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• Adventurer GrimV
• Adventurer The orc warrior 261
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9:31 a.m.
Interrogation Meeting Room, Temple of Priests building, She'kel Village.
Ka-cha!
The door opened, and it was Ronan, accompanied by a White Cloak Priest in his late 20s with red hair.
Ronan gestured his hand over to the vacant three-person sofa in the lounging area where Wind, Vivian and Pablo were seated.
"Please take a seat over there."
The Priest saluted.
"Yes, Brother High Lieutenant!" he said and then headed over to the lounging area.
And when he got there, he saluted once again.
"Brother Inquisitor, Sister Inquisitor, and Lord Councilor!"
"Thank you for answering our summons and coming here. Please take a seat," Wind said.
The Priest sat down.
"I am Brother Inquisitor Wind, this is Sister Inquisitor Monad, and this is Lord Councilor Pablo. May we ask you to introduce yourself?"
"I am Brother Ebenezer from the Holy Chapter Temple, I was born and raised here in the Holy Kingdom, specifically at Va'le Town, my father is Brother Enan, my mother is Sister Sarai, they're both assigned at Va'le Town, and my younger sister is Sister Sakia, who is currently under contract in the Exploratory Division.
"At the moment, I'm in training. But next year, I will sign up again in the Holy Crusade under the Infantry Division."
Wind nodded.
"Are you aware of the reason why you were summoned here?"
"It concerns Brother Lieutenant Jeremiah."
Wind nodded once again.
"That is correct," he said and then read his notes for a bit. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Brother Jeremiah's last Holy Crusade, you were the one who spent the most time with him?"
Ebenezer blinked a few times.
"We spent 4 Field Missions together. All of them were subjugation Field Missions at Sab'bia Desert."
"Are you close with him?"
"You could say that."
"Do you also spend time together outside of the Holy Crusade?"
"There were a few times I would visit his family's home here in She'kel Village or he would visit my family's home at Va'le Town outside of the Holy Crusade and we would train together."
"Are you aware of the case that he's currently being accused of?"
A sad and bitter expression appeared on Ebenezer's face as he nodded.
"Unfortunately."
"Were you aware of what he was going to do?"
Ebenezer shook his head.
"I keep my distance from other people's personal lives. The reason why Brother Jeremiah and I became close friends in the first place was because we both love training. And when we're together, the only things we talk about are training and Field Missions."
"So you were not aware what Brother Jeremiah planned to do?"
"No."
"You were not aware that he was in a relationship with Sister Bithiah?"
"I was aware, but I paid no special attention to it."
"When you and Brother Jeremiah were at the Holy Crusade, did you notice anything strange about this behavior?"
"No."
"When was the last time you've seen or spoken to Brother Jeremiah?"
"The last time I saw him was right after our last Holy Crusade contract ended. As for when was the last time I spoke to him, 2 months ago, he sent me a letter, asking about something related to training, specifically about reducing the recovery time from Mana Potions."
"Do you know who Brother Micaiah is?"
Ebenezer nodded.
"Yes, he is a friend. But before you ask me your next question, please allow me to clarify something:
"Yes, Brother Jeremiah, Brother Micaiah and I are all friends. However, if I were to describe our friendship, it was more like Brother Jeremiah and I were friends because of our love for training, while Brother Micaiah and Brother Jeremiah were friends because they're the same age and have been friends since they joined the Temple of Priests.
"So if there's anyone who would know about Brother Jeremiah's personal life outside of his family, I would say it would be Brother Micaiah."
"How long have you been friends with Brother Jeremiah?" Wind asked.
"About 5 years now."
"And with Brother Micaiah?"
"Roughly the same."
"Have you met Sister Bithiah?"
"I've seen her a few times at the Holy City and also here at She'kel Village whenever I visit to train with Brother Jeremiah. But our interactions were nothing more than a simple nod or a hello."
"You don't like Sister Bithiah?"
"It's not that I don't like Sister Bithiah, I just don't have that much interest in people in general unless it's about training or a Field Mission."
"Do you feel the same way with Brother Micaiah?"
"Brother Micaiah is a good person and I consider him a friend. But when it comes to training, he doesn't have the same enthusiasm that Brother Jeremiah and I have, despite him also being in the Infantry Division.
"There are even times that Brother Jeremiah would have to encourage him to train. In the beginning, I also tried to encourage him to train and would also invite him to train with us. But once I noticed that he would only train after Brother Jeremiah and I would encourage him, I stopped."
"You don't like Brother Micaiah?" Wind asked.
"Like I said earlier, I don't have that much interest in people in general unless it's about training or a Field Mission."
