Octus 4, 3023 A.M., day of Westar, 9:02 a.m.
Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint.
Dark clouds hovered in the sky and occasionally, faint rumblings could be heard from a distance.
Vivian was dressed in her usual Inquisitor attire with her full-mask and was carrying a medium-sized medieval-style suitcase on her hand as she made her way to the place she needed to go.
With each step she took, her boots would make squishy noises. And although her feet felt so heavy that she had to drag them, it wasn't because of the mud. With her STR now at 11 (+315) which gives her the strength of x32.6 people, there weren't that many things that could stop her, especially something like mud. What made her feet feel heavy was the feelings stirring inside of her.
Why…?
These fucking annoying people…
Why…?
Thanks to that Janis who came back on the same day, I was left without any choice…
That day when she received the letter from the Inquisitory Division ordering her to go to the Inquisitory Division's headquarters at the Holy City for an escort Field Mission and she replied that she wouldn't be able to travel right away because of her period and her duties at as the Inquisitor of the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint, Janis came back a couple of hours later with another letter from the Inquisitor Division, still from Inquisitor Pen, stating that her duties at as the Inquisitor of the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint would be postponed. And as for her period, she would be given a few days to rest. But after that, she has to travel no matter what. Furthermore, Janis was to stay at the border checkpoint with them and would be her ride back to the Holy City.
Who is this Inquisitor Pen…?
Why is he so pushy…?
Is he some kind of a big shot in the Inquisitory Division…?
Vivian finally arrived at the area where Janis, who was donned in his Crusade Armor set, was waiting in an open area within the compound and beside him was a monster called Rhonea.
If she were to describe what a Rhonea looked like, it was basically a giant owl that stood about 3 meters tall, had 2 black horns protruding on its head, talons large enough to latch on a human adult's body, and it had a snake-like tail with a spear-shape blade on its tip. And depending on the color of its feathers, aside from the neutral overall gray, it can cast Magic Arts.
Her gaze landed on Janis.
And this guy…
Because I had to act like I was indeed in pain, I couldn't even train properly…
I couldn't even venture out to explore…
***
Janis was donned in his full Crusader Armor set and standing beside a monster species called a Rhonea which he named "Bru".
However, at the moment, his attention was elsewhere. To be specific, it was on his Crusade Armor set. He took out a piece of cloth and wiped a tiny smudge of mud on his greaves.
After wiping off the mud, he let out a sigh but still had a smile on his face.
"I don't care what anyone says but this set was worth it even if it doesn't come with any Magic Effects…" he said under his breath.
After he finally reached the Adamantite level both for his Physical and Magic Force, to commemorate his achievement, he also bought a new set of Crusade Armor that was made out of Admantite metal which cost him 500 platinum coins or 5,000 gold coins.
Normally, a full armor set made out of Adamantite would cost around 700-800 plats and it comes with a helmet, breastplate, gauntlets, greaves, and other miscellaneous things such as chain mail, padding and a full-body cloth. But since the Crusader Armor set was a set that only the members of the Temple of Priests participating in the Holy Crusade would use and were allowed to use it, the price was cut down to 500 plats. On top of that, 500 plats was the lowest price because it doesn't come without any Magic Effects.
"Should I also invest in Adamantite-grade earrings and rings that have Magic Effects…?
"The ones I'm wearing are only Orichalcum-grade…
"But if I were to buy one with a single Magic Effect, it would cost me 500 plats…
"And if I were to buy one with two Magic Effects, it would be 5,000 plats…
"My wife would most likely divorce me and not let me see our children for real this time…
"And my entire family would disown me…
"But I'm now an Adamantite-level being…
"I should at least dress the part even when I'm not on the Holy Crusade or I would be putting not only my name but also my family's name in shame…"
To give a general idea about the prices:
A single Adamantite-grade item without any Magic Effect costs at least 100 plats or 1,000 gold coins.
Meanwhile, a single Adamantite-grade item with one Magic Effect costs at least 500 plats or 5,000 gold coins.
