The Temple of Priests (2)

Vivian was alone inside a room.

When she and Rook entered the Temple of Priests' building led by Joshua, they were separated.

She was ordered to wait here, while Joshua took Rook somewhere else.

Vivian swept her gaze around.

At least the room doesn't look like something they would interrogate a criminal, let alone torture one…

So I guess I'm safe…

I think…

The room looked like a lounge room.

At the center, there were 2 large sofas and 2 single-seat sofas with a coffee table in the middle. There was a fireplace decorated with small statues, paintings on the walls of people and nature, and the windows were draped with curtains with intricate designs.

However…!

She wanted to check if there were any peepholes in case someone was watching her, especially the paintings. She remembered watching classic horror and thriller movies where the eyes of the paintings served as peepholes. But after concluding that if there was indeed someone watching her, it would only make her more suspicious.

But what can I do…?

Tch...!

I have so many secrets and yet I let my emotions get the best of me…!

I mean, how was I supposed to know that things would go this far…?!

She shook her head.

There's no point in crying over spilled milk now…

In case someone is indeed watching me, I need to appear more priestly…

She racked her brain for a couple of moments before an idea finally popped inside her head, causing her lips to curl up into a smile.

She got down on her knees, clasped her hands together on her chest and looked up at the ceiling.

"God of Light…"

"You know that I am a righteous person…"

"Which is why You bestowed me with Your holy power…"

"With this holy power that You bestowed upon me, I will continue the vow I made to You in easing the world from pain and suffering…" 

"And I shall eradicate the demons, the demon-worshipers, the forces of darkness and the heretics under Your holy name…"

"AMEN!"

Crack!

"Argh…!" Vivian groaned under gritted teeth as she broke one of her fingers.

Beads of sweat immediately started to appear on her forehead.

"Please accept this little offering to You and grant me more powers so that I can continue implementing Your will onto this world…!

[Heal].

A faint yellow light enveloped her body, healing her broken finger. 

Since she was wasting her time here instead of leveling up her Physical Arts and she couldn't let people know her blood was color blue, she might as well do something "productive".

Crack!

"Argh…!"

She broke another finger.

[Heal].

"Allow me to continue to act as Your instrument in delivering justice against the demons, the demon-worshipers, the forces of darkness and the heretics with Your holy light…!"

Crack!

"Arrrggghhh…!"

A bead of sweat poured down from her chin.

[Heal].

"Allow me to continue to act as Your messenger in guiding humanity and this world to the path of righteousness with Your holy light…"

Crack!

"Arrrggghhh…!"

[Heal].

"May humanity and the whole world continue to --"

The door to the room suddenly opened and someone entered.

"-- bask under Your holy light, oh divine God of Light!"

Crack!

[Heal].

Vivian turned her head towards who entered the room.

With beads of sweat still obvious from her face, she flashed a warm and kind smile before standing up and returning to her seat.

"Please forgive me, Brother Joshua. I was just praying for guidance from the God of Light."

"I see, Sister Vivian. I hope I didn't interrupt you," he said and flashed his usual warm and kind smile.

"Not at all," Vivian said and shook her head. "The truth is, every time I have nothing to do or I feel lost, I offer a little prayer to the God of Light."

Joshua made his way to one of the sofas and sat across from Vivian.

"You feel lost, sister?"

"Not at this moment, brother. I had nothing to do so I decided to offer a little prayer as thanks to the God of Light."

Joshua didn't say anything and just stared at her, only God knew what was going on inside his head.

After almost a minute, he finally opened his mouth.

"I understand, Sister Vivian."

Vivian didn't say anything and waited for him to continue speaking.

"Sister, I will be frank with you," he said and paused for a moment. "The way you handled things with Mrs. Belfair and her sons was a bit too excessive."

"I'm very sorry, brother," Vivian said and bowed. "I promise it will not happen again." 

"Believe me, I am no stranger to the power we hold, our purpose and how we affect the world around us. However, as humanity's first line of defense against the demons, demon-worshipers, the forces of darkness and the heretics, we still must maintain a good public image."

"I understand, brother."

"Good, good," Joshua said and nodded.

"So will I be punished or kicked out of the Temple?"

Joshua chuckled.

"Kicked out? Our Temple is not that unreasonable. But for the punishment, I'm not going to lie, the idea did cross my mind. But after remembering your dedication from saving this world from the demons, the demon-worshipers, the forces of darkness and the heretics, I changed my mind."

"Thank you, brother!" Vivian said and bowed.

"I'm not yet done, sister."

Vivian raised her head and looked at him.

"Sorry, brother."

"It's nothing. Just promise me that the next time you're going apprehend a potential heretic in public, make sure not to be excessive."