"If I were to ask you to describe Brother Jeremiah as a person, how would you describe him?"
"Brother Jeremiah is a loyal, serious and very hardworking person."
"And if you were to describe Sister Bithiah?"
"A typical Sister from the Holy Chapter Temple."
"What do you mean by 'a typical Sister from the Holy Chapter Temple'?"
"I'm 27 years old, I've joined the Temple of Priests at 15 years old, and I've been part of the Infantry Division since I was 17 years old.
"Based in my own experience, whenever a Brother or Sister doesn't have a desire to train their Physical and Magic Force and would rather rely on their identity as a Priest or Priestess and their family background to get what they want, the ones who make the loudest noises or have the biggest egos are usually from the Holy Chapter Temple, the Orion Chapter Temple, and the Twin Chapter Temple.
"I prefer to deal with the Brothers and Sisters from the Verglas Chapter Temple, the Heisen Chapter Temple, and the Luxen Chapter Temple. They're rarely arrogant or have an overinflated sense of self-worth. But if you ever encounter one, more than likely, they have something to actually back up their arrogance and their overinflated sense of self-worth.
"Meanwhile, in the Holy Chapter Temple, the Orion Chapter Temple, and the Twin Chapter Temple, it's the complete opposite. The Brothers and Sisters who have the actual strength and talents are usually the quiet and humble ones.
"It's really quite shocking and, in a way, also laughable at the same time once you start to notice these things.
"And as for the Iron Chapter Temple, the Marbleam Chapter Temple and the Azatea Chapter Temple, it's balanced. They have both sides."
***
10:18 a.m.
Ka-cha!
The door opened, and it was Ronan, accompanied by a Gold Cloak Priestess in her mid-30s with green hair.
Ronan gestured his hand over to the vacant three-person sofa in the lounging area where Wind, Vivian and Pablo were seated.
"Please take a seat over there."
The Priestess nodded with a smile and then headed over to the lounging area.
When she reached the lounging area, she nodded with a smile at Wind, Vivian and Pablo before finally sitting down.
"Thank you for answering our summons and coming here. I am Brother Inquisitor Wind, this is Sister Inquisitor Monad, and this is Lord Councilor Pablo. May we ask you to introduce yourself?"
"I am Sister Harriet from the Twin Chapter Temple. And I'm the Head Guidance Counselor at the Southern Front Infantry Barracks. May the God of Light always watch over you, Brother Inquisitor Wind, Sister Inquisitor Monad, and Lord Councilor Pablo," she said and smiled.
"May the God of Light always watch over you as well, Sister Harriet," Wind said.
Vivian simply nodded.
Pablo, on the other hand, nodded with a smile.
"Are you aware of the reason why you were summoned here, sister?" Wind asked.
Harriet nodded.
"It concerns Brother Jeremiah."
"Sister, how well do you know Brother Jeremiah?"
"Brother Lieutenant Jeremiah is a very honest and hardworking person, he's from the Holy Chapter Temple, and he has been part of the Infantry Division ever since he started participating in the Holy Crusade."
"Have you ever spent time with Brother Jeremiah outside of the Holy Crusade?"
"I've bumped into him at parties and ceremonies in the past."
"So you don't have any personal relationship with him?"
"I'm sorry, Brother Inquisitor, but may I ask what do you mean by 'personal relationship'?"
"I want to know if you know him personally, not because you're the Head Guidance Counselor of the Southern Front Infantry Barracks or something similar to that."
Harriet nodded.
"I see. Then I would describe my relationship with him as an acquaintance."
"I just want to confirm: At the end of every Crusader's Holy Crusade Contract in the Infantry Division, the Crusader is required to have a meeting with the stationed Guidance Counselor of their assigned barracks so that the Guidance Counselor can write a report or an assessment about that Crusader's mental and psychological health, correct?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"And once the Guidance Counselor is done writing a report about the Crusader's mental and psychological health, he/she will submit it to the Crusader's Chapter Temple, correct?"
"Yes."
"And that report will be mainly reviewed by the Guidance Counselor or the Head Librarian of the Crusader's Chapter Temple, correct?"
"Yes."
"May I ask what was your assessment of Brother Jeremiah in your report when his Holy Crusade Contract ended?"
"I wrote that his mental and psychological health are stable."
"I don't want to accuse you of anything, sister, but how do you explain the current situation he's in?"
Harriet nodded.
"I understand that what Brother Jeremiah has done is truly unforgivable. But you have to understand that I was basing my assessment on the past reports about Brother Jeremiah's mental and psychological health to his current or his last Holy Crusade mental and psychological health.
