She set the stage with her skewed rules. The two thought they were just amusing her, maybe to make Cless drop her defenses but she was the one making them drop their offensive options entirely.

"Okay. I'll start. My name is Cless, no surname, and my classes are Dabbler, Beast Tamer, and Vicar." She said and opened a mischievous smile that only Frederik could see. He seemed amused and she raised a finger to her lips to ask for his silence in a way that Trevor might or might not see. She didn't care about Trevor right now.

"My turn then," Frederik mused. "Let me think... My name is Frederik Richmond, and my classes are ack... Accountant, re... Receptionist, ma... Mathematician,"

Cless saw how he tried to stop but couldn't. He was stuttering in all the classes. Cless got very interested in his inkwell all of a sudden.

"Oh, damn. I need a drink!" Frederik tried to hide his embarrassment as a dry throat. He wasn't too convincing.

Frederik took a flask from his jacket pocket and took a swill. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and continued.

"I stopped at Mathematician, right? Well, after that I'm a ba... Banker, ty... Tycoon, in... Industrialist and god damn it! What did you do, girl?"

"Is it that? Only six classes?" Trevor asked full of mirth. "Is it my turn?"

"I don't think so, father Trevor," Cless replied, feigning innocence. "I remembered now what was the something in 'something Hunter' I saw. I think it was Skill Hunter."

Trevor chortled. Cless felt like she handed him the sword to get rid of the irritating appraiser. "Was it indeed? I always suspected it was that, but I never had evidence. I see you are correct, sister Cless. I can see how the One God imparted you with the wisdom to do what was thought to be impossible!" The inquisitor moved forward, entering the edge of her field of view. "I think that is why he wants to be executioner this bad! Are you a Skill Hunter, Frederik?"

Frederik's eyes looked at her with hatred and the fear returned. With beads of cold sweat on her body, Cless could only think that things would go really bad in 3, 2, 1... Any moment now...

"You stupid lying wench!" Frederik jumped over the desk at her, a dagger appearing in his hand. She closed her eyes.

*Wooooooosh*

The Judgement spell triggered as she felt a small prick on her shoulder. Just a small prick and a lot of pain.

For killing level 192 Frederik Richmond, you earned 31,475 Kill and 10,000 proficiency Experience Points. You gained Skills. Check text notifications for more details.

She had no time to look at her loot. She was burning from where the dagger pierced her brigandine like it was paper.

"Detoxify!"

The pain was spreading from the small dagger wound. Cless could feel the skin of her shoulder whither.

"Detoxify! Cleanse! Detoxify! Heal!"

She kept using spells. Each Detoxify cost a little more than 3 Power, Cleanse, two and a half. Heal was a bit under six Power. After the fifteenth combo of the three spells, she felt the wound close. Cless stood up and saw the corpse of Frederik with a burnt hole in the middle along with the desk. Trevor had the dagger in his hand and was looking at Cless with wide eyes.

"How much Magic you have, girl?" He sheathed the dagger and then asked another question, "And how did you survive a dose of Deathbloom Nectar?"

Cless was unsure. And almost entirely drained of magic. It would take almost two hours to recover it fully. "With faith and divine magic?" What else could she answer? She shrugged and backed away from the body.

He stowed the dagger on a pouch too small to hold even a few coins and clapped his hands. "Excellent! Excellent! That was a marvelous display. I am sure the One God really favors you! Indeed you are the Holy Maiden of this generation!"

Cless moved out of the tent. There were some Inquisition guards there. Before any of them could get an idea, she acted.

"Don't just stop there gawking! Go inside and help the High Inquisitor!" She ordered, putting the weight of her leadership on it. The guards rushed into the tent only to come out right after with Trevor.

The man clapped his hands, grinning from ear to ear. His chest was out, his gait was firm. "Hear ye, hear ye! For the One God revealed a traitor in our midst and also granted us something marvelous."

He cast a Light spell high up, illuminating the whole camp. It made Cless curious. Why were they using campfires in a camp full of the clergy?

"Members of the One God Church! It is a joyous night we have today!"

He started to speak, his voice amplified. It was a man used to make speeches, used to be on power and to be listened to. A man that ruined countless lives in his frantic pursuit of power. He raised his arms up as he kept his speech. It creeped the heck out of Cless. His eyes were feverish, maniacal even.

"Today the One God granted us an omen. A ray of hope upon our world. I present you Cless the Holy Maiden! Kneel before her for you are not worthy of basking in her beauty!"

The soldiers in the entire camp went on their knees. Prayers and shouts of praise and glory to their fake god erupted. Some were even crying. Bunch of fanatic weirdos. Where are the nuns? Trevor kept spewing his speech and Cless decided to go look for them. She just walked around between the soldiers, some of them rubbing their hands on her robes like it was some relic. Cless stopped and thought. What could she do to find the nuns?

[Tremorsense]. Doh. She felt really stupid. She triggered the passive Skill that she usually left off because it flooded her with too much information and searched. She should find a group of people immobile and huddled inside a tent. There.

Cless crossed the camp, still hearing Trevor's ramblings. She had no idea what he wanted now. Weren't they trying to kill her? Wasn't elevating her to a relic contrary to that goal? Or was it something even more sinister? She had no idea and she didn't want to find out. Cless lifted the edge of her robes and moved faster. She reached the tent and there were two guards standing at the door.

"Move aside. I will check the health of the women inside." She ordered the guards. They didn't move. She inched forward and they shifted toward one another to close the way. She loathed to use that term but well, she had to go in. "I'm the Holy Maiden. Could you hear the High Inquisitor's speech? Now you have two choices. Either you move aside and let me do God's work, or I'll hand your butts to the High Inquisitor with a complaint!"