On the other hand, a single Adamantite-grade item with two Magic Effects costs at least 5,000 plats or 50,000 gold coins.
And lastly, a single Adamantite-grade item with three Magic Effects costs at least 50,000 plats or 500,000 gold coins -- and this is assuming a person can buy one at such a price because such an item would usually be auctioned.
Janis let out a sigh.
"God of Light, please bless with luck…
"Please let me stumble upon an undiscovered mine or business…"
Although Janis' 500-plat Crusader Armor set doesn't seem special because it doesn't come with any Magic Effects so it's the lowest price, for the normal or average citizen, such prices were downright outrageous.
Firstly, the exchange rates. Ignoring the difference in currencies between kingdoms, when it comes to coins, all kingdoms follow the same exchange:
10 copper coins = 1 silver coin
10 silver coins = 1 gold coin
10 gold coins = 1 platinum coin
When it comes to meals, the average meal of a normal citizen in taverns costs anywhere between 4-7 copper coins and that already comes with a mug of beer with 7 copper coins as a full meal. On top of that, most people in this world only eat breakfast and dinner. The concept of eating during noontime was a foreign concept.
When it comes to items, the average price for a single Mithril-grade item without any Magic Effect is 10 gold coins, the ones with a single Magic Effect cost 50 gold coins, and the ones with two Magic Effects cost 500 gold coins.
When it comes to Adventurers, the average reward for Copper I and II Rank Quests is around 10 copper coins, for Silver I and II it's 10 silver coins, and for Gold I and II everything starts with at least 1 gold coin, because if Silver Rank Adventurers are the most common intermediates, Gold Rank Adventurers the most common professionals.
And lastly, when it comes to Mercenaries, all contracts start with at least 10 gold coins. It's also important to note that for one to become a Mercenary, they must at least have some level of strength because their job involves a lot of fighting.
So to put it simply, ignoring the starting price of 100 plats for a single Adamantite-grade item that doesn't even have a Magic Effect, even just 10 plats alone, which is 10,000 copper coins, was already a number that a normal citizen would need to struggle to gather for at least 2 years -- and that's assuming they're lucky.
In fact, Lamont's Orichalcum-grade armor that Vivian destroyed actually had a single Magic Effect but he wasn't even able to use it costcost 50 plats or 500 gold coins and he had to pay her 500 plats for the "trauma" he caused her.
"What about the time when I finally reach Rainbow Steel…?
"I have two Magic Arts…
"I've already mastered my [Light Mastery] and I'm already halfway with my [Earth Mastery]…"
He shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Rainbow Steel-grade items are out of my reach…"
The rarest and strongest metal that could be mined was Rainbow Steel. It was so rare that kingdoms would even wage war for it if a mine with Rainbow Steel was found. Because of that, even if someone decides to auction such a metal, which is already very rare, the opening price would be at 1,000 plats per 1 kg and people would only accept the currencies of non-subsidiary kingdoms, such as the Twin Kingdom, the Holy Kingdom and the Marbleam Kingdom, but most would prefer the first two because they were the most powerful.
"What about Spirit Steel items then…?"
He scoffed.
"Even if the God of Light blesses me with one, I would be hunted down on every side…
"And even if I get rid of it, some people would still come to ask me what did I do to evoke such a response from the Elemental Gods…"
Spirit Steel items or Lore Items are basically random items blessed with Lore. They can't be deliberately forged or created, no matter how powerful or talented the blacksmith or creator is. The only being or beings who could make Lore Items are the Elemental Gods themselves and it is done by them randomly blessing an item, just like how they would also randomly bless a person with Lore Magic if they are in the mood.
KROOO!!!
Bru, the Rhonea, suddenly let out a crow like a battle cry and flapped its wings.
***
Vivian noticed Bru's eyes staring at her menacingly as if it was ready to attack her the moment she stepped closer, causing her lips to curl up into a grin behind her Inquisitor Full-Mask and she stepped closer. She didn't bother to drop her suitcase because she didn't want it to touch mud.
KROOO!!!