"If you were to read the report about his mental and psychological health on his first Holy Crusade, you would find that he was suffering from depression, he was closed off, he was quick to anger, and all he wanted to do was to train and become strong so that he could avenge the death of his close friend, Brother Alian.
"In fact, his family had him take 1 year and 6 months off from the Holy Crusade to be treated by a Guidance Counselor. And I believe the Guidance Counselor's name was Brother Avalon. He has been his Guidance Counselor for years now, so he can provide more information about Brother Jeremiah's mental and psychological health."
"But sister, aren't you the Guidance Councilor at the Southern Front Infantry Barracks where Brother Jeremiah was assigned at during his last Holy Crusade? You are the first person in line who should be able to spot such things concerning the mental and psychological health of Crusaders assigned to that barracks," Wind said.
"I understand what you're trying to say, Brother Inquisitor, and I am not denying that there was an oversight in my judgment. However, you also have to understand that my team and I have to deal with many Crusaders who arrive and leave our office each day.
"Even you, as an Inquisitor, if you and your team had to deal with multiple cases each day, some new, others old, you and your team would be overwhelmed and mistakes are going to happen."
"So you're blaming the Holy Crusade?" Wind said.
"I'm not blaming the Holy Crusade or anything. I'm simply stating the reality of what my team and I, who are assigned to the Southern Front Infantry Barracks, have to deal with on a daily basis.
"I don't know if you're aware of this, brother, but I'm actually part of the group within our Temple who has been strongly advocating for years to increase the number of Guidance Counselors assigned in bases that have a high number of Brothers and Sisters assigned from the Infantry Division.
"Out of all of the Divisions, the number of Crusaders who suffer from mental and psychological trauma related to battles and wars is very high within the Infantry Division. However, unfortunately, the group I'm part of is met with opposition.
"Within the Infantry Division, there are some Brothers and Sisters, especially Brothers, who selfishly believe that Crusaders must be molded under the blood, steel and fire of battle.
"Meanwhile, within the Temple of Priests, specifically from the Temple of Priests Palace, there are some Brothers and Sisters there who also share the same ideology, and therefore refuses to acknowledge or take any real action concerning the shockingly high number of Brothers and Sisters in the Holy Crusade, especially from the Infantry Division, who are suffering from mental and psychological trauma related to battles and wars.
"So, Brother Inquisitor, you and many people may accuse my team and I of neglect or of not doing our responsibilities properly, but I swear to the God of Light that my team and I are actually doing our best. And if you've seen and experienced what we have to deal with on a daily basis, you will understand.
"My point here, if you want to avoid any incidents like this in the future, I suggest that you convince the Temple to provide more Guidance Counselors in the Holy Crusade, especially in the Infantry Division."
***
11:05 a.m.
Ka-cha!
The door opened, and it was Ronan, accompanied by a bespectacled, timeless beauty in her early 50s with long white wavy hair, and wearing a Gold Cloak.
Ronan gestured his hand over to the vacant three-person sofa in the lounging area where Wind, Vivian and Pablo were seated.
"Please take a seat over there, sister."
The Priestess nodded with a warm smile and then headed over to the lounging area.
When she reached the lounging area, she nodded with the same warm smile at Wind, Vivian and Pablo before finally sitting down.
"Thank you for answering our summons and coming here. I am Brother Inquisitor Wind, this is Sister Inquisitor Monad, and this is Lord Councilor Pablo. May we ask you to introduce yourself?"
"I am Sister Mehetabel from the Holy Chapter Temple. I'm assigned at Main Chapter Temple as the Guidance Counselor and Head Librarian," she said and smiled.
"Are you aware of the reason why you were summoned here?"
Mehetabel nodded.
"I am aware. It is about Brother Jeremiah, Sister Bithiah and Brother Emmanuel."
"You're familiar with all of them?"
Mehetabel nodded.
"I was the one who hosted their Reading and Writing Holy Mission when they were all still Brown Cloaks. I also discussed with them their future career in the Temple when they finally learned their first Class Magic."
She slowly shook her head.
"This is so heartbreaking. How could this happen? I remember them being such sweet and innocent children filled with so much love and potential."
She focused on Wind and radiated this weird combination of sexual and motherly charm.
"But I still thank the God of Light that there are still many like you who have grown up to be good and respectable members of our Temple."
And then focused on Vivian.
"And you as well."
Wind cleared his throat as he checked his notes for a bit.
"Sister Mehetabel, can you describe to us Brother Emmanuel?"
