Crossing

Vivian stepped out of the Main Office building with an umbrella while Finley and Trevin walked behind her.

She turned to the North Gate and saw Lennon, Anthony, Juana, Edgar, Lamont, Arabella, Garcon, a few Guards and an unknown group.

The unknown group consisted of 9 people.

One was a proud and handsome man in his late 20s with sharp eyes, blue hair and tanned skin. He was dressed in a suit of armor engraved with Runes and was riding a Karfax.

Another was a chubby man in his early 30s with blue hair and tanned skin. He was also dressed in a suit of armor but with fewer Runes and was riding a Karfax. Although he tried to maintain a passive look on his face, it still had a subtle haughtiness behind it.

And the third one was a handsome but skinny man in his early 30s with dark curly hair and tanned skin. He also wore a suit of armor with fewer Runes and rode a Karfax.

The rest were five men and one woman ranging from 30 to 45 years old and they all wore a combination of metal and leather armor. Three men and one woman were riding on a Karfax while the other two men were riding on a wagon.

"Sister Inquisitor, please reconsider allowing me to hold that umbrella for you," Finley said.

"I truly really appreciate you being a gentleman, Brother Sergeant, but now is not the appropriate moment," Vivian said and then made her way to the North Gate.

Ugh…

My boots are getting muddy…

And how come nobody told me that rain was such a pain in the ass for women…?

Water and sweat-proof…?

Ha…!

Complete and utter lies…!

It still ruins your makeup…!

As she continued to make her way to the gate with Trevin and Finley following behind her, everyone turned to them and waited for them to arrive. And as Vivian drew closer, the Karfaxes began to act uneasy that the handsome but skinny man in his early 30s almost ran through a Guard.

"Control your animals!" Anthony commanded.

When Vivian finally arrived, she turned to Lennon and Edgar.

"Brother High Lieutenant, Knight Captain."

Both men saluted.

"Sister Inquisitor."

"Priestess Inquisitor."

"What seems to be the problem here?"

Edgar stepped forward.

"Allow me, Priestess Inquisitor. Lord Luka and Lord Oier would like to cross, but one of the Mercenaries they're with has a pending Physical Assault case at Culebra Village."

The proud and handsome man in his late 20s approached them without getting off his Karfax.

"I am Lord Luka C. Hombre, grandson of Baron Borja C. Hombre! I demand you to let us pass right now!"

Vivian stared at him for a moment before returning her gaze to Edgar.

"And who is Oier?"

"That's Lord Oier, for you, mar-foreigner!"

The chubby man in his early 30s immediately dismounted from his Karfax and approached Vivian.

He bowed.

"Priestess Inquisitor, I am Lord Oier H. Culebra, the personal bodyguard of Lord Luka. Please forgive us if we've disrespected you."

Luka's eyes turned wide.

"Mar-Oier! Mar-What mar-are mar-you mar-doing?!"

Oier turned to Luka and gave him a meaningful gaze.

"Mar-Lord Mar-Luka, mar-please mar-let mar-me mar-handle mar-this."

Luka's eyes became wider.

"Mar-What?!" he said and then turned to Vivian for a moment before turning to the leader of the Mercenaries he hired.

The leader was a man in his early 40s made a sign before getting off of his Karfax as well. The other Mercenaries riding on Karfaxes also got down as well. Even the handsome and skinny man in his early 30s did the same.

Luka pulled his gaze away and turned to Oier and Vivian once again. He stared at Vivian for a moment before moving away but still remained on his Karfax.

"Priestess Inquisitor, we understand that one of the Mercenaries traveling with us has a pending case," Oier said. "However, as Lord Luka has explained to your companions, it's already been a month since he was accused of such a crime but nothing has come of it and we need to cross to conduct a monthly inspection of our family's mine located in the mountains of Mount Vald'mir."

Vivian smiled.

"Lord Oier, right? Correct me if I'm wrong: Baron Borja is the ruler of Hombre Town and Culebra Village and is part of the Marbleam Kingdom Count Faction. And the town and village are located near the Balencia Plains, correct?"

"That is correct."

