Chapter 283: She'kel Village

This chapter is sponsored by The Bitch in the Fantasy World Patrons:

• Adventurer GrimV

********************

********************

9:19 a.m.

Temple of Priests Compound, She’kel Village, Holy Kingdom.

Vivian and a group of people were inside a Meeting Room that was specifically assigned to her group.

Wind, Vivian and Theodore were seated at a long table that was stacked with documents and 3 Memory Crystals. Wind was at the head, Vivian was on his left side and Theodore was on his right side.

Meanwhile, Ronan, Zola and Janis were sitting in the lounging area.

Vo-voo-voom…

Everyone inside the room was looking at Vivian in amazement.

She was currently copying a 3-page document but the speed at which she was reading and writing was inhuman.

The stats given by Physical Arts and Magic Arts allow the person to move faster and see the world slower. But when it comes to seeing the world slower, it can’t be maintained 24/7 because it places a heavy strain on a person’s body, specifically their eyes and head. And the higher the person pushes it, the less time it can be maintained.

For example:

A person with the Physical and Magic Force of 100 points allows him to move 10 seconds faster and see the world 10 seconds slower.

If he views the world at 10 seconds slower, he could only maintain it for 10 minutes before straining his eyes and having a headache.

On the other hand, if he views the world at 5 seconds slower, he could maintain it for 15 minutes before straining his eyes and having a headache.

So if a person has 200 points:

• 20 seconds = 20 minutes

• 10 seconds = 30 minutes

•  5 seconds = 35 minutes

And if a person has 350 points:

• 35 seconds = 35 minutes

• 30 seconds = 40 minutes

• 25 seconds = 45 minutes

• 20 seconds = 50 minutes

• 15 seconds = 55 minutes

• 10 seconds = 60 minutes

• 5 seconds = 65 minutes

Of course, a person could use healing potions or spells to cure the pain and restart the clock. But people would usually only do that if they’re in a hurry.

In Vivian’s case, she has been doing this for almost 30 minutes but hasn’t yet stopped to heal herself. The reason behind that was that she was only using 1/5 of her Physical and Magic Force.

Done…

She stopped writing and placed her hand on a Memory Crystal. The crystal emitted a glow as the information about the 3-page document that she copied was sent to her brain.

No issues…

She placed her hand on another Memory Crystal. The crystal glowed as the information she copied was sent and recorded on the crystal.

Okay…

No issues…

She picked up the original 3-page document.

This goes here…

And then placed it on top of a pile with the original documents that she had already copied.

And this goes… 

She picked up her copied 3-page document.

Here…

And then placed it in a folder that had her copied documents.

Okay, next…

She picked up a new original document and then began reading it.

Wind was also doing the same except for the speed part.

There were 3 Memory Crystals -- one was for Vivian, one was for Wind and the third one belonged to the External Unit. And when it comes to their sizes, although they were still oblong-shaped attached with a stand to support them, they weren’t as large as an adult’s head, like the ones that Vivian has usually seen. Instead, they were only as large as an infant’s head.

In regards to Theodore’s presence, aside from assisting Vivian and Wind in case they had any questions about the documents related to the murder case, he was also here to guard the Memory Crystal sent by the External Unit.

Just like documents could be tampered with, information within Memory Crystals could also be tampered with, assuming that the person knew how to manipulate the Runes engraved on the Memory Crystal.

As for the fear of breaking the Memory Crystal due to the Magic Force a person possesses, the Memory Crystal was like the Magic Panel in rooms that controls the light and temperature, so they were always on. The only difference is that the user can manipulate the brightness and dimness of the light and the cold and heat of the temperature. However, that doesn’t mean a Memory Crystal, a Magic Panel or a passive Magic Item could last forever. Just like any piece of equipment, time would cause them to break and they would need to be repaired or replaced.

***

10:03 a.m.

Vo-voo-voom…

Vivian was still working at an inhuman speed.

Wind was focusing on copying a document.

Theodore was looking at something else but was actually paying close attention to Vivian.

Meanwhile, for Ronan, Zola and Janis, they were all looking at Vivian.

Wind placed his hand on his Memory Crystal. The crystal glowed as the information he just copied was sent to it. But instead of moving on to the next document, he turned to Vivian.

“Sister Inquisitor.”

Vivian stopped.

“Yes?”

“May I have a private word with you?”

Vivian knitted her brows behind her full-mask.

Why…?

Can’t keep up…?

“Sure.”

As they both got up, Wind turned to the other people in the room.

