Vivian was already dressed in her usual trainee attire when she opened the door of her room.
She immediately saluted when she saw the person standing in front of her.
"Sister Inquisitor Mila!"
Mila was a Gold Cloak Priestess and was in charge of the dormitory where all the trainees lived.
"At ease."
Vivian relaxed.
"You're Crusader Heliza, right?"
"Yes, Sister Inquisitor."
"You are being summoned by Brother Inquisitor Blanch to his office."
"Yes, Sister Inquisitor."
***
Knock.
Knock.
Ka-cha!
Vivian knocked twice on the door before opening it.
Upon entering, she saw Blanch sitting behind a desk. She went over to him and saluted.
"Brother Inquisitor Blanch! I was sent here by Sister Inquisitor Mila because she told me that you wanted to see me."
"Crusader Heliza, I'm glad to see you've finally come. Please take a seat."
"Thank you, Inquisitor Brother!"
As Vivian went over to one of the chairs in front of the desk and sat down, her eyes were constantly searching for anything suspicious.
"Let me get to the point right away. The reason why I wanted to see you is because I want to ask you where were you on the night of the day of Monar."
"On the night of the day of Monar?" she said and paused for a moment to think. "I was at the tunnels leading to the Northwest Exit."
"What were you doing there?"
"I was training and killed a couple of Fareels."
Blanch opened one of the drawers from his desk and took out 2 rods about 10 inches long each.
"Do you know what are these?"
"A Physical Force and a Magic Force Crystal?"
Both the Physical and Magic Force Crystal looked like the Class Crystal, at least when it came to its shiny metal-like texture. The only difference was that it was shaped into a rod about 10 inches long. And between the Physical and Magic Force crystals, the difference in their appearance was the runes engraved on one end.
"Good. I want you to touch these and activate them."
So it has come to this, huh…
He immediately went for the throat…
If he does anything suspicious, it's on…
Vivian grabbed the Physical Force Crystal first and activated a skill.
[Power Fist].
The crystal emitted a glow.
Vivian's brows knitted together behind her mask because the glow that the crystal emitted wasn't like an Adamantite one. Instead, it was brighter.
She secretly glanced at Blanch but she couldn't read his reaction. The only thing she could see were his eyes on the two holes on his mask.
That god damned mask…!
Without any choice, she continued doing what she was told to do.
She placed the Physical Force Crystal down and it stopped emitting light, and then picked up the Magic Force Crystal.
[Lightning Arrow].
The crystal emitted the same light as the Physical Force Crystal from earlier.
No reaction…?
Come on, I'm waiting for you…
Do something…
Or perhaps they're on the walls hiding, looking through a peephole…?
She pretended to make some popping sounds with her neck while her eyes looked around as she placed the Magic Force Crystal down and it stopped emitting light.
I can't spot anything…
Should I use my demonic eyes…?
Blanch moved, causing Vivian's senses to shoot through the roof and the world through her eyes moved extremely slow.
But to her surprise, he simply opened another drawer and took out another pair of rods, each with a crystal at the end.
He placed them on the table.
"Do you know what these are?"
"An Affinity Crystal?"
"Correct. Do you know what Affinities are imbued in them?"
"I have no idea."
"It's Chaos and Lesser Chaos."
Vivian's heart skipped a beat but she remained silent and kept a calm demeanor.
"I want you to touch them one by one."
Why is he making me touch Affinity Crystals…?
Are my Physical and Magic Force not proof enough…?
As far as he knows, the Temple of Priests only has Chaos and Lesser Chaos Affinity Crystals. Aside from the fact that Greater Demons rarely interact with their world, the Magic Art essence was just too powerful to be contained in an Affinity Crystal.
However, she also has the [Otherworldly] Lore Magic which gives her a x5 boost to all Affinities.
If I kill him right now, I would be crossing a line that I can never undo…
And once that happens, I would either be captured or be able to escape…
Those are the only two outcomes…
"What are you waiting for, Crusader Heliza?"
