This chapter is sponsored by The Bitch in the Fantasy World Patrons:
• [Crusader] The orc warrior 261
• [Mercenary] Tafadzwa Kungwengwe
• [Crusader] uxel
I would also like to thank the donators for December 2025 (Ko-Fi account is unavailable at the moment due to technical reasons):
• [Crusader] uxel - $5
This chapter 2/3 for the 4th week of December 2025.
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Decus 1, 3023, Day of Fratur, 7:14 a.m.
Ston Village, Luxen Kingdom.
Felize, Torr and Gaze were led by Cole as they stepped inside the dining hall of an inn.
Cole continued walking until they finally reached a table where Charles their employer, and Darragh and Gearoid the Mercenaries, were having breakfast.
As the main employer and leader of the overall group, although Charles covered most of the expenses, there were a few differences:
Charles, Cole, Darragh and Gearoid were staying at an inn. And each of them had their own rooms.
Meanwhile, the Adventurers were staying at a tavern. However, they had their own shared rooms.
Lorcan and Marcel shared one room.
Sansa, Aurora and Felize shared one room.
Cuan, Tomas and Paddy shared one room.
And Torr and Gaze shared one room.
Cole and the three young Adventurers finally reached Charles and the two Mercenaries, and lowered their heads.
"Mr. Charles, I have brought them," Cole said.
"Good morning, Mr. Charles," Felize, Torr and Gaze said.
"Good morning, too," he said with a smile and then gestured to the extra chairs and all of the food on the table. "Please, take a seat."
Cole sat down without a second thought and began eating. The teens, on the other hand, looked at each other for a moment before finally taking a seat. They hesitated for a moment once again, and then ate as well.
Charles just finished his pancakes and picked up a mug of beer. He took a a few gulps before putting it down and setting his gaze on the teens. His eyes gleamed as he couldn't help but notice that out of the three of them, Torr had the best table manners while Gaze had the worst.
Although Torr had the "best table manners", it didn't mean it was on par with any of the people, especially the Nobles, who had to undergo proper etiquette lessons since they were young. In Charles' eyes, if he were to judge it, it was no different from an 8-year-old kid who had just recently started taking proper etiquette lessons.
"Torr, how are you? Are you experiencing any difficulties?"
Torr placed his knife and fork down, and then swallowed.
"I'm already feeling well, Mr. Charles. Thank you for asking."
A serious and solemn expression appeared on Charles's face and he nodded.
"I was informed that it was your first time experiencing it. Is this true?"
Torr nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Charles."
Charles let out a sigh.
"I understand that such things are part of your life as an Adventurer. I mean, who could imagine that we would encounter such powerful monsters?" he said and then focused on the rest of the people at the table. "Right?"
Cole nodded.
"Indeed, it was an unexpected encounter."
Meanwhile, Darragh and Gearoid simply nodded.
And as for Felize and Gaze, they tried their best to wear a calm expression as the memory of that battle flashed inside their heads.
"Some might say I'm overreacting, but I'm a father and I have 2 children; Calvin is 13 years old and Fia is 11 years old. So to see young people like you who are close to the same age as my children go through something what you 3 have gone through, especially you, Torr, I would like to offer you three some compensation."
Felize, Torr and Gaze quickly waved their hands with a panicked expression on their faces.
"You don't have to, Mr. Charles…!" Torr said.
"I believe only Torr should deserve it…!" Felize said.
"I agree with Felize…!" Gaze said.
Charles held out his hand.
"Please allow me to explain further.
"Aside from the guilt I'm feeling as a father for putting the 3 of you in such a situation, especially you, Torr, another reason why I want to do this is to fix not only my reputation, but everyone's.
"If word got out that a young Copper II Rank died under our watch and then, I, the main employer, didn't offer any extra compensation, in my case, I won't be surprised if the Adventurer's Guild would start to think twice about letting me hire young and promising Adventurers. Meanwhile, for Darragh, Gearoid, and the rest of our Adventurer companions, I wouldn't be surprised if clients would hesitate in hiring them.
"So do you see why I need to compensate you 3?"
Felize, Torr and Gaze looked at each other for a moment, and then returned their gaze to Charles.
"We understand, Mr. Charles…" Torr said.
A satisfied smile spread on Charles' lips.
"I'm glad you understand. You know, I've met and hired many Adventurers throughout the years as a Merchant and I can tell that you 3 have the potential to become great Adventurers in the future."
The teens lowered their heads.
"Thank you, Mr. Charles…" Felize and Torr said.
Meanwhile, Gaze didn't say anything but tightened his jaw.
Clap!
Charles clapped his hands, causing the teens to raise their heads and look at him.
"So, for the compensation I'm going to give you 3.
"First off, I'm going to increase your pay to 10 gold coins each.
"And secondly…"
He then focused on Torr.
"I was informed by Mr. Cole that your father is a Merchant. Is this correct?"
Torr nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Charles. Both of my grandfathers and my father are Merchants, and they both deal mostly with second-hand weapons."
Charles nodded.
"Excellent. With that, I'm going to introduce the 3 of you to one associates from the Merchants Guild here in Ston Town.
"But before you rejoice, keep in mind that it's not I'm trying to put pressure on you 3 or anything, however, I want you to be aware that this person holds a very high position in the Merchants Guild, he's the Headmaster of the Merchants Guild of this town, Lord Headmaster Scholar Caolan."
The eyes of Felize, Torr and Gaze became wide.
"Headmaster…?" Felize and Torr said, and then their jaws dropped.
Meanwhile, for Gaze, although he didn't say anything, his jaw also dropped.
Noticing their reactions, a sense of pride welled up inside Charles. As someone who came from a Mid-Tier Commoner Merchant family background, he and his family have worked so hard to achieve everything they had, they even had to cross a couple of lines. Naturally, he still has some conscience, but in the world of Merchants, the only thing that matters was numbers.
He casually waved his hand.
"Please, I'm just doing what's right.
"Anyhow, not many people, even Nobles, can just go and speak with him whenever they want to, so you'd better be in your best behavior when talking to him. And if any of you can establish a friendship with him, it would be a great opportunity, especially for you, Torr, who comes from a family of Merchants."
Felize, Torr and Gaze swallowed.
***
9:32 a.m.
Merchant's Guild building, Ston Village.
Ka-cha!
Four people entered an office; at the front was Charles, who was followed by Felize, Torr and then Gaze.
Ku-chud.
As the door closed behind them, they noticed that there were 5 people present.
The first one was a Knight guarding by the door.
The second was Lord Scholar Caolan.
The third was a pale-skinned man in his early 30s with purple hair, and he was wearing a nobleman's outfit.
Both Caolan and the pale-skinned man were sitting at the lounging area. Both of them sitting at each of the single-person sofas at the lounging area.
The fourth was a pale-skinned Knight in her late 30s with long purple hair, and wearing a purple-colored set of armor. She was sitting at the right side of the long table near where Caolan and the pale-skinned man were, while casually eating some fruits and nuts, and a cup of tea.
And the fifth one was a bespectacled, pale-skinned man with short black slick hair, also in his mid-30s, and he was wearing a Purple Scholar Robe. He was seated on the left side of the long table, or across the pale-skinned female Knight, near Caolan and the pale-skinned man.
Charles, who was already walking with a straight back and his chin slightly high, straightened his back even further before heading over to the lounging area with 3 teens following closely behind.
Although he wore a calm expression, if one were to take a closer look at his face, they would notice the tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
As for Felize, Torr and Gaze, they were all so stiff that they felt like their legs were going to betray them any second now, causing them to stumble and fall to the floor. They already knew beforehand the background of Coalan, but it was still mortifying to be in his presence. Just looking at him, his demeanor alone screams authority and he had that piercing gaze that could freeze a person, or he looked like someone who was used to giving orders.
However, despite that, there was someone even more mortifying -- two people to be exact: the man with purple hair and the female Knight with long purple hair.
In the eyes of the teens, Coalan already had this overwhelming presence of authority. But the two, theirs was greater, and in a different way. The man with purple hair looked like a dark prince who came out of a painting and carried himself with excellent regal elegance. Meanwhile, the female Knight with long purple hair looked like a beautiful and deadly fighter who could swing a sword or any weapon with absolute precision and regal grace.
As for the bespectacled pale-skinned man with short black and slick hair and wearing a Purple Scholar Robe, he was nowhere close to outshining the 3. But compared to Charles, he was leagues above him.
When Charles and the teens finally reached them, Charles made sure to stop between the long table and the lounging area, and he was at least 6ft and equally away between the man with purple hair and the Knight with long purple hair, before finally kneeling down in one knee and lowering his head.
Felize, Torr and Gaze quickly followed behind him.
"Lord Scholar Helge, Lord Headmaster Scholar Coalan, and other esteemed guests, greetings to you all.
"My associates and I humbly ask for your forgiveness for interrupting your meeting. Had my associates and I known Lord Scholar Helge and his esteemed companions were here, we would've come at a later time to see the Lord Headmaster Scholar."
Helge casually waved his hand.
"It's fine. After all, I'm the one at fault here, because I came unannounced."
Caolan let out a submissive smile.
"You jest, My Lord. The one who is at fault here is me. Had I remembered that you would be arriving this week to discuss the recent shipment, I should've properly arranged my schedule."
"Well, since I'm already here, you wouldn't mind if I were to stay here and observe, would you?" Helge said and then turned to Charles and the teens. "It's not every day I get to see you conduct meetings with other clients, and this group looks quite interesting. I never imagined you meeting with very young clients."
Caolan nodded with a submissive smile.
"Of course, My Lord."
He got up and then turned to Charles.
"We will have our meeting at the table."
"Yes, My Lord!" Charles said and then got up.
Felize, Torr and Gaze followed suit.
As they were all about to move to the long table, Helge spoke.
"Hold on."
Everyone stopped and then turned to him. And Felize, Torr and Gaze were surprised that Helge was staring at them.
"The 3 of you look familiar."
"We do…?" Felize asked.
Caolan threw Felize a death stare.
"Mind your manners when talking to an Aristocratic Noble."
Charles immediately lowered his head.
"Please forgive my associates, My Lord. This is their first time meeting people of your stature, especially Lord Scholar Helge's."
His gaze then focused on Felize.
"Lower your heads when you're talking to him and address him as 'My Lord'…" Charles whispered.
Felize, Torr and Gaze quickly lowered their heads.
"I-I-I'M BWEVY SORRY, MY LORD…!" Felize stammered.
"Don't shout…" Charles whispered again.
The female Knight let out a chuckle.
"Iro-Typical Iro-Commoners," she said and then tossed a small fruit inside her mouth.
"Marianne," Helge said with a cool and soft but reprimanding tone.
Marianne, the female Knight, clicked her tongue as she looked away.
"You are forgiven," Helge said and then got up from his seat. "Please raise your heads. I wish you to see your faces."
Felize and her group hesitated. But after noticing Charles raising his head, they followed suit.
"You," Marianne said to Charles. "You're blocking everyone's sight with that body of yours. Get out of the way."
Charles quickly lowered his head.
"Yes, Lady Knight Major," he said and then moved to the corner.
"It has finally come to me why you 3 look familiar. Aren't you the ones who were associated to the Priestess with purple-colored hair from the Luxen Kingdom?"
The eyes of the teens suddenly turned wide.
Back in the months of Aurgus and Septus, some people came looking for them to ask about Vivian -- there were Adventurers, Priests, and some unknown figures.
When the Adventurers asked them, they thought they were simply trying to build a connection through them with Vivian. So they didn't find anything strange about it. After all, Vivian was a Priestess.
When the Priests asked, they thought that the Temple of Priests simply wanted to know what their connection was with Vivian. Again, they didn't find anything strange about it. After all, Priests and Priestesses tend to stick only among themselves, so they weren't surprised that the Temple of Priests could be a bit protective of who their members associated with outside of their Temple.
However, when the unknown figures started asking about Vivian, that's when they started to be concerned. These unknown figures consisted of normal civilians, normal Nobles, Commoner Merchants, and Noble Merchants, and that's when they stopped entertaining such inquiries.
Noticing that Felize, Torr and Gaze weren't answering, Helge asked once more.
"You were her associates, right?" he said and then turned to his companions. "What was her name again?"
Marianne shrugged and then tossed a few nuts into her mouth.
