Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint

Septus 16, 3023 A.M., day of Satur, 10:32 a.m.

It's been a few days since Vivian went to the rogue settlement in the Mobius Mountains and she was currently inside her office at the border checkpoint reading a book about the demon-kin language. It was one of the books available in the office library.

She placed down the book before grabbing a pen and paper to write down the alphabet.

After writing the alphabet, she compared them to the book.

Tch.

She clicked her tongue.

This one here lacks a line…

This one here needs more of a curve…

She leaned back on her chair and took off her Inquisitor Half-mask before rubbing her eyes.

It's really hard to learn a language if you don't even know how to speak it, let alone be exposed to it…

Among the people here at the border checkpoint, there were a handful of people who knew how to speak it due to work purposes. However, their proficiency was a bit lacking. Aside from the fact that they had different accents or manner of saying the words, their sentences were either too stiff or lacking so it was hard for her to remember.

Well…

At least I'm learning instead of doing nothing at all…

Her eyes glanced at her arms.

I'm turning pale again…

I need to eat another blue-colored nervous system…

She picked up her half-mask and wore it back.

It's been days since that incident back at Mobius Mountains…

And so far, nothing has happened…

And just to be safe, I haven't stepped outside this border checkpoint since then…

Tap, tap, tap…

She began tapping her finger on her desk.

I think it's already safe…?

I still need to go to the nearest town and purchase the things I need so that I can start my training…

Considering her current Physical and Magic Force and her secrets, in her mind, whether she admits it or not, she could no longer train like normal people.

I can't overtrain my Magic Force…

Sparring with people here is out of the question…

The wine and food are also not enough…

Although each border checkpoint was given a monthly budget, when it came to food, it was only enough for 50 people to eat twice a day. And the food for the animals at the stable also has their own budget. With Vivian alone, she needed to eat at least 9 meals per day just to feel satisfied.

Yeah…

I think it's already safe…

I'll issue a request today to go to town…

Hopefully, it will be granted right away…

And then I'll go out tonight to eat a blue-colored nervous system…

But first, I need a breather…

Vivian opened one of the drawers on her desk and pulled out a hand mirror.

Hmm…

My lipstick is a bit messy…

She took out a lipstick and began painting her lips.

Smooch.

She made a kissing gesture with her lips as she checked her reflection.

Perfect…!

Hmm…

I think my make-up still looks good…

She took out a bottle of perfume and began spraying herself.

Psssh.

Psssh.

I need a smaller perfume bottle that I can carry around inside my pockets….

She took out a comb and brushed her hair as she viewed her reflection.

"Oh my God!"

Fuck…

It hasn't even been a week since I dyed my hair black and the original color of my hair is already showing on its roots…

So annoying…!

Before leaving the Holy Kingdom and coming here to the border checkpoint, Vivian cut her hair into a bob haircut style or what she prefers to call the Jill Valentine haircut, and also dyed her hair brown.

The reason why she did this was because she found it too bothersome having long hair and wearing a half-mask, not to mention she also had to wear makeup and her White Cloak.

"There, perfect!"

She returned the hand mirror, lipstick, perfume and comb inside the drawer. And aside from these things, she also had an extra pair inside her room.

Vivian got up from her seat and headed for the door.

Now I understand why women have handbags…

I wonder if I could buy a nice handbag at the town…

Carrying those things inside my belt pouch seems too distasteful…

I also need to purchase full-body mirrors -- one here in my office and another one for my room…

She opened the door of her office and stepped outside.

As she passed by the main hall, she saw Finley and Garcon who were sitting down behind their desks and chatting.

"Brother Sergeant Finley, Knight Garcon," Vivian greeted and flashed a smile as she headed for the exit.

Both of the men turned to her.

"Sister Inquisitor," Finley said with a cheery smile.

"Priestess Inquisitor Monad," Garcon said with a smile that looked a bit forced as if he was afraid of her.

Vivian knitted her brows behind her half-mask.

Is he still sulking about what I did to him last time…?

It's not like I hurt him… 

I just used [Poison Strike] on him and then immediately followed it up with [Cleanse]…

She rolled her eyes.

Whatever…!

"Do you need anything?" asked Finley.

Vivian stopped.

"I'm just going out for a walk to get some fresh air. My head hurts a little bit from studying."

"Oh, okay."

Vivian resumed walking until she finally reached the exit and stepped outside the Main Office building.

***

The sky was cloudy and the ground was a bit wet because it had been raining early in the morning.

Vivian looked to her left where the South Gate was which was close to the Main Office building.

There was a caravan parked in the middle of the gate being pulled by an animal called a Tamare. And if Vivian were to describe the animal, it looked like a cow but was thicker and covered in long brown fur, and its hooves were also larger. 

Meanwhile, at the corner of the gate, there was a small booth where Anthony of the Priests Squad was sitting behind a desk and talking to the leader of the caravan.

