
10:01 a.m.
A carriage was traveling down a busy and wet street. And inside the carriage were Vivian and Juana.
Vivian glanced outside of the window for a moment before turning to Juana, who was sitting beside her on her left and was also looking outside her window.
Juana was currently dressed in civilian attire and with a White Cloak. Before they set out of the Temple of Priests compound, Vivian "asked" her to change her outfit and told her she doesn't want to be seen walking around with someone wearing a Crusader armor, only to catch more attention. And as for why they were together, Vivian wanted to use her as her translator because she didn't want a repeat of her experience last time here here when she was her and met Jullieta.
"Sister, you're from the Marbleam Kingdom, correct?"
Juana turned to her.
"Yes, Sister Inquisitor. My family is from Espiritu Town."
"You've never been here? I mean, outside of the Holy Crusade."
"Outside of the Holy Crusade?" she said and then shook her head. "No."
"I see. And that useless ex of yours?"
A confused expression flashed on Juana's face.
"Useless ex?"
"The useless boyfriend of yours who broke your heart and married your traitorous friend."
"Oh…" Juana said and then she stared at the floor as a sad expression crept over her face. "Brother Eutimio and Sister Adalina are from Espiritu Town as well. Our families are friends."
"Even after what they did to you?"
"That… I don't know…"
Vivian let out a small chuckle.
"Like they say, with 'friends' like that, who needs enemies, right?"
Juana didn't know what to say.
"Were you two engaged with each other?"
Juana shook her head.
"No. Our original plan was that once we both reached Lieutenant, we would get engaged. And then once we both became High Lieutenant, we would get married."
"Right now you're a High Sergeant, right?"
Juana returned her gaze to Vivian and nodded.
"Yes."
"I see," Vivian said and then went back to watching through the window.
Juana studied Vivian for a moment.
In her head, it was against the law to inquire about an Inquisitor's personal details. But since Vivian was making small talk about personal stuff and they were both together, curiosity sparked inside her head. And one of the most lingering questions she wanted to ask was which powerful family she came from.
She has encountered young and powerful Priests and Priestesses before, but she never had a chance to be close with one or at least talk about personal stuff.
Back in her Chapter Temple, there was Sister Esmeralda from the Mano de Luz family, a Golden Family. There was also the Indatelius family, the Falx family, and the Verdugo family, which are all High-Tier Noble Priest families.
Juana herself was from a Low-Tier Noble Priest family, just like her former lover, Eutimio. Meanwhile, Adalina was from a High-Tier Commoner Priest Family.
But in the end, she decided not to and returned to looking outside her window.
"Sorry about asking that personal stuff," Vivian suddenly said while still looking at the window. "It must still hurt. I was just curious about some things. But just in case a problem arises concerning that, like a war erupts between your families, just call me or send a letter to the Inquisitory Division addressed by you addressed to me. I'll personally deal with it. I have a little bit of experience dealing with those type of cases.
Juana was about to answer when the carriage suddenly stopped.
"Finally here," Vivian said as she reached out for the door handle.
Ka-cha.
The side-door opened and Vivian climbed out of the carriage. Juana immediately followed suit and closed the carriage door.
In front of them was a high-end weapon shop.
Without saying a word, Vivian strode into the entrance while Juana continued to follow her.
As they entered the shop, a male store manager in his mid-30s and a female employee in her late 20s approached them, let out a bright and warm smile, and then lowered their heads.
"Mar-Welcome, Mar-Honored Mar-Priestesses," the man said and then raised his head. "Mar-How mar-may mar-we mar-be mar-of mar-service?"
Normally, they would speak to a Priest or Priestess in Zonian if they didn't know their identity. But in this case, since Juana looked like she was from the Marbleam Kingdom, they took a gamble to talk to them in Marbleamean to make them feel more welcomed.
"I am here to purchase weapons. Show me your whips," Vivian said.
The store manager cursed inside his head for betting wrong.
***
1:39 p.m.
Ka-cha!
A door opened and Vivian stepped in. Her gaze immediately fell upon Basilio who was sitting behind his desk.
