The inside of the Temple was a marvel to behold. Forget about the bland outside, the inside was a different world altogether.
Those inscriptions on the walls out there were the same in there on every wall and every pillar but there was a huge difference. They were all radiating in pure golden threads of light.
But that wasn't all. Leon read about it but all the Temples of Light have no roofs to begin with. The wall is just to outline the premises but the inside is open to the sky and the light of the sun even in the hot days of summer. The Temple also had long pools of water with flower petals sprinkled on them with many statues, pillars, and inner chambers built around with many Clerics, Knights, and Visitors doing their things around the place.
"This is amazing." Leon muttered out of his mind.
"You think so too?" The Knight turned to him, "I had the same look on my face and the presence of the Light, I wake up with it every day."
"Ah! Yes, yes."
Religious people were easy to bond with when they see you as one thus Leon had to avoid getting caught as a disbeliever.
"Yes. To be honest, I kept hearing stories all my life but I never received an official education about Faith. It saddens me to sometimes know less than the other people." Leon said to avoid more misunderstandings.
"I see! Ignorance is a widespread problem but as long as your heart is in the right place you will feel the Light even if you don't carry its Element." The Knight replied as they arrived in front of a pillar surrounded by other pillars.
"Place your hand on the Pillar and show submission to the Light.." The Knight said as he stood on the opposite side of the pillar.
Leon took a deep breath and used [Knowledge Magic - Forgery] to hide everything that might cause problems. An Appraisal Ceremony is something like using the [Read] spell but this one is public.
The moment he put his hand on the Pillar, it started to glow like the walls and he felt something… wrong. He wanted to fight it but the knight spoke.
"Submit to the Light, little brother. Don't be fearful."
"Alright."
As if it was invading his privacy, the Light inspected him thoroughly but Leon didn't want to submit for nothing. He focused on the inner flow of Mana inside him and recited…
'Read!'
< Analyzing… 1% >
"Hm?"
The Knight was taken aback by something as if he felt another presence inside the pillar. He could still read Leon but he felt like losing control of the pillar.
The Analysis and the Appraisal went sideways but still smoothly until each of them was complete.
< [Light Magic Lv.1] has been added to your Status >
'Hide it, Forgery.'
< You have learned [Light Magic - Seal] >
< You have learned [Knowledge Magic - Appraisal] >
< [Knowledge Magic - Read] has overwritten [Knowledge Magic - Appraisal] >
Leon never expected to awaken the Light Element from this visit to the temple but this is known as the most powerful element. This is a huge win.
"Alright! A few words may appear in your head now. This is important, brother. When you see them, choose the one that fits you best." The Knight said
"Alright!"
Upon saying that, a few lines of Light appeared in front of Leon as follows…
< Warrior > < Sentinel > < Rogue >
"Focus on one of them." The Knight spoke.
"Alright."
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Alright, you can leave the pillar." The Knight finally cut the connection.
"Wow!" Leon retreated from the altar feeling very incredibly good.
It seemed that the cause of discomfort from a while ago was due to the Appraisal spell but the Light Element is naturally very beneficial to the body when exposed to. He may have got some hidden injuries and discomforts healed thanks to that.
"It feels good to submit to the Holiness of the Light. Isn't it?" The Knight asked.
"Yes, yes indeed."
Leon had to agree even though he knew that the reading came from the Appraisal spell and the thing he submitted to was the Knowledge Magic, not the Light Magic.
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The Knight kept folding a paper then sealed it with wax from the nearby desk and handed it over to Leon.
"This is your Appraisal Result. As Brother Saylus said, it remained confidential. I am the only one who saw it and I promise on the Holiness of the Light to keep it a secret, younger brother. I advise you to open it in secrecy or with those whom you trust the most. Go with Light, younger brother." The Knight said.
"Thank you… can you tell me… what's in it?" Leon asked.
"Other than some notably incorrect life choices, there is nothing to be fearful of. You may have not been blessed by the Holy Element but you were blessed with the lucky element."
"Yes…" Leon smiled, "Thank you."
"I'll show you the way."
***
Leon stepped out of the Temple with not so bad first impression. Still, he took a look at the content of the paper using [Read].
——————————
- Name: Leo
- Level: 3
- Class: Rogue
- Titles: {Rat}
- Skills:-
— Blade Technique Lv.2
— Martial Technique Lv.2
— Stealth Technique Lv.1
— Physical Resistance Lv.1
- Proficiency: (Talent: 25%) (Affinity: Earth)
——————————
It went exactly as his Forgery spell showed it. Perfection!
"Hey, Leo."
At that moment, a voice called for Leon. He looked ahead and saw a woman in a green coat waiting for him at the foot of the stairs down the temple.
"Madam Mikaela!" He smiled as he walked towards her.
"Good job. Now follow me."
She seemed rather in a good mood as she walked across the streets and kept looking over her shoulder until she reached the café from this morning where Leon stalked the Rabbit he killed this morning.
She walked in, found herself a place, and sat down.
"Ever drank coffee?" She asked.
Leon shook his head. In truth, this Leon never tried it before.