She tilted her head to the side.

"Then explain this to me, why did you and your group decide to pass here?

"If you people weren't aware of the pending case hanging on one of your men's neck, you would've already passed at the First and Second Inner Stanza Border Checkpoints which are closer to Hombre Town and Culebra Village.

"On the other hand, if you people were aware, you would've chosen to pass at the Fifth Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint."

Vivian lowered her head a bit and her smile turned into a grin which wasn't exactly a grin as she stared at him.

"Are you and your group trying to tell me and my group something, LORD OIER?"

Luka dashed forward.

"Mar-I've mar-had mar-enough mar-of mar-this! Mar-Bloody mar-foreigners!" he said and then turned to Vivian. "Listen here, Priestess! You may not know this since you're not from here, but this border checkpoint is the closest to Mount Vald'mir! Do you get it now, Priestess?! Or do I have to take out a map and personally point it for you?!"

This time around, it was Oier whose eyes became wide. Meanwhile, the gazes of Vivian's companions turned sharp and bounced between Vivian and Luka, but mostly on Vivian.

"Lord Luka, please let me handle this…!" Oier pleaded and then turned to his companions. "Mar-What mar-are mar-you mar-idiots mar-looking mar-at?! Mar-Come mar-here mar-and mar-take mar-him mar-away!"

The handsome but skinny man in his early 30s and the leader of the Mercenary rushed over to get him.

"Mar-My Mar-Lord, mar-I mar-have mar-a mar-bad mar-feeling mar-about mar-this…" the handsome but skinny man in his early 30s said.

"Mar-My Mar-Lord, mar-please mar-listen mar-to mar-what Mar-Lord Mar-Oier mar-is mar-saying," the Leader Mercenary said.

"Mar-Unhand mar-me! Mar-I mar-am mar-your mar-employer, mar-you mar-peasants!" Luka said as he tried to command the Karfax to move away from the two men.

Oier, on the other hand, returned his gaze to Vivian who still had a grin on her face which wasn't exactly a grin.

"Let's see…

"First off, all of you will be charged with Illegal Crossing.

"Secondly, everyone except the Mercenary who has a pending Physical Assault case around his neck will be charged with Aiding/Abetting A Suspect.

"And thirdly, the Mercenary who has a pending Physical Assault case will be charged with Fleeing From Justice.

"Everyone, arrest all of them," she said and then a thick and suffocating murderous bloodlust suddenly emanated from her body. "And if they try to fight back, leave it to me."

The people in Vivian's camp didn't move and their gazes bounced between Lennon, Vivian, Edgar, Luka and Oier.

"Mar-All mar-of mar-you! Mar-I mar-command mar-you mar-to mar-arrest mar-these mar-foreigners mar-for mar-disrespecting mar-the mar-authority mar-of mar-my mar-grandfather, Mar-Baron Mar-Borja, mar-and mar-the mar-people mar-of mar-the Mar-Marbleam Mar-Kingdom!" Luka said.

The same thing happened in Luka's group. However, Oier and the Mercenaries were mostly looking at Vivian and Oier.

"Arrest the heretics!" Anthony suddenly shouted as he activated [Mana Sword] and then charged.

The Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint personnel began moving as well.

"Drop all of your weapons!"

"Kneel down and raise your arms up in the air!"

Oier and the Mercenaries immediately complied. Meanwhile, the handsome but skinny man in his early 30s turned to Luka with a pale face.

"Mar-My Mar-Lord…! Mar-What mar-are mar-we mar-going mar-to mar-do…?!"

"Mar-Useless mar-people!" he said and then activated a spell.

[Lightning Storm].

A 10-meter-incantation circle appeared above everyone.

[Mana Throw].

[Power Throw].

Ba-riiip!

As Luka's head vanished from his neck, so did the incantation circle.

"Now you're also charged with Resisting Arrest and Attempted Murder," Vivian said and then the stone made out of blue mana on her left hand vanished.

Still feels weird throwing something with my left hand…

She shifted her umbrella to the left because her left shoulder was getting wet from the rain.

