Infantry Division
Octus 16, 3023 A.M., day of Monar, 5:59 a.m.
Southwestern Front Infantry Barracks, La Spada Kingdom, Southern Continent.
A female Crusader wearing a full set of the Crusader Armor that covered from head to toe and had a sword on her waist stood in attention on top of a two-story wall of a large and spacious barracks.
In front of her or outside the barracks facing southwest was an endless desert called the Sab'bia Desert. It wasn't hot at the moment, in fact, it was cold. But as the sun would start to rise, it would be.
There also wasn't anyone crossing the desert, be it on land or air. However, occasionally, she would spot a wild animal or two from a distance.
TANG!
A few seconds after the bell rang, the sound of multiple footsteps marching could be heard coming from the staircase. Eight people emerged who were all also donned in a full set of the Crusader Armor and had a weapon; some carried it on their waist while others held it on hand for the spear, poleaxe, etc.
Four of them marched to the other side while the other four marched to the female Crusader's side.
And as they passed her, one stopped on her side.
She turned to the Crusader and they both saluted at each other. The female Crusader headed for the staircase while the Crusader took her place. Once she reached the first floor, there was a Crusader waiting outside with an officer plate on their armor which indicated their rank.
Lieutenant.
There was also another Crusader marching behind her. They both marched towards the Crusader Lieutenant and then formed a straight line in front of the officer. A couple of seconds later, 8 Crusaders stood in front of the Lieutenant and formed two rows.
"ATTEN…TION!" the Lieutenant said in a female voice with a Luxenian accent.
The 8 Crusaders stood in attention.
"HEAD… COUNT!"
"ONE!" the first Crusader said.
"TWO!"
"THREE!"
"FOUR!"
On the other side of the walls, the same was happening.
"FIVE!"
"SIX!"
"SEVEN!"
"EIGHT!" the last Crusader said.
"DISMISS!" the Lieutenant said and then walked away.
The 8 Crusaders relaxed.
The female Crusader removed her helmet, revealing her beautiful face and her long pink hair which was tied into a high bun.
Clank!
An arm suddenly wrapped around her neck.
"Wooo~! I can't wait to eat breakfast and also have a glass of beer before taking a nap~!" a female voice said.
"Sister Squad Leader Uliah…"
"Sister Kara, we've already been dismissed. Why are you acting so distant?"
Kara removed Uliah's arm around her neck.
"I'm simply acting accordingly," she said and then started walking away.
Uliah didn't say anything and stared at Kara's back.
Uliah being promoted as a Squad Leader wasn't because Vivian assigned her as a Squad Leader back in Basic Training. It was simply due to her own achievements here in the Southwestern Front Infantry Barracks.
"Ugh…! Finally free…!" another voice said behind them. But this time around, it was a male voice with a Heisen accent.
"And we start again tonight. Hopefully, we won't be sent out on a Field Mission so that I can just train," another male voice said with an Azatean accent.
Uliah turned her head.
One was a dark-skinned man. Meanwhile, the other had tanned skin.
"Brother Xander, Brother Julien, want to play again?" she said with a grin.
Xander scoffed.
"Sorry, Sister Squad Leader, but I'm not falling for your tricks. I ended up not eating breakfast last time."
Julien held out his fist.
"Aza-With aza-the Aza-God aza-of Aza-Light aza-as aza-my aza-witness, aza-I aza-swear aza-that aza-I'm aza-going aza-to aza-win aza-this aza-time!" he said in Azatean.
Xander looked at Julien with a deadpan expression.
"You really are that gullible, aren't you?"
Julien shook his head.
"Like Brother High Lieutenant Cornelio said, a man must face all challenges head-on because it's only through struggle that a man can truly build his character!"
Xander bit his tongue because Cornelio was an officer, a High Lieutenant to be exact.
"Come on! Let's go before they run out of food and drinks!" Uliah said and then rushed over to Kara.
"I don't think that's even possible," Xander said.
Julien ignored him and started walking.
When Kara and the others arrived at the "cafeteria", there was already a long line.
The cafeteria itself was a simple open-air kitchen that had a single roof on top of it and the kitchen staff consisted of Crusaders who were dressed in a cooking uniform. There were only four tables: the first one had the sporks, plates and mugs, the second one had a long tray with a pile of bread and a pot of meat stew, the third one had the barrels of water and beer, and the fourth one was for the dirty dishes.
The Southwestern Front Infantry Barracks was a base owned by the Temple of Priests that was at least 80 meters in both length and width. The only people assigned here were Priests -- there were no Knights, Guards or civilians, and most of them were from the Infantry Division.
Kara and her group noticed Crew and Zean, their classmates back at Basic Training. They weren't wearing their Crusader Armor and were already standing in line.
In this barracks, everyone had to be part of something -- patrolling, cooking, cleaning, etc. On top of that, they must also go on at least 5 Field Missions during their entire Holy Crusade contract -- at least those with the High Lieutenant rank and below. Meanwhile, those in the Captain, High Captain and Chapter Master rank held managerial positions and would only move for special Field Missions.
In the case of Kara, Uliah, Xander and Julien, they were part of the Patrol Crew and their schedule was from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. everyday.
Crew and Zean, on the other hand, were also part of the Patrol Crew but their schedule was 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
***
6:25 a.m.
Kara and her group finally got their breakfast and were heading to the tents.
Although there were buildings within the barracks, when it came to accommodation, those were only for Crusaders with at least a Lieutenant rank. The High Sergeants, Sergeants and no-rank Crusaders of the Infantry Division lived in single-person tents and were all gathered together in one section of the barracks. Meanwhile, those who aren't in the Infantry Division and special guests also live in the buildings.
However, there were two buildings that anyone could use. It was the public bath and toilet buildings: one for the males and the other one for the females.
Originally, it was only supposed to be one large building and was separated by a wall with Crusaders guarding it around the clock. However, the people from the Orion Chapter Temple demanded the females must have their own public bath and toilet building so it became two buildings.
Kara and her group traveled through the tents and then arrived at their spot. It was a small patch of land enough for 15 people to gather in a circle. There were also small chairs that were crudely made and two logs for people to sit on.
There were already 6 people sitting there, two of them were Crew and Zean.
Kara and her group sat down and began to eat.
"I heard a very interesting piece of information from one of the veterans who has a Chapter Temple Brother, a Sergeant, who is assigned at the Western Front Infantry Barracks," a brown-skinned Priest in his early 20s said with an Heisen accent.
"Not this again," a white-skinned Priest in his early 20s said with a Luxen accent and then scooped a soup with his spork from his bowl.
"This is going to be interesting," a dark-skinned Priest in his early 20s with a Luxen accent said before dipping a piece of bread on his bowl and then wolfing it down.
All of the fresh Crusaders from the Mayus 3023 and the Aurgus 3023 batches that ended up joining the Infantry Division and some of the low-rank and no-rank veterans who applied on those months and were part of the Infantry Division were assigned here, at the Southwestern Front Infantry Barracks. And despite all of them being part of the Temple of Priests, there was a clique.
The ones from the Luxen and the Heisen Chapter Temples get along so they don't mind gathering together.
The ones from the Holy and the Orion Chapter Temples tend to stick with each other. But there were no females from the Orion Chapter Temple, only men. All of the females applied at different Divisions and miraculously passed.
And although the Orion and the Marbleam Chapter Temples were partnered together back in Basic Training, the males from the Orion Chapter Temple seem to be hostile with the male Priests from the Marbleam Chapter Temple but were on good terms with the females. Nevertheless, the Crusaders from the Marbleam Chapter Temple still tend to only stick with each other.
As for the Twin, Iron, and Verglas Chapter Temples, they also only stick with their own respective Chapter Temple.
The only exception was the Azatean Chapter Temple. Just like the Orion Chapter Temple, all of their Priestesses applied to different Divisions and passed. Meanwhile, the Priests, they would hang out with everybody. They also have the second lowest number of members, only second to the Orion Chapter Temple.
"Did you know that if we applied during Marsus, Junis, Septus and Decus, we would've been assigned there, at the Western Front Infantry Barracks?" the brown-skinned Priest.
The white and the dark-skinned Priests didn't say anything and gave him a look that urged him to continue.
"His Chapter Temple Brother, a Sergeant, said that a lot of merchants would pass there so they get to buy a lot of extra stuff. However, he also said that it's quite chaotic there due to the number of people who passes there every day which is why he's envious of us here because we don't have to deal with such things here."
The white-skinned Priest scoffed.
"Either that story you heard is a lie or that Brother Sergeant has never been assigned here. All we do here is train, guard duty and be the first among the three Infantry Barracks here in the La Spada Kingdom for a Field Mission. I'll gladly switch places with him if he wants!"
The dark-skinned Priest shook his head.
"The both of you have no sense of taste," he said and then smiled. "One of the veterans here told me that he has a Chapter Temple Brother, a High Sergeant, who is assigned at the Southern Front Infantry Barracks."
The brown and the white-skinned Priests raised their eyebrows.
"His Chapter Temple Brother High Sergeant told him that, since they're next to the sea, they would go swimming in the sea," the dark-skinned Priest said and then leaned in closer to whisper. "The Sisters would also join them!"