“Brothers and Sister, while Sister Vivian and I have a private word with each other for a moment, please don’t leave the room,” he said and then turned to Vivian. “Sister, let’s step outside.”

“Sure.”

***

Ka-cha!

As Vivian and Wind stepped outside of the Meeting Room, they saw a non-Priest staff member of the building sweeping the floors of the corridor.

The man stopped what he was doing and then lowered his head.

“Good morning, Honored Priest Inquisitor and Honored Priestess Inquisitor.”

“Sweep somewhere else for a moment,” Wind said.

The man lowered his head once again.

“Yes, Honored Priest Inquisitor,” he said and then left.

Wind turned to Vivian.

“Over here,” he said as he headed over to a window.

Vivian dragged her steps a little bit as she followed him.

“Sister, I don’t know what you’re doing or if you’re trying to prove, but you’re blowing our cover.”

She raised an eyebrow behind her full-mask.

“Blowing our cover?”

“What you did...

He explained to her the inhuman speed at which she used to read and copy the documents in an insane amount of time without stopping.

...and that’s why.”

Although Wind couldn’t see Vivian’s face because of her mask, he knew exactly what expression she was wearing.

“Just follow my lead, okay? And if you have any questions, just ask me. I believe Brother Inquisitor Pen mentioned to you that I am here to guide you?”

“Will this affect the investigation?”

Wind thought about it for a moment.

“I believe one of the reasons why Brother Inquisitor Pen assigned this Field Mission to us is to keep the guard down of the people we will be interacting with.

“Since we’re both young, while they’re older and some of them are related to powerful families, they wouldn’t consider us as a threat and would be more careless in divulging information.

“As long as we can make sure that Brother Theodore, Brother Ronan, Sister Zola and Brother Janis don’t mention anything about this incident, everything will be fine.”

Vivian shook her head.

“I think we can make sure that Brother Ronan, Sister Zola and Brother Janis won’t say anything as long as we don’t let them out of our sights. But for Brother Theodore, I have no faith.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“I… I can’t think of anything...”

“We can only ask them not to say anything about what they witnessed. And if any of them violate that agreement, we could highlight it on our final report that they undermined the investigation, and they would be punished by the proper authorities.”

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t WE the proper authorities? We’re the Inquisitory Division, we’re the ones in charge of exposing any corruption or heresy within the Temple.”

“Yes, we are in charge of exposing any corruption or heresy within the Temple. But delivering punishment is a different matter. That is not part of our responsibilities.”  

“But aren’t you from one of the Golden Families?”

“Aren’t you one as well?”

Vivian suppressed the urge to scoff.

“Let’s assume we act using our influence as members of the Golden Families. Combine that with our position as Inquisitors, I doubt they would do anything.”

Wind nodded.

“In normal circumstances, what you're suggesting would definitely work. However, this is a case that directly involves Mid-Tier Noble Priest families and High-Tier Noble Priest families, and indirectly involves Golden Families.

“The last thing that Brother Inquisitor Pen wants is for us to start a war here between the Factions.

“And when that happens, I won’t be surprised if Brother Inquisitor Pen and our families abandon us, and have the Temple punish us accordingly.”

Vivian became silent.

“As the Commanding Officer, I command you not to do anything that would make you stand out or blow our cover and continue to focus on the Field Mission given to us.

“And in regards to your blunder earlier, we will go with what I said. We will ask them not to say anything about what they witnessed. And if any of them violate that agreement, we would highlight it on our final report that they undermined the investigation, and they would be punished by the proper authorities.”

“Okay, brother,” Vivian said.

***

11:04 a.m.

Wind placed his pen down.

“Everyone, may I have your attention, please.”

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and turned to him.

“We’ll all take a break and resume at 1:00 p.m.,” he said and then turned to Theodore. “Brother, thank you for your hard work. Will you be handling the safety of the External Unit’s Memory Crystal?”

Theodore nodded.

“Yes, Brother Inquisitor. I will keep it with me while we’re on a break.”

Wind turned Ronan.

“Brother High Lieutenant.”

Ronan got up from his seat in the lounging area and then saluted.

“Brother Inquisitor!”

“I’ll be in my room and I’ll also be taking my Memory Crystal with me. You decide who’s going to guard this room until we get back.”

“Yes, Brother Inquisitor!”

Wind turned to Vivian.

“Sister, what about you? What are you going to do?”

“We will resume at 1:00 p.m., right?”

Wind nodded.

“Yes.”

“I want to try some of the restaurants in this Village.”