No. That didn't go well. She should've threatened to kill them on the spot, right? These guys looked like elites. Would they be afraid of a complaint? Of course not!

"Go away, Holy Maiden. You should not mix with the likes of these diabolists." One of the guards said with a smirk. The other scratched his crotch. Disgusting.

"I warned you. Now receive the One God's Judgement." She checked her power. She had enough energy for only one round of buffs.

"Bulwark. Shield of Faith. Shield."

They drew their swords. Their blows hit the Shield of Faith and cracked it. Strong guys. Cless had no weapon on her as the broadsword would ruin her image. So she punched them. As long as she remained inside the area of the bulwark, she would be fine. It was a circle of about two meters in radius. She fainted and sent a hook at one of the guards. It caught him on the chin but he just winced.

They bashed the shield and Cless found that she couldn't kick. The skirt was too tight. She started to jab and punch them. She felt really stupid but now she was going to break some Inquisition skulls, so yay? The shield broke after four swings and now she had to dodge for real. Cless settled into a good pace and clinched with one of the guards. It was when she noticed they didn't have armor under the waist. Well, it was not an official match so she would do it. Cless went on the defensive as the guards circled her. She was weakening the skirt, weaving the fibers to split in the middle. She took one minute, one long minute to do it.

She couldn't avoid all the blows from the guards but it was done now. Her skirt would rip open if she used her legs. She feinted again and clinched, the guard tried to grab her with his free hand. It was then she put her hundred points of Strength into a low blow. The guard felt his family jewels lose their shine as he rolled his eyes and dropped down. The blow was so vicious the other guard stopped to sympathize with his brother in arms.

Cless was no brother though. She took the sword from the unconscious guard and went on the offensive. The guard gave ground and Cless cut him on the cheek. Not deep enough. She moved after him and noticed he was goading her to leave the Bulwark. She backed away, effectively disengaging.

"Come on, Holy Maiden! I am sure the High Inquisitor will let me taste you after he's done with you just like these other sisters in there!"

That did it. Cless had enough Power to two low-cost spells. She chanted under her breath, not willing to give her strategy away for a measly twenty percent boost. She dropped her sword in a bluff to make the guard lower his guard. He did.

"Holy Bolt!" The guard only staggered. She felt the bite of removing the Priestess Class. Her magic lost potency. "Holy Bolt!" And died.

Enraged, Cless retrieved the sword and cut the throat of the one on the ground and entered the tent. She was angry and not working in a clear mind.

For killing two humans, you earned 4,169 kill and 1,600 proficiency Experience Points.

"Sisters!" She barged into the tent and noticed all the nuns were there except for one. The nuns were beaten, with swollen faces and covering themselves. Their clothes were in tatters.

"Where is sister Marion?" Cless asked.

"They took her away! They said she was the mastermind of our diabolist cabal! Cless we are innocent. They..."

"Say no more. I'm releasing you."

Cless struck the lock with the sword but it didn't break. She struggled to think of something but had no idea. There must be a key. Maybe one of the guards had one. She went outside and met Trevor waiting for her.

"Now, now, what do we have here, my dear Priestess?" He asked, pointing at the two dead men on the ground. "What a bad taste it gives to see the Holy Maiden covered in blood.

She looked down. Indeed there was blood on her. Stupid!

"They disobeyed me."

She tried to defend herself. She told herself to get her wits together. Damn it. There were better things to say. Now it was too late.

"I'll clean your robes, come with me, Holy Maiden," Trevor made a motion to move and pulled her next to him. Cless didn't resist. "Guards, these two were traitors that dared raise a hand against the Holy Maiden. Dispose of these corpses."

He moved and dragged her along, not letting go of her arm. It wasn't hurting but was uncomfortable. They went to the biggest tent on the whole camp, not very far from the one with the nuns.

Inside she found sister Marion. She was not in her nun habit but instead was wearing some very provocative clothes.

"Sister Marion, what a delight to see you in good health. Am I to assume you were innocent of the charges?"

Trevor shoved her forward and Cless stumbled. She gave him a hurt look but he just crossed his arms.

"Oh, little Cless. Tragic child. Tsc, tsc," Marion, if that was her true name, moved seductively toward her. Cless felt trapped, enraptured by her movements and appearance. "I am a faithful servant of the Inquisition, can't you see? I was there to unravel this diabolist cult, but the true ringleader is you!" She cackled.

Very villainous, very bad taste. Cless could get a glimpse of her crotch between the ridiculous high slits on her clothes. Eww.

"Me?" She had to gain time. Each minute she would get two Power and time to think of an exit. Cless glanced at Trevor and he was just there, standing and looking at her with an inquisitive eye. Fitting for an Inquisitor — shit now is not the time to digress, Cless.

"Yes, you. You are really a piece of work, little Cless. The tragic daugh—"

Trevor interrupted her. "Enough, Marion."

"No, please. Please do tell. I know I won't leave this camp, at least humor me with your crazy theories. You were saying I'm a tragic what? Draught? Daughter?"

Marion ripped off Cless' veil and pulled back her cowl. "Such a mind trapped in a hideous body. Don't you know, Cless? That priest lied to you your whole life. He hid your origin from you. An act of mercy or cruelty. What do you think?"

Marion grabbed her chin and approached her mouth with hers. Thousands of things raced in Cless' mind but she really didn't want to have her first kiss with a spy from the Inquisition.

"Let go of me!" She struggled but Marion quickly wrapped around her waist and pulled her. Unable to evade, she had her first kiss stolen.