Seeing Vivian, Basilio got up.
"Sister Inquisitor Monad, it's nice to meet again," he said with a smile and then gestured toward the two empty seats in front of his table. "Please, take a seat."
Vivian raised an eyebrow behind her mask.
Oh…?
He's not offering to have us seat at the lounging area like last time…?
Back when she and Finley came to Basilio's office to report about the unsual behavior of the monsters they encountered on their way here to Fredo Village last Septus, they sat at the small lounging area within the office. It was located to the right corner by the window from the entrance door.
Whatever…
As long as I get what I came here for…
That's the only thing that matters…
Vivian went over to Basilio.
Do I still need to greet him properly…?
When she finally reached in front of the desk, she saluted.
"May the God of Light always watch over you, High Brother," she said and then sat down at one of the seats.
"May the God of Light always watch over you too, Sister Inquisitor," he said with a smile and then sat down.
"I have a question, High Brother. And I hope you will be honest with me."
Basilio placed both of his hands on top of his desk and clasped them together, while still maintain the smile on his face.
"Of course, what is it about?"
"Last time I was here, you mentioned to me that you were from the Exploratory Division. How long were you been in the Exploratory Division?"
Basilio thought about it for a moment.
"Since I was 18."
"You've been in the Exploratory Division your entire Holy Crusade career?"
"Yes."
"What was your rank before you retired?"
"Captain."
"So you're quite knowledgable about treasures?"
Basilio studied Vivian for a moment.
"I won't say I'm quite knowledgeable, but I believe I know more compared to the average person."
"Do you know about an invisible treasure that follows you around?"
Basilio's brows knitted together.
"An invisible treasure that follows you around?"
"Yes."
"Is it a Lore Item?"
"I don't know."
Basilio stared at his desk for a moment before returning his gaze to Vivian.
"You said that it's invisible. Are you the only one or only the owner of the item who could see it?"
"I can't see it, but I could see the effects it causes."
"What are the effects?"
This time, it was Vivian who paused for a moment to think.
"Whenever a person runs at full speed, they leave tracks on the ground, where the ground is destroyed."
A confused expression appeared on Basilio's face.
"I've never heard of such a treasure or Lore Item with such effects."
"I see."
As Vivian was about to get up from her seat, Basilio suddenly remembered something.
"Wait."
Vivian stopped and looked at him with a raised an eyebrow.
"I think I remembered something," Basilio said. "But I'm not sure if it's related to it."
Vivian returned to her seat.
"What is it?"
"I can't remember who told me this, but one time, years ago, there was this 'mock battle' between a Duke -- it was the grandfather of Duke Freca, Duke Freca II -- and a powerful demon-kin from the Housan Empire.
"I say 'mock battle' because the Duke's family is obsessed with fighting powerful opponents, because they rarely lose due to their Lore Magic. And whenever they find someone powerful, they would ask for a 'mock battle' or find any reason to fight that powerful being without violating the DG International Laws.
"Anyhow, during that so-called 'mock battle', things got a bit heated when Duke Freca II was losing and almost got enslaved with Chaos. In the end, when the Duke's bodyguard joined in to save him, the powerful demon-kin ran away using all of its speed and caused the ground on its feet to shatter with each step.
"According to what others say, once a person masters 10 Physical Art Masteries, their speed becomes too powerful that reality itself could no longer accommodate their existence.
"Up to this day, the Duke's family still feels some shame about that incident and would get angry whenever someone mentions it. But it's one of the most famous stories that aspiring fighters talk about, especially here in the Marbleam Kingdom."
Clap, clap, clap.
Vivian started laughing and slowly clapping her hands, causing Basilio to be caught off guard for a moment.
"I see, I see! That's a very interesting story, High Brother! Very interesting indeed! So you're not that useless after all!"
Basilio tried his best to hide his expression from hearing Vivian's last sentence. It's not that he couldn't remember the last time someone called him useless, instead, he has never heard someone calling him useless.
He pursed his lips and then made an obviously fake smile.