Meanwhile, the bespectacled pale-skinned man with short black slick hair, pushed his glasses.
"Her name is Vivian, no last name, born and raised in Siera Village, and joined the Luxen Chapter Temple this year, My Lord."
"Thank you, Lord Scholar Clemens," Helge said and then returned his focus on Felize, Torr and Gaze. "So, how did you become on friendly terms with the Priestess called Vivian?"
Felize and Gaze discreetly glanced at Torr. Given their experience with strange or suspicious people asking them about Vivian or bribing them to get to Vivian, they made an agreement to ignore such questions in the future, because they were very thankful for all of the help she had given them and they didn't want to return it with betrayal or cause any harm to her. However, this meeting was for Torr. If his family of Merchants could develop a business relationship with Caolan, or better yet, with Helge, it would not just be a huge benefit for Torr and his family, but it could literally change their lives for the better for multiple generations.
Torr clenched his jaw for a moment before finally relaxing.
"I'm not sure if we can call ourselves as Honored Priestess Vivian's friends or associates. But what we do know is that she is a very kind person who has greatly helped us."
A small smile appeared on Helge's lips.
"A very kind person? I've heard that she can be a bit hot-tempered. There have even been rumors of her physically attacking people inside and outside the city."
"That is not true."
"Which one?"
"Both."
"So she never attacked anyone?"
"It was only out of self-defense."
"Really? Then why did she get suspended at the Adventurer's Guild branch in Luxen City?"
"Mrs. Belfair and the others tried to blackmail her."
"Is that what she told you, or is that what you heard?"
"It's what we heard."
"You never asked her?"
"We never had to, because we believe her."
"Do you have a carnal relationship with her?"
The faces of the teens suddenly turned bright red.
"We would never...!"
"That's not true…!"
"Of course not…!"
"Mind your manners," Caolan said.
The teens quickly lowered their heads.
"I'm sorry, My Lord..." Felize said.
"Forgive us, My Lord..." Torr said.
Gaze, on the other hand, simply lowered his head.
"I've also heard rumors that the 3 of you and her used to spend nights together at an inn. What were you 4 doing there?" Helge said.
Felize, Torr and Gaze recalled the time they spent with Vivian at Graham's Lodge House, especially the promise they made to Vivian not to say anything that she opened their Magic Art Masteries for free.
Torr raised his head.
"We spent time there training."
"What kind of training?"
"Magic Arts training."
"Why?"
"I-I don't understand the question, My Lord…"
"I'm asking why did she choose to train with you 3."
Torr thought about it for a moment.
"I don't know, but maybe it's to train her Class Magic, because she's a Priestess… I… She was a Brown Cloak at that time… But when she became a White Cloak, she left..."
Helge mused for a moment.
"Has she shared anything personal to any of you?"
Felize and Gaze remained silent and continued to lock their gazes on the floor.
Torr swallowed.
"Forgive me, My Lord, but just as I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure if we can call ourselves as Honored Priestess Vivian's friends."
Vooom!
Chud, chud!
Marianne suddenly turned into a blur, and then appeared behind the three teens with her hand gripping the back of Felize and Gaze's necks.
"I've grown tired of you and your group's constant lack of manners. Answer the question properly or I'll break the necks of your companions, Commoner."
Craack!
When Gaze tried to move, Marianne crushed his neck, and he died immediately.
Thud!
"Anyone who makes unnecessary movement also dies," Marianne said as she dropped Gaze's body on the floor.
Seeing Gaze's lifeless body on the floor, the faces of Felize and Torr became deathly pale, with Felize who looked like she was about to cry and Torr barely being able to stand straight.
Helge massaged his temples with his fingers and let out a sigh.
"I wasn't expecting things to actually reach this point, but I also understand why it did."
He returned his attention to Felize and Torr.
"Given your young ages and simple backgrounds, I'm assuming that neither of you is aware of this, but it's against the law for a Commoner to disrespect a person of my background.
"I'm simply asking you 3 about a suspected family member of ours, Priestess Vivian, yet you're refusing to answer properly, which is no different from tarnishing the name of my Aristocratic Noble family.
"Will you 2 properly cooperate now?"
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
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