“I see.”

Theodore leaned forward.

“Sister Inquisitor, if I may.”

Vivian turned to him.

“What is it, brother?”

“My Brothers and Sisters from the External Unit and I are quite familiar with the best restaurants here. I can suggest to you a couple and then have someone deliver the food here.”

“Thank you, brother, I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, whenever I visit a place, I like to to explore it a bit, see what’s new and what’s old. However, I would like to know if you know any restaurants here that serve live animals or monsters with Magic Art Affinities. Also, they must have a private room. I don’t really like eating with people I don’t know.”

Theodore nodded.

“I understand. I can recommend to you some restaurants that can offer what you’re looking for.”

“Sister,” Wind said.

Vivian turned to him.

“Will you be bringing your Memory Crystal with you?”

“Should I?”

Wind nodded.

“Yes. And I suggest someone accompany you.”

Vivian turned to Ronan, Zola and Janis.

There were supposed to be only 4 people in the squad for this Field Mission -- 1 Crusader to escort 1 Inquisitor.

“Brother Janis, you’re from the Air Division, so you must be the most knowledgeable person among us when it comes to animals and monsters. I would need your expertise in ‘eating’ monster meat. You will be my escort,” she said with a smile.

Janis got up from his seat, stepped forward and then saluted.

“Yes, Sister Inquisitor Monad!”

Everyone in the room, except for Vivian, waited to see how Wind was going to react.

Theodore, Ronan, Zola and Janis were all veterans tempered with the fire and steel of the Holy Crusade. The inhuman feat that Vivian showed earlier was still very fresh in their minds. And the fact that Wind was her Commanding Officer meant he outranked her, he was more experienced than her, and he was probably at least as strong as her or more powerful than her.

Wind nodded.

“As you wish, Sister Inquisitor.”

Vivian grabbed a small suitcase, opened it, and then placed her Memory Crystal inside it.

***  

11:47 a.m.

Vivian and Janis were inside a private room located on the third floor of a restaurant.

The room had a rectangular-shaped table that was enough to accommodate 6 people, and it also had its own washroom and toilet. The price to use this room was 25 gold coins per hour. However, there was a larger room that costs 75 gold coins per hour.

Basically, it was a high-end restaurant and Vivian was paying for it.

Vivian fixed her mask as she stared at the window. She was still wearing the same attire. But instead of a full-mask, she was wearing a half-mask.

Should I bill this on the Inquisitory Division as a Field Mission expense…?

I mean…

I was given 250 Holy platinum coins on my Class Crystal and another 250 Holy platinum coins in coins as my Travel Budget for this Field Mission…

But 500 platinum coins feel so cheap…

Especially after considering I only get 5,000 platinum coins as my reward for completing this Field Mission, based on what Pen and I agreed upon…

Technically, this is what each Crusader receives for taking a Field Mission, at least when it comes to coins:

• Crusader - 50 gold coins (5 platinum coins) per Field Mission

• Sergeant - 250 gold coins (25 platinum coins) per Field Mission

• High Sergeant - 500 gold coins (50 platinum coins) per Field Mission

• Lieutenant - 2,500 gold coins (250 platinum coins) per Field Mission

• High Lieutenant - 5,000 gold coins (500 platinum coins) per Field Mission

• Captain - 25,000 gold coins (2,500 platinum coins) per Field mission

• High Captain & Chapter Master - 50,000 gold coins (5,000 platinum coins) per Field Mission

However, in the case of Inquisitors, High Sergeants can only do Field Missions near their station, while Lieutenants and above can do a Field Mission far away from their station. Moreover, unlike in the Infantry Division where each Crusader between the Crusader Rank and the High Lieutenant Rank is required to do at least 5 Field Missions during their Contract, for Inquisitors from the High Sergeant Rank to the Chapter Master Rank, they only do Field Missions if it’s assigned to them.

This is why Inquisitors get a Travel Budget of 500 platinum coins during a Field Mission.

I should probably just stick with eating humans at night…

That way…

At least I don’t spend a single coin…

Vivian turned to Janis who was sitting across her from the table and wearing his Crusader Armor set except for the helmet. And beside him, on top of a chair, was a small suitcase that had Vivian’s Memory Crystal.

“Do you really have to wear that every day?”

“Only while I’m on duty, Sister Inquisitor.”

“Didn’t I tell you to just call me ‘sister’ if it’s just us?”

“Ah… yes, sister.”

Vivian chuckled.

“Going to the toilet must be a highlight of your day.”

