5:22 p.m.
Adventurer's Building, Luxen City.
As Vivian entered the main lobby, she was immediately approached by Felize, Torr and Gaze who were waiting for her.
"Honored Priestess Vivian!" the teens said and bowed.
Vivian focused on Felize and Torr.
"The both of you are already fine?"
Although their faces weren't pale, their cheeks were still a bit sunken and they both had dark and heavy eyebags.
"Yes, Honored Priestess," they said.
"Honored Priestess, are you here to submit your Quest items? Allow us to handle it for you," Gaze said.
Vivian turned to him.
"Yes, thank you," she said and then gave him the small sack on her hip.
Gaze turned to Torr and they went over to the Quest Rewards counter and joined the line, leaving Felize with Vivian.
Vivian turned away and searched for an empty seat at the lounging area.
Great…
There are some empty seats…
She headed over the empty seats with Felize following behind her and then sat down.
"Please excuse me, Honored Priestess," Felize said and bowed before sitting.
"You don't have to be that formal, you know."
"But --"
Vivian held out her hand, indicating her to stop, and then she turned to Pana who was busy talking to an Adventurer.
Even around late in the afternoon and someone is asking about Quests…?
Or perhaps it's about something else…?
Or maybe there are people who prefer to take Quests at night…?
She shook her head mentally.
They post the new Quests in the morning…
So that's impossible…
"So how's your Magic Art training? Did you get stronger?" she asked without looking at Felize.
Felize was caught in a surprise by the sudden question, but she was able to immediately recompose herself.
"Gaze accompanied me this afternoon to the forest to practice using [Wind Arrow] and I was able to kill a few monsters with it."
"Good, good," Vivian said and nodded. "And the other boy?"
"Torr? He said he spent the whole day resting, but I think he also spent some time burning himself in order to open his [Fire Mastery] as fast as he could. I heard my sister telling me that she heard him getting scolded by his parents this afternoon while Gaze and I were away."
These kids are neighbors…?
"How long have the three of you known each other?"
"Since we were kids. Torr and I live on the same street, while Gaze's house is two blocks away."
"Were the three of you classmates?"
"Classmates?" Felize said and then thought about it for a moment. "We attended the same mentoring or tutoring class on how to be Adventurers."
"So you were schoolmates?"
A confused expression flashed across Felize's face.
"Schoolmates? I'm sorry, Honored Priestess, but I'm not sure what that means."
Vivian knitted her brows and turned to her.
"I'm talking about school."
"School?"
"Yes, school," Vivian said and then noticed the more confused expression on Felize's face. "You don't know what school is? Or you never attended one?"
"I'm sorry, Honored Priestess, but I don't know what a school is."
"Wait, you don't know how to read and write?"
Felize shook her head.
"No, Honored Priestess, I know how to read and write."
"You're home-schooled?"
"Home… schooled…?"
Vivian held out her hand.
"Hold on, let's go back to the beginning. You don't know what a school is, right?"
Felize shook her head once again.
"I'm very sorry, Honored Priestess, but no," she said with an apologetic expression.
"But you know how to read and write, correct?"
She nodded.
"Yes, Honored Priestess."
"So where did you learn how to read and write? Or who taught you how to read and write?"
"My family sent me to a Scholar who was offering a group reading and writing tutoring class for 2 months when I was 10 years old."
"Two months?"
"Yes, from a Scholar named Lord Coalan."
A Noble...?
"And this Scholar, he only taught you how to read and write for 2 months? Nothing else?"
"Yes, he taught me, my older sister and along with other children how to read and write for 10 gold coins per person."
"Did you go to other tutoring classes like this or something similar?"
"Earlier this year, Torr, Gaze and I attended a tutoring class on how to be a proper Adventurer. Our Instructor was a retired Gold II Rank Adventurer named Shay."
What…?
Is this for real…?
Wait…!
I remember watching historical documentaries that reading and writing was a privilege reserved only for the rich or upperclass…
Is this what is it…?
"I see. That's very wonderful."
Vivian then noticed a female Gold Rank Adventurer carrying a bow and arrow on her back along with a dagger on her thigh heading her and Felize's way.
"Hi!" the female Adventurer greeted and waved.
Vivian let out a sigh.
"If it's about teaming up, my head hurts right now and I'm not in the mood to talk."
"So it's true what they said," the female Gold Rank Adventurer said and smiled.
Vivian raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
"Don't you remember me? It's me Sansa from the Gold Rank Adventurer group Gold Dust."