Bru crowed and flapped its wings, catching Janis and everyone nearby in surprise.
Vooom!
Vivian suddenly appeared in front of the bird's face in mid-air with a [Poison Strike] spell on her feet.
Pa-psssh!
She delivered a sidekick on Bru's head and green smoke exploded upon impact, causing the bird to be sent flying a couple of feet away from where it was standing and remained lying on the ground with a few of its feathers floating around.
Voooom!
Before everyone could react, Vivian already moved next to where Bru landed who was not only incapacitated by the [Poison Strike] spell but was also knocked out cold with its eyes half-opened and rolling back to its head.
Heh~…
I didn't know animals could also be knocked out…
I thought that was only a human thing…
Anyhow…
At least it's still alive…
I was worried for a second if 10% of my power was enough…
She raised her boot.
Braaak!
Her boot came stomping down and broke Bru's beak, jolting the bird back to consciousness. However, thanks to the effect of [Poison Strike], Bru couldn't do anything but whimper and cry as it stared helplessly at Vivian with its giant owl eyes that were almost as large as a 10-year-old's head.
Vivian pointed at the bird.
"You behave you fucking stupid monster or I will roast you at this very moment!" she said before turning to Janis and pointing at him as well. "And you! Why haven't you trained this bird properly?!"
Janis' jaw dropped and his eyes bounced between Vivian and Bru as his brain tried to process what just happened.
As a veteran of the Air Division, he developed a more-than-usual fondness for animals or monsters to the point that he even contemplated quitting the Temple of Priests and joining the Temple of Tamers more than a few times. However, he knew that transferring would cost him a lot. Not just monetary gains, but also the social power that Priests carry. Because of that, he decided to just raise his own pets. And needless to say, Bru, who had just been beaten into a bloody pulp by Vivian in front of him, was one of the monsters he raised from birth.
His brain finally snapped back from reality and his face twisted violently as he stared at Vivian.
In the few days he stayed at this border checkpoint, he socialized with everyone, especially with the Priests whom he personally had to share breakfast and dinner with every day. And based on his observation of Vivian, she seems to be normal or he didn't notice anything that would make her stand out.
Vooom!
Vivian appeared right in front of him.
Pah!
And then slapped his face with the back of her hand. Although Vivian didn't use her full force, the force was still great enough that not only did it cause bells to ring inside his head, but he also lost his balance and almost fell to the side and his helmet shifted to the side.
"What's that look you're giving me, Crusader?"
Vivian then noticed Janis' body twitch as if he was going to retaliate so she dropped her suitcase and then activated a spell.
[Poison Strike].
Psssh!
Green smoke exploded as she grabbed onto Janis' collar with her left hand and then yanked out his helmet with her right hand.
Although Janis was completely incapacitated by Vivian's weakening spell that he couldn't even stand on his own and his head hung to the side, he was staring at her with daggers.
"What… is the… meaning of… this…?!" he said with all his strength and then a single streak of saliva trickled down his mouth.
Cra-cra-craang!
Vivian crumbled his helmet with her hand as if it was made out of paper right in front of him and then pulled him closer.
"Unless you behave properly, you're going to end up like this, Crusader."
With Vivian's mask in front of his face, he could see her unblinking red eyes on the slits and that was devoid of any warmth. Putting aside the Physical and Magic Force that Vivian had shown, he knew, at his very core, he knew that was talking to a killer. With that, he calmed down and looked away.
[Cleanse].
A green light enveloped his body.
[Heal].
A faint yellow light enveloped his body.
And Vivian let go of his collar.
"I am not an unreasonable person. But I have no patience for those who don't know how to act accordingly."
Janis didn't say anything and kept his head down as he wiped the drool on his chin.
His eyes landed on his crumbled helmet.
If someone didn't know that it was a helmet and saw it, no one could tell and would simply dismiss it as a crumbled piece of paper but in metal form.
"You may not know this because you're weak. But your pet over there looked like it was going to attack me. Do you realize how dangerous it is to ride an unruly pet like that during a mission? And as an Inquisitor of the Holy Crusade, any form of corruption and incompetence within the Temple of Priests has no right to exist under my watch."