Luka's headless corpse lost its balance and fell to the side, causing the Karfax carrying the body to let out a neigh and then run away from Vivian.

"Ayieeee!"

Thud!

The handsome but skinny man let out a squeal as he fell off of his Karfax and then landed on the ground butt-first. His Karfax let out a neigh before running away from Vivian as well.

Two of the Guards rushed over to the Karfaxes and grabbed the reins.

Chud!

Anthony appeared behind the handsome but skinny man pinned to the ground to the ground.

"STAY DOWN, FILTHY HERETIC!" he said and then pressed his Mana Sword on the side of the handsome but skinny man's face. "OR I'LL CARVE YOUR SKULL OPEN!"

Vivian stared at Anthony with a deadpan expression for a moment before turning to Oier.

Oier was on his knees while being arrested by Lennon as he stared at Luka's corpse that was being removed from the Karfax and then shifted to Vivian. The expression on his face showed that he was torn between avenging Luka or cooperating.

As someone who was in his early 30s and given the task of a Personal Bodyguard, not only did he have to power up as quickly as possible but he also had to protect the master assigned to him. And given Luka's personality, he got involved in so many fights -- many of them completely petty and unnecessary. But thanks to that, he developed a skill that allowed him to sense powerful enemies.

The first time he saw Vivian, his fighter senses immediately kicked in. The way she walked, talked and carried herself which exuded so much confidence, and how her companions looked at her informed him right away.

She was powerful.

Unfortunately, it didn't end there. As he observed Vivian interacting with her companions. At first, he thought her companions were behaving that way because they respected her. But as time went on, he noticed that that wasn't exactly the case, there was more. And when he started talking to her, that's when he realized why they also feared her.

He was speaking with a killer.

Even the Mercenaries sensed it. Which is why they immediately got off their Karfaxes and surrendered when ordered.

Lennon turned to one of the Guards.

"Bring out the chains and collars."

The Guard saluted.

"Yes, Honored Priest High Lieutenant!"

"That won't be necessary," Vivian said, causing everyone to turn to her.

"Sister Inquisitor, what do you mean?" Lennon said.

Vivian casually went over to the prisoners who were lined up in a horizontal line and kneeling.

"Not only did these Mercenaries choose to come here, but they refused to act accordingly earlier. They must think that being employed by an Aristocratic Noble makes them so special. Slit their throats."

The eyes of Vivian's companions became wide while the faces of the prisoners turned pale.

Lennon recovered his bearings and then went over to Vivian.

"Sister Inquisitor, these people surrendered peacefully."

Vivian turned to him.

"And?"

A puzzled look flashed across his face.

"And…?"

"Are you siding with these heretics, Brother High Lieutenant?"

A serious expression appeared on Lennon's face.

"I would never. But these people surrendered peacefully so there is no need for more bloodshed. And plus, an Aristocratic Noble was just murdered."

"But didn't you call me for this?"

"Called you…? Yes, I called you because so that you, me and Knight Captain Edgar could make a vote if we should let them pass or not."

"Then what happens if I voted no?"

"I was thinking that maybe you have another idea of how to deal with the situation."

"And if I didn't?"

"What…?"

Vivian's lips curled up into a smile under her half-mask.

"Brother High Lieutenant, let's imagine I wasn't part of the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint, I was assigned somewhere else. What do you think is going to happen?"

Lennon didn't say anything.

"Let me tell you what's going to happen: If you people didn't have the power to stop them, they would've just come back and do the same thing over and over again. And by then, everyone here will be held responsible or be labeled as incompetent by the people at the Fifth Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint and it will leave a bad mark on your records."

He shook his head.

"That's where you're wrong. We simply have to report it to the Fifth Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint once they leave and they would deal with this people. But now that an Aristocratic Noble has been murdered, our companions who are not from the Marbleam Kingdom may be fine, but our companions who are from the Marbleam Kingdom, specifically the Guards, I don't think I need to explain to you what's going to happen to them."

Vivian raised an eyebrow.

"So not only do you doubt the justice system of the Marbleam Kingdom, but you would also rather spit on the name and authority of the Holy Kingdom, the Twin Kingdom and its allies than offend an Aristocratic Noble from the Marbleam Kingdom?"

