5:15 p.m.
Adventurer's Guild, Luxen City.
Vivian stepped into the main lobby and she was immediately approached by Felize, Torr and Gaze.
"Honored Priestess Vivian!" the teens said and bowed.
Vivian greeted them with a smile and nod.
She was wearing her usual attire except for one thing. Instead of a poleaxe, she now had a Mithril-grade sword on her left hip, the weapon that she got from Marie.
"Honored Priestess, if you're here to submit your Quest items, please allow us to do it for you," Torr said.
Vivian studied Torr's face.
Hmm…
His face is still pale…
And there are dark eyebags under his eyes…
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing well, Honored Priestess."
Vivian nodded.
"Good, good," she said and then handed over her small sack to him. "Thank you."
"It's a pleasure, Honored Priestess," Torr and Gaze said before heading over to the Quest Rewards counter and joining the line, leaving Felize with Vivian as usual.
Vivian was about to turn away and find a seat when Felize stopped her.
"Honored Priestess…"
"What is it?"
"I was informed that the Guild Receptionist, Ma'am Pana, wanted to have a word with you."
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
"Pana?" shen said and then glanced over at Pana's counter.
An Adventurer just finished talking to her and left. She turned to Vivian's direction and waved.
Vivian returned her gaze to Felize.
"Okay, I'll head over to her right now."
"Yes, Honored Priestess," Felizen said and lowered her head.
Vivian arrived in front of Pana.
"Vivian, how are you?" Pana asked.
"I'm good. I was informed that you wanted to talk to me?" Vivian replied.
Pana nodded.
"Yes. Do you remember, Mrs. Belfair?"
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
"Mrs. Belfair?"
"She was the kind woman who participated to act as one of the witnesses in our contract."
Vivian recalled the time she and Pana made a contract if she were to work as a hostess at Madam Stonia's hostess club. And after writing the contract, given that Vivian didn't know how to read and write at the time and there had be to witnesses in order for the contract to be legally recognized, she pulled out a random civilian from the street and promised that civilian that she will owe her a favor, while Pana asked one of her coworkers to act as the other witness.
"Oh… What about her?"
"She's in need of your help."
"What kind of favor does she need?"
"She hasn't told me about it yet but she would like to set up a meeting with you."
Damn…
Already…?
I still have so many things on my plate…
"When?"
"Tomorrow or as soon as possible."
"Location?"
"I told her that the both of you can meet here and use one of the Meeting Rooms."
"I see. Tell her that I'll meet her here tomorrow afternoon at exactly 1:00 p.m. And please also tell her that if she's not here by 2:00 p.m., I'm leaving, I have so many matters to attend to."
Pana nodded.
"Noted. I will tell her that."
"Anything else?"
"Just that."
"I see," Vivian said and then looked around.
There was an Adventurer waiting behind her, wanting to talk to Pana. She returned her gaze to Pana.
"Looks like you got another customer."
Pana let out a tired sigh and smiled.
"Well, it's been quite hectic because of what happened to the former Supreme Captain."
"The former Supreme Captain?"
"You haven't heard what happened?"
"What happened?"
"I don't know the exact details, but the Royal Castle released a statement this morning that Ronaldo has been stripped off of his rank as the Supreme Captain of the Luxen Kingdom for involving himself with demon-worshippers and the Cult of Infinity and is a wanted criminal. Anyone who could provide information about his whereabouts would receive 100 platinum coins. Meanwhile, those who could capture him would receive 10,000 platinum coins."
"And now people trying to get the reward?"
"Yes…" Pana said with a tired voice. "I've been receiving reports since 11:00 a.m. At first, I tried to confirm them right on the spot but none of them provided anything tangible. So now I'm just gathering all of the reports and then sending them to the back to have my co-workers confirm it."
"Is it true?"
"About what?"
"The reports about the former Supreme Captain colluding with demon-worshippers and the Cult of Infinity."
Pana shrugged her shoulders.
"That's what the Royal Castle and the higher-ups say."
"What about you?"
"You mean, what's my opinion about it?"
"Yes."
"I really can't say because I've only seen the former Supreme Captain once. He was walking down the street with His Royal Highness Prince Caspian and a group of Knights and he was friendly, smiling to anyone who tried to approach them and say hello."
"Do you know how powerful is a Supreme Captain?"