Janis continued to remain silent and looked down.
This time around, his gaze landed on Bru.
Although the bird was only 7 years old and didn't have Magic Arts, it was by pure coincidence that he found the bird. He was out on a Holy Crusade mission under the Air Division one day when he stumbled upon a broken nest on a cliff that was attacked by some monster. The parents were killed and the eggs were cracked open except for Bru's egg which was trapped between two large rocks. And after 7 years under his and his family's care, Bru grew up to be a sweet, playful and reliable bird with the Physical Force of Adamantite.
"What is your answer, Brother Lieutenant?"
Janis finally raised his head and met Vivian's eyes.
"Please forgive me for not realizing my mistakes, Sister Inquisitor," he said and offered a slight bow.
Vivian stepped forward and was now standing a couple of inches away from him.
She placed her finger on his chest plate.
"If you or your unruly pet ever looked at me that way again, I'm going to roast that bird and force you to eat all of it -- bones, feathers and all -- and then arrest you for insubordination. Do you understand me, Crusader?"
"Yes, Sister Inquisitor..."
She pulled her hand hand and stepped back.
"Heal that bird and make sure it's well-behaved so that we can finally depart."
"Yes, Sister Inquisitor...!" he said and bowed.
As for the rest of the people nearby, no one dared to intervene.
***
9:17 a.m.
Holy City, Holy Kingdom.
A gold halo shun on Vivian's back as Bru flapped its wings and slowly descended from the sky.
Although they left from the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint around 9:30 a.m. and it would take at least two hours to arrive here, depending on the monster, the weather and other things, the reason why it was 9:17 a.m. was because of the different timezone with the Southern Continent ahead.
When Bru finally landed on an open field which was part of the Temple of Priests' property, Vivian deactivated her [Halo], untied her suitcase and then climbed down.
I'm back in the Holy City…
She took a deep breath.
I can't believe I actually miss being in this city…
Fredo Village wasn't a village and was actually like a town…
But it's nothing compared to an actual city…
Also, not everyone can speak Zonian there…
I'm too much of a foreigner there…
I wonder how's Luxen City…
She turned around and faced Janis.
"Thank you, brother."
"You're welcome, sister. Um... I wasn't given any additional orders once we arrived," he said and then pointed at a building nearby. "But I suggest you should go over that Airport Building Terminal. Maybe someone from the Inquisitory Division is over there waiting for you."
"You're currently stationed here, right?"
"Yes."
"I don't know how long would I be staying here. But in case I would need a ride back home to my station, can I expect you to be my ride?"
Although Janis only hesitated for a moment, in Vivian's eyes, thanks to her 8 (+293) INT and she was currently scrutinizing him, it felt like a lifetime.
"Yes, Sister Inquisitor…"
I don't have any choice…
It's not like I can turn off my [Nemesis of Beasts] Lore…
She nodded.
"Good. Thank you and may the God of Light watch over you."
"May the God of Light watch over you as well..."
As Vivian turned around and headed for the building nearby, Bru flapped its wings and then flew away with Janis.
So that's what someone from the Verglas Kingdom sounds like, huh…
I'll keep that in mind…
During the days Janis stayed at the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint, he mentioned during dinner what Chapter Temple he was from.
As far as I know…
Lennon is from the Twin Chapter Temple…
Anthony is from the Holy Chapter Temple…
Juana is from the Marbleam Chapter Temple…
So lucky…
Her home is just nearby…
But she can't leave and go there…
And Finley is from the Orion Chapter Temple…
***
Vivian stepped inside the building.
I was here last time when I had to leave for the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint for the first time…
Or a building similar to it…
Given that she was in a fantasy medieval setting, the "airport building" wasn't anything like the ones in her original world. If she were to be frank, it looked more like a train station from the early years of trains. There were rows of chairs, a booth and other private rooms such as offices. But considering that the establishment was owned by the Temple of Priests and was only intended for its members, especially the ones from the Holy Crusade, it was rare for the place to see any traffic. In fact, right now, Vivian was the only "customer" around.