The Guards on duty approached the caravan and began inspecting it.

However, when the animal saw Vivian, it immediately became restless, startling the

Guards.

Whaaack!

The coachman immediately whipped the animal and pulled the reins to calm the animal. And once the animal calmed down, the coachman quickly apologized to the Guards.

On the side of the small booth, the leader of the caravan was profusely apologizing to Anthony.

"I'm very sorry, Honored Priest…! Please forgive my group…! I am but a lowly and law-abiding merchant who has traveled --…!"

"Enough," Anthony said as he waved his hand and then studied the traveling documents on his hand. "What is your name?"

The leader cleared his throat and forced himself to regain his bearings.

"Manuel S. Estefan, Honored Priest."

"Your middle name?"

"Santos."

"Your profession?"

"Merchant, I sell spices, Honored Priest."

"Where are you from?"

"La Spada City."

"Where are you headed?"

"We plan to travel to Plano Town to attend the upcoming Feugo Festival and sell our spices there, Honored Priest."

"How many companions do you have traveling with you?"

"Eight."

"What's your relationship with them?"

Vivian was no longer interested in listening so she turned away and walked in the opposite direction. 

As she was walking, she passed by a group of personnel who were currently off-duty and were sparring.

Lamont and Trevin from the Knights Squad were in the middle, while a few Guards were watching on the side.

Trevin thrust his poleaxe forward but Lamont parried it with his sword and then twisted his wrist before finally landing the tip of his blade on Trevin's right shoulder.

"5-2," said Lamont. 

Trevin nodded and took a step back.

It was then Lamont noticed Vivian looking at them while she was walking.

"Time out for a moment," he said and then jogged away.

"Why?" Trevin asked and then turned to where Lamont was heading.

***

Lamont arrived next to Vivian.

"Priestess Inquisitor Monad, beautiful day, isn't it?" he said with a bright and cheery voice.

Vivian stopped and turned to him.

"Knight Lieutenant Anthony, I guess you can say that you can say that in this season."

"I've always loved cloudy skies, minus the mud and rain."

"I see."

"So, what brings you out of your office?"

"Just out to get some fresh air for a moment before returning back to my office to review documents."

"Your work ethic is really admirable."

"Thanks."

"You know, they say that a warrior must not only have a sharp body but also a sharp mind."

"I guess you can say that."

"If you have some spare time in the future, come join us spar."

Vivian glanced at Trevin and the others before returning her gaze to Lamont.

"I'll consider it."

"Okay, I'll stop interrupting your break. I have to go back to sparring with Trevin. It was nice talking to you," he said and smiled brightly.

"Same," she said and smiled faintly.

Lamont turned around and went back to Trevin.

Vivian resumed walking.

***

"You have her in your sights?" Trevin asked when Lamont returned and Vivian was already far away.

"Is it a crime wanting to talk to a beautiful woman?"

"How do you even know she's beautiful? She wearing a mask that covers half of her face."

Lamont shook his head in pity.

"Full-mask, half-mask or whatever, it's easy to tell when a woman is beautiful."

A confused expression flashed across Trevin's face.

"Huh?"

"I'm not bragging or anything, but I'm not that bad-looking. And if you've noticed the way she interacts with me, she isn't flustered or anything. There's also the way she carries herself. There's that undeniable confidence where she's used to looking down on people."

"Maybe you're not her type?"

"Again, have you seen my face?"

Trevin suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and got into a fighting stance.

"The score is 2-5."

"Just think about it, aside from my face, I'm also sociable, an officer with a rank, I'm a Noble from a good family and we're in the middle of nowhere." 

Trevin suppressed the urge to roll his eyes once again.

"Are we going to continue sparring or not, LORD Knight Lieutenant?"

"Let's talk for a moment."

Trevin let out a sigh and stood down from his fighting stance.

"Have you ever considered that maybe she's married? And plus, she's a Priestess and an Inquisitor which makes her our superior."

Although no one knows what Vivian's officer rank was because Inquisitors are not obliged to reveal personal details about themselves unless necessary and Lamont and Garcon were part of the Knights Squad, given that she was the Inquisitor assigned at the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint, her authority was only second to Lennon from the Priests Squad and Edgar from the Knights Squad. And in the event that these two leaders can't perform their duties to lead for whatever reason, Vivian has the authority to take over.

"Let me share you a little secret, my friend, since you're not of Noble birth. Within the higher echelons of society, many of the women are bored, especially the married ones, because they believe they lack freedom. But if you ask me, it's a fair trade. In exchange for producing heirs, they don't have to train that much."

"If the women here hear you, you're going to be in trouble."

"They won't. It's the truth after all. And it's not like the men don't also have a heavy burden to carry. Aside from the fact we don't have a choice of who we get to marry, we also have to dedicate our entire lives to training to protect our families and are the first ones to be sent out on the battlefield. In addition to that, if you happened to be born "talentless", you will be cast aside by not only your family but also the entire Noble society."