Vivian's eyes blinked a couple of times.
Sansa…?
Gold Rank Adventurer group Gold Dust…?
"We met a couple of days ago here, at night, and I asked you if you were interested in joining our party."
Vivian nodded.
"Ah, I see."
Sansa scratched the back of her head.
"I'm glad you finally remembered me. I got worried a bit thinking that I must have a forgettable face! Hehehe~!" she said and then flashed a bright smile.
"Sorry, and I don't mean to be rude, but if you're here to ask me again if I'm interested in joining your party, I have to decline because I honestly have so many things on my plate. In fact, right now, I'm having a very important discussion with my colleague."
Felize's cheeks turned red and she suppressed the urge to cast her gaze to the floor.
"No worries! Just wanted to say hi and I'm sorry for bothering you," Sansa said and then turned to Felize. "Really sorry."
Felize lowered her head.
"I-It's fine…!"
Sansa returned her gaze to Vivian.
"Okay, I don't want to take much of your time. Bye~!"
She turned around and left.
"Let's go back to the topic," Vivian said.
Felize quickly straightened her back.
"Yes, Honored Priestess!"
"So you don't have any formal education?"
A confused expression flashed across Felize's face.
"A formal education of what…?"
Vivian let out a sigh.
"Um… Okay, how do I say this...? Let's say you want to become an employee here," she said and then pointed at Pana. "Like her. How do you become an employee here?"
"Like Ma'am Pana?"
Pfft…!
Vivian almost burst out laughing.
Ma'am Pana…?
Oh my God…
When she noticed Felize's confused look, she immediately cleared her throat.
"Please don't mind that. And please continue with your explanation."
Felize nodded.
"Yes, Honored Priestess. Um... I don't know much. But from what I know, to become an employee here at the Adventurer's Guild, they say that you must study under a Scholar who specializes in Secretarial Jobs and also complete several Certificates and Recommendation Letters from other Scholars."
"For how long?"
"How long…?"
"How long must the person study under a Scholar?"
Felize shook her head.
"I don't know, it depends on the Scholar. All I know is that once the person completes the class that the Scholar is teaching, the Scholar will write a Certificate and a Letter of Recommendation as proof that the person has passed and completed the Scholar's teachings."
Wait…
Can I ask what a Scholar is…?
I keep hearing this Scholar…
But I have no, like no real concrete idea what it really is…
I mean…
I'm 24 years old and I'm asking a 15-year-old kid what a Scholar is…
Would that be too weird...?
She shook her head mentally.
"Do you know how long it takes to be a Scholar?"
Felize shook her head.
"I don't know. All I know is that Scholars are from the Noble class and they're part of an organization that's under the ruling government."
So Commoners can't be Scholars…?
"You mentioned that you, Torr and Gaze attended a tutoring class on how to become an Adventurer. So there are Adventurers from the Noble class?"
Felize looked at Vivian with a confused expression.
"I'm sorry, Honored Priestess, but I don't know. All I know is that Nobles can't be Adventurers. But if you're asking about Instructor Shay who taught us how to become proper Adventurers, he was a retired Gold II Rank Adventurer, he was part of the Temple of Hunters and he wasn't a Noble."
Instructor…
Not Scholar…
"Did he also write you 3 a Certificate and a Letter of Recommendation?"
Felize nodded proudly.
"It was a month of intense training and study and we passed!"
Vivian nodded.
"I see, I see, I'm very proud of the 3 of you. You three did great."
"What about you, Honored Priestess?"
Vivian raised an eyebrow.
"What what about me?"
Felize shook her head.
"I'm very sorry, it was a stupid question."
Vivian rolled her eyes.
"If you're going to ask a question or something, stand by it."
Felize cast her gaze to the floor and thought deeply for a moment before returning her gaze to Vivian.
"I… I understand that you're proud to be a member of the Temple of Priests. Who wouldn't be, right…? But I'm just curious…why? Why is it that someone like you who has 3 Magic Art Affinities joined the Temple of Priests late…?"
Once a person reaches 15 years old, they would be allowed to join a Temple. And although there are cases where a person would change their Class, for someone to join the Temple of Priests, the most influential Temple out of all of the Temples, late was very rare.
"Ah, that one. Well, let's just say that it's a complicated story," Vivian said.
"Excuse me, Honored Priestess," Gaze said.
Both Vivian and Felize turned to him.
"It's already my turn?" Vivian asked.
Gaze nodded.
"Yes, Honored Priestess."
Vivian got up from her seat.