“It’s manageable...”

“I have a question. And please don’t take this the wrong way. Are you broke?”

A confused expression flashed across Janis’ face.

“I’m what…?”

“You’re from the Air Division. And from what I know, when it comes to monsters that have Magic Art Affinities, like let’s say a Rhonea, gray-colored feathers mean that monsters don’t have any Magic Art Affinity. But if they do, like let’s say for example, red feathers, then it has the Fire Magic Art Affinity. So my question is, assuming what I said is correct: Why do you have a gray-colored Rhonea, especially considering you’re a Lieutenant? Or perhaps you’re a gambler or have some other addiction?”

Janis scratched the side of his face before answering.

“I’m doing fine, at least for a Priest’s standards. And the reason why I have Bru as my ride, during the registration process at the Air Division Headquarters, you will have to register the monster that you’re going to be flying with during the Holy Crusade Contract. And for this current Holy Crusade contract I’m in, I chose Bru.”

“So you can’t register more than one monster?”

“You can, but I prefer to only use one monster per contract.”

“But why Bru? Wouldn’t it make more sense to use a monster that has a Magic Art Affinity?”

Janis nodded.

“That’s true. However, choosing a ride isn’t just based on their Magic Art Affinities. Forgive me if I’m going to offend you with what I’m about to say: When it comes to the Field Mission of people like me from the Air Division, Physical and Magic Force isn’t everything. What’s more important is the bond between the rider and the mount. If there is no bond and the both of you got into a dangerous situation during a Field Mission, it could lead to unexpected problems that could cause you your life.”

“Then why don’t you just form a bond with a monster that has a Magic Art Affinity? Are Rhoneas and Draghorns that expensive?”

Janis shook his head.

“It’s not the coins that’re expensive, it’s the time.”

Vivian’s brows knitted together behind her mask.

“What do you mean?”

“Forgive me again if I’m going to offend you with what I’m about to say, but I have to say this so I know we’re both on the same page:

“If a colored Rhonea, Draghorn or whatever monster is born, although they’re all guaranteed to have a Low-Tier Magic Spell, when it comes to the Mid-Tier, High-Tier and even Legend-Tier spells, it’s by chance.

“According to the Scholars from the Temple of Tamers, a colored monster has a 5% chance to learn a Mid-Tier spell, 3% chance to learn a High-Tier spell, a 1% chance to learn a Legend-Tier spell.  

“On top of that, once a monster was able to learn a Mid-Tier spell but failed to learn a High-Tier spell, there is no chance for it to learn a Legend-Tier spell.

“Moreover, for monsters to learn spells, it isn’t like us humans, they simply acquire them through age. At yearrs old they get the Low-Tier spell, at 5 years old they get Mid-Tier spell, at 10 years old they get the High-Tier spell, and then at 20 years old they get the Legend-Tier spell.

“And don’t forget, you still have to form a bond with them. So even if you bought hundreds of Rhonea chicks, Draghorn babies and whatnot, if you don’t spend enough time with them to form a bond, it would be pointless.

“Lastly, as you may have already guessed, buying an old or mature Rhonea, Draghorn or any colored monster that has all of the Magic Art spells is useless because even if you formed a bond with them, it won’t be as strong as the kind of bond formed back when they were still little.”

Vivian looked at Janis with a deadpan expression.

“That’s… that’s quite tiring," she said and then shrugged. "But then again, I guess everyone has their own hobbies. What’s the highest Physical and Magic Force a colored monster can have?”

“That depends on the monster. For Rhoneas and Draghorns, at 1 years old, they’re around the Mithril-Grade, at 5 years old they’re Adamantite, at 10 years old they’re Rainbow Steel, and then at 20 years old they’re Spirit Steel.”

Vivian’s jaw dropped behind her mask.

“Wouldn’t that make the Temple of Tamers such a powerful force? If they bred 100 Rhoneas or Draghorns, in 20 years, they would have an army of 100 Spirit Steel-level monsters.”

A genuine smile appeared on Janis’s face as he nodded.

“Yes, that is why there are laws on how many monsters a Tamer or anyone who plans to raise a monster can have. And if they decide to tame a monster, they also have to register it at the Temple of Tamers. Anyone caught violating those rules would be met with punishment.

“In fact, the incident that happened on Sier--”

He was about to mention the monster attack that happened in Sierra Village of the Luxen Kingdom this year. But after remembering that Vivian was CLEARLY from the Luxen Kingdom due to her accent, he decided not to say anything. After all, there was a law that prohibited anyone from trying to probe an Inquisitor’s identity.

