Bab 237: Fredo Village (6)
Septus 21, 3023 A.M., day of Thura, 10:24 a.m.
At the Library Room within the Temple of Priests building.
Vivian sat at one of the tables and was in her usual Inquisitor attire along with her Inquisitor Half-Mask. She was reading a book about Runes and there were other several books laid out on the table.
Since she didn't have anything to do at the moment because the items she ordered yesterday would only be ready in the afternoon and there were also the blunders she made last night, she decided to hide or spend her time here.
"Affinity Crystals, Class Crystals, Memory Crystals and even the ink used to engrave on Magic and Elemental Items are made out of Origin Crystals."
Last night was such a mess…
"Origin Crystals can be found in places where metals such as Mithril, Orichalcum, Adamantite and Rainbow Steel can be mined."
The first one was at dinner…
"For the Magic and Elemental Items engraved with Runes, Origin Crystals will be crushed into fine dust and undergo a special process which would allow it invoke magic effects."
The second one was my hunt which led to me end up not eating anything…
"Each Element has its own set of runes and effects. So it falls under the hands of the creator to find the right combination of runes in order to generate the desired effect or effects."
Note to self: Never play with your food again…
"However, only the metals such as Mithril, Orichalcum, Adamantite and Rainbow Steel can be engraved with Runes."
Another note to self: Avoid hunting fighters if you're in a village, town or city…
"Moreover, the more or the stronger the Magic Effects are added into the item, the risk of the item breaking or disintegrating during the creation process becomes higher."
But for the first blunder…
"And as for the elusive Spirit Steel, this is a metal that falls under any item, regardless if it was a sword or a piece of paper, that was blessed with Lore Magic by the Elemental Gods and has become a Lore Item."
Now that I've had enough time to think…
"Lore Items defy logic or the natural laws of this world, and each of them has their own unique effect or effects and rules. However, there are still a few traits that many of them share in common."
Should I really feel bad…?
"One of the few traits that Lore Items share in common is that they are generally unbreakable. Or to be specific, the limitations of the normal Magic and Elemental Items don't apply to them. The wearer can use their magic effect or magic effects as many times as they want and they won't break or disintegrate. However, they can still be destroyed with deliberate attempts."
I mean, why did I let him treat me that way…?
"Once a Lore Item is destroyed, that would be the end of its existence. Repairing it is simply impossible. However, there are some Lore Items that have a self-regenerating effect which is commonly found on weapon-type Lore Items such as swords, daggers and even shields."
I'm an Inquisitor…
"But as mentioned earlier, each Lore Item has its own unique effect or effects and rules. So not all weapon-type Lore Items such as swords, daggers and shields have a self-generating effect."
My political power is equal to him, a Red Cloak…
"And going back to the topic of Runes, Lore Items can't be tinkered or engraved with Runes to give it additional magic effects."
And I have 10 Magic Art Affinities…!
Back in her original world, Vivian was just another average 24-year-old man, still relatively fresh out of college and also still trying to make a name for herself in the real world. So she has no real experience where society would actually care about what she has to say or listen to her opinions, or simply having real and genuine authority.
Although her original body was tall and strong, and she was also part of the productive members of society there, those things or leverages only worked between her fellow average men and also to the below-average men. If those men disrespected her in real life, she could easily retaliate with violence and they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. On top of that, as strict as her father was who would beat her into a bloody pulp if she misbehaved or put the family to shame, she was still his "son" and he was also a policeman.
But when it came to dealing with women, especially beautiful women, and the truly influential and high-profile men who actually control society, she had no leverage against them. Her only choice was to play the subservient role if she wanted to get under their good graces in order to get the things she wanted from them.
Just with the political power alone, which only got amplified because of her position as an Inquisitor, was still very new to her and it wasn't like she had a mentor that she could trust with full confidence and ask for advice.
Vivian shook her head.
No…
Even if I were to seek advice from people, why would I take advice from lesser beings…?
Lesser beings have their own ways and powerful beings have their own ways…
That would be no different from a 7'2" novice basketball player asking a 5'2" professional basketball player for advice on how to play basketball…
Pure idiocy…
She suddenly heard the sound of footsteps heading her way so she turned her head and saw that it was one of the Priests assigned in Fredo Village.
"Excuse me, Sister Inquisitor Monad, sorry for interrupting you."
"It's fine," she said and smiled. "What can I do for you, brother?"
"Representatives from the Estana family have arrived and are requesting to have a meeting with you. They're currently waiting at one of the meeting rooms with High Brother Basilio."
So they're already here to offer a peace offering…?
Or is it for another purpose…?