Once I touch it and it shines, I'm going all out…!
"Sorry, Brother Inquisitor."
She reached out for the Lesser Chaos Affinity Crystal and time seemed to move so slowly that she felt every fiber, every muscle and every pulse on her body.
Tap.
She placed a finger on the Lesser Chaos Affinity Crystal.
I-I-It didn't shine…!
She let out a sigh before moving over to the other Affinity Crystal.
Tap.
It still didn't shine…
Vivian felt her body relax a bit as she pulled back her hand.
"Crusader Heliza," Blanch said and paused for a moment. "Can you tell me what's your Physical and Magic Force?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Although I'm not sure if this is part of the ongoing practical exam, I honestly don't know what my actual Physical and Magic Force is. All I do is just train."
Blanch paused for a moment once again before continuing.
"So you really want to join the Inquisitory Division?"
"Of course."
"Why?"
"Why? Because I want to rid of this world of demons, demon-worshipers, demon-kins, the Cult of Infinity and the heretics."
Without any warning, Blanch reached out for his mask and revealed his face.
He was a man in his mid-30s with long brown hair and tanned skin.
He placed his mask on top of the desk and looked straight at Vivian.
"I'm revealing my face to you because I want us to talk plainly and truthfully.
"My real name is Cassius Wheeler, I'm from the Holy Chapter Temple and I swear in the name of the God of Light to give you 3 things.
"The first one, I will use all of my authority to make sure that you that no one will bother you.
"The second one, you will immediately pass the Training Course and be part of the Inquisitory Division.
"And the last one, once you become part of the Inquisitory Division, you will immediately be given a rank.
"What do you say?"
Now I'm confused…
What is happening…?
What is this guy planning…?
What is he after…?
Have I misread things…?
She shook her head mentally.
Either way, I have to stick with the plan…
Vivian shook her head.
"I'm very sorry, Brother Inquisitor.
"One of the reasons why I want to join the Inquisitory Division is because of a female Priest who helped and taught me many things and she used to be part of the Inquisitory Division.
"If I were to accept your offer, I would be betraying her trust and I don't want to do that. I want to earn my place at the Inquisitory Division fair and square, just like her and everyone else.
"However, I will answer any question you have truthfully, just like I always have."
An amused smile appeared on Blanch's face before he picked up his mask and wore it back.
"Fair enough. Tell me, do you have anything to do with what happened at the Sarcoise Colony and the Northwest Exit Outpost?"
"Sarcoise Colony? I don't know what exactly happened at the Sarcoise Colony so I'm going to say no. But for the Northwest Exit Outpost, again, I'm sorry, I honestly didn't know that it was against the rules to kill the Fareels."
"Last time when you went to the tunnels of the East Exit, what were you doing there?"
"On the night I went there, I couldn't sleep because this is my first time living in such a place or underground where there is no sun and I was also bored with studying. So I decided to explore the East Exit.
"And since it was my first time, I got lost or I think I got lost because the map didn't make sense.
"According to the map, there was supposed to be a large area with multiple tunnels. But when I got there, all I saw was a huge hole in the middle. However, there were still some land on the edges that could be walked on.
"And as I was walking on the edges, a giant Sarcoise suddenly attacked me and I immediately defended myself. It was also my first time seeing one. So in the process of defending myself, I got splashed by its blood and guts.
"And right after defeating the giant Sarcoise, I got afraid and headed back because another one or some unknown monster might attack me while I walk on the edges and could cause me to fall into the huge hole and truly get lost."
"But you're strong and a giant Sarcoise can only grow up to Physical Force Adamantite-grade," said Blanch.
Vivian shook her head.
"There are far more powerful and talented people than I am. And just like I said earlier, I'm not familiar with this place and the monsters lurking around. I didn't want to get lost and miss any class or study time -- I came here to become an Inquisitor, not explore caves or tunnels and fight monsters."
"Tell me what were you doing at the Northwest Exit Outpost?"
"I was there to train so I killed a couple of Fareels."
"You didn't encounter anyone?"
