Despite their unique physiology, Homunculi are often designed to need sleep and food as a necessity, thus achieving the efficiency threshold desired by their master. Creators like these are considered a peculiarity, even amongst the various classifications of Mana-users.
In the current era, these categories boil down to Mathematicians, Augurs, Artists, and Spellcraftsmen. More often than not, the latter ones are oddities even in the restrained circles of spellcasters. They share an obsession, an ominous passion that drives them to yearn for perfection.
That's usually translated into carefully made creations, whose level of refinement is only matched by their maker's ever-present desire to birth a masterpiece.
Usually.
Decima gulped down an unholy amount of food as the Medice watched in horror. There was no grace to it, no trace of purity nor beauty. Perhaps, if you looked at it in another way, you'd glimpse the subtlety of a chaotic design. One whose concept of elegance is based on a new comprehension of crudeness, a synthetic dullness that no living being could hope to match.
Megissa only smiled in embarrassment between two spoonfuls while Aeden was cackling. Nihil was used to his sister's manners, so he sat silently like always, eating the bare minimum.
Dinner was made from local ingredients, including vegetables, bread, fish, fruits, and some more vegetables. Self-sufficiency came with a price, and the people of Cochlinia had to adapt to a remarkably plain diet. They could've been more innovative with the dishes, but Megissa guessed that Curo didn't exactly want them to have a pleasant stay.
Surprisingly, the settlement's only spellcaster and healer, Junia, was the one who dined with them. She barely touched her plate and instead spent her time watching Aeden.
Her friend wasn't as tuned to the Mana as a Mathematician, nor did he reach Nihil's level of perceptiveness. However, even he could sense that something was amiss.
"So, miss Junia, is that it? We're honored that you're dining with us this evening. We figured that Cochlinia wasn't exactly that welcoming to strangers, so we didn't expect you to eat with us." he took a sip from his cup of goat milk, looking right at her despite the cloth hiding his eyes.
"Please forgive us if that is the impression we've given you. You helped us during yesterday's attack, and we can only be grateful. Allow me to thank you once more on behalf of everyone." the old woman immediately bowed, which surprised them.
"N-No… there's no need, actually. Please, raise your head, miss Junia." as always, Aeden was kind enough to be taken off guard by such acts. He was certainly easy to please.
"I insist. Besides, after everything you've done already, I only feel ashamed asking you for help once more." her forehead was still glued to the stone floor.
"Everything we've done? Perhaps it's none of our concern, but I find it distasteful that you're still lying to us. If you need to ask for something, at least have the decency to be truthful." Megissa spat as she glared at the older woman.
"Calm down, Megi. Maybe they have a good reason. Anyway, what do you need help for?" their party leader spoke softly to Junia. He didn't seem upset at all.
"I cannot say." the old spellcaster slowly raised her head, still sitting on the floor.
"Surely, this is a joke?" she was losing her temper, but Nihil asked in time :
"Are you unable to, or unwilling to tell us why you need our help?"
"Unable to."
"Why didn't the settlement's chief ask us himself?"
"I cannot say."
"Can you specify the nature of the help needed?"
"I cannot."
"Are you in immediate danger?"
"I do not know."
"Is anyone in Cochlinia in danger?"
"Yes."
"Can you identify whom?"
"I cannot."
"Is it linked to yesterday's attack?"
"Yes."
"Do you fear that the bandits will come back?"
"Those were not bandits. They were inhabitants of this settlement and fellow spellcasters."
"They seemed to be fleeing something or someone. Who drove them back?"
"I cannot say."
"Does them deserting Cochlinia have any connection with the danger here?"
"Yes."
"Will it affect us?"
"Most likely."
"Would we still be in danger if we left the settlement?"
"No."
"If we stayed and helped you, what would we gain?"
"Nothing."
"Why did you ask us then?"
"Because I am desperate."
"Is Curo aware of this situation?"
"Yes, he is."
"Does he plan to do something?"
"I cannot say."
"Is he the source of danger?"
"I cannot say."
Nihil finally sighed, crossing his arms. His brows furrowed, and he took a few moments to think before speaking:
"She's bound by an Oath. It's probable that she'll die if she tells us anything more. Megi, see if there's anyone outside."
"Already on it." her eyes shone with the ethereal gray of Mana Oculus. "I see no one."
"I'll place a barrier just in case. In Surdia." Nihil slowly moved his right arm in the air, skillfully guiding his Mana as he sculpted an invisible dome around their room. It kept any sound from escaping, thus making sure that no one could eavesdrop. He then said :
"Now, Aeden, this is your call. You're our leader, so we'll follow whatever you decide."
Aeden stayed silent for a few seconds, tapping nervously on the stone table as he thought about the situation.
"You saw nothing hostile when we visited earlier, Megi?"
"Nothing overly dangerous, but Mana Oculus doesn't grant me omniscience. Spellcasters skilled in Sealing or Alteration spells can still hide things from me."
"Is there any other spellcaster left in Cochlinia, miss Junia?" Aeden asked her directly this time.
"I am the only one left."
"I see… What spell categories are you versed in?"
"Enhancement and Alteration spells."
"Huh?" Nihil raised an eyebrow. "If you don't know any Sealing spells, how did you repair the barrier?"
"I cannot say."
"Is it linked to the reason you need our help?"
"More or less."
"That's a vague answer."
"Fitting for a vague question. I cannot be more precise than that."
"Will we get the same answers if we asked other people?"
"Most likely."
"If we decided to help, what would be the best course of action we could take towards that goal?"
"Stay in the settlement and ask Luni to make you visit again tomorrow."
"Wait, Aeden, you're not seriously thinking of accepting this? If there's a danger we cannot sense nor see, we should get away from here as soon as possible."
Megissa didn't like where that was going one bit. She couldn't let them abuse her friend's kindness, nor could she risk losing him because of that.
"This is my first hurdle, Megi. I don't want to back away, not now."
"What hurdle? We've barely exited Numidea, and you're already willing to risk your life for an unknown settlement. Didn't you want recognition before anything else? The Central Continent is our best bet for that."
"Recognition has nothing to do with this. I simply want to help them."
"This is madness." Megissa shook her head, her white hair flowing like a pristine river.
"Numidea's coming of age ceremony is akin to a call for strength. A young spellcaster must gain experience and uncover enough Mysteries to help empower the nation after his return. I believe it's for Aeden to decide whether his duties, his personal goal, and this request are compatible or not." Nihil's retort came in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I already gave my answer, we're helping them. Tomorrow, we'll continue our visit and speak with the locals." Aeden's voice made it clear that he wasn't going to budge.
"This is perilous at best, but alright, you're the leader." she let out a defeated sigh. "From Junia's answers, we can infer that Curo is at least linked to this 'danger'."
"We can't be sure without knowing the full details of the Oath, which I assume will be impossible." Nihil looked at Junia with hopeful eyes.
"That is correct." the old woman nodded. The young homunculus clicked his tongue.
"What are the chances that whatever we're looking for is hidden in the Prius Woods? That place creeps me out." Decima finally added between two mouthfuls.
"That's the only place we haven't visited, but even the locals aren't allowed to enter it, let alone outsiders."
"I did find it strange. It's somehow connected to the barrier, so I assumed whatever was used as a core was kept there. It would explain why no one was allowed in."
"Remember, Luni told us that sometimes people were chosen to go in."
Junia's expression immediately froze. Nihil noticed it, as he kept closely observing her during their back and forth.
"'Chosen' is the keyword here. From the way he said it, it didn't seem that they were dragged by force. Whatever method this settlement uses to protect itself, we have no say in it as long as it isn't against their will." Megissa promptly made it clear that they shouldn't interfere with this. Junia remained silent.
"Involving sacrifices would be foul spellcasting." Aeden spat in disgust, angrier at the circumstances than the people of Cochlinia.
"Not everyone had a Sorcerer to guide them, Aeden." Megissa's gaze was stone cold. She related more than anyone else with the locals' helplessness. "Most likely, they did what they could to survive."
Aeden was about to shoot back when Junia finally spoke :
"The Prius Woods were ancient even before Cochlinia was founded. The people didn't 'do' anything. They simply adapted."
"Meaning the forest is an acting force of its own? What do you think, Megi? Perhaps a Mana-related phenomenon?"
"There are examples of this sort in the cases I studied at Scaevola, but if the forest is older than the settlement, it must be over six hundred years old, right?"
The old spellcaster nodded.
"Then it's not one of them. Higher Mana density is a result of the Profane War six centuries ago, which prompted the need for protected cities such as this one. The atmospheric poisoning wasn't instantaneous, meaning the Prius Woods couldn't have been altered by that phenomenon before it was found by the first Cochlinians. Otherwise, they'd have already been dead."
"They must have discovered a way to use whatever lies in the forest as a core. Barriers like this one completely isolate its interior from the atmospheric Mana, so nothing could've been altered or mutated. Before the Profane War, there was no need for such concerns as Mana density was very low, not nearly enough to affect living beings." Nihil added as he finished his cup of milk. "Anyway, evacuation is impossible for obvious reasons, and the current threat could very well be what was previously protecting Cochlinia. We'd need a way to enter the forest to be sure, but since you want us to simply re-visit the settlement tomorrow, I guess an occasion will present itself sooner or later, right?" he looked right at Junia, who once again simply nodded.
"Still, I find the presence of an Oath unsettling. It can only be made between two agreeing individuals, which implies that there's a human party to the looming 'danger'. Curo would be an obvious answer, but he's the settlement's chief. He already rules Cochlinia, and it makes no sense that he'd try to harm everyone else. No, someone is trying to seize control. It's probable that the other spellcasters knew about it but couldn't do anything, and chose to desert instead. Am I right, miss Junia?"
"I cannot say."
"That confirms it." Decima finally took her last bite and pounced towards the wooden bed on the other side of the room. "Tomorrow, we'll beat them all up!"
Everyone grimaced, some in embarrassment, others in amusement. Junia stood up a few moments after, thanking them for taking the time to listen to her.
"I'll tell Luni about the visit, so please rest well, you'll need it."
She walked out of the room as Nihil watched with a mixed expression. He rose up and went to bed too. There was only a single wool mat, big enough to accommodate the four of them and then some. They'd have to sleep together tonight.
Megissa looked at a worried Aeden, still unsure about his decision. She had left unsaid a lot, but it was a crucial step for him. It was his first real experience outside Numidea, and she still remembered the last words the Sorcerer of Knowledge parted her with :
"Help him become one of us."
She only hoped that they were taking the right path. After all, she was no Sorcerer, nor did she understand what he truly meant by "one of us."