Ever since I've met Aristocratic Nobles, I can't seem to get a clear line on how to treat them as a member of the Temple of Priests…
But then again, the only Aristocratic Nobles I've met are from the Marbleam Kingdom which is an independent kingdom…
Perhaps it may be different if I'm in a different kingdom…
"Okay. But let me return these books first," she said as she got up from her seat.
"That won't be necessary, sister. I've already informed Sister Isabela why I'm here and she said she would return the books herself."
Vivian glanced at the librarian sitting behind her desk.
Her face doesn't seem fazed…
She returned her gaze to the Priest.
I also can't sense any nervousness, excitement or strong emotion from him…
"Okay, please lead the way. But before that, let's drop by my room. I want to get something there."
"Yes, Sister Inquisitor."
I also wonder how are Priests and Priestesses treated at the Twin Kingdom…
After all, they're like the Holy Kingdom…
They also have subsidiary kingdoms under them…
Some of which are shared with the Holy Kingdom…
***
Vivian was walking down a hallway along with the same Priest who fetched at the library and they were on their way to the meeting room where the representatives of the Estana Family and Basilio were waiting.
Before arriving here, she stopped by her room first to pick something. And that something was her mask. To be specific, it was her Inquisitor Full-Mask.
When they finally reached a door, the Priest stopped and turned to her.
"Sister Inquisitor, this is the room. I won't be entering."
"I see. Thank you, brother."
Vivian reached out for the handle and opened the door.
The "meeting room" was one of the meeting rooms within the Temple of Priests building used to receive guests and for other purposes.
At one corner, there were 2 large sofas and 2 single-seat sofas with a coffee table in the middle. At another corner, there was a long table with chairs. There was also a bathroom and toilet. The rest of the room was decorated with different kinds of furniture -- vases with flowers, sculptures and paintings, and the windows were draped with curtains.
Seated on the large sofas were Basilio on one side and two men, one in his mid-30s and the other in his late 30s dressed in high-quality clothes, on the other.
Right…
This reminds me back when Joshua sent me to a room after that incident with Mrs. Belfair…
But bigger...
There must be different sizes of these meeting rooms...
I doubt that a Branch Chapter Temple would have larger meeting rooms than a Main Chapter Temple...
Anyhow...
I totally forgot about these types of rooms…
"Sister Inquisitor Monad, thank you for coming," said Basilio.
Vivian gave him a quick nod and ignored the other two men as she made her way to one of the single-seat sofas and then sat down.
Noticing that she wasn't going to say anything, Basilio cleared his throat and then turned to the two men.
"Sister Inquisitor, may I introduce you to our guests."
He addressed the man in his late 30s first.
"This is Lord Antonio F. Estana, the Village Chief of Estana Town and one of the nephews of Baron Ricardo."
The man smiled and gave a refined and elegant slight bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Priestess Inquisitor Monad."
Vivian's eyes became wide behind her mask.
Antonio had thinning dark-blonde hair, tanned skin and was slightly overweight. But despite his thinning hairline, his weight and his age, traces that he used to be quite handsome in his youth were still evident on his face.
However, none of those things were the cause of Vivian's surprise.
Basilio moved on to the next guest, the man in his late 20s,
"And this is Lord Lorenzo F. Estana, one of Fredo Village's Enforcers, and one of the grandsons of Baron Ricardo."
Just like Antonio, Lorenzo smiled and gave a refined and elegant slight bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Priestess Inquisitor Monad."
Once again, Vivian's eyes widened behind her mask.
Lorenzo shared many of the qualities of Antonio. But where they differed, aside from age, was that he had long full hair and was at a normal weight. In fact, if Vivian were to be honest, he looked like he was made for book covers of romance novels.
And as for the thing that caused Vivian's eyes to widen after being introduced to the two men, they both had a shadowy after-image effect when they moved. In the case of Antonio, he had three shadowy after-image effects. Meanwhile, Lorenzo had two.
Wait…!
I remember Anthony telling me about what kind of Lore Magic the Baron here in Fredo Village and Estana Town has…
He said that he and his family can cast clones of themselves…
Is this related to it…?
But Julietta is also one of the grandchildren of the Baron and is part of the main family…
So why didn't she have this…?
Are these two showing off…?
Wait…!
Did they figure out who and what I've done…?!
Vivian's survival instincts immediately kicked in and she made a quick assessment of Basilio, Antonio and Lorenzo. She also swept her gaze around her surroundings without moving her head to see if there were other people.
A smile appeared on Antonio's face because he and Lorenzo had seen such a reaction too many times.
"Priestess Inquisitor, please excuse our appearance," he said, causing Vivian to turn to him. "These shadowy things are part of our Lore Magic which manifests once we mastered a Magic Art. And each shadow represents one mastery."
Vivian didn't say anything which was another reaction that Antonio and Lorenzo have seen too many times.
"There's nothing to worry about, Priestess Inquisitor. Due to our family's main Lore Magic, we are not worried about disclosing some of its details. Whenever a person sees our Lore Magic for the first time and isn't aware of the details usually assumes that we've activated a spell and are provoking people to fight us. But in reality, this is simply the result of our family's Lore Magic and we can't switch it off."
Vivian relaxed her nerves a bit she still kept her guard up a bit just in case.
"I see," she said.
"With that being said," he said and then turned to Lorenzo who nodded in acknowledgment before picking up a small treasure chest beside him that Vivian didn't notice and placing it on top of the coffee in front of her and then opening it. "Please accept these small gifts as an apology for how my daughter, Julietta, treated you yesterday."
Inside the chest were a pair of earrings, a coin pouch and a letter.
"The earrings are made out of Mithril and come with passive mana recovery, passive stamina recovery, and an active Night Vision. Inside the coin pouch is 1,000 Marbleam platinum coins. And the letter is an invitation to the upcoming Feugo Festival next month where you will be with our family as a special guest.
"And as much as I would prefer Julietta to be here so that she can personally apologize to you, unfortunately, that's not possible. She's always been a handful to deal with since she was young despite all the lessons that our family has given her. But yesterday, she crossed the line when she disrespected you so she's currently being punished by the Baron and it would take a while before she would be released. I do hope that you would understand, Priestess Inquisitor," he said and then lowered his head.
Vivian glanced at Basilio.
No reaction, huh…
She returned her gaze to Antonio.
"I will accept the apology but I won't accept the gifts."
Antonio raised his head and a puzzled look flashed across his face.
"Perhaps I may have insulted you for not offering enough? I will correct this mistake right away," he said and then turned to Lorenzo.
"No, that's not it."
Antonio returned his gaze to Vivian but didn't say anything.
"I'm simply not interested in gifts or whatsoever. As an Inquisitor of the Holy Crusade, I am only interested in fulfilling the will of the Temple of Priests. Nothing more, nothing less."
"So not only did we fail to properly apologize, but we've also insulted your honor by offering what looked like a bribe in your eyes. But we swear to Elemental Gods on our family's name that that wasn't our intention at all," he said and lowered his head.
Vivian waved her hand.
"I will not make any comment on that. Just know that I've accepted your apology. And if you have nothing else to say, I wish to talk with High Brother Basilio in private."
Antonio turned to Basilio.
"High Priest Basilio, it was a pleasure meeting you as always. But unfortunately, I still have many matters to attend to back in Estana Town so I must take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality and once again I would like to apologize for my daughter's actions. I hope your Temple and my family will continue to have a peaceful and prosperous relationship," he said and offered a slight bow.
Basilio held out his hand and shook his head.
"Please don't mention it, Lord Antonio. Everything's fine on my end."
Antonio raised his head and nodded before turning to Vivian.
"Priestess Inquisitor Monad, it was a pleasure to meet you as well. Once again, I apologize for my daughter's actions and I hope that the Temple of Priests' Holy Crusade and my family will continue to have a peaceful and prosperous relationship," he said and offered a slight bow.
"I hope so."
"Until we meet again," he said before raising his head and then heading for the door.
Lorenzo retrieved the treasure chest and stood up before offering a slight bow to Basilio and Vivian and then following behind Antonio.
When Lorenzo and Antonio finally left, Vivian spoke first.
"High Brother Basilio."
"Sister Inquisitor Monad."
"You know what I'm going to say, right?"
"I do and I don't regret it. However, I was wrong for expecting that much from you."
Vivian raised an eyebrow behind her mask.
"Huh?"
"Let's start with your perspective first.
"Given your status as an Inquisitor, there's no denying that you are smarter than the average Priests and Priestesses. However, knowledge isn't everything, sister. The same can be said with power.
"As a Red Cloak and a veteran from the Exploratory Division, I would argue that the most important skill, especially in peaceful settings, is social skills. The ability to be able to have people work together to achieve one common goal is more beneficial because not only does it make the job easier and faster, but there's also strength in numbers.
"Now, let's look at it from my perspective.
"Unlike you, who is clearly not from the Marbleam Kingdom thanks to your accent alone, the rest of us have our roots here. So if we decided to develop animosity with the people here, especially with the ruling Aristocratic Noble family, it just wouldn't be the Priests and Priestesses who would be affected. Our families, the normal people, the economy, the relationship between the Holy Kingdom and the Marbleam Kingdom, and many more would be affected as well.
"But you're still young so it's understandable. However, I hope you will learn from this experience and consider all of these things in the future."
Vivian let out a chuckle.
"Nice speech. But by the end of the day, it's still bribery."
"Bri--?"
Vooom!
Before Basilio knew it, Vivian was already standing in front of him with the pointing finger of her right hand pressing against his forehead.
His eyes widened first before he jerked his head back and leaned lower on his seat as a form of evasion, although it was already a bit too late for such an reaction.
Vivian lips curled up into a grin and she pulled back her hand.
"So you weren't lying last night after all. You really are weak."
Despite the blunder, thanks to Basilio's experience, he was able to recover his bearings right away and he straightened his back.
"You! What are --!"
Vooom!
Vivian's mask was now in front of his face that he could literally see the unblinking red eyes on the slits of her mask and her hands were pressing his shoulders down.
"Shut the fuck up or I'll turn you into a mist of blood before you can even finish a word," she said with an icy voice and there was also much bloodlust emanating from her. The bloodlust was so thick that it was actually suffocating Basilio, making him feel as if there was a lump trapped in his throat and it sent a chill run down his spine.
Truth be told, given his background as a high-ranking officer of the Exploratory Division back when he still used to do Holy Crusades and his current status as a Red Cloak, it's been a long time since anyone threatened him like this. But all despite that, he knew. At his core, he knew. Just with the eyes alone, he knew what kind of person he was talking with.
Thanks to the Temple of Priests trying to monopolize the Light Affinity and also allowing people who have at least 3 Magic Art Affinities to join the Temple, despite the core principle of learning their Class Magic which was to ease the pain and suffering of others and the efforts in putting on rules and programs to prevent or minimize the corruption within the Temple, it was still inevitable that there would be members like Vivian. And whether they like it or not, there are times when the Temple would need members like her who could go out and kill the enemy without any questions and feeling any guilt.
After all, when choosing a Class, generally speaking, a person should choose the one that best suits their personality because it would allow them to learn the Class Magic spells faster -- at least this was what it was supposed to be. However, the Temple of Priests has made a complete mockery out of it.
Even the Necromancer Class, despite all the controversies surrounding it which destroyed its reputation, it was still a Class that existed for a reason. Classes are like Physical and Magic Arts, they don't just appear out of nowhere.
"Listen here and listen carefully.
"I could care any less with whatever secret dealings you have here in this village.
"Ever since I came here, there's already been so many questionable things I've seen and heard but I'm simply choosing to turn a blind eye towards them."
Vivian tightened her grip around Basilio's shoulders, causing him to wince a bit.
"And how dare you and your little friends insult me with those cheap supposed gifts? Do I look that cheap to all of you?"
She let go of his shoulders.
Tap.
Tap.
And then tapped his forehead.
"If you and your little friends try to insult me again or just simply bother me in any way, shape and form, then I might change my mind."
She stood up straight and continued to stare at him coldly.
"And one more thing, no one is allowed to know about this little exchange of ours. There's only a handful of people who know my true strength. So if someone comes for me, I can easily narrow it down on who the main culprit is. And trust me, I will find out who it is and I will come for them and they will not like it."
She turned around and headed for the door.
Once Vivian left, Basilio took in a deep breath and wiped his sweat before staring at the floor as a thousand scenarios ran inside his head.
"Zon-An zon-unexpected zon-anomaly zon-in zon-our zon-calculations…" he muttered under his breath.
In his mind, the fact that Vivian was still young and already that powerful, and was also an Inquisitor, he could just imagine how problematic it would be.
"Zon-There's zon-no zon-way zon-she zon-isn't zon-someone zon-famous…
"Zon-Or zon-at zon-least zon-from zon-a zon-powerful zon-family…
"Zon-Her zon-accent zon-alone zon-tells zon-me zon-that zon-she's zon-from zon-the zon-Luxen zon-Kingdom…
"Zon-But zon-who zon-from zon-the zon-Luxen zon-Kingdom…?
"Zon-The zon-only zon-name zon-that zon-I zon-could zon-think zon-of zon-who zon-is zon-around zon-her zon-age zon-is zon-Sister zon-Grana…
"Zon-But zon-she's zon-working zon-as zon-a zon-Red zon-Cloak…
"Zon-Did zon-she zon-quit…?"
***
The next day…
Septus 22, 3023 A.M., day of Fratur, 9:13 a.m.
A convoy carrying a banner of the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint exited one of the gates of Fredo Village.
Thanks to the things that Vivian purchased, there were now two extra carriages designed for transporting goods. Only Trevin and Julius rode a Karfax, while Lafa, Wayne and Pamor coached the carriages. And since they were expecting to be attacked by monsters along the way, Vivian volunteered to sit in the last carriage which was coached by Pamor.
Finley tried to volunteer in her stead but she told him that it would be more efficient if it was her because she was strong. But despite that, he still insisted. In the end, Vivian agreed to let him sit in the second carriage with Wayne while she still sat in the last carriage with Pamor, leaving the first carriage empty of passengers.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone