Capítulo 251: Plano Town (7)
Octus 6, 3023 A.M., day of Fratur, 8:37 a.m.
Temple of Priest building, Plano Town.
Vivian was inside her room and wearing a sleeveless white dress where the top had a semi-fit style while the bottom was a free skirt that touched a few inches below her knees.
"I don't care if Monday's blue~~
"Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too~~"
She spun in front of a full-body mirror.
Hmm…
I like the feeling of my skirt twirling…
But I don't think it would go well with my White Cloak…
She grabbed a White Cloak and wore it before checking her reflection in the mirror.
"Thursday, I don't care about you~~
"It's Friday, I'm in love~~!"
As expected…
It looks stupid…
She glanced at the other clothes on the bed.
"Monday, you can fall apart~~"
"Tuesday, Wednesday, break my heart~~"
I want to wear the black and fitting turtleneck sleeveless backless short dress that I ordered but there are three issues…
One, it's too hot on the neck…
Two, I have to be careful in moving, especially in bending forward because my sides will be revealed…
Three, I feel like it's too slutty if I don't wear stockings or long boots with stockings…
However, if I wear stockings or long boots with stockings, it's too hot…
"Oh, Thursday doesn't even start~~
"It's Friday, I'm in love~~!"
My black and fitting turtleneck longsleeved backless short dress is also out of the question…
Just with the neck and arms alone, I'll be sweating…
And my legs…
I can go bare and be called slutty…
Or I can sweat by wearing stockings or long boots with stockings…
But I really don't want to wear the same thing I wore yesterday…
That would be too embarrassing, considering that I would be at the Royal Box with thousands of people looking and admiring my perfection…
She stripped down to her bra and underwear.
I guess I have no choice…
A few moments later, Vivian stared at her reflection.
This time around, underneath her White Cloak, she was wearing a white long-sleeved blouse, brown leather belt, white pants, and a pair of brown leather gloves and boots.
If I sweat in the morning…
I can just change to another white blouse in the afternoon…
A dark expression appeared on her face.
But what about tomorrow…?
She shook her head.
"I'll just deal with that problem tomorrow."
She unhooked the pin of her White Cloak.
"Now time to do make-up…!"
God…
I hope I find a way today where I can eat a blueie…
Like I hope there are private restaurants here that allow customers to eat live prey in private…
The last time that Vivian ate a blue-colored nervous system was back in the morning of the day of Westar. And tomorrow, her blood will start turning blue gradually until it becomes completely blue after 3 days.
Knock.
Knock.
Vivian heard a knock on her door so she turned her head to it. And for a moment, a surprised expression flashed across her face before it quickly morphed into a confused one.
I don't remember ordering anything else…
She grabbed her Inquisitor Full-Mask and wore it before heading over to the door.
Ka-cha!
She opened the door and saw that it was one of the outsiders hired by the Branch Chapter Temple here in Plano Town as one of its personnel.
"Good morning, Honored Priestess Inquisitor Monad," the woman said and curtsied. "I've come to inform you that Honored Priest Inquisitor Pen would like to have a meeting with you at Meeting Room 2-7 at 9:00 a.m."
Huh…?
A meeting…?
Vivian suddenly felt her stomach tie into a knot.
"Okay."
***
8:55 a.m.
Vivian already dressed up and ready for the day with her Inquisitor Full-Mask. And at the moment, she was walking on a corridor and on her way to Meeting Room 2-7.
Fuck…!
Fuck…!
Fuck…!
She turned to a corner and continued walking.
I have a fucking bad feeling about this…
She stopped in front of a door with a plate that read: Meeting Room 2-7.
Knock.
Knock.
She knocked on the door twice.
This is why I seriously hate traveling with a boss…!
She placed her hand on the doorknob and then twisted it.
Ka-cha!
Vivian entered the room and it was one of the smaller meeting rooms which made for hosting less than 6 people. As a matter of fact, it was the same Meeting Room that she and Pen used when she first arrived here in Plano Town and they had their first private meeting.
She spotted Pen who was wearing an Inquisitor Full-Mask and a Gold Cloak and sitting at one of the single sofas. She made her way to the other single sofa but she didn't sit down.
She saluted.
"Brother Inquisitor Pen! You called for me?"
Pen nodded.
"At ease, Sister Inquisitor, and please take a seat."
Vivian relaxed and then took a seat.
"Sister Inquisitor, there are some suspicious groups lurking around Plano Town and I want you to help High Brother Nicandro and his group along with the Knights Chapter and the Viscount's forces in investigating their whereabouts."
FUUUCCCKKK…!!!
I FUCKING KNEW IT...!!!
FUCKING ESCORT FIELD MISSION, MY ASS...!!!
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY IT'S NEVER A FUCKING GREAT IDEA TO FUCKING TRAVEL WITH YOUR FUCKING BOSS...!!!!
AND I'M GOING TO BET THAT I WON'T EVEN BE PROPERLY FUCKING COMPENSATED...!!!
"Yes, brother!" she said and nodded.
Pen studied Vivian for a moment before continuing.
"Sister, although you wouldn't say it, I know you must be thinking: Why should I help in the investigation? I wasn't sent here to do an Investigative Field Mission, I was sent here to do an Escort Field Mission."
Vivian suppressed the urge to roll her eyes behind her mask. Based on her experience as a working adult in her original world, it was never a great idea to say anything bad about your job, even if the boss says that it's okay to be honest or he/she is looking for "honest feedbacks".
"Brother, I would never have such thoughts. As a proud member of the Temple of Priests and an Inquisitor of the Holy Crusade, I consider it as nothing but the greatest honor and pleasure to serve the purpose of the God of Light."
"If you feel that way, then I thank the God of Light that the Temple has a sister like you and I wish that He will continue to watch over you," Pen said and then paused. "However, let us face reality, not everyone would share the same view as you."
"Then they are heretics who must be punished," Vivian said immediately with a cold and sharp tone.
Pen studied Vivian for a moment once again before answering.
"In some cases, yes. But in other cases, no. Anyhow, what I'm trying to say is that although it's not easy to pass the Training Course to become an Inquisitor and yet you passed yours with high marks, the fact still remains that knowledge and wisdom are two different things. An intelligent person can have and memorize all the theories in the world, but if they lack practical experience, they would still falter."
"I see," Vivian said and nodded. "I understand, brother."
Pen studied Vivian once again. But this time around, he started drumming his fingers on the armrest of the sofa he was sitting as well.
He stopped.
"Frankly speaking, if I had the power, I would like to change the system of the Inquisitory Division.
"I believe that anyone who wants to become an Inquisitor should first gather enough experience from all Divisions. After that, they would then be eligible to take an exam to become an Apprentice-Inquisitor. And if they passed that exam, they would work as an apprentice under a Master-Inquisitor for 3-5 years. And once the Master-Inquisitor determines that their Apprentice-Inquisitor has completed their apprenticeship, he/she would give his/her blessing to that apprentice to be eligible to take the exam in becoming a Master-Inquisitor.
"Basically, more or less like the Surveillance Enforcers of the Knight Chapters assigned in cities, towns and villages.
"But of course, since a Holy Crusade contract only lasts for 6 months and participating in the Holy Crusade isn't exactly mandatory in a legal sense, that idea would never be implemented and would never work."
Vivian didn't say anything. No, to be specific, she didn't know what to say.
What am I supposed to say to that…?
Am I even allowed to say anything about that…?
"Anyhow," Pen said. "Since you're one of the brightest Inquisitors that the Inquisitory Division has recruited and even His Holiness The Light Saint recognizes it, it would be a waste not to guide you properly. So I want you to help in investigating in order to gather as much as experience right away."
"Yes, brother."
"Also, don't worry, it's just a basic investigation. Whenever there are festivals like this, it always attracts such crowds. However, since you will be with High Brother Nicandro and the others, and I will also have Brother Caleb accompany you as your personal bodyguard, your safety will definitely be guaranteed."
"I see. That's very assuring, brother."
***
9:46 a.m.
Market District, Plano Town, Marbleam Kingdom.
Whaaack!
A coachman swung his whip and it made a crackling sound.
"Mar-You mar-stupid mar-animal…!" he cursed under his breath.
Aside from being stuck in the middle of traffic in the busiest place of Plano Town, the Karfax that was in front of the carriage he was coaching was also acting abnormal.
To be fair, the Karfax in his care was different from the average Karfax due to its personality -- it had a weak personality where it easily gets spooked. But since he never really had any issues in using it to earn coins as a coachman, he didn't bother changing it. As a matter of fact, due to its easily spooked personality, not only does it deter thieves, but it also whines whenever a stranger approaches, making it something like an alarm clock. But today, for some reason, ever since he got his passengers, the animal has been acting more spook than usual to the point it wouldn't listen to orders properly and wanted to run away.
The coachman yanked the reins inward.
"Mar-If mar-you mar-don't mar-behave, mar-we'll mar-get mar-in mar-trouble, mar-you mar-stupid mar-animal…!" he cursed under his breath once again before turning to the people and carriage in front of him. "Mar-HEY! Mar-LET'S mar-MOVE!!!"
Inside the carriage.
Four members of the Temple of Priests sat in silence.
On the back bench, Vivian was wearing her Inquisitor Full-Mask and a White Cloak. And underneath her cloak, she wore a white long-sleeved blouse, white pants, a brown leather belt and her belt pouch, and a pair of brown leather gloves and boots.
And sitting beside her was Caleb who was wearing his Crusader Armor minus the helmet as usual.
Meanwhile, on the front bench, a Gray Cloak named Nicandro sat. He was a tall and bald man in his early 50s with brown skin and was the assigned Gray Cloak in the Branch Chapter Temple of Plano Town.
And sitting beside him was a Gold Cloak named Tuno. He was in his early 30s with short orange hair and had a slightly lighter skin compared to the average Marbleamean which suggested that he rarely goes out. And just like Nicandro, he was assigned here in Plano Town.
Brown Cloaks are not allowed to be assigned in Branch Chapter Temples, they will only be assigned in Main Chapter Temples. And even if a Brown Cloak becomes a White Cloak, they would still find it hard to be assigned to Branch Chapter Temples because the slots are based on the Grade-Jobs. And when it comes to Grade-Jobs, the ones who have more Holy Crusade points will get priority.
However, when it comes to Gold Cloaks, it's different.
First of all, there's a limit on how many Red and Gray Cloaks that would be assigned in both the Main and the Branch Chapter Temples. But this only applies to the Luxen Kingdom, Heisen Kingdom, Marbleam Kingdom, Iron Kingdom, Verglas Kingdom and the Azatea Kingdom.
If a Gold Cloak chooses to be assigned to the Holy Kingdom or the Orion Kingdom, there will be more positions for them to either be a Red or a Gray Cloak. The only issue here is that they would have to relocate there. Or if they don't want to relocate there, they would have to commute every day, every week or every month there to work.
Nevertheless, even if a Gold Cloak doesn't have a Red or Gray Cloak position, they still command a lot of respect. After all, the main core of learning a Priest or Priestess' Class Magic is to ease the pain and suffering of others, and a Priest or Priestess will only be granted the right to wear a Gray Cloak once they learned [Resurrection]. Furthermore, out of all of the Classes, only the Priest Class has [Resurrection] or the power to bring someone back from the dead which allowed the Temple of Priests or the Holy Kingdom to exert so much influence throughout many kingdoms, including the Twin Kingdom and the Marbleam Kingdom.
The carriage shook.
Tuno turned to Nicandro.
"Mar-High Mar-Brother."
Nicandro turned to him.
"Mar-I mar-think mar-it's mar-best mar-we mar-walk mar-from mar-here," Tuno said.
Nicandro turned to Vivian and Caleb.
"The two of you don't mind if we walk from here to the headquarters? We could be trapped here for another half an hour or one of us can step outside and force the people out of our way but I personally don't want to ruin the festive spirit of everyone unless necessary."
Caleb nodded.
"I don't mind, High Brother."
"Same, High Brother," Vivian said.
Nicandro nodded and then returned his gaze to Tuno.
"Okay, brother, let's go."
***
One of the side doors of the carriage that Vivian and company were riding in opened and Caleb climbed down first.
He turned around and offered his hand to Vivian who climbed down next.
After her, Tuno and Nicandro climbed down on their own.
A series of gasps could be heard as the people around them took a step back. A few people even knelt on the ground.
In the eyes of the public, Vivian and company were "special characters".
Starting with the least special character from the public's perspective, it would be Caleb. Putting aside his family background because the public can't exactly tell unless he announces it, and also the fact that was obvious that he was a foreigner based on his skin tone and he had a face that was easy on the eyes, it was rare to see Priests or Priestesses walking in public with their Crusader Armor set.
The second least special character would be Vivian. Even back in the Holy Kingdom and the Orion Kingdom, Inquisitors are rarely seen in public. The only time or times one would encounter an Inquisitor is if there is an ongoing investigation that requires an Inquisitor's input or if one would go to an Inquisitor's office.
Next would be Tuno. Priests and Priestesses in general already have a "high positive reputation" in society because of their healing spells, not to mention that the Temple of Priests actively trying to monopolize the Light Affinity and they would also ban outsiders from setting up healing clinics that would compete with them in cities, towns and villages. So when it comes to Gold Cloaks who have the power to resurrect the dead, to normal people, they were no different from Gods.
And lastly, would be Nicandro. Putting aside his tall and large stature, what makes him the most special character was his identity as a Gray Cloak. Not everyone outside the Temple of Priests knows what are the specific requirements to become a Gray Cloak. However, they all know that Gray Cloaks are the vanguards of a Chapter Temple. So in the eyes of normal people, Gray Cloaks were no different from Death Gods.
Tuno turned to the coachman.
Cling!
"Mar-We mar-will mar-be mar-walking mar-from mar-here," he said and then tossed a gold coin.
When the coachman caught the coin, Tuno already turned away and was heading over to Nicandro who was busy blessing the people.
"Mar-Honored Mar-Lord Mar-High Mar-Priest Mar-Sir…! Mar-Please mar-bless mar-my mar-son mar-that mar-he mar-will mar-grow mar-up mar-to mar-be mar-as mar-strong mar-and mar-powerful mar-as mar-you…!" a mother said as she presented her son.
Nicandro knelt in front of the boy who looked like he was around 8-10 years old.
"Mar-What mar-is mar-your mar-name, mar-young mar-man?" he asked with a warm voice and a kind smile.
"Mar-T-T-Tiburcio… Mar-H-Honored Mar-Lord Mar-High Mar-Priest…"
Nicandro nodded and then placed his hand on the boy's head.
"Mar-Tiburcio, mar-I mar-pray mar-that mar-the Mar-God mar-of Mar-Light mar-and mar-the mar-rest mar-of mar-the Mar-Elemental Mar-Gods mar-to mar-bless mar-you mar-to mar-become mar-strong mar-and mar-healthy mar-and mar-also mar-your mar-family."
"Mar-Thank mar-you, Mar-Honored Mar-Lord Mar-High Mar-Priest Mar-Sir…!" the mother said and bowed.
And when she noticed that her son wasn't bowing, she placed her hand on the back of his neck and then forced him to bow.
"Mar-Thank mar-you, Mar-Honored Mar-Lord Mar-High Mar-Priest…!" the son said.
As the mother and son stepped away, Nicandro stood up. However, another person approached him.
"Mar-Honored Mar-Lord Mar-High Mar-Priest Mar-Sir Mar-Nicandro…! Mar-My mar-name mar-is Mar-Idelfonso…! Mar-May mar-I mar-shake mar-your mar-hand, Mar-Honored Mar-Lord Mar-High Mar-Priest Mar-Sir…?!" a young man in his early 20s said and extended his hand.
