After a one-minute walk from the elevator, the trio finally reached their intended goal.
Designed to accommodate up to a hundred people at once, the Dining Hall is filled with rows of blue rectangular tables; each equipped with a state-of-the-art self-ordering system.
Sam and the siblings breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the empty hall. For the first time after three years, they could finally have a decent meal without interruptions. As they took their seats near a corner, a holographic projection appeared on top of the table -- displaying a vast array of delectable dishes from around the globe.
After countless consumption of tasteless oatmeal porridge, Rupert could not stop his mouth from watering at the sight of the menu -- much to his sister's disgust.
"Hey, can you hear me?" said Lucy, nudging her brother on the shoulder, "Only choose what you need, not what you want, got it?"
"You're such a spoilsport, you know that?" Rupert grumbled in response, but he followed her instruction, nonetheless -- by putting up an order of herb-crusted rack of lamb with mint sauce and a mug of spiced honey milkshake.
Lucy, on the other hand, ordered a slice of apple cinnamon custard cake paired with a cup of affogato al caffe. Then, she looked over to Sam who was quietly surveying the entire Dining Hall. "Sam, the usual?"
"Huh?" the vermillion-eyed man fidgeted before quickly giving his reply, "Yeah, the usual."
"Right. That'll be…a bowl of chicken stew and a cup of dark hot chocolate. Aaaaand, we're done," said Lucy as she put up the order. "Now, we just have to wait. Hopefully, not too long."
"That's strange," Sam suddenly commented. "Shouldn't the hall be packed at this hour? We can't possibly be the first group to return, right?"
Lucy silently nodded her head. The sight of the unoccupied room left an unsettling feeling in her chest. If she remembered correctly, there were 25 groups on the first day of the apprenticeship -- some were comprised of the most exceptional fledglings she had ever seen. Now that she thought about it, she also didn't see any signs of Cindar's two teammates.
"He couldn't have...?" Lucy muttered under her breath. She was fully aware that Jack Cindar could be crafty and cruel at times -- but foolish? However, before she could continue with her train of thought, a familiar-looking man casually strolled through the front door. His shining onyx eyes darted around the giant hall before finally settling on the trio.
"Oh, great. It's Markus," she told her two companions, causing them to turn their attention to the approaching bearded man.
"You three looked anxious. Did something happen while I'm not around?" Markus asked after noticing the distressed look on his apprentices' faces.
"Something happened, alright. Guess who we ran into not too long ago," replied Lucy, frowning.
Markus blinked his eyes repeatedly as he pondered to himself. Shortly after, he let out a heavy sigh, "I see. Well, you're bound to meet the man sooner or later. I trust you didn't cause any issue which may bite you in the future?"
"Sure hope not," said Rupert before he decided to change the subject, "that aside, weren't you supposed to oversee the clean-up?"
"I did – until Thomas summoned me back. He wants to discuss your performance in the Wailing Forest and your future assignments."
"Already?" Sam spouted, "I thought the placement takes place after all the groups are gathered in the Tower."
"Technically, they...already are," Markus responded sombrely. "Out of 25 groups, only three completed their apprenticeship. The rest of them decided to quit."
"Quit?!" Lucy shot up from her seat, unable to contain her shock. At first, she thought Markus was playing a joke on her, but as soon as she saw the serious look on his face, it was clear that her supervisor was telling the truth.
"Does this have to do with the recent massive influx of the Distorted?" Sam asked.
Markus nodded, "I'm impressed you already know about this, Mr. Edelwiss. But you are correct. The number of those monsters has increased ten-fold over the past 20 years -- with it, the frequency of Raids. Because of that, the fledglings became a little....overwhelmed."
"You mean scared shitless?" Rupert chuckled.
"To put it bluntly, yes, Mr. Nightingale – they were scared shitless."
"But you said there were three groups that made it, right? Is it someone we know?" Sam curiously inquired.
"Aside from Cindar? Yes. Two, in fact," said Markus as he placed his hands on the trio's table. "Amelia Lilium and Ashton Achillea."
The trio recognized those names pretty well.
Amelia Lilium. A timid and petite woman, well known for her unusual appearance. Her entire face was wrapped in bandages to hide the scars she obtained during her childhood -- presumably from a Distorted attack. Furthermore, her older brother, Timothy Lilium, worked as the Order's blacksmith.
Conversely, Ashton Achillea was a talented artist who usually spent most of his time with a sketchbook and a pencil rather than mingling with his peers. Due to his good looks and exceptional swordsmanship, he was well-known among the female fledglings -- much to the man's chagrin.
"However, your Induction is the least of our worries," Markus groused. "For the past few weeks, I received several interesting reports from the Overseers. Armored Distorted, natural disasters, and a possible insurrection -- just to name a few."
"The first two are understandable, but an insurrection? We're not... dabbling into politics now, are we?" Lucy inquired; her eyebrows raised.