"Anyone? You mean like people?"
"Yes."
"No one. And plus, I didn't actually reach the exit of the Northwest Exit. I only managed to reach a huge cavern where there was a large pool of hot murky water with Fareels swimming there."
"This is your first time joining the Holy Crusade, right?"
"Brother Inquisitor, am I still on the ongoing practical exam where I have to keep my identity a secret? Because I'm very confused right now."
Truth be told, Blanch was actually stuck between a rock and a hard place.
As the person in charge of issuing Identity Papers and the scores for the trainees, he was well aware of the real identities of all trainees based on the Basic Training records.
In regards to Vivian, he knew that:
• She's a Priestess from the Luxen Chapter Temple
• She's the strongest new recruit for this month's Holy Crusade batch with a Physical Force of Adamantite and a Magic Force of Orichalcum-Adamantite
• She has 4 Magic Art Affinities -- Light, Lightning, Poison and Wind
• She's in possession of a medal and letter which indicated she was a future potential administrator and only the Saint himself could question or overturn it
Although he had his reasons on why he believed Vivian was the culprit of what happened to the Sarcoise Colony and the Northwest Exit Outpost, the biggest issue he faced was that he had no solid proof.
Yes, Vivian has been on the East Exit and Northwest Exit tunnels and she even admitted to it, but so have the others.
Yes, Vivian's Physical and Magic Force did not match her records at Basic Training, but that can be explained.
It was actually fairly common for the higher-ups to make secret arrangements to downplay a member's true power, especially the ones with at least 4 Magic Arts. Only during the registration process for the Holy Crusade contract was it mandatory for a Crusader to have their name, Physical and Magic Force, Magic Art Affinities and other personal details recorded -- similar to a work resume.
This was in case they died in battle. As pampered and powerful Priests and Priestesses are, the Holy Crusade was still a crusade.
And when it comes to measuring Physical and Magic Force, the administrators are only allowed to use Physical and Magic Force Crystals that reach up to Spirit Steel. To measure beyond that was prohibited that not even the Inquisitory Division had the right to access such information. Only the Crusader and the Crusader's Chapter Temple have access to that because some members of the Temple of Priests aren't from simple backgrounds and it would be impossible for the Temple of Priests to accurately pinpoint who gets to be measured publicly and who gets to be measured privately without facing any backlash from the general public. So this rule was made.
Furthermore, many young recruits with at least 4 Magic Art Affinities would join either the Infantry Division or the Inquisitory Division to shield or hide them from the public while they were still growing. There were even cases where a recruit posed as someone who only had 2 Magic Art Affinities but actually had 4.
So yes, what Blanch did to Vivian was illegal, a violation of not only to the Holy Crusade's rules but also to Vivian and her Chapter Temple's privacy.
As for using [Halo], it was indeed an option. However, it wasn't an option he was willing to gamble without any tangible proof.
Had Vivian been weaker or a Priestess with lesser background and accolades, or better yet, had she caused a scene, like attack him, he would've had legal grounds to issue an official investigation using [Halo] on her without facing any repercussions.
But none of those things were the case. She didn't even take the baits he threw at her.
If he issued an official interrogation using [Halo] and it turned out that she was indeed the culprit, all would be well.
But if he issued an official interrogation using [Halo] and it turned out that she wasn't the culprit, it would cause unimaginable damage to the Inquisitory Division and himself that even his loved ones would also be targeted.
From the Holy Kingdom's perspective, due to the nature of the Inquisitory Division's main purpose of existence, not many people from the upper echelons of society that's part of the Temple of Priests view Inquisitors in a positive light.
From the Orion Kingdom's perspective, which was a subsidiary kingdom of the Holy Kingdom that fights for women's rights and many women throughout the other kingdoms from all walks of life support them, it would be a PR disaster for not only the Inquisitory Division but also the Temple of Priests.
From the Luxen Kingdom's perspective, this is where the biggest problems come from.
The First Point:
Vivian was a person with 4 Magic Arts. This meant she's on the level of Viscounts and Barons and there aren't that many people with 4 Magic Arts.