Nicandro shook Idelfonso's hand.
"Mar-It's mar-nice mar-to mar-meet mar-you, Mar-Idenfonso. Mar-And mar-may mar-the Mar-God mar-of Mar-Light mar-watch mar-over mar-you," he said and smiled.
"Mar-Thank mar-you, Mar-Honored Mar-Lord Mar-High Mar-Priest Mar-Sir…!" Idelfonso said and then bowed.
Once Nicandro let go of Idelfonso's hand, another person approached. But before he could say what he wanted to say, someone intervened.
"Mar-I'm mar-very mar-sorry, mar-but mar-we're mar-busy," Caleb said and then turned to Nicandro. "Mar-High Mar-Brother."
Nicandro looked at him.
"Mar-Okay," he and nodded.
They both then turned and went over to where Tuno and Vivian were.
Just like what Caleb had to do with the people approaching Nicandro, Vivian did the same with Tuno. As a matter of fact, it was Vivian who suggested to Caleb that they should do something or they would be trapped here forever.
When Nicandro and Caleb finally reached Tuno and Vivian, Tuno spoke first.
"Isn't this fun? Brother Caleb is with a retired Crusader from the Infantry Division. Meanwhile, Sister Monad is with me, a retired Crusader from the Inquisitory Division."
Caleb didn't know what to say and simply scratched the side of his face.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself today, brother," Nicandro said.
Tuno let out a hearty laugh.
"By the way, I was thinking. What do you think if we all used our full strength and traveled through the rooftops in order to reach the headquarters?"
In Tuno's eyes, he, of course, knew about Nicandro's Physical and Magic Force because they were in the same Branch Chapter Temple. But even without that, the fact that he's a Gray Cloak -- and one of the requirements to become a Gray Cloak is to at least have a Physical and Magic Force of Spirit Steel -- and not to mention his age, 53 years old, already speaks volumes.
Meanwhile, for Vivian and Caleb.
When it comes to Caleb, he was fully aware of his family background. On top of that, Caleb was only a few years younger than him. He was 32 years old while Caleb was 28.
And as for Vivian, despite her mask, it was easy to tell that she was around in her mid-20s. But what really spoke volumes was her presence here. Even if he wasn't aware that Pen is the current Chapter Master of the Inquisitory Division or even if Pen wasn't here in Plano Town, the fact that Vivian was chosen to be one of the escorts here in the Feugo Festival could only mean two things: she has a very special background or she's very talented.
This time around, it was Nicandro who let out a hearty laugh.
"Brother Tuno, let's avoid making a scene. Everyone is already stressed out in making sure that peace and order in Plano Town and Tapa Village are properly maintained. And plus, we should consider Knight Major Chief Enforcer Hesiquio and the rest of his team's efforts."
Tuno scratched his head.
"Okay, okay."
They all began walking and heading to the headquarters.
********************
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
By the way, I posted the drafts of Chapters 278-313 which is up to the end of Volume II for free at my Patreon account.
https://www.patreon.com/Immortal_Shades
Please note that those are just drafts and I didn't even edit them so there will still be changes once I post them here.
I would like to thank these Top 5 Immortal Power Voters:
• First Seat: DaoistL27fr7
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And in case you really like what I do and want to support me even further, do consider joining my Patreon group worth $1 a month because this novel would never have a chance to get a contract because of WebNovel's rules and me not having any genuine talent to be a writer (no, I'm not fishing for sympathy or compliments, I'm just stating cold and hard facts).
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With that being said, I would like to give my special thanks for this month's Immortal Patron(s):
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I also created social media accounts for Vivian:
Instagram: vivian_lightstorm
Facebook: Vivian Vivian
TikTok: vivian.lightstorm
On these socials, I will be posting extra details about Vivian and the world she inhabits that I couldn't post here in WebNovel because it would break the story's immersion and other reasons such as the limitations of the WebNovel site.
Thank you once again and I will see you in the next chapter :)
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Immortal_Shades I'll post Nicandro and Tuno's pictures later
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