Octus 8, 3023 A.M., day of Sunar, 10:00 a.m.
Vivian was lying on a bed and was wearing nothing but a sleeping gown as her eyes slowly opened. Her brows knitted together when she found herself in an unfamiliar dark room, only the dim light coming from a lamp on top of a desk.
It's still night…?
Her gaze continued to look around until she noticed the stack of papers on the desk.
"Shit!"
Her eyes became wide and she jumped out of the bed. She opened a drawer from the nightstand and took out her pocket watch.
"Fuck, it's already 10:00 a.m.!" she said and then began preparing.
Vivian was currently the Inquisitory Division's headquarters in the underground tunnels of the Holy City. Yesterday, when she, Pen, Joseph, Zacharias and Caleb arrived here at the Holy City from Plano Town, they immediately went their separate ways.
Joseph, Pen and Zacharias headed to the Temple of Priests Palace.
Caleb headed to one of the local Main Offices of the Temple of Priests.
And Vivian was sent to the Inquisitory Division's headquarters.
She wasn't allowed to return immediately to her station, the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint, just yet because of two main reasons.
Firstly, she needed to write and submit a report about her Field Mission at Plano Town. And of course, she needed to be as honest and detailed as much as possible because Pen and the others would also be writing and submitting their own reports. And if there are any discrepancies between their reports, they will be called for questioning. But once there are no problems, she would then need to record it on a Memory Crystal to finalize everything.
Secondly, there was the rewards for completing the Field Mission.
She already wrote and submitted her report yesterday. Today, she only had to wait if there were any discrepancies or follow-ups needed before she could finally finalize her report by touching a Memory Crystal. In addition to that, she was to receive her rewards today and meet Pen at his office around 10:00 a.m.
And as for the room she was staying in, she wasn't staying in the same building where the new recruits taking the Training Course were living in. Instead, it was a building where only Inquisitors and special guests were allowed to stay in.
***
10:17 a.m.
Main Office Building, Inquisitory Division Headquarters, Holy City.
Vivian was walking in a hallway and was wearing her usual Inquisitor garb with her full-mask. Although she wasn't particularly fond of Pen, being late was a no-no on her book, just like someone who litters. It was just a habit drilled into her by her parents and also the religious school that she attended back in her original world when she was still a student.
She finally reached the office she was looking for.
Knock.
Knock.
She knocked twice on the door before entering.
The office was a spacious room that had a private office room inside. Vivian turned to the female assistant who was sitting behind a desk and wearing a mask without a sun symbol on the forehead.
The woman stood up.
"Good morning, Honored Inquisitor Monad," she said and bowed. "Honored Inquisitor Pen is waiting for you inside his office. I will inform him of your arrival."
"Thank you."
The woman bowed once again and then went over to Pen's office.
Knock.
Knock.
She knocked twice before entering. A few moments later, she exited.
"Honored Inquisitor Pen is ready to see you now, Honored Inquisitor Monad."
"Thank you," Vivian said and then went over to the Pen's office.
Knock.
Knock.
Although she wasn't sure if she needed to knock even though Pen was already expecting her, she still knocked just in case. In her head, she was already late and she didn't want to show any more ill-mannered traits.
Ka-cha!
When she entered the office, she saw Pen sitting behind his desk wearing a Gold Cloak and his Inquisitor Full-mask. She made her way to the front of his desk and saluted.
"Brother Inquisitor Pen! I'm here for your orders!"
"At ease, sister," he said before opening a drawer from his desk and taking out a small box. He then got up from his chair and went over to Vivian. When he finally got to her, he opened the box and showed to her its contents. "In recognition for successfully completing the Field Mission given to you, you are rewarded with this Sergeant Officer Pin. You will also receive 5,000 Holy platinum coins and 1 Holy Crusade point. I've already informed the Treasurer's Office so you can claim the 5,000 Holy platinum coins there whenever you like. And as for the 1 Holy Crusade point, it has already been added to your record."
Eh…?
So completing a Field Mission gives you 5,000 platinum coins…?
Truth be told, her reward was suppose to only be 2,000 Holy platinum coins. But thanks to the appearance of Ronaldo and his group, Pen decided to increase it to 5,000.
Pen took out the officer pin and placed the box on his desk.