"Coffee is a drink made from beans that grow all the way south in the Kalydross Union. It is quite the commodity as well as tobacco and spices that the merchants of the Gold Star republic bring. If those people of Gold Star can do anything, it is waging wars and selling stuff." She said as the waiter put a cup of coffee in front of her and another in front of Leon, "It's a bit bitter though."
"Yes." Leon nodded, "I drink mine with milk mostly."
"Hm?"
"Nevermind."
Mikaela sipped a bit of her coffee to get a feel for it before leaving it to cool a little on the table.
"You handled brother Saylus well. The Majesty of the Temple and the Awe of the Light, huh?" Mikaela smiled.
Leon's expressions almost betrayed him when he realized that she was in front of the Temple the whole time but instead of losing his cool, he smiled back.
"We say what we have to say." He said.
She reached her hand out for him.
"What?" He asked.
"The Appraisal Result." She demanded.
"Sigh!" He took out the paper handing it over with a sigh, "The Knight told me not to let anyone see it though."
"You're in for a better life, boy. Don't let those fanatics get into your head."
She took the paper, ripped it open, and read Leon's status.
"Holy Light!" She exclaimed.
"Weren't you just saying something about fanatics?"
She looked at him meaningfully and cleared her voice to erase the shock on her face. Leon made sure that his Status looked better than most in the streets. The reflection in Mikaela's eyes however displayed that she just stumbled on a huge find.
"You had fighting experience before?" She asked.
"What sort of fighting experience?"
"You never killed anything? Monsters or people!"
"Light forbids!" Leon reacted and his tone switched one or two degrees into a dark grim, "Only monsters."
His reaction seemed a bit over the norm so he cleared his voice and continued.
"I killed a few monsters on the way here to the Capital… with a caravan. It was quite fun, we had a party and all. Before I guarded the cemetery with my family and beat some grave thieves." He said.
"Okay."
She handed the paper to him and he looked through it.
"To be honest, you fit well for the job I want to offer you." She spoke.
"You mean the Rabbit position?" He asked.
"I see you caught up to the point."
"It wasn't hard. One just died, I returned the letter he was carrying and then you show up, Madam Ruth is all excited and here we are." He said.
Mikaela nodded in approval.
"Good. You dumb act in front of Ruth may have satisfied her but that's what she wants, bitches she can bitch around." Mikaela said.
Rather than the warm atmosphere between her and Ruth, she was indifferent with her mentioning as if she took a bitter pill.
"So, Madam Ruth will pay me better as a Rabbit?" He asked.
"Fuck if I know. That's between you too. You don't have a place to stay as far as I know so you'll stay in the saloon, bitch will make sure to cut your pay but your potential is way above the Rabbit before you, it is a shame you'd work for Ruth." Mikaela said and kept looking in her drink waiting for Leon's response.
She was telling him to leave the Saloon and work somewhere else.
"I see. You are right, Madam." He nodded, "But I haven't reached the potential yet."
"True. You will need to work on your Level." She said.
"That thing?" He pointed at the paper, "How?"
"Everyone has his way. If you want something dangerous, be a hunter in the Mercenary Hall." She said.
"Mercenary what now?" He didn't even know about such a thing till now.
"With your Proficiency, you can apply as a Mercenary. Hunt monsters, sell them, do missions, get rewards." She said.
"Wait! That's a thing?" He asked.
"It is but it's also dangerous. Half the Mercs die in their first job." She said.
And as if suddenly the gates of fortune opened to him, he was just offered the way common people raise their level which he wasn't aware of before.
From the Game, he knew that the Kingdom deals with the Threat of Monsters through the Knights Hall, an organization that manages various groups of Knights known as Knight Orders and each generation tries to come up with their Knight Order cool edgy name. The player gets to pick the name for each Knight Order (aka Party Settings) they make and the Prince Character leads it.
So if the Second Estate can become Knights, the Third Estate can become Mercenaries which is more liberating than a Knightly Duty or whatever aristocrat kids are up to these days, it is just a bad reality TV nightmare if Leon tried to imagine it.
"So, how do I get into that Mercenary Hall?" He asked.
"I won't be holding your hand, kid. Only thing I am telling you is to keep that paper with you. You'll need it there." Mikaela said.
"So, become a Mercenary to raise my level so that I can get better pay. I understand." Leon said.
"Last piece of advice I'll be giving for free is that when you become a Rabbit, you'll no longer be a Rat. You get what I'm saying?" She said.
"Like… I know but what difference does it make?" He asked.
"Loyalty is one thing but you no longer belong to Ruth. You're your own man." She said.
"I've always been." He replied with a bit of a frown.
"You may not understand it as you were only Rat for about… a week, right?" She said as she stood up, "You're one of the lucky ones."
"I… I see." Leon nodded.
He may have been acting but he was sure there is a much darker truth than what he feigned to not know about. In a way, he wasn't fooling anyone.
"As for your last job for the day." Madam Mikaela fished out a folded and sealed paper from her pocket alongside another one, "This is the one Todd was meant to send to an associate of Ruth near the city wall. It will be your job now. The other paper has the address you take the delivery to, memorize it get rid of the paper."
Leon took the papers.
"Anything else?" He asked.
"I suppose you will pick up the formalities and the niceties along the way. Good luck, Rabbit."