"I'm saying that there are peaceful ways to do this."

She scoffed.

"Peaceful ways? Then why didn't you use your peaceful ways instead of calling me out?"

"Like I said, I was thinking that maybe you have another idea of how to deal with the situation."

Vivian shook her head.

"No. The way I see it, it's like you're trying to wash your hands from all of this and pinning all of the blame on me, Knight Captain Edgar and everyone."

"I already told you the reasons why I called you. I even participated in arresting them. But to slit their throats when they peacefully surrendered? I'm very sorry, but as one of the leaders here, I don't agree with unnecessary bloodshed."

"Peacefully surrendered, you say? Okay, tell me, Brother High Lieutenant, what were you going to do about the part where he tried to kill all of you with a Legend-Tier spell?"

Lennon's eyes became wide.

"That --"

"That what?" Vivian cut him off. "That didn't happen? Or perhaps you were going to say, that would've never happened if I didn't order everyone to arrest them?"

He became silent and she approached him.

"I'm a firm believer that everyone ALWAYS has a brilliant plan or idea on how to do something or a solution for a problem until it's time to execute it. I get it, it's easy to critique others or something that has already happened. But are you one of those people, Brother High Lieutenant?"

Lennon continued to not say anything and then lowered his head. Vivian moved away and turned to the rest of their companions.

"Who here shares the same sentiment with the Brother High Lieutenant?"

No one shared a word. Some even looked away.

"No one?"

Vivian turned to Edgar.

"How about you, Knight Captain? Did you also have a BRILLIANT plan?"

"I… I agree with your actions, Priestess Inquisitor."

Vivian returned her gaze to Lennon only to see him still staring at the ground, so she turned to Anthony.

"Brother Lieutenant."

Anthony stepped forward and then saluted.

"Sister Inquisitor!"

"Slit the throats of these heretics."

"Yes, Sister Inquisitor!" he said and then went over to one of the Mercenaries. He grabbed the Mercenary by the hair and pulled it backward, exposing the neck.

[Mana Sword].

Sliii…!

Anthony slid the blade of his Mana Sword by the throat and the Mercenary began making some choking sounds.

Thud.

The Mercenary fell to the ground and continued making choking sounds, but Anthony already moved on to the next Mercenary.

Sliii…!

Thud.

Sliii…!

Thud.

Sliii…!

Thud.

Sliii…!

Thud.

He slit the throats of five Mercenaries.

Sliii…!

But when it came to their leader, Anthony couldn't penetrate it. He turned to Vivian with an apologetic look.

"Please forgive me, Sister Inquisitor. I think I must use [Blessing] and [Power Slash] for this one."

Vivian turned to Edgar.

"Knight Captain, show me the sincerity of your words," she said and then turned to Anthony. "Give him [Blessing] just in case."

"Yes, Sister Inquisitor!" Anthony said and then turned to Edgar.

[Blessing].

A red light enveloped Edgar's body.

Vivian didn't say anything and simply stared at him.

[Mana Axe].

A double-bladed axe made out of blue mana appeared on his hand and he went over to the leader of the Mercenaries.

Sliii…!

Thud.

Anthony went over to the handsome but skinny man in his early 30s who already had tears and snot on his face and also wet himself. He grabbed him by the hair and pressed his Mana Sword against his neck.

"Sister Inquisitor, what about this one?"

"What's his background?"

"PLEASE…!!! HAVE MERCY PLEASE…!!! MY NAME IS BRAIS S. SORIA AND MY FATHER IS BRUNO S. SORIA, A RICH NOBLE MERCHANT IN HOMBRE TOWN…!!! I WILL GIVE YOU ANY AMOUNT YOU WANT…!!! I SWEAR TO THE ELEMEN-- I MEAN, THE GOD OF LIGHT…!!! PLEASE…!!!"

Pah!

Anthony struck Brais' face with the pommel of his Mana Sword.

"Silence, heretic! And how dare you use the God of Light's name for your lies?!"