"With the power vested on me by the Holy Crusade Inquisitory Division, the Temple of Priests and the Holy Kingdom, I, Chapter Master Inquisitor Pen, hereby promote you to Sergeant," he said and then pinned the officer pin on her White Cloak one her left chest. "Congratulations, Sister Sergeant Inquisitor Monad. May the God of Light continue to watch over you."
Vivian glanced at the pin on her chest.
That's it…?
I mean…
It's like getting a promotion on my job…
But this is the Holy Crusade we're talking about and it involves killing…
I was just thrown into a final boss battle even though I'm just a rookie Inquisitor…
She returned her gaze to Pen.
"Thank you and may the God of Light continue to watch over you as well, Brother Inquisitor Pen."
This can't be just it, right…?
It feels so hollow…
I feel cheated…
Pen nodded.
"Sister Inquisitor, before you go, I want to discuss something else with you."
Vivian's brows knitted together behind her mask.
Discuss something else…?
Is this old bastard going to throw me into another final boss battle…?
"Sure, brother…" she said hesitantly.
Pen gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
"Please take a seat," he said before turning around and heading back to his seat.
Vivian sat down.
"Brother, may I ask you a question?"
"What is it, sister?"
"Are you really a Chapter Master?"
Pen tilted his head to the side for a moment before answering.
"I am. And even if I wasn't, impersonating an officer is a grave offense."
"I see."
"Sister, if you were expecting a grand ceremony for your promotion, you must understand that we are the Inquisitory Division, we work in the shadows or behind the scenes."
"I understand, brother. But I wasn't referring to that."
"What were you referring to then?"
"I guess… After everything what I witnessed at Plano Town, I was expecting that a Chapter Master would be someone like Viscount Lozario, Duke Freca and Baron Ricardo or at least have their presence."
No…
I should've said Cardinal Val…
Val was the Cardinal she met during the graduation ceremony of her Training Course.
Yeah…
I don't get the same feeling I felt when I met that Cardinal Val…
Just one look at him, you could tell…
He just has that powerful presence…
More or less similar to the Aristocratic Nobles…
But Aristocratic Nobles have more of a leader or a sophisticated or classy person vibe rather than a powerful person vibe…
That Gray Cloak Zacharias also somewhat has a powerful presence…
Especially after what I saw at the Coliseo…
But he was just too comical for anyone to take seriously…
She shook her head mentally.
No…
Not comically…
Annoying is the right word…
Yeah…
Annoying…
Like a spoiled child...
She then thought about the other Gray Cloaks she met.
There was also that Gray Cloak at Fredo Village and also Nicandro…
Well…
The one at Fredo Village seems to have an eerily presence or creepy vibes…
Just like the one I've met at Basic Training…
But other than that…
They all seem normal I guess…?
She returned her focus on Pen.
But this guy…
I don't know…
I feel like nothing…
Well…
I guess I feel something…
It's like whenever I meet a Red and Gold Cloak…
Normal…
Nothing that could catch my attention…
I guess it's because I already killed a Red Cloak…?
There was also that Basilio…
That Jose guy from the Marbleam Chapter also seems normal…
Vivian squinted her eyes behind her mask.
I think I can kill this Pen without breaking a sweat…
Unless he has a Lore Magic like [Holy Wrath]…
As long as I can just land the first blow…
One [Explosive Finger] would do the trick…
The image of Ronaldo and his demon-kin companions flashed inside her head.
But those people…
Especially that Verin…
What in God's name was that spell…?
I really need to train quickly…
"Are you saying I have a weak presence, sister?" Pen asked.
"Of course not, brother," Vivian said and shook her head. "Like you said, we're the Inquisitory Division, we work in the shadows or behind the scenes. And as a Chapter Master of the Inquisitory Division, I believe you're doing a great job in hiding your powerful presence. I mean, what I'm trying to say is, I don't have that much experience in interacting with powerful people so I was surprised to see how each powerful being has their own way of projecting their presence."
Pen stared at Vivian for a moment before finally nodding.
"Unfortunately, you're wrong about that."
"Huh?"
"Since you're still a rookie Inquisitor, you may not yet realize this, but as Inquisitors, our battles are not outside, but inside the Temple and that also includes the Inquisitory Division where we try to uncover any form of corruption through our investigative skills. And because of that, Inquisitors tend not to be known for their physical prowess or fighting skills."