"Yes, brother. I promise."

"Good. Sister, may I ask you a personal question?"

Vivian's heart sank but she didn't let the emotion show on her face.

"What is it, brother?"

"With the kind of dedication you have for our cause, why are you still working as an adventurer?"

Shit…!

What should I tell him…?!

It's not like I can tell him that my job as an adventure is just in case I have to quit being a Priest…!

Vivian was a firm believer of 2 things:

The first one is to never put your eggs in a single basket.

The second one is that a man must have looks, money and status.

Back in her previous world, Vivian had her day job and her side business as an aspiring fitness influencer.

When it came to never putting your eggs in a single basket, given that she lived in a world where it was very competitive due to the globalized market and the never-ending advancement of technology so everyone was replaceable, being loyal to a company was the most idiotic thing that anyone can do. 

Although there were still companies out there worth being loyal to, it's quite rare -- and that is assuming that you're qualified for the job and the best candidate because by the end of the day, a business is a business and their main goal is to earn profits. 

On top of that, being an employee will never make her a millionaire or gain true financial freedom.

Even people who have high-end jobs like doctor, lawyer and CEO didn't become millionaires just by saving their monthly salaries. They became millionaires by investing money in other avenues such as real estate, stocks, starting a business, etc. Furthermore, because they're employees, they still have to answer to someone: a boss or anyone who has a higher position than them.

Meanwhile, when it comes to a man having looks, money and status, since Vivian was already spending a lot of time, money and energy in working out, dieting, skin care products, clothes and other things to look presentable, she decided that she might as well become a fitness influencer which will not only be another source of income but also give her status -- basically, hitting 3 birds with 1 stone.

Vivian wore a worried and guilty expression.

"To be honest, brother, the real reason why I'm still working as an adventurer is because sometimes I feel like I'm not worthy of being a Priest. I mean, who am I but just another average person? There are far better, more talented, more gifted people than me. I am nothing compared to people like you..." 

She looked down in shame.

Joshua didn't respond right away because he didn't expect such an answer. Truth be told, this was his first time receiving such an answer from someone, not to mention from a Priest.

Finally, about a minute, he opened his mouth.

"Sister Vivian… This feeling that you have inside your heart, cast it away."

Vivian didn't respond and continued to look down in shame.

"If the God of Light bestowed His element upon you, then it must be for a reason."

So they refer to the God of Light as a 'He', huh…

Vivian slowly raised her head but still wore a confused expression.

"What… what would that reason be…?"

"You were meant to be a Priest."

"Even when there's people like you, brother…?"

Joshua smiled and shook his head.

"I am not who you think I am, sister. Just like you, I have many faults, many flaws. The same goes for our brothers and sisters. But what's important is that we don't stray from our main purpose -- to rid the world from the demons, demon-worshipers, the forces of darkness and the heretics, and to ease the pain and suffering of others."

"I understand, brother," Vivian said and nodded.

"If there's anyone who I think are the epitome of being a Priest, that would be the Light Saints."

"Brother, how does one become a Light Saint? I've heard stories about them but I can't tell which ones are true and which ones are exaggerated."

"To become a Light Saint, one has to have complete mastery of the Light Affinity, acquire all of the Class Magic of a Priest and have the highest Magic Force compared to the rest of the candidates."

Vivian paused for a moment before finally opening her mouth.

"Brother, how many Priest Class Magic spells are there? I've been constantly training and doing Holy Missions but I have yet to learn a single one."

Joshua looked at her with a deadpan expression.

"Sister, it hasn't even been a month since you joined our Temple."

After all, it was Joshua who "recruited" her.

"Oh… Haha…" Vivian let out an awkward laugh and scratched her head.

"Hmm… Sister, I think I now understand why you have doubts about whether you're worthy to be a Priest or not. Is it because of your age?"

After all, Brown Cloaks are usually in their teens.

And to be a White Cloak, one has to have at least 1 Class Magic.

And then to be a Gold Cloak, one has to have the [Resurrection] Class Magic skill. 

Vivian wore a serious expression.

"I will admit, it's one of the reasons, but not the main one."

"Well, sister, they say that choosing the right Class is based on a person's personality. But if I were to give my personal opinion, I believe anyone who is born with the Light Affinity should become a Priest and participate in saving this world from demons, the demon-worshipers, the forces of darkness and the heretics. 

"And if I were to give my personal opinion about you, I think you fit perfectly fine as a Priest based on your dedication and conviction. You just need to be mindful of the violence you exert when apprehending potential heretics in public. After all, as humanity's first line of defense against the demons, the demon-worshipers, the forces of darkness and the heretics, we still must maintain a good public image."

"Thank you, brother. I will definitely keep your words in mind."