Vivian nodded.

"Okay, Bribery will be added to his crimes."

Anthony yanked Brais hair and pressed the blade of his Mana Sword deeper, causing a trickle of blood to flow.

"Sister Inquisitor, please allow me to make a special example of this heretic for sullying the God of Light's name with his lies."

Vivian stared at him with a deadpan expression.

Is it just me or has this guy been enjoying this a little bit too much…?

She shook her head mentally.

At least he's the type who doesn't question orders…

He's a good guy…

She turned to Finley and Trevin.

"Brother Sergeant and Knight Trevin."

Finley was startled but he still managed to salute.

"Yes, Sister Inquisitor!"

Trevin, on the other hand, was calm and he saluted.

"Priestess Inquisitor!"

"Tell me, Brother Sergeant and Knight Trevin, how should we deal with this Noble who dared to spit on the name and authority of the Holy Kingdom, the Twin Kingdom and the rest of its allies?"

"Priestess Inquisitor, if I may," Trevin said.

"Go on."

"That Noble is no doubt guilty and must be punished. However, he seems to be a normal civilian and I personally believe that slitting the throat of a civilian would only cause you unnecessary problems. I suggest we just break his arms and legs."

Vivian turned to Finley.

"And you, Brother Sergeant?"

"Um… Slit his throat…"

Vivian thought about it for a moment before finally answering.

"Let's go with Knight Trevin's suggestion," she said and then turned to Anthony. "Not you. Have Brother Sergeant Finley and Knight Trevin do it."

Thud!

Anthony pulled his Mana Sword away from Brais' neck and then kicked his back, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Filthy heretic!"

Vivian ignored the cries of Brias as she turned to Oier.

"Now you."

He didn't say anything.

"Listen here, Aristocratic Noble, I'm going to have my companions escort all of you to the Fifth Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint," she said and then leaned in closer. "If something happens to my companions or you try to escape, know this, I know your identities and I will use ANY means to find you."

She pulled back and then turned to her companions.

"Where is Sister High Sergeant Juana?"

Juana cautiously stepped forward and then saluted.

"Sister Inquisitor… I'm here."

"I want you to deliver all of the prisoners to the Fifth Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint. You're free to assign another person to help you carry the prisoners if they're too many."

"Yes, Sister Inquisitor!"

Vivian turned to Lennon.

"Brother High Lieutenant."

Lennon slowly raised his head and looked at her.

"Please accompany Sister High Sergeant. Your presence will be of great help when explaining the situation to the people there. And I believe that you also have so many things you want to say to them?" she said and then smiled playfully.

Lennon didn't make any reaction.

Vivian slowly went over to him and tilted her umbrella to the side to make sure that she doesn't hit his face.

Tap.

She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't disappoint me, Brother High Lieutenant."

Tap.

Tap.

She patted his shoulder and then pulled him closer to her.

"And one more thing, if I catch you once again hesitating in protecting the name and authority of the Temple of Priests and the lives of our brothers and sisters against outsiders, I will consider you not only as an ineffective leader but also a heretic."

She released him and then turned to the rest of their companions.

"You people handle the rest. I'm heading back to the Main Office Building."

Some of her companions saluted.

"Yes, Sister Inquisitor!" Anthony, Juana and Finley said.

"Yes, Priestess Inquisitor Monad!" Trevin said.

"Yes, Honored Priestess Inquisitor Monad!" the Guards said.

Vivian turned away and then began walking.

Hmm…

I wonder what would Mastery I would get if I use this umbrella as a weapon…?

Would it fall under [Sword Mastery]…?

I mean…

It would be nice to have a Mana Umbrella so that I don't have to worry about my makeup getting messed up by the rain…

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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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And in case you really like what I do and want to support me even further, do consider joining my Patreon group for $1 a month because this novel would never have a chance to get a contract.

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With that being said, I would like to give my special thanks for this month's Immortal Patron(s):

• The orc warrior 261

I also created social media accounts for Vivian:

• Instagram: vivian_lightstorm

• Facebook: Vivian Vivian

• TikTok: vivian.lightstorm

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 :)