"You mean their Physical and Magic Force are low?"
"Compared to the other Divisions, especially the Infantry Division, yes. But once in a while, the Inquisitory Division would have a member who's as strong compared to the Infantry Division."
"Like you?"
"Sister, what's your definition of a powerful person?"
"What criteria are we basing it on? Just with the Inquisitory Division?"
"Magic Art Affinities and Physical and Magic Force."
"The number of Magic Art Affinities a person has and the age of a person -- depending on their profession. I would also consider their Lore Magic if they have one."
"What's the least number of Magic Art Affinites a person must have for you to consider them as powerful?"
"Um… 3? I mean, from what I know, 2 Magic Art Affinities seem to be the average. So anything above the average should be considered strong. That is if we're only counting the True Magic Art Affinities and excluding the False Magic Art Affinities."
"What about yourself, sister? Do you consider yourself powerful?"
"I consider myself above average."
"Let me tell you a story, sister."
Huh...?
A story...?
"There used to be a time when Inquisitors used to be the elite of the elite of the Holy Crusade's forces because not only were they highly intelligent, but they were also extremely gifted when it came to Magic Art Affinities and they were the most devoted and loyal in serving the goals of the Temple of Priests. Because of that, even people outside the Temple of Priests, would tremble in fear by the mere thought that an Inquisitor was coming to see them or being around them.
"It was during the time of His Holiness Hargar, the 21st Light Saint who ruled between 1812 to 1859 and spent his Holy Crusade days within Inquisitory Division before becoming a Light Saint when Inquisitors were at their peak. But after his reign, that's when the prestige of Inquisitors began to deteriorate.
"And by the time of His Holiness Timothy came, the 28th Light who ruled between 2151 to 2180, that's when the reputation of Inquisitors truly plummeted.
"Due to the vast political Inquisitors held, the Inquisitory Division fell prey to corruption. Many of the high-ranking officials used their position to get rid of political enemies, be it inside or outside the Temple of Priests.
"Although not many know this, His Holiness Timothy was actually forced to retire along with his Cardinals and then His Holiness Kleo rose to be the 29th Light Saint who ruled between 2180 to 2231. And as for the Inquisitory Division, their political power has been greatly diminished to the point the Temple even contemplated abolishing the Inquisitory Division. Despite the Inquisitory Division not ending up being abolished, a huge chunk of their political power was slashed out that Inquisitors now had to first gather evidence, submit them to both the Inquisitory Division and non-Holy Crusade officials within the Holy Kingdom, and have it reviewed if they truly have a case before they could arrest or punish a suspect.
"Fast forward to the present, under the reign of His Holiness Louie, the 45th Light Saint, although the reputation and political power of Inquisitors have improved since then, the Inquisitors of today are still a far cry compared to the ones from His Holiness Hargar's reign. They are no longer the extremely gifted Priests and Priestesses with a high number of Magic Art Affinities, they are now only known for their intelligence and investigative skills.
"However, that is the least of the Temple of Priests' problems. Ever since His Holiness Kleo reduced the political power of the Inquisitory Division during his reign in 2180 to 2231, the Infantry Division has been at the forefront when it comes to both physical and political power. As a matter of fact, between the 29th Light Saint and the 45th Light Saint, 13 out of 16 Light Saints came from the Infantry Division which resulted in the Holy Kingdom being reduced to a kingdom that's solely focused on acquiring power, land and resources with most of its members are no different from Royalty and Aristocratic Nobles of the Twin Kingdom."
"So you want me to become a Light Saint?" Vivian asked.
Pen waved his hand.
"No, sister."
Vivian's brows knitted together behind her mask.
Huh…?
So what's the point of you telling me this story…?
"What I want is to fix the trajectory of where our Temple has been heading for a couple of generations now but also bring back the honor of Inquisitors. At the moment, like I said earlier, there's hardly any difference anymore between Priests and the Royalty and Aristocratic Nobles. The old Priest families act like Royal Families while the normal Priest families act like Aristocratic Noble families. There's even factions among them -- and I'm not talking about Chapter Temples. In addition to that, many of our brothers and sisters are struggling to learn [Resurrection] and [Sacrifice] that with each generation, the number of Gold Cloaks has only been decreasing despite the number of our members increasing."