"Brother Emmanuel grew up to be like his father: tall, handsome and strong. He also grew up like his mother: Delicate features, kind and very loving."
"Are you not aware of why Brother Emmanuel is involved in this case?"
"If I'm not mistaken, he was involved in an entanglement with Sister Bithiah."
"Can you describe to Sister Bithiah, or what are your thoughts about her?"
"A beautiful young lady, shy but strong-willed."
"Sister Mehetabel, I'm not asking you to sing praises about them, I'm asking you to name everything."
"But that's how I see them, Brother Inquisitor. I believe that the Elemental Gods, especially the God of Light, made everyone the way they are supposed to be, so there is nothing good or bad about a person."
"Even when they commit crimes?"
"That's not what I'm talking about. Everyone is a combination of good and bad traits, which shape who they are as a person. And if you take away one of their traits, good or bad, that person would cease to be who they are and would be a completely different person."
"Sister Mehetabel, given your standing and background, I truly don't mean to disrespect you or anything. However, I would like to ask you to be clear and concise in answering questions that would help solve the case."
Mehetabel nodded with that same sexual and motherly smile.
"As you wish, Brother Inquisitor, I will do that."
"Can you describe to us Brother Emmanuel?"
"Brother Emmanuel grew up to be a fine and respectable young Priest. However, just like any young man, he loves the praise and admiration of people."
"What about Sister Bithiah?"
"She also grew up to be a fine and respectable young Priestess. But just like any young woman, she faces a lot of doubts and fears about her true purpose and place in the world."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The life of a woman is quite tragic.
"From the moment they become women who are able to give birth children to the moment they reach a certain age where they can longer birth children, which is mainly between 13-35 years old on average, they must take on lessons on becoming a proper daughter and wife, find a good and respectable husband from a good and respectable family, train their Physical and Magic Force enough to fend for themselves and her children, and also build a respectable career.
"They're not like men who could take their time and still do all of these things until they reach 80 years old."
"Can you describe Brother Jeremiah?" Wind asked.
"Brother Jeremiah also grew up to be a fine and respectable man. I'm actually still in complete disbelief of everything that just happened."
"Sister Mehetabel, you are the Main or Head Guidance Counselor of the entire Holy Chapter Temple. Can you tell us the responsibilities of a person holding such a title or position?"
Mehetabel nodded.
"Of course.
"As the Guidance Counselor of the Main Chapter Temple, it is my duty to guide and lend an open ear to all of the Brothers and Sisters, mainly from my Chapter Temple.
"And when it comes to the Brothers and Sisters returning from the Holy Crusade, it is my duty to read the reports written about them by the Guidance Counselors of their respective Division, and then have a meeting with the Brothers and Sisters to discuss their experience in their Holy Crusade. And during my meeting with them, if I notice something that's concerning, I would have to report it to their parents or guardian, and then recommend to their parents or guardian that they would need to see a Guidance Counselor to fix the issue that I noticed.
"In the case of Brother Emmanuel and Sister Bithiah, after they returned from their Holy Crusade, I didn't notice anything worth being concerned about. However, I still recommended them to talk and spend time with their loved ones.
"Meanwhile, for Brother Jeremiah, after he returned from his Holy Crusade, although I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, since he's from the Infantry Division, so it's only natural that they develop a harder shell, aside from recommending him to talk and spend time with his loved ones, I also told him to continue speaking with his Guidance Counselor.
"Based on my knowledge about Brother Jeremiah, during his first Holy Crusade, he witnessed the death of his close friend, a fellow Chapter Brother of ours, Brother Alian of the Martinus family from Dale Town, which greatly affected him. So when he came back from his Holy Crusade, the Guidance Counselor of his Division and I recommended to his family to hire a Guidance Counselor or a mentor to guide him.
"I will admit, it took a while for him to recover from the death of his close friend that he even needed to take a year off from participating in the Holy Crusade. But slowly and surely, he improved and has greatly improved throughout the years.
"In fact, he became a fine and respectable man who wants nothing but to uphold the laws and teachings of the Temple of Priests and protect humanity from demons, demon-kins, the Cult of Infinity, and heretics.
"So to hear what has happened, the God of Light knows that I'm still in complete disbelief that sometimes I wonder if I'm just dreaming."
"Were you aware that Brother Jeremiah and Sister Bithiah were a couple?" Wind asked.
"Yes."
"Were you aware that Sister Bithiah was unfaithful to Brother Jeremiah?"
"No."
"Were you aware that Brother Emmanuel and Sister Bithiah were seeing each other, or noticed anything strange about them that could suggest they were also a couple?"
"No."
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
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