Vivian’s brows knitted together.

“What incident --”

Knock, knock.

There was a knock on the door.

“Food service!” a male voice said behind the door.

Janis got up from his seat.

“Sister, may I take it?”

When Vivian nodded, Janis went over to the door to open it because it was locked.

Truth be told, Vivian was the one who ordered to lock it because she didn’t want to risk experiencing another situation similar to what happened between her and Caleb versus Alejandro and Ferdino at Plano Town.

Ka-cha!

Janis opened the door and a waiter pushing a cart came in.

On top of that cart were several dishes. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the chart was a monster called Black Tek trapped inside a cage but it was knocked out cold and heavily sedated.

If Vivian were to describe what a Black Tek looked like, it was basically a duck. However, unlike the ducks from her original world, the Tek had sharp talons, similar to an eagle's.

“The monster has been washed?” Vivian asked.

The waiter nodded as he approached the table.

“Yes, Honored Priestess Inquisitor,” he said and then began transferring all of the dishes from the cart to the table.

Once the waiter was done transferring the dishes, he lowered his head and then left with the cart.

“Feel free to any dish, brother,” Vivian said as she placed the Black Tek in front of her on top of a large plate and then grabbed a fork and knife.

“Yes, sister,” he said and then looked at the dishes.

Aside from the live Black Tek, there were at least 10 cooked dishes enough for 6 people.

“By the way, brother.”

Janis returned his gaze to her.

“Yes, sister?”

“As you may already know, I’m powerful. I mean, I’m VERY POWERFUL for my age, right?”

Janis swallowed.

“Yes.”

“In all honesty, my original plan was to eat all by myself. However, since Brother Inquisitor Wind placed me in a bind earlier, I had no choice. So if you’re going to blame anyone, blame it on him. This is all his fault.”

Voo--Cra--Whoo--Crack!

In the blink of an eye, Vivian twisted the neck of the Black Tek with her hands, sliced its chest open with a knife, and then spread its chest, exposing all of the internal organs.

As a veteran, Janis didn’t mind seeing internal organs. He has seen his fair share of gruesome wounds and deaths throughout the years. However, he certainly didn’t expect what he was seeing.

Vivian sliced off the heart from the exposed carcass and then picked it up with a fork.

“I love this,” she said and then placed the fresh organ inside her mouth.

Chomp, chomp…

She placed her fork and knife down, picked up a spoon, and then scooped some blood and a liver.

Slurp, chomp, chomp…

Noticing that Janis wasn’t eating, Vivian stopped and turned to him.

“And yes, this is part of my Lore Magic, a requirement that allowed me to acquire my overwhelming strength at my age.”

Vivian’s bloodstained lips slowly turned into a smile that wasn’t exactly a smile, revealing her bloodstained teeth, and the temperature in the room suddenly dropped.

“However, brother, just so you know, only a very handful of people know about this. So if rumors start to speculate about this peculiar diet of mine, I will easily be able to trace the source of it. And once I find that person who leaked it, I’m not just coming for them, I’m coming for that person’s family, friends -- everything that person cares about, and I REALLY LOVE IT when they have pure, beautiful and innocent little children. I swear to the God of Light that there won’t be a place in this world where that person and the people they care about could hide from me.”

The cold and bloody smile on Vivian’s face was quickly replaced with a cheerful and bright one, and the temperature inside the room returned to normal.

“But of course, if that person doesn’t say anything, nothing unfortunate would happen to that person and the people they care about~ In fact, that person and I would be the best of friends and they could even depend on me if they need my help~”

Janis was about to answer but Vivian interjected.

“Before you say anything, brother, eat first, enjoy the meal. Once we’re done eating, you can tell me your answer,” she said and then resumed eating the raw Black Tek.

********************

********************

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

By the way, I’ve posted this chapter at WebNovel, Royal Road and Patreon. However, the main is P-a-t-r-e-o-n (Immortal_Shades) because I want to post pictures and videos there without any restrictions.

https://www.patreon.com/Immortal_Shades

Don’t worry, the chapters there are free. And if you want to donate because I have no talent in being a writer, feel free to consider any of these titles:

• Adventurer - $2

• Guard - $3

• Merchant - $4

• Mercenary - $5

• Knight - $6

• Priest/Priestess - $7

• Necromancer - $8

• Aristocratic Noble - $9

• High Priest/Priestess - $10

Thank you once again and I will see you at the next chapter.

Chapter end