"Why not welcome those who have less than 3 Magic Art Affinities and don't have the Light Affinity?" Vivian said.
Pen shook his head.
"There are many reasons why the Light Affinity is important to the Temple of Priests. But one major issue is that in the much earlier days of the Temple of Priests before 1500 A.M., back when demons, demon-kins, the Cult of Infinity and the heretics still ran rampant out in the open in the Northern Continent, the Temple used to welcome everyone. However, as the Northern Continent became stable, three factions within the Temple started to form -- those who didn't have the Light Affinity, those who had the Light Affinity, and those who had more than 3 Magic Arts. And unfortunately, the ones who didn't have the Light Affinity and had less than 3 Magic Arts were discriminated or treated like second-class Priests.
"Not long after that, a civil war within the Temple broke out and is referred to in the records of the Temple of Priests's History as "The Light Wars era" which lasted between 1300 to 1400 A.M. and almost split the Holy Kingdom in half. After that war ended, the Temple, under the command of His Holiness Se'tu, the 13th Light Saint, made a decree that only those who have the True Light Affinity and those who have at least 3 True Magic Arts are allowed to join the Temple of Priests.
"But of course, that wasn't the true end.
"When Her Holiness Mar'kle became the 17th Light Saint who ruled between 1609 to 1650 and the first Light Saint who didn't have the Light Affinity tried to overturn the decree of His Holiness Se'tu, although she was successful in overturning it, she also kick-started "The Great Holy Crusade Wars era" where she forced everyone, regardless if they were part of the Temple of Priest or not, to join the Holy Crusade in eradicating demons, demon-kins, the Cult of Infinity and heretics from the Northern Continent all the way to the Southern Continent. Her goal was actually pure -- to have humanity gather as one force regardless of their age, gender, and social class to save the human race which allowed to her to garner so much support and launch a Holy Crusade of that magnitude.
"She made a lot of progress in eradicating the demons, demon-kins, the Cult of Infinity and heretics in the Northern Continent and even helped in creating a couple of human settlements at the Southern Continent -- one of them was the La Spada Kingdom which wasn't a kingdom at that time. However, as she was busy waging wars in the Southern Continent, the other kingdoms, such as the Twin Kingdom, Grahm Empire and Marbleam Kingdom, and also the Iron Kingdom and the Verglas Kingdom who were still independent kingdoms at that time, began to fear the growing influence of the Holy Kingdom. So they sought to undermine the progress of the Holy Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom almost got conquered by the Iron Kingdom.
"In the end, the "Holy Crusade Wars era" ended with Her Holiness Mar'kle having to overturn her decision of allowing people less than 3 Magic Arts without any Light Affinity and non-Temple of Priests members participate in the Holy Crusade."
The Temple of Priest had that much of a history…?
Vivian then recalled the book that Marie lent her when she had to study for her Mock Exam Holy Mission back at Luxen City.
Come to think of it…
N'eua was born in 682 A.M. or Age of Magic and then died at 772 A.M…
He was not only the first Priest, the progenitor of the Priest Class, but he was also the first Light Saint…
As for the Holy Kingdom…
It was nothing but a small village the N'eua grew up in half of his childhood after it was attacked by an army of heretics led by demons…
No, it was more like a rogue settlement because the technology at that time was still primitive…
It then later became a small independent city in the last few decades of his life…
But even if I say it's an independent city, I doubt if it could even rival the kind of villages the world has right now…
However…
I can't remember when the Holy Kingdom officially became a kingdom…
I think it was around the time of the 6th or 7th Light Saint…?
She shook her head mentally.
I really can't remember…
Also…
There is no mention of how many Magic Art Affinities N'eua has…
In fact, based on the reports and stories I've read about Light Saints, there is no mention of their Magic Art Affinities and Lore Magic…
Even the Cardinals are unknown…
All I know is that Light Saints people who have mastered the Light Affinity, acquired all of the Class Magic Spells of the Priest Class, have at least 5 Magic Art Affinities and are very powerful…
Meanwhile, the Cardinals are the Priests or Priestesses who have failed to be chosen as the Light Saint during the election process…
But who cares about that…?
What matters is me…
"What exactly do you want from me, brother?"
Pen leaned back on his chair and paused for a moment.
"I want to stay in the Inquisitory Division and you will answer whenever I call for you."
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
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