She went over to one of the booths where a woman, who wasn't a Priestess and was wearing a uniform of the staff for the establishment, was sitting inside it.
The woman smiled and bowed.
"Good morning and welcome to Airport Building Terminal 7, Honored Priestess Inquisitor. How may I help you?"
"I was ordered to come to the Holy City by the Inquisitory Division for a Field Mission. But I'm not sure if they've sent someone here to pick me up."
Although Vivian has been in the headquarters of the Inquisitory Division during her Training Course, she doesn't memorize the map and it was taken from her after her graduation.
The woman nodded.
"I understand. I will send word to the Inquisitory Division that you've arrived. May I ask what your name is?"
"Sister Inquisitor Monad."
The woman got up and then bowed once more time.
"Please excuse, Honored Priestess Inquisitor Monad."
She then turned around and entered a door behind her.
This is pure B.S….
They called me to come here and they don't even have someone to meet me…
Fucking useless people…
A few moments later, the woman returned.
"We've sent a messenger to inform the Inquisitory Division about your arrival, Honored Priestess Inquisitor Monad," she said and then gestured to the row of empty seats. "You can wait over there or at the cafeteria. We will inform you right away once we receive a reply from the Inquisitory Division."
"Cafeteria?" Vivian said and then waved the pendant of her necklace. "Do they accept payment through Class Crystal?"
"The food and drinks in the cafeteria are free to all members of the Temple of Priests and also to the employees of the establishment."
"Oh…"
***
9:42 a.m.
Vivian was at the cafeteria and she occupied two tables. In front of her were an array of dishes from steaks, to sandwiches, to soups and to desserts that were enough for 6 people eating 6 full-course meals. And of course, there was wine.
When she first came here and ordered the meals, the staff in the cafeteria initially thought that she was ordering for her group, but when they found out that it was just for her, they were surprised that a 5'4" thin woman like her would order that many meals. However, since she was a Priestess Inquisitor, no one dared to object, let alone comment.
She also went to the toilet to change her Inquisitor mask from the full-mask to the half-mask earlier.
The human body only needs protein and vegetables…
But since I'm here in the city…
Well…
As an aspiring fitness influencer and also a fitness enthusiast back in her original world, her general view of food was nothing but fuel for the body. It was only for the sake of social etiquette in social gatherings that she would indulge herself with normal food. However, now, with her current life, she had to update them.
She sliced a piece of cake with a fork and ate it.
Hmm…
The taste is not that bad…
But compared to eating blue beings, it's nothing…
Ever since she acquired the ability to transform into a demon, an unfathomable hunger also came along with it which can only be truly satiated with blue-colored nervous systems. And whenever she eats one, not only does it leave her stomach feeling full, but it also fills a void in her soul, spirit or whatever inner existential need it was called.
In fact, if she were to describe the food she was eating at the moment, it was like craving to eat meat but she could only eat all types of fruits in the world. Granted, some fruits taste better than other fruits. However, they can never replace meat, specifically the feeling of fullness, not to mention the craving.
At least with steak and vegetables I can still convince myself that it's for repairing muscles and maintaining a healthy bowel movement…
She glanced at the staff behind the counter and licked her lips.
What if I dipped a blueie with cake or just icing…?
How would that taste…?
Also…
What if I mixed wine with fresh blood…?
Ugh…!
I hope I don't end up getting fat…
Because I honestly don't know how to burn my calories through exercise because of my stats…
The only thing I can think of is dieting…
She was already halfway to finishing all the dishes she ordered when two people approached her.
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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.
Although I won't be posting any new Chapter Drafts because I'm currently busy rewriting tons of chapter drafts of Volume II, if you feel like it, you can still join my Patreon group for $2 a month.
With that, I would like to give my special thanks for this month's Patrons:
•
I also created social media accounts for Vivian:
https://www.instagram.com/vivian_lightstorm/
https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564128021203
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.
Thank you once again and I will see you in the next chapter :)