"Oh, they're like Gods. The Supremes are the main bodyguards or protectors of the Royal Family and the kingdom. Once they make a move, there's only a handful of people who could stop them."
Only a handful of people can stop them, huh…
So my intuition this morning was right…
"How many Supremes are there again?"
Pana thought about it for a moment.
"There's the Supreme Commander, Supreme Major, Supreme Captain, Supreme Lieutenant and Supreme Sergeant."
Hmm…
If I ask who are the Supremes…
Will be strange…?
"I see."
"What about you?"
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
"About me?"
"About what the Royal Castle and the higher-ups are saying about the former Supreme Captain colluding with demon-worshippers and the Cult of Infinity."
Oh right…
I'm a member of the Temple of Priests…
"As a devout follower of the God of Light, of course, it's my duty to capture anyone who is colluding with demon-worshippers and the Cult of Infinity. However, I also need to be realistic. Ronaldo is the former Supreme Captain and I'm just a simple Brown Cloak. I don't think I have the power to capture him. The best I can do is to report anything I hear about his whereabouts to the more suitable authorities."
Pana blinked a couple of times.
"That's… That's a fair assessment."
Vivian knitted her brows.
"Fair assessment? That's common sense."
"No, that's not what I meant --"
Vivian held out her hand.
Ehem!
Someone behind Vivian cleared their throat.
When Vivian turned around to see who did that, there was a line of three people behind her and they were all giving her an annoyed look.
She clenched her jaw but then relaxed.
Right…
I'm in the wrong here…
She returned her gaze to Pana.
"Okay, so just to be sure, Mrs. Belfair and I would meet here tomorrow between 1-2:00 p.m, and if she doesn't show up, then I'm not rescheduling because I'm busy, correct?"
"You won't reschedule?"
"Yes, because I'm busy. Why?"
Pana shook her head.
"It's nothing. I'll make sure to mention that to her as well."
Vivian nodded.
"Good. Thank you."
She turned away and headed to Felize who was sitting at the lounging area.
Felize got up from her seat and when Vivian arrived in front of her.
"Honored Priestess," she said and then lowered her head.
"You don't have to do that. You're not my personal assistant, you know."
"I'm sorry, Honored Pries--"
Vivian held out her hand and then sat down at the empty chair beside her.
"Are they done?"
"Not yet. They're still waiting in line," Felize said and then returned back to her seat.
Vivian turned to the Quest Rewards counter.
Torr and Gaze were in 4th place.
It was then a rich-looking fat short and man in his mid-20s with yellow hair and a smug face accompanied by a group of four men in their late 20s to mid-30s dressed in fighting gear stepped inside the main lobby.
The fat and short man wore a silver breastplate engraved with Runes and had a Silver II Rank pendant around his neck.
Meanwhile, his entourage, although they were also dressed in fighting gear, none of them wore an Adventurer pendant.
Everyone looked at them.
The fat and short man headed straight to Pana's counter with his chin held up high.
Pana was talking with an Adventurer and there were two other Adventurers waiting behind him.
The fat and short man went over to the two Adventurers and took out two coin pouches.
Shing, shing.
"If you let me go first you'll have these," he said and jangled the coin pouches.
The two Adventurers looked at each other for a moment and then returned their gaze to the fat and short man.
"No problem."
"Sure."
They each accepted the coin pouches.
The fat short man stepped forward and waited patiently. Meanwhile, his entourage went over to the side to wait.
"Are those Mercenaries?" a Copper II Rank Adventurer whispered to his companion.
"I don't know, but I think so," his companion replied.
Vivian turned to Felize and noticed that she was looking at the fat and short man intensely.
Eh…?
Don't tell me she's into those types of guys…?
"Is that guy famous or something?"
Felize snapped back from reality and turned to Vivian.
"That's Einhart. He's part of the Temple of Blacksmiths and is one of the best young and upcoming craftsmen in the kingdom. And they say that once he has made enough contributions to the kingdom, he will be granted the title of a Noble and become a Scholar."
"Heh~ Really now."
Felize nodded.
"They say that he was born with a Lore Magic that allows him to craft Magic Scrolls faster and with a higher success rate."
There are Magic Scrolls in this world…?
She shook her head mentally.
Idiot…
Of course, there would be…
There's magic in this world…