Trevin raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that rich coming from someone who has three wives?"

A small smile appeared on Lamont's face.

"Say that to me again once you're married and the person you're married to is someone that only the Elemental Gods know what she does when you're away. And in my case, make that 2 out of 3," he said and then looked at the sky. "In fact, sometimes I wonder if my children are even mine. I like to believe at least half of them are."

In this world, there was no DNA testing. The only way for parents to determine if the child is theirs is if the child has inherited the Physical and Magic Arts, and even Lore Magic -- if the parents have any -- of the parents. However, the people in this world don't care about Physical Arts because they can be learned by anyone, regardless if they have the Affinity or not.

"Someday you're going to land yourself in serious trouble."

"Why are you thinking that I'm planning to do anything with her? I simply want to chat with her and point out that she's beautiful. Can't a handsome man and a beautiful woman just be friends? You're too close-minded sometimes, my friend."

"I suggest that you forget about it. Garcon told me that she isn't someone worth messing around with."

Lamont raised an eyebrow.

"You mean Garcon already attempted to make a move on her? I'm impressed. I didn't know that boy was that bold."

Trevin shrugged.

"He didn't mention the specifics but I heard some rumors that even a few of the Guards are quite wary of her."

Lamont's eyes sparkled.

"Oh… She's one of those strict and rough types? So my instincts were correct."

Trevin didn't say anything and stared at him with a deadpan expression.

"Like I said, I just want to have a chat with her and be friends."

"Whatever. So are you ready to resume our sparring?"

"Okay."

They both got into a fighting stance.

***

Vivian was still walking around to get some fresh air until she noticed a building.

That's the stables…

I best not to get close to and cause any more problems…

She moved closer to the opposite side of the street and ended up near a blacksmith workshop.

There was a Guard in his mid-20s holding a hammer and tapping it on a shoulder plate armor. And when he saw Vivian, he immediately stopped what he was doing and saluted.

"Honored Priestess Inquisitor Monad!"

Vivian held out her hand.

"At ease."

The Guard relaxed.

"How may I be of service, Honored Priestess Inquisitor? Do you need any repairing?"

As far as I can remember, this guy is part of the Guard Squad…

I don't remember his name but I believe he has a rank…

I think it was Lieutenant…?

Or was it Sergeant…?

She glanced at the hammer and shoulder plate armor on his hands.

So he's the blacksmith here…?

"I'm just walking around to get some fresh air. Please carry on whatever you were doing," Vivian said and smiled.

"Yes, Honored Priestess Inquisitor," he said and then returned to what he was doing.

Vivian nodded before sweeping her gaze around the workshop.

There wasn't anything fancy about it. It was simple and straightforward. At least that was what how Vivian who has no experience in smithing viewed it.

"By the way, do you sell any items here?" she asked without turning to the Guard.

He stopped what he was doing and turned to her.

"I don't and I'm not allowed to sell anything, Honored Priestess Inquisitor. Everything here is provided by the kingdoms under the Knights Chapter and the Holy Crusade. And as of the assigned Blacksmiths here, my main responsibility is to repair items and equipment."

Vivian turned to him.

"Can you repair Magic Items?"

"I can repair Magic Items and Elemental Weapons. But I can only repair the ones with one or two magic effects. More than that, I have to decline because that's too precious and I can't afford to pay for it if it gets damaged. I'm very sorry, Honored Priestess Inquisitor."

"Don't be. I was simply asking," she said and thought about it for a moment. "So does this mean you can read Runes?"

"Yes, Honored Priestess Inquisitor. Everyone who's part of the Temple of Blacksmiths must at least learn the basics about Runes."

"The basics about Runes? So there's an advance level?"

"Yes, Honored Priestess Inquisitor. There are 5 levels. My current level is Level 2 where I can create and repair Magic Items with two magic effects."

Unlike the Priest Squad, the Knights and Guard Squads were from different Temples.

Vivian reached out for her chin and almost massaged it but stopped after remembering that she was wearing makeup.

Fuck…!

Old habits die hard…!

Anyhow…

Since I'll be stuck here until my contract ends, maybe I could learn a little about Runes…

Another difference between the Priests Squad, and the Knights and Guards Squad is that the Priest's contract was only 6 months, while the Knights and Guards Squad was 1 year.

"If it's not a bother with you, do you mind if I ask you to teach me about Runes one of these days? Unfortunately, I don't know much about Runes and it would be nice if an expert or someone knowledgeable as you could teach me a few things about it."

"Thank you for the kind words, Honored Priestess Inquisitor. But unfortunately, as someone who's only a Level 2 Blacksmith, I'm far from being knowledgeable, let alone an expert. However, I will do my best to teach you everything I know -- there isn't that much to do here anyway."

"Thank you," Vivian said and flashed a sweet and kind smile under her half-mask, causing the blacksmith to blush a little bit.