"I'm happy that you're very entertained."
Still laughing, Vivian waved her hand.
"Forgive me, High Brother. It's not that I'm insulting you or anything, it's just that I have never met a useful Red Cloak until now. Because you know, they're all talk and nothing else, too focused on politics and diplomacy rather than actually doing something that's actually useful. You can literally replace them with a Brown Cloak and it still won't make any difference."
Basilio didn't say anything and continued wearing an obviously fake smile.
The temperature in the room suddenly dropped and Vivian stared at him with a thick murderous intent.
"Are you mocking me, HIGH BROTHER?"
Basilio suddenly remembered the time when Vivian threatened him. He also remembered the stories he heard when he and Frederico went to Plano Town for the Feugo Festival. And now that he thought about it, he realized that Vivian decapitated Ferdino, one of Duke Freca's grandchildren.
Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead, but he didn't back down and wore a serious expression.
"Sister Inquisitor, I will admit, you are powerful and more powerful than I could ever be. But that doesn't mean you have the right to insult any of our Brothers and Sisters, including the Red Cloaks. All of them are veterans who have achieved to obtain the most useful Class Magic of the Priest Class that allows the Temple of Priests to hold so much power and influence in society."
Vivian calmed down and the temperature in the room returned to normal.
"I apologize, High Brother. It was my mistake. I insulted you first and then got angry when you insulted me back. And no matter how anyone looks at it, I'm the one at fault. Let's have a fresh start and not throw any insults to each other, shall we?"
Basilio swallowed his pride and then nodded.
"Yes, let's have a fresh start and not throw any insults to each other."
Whether he likes it or not, he knew this was the only way. Although Vivian was foreigner, a visitor and a White Cloak, there was still the fact that she was more powerful than him, and he could only imagine the powerful family and backers she must have to produce a young and powerful Priestess Inquisitor like her.
Had she just been a powerful Priestess, he was confident that he could manipulate her with mind games.
Had she just been an Inquisitor, he could just overpower her with his status.
"I have another question," Vivian said. "Have you ever heard about powerful people dealing with their hair and nails growing too fast?"
Basilio nodded.
"Yes, I know a few people dealing with that problem."
"Who?"
"High Brother Jose from the Main Chapter Temple and a couple of powerful Aristocratic Nobles."
"What's the cause?"
Basilio stared at Vivian's hair.
The first time he saw her, it was only a little over a month, here at Fredo Village. And during that time, her hair was color brown and was short.
The second time he saw her, it was last month at Plano Town. And during that time, her hair was still color brown and short.
And now, which is the third time, her hair is long and it's color purple with red highlights. He has no idea if she was wearing a wig or not, but it looks so real.
His gaze landed on her hands but they were covered in gloves as usual.
He then returned his attention to her masked face.
"According to what I know, once a person masters 6 Physical Arts, their hair and nails start to grow faster. And the more Physical Arts they master, the faster their hair and nails grow."
"You mentioned that High Brother Jose is dealing with such a problem. How come his hair is short? High Brother Jose was the white-haired Red Cloak High Brother who also attended the Feugo Festival at Plano Town, right?"
Basilio nodded.
"Yes, the one with a white moustache and beard," he said and then paused for a moment. "To people on that level of Physical Force, some of them prefer to keep a tidier appearance, or use it to cover the fact that their Physical Force or they have already mastered at least 6 Magic Art Affinities. You remember High Brother Zacharias, right?"
"The Gray Cloak and bodyguard of High Brother Joseph?"
"There are also people like him who doesn't care about their appearance or at least has given up of caring about keeping a tidier appearance. Do you remember the appearance of Duke Freca?"
"Long red hair?"
"In the Royal and Aristocratic Noble societies, there is an unspoken rule that no man is allowed to wear their hair long unless they have mastered at least 6 Physical Art Masteries. And if they have long hair and it turns out that they haven't even mastered 6 Physical Art Masteries, they would be openly mocked by their fellow Royals and Aristocratic Nobles."
"So having long hair is like a status symbol in Royal and Aristocratic Noble societies?"