To stress how rare Vivian's 4 Magic Arts are, to the general public, a person with 3 Magic Arts is 1 in 1,000, while a person with 4 Magic Arts is 1 in 10,000.
And this not even considering if the person has True Magic Arts or False Magic Arts.
If one were to only consider the True Magic Arts, then it would be 1 in 10,000 for a person with 3 True Magic Arts and 1 in 100,000 for a person with 4 Magic Arts.
And this is just the best-case scenario for the general public because there's another demographic -- the upper class.
To the Light Saint or Cardinal Families, the Royal Families and the Aristocratic Noble Families, their numbers fair better because they tend to "keep it among each other" to ensure their legacy.
However, for both the general public and the upper class, there's still another factor that needs to be considered: If the person with 3, 4 or more True Magic Arts has the patience to train, let alone survive to become someone who has mastered their Magic Art Affinities.
So the numbers get even way lower.
The Second Point:
Vivian was already Spirit Steel or at least Spirit Steel-grade despite only being in her mid-20s which was already quite impressive.
As someone part of the high-ranking officers of the Inquisitory Division, Blanch had access to a more accurate scale for the estimated average Physical and Magic Force of a person.
Image Link: https://ibb.co/g3c3qfL
Unlike the scale used by the administrators at Basic Training, the Inquisitory Division's scale was more or less accurate because it also considers the person's Magic Arts. But just like the one used at Basic Training, the average estimation stops at 35 years old because that's when most people would start to slow down in training and focus on other things, like family.
And if Blanch were to compare himself to Vivian, he had 3 Magic Arts and his Physical and Magic Force was Rainbow Steel which was the average for his age.
On top of that, if Vivian's Physical and Magic Force were indeed beyond Spirit Steel, then there were two things he had to consider.
Firstly, that would make Vivian the most powerful person currently present at the headquarters.
Even the Inquisitory Division's Chapter Master who's in his mid-50s and had 3 Magic Arts was only Spirit Steel-grade. Inquisitors weren't exactly known for their physical fighting prowess, they were more known for their high intellect and investigative prowess. If one were looking for Priests and Priestesses that had 3 or more Magic Arts with a high Physical and Magic Force or basically battle junkies, they would have a better chance of finding such individuals at the Infantry Division.
Secondly, her name would be listed on the DG International Laws' database. And once a person's name is listed there, it's another level of politics where only those who are part of that list have a say about its members because they hold actual raw and destructive power, not political power.
And the Third Point:
Vivian's Chapter Temple clearly values her as a potential future administrator. The fact that they gave her a recommendation letter and medal when she joined the Holy Crusade was proof. With her Magic Arts, Physical and Magic Force, and test scores, she could either be a Red or a Gray Cloak once she learns [Resurrection]. But even without that Class Magic spell, she was already a member that any Chapter Temple would kill to have.
So basically, there was so much politics, both domestic and international, and both inside and outside the Temple of Priests, that Blanch had to deal with or navigate on if he were to pursue the angle that Vivian was the culprit in the destruction of the Sarcoise Colony and the disappearance of the people at the Northwest Exit Outpost. At the very least, he had to be very careful and subtle about it.
Noticing that Vivian was still waiting for his answer, Blanch cleared his throat.
"That will be all, Crusader Heliza. Dismiss."
Vivian got up and saluted.
"Thank you, Brother Inquisitor!"
She turned around and left.
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
By the way, I posted some Chapter Drafts at P-a-t-r-e-o-n. And to view them, you can read them at…
https://www.patreon.com/Immortal_Shades
There, you will have access to the Chapter Drafts for $5 a month.
Please note that the chapters posted there are only drafts. So when those said Chapter Drafts will be published here, there will be some edits. They also involve a few secret outline notes/details that I won't publish here because they contain spoilers or dispel some of the mysteries. And at the moment, Chapter Drafts 268-272 are posted there.
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Thank you once again and I will see you in the next chapter.