"What?!" the brown-skinned said and almost dropped his food.
"God of Light! Those lucky bastards!" the white-skinned Priest said and the grip his spork tightly as he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
"Hey, the both of you, why are you believing his story?" a new Priest joined in. It was a Priest with dark skin, in his late teens and had a Heisen accent. "For starters, the Southern Front Infantry Barracks is at least a hundred miles from the sea and you will be arrested for leaving the barracks without permission. It's the Seaport Bases that are next to the sea and only high-ranking officers will be assigned there."
The white-skinned Priest pointed his spork at the brown-skinned Priest.
"You idiot! How dare you lie to me?!"
"I knew that your story was too good to be true!" the black-skinned Priest with a Luxen accent said and then shook his head with a smile.
The brown-skinned Priest stood up and pointed his spork at the white-skinned Priest.
"Who are you calling an idiot!? You can barely even count up to 10!" he said and then pointed at the dark-skinned Priest with a Heisen accent. "And you, who are you calling a liar?! And if I'm a liar, then the veteran who told me the story is a liar!"
"Okay, who is this veteran that you're talking about?"
"Brother Crusader Creo."
"So he's not even an officer?" the dark-skinned Priest with a Luxen accent said.
"Brother Crusader Creo? The one who is known to be such a busybody? That's your source?" the dark-skinned Priest with a Heisen accent said.
"Brother Crusader Creo has been in 4 Holy Crusades already. By all measurement, he's a veteran," replied the brown-skinned Priest.
"What you mean is, Brother Crusader Creo has been in 4 Holy Crusades but he has yet to get a promotion," the white-skinned Priest said.
The brown-skinned Priest turned to him.
"Shut up, Brother Crusader No-Count!"
The white-skinned Priest gritted his teeth and got up.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"
"YOU HEARD ME!"
"Hey, hey! No fighting or we'll all end up getting punished!" Crew, Zean, Uliah and the others said.
The white-skinned and the brown-skinned Priests immediately returned to their seats but continued to glare at each other.
Xander let out a sigh and then shook his head.
"How in the name of the God of Light did I end up here…?"
Julien, a Priest from the Azatean Chapter Temple, took a bite from his bread and then swallowed before turning to him.
"You applied for the Inquisitory Division, right?"
Xander hung his head and let out another sigh.
"Yes…"
"I heard that the Training Course in the Inquisitory Division is quite hard. Is it true?"
Xander raised his head and looked at him.
"You have no idea."
"What was it like? I've never heard the full story," Crew said.
Meanwhile, Zean and Uliah didn't say anything but their faces told him that they were interested to hear it.
And as for Kara, she simply focused on finishing her breakfast.
"First off, the moment you step into their headquarters, you will immediately be slapped with a Practical Exam where you have to hide your identity until the end of the Training Course. And each time anyone outside of your classmates from the Basic Training could guess your identity or see your face, you get a deduction which can affect your total overall score at the end of your Training Course.
"So not only are you always on your guard but you're also lonely.
"The second hurdle are the tests: The Final Written Exam and the Final Practical Exam.
"Just with the Final Written Exam, there are actually two Final Written Exams.
"The first one covers demons, demon-worshipers, the Cult of Affinity, demon-kins and monsters.
"Meanwhile, the second one covers investigation protocols, command structure of the Temple of Priests and other organizations outside the Temple of Priests, Physical Arts, Magic Arts, and the Class Magic of all Classes.
"Each exam is 100 points. And the best part of it all? Not everything you studied will appear on the test, it's random.
"And as for the Final Practical Exam, you will have to do a live investigation. But you only have 2 hours to solve it and you can't use [Halo].
"In the end, for your total overall score, you will need at least 250 points out of the 300 points in order to pass the Training Course.
"And don't forget, you also have to worry about the other Practical Exam at the beginning where you have to hide your identity until the end of the Training Course. And as far as I know, there are no extra points if no one can guess your identity or claim that they saw your face. There is only deduction."
Julien's jaw dropped.
"God of Light, what kind of Training Course is that? That is just torture...!"
Xander shook his head.
"It wasn't really that hard. But all the hiding, the studying and the loneliness really gets to you -- And oh, you're also not allowed to leave the headquarters. I mean, you could, but it's like a maze and there are no lights so you could literally get lost and die there."
Uliah's brows knitted together.
"Hold on, there's something I don't understand. You mentioned about a Practical Exam that you need to hide your identity and face or your score will be deducted. If that's the case, how did Sister Vivian pass it? Everyone in our batch knew her."
Xander nodded.
"Ah, about that, once we arrived at the headquarters and had to register, we would register under a different name. Brother Turd became Crusader Tristan, Sister Inquisitor Vivian was Crusader Heliza, and I was Crusader Sandmaster.
"Moreover, even if someone could guess the true identity of a Trainee, two things will happen:
"Firstly, you will be asked how did you find out about it. And if you can't provide a logical explanation or the Instructors find out that you used foul play, you will be the one who's going to receive the deduction.
"Secondly, let's say you were able to provide a logical explanation on how you guessed the identity of the Trainee. If that's the case, the Trainee whose identity you guessed can ask for a duel with you. And if you lose, you will be the one who will receive the deduction.
"The same goes for civilians. But the duel part isn't included."
Zean, Crew and Uliah looked at him with a deadpan expression.
"No wonder Sister Vivian passed…" Uliah said.
"But weren't you with Brother Turd and Sister Vivian? So how could you be lonely?" Crew said.
Xander let out a sigh once again.
"At the beginning, Brother Turd was the one who suggested that we worked solo in order to avoid getting our identities exposed. It was only on our third week that he approached me and said that we work together for the Final Practical Exam -- I forgot to mention that you can take the Final Practical Exam solo or with a partner. However, both the Final Written and Final Practical Exams can only be taken on the weekends and only once per day.
"Anyhow, back to what I was saying, when were tried to find Sister Inquisitor Vivian, she already graduated.
"At that time, we don't even know if she graduated in the first or second week or perhaps something happened to her. All we knew was that we couldn't find her. And when I failed the Training Course and was sent here and met Sister Squad Leader Uliah and Sister Kara who informed me that they received a letter from her that she passed, that's when I finally knew."
Crew smiled.
"To be fair, it wasn't like she was going to fail. As her classmates at Basic Training, we've all seen what she was capable of. So I guess that was expected."
"Please excuse me," Kara said and then got up with her empty dishes on her hand.
"You're already done eating?" Uliah asked.
Kara turned to her.
"I'm going to return these and then train," she said and then walked away.
"I swear to the God of Light, it really wasn't that hard… It was just all that hiding, the studying and the loneliness really got to me…" Xander said.
Crew turned to Uliah.
"Sister Squad Leader, how's Sister Kara?"
Uliah shook her head with a solemn expression.
"Ever since that incident, she's still the same. She hardly even smiles anymore even when I make a joke."
"What about Brother High Sergeant Carr?"
"I only saw him talking to her once before he, Brother High Sergeant Franz and Brother Sergeant Jurgen were sent out on a Field Mission last month."
"Who is this Sister Vivian, by the way?" Julien interjected. "I kept hearing about her, even from among the other Chapter Temples."
Zean, Crew, Uliah and Xander looked at him.
"Didn't I tell you about her last time?" Xander said.
"Yes, but I like to hear everyone's opinions. Is she like that Brother Warren and Sister Elise?"
Uliah waved her hand.
"Sister Vivian is nothing like those two! As a matter of fact, I would argue that no one is like them! Those two are on another level of arrogance!"
Bam!
They suddenly heard a loud sound.
"WHY AM I EVEN HERE…?!!!"
Everyone got up and turned to where the noise was coming from.
They saw a Priest in his late teens and next to him was a broken tent. There were also three people standing near him: One was a Priestess in her mid-20s wearing a Gold Cloak while the other two were Priests who were both in their late 20s and were also both wearing a Crusader Armor set but without the helmet.
"Brother, please calm down," the Priestess said.
"CALM DOWN?!!! I JUST LOST MY OWN BROTHER LAST WEEK!!! WHY?!!! WHY AM I STILL HERE?!!!"
The Priestess raised her hand forward.
"Brother, I understand that you're mourning right now and you're under a lot of stress. But believe me, everyone here is going through the same thing."
"GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING?! MY BROTHER AND I ONLY HAVE ONE MAGIC ART! DO YOU HAVE THAT AS WELL?!"
The Priestess didn't say anything.
"WHAT IS THE POINT OF US BEING HERE?! DOES THE TEMPLE WANT TO KILL US?! IS THAT IT? THEY WANT TO END MY ENTIRE FAMILY?! ARE YOU PEOPLE EVEN GOING TO PROTECT MY FAMILY ONCE I'M DEAD?! I DIDN'T JOIN THE TEMPLE OF PRIESTS TO FIGHT GODS!"
"Brother, I need you to calm down."
"AND IF I DON'T?! WHAT?! YOU'LL KILL ME?! GO AHEAD!!! WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?!!! YOU PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING TO SEND TO MY DEATH ANYWAY!!!"