"No, nor we will ever be," Markus sternly replied," Unfortunately, these so-called insurgents from the Opal Sun claimed that we, the Faceless Order, have been interfering with their states' affairs. An outrageous accusation, of course, but some believed it. Called themselves the Liberation Army of the Opal Sun and our sources believe they've been recruiting."
"Recruiting?" Sam stated with a tense voice, "Are they seriously intending to start a war? With who? A group of unequipped and untrained peasants? They could barely hold a pitchfork – let alone a sword. Surely the Inner Circle won't allow it to happen."
"Given their track records, it is unwise to put your trust in the Inner Circle, Mr. Edelweiss. The Helians, however, have persistently tried reaching out to the army's leader – hoping to settle things through diplomacy."
"Let me guess," Lucy intervened. "It didn't work out?"
"Unfortunately," Markus retorted, nodding his head in disappointment. "Not only did the army refuse to respond to the siblings' messages, but they also harassed the residents who openly disagree with their cause."
"Huh," said Rupert, his forehead furrowed. "Not gonna lie, Markus. That sounds like the…um… what was it again?"
"The Liberation Army of the Opal Sun," Lucy mouthed, rolling her eyes upward.
"Right. Those…Liberation people really intend to pick a fight with the Opal Sun Kingdom. Maybe it's not a bad idea to…you know…for the Order act as a mediator for both sides."
"That's a good suggestion, Mr. Nightingale. But just like I said to your sister earlier. We will not interfere with the eastern state's affairs – no matter how severe it is, "Markus paused after seeing the frustration written all over his apprentices' faces. "I admit, you three must find it hard to accept, but it is part of a treaty between the Order and the first Sun King. By breaking it, we will fall prey to the Liberation Army's narratives which will only worsen our relationship with the Opal Sun's residents."
The trio shifted uncomfortably in their seats, not even one of them dared to object to their supervisor's points. Sensing the tension in the air, Markus decided to talk about something else, "Speaking of Cindar, you didn't do anything to him, did you?" The bearded man's eyes narrowed.
"Well, nothing physical, at least," Rupert chuckled. "We just talked a little bit, and he just left."
"Just left?" Markus repeated, obviously unconvinced by the short clarification. The bearded man leaned toward the table with a scowl on his face. "And what was it you talked about?"
The trio instantly shuddered at the sound of their supervisor's gravelly voice. It took them a second to regain their composure before they began explaining everything from the start.
Markus listened intently to his apprentices and when they were finished, the first thing the bearded man said was, "So, you pissed him off?"
"Technically, it was Lucy who-OW!" Rupert yelped as his sister elbowed him in the ribs.
"It doesn't matter who did what. From here on out, you three need to watch each other's back. Cindar…well…he doesn't take kindly to anyone who dares to oppose him."
"That sounded quite ominous, Markus," said Sam, as he held his chin up. "Something happened to Cindar's teammates, did it? Something bad."
The bearded man took a few steps back before crossing his arms together. His jaws moved as if he was masticating on something. "It's nothing conclusive yet, but his teammates were found buried inside a collapsed Nest. Sadly, both of them succumbed to their injuries."
"You don't think...?" Lucy gasped.
"As I said, Miss Nightingale -- it's still an ongoing investigation. So, I advise you to keep your speculations to yourself. That also includes you, Mr. Nightingale."
"Fine," said Rupert, pouting his lips. "Oh yeah, the guy said he was nominated for a seat in the Council. Is that true?"
"He told you that? Of course, he did," Markus grumbled. "Yes, it's true. Thomas nominated his name, BUT there is no guarantee he will get the position. There are many variables we have to take into consideration and I cannot tell you more because it's…well, classified information."
"And before I forget," Markus uttered before pulling out a thick, brown envelope from his uniform. "When I was down in the Archive, I found an old report, written 30 years ago. Coincidentally, it mentions a certain something the three of you are already acquainted with. A talking stone."
"Seriously?!' Lucy exclaimed avidly, "So, it has happened before!"
"Yes but, that is not the only intriguing part, Miss Nightingale. The one who wrote this report – it was none other than Sarah Gladia – your mother."
Both Lucy and Rupert were speechless. It felt surreal to them – for their mother to have experienced a similar event 30 years prior. But that also begged the question, as to why such an incident was kept out of the public eye for this long? The siblings couldn't help but wondered.
DING!
A loud chime snapped the Nightingales out of their daze.
Seconds later, the table surface parted ways, bringing out the dishes they ordered earlier.
"I guess that's my cue to leave," Markus proceeded to place the envelope on the table. "One week, and then, I'll be taking this back. All of you are not official members of the Order, after all. Plus, I've also taken care of your lodgings. You'll find your stuff in your rooms, safe and sound. Remember: the fourth floor is for the females while the fifth is for the males," Markus then gave Rupert a piercing glare, "Got that, Mr. Nightingale? Don't get lost."
"Y-Yes, sir!" the elder Nightingale fidgeted in his seat.
"Great!" Markus responded with a smile. "Now, eat up and rest. You three earned it." The bearded man spun around and started to