"Huh? Who the hell are you?" asked the old cat, looking at us confused. He was smoking in his office while holding an old sword.
Just like Ayunda said, his body consists mostly of metals and engines, emulating a living being with magic. It was astonishing to see how technology advanced far from what I know. Homunculus, huh, I wonder how it works, perhaps I could ask Bianca when everything is over.
I tried to introduce myself, "Ehem, greetings, Sir. I—"
But before I could finish, Arthur barged in, "Insolence! You stand before the infamous Godfather, Arthur Arpeggio Noctis. And I am her wife, Ellen Lunaris Noctis."
Ayunda cleared her throat, "And their loyal attendant, Arielle Melodia Noctis at your service!"
The old cat scratched his head, "Who?"
Arthur huffed and puffed, "You ignorant fool. Don't you know that he is the most powerful magician in all the land? You should at least hear about him in the school."
The old cat just stared at us for a moment, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "Kid, I don't know what kind of crazy juice you two have been drinking, but I think it's time for you to leave. Scram, you have no business around here."
W-Wow, I didn't know that Arthur was so into his roleplay. Maybe I should take part in it too.
I smiled and rested my cheek on my hand, "Oh dear, what to do indeed? Centuries had passed and the children now had forgotten their manners. Back in my day, a naughty child like you would have been served as a tasty snack," I said looking directly at the old cat, "Send my regards to your Mistress. She'll be thrilled to hear from me, I'm sure."
Suddenly, I got the old cat's attention and his jaw dropped, "W-W-Wait, wait, that eye…! A mage with his nasty hobby to crossdress his subject? Oh s-shite, you are Master Noctis!" he gasped.
Eye? Aaah… I forgot. I used my Divinity to turn my hair white and short. Of course, my eyes would turn red too. But, how the hell these eyes showed me as Master Noctis? In the first place, does he exist?
"Then you know what to do. Quick, before my mood is ruined today," I smiled hiding the fact that I didn't know what he was talking about.
But the cat was already scampering away as fast as his legs could carry him, "S-Sorry, I-I open the gate! Don't eat me, please!"
I was just playing around, but I never expected this old cat to take it seriously. The Order and an orphanage, what a nasty combination. Suddenly, a sense of dread washed over me.
As much as I enjoyed a good prank, something about this situation seemed off.
The old cat beamed at us as he swung open the gate, a stark contrast from his previous demeanor. He welcomed us warmly and led us through the orphanage's winding corridors to the grand dining room where The Mistress was waiting.
As we walked, I was greeted with a scene straight out of a storybook. The warmth and love in this place were palpable, the joy and happiness radiating from the children playing together in the garden. If I had to put it into words, I'd say it looked like a slice of heaven.
"Nice job, maybe I should give you more missions like this," Arthur whispered.
Ayunda giggled, "Yeah, she's natural!"
"Hell no! This is the last time I'm doing this. And you don't even do anything," I protested at Ayunda who just smiled playfully at me.
Arthur patted my shoulder, "Well, we'll see about that later. For now, you distract them while I investigate the orphanage. Got it?"
"Wait, you two are planning to leave me alone…? H-Hey, what if they catch me?" I asked, feeling like I was about to be thrown into the den of wolves.
Suddenly Arthur crouched on the floor, clutching to his abdomen, "O-O-Ouch, oh dear, why my Dyspepsia relapses now!"
"What, why now, Master? I have the drug ready with me. We should quickly reach the nurse's room!"
The cat awkwardly nodded, "S-Sure, it was just right in the corner," he answered and showed the way.
"Thank you, good Sir," Ayunda winked at me before dashing her way, leaving me behind. Dammit, they really…!
"Ehem, this way, Master Noctis," he said in a dignified tone.
As I walked into the dining room, I was surprised to see a line of maids bowing to me. I felt a little uncomfortable and didn't know how to react. But then, I noticed a fairy with red hair and round glasses waiting for me with a gentle smile. The fairy, whom I assumed was the Mistress, approached me with much respect and introduced herself.
"Welcome, dearest Pater. I'm honored to see the light of the Divine in your eyes today. Your Lector, Bianca Eisenberg, is always ready to serve you," she said respectfully, "…I apologize for being intrusive, but why you suddenly graced us with your presence today, Pater?"
Ohh, so Bianca's true form is fairy. She's so cute! Uhm, focus. Did she recognized me as Pater? Oh boy, this doesn't look good.
It was clear to me that the maids were Mechanized dolls like Old Danius. They were at least as powerful as a high-ranking adventurer. It'd be difficult to defend myself if they attacked me all at once. Especially when I don't have any weapons with me.
But seeing this opportunity to learn about The Order and Pater… Hmm, perhaps I should play along for a bit.
Nervously, I cleared my throat, "I've come to inspect the children."
"Inspect… O-Oh! I'm sorry for my foolishness. You're here because of a slight incident a week ago, right? Well, allow me to relieve your worry over this facility, Pater," Bianca said before giving orders to her cronies back to their posts.
Slight accident?
Flying lively, the fairy leads me into the underground. When my feet touch the ground, the magic light suddenly on, showing invisible window that overlook classrooms. There I could see dozens of children being nursed by the maid lovingly, like a Mother and their child. There were other rooms where the children were taught about the essential alchemy, practical workmanship and many more. They looked like they had fun too.
"As you can see here, Pater, the facility is still running at an optimal pace. We care and educate the orphans to become the best version of themselves through meticulous and holistic programs," Bianca said while we were inspecting older children who had undergone rigorous training behind the glass,
"They were loyal to The Dogma and thrive to deliver the best for you. Once the children were mature enough, some with strong constitutions might join the rank of Homunculus, while many would infiltrate the societies through their talent. This day, we've already infiltrated all major power and gained massive influence in the world."
U-Uh, oh, I think I heard something outrageous today. I didn't know that The Order was this powerful.
"Explain how do you deal with those who betrayed The Dogma," I questioned her.
"… Alright, follow me, Pater," Bianca replied.
We stopped at an empty room. There, menacingly, Bianca explained,
"Support-type Homunculus Unit 431 or Abigail was the caretaker of batch 1398. From her memory crystal, we found out that she had been corrupted by, regrettably, a Lector, named Denova. We're still investigating how he managed to do that, but please rest assured, they had been dealt with according to our protocol."
Wow, girl. How daring are you? Lying to your Master with such conviction. Fine, I'll play along. But seeing the empty room, I'd got this bad feeling…. What did she mean by the protocol?
"Under the suspicion of corruption, the same protocol applied to children under her care. However, to avoid waste and deficit, we repurposed their batch into our research, as per your order, Pater."
Repurposed? Oh shite…As the Fairy led me further into the research facility, I couldn't help to feel unease. Everywhere I looked, researchers were scurrying about, hunched over magic screens, and scribbling furiously in notebooks. What were they studying so seriously? I thought to myself.
It was only when we turned a corner that the full horror of the situation hit me like a meteor. In front of me, on a large screen, was an image of a grotesque and mutated creature, writhing in agony.
And then I saw it, the label next to the image read "Experiment on Batch 1398: The Blossoming of Nightstrider Animata based on Progenitor Model - Conclusion Minor Success."
I felt my blood run cold as I realized the true nature of this research facility. Cultist, huh? Aren't you oversimplified them a little bit, Master Arthur?