The Priestess glanced at the two Crusaders beside her.
Vooom!
Vooom!
Psssh!
Oooo….
One used [Poison Strike] while the other used [Enchant Soul].
"Bring him to the Infirmary," the Priestess said.
As the young Priest was dragged away, everyone watched from the side. Some were snickering, others whispered among each other, and a few watched in silence.
"I knew him," Xander said. "He's from our batch, from the Verglas Chapter Temple. He's a bit quiet but he's actually very friendly and helpful. But ever since he and his older brother were sent on Field Mission last week and they encountered a group of bandits, they had to keep him inside the Infirmary Building for a week."
"I heard that they even had to chain him to the bed and put the collar around his neck," Julien said.
When the Priestess and the others finally left, a pale-skinned Priest in his early 20s with short brown hair from the Iron Chapter Temple turned to the Priestess and Priestesses from the Verglas Chapter Temple.
"Looks like the stories about the members of the Verglas Chapter Temple being fearless warriors is nothing but rumors!"
A handsome Priest who was in his mid-20s with long silver hair tied into a ponytail and from the Verglas Chapter stepped forward.
"Why don't you come and find out?"
The face of the Priest from the Iron Chapter Temple became pale because it was a High Sergeant and he had 3 Magic Arts. But after noticing that everyone was looking at him, including from the other Chapter Temples, he pointed at the High Sergeant.
"Y-You wouldn't dare…! I'm a cousin of Brother Warren and Sister Elise…! Do you know what will happen…?! You will also be demoted…!"
"Booo! Fight!" a Priest from another Chapter Temple said.
"Yeah! Fight!" another one said.
"Come on, fight!"
"I bet one mug of beer!"
"I'll take that bet!"
"I'll take that bet as well!"
Zean stepped forward.
"Brothers, enough of this. Our enemies are the demons, demon-kins, the Cult of Infinity and the heretics outside, not among us. We should be helping and supporting each other, not fighting each other."
The Priest from the Verglas Chapter Temple looked at Zean for a moment before turning away and returning back to his seat.
Meanwhile, the Priest from the Iron Chapter Temple, after seeing his opponent leaving, he immediately turned away as well.
As for the rest, they also returned back to what they were doing earlier.
"Wooo! That's Brother Zean for you! The first one who's definitely going to get an officer rank in our batch!" said Xander.
Zean waved his hand.
"I doubt it. I won't be surprised if our other classmates would be the first."
Uliah stepped forward and pointed her right fist at Zean while also flexing her biceps.
"That's right because I will be the first one in our batch to get an officer rank!"
Julien turned to Crew.
"What about that Sister Vivian?"
Crew shrugged his shoulders before returning back to eating his breakfast.
In the eyes of the people here in the barracks, Crew and Uliah were among the few people who had 3 Magic Arts so they were held in high regard because they were future potential Gray Cloaks.
In fact, Zean and Uliah who joined the Infantry Division, Turd who joined the Inquisitory Division, and even Radford who failed Basic Training, were part of the Temple of Priests for years and have 3 Magic Arts.
With that, everyone around their age knew them.
Meanwhile, when it comes to Vivian, she was a mystery that some people, especially those not from the Luxen and the Heisen Chapter Temple, have doubts about her existence and her capabilities.
She joined the Temple of Priests around the month of Julus and then signed up for the Holy Crusade in the month of Aurgus. During her time in Basic Training, which was only 2 weeks, she issued a restraining order that would prevent anyone from trying to approach her unless it was related to the business of the Temple of Priests, she didn't participate in the Capture the Flag Tournament, and she only interacted with her classmates. And then during her Training Course, she applied to the Inquisitory Division.
With this, aside from her classmates at Basic Training, no one really knew her.
A Priestess with short black hair in her late 20s wearing only a plain white shirt, brown pants and leather boots approached them.
"Officer on board!" someone shouted.
Everyone immediately dropped what they were doing and then saluted.
"Sister Lieutenant!" they said.
"At ease," she said with a Luxenian accent and then turned to Uliah. "Sister Squad Leader Uliah."
Uliah rushed over to her and then saluted once again.
"Sister Lieutenant Xena!"
"Gather your squad later. We will be departing at 10:00 a.m. for a Field Mission."
"Yes, Sister Lieutenant!"
"Carry on," she said and then walked away.
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
I would like to thank these Top 5 Immortal Power Voters:
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I also created social media accounts for Vivian:
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On these socials, I will be posting extra details about Vivian and the world she inhabits that I couldn't post here in WebNovel because it would break the story's immersion and other reasons such as the limitations of the WebNovel site.
Thank you once again and I will see you in the next chapter :)