INTERLUDE: CHURCH OF MADRIS 1

"Thank you, Goddess, for your blessing upon this food—for providing the nutrients that grow the potatoes we eat and the chicken served," Temiola, better known as Temtem to her friends and acquaintances, but mainly the twitching rascals around the table, led the prayer. Small voices, some belonging to toddlers, others, children ranging from three to fifteen, spoke the words with her. With the voices of three preteens, the loudest of them all. Temiola rolled her eyes, not externally, of course, that would be disrespectful to the Goddess.

She held her foreknuckles together, slightly touching them over her ample chest, similar to the stance of a boxer. Her head was bowed, and her eyes closed as the young [Priestess of Madris] led the morning prayer. Temtem wore the traditional robes of the church—a black and red nun outfit that fell just past her knees. Her dark hair was covered in a hijab-like shawl that fell past her shoulders and neared her elbows. The prayer continued for nearly a minute before Temtem clapped her hands, and her bright gaze surveyed the surrounding children.

They gazed back, forks and spoons in hand, as they waited for her command like well-trained guard dogs. Temtem chuckled, a small smile on her face at Boren's twitch and Gray's impatient expression.

"Ok, ok, I'll stop teasing y'all—let's eat," Temtem exclaimed, her bright smile growing in size as her hometown's accent snuck out.

Her eyes sparkled as she watched the young children eat. They were orphans; most were the children of slain [Adventurers]… just like her. She laughed, a nice, pleasant sounding thing to the ears of the children—a laugh that came from the heart as a young child named Roland fell on his back, his small bulging belly stuffed full. This was an orphanage connected to the Church of Madris located on Ty Imperial Avenue and Imperius Boulevard. It was the largest church located in the Imper District. The church and orphanage weren't too far from the Imper Clock Tower, which served as a tourist attraction.

Temtem's duty as a young priest serving under Archbishop Femi Zubair was simple: to ensure that every young person here received the same love she did growing up.

"GRAY! I HOPE YOU'RE NOT LEADING BOREN AND BURRI INTO SOMETHING YOU SHOULDN'T BE," Temtem yelled, quickly scurrying after the fleeing preteens.

Gray sniggered, turned, and stuck out her tongue at the priestess. "You'll never catch me alive copper!"

Then, without hesitating, she jumped, grabbing Boren's outstretched hand as he reached down from the high wall. "Stop teasing her—before she uses a spell on us," Boren spoke franticly—his large oval glasses sliding down his face while his doe, brown eyes gazed in horror at the quickly approaching priestess.

His twin brother shook his head; his nasal voice spoke of their doom. "I think it's too late for that; she's already lifted her skirt—you know what that means…"

As Burri spoke, he began to lower himself back down from the wall, only halting as Gray grabbed onto him to haul herself up faster. He sighed and spoke once more as he turned and watched a flying kick approach them. "Next time, let's wait until she's tucking in Roland for a mid-afternoon nap."

"(TEMIOLA'S KICK)!"

Temtem's flying kick collided with the three, knocking them all down from the church's walls as they collapsed into a messy pile. Temtem was the first to remove herself from the pile, her hijab a mess and her hands on her hips. She dismissed the notification, one that she'd seen too many times because of these three.

SYSTEM WARNING!

You have collided with {Children} and have had your damage rejected; subsequent actions will initiate early access to the Prime System and will induce a [ Penalty ] debuff upon your person.

Moments later, the trio found themselves in Temtem's office, the glaring [Priestess of Madris] on the opposite end of the desk. She stood there, carefully sizing each of the children up.

Gray followed her namesake; she was clearly special beyond what the norm was in Edryan. The young girl's grey hair and pupils were a startling difference from the brown and black of Boren and Burri's, and Temtem suspected the girl held a hidden blessing of the Goddess. It wasn't unusual for these types of children to be born in Edryan, and the nation was on the cusp of a [Golden Age], one led by their [Chosen of Madris].

Boren and Burri were quite the opposite. Although they were twins, they were fraternal and could barely be mistaken for siblings unless you knew them personally. Boren was taller and stockier but less outspoken than his twin. He wore large, circular glasses for his horrible vision. Only a powerful [Lifeweaver] could adequately treat the boy's vision problems, and they weren't known to do charity work. Although they were all [Priestess of Madris], that was only a generalized naming category. Temtem knew the [Lifeweavers] to mainly be [Priestess of Wealth], and the lot was no good for anything other than increasing the church's revenue. She laughed at the thought; her Archbishop was one of the well-known good-for-nothings who rose through the strength of his power.

Her gaze finally settled on Burri. The twin had a nasal-sounding voice but honest eyes. However, his doe brown eyes were a cover—it was Burri who usually initiated the troubles the trio found themselves into; only Burri was usually the first one to back down once caught. The boy was slightly shorter than his brother and not as stocky, but he held a certain swagger only when he wanted to.

"You three know better than to be leaving church grounds without a guardian," Temtem sternly spoke, hands on her hips as she surveyed the three. "What were you up to this time," she questioned, eyes on Burri.

Burri shifted his gaze away, a fake whistle leaving his lips. Although he would back down, getting an answer from the youth was harder than taking candy from a gripping baby's hand. Temtem internally rolled her eyes, and the young woman looked to Gray next.

Gray stared back sternly, doing her best to imitate Temtem's demeanor—Temtem chuckled and resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks. She knew how to get an answer from her since the trio didn't want to speak. She'd been glaring for a while, yet no one broke.

Suddenly, her stern demeanor shifted like day and night—from standing there sternly, arms folded and gaze harsh on the preteens—to teary eyes, a hurt expression, and slumped shoulders. Gray's demeanor immediately shifted; the girl looked worried and shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she saw the [Priestess of Wisdom] demeanor change.

Burri let out a tsk, and Boren nudged him, trying to remind him of his manners. Temtem didn't let up, and a sob escaped from her as she spoke down of herself. "Oh, where did I go wrong? I've done my best to raise these children as my own, and yet they reject me—treating me as an outsider and not a friend. Burri , was it not I who changed your nappy until three? Gray , do you not remember just this morning the strokes of my brush on your long beautiful hair? Boren , did I not tell you the stories of [Templars] and [Paladins] and promised my recommendation to the church? Oh, how they hit a certain age and forget everything I've done."

Temtem placed a hand on her temple and collapsed into her chair, the tears flowing freely.

"Ok, I'll talk—just don't cry Ms. Temtem!"

Gray was the first to burst; she always was. She stood from her chair with a worried expression and moved to comfort Temtem. Her gray eyes nearly spilled with tears as she did so. "We were going to sneak into the Paladin and Templar training grounds and watch them—maybe give Boren and Burri a head start on learning the class… or even starting with it immediately!"

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Temtem hugged Gray into her arms, wiping her tears and turning her face away from the twins as she glared. She looked down and gently spoke to Gray. "Don't let those two bully you into compliance—big sis Temtem can teach you all you know to be a good [Priestess of Wisdom]."

She returned the glare to the twins; although her voice was soft, her expression was anything but. "You two know better than to take Gray outside with no supervision—what if some [Thug] captures her and sells her to a brothel?" Temtem glared, her voice rising as she seemingly worked herself up. "Or what if she gets mistaken for a rare, talking peacock and ends up in a traveling circus, forced to perform tricks for peanuts? Or worse, what if she stumbles into a hidden portal to the Underneath Below and gets adopted by a pack of feral [Hellhounds] and the wanton creatures beneath our feet? Oh, Goddess," Temtem drew a hand to her forehead from the various thoughts that flowed through her head.

Burri rolled his eyes, carefully doing so when Temtem's gaze wasn't on him. Gray stuck her tongue out from under the priestess, and Boren did his best to keep his face straight. Temtem's rant continued for a while longer before she seemingly exhausted herself.

Temtem sighed, "If you wish to see the [Paladins] and [Templars], I can take you to their camp tomorrow, but you must do as I say and not run around. I will send a message to a captain I know—I'm sure he won't mind showing you what it takes to become a warrior of our Goddess!"

Temtem looked down at Gray, and as she did so, she missed the smirk that Burri exchanged with Boren. The latter clenched his fist, barely containing his excitement from exploding. For months now, the trio had been attempting to sneak into the training camp, and to think it was finally accomplished once they were caught.

Gray smiled brightly at Temtem, the former tears in her eyes evaporated like an oasis in extreme desert heat. "Thank you, Big Sis Temtem," Gray exclaimed before hugging her tightly and shooting out of her grasp.

"There will be no more sneaking out from now on, promise," Temtem responded as she stood, holding her pinky finger out to the young girl and twins.

" Promise! "

Temtem rolled her eyes; the trio excitedly walked before her. It was a brand new day, and the spring sun shone down on Edryan. Their Prince and [Chosen of Madris] were off to start their [Golden Age], venturing deep into Wyvern's Roost to put an [End of Adventure]. The fabled dragon…

Temtem and the orphans held a prayer for him, praying that the Goddess would guide and protect him. There was an excitement in the air of the city, one like never before, and Temtem felt more hope for a bright future than she had ever in her twenty-five years of living.

She warmly gazed at the trio, who believed their plan had worked to the T. They didn't know that the training center had caught their attempted observation long ago and reported back to her. Temtem allowed it to go on for so long to truly see their persistence— not everyone was built to serve the Goddess.

Persistence and diligence were by far the most important aspects to have when serving their Goddess, in the young woman's opinion.

The trio believed they were doing a play on her when, in fact, she'd been the director all along—orchestrating the play from the beginning to its end. She was a [Priestess of Wisdom], and although they were the youngest branch, their plans and schemes held great longevity and cemented them as a dominant class of the church. A class that was beyond Rare to achieve and thus made them all the more valuable.

The children ran ahead, dodging around pedestrians and stalls selling foodstuffs and highly acclaimed magical items from the dungeons of Edryan and those beyond. The training grounds of the [Paladins] and [Templars] weren't far from the central church. It was only a few blocks down, and thus their walk quickly came to an end as they arrived outside a large, grey-stoned, Greco-Roman building. ‎ "Slow children," Temtem called as she hurried forth past the excited children and up to the two large guards standing watch.

Temtem gazed at the back of her left hand where a tattoo of a medallion was placed. She quickly injected a bit of mana, and like a magic trick, a shiny golden medallion rose in her hand. A gate guard stepped forward and carefully inspected the medallion; his eyes widened, and his body tightened as he hurriedly handed it back.

"We great an esteemed [Priestess of Wisdom], Lord-ahmen… Captain Stevv has alerted us of your arrival; please enter." As the guard finished, he and his companion opened the two large doors.

Boren rushed forward excitedly, his brother Burri right behind him. "I can't wait to meet a real [Paladin]," Boren exclaimed as Gray grabbed Temtem's hand.

"Who wants to meet a [Paladin]? The [Templars of War] are the true backbone of the church—brother, you have to dream bigger! Don't let your vision stop you from gazing toward the sky," Burri responded. His voice attempted to play it cool, but his hurried footsteps and anxious expression revealed his true feelings.

"Slow down, boys, this is not our home. I don't want you damaging something or running into someone," Temtem warned. She palmed her face as in the next moment, the boys ran face-first into a fully equipped man.

They bounced back, but the man moved swiftly, catching the boys and placing them gently on their feet. He laughed, a loud, booming thing that echoed through the clean interior. Temtem smiled and pulled Gray forward. The priestess's face lit when she saw the armored man, and Gray gazed suspiciously at her. She'd never seen the priestess make this type of expression before.

"Are you two alright?"

The armored man kneeled, gazing at the boys with concern in his eyes. His voice was deep but held a nice mellow tone to it. It seemed like it could remain calm in the direst of situations. Boren nodded, but Burri's expression was like he had just met a superstar. He managed to glance at the man's coat of arms and knew immediately what he ran into.

"You're a [Templar]…," Burri gushed, voice quick. "A [Templar of Wisdom]!"

"Heh, I'm no [Templar of War], unfortunately, but I'm sure my brothers will be more than welcoming for a bright youth such as you. Unfortunately, your radiance may find itself dulled among those jarheads."

He laughed at his joke before standing. His armor made little sound as he did. It was a polished off white with golden accents that accentuated the armor's overall appearance. A knighting sword was equipped on his left, while a triangular shield was sheathed on his back. Captain Stevv looked every part the [Templar] he was, and Temtem greedily drank him with her eyes. If she could use three words to describe the Captain, then it was tall… dark… and handsome .

Temtem laughed, a clear, melodious sound. "Captain Stevv, it's been soooo long since we've last met. Thank you soooo much for agreeing to this visit. I know your schedule must be busy with the promotion."

The captain's eyes lit up when he laid them on Temiola. He took a step past the children and slightly bowed to the young woman. "Ah, Temiola, your radiance shines brighter with every meeting; how could I not set time a friend? And, if there is any promotion to congratulate, then surely a [Voice of Wisdom] must be one of them."

Temtem hid her smile behind a hand, finally letting go of Gray for a moment. "Thank you Captain Stevv—yet surely you jest. A [Sword of Wisdom] is quite the achievement if I do say so myself. And please, call me Temtem… all my close friends do."

The trio exchanged looks, the conversation between the Captain and their guardian was something they didn't understand. Gray held a suspicious look in her eye as she followed the conversation, finally speaking up before it could continue.

"What is a [Voice of Wisdom]," she curiously tugged on Temtem's clothes as she asked.

Her voice seemed to snap the two out of their flirtatious banter as Temtem looked down at her in surprise. Captain Stevv cleared his throat, a hand sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, yet his eyes never left Temtem's figure.

"Ah, I'm sorry, little ones—I've forgotten my manners. Well then, since the boys are here to learn what it takes to become a [Paladin] or [Templar] of the Goddess, now is a great time to teach you more about [Priestess of Madris] and the various titles that we can achieve," Temtem began. "Captain Stevv, how about you take the boys, and we follow behind."

"Of course, perhaps this can be a teaching moment for us all to understand arguably the most important classes to the Church of Madris."

AN: I really wanted a nice slice-of-life type of interlude. I need to find some new reads that are chill. Btw, most of my interlude characters may end up in the main story at some point—either as bystanders mentioning things or actually having roles.

Anyway, I still can't share the good news of this story yet, but I can show you the cover art of S1 I have done soon!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.