"Something like that -- at least for the young ones and the ones who enjoy fighting, like Duke Freca."
"So if a male Royal or an Aristocratic Noble wears long hair, chances are, they're a war-freak?"
Basilio was caught off guard for a moment by the word "war-freak" and he quickly recovered.
"Yes."
Vivian suddenly recalled another person.
"So Prince Alcedes is also a war-freak?"
Basilio's jaw almost dropped but he managed to catch it.
"In the case of Prince Alcedes, it's a show power over his brothers who are vying for the throne once the King Alfonso steps down."
Vivian then thought about Franz, the man who tried to court her.
"What about Priests?"
"For the young ones, no one really cares. But for the older ones, it's mixed. There are some who are like High Brother Zacharias who just doesn't care. There are some who are like High Brother Jose who prefers to have a tidier appearance. And there are some…" he said and then paused for a moment to focus on Vivian and catch any subtle reaction she might produce. "…who are like High Brother Lucius from the Main Luxen Chapter Temple. Some say he doesn't care like High Brother Zacharias, while others say he cares and is showing it for power. Like I said, it's mixed."
High Brother Lucius from the Main Luxen Chapter Temple…?
Right…
There was a person by that name…
I think he was the Headmaster…?
But I never got to see him because he's always out somewhere…
And from the document that Pen gave me about the Golden Families, I think he was from the Has'tam family…
An image of her time at She'kel Village flashed inside her head, especially the part when Hamath used his Lore Magic [Holy Lance] on her.
Has'tam family…
One day…
I swear, one day…
She shook her head mentally.
Continuing on…
High Sister Grana is from the Mano de Luz family, the same family of High Brother Jose from the Main Chapter Temple of the Marbleam Chapter Temple…
And Brother Isaac -- well, he used to be the Gray Cloak of the Main Chapter Temple in Luxen City, but he retired or stepped down for some reason…
Anyways, Isaac is from the Votum family….
These 3 families are Golden Families…
The Has'tam family is the second oldest Golden Family and is the leader of the Lance Faction…
The Mano de Luz family is the eighth oldest Golden Family and part of the Shield Faction, which is led by the Scu'tum family…
And the Votum family is the ninth older Golden Family and is part of the Judgment Faction, which is led by the Fur'ia family…
An image of her time in She'kel Village flashed inside her head once again.
Has'tam family…
Second oldest Golden Family and leader of the Lance Faction, huh…
The Lance Faction only has 2 members…
Has'tam family…
And Dis'cus family, the fourth oldest Golden Family…
An image of Reuel flashed inside her head.
The fat old bastard is from the Has'tam family…
So maybe the so-called Headmaster of the Luxen Chapter Temple named Lucius is also a fat old bastard…?
Oh my god…
So embarssing…!
Please kill me…!
I need to change my Chapter Temple…
There's no way I could accept walking around and introducing myself that I'm from the Luxen Chapter Temple when the Headmaster of my Chapter Temple is a fat long-haired bastard…
I seriously need to kill him or change Chapter Temple…
He's a complete embarrassment to everyone from the Luxen Chapter Temple…!
An image of Kathleen flashed inside her head.
And that old ugly bitch is from the Dis'cus family…
They also say that the Lance Faction is the richest Faction, mainly because of the Dis'cus family who also has ties or territories in the Iron Kingdom…
I wonder if I could rob them…
"High Brother, tell me honestly, is High Brother Lucius fat or chubby?"
********************
********************
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
By the way, I've posted this chapter at WebNovel, Royal Road and Patreon. However, the main is P-a-t-r-e-o-n (Immortal_Shades) because I want to post pictures and videos there without any restrictions.
https://www.patreon.com/Immortal_Shades
Don't worry, the chapters there are free. And if you want to donate because I have no talent in being a writer, feel free to consider any of these titles:
• [Adventurer] - $2
• [Mercenary] - $3
• [Knight] - $4
• [Crusader] - $5
• [Lore God]
Thank you once again and I will see you at the next chapter.