Vivian was standing in the middle of her room, 3-08, which was located on the 3rd floor. She already moved all of her items from the shared room on the 1st floor and placed them on the corner.
Lorei said that the bed, pillows, curtains and other things will be sent later…
About 2 hours…
She turned to the windows.
What am I going to do…?
It's probably at least 3:30 p.m…
It's already too late to go to the for--…
A dark expression appeared on her face.
Oh…
Right…
That fucking suspension…
An image of Robert, Pana, Mrs. Belfair and there Adventurers she had "disagreements" with flashed inside her head, causing her to grit her teeth and ball her hands into fists.
THOSE FUCKING BASTARDS…!
I'LL NEVER STEP INSIDE THE ADVENTURER'S GUILD EVER AGAIN UNLESS IT'S TO ARREST YOU…!!!
This time around, an image Felize, Torr and Gaze flashed inside her head and she turned to her poleaxe that was leaning against a wall on the corner beside an armor stand.
Right…
I need to see those kids one last time…
I have to be there at around 5:00 p.m…
And then I'll never step inside the Adventurer's Guild ever again…
Her gaze landed on the package that had the Elemental Weapons she bought.
Should I try them now…?
She shook her head.
No…
I don't want to do things halfway…
I'll only get irritated…
And that's assuming it works…
She let out a sigh.
"Well, it's not always that I got some time to breathe."
She turned around and headed for the door.
"Who knows, maybe I'll encounter a criminal and earn that 100 silver coins gold that was stolen from me by those useless insects."
Ka-cha!
After opening the door and stepping outside, she checked her pockets.
Good…
I have the key…
Click.
Ku-chud.
She locked it and then closed it before walking in the hallway.
I really have to get strong as quickly as possible…
But my source of EXP for training my Physical Arts has been cut off…
She recalled the time she went to the Training Grounds' Gym and then underwent the Awakening Ceremonies for her [Fire] and [Wind Mastery].
The main reason why I never chose to train there is because people might notice my unnatural fast growth…
And assuming what that Priestess from the Blacksmith Shop said is true…
The average Physical and Magic Force of a Priest who is at least or around in his 40s is Spirit Steel…
And now, the color of my blood is blue…
So there's no chance in hell I can train there…
What can I do…?
I don't want to just train my Magic Arts…
I need to train my Physical Arts because they're the ones that give the most STR, VIT and AGI…
But seriously…
What can I do…?
She was already close to the stairs when she bumped into someone.
"Sister Vivian?" a White Cloak Priestess with short blonde hair in her early 30s said and then noticed the White Cloak draped over Vivian's body. "Sister Vivian, congratulations on getting promoted to White Cloak! When did this happen?"
Vivian forced a smile.
"Sister Criselle, it's been a while. Thank you, I just got promoted today."
"Today? Oh… wow. But didn't you just joined the Temple of Priests?"
Vivian let out an awkward chuckle.
"Well, I guess I'm just blessed by the God of Light."
"Truly," Criselle said with a warm smile and then stared at Vivian White Cloak for a moment before returning her attention to her face. "What Class Magic did you learn?"
"[Halo]."
"Oh, that's great. You now have a passive mana recovery boost. Very helpful in training Magic Arts. Have you bought a magic item that also boosts mana recovery? It's extremely helpful as well."
"Already did," Vivian said and pointed to the earring on her right ear.
"As expected. You've always been very diligent. I won't be surprised if you surpassed me one of these days."
Vivian waved her hand.
"That's impossible. If that happens, it would probably take me at least 20 years."
"No, I'm serious."
"Right. By the way, sister, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you mentioned last time that you're one of the Instructors at the Training Grounds?"
Criselle nodded.
"Yes, I am. But I only go there in the evening because I have my responsibilities at the Cafeteria during the day."
"I see. I have a quick question if you don't mind."
"What is it?"
"Aside from sparring with people, how does one train their Physical Force? Like, are there other ways like lifting things, swinging weapons, using Physical Arts?"
Criselle mused for a moment.
"Apart from sparring with people, there's only using Physical Arts skills, whether it's against their enemies or self-inflicted. But no one does that because it requires mana. Most people would prefer to spar with people to train their Physical Arts and then use their mana to train their Magic Arts."
Vivian nodded.
"I see. Thank you, sister. That was very helpful. I'm sorry for taking up your time, I have to go," she said and then started to resume walking.
"You're going to celebrate?" Criselle asked.
Vivian stopped and turned to her.
"No, I'm just going to have a little walk. I just moved in today and Sister Lorei told me that I will have to wait for around 2 hours before the bed, bedsheets, pillows and other things will be delivered."
"Sister, there's a new cafe that just opened outside the compound that's owned by Brother Lance's family. I haven't been there yet but I heard their cakes there are tasty and with beautiful designs. I plan to try them now after I drop something in my room."
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
"Room? You live here?"
Criselle nodded.
"Yes," she said and then pointed at one of the doors. "I live at 3-05."
"I see."
"Would you like to come with me?"
"Um…"
"It would be my treat."
"But what about the Cafeteria?"
"I took a day off today to deal with some personal matters."
Hmm…
Well…
She's one of the Instructors…
And she's free…
It would be a waste if I didn't take this opportunity to learn more about training Physical and Magic Arts…
Also…
This would be a first…
A woman treating me…
"Sure… But I have a condition."
"Anything, what is it?"
"I don't mind going to the new cafe with you. However, I want to go there with you so that I can ask you about Physical and Magic Arts training because I really am a big dummy when it comes to these things. Is that okay with you?"
Criselle blinked a couple of times and then let out a chuckle.
"I almost forgot how serious you are asking about training. And now that I think about it, the first time I met you, you went to the Cafeteria to ask if you could use the kitchen to burn yourself so that you can open your [Fire Mastery]."
Vivian let out an awkward laugh and was about to scratch the side of her face but stopped.
Right…
The powder on my face…
I keep forgetting...
***
Vivian and Criselle stepped inside a luxurious main lobby.
Eh…?
This is a cafe…?
Vivian swept her gaze around to search for the tables and chairs that indicated that she was inside a cafe. But all she saw was a reception desk in the middle and two hallways at the side.
Which side…?
But not bad…
I didn't expect that the people in this world are capable of creating such things…
The main lobby featured a medieval architecture. It was decorated with high-end furniture, the doors came with intricate carvings, the walls had beautiful paintings and murals of different sizes, and the ceilings had chandeliers and were also painted with beautiful murals.
Graham's Lodge House can't even compare to this…
I even feel under-dressed…
Underneath her White Cloak, she wore a white blouse, brown pants, a black belt along with her brown-colored belt pouch, and a pair of black gloves and riding boots.
Criselle, on the other hand, was wearing a white dress and shoes with gold accents underneath her White Cloak.
Sniff.
Sniff.
The smell is not bad as well…
And thank God there's air-conditioning…
Well…
It is outside the compound of the Temple of Priests after all…
I doubt if the Temple of Priests and the surrounding stores would let an eye-sore be built in this area...
Not to mention that it's owned by a Priest family…
One of the people behind the reception desk went over to them. It was a handsome tanned-skin man in his late 30s dressed in what looked like a butler suit.
He bowed.
"Greetings and welcome to O'Hartigan Cafe, Honored Priestesses. A table for two?"
"Yes," Criselle said.
"Private or public?"
"Public. But we want a table where we can at least have a proper conversation without being bothered."
"As you wish. Please follow me, Honored Priestesses," the butler said and then led the way.
When they reached the cafe area, it was a closed area with multiple large glassed doors that overlooked an open-air garden with a fountain. The garden also had tables and chairs but no one was sitting there, all of the patrons were inside the closed area.
The butler led Vivian and Criselle to their table.
And as they were being led to their table, Vivian noticed a table that had a group of familiar faces.
It was Marie, Carr, Said and other people she wasn't familiar with. There was even the woman who didn't say anything and just stared at her with a hint of animosity the day she took the mock exam for her first Holy Mission.
Vivian and Marie's eyes met but Vivian quickly turned away, pretending that she didn't notice her.
When Vivian and Criselle finally reached their table, there was already a handsome waiter waiting for them.
The butler pulled a chair for Criselle while the waiter pulled a chair for Vivian.
Criselle sat down without any problem.
What…?
Vivian looked at the distance between the table and the chair.
Is that enough…?
Noticing that Criselle already sat down, Vivian decided to sit down as well. However, as she was trying to land her rear end to the chair's seat, her mind was filled with many things.
Am I going to land properly…?
When do I pull the chair forward…?
After I sit on the chair…?
As a 24-year-old man back in her original world, Vivian has never had anyone assist her in sitting down. Her parents might have assisted her, but she was still a baby at that time.
Splat.
Rrrrp…!
Vivian finally landed her rear end on the seat and immediately pulled the chair forward.
The waiter was caught in a surprise for a moment but he didn't say anything.
The butler bowed.
"May you have a wonderful time, Honored Priestesses. Please excuse me," he said and then left.
"What can I get you, Honored Priestesses?" the waiter said as he offered the menu he was carrying to Criselle.
She received it and then opened it.
"I'll have this Russ Cake and Sun Tea," she said and then passed the menu to Vivian.
Wow…
It's colored…?
There were colored sketches on the menu. The colors weren't as clear as the one from Vivian's original world but it was still colored nonetheless.
What the…?!
Vivian was caught off-guard when she saw the prices.
Why is this so expensive…?!
Everything is literally all gold coins…!
Even the drinks is 1 gold coin…
She shook her head mentally.
Well…
She stole a glance at Criselle.
She did say she's paying…
But it's still surreal…
A woman other than my mother paying for me…
"Um… I want this pink-colored cake and this Iced Junea tea. Thank you," Vivian said and then passed the menu to the waiter.
"I have taken your orders and I will be back with your orders, Honored Priestesses. Please excuse me," he said and then bowed before leaving.
Vivian leaned back on her chair and swept her gaze around. However, she made sure not to look at the table where Marie and her companions were at.
Not bad I guess…
There were a couple of men inside the room, different ages and not all of them were part of the Temple of Priests, who glanced at her.
Vivian suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and stared at the ceiling.
A chandelier…
I've never been in a cafe that had a chandelier…
There was a chandelier dangling on top of their table but there were multiple chandeliers in the entire room and they were all large.
This won't fall on our table would it…?
It looks like it weighs at least 300 pounds…
I wonder how do they clean it…
Do they have some sort of vacuum in this world…?
Because I don't remember seeing one…
"Sister," Criselle called.
Vivian turned to her.
"What do you think about the place?"
"It's fine I guess."
"You've been to other cafes like this?"
Vivian recalled the cafes she'd been to in her original world.
"Well, if I'm going to be honest, this is the fanciest cafe that I've been to."
"Oh, the owner of this cafe is Brother Lance's family. They said that his family spent close 500,000 platinum coins for all of this."
500,000 platinum coins...
5,000,000 gold coins...?
50,000,000 silver coins...?
500,000,000 copper coins...?!
"For this?" she said as she looked around.
Criselle nodded.
"Yes. One of the things that cost them so much money was the rights of renting this land. There were several families and groups who offered a price. In the end, Brother Lance's family won by paying around 150,000 platinum coins for the rights and a rent of 12,000 platinum coins per year for 15 years."
Vivian didn't know what to say.
"Funny story, back when I was still around my late teens and early 20s, Brother Lance tried to make a connection with me. But I had eyes for someone else at that time. His name was Brother Colm..." Criselle said and there was a distant and longing look on her face.
"I see... So where is Brother Colm?"
Criselle returned her gaze to Vivian.
"Brother Colm fell from the hands of a Demon Necromancer during a Field Mission in the Holy Crusade."
Field Mission...?
Holy Crusade...?
"I see. I'm very sorry to hear that."
Criselle waved her hands.
"Forgive me for opening such topic and making it awkward."
"Right... Um... You mentioned that you took a day off today?"
Criselle nodded.
"I had to meet my ex-husband."
Fuck...!
Vivian blinked a couple of times.
Did she say ex-husband...?
"Ex-husband?"
Criselle nodded.
"It was about our child."
Right…
I remember Lily and Airie talking about boyfriends…
"Just out of curiosity, sister, and if you don't mind me asking, what age did you marry your husband?"
"I was 28."
"And you had your child?"
"Same year."
"How long have you been a White Cloak?"
"Since I was 18."
"And you've never stopped being a White Cloak since 18 years old?"
A confused expression flashed across Criselle's face.
"Stopped being a White Cloak?"
"I mean, your duties as a White Cloak or doing Holy Missions."
"No, but I used to be so obsessed with Holy Crusade before I retired at 30. I took a break though at 28 and 29 because of my marriage and being pregnant. But there was a case that I left at the Inquisitory Division that I wanted to finish no matter what so I went back before finally retiring at the age of 30."
"And this ex-husband of yours. He's also a Priest?"
Criselle shook her head.
"No, he's part of the Temple of Blacksmiths and he's a Merchant."
Can a Priest and Priestess get married…?
"Have you ever dated a Brother?"
Criselle nodded.
"A few before I was married. You?"
Vivian shook her head.
"No."
"You mentioned last time that you were single, right? Anything new?"
During the time when she and Marie washed Vivian at the infirmary after Vivian's Awakening Ceremony for her [Fire] and [Wind Mastery], they bombarded her with questions. And one of the questions that Marie asked Vivian was where was she from which then led to another question if she was single or not. Vivian told them that she was from a small village down south called Linu and she had no family here in Luxen City and was single.
Should I tell her…?
Or should I just continue sticking with the story…?
However…
One thing I know about lies…
Specifically the big ones…
They always come back to haunt you in some shape or another…
"To be honest, sister, and it's not like I'm ashamed to share this, I just never wanted to talk about it because I really hate it when someone looks at me with pity like I'm a helpless and broken person. The truth is, I'm actually a widow."
Criselle's eyes became wide.
"A widow?"
Vivian nodded.
"You've heard about what happened at Sierra Village 2 months ago, right? I lost my husband and children there."
Criselle gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"Sister Vivian… I… I'm very sorry to hear that…"
Vivian held out her hand.
"It's fine. Since you shared something personal with me, I figured that I should also share something personal with you. However, like I said earlier, I really hate it when someone looks at me with pity like I'm a helpless and broken person."
Criselle wore a serious expression.
"Thank you for sharing that, sister. That's… I will admit, I felt bad for you, but it wasn't because I thought you were a helpless and broken person. In fact, I believe you're a very strong and brave person. If I lost my child, I wouldn't know what to do. I can't even fathom the idea."
Vivian nodded.
"I understand what you're trying to say, sister. But let's just change the subject. I really don't want to talk about it."
Clap!
Criselle clapped her hands.
"Right…! Let's change the subject…! Um… Let's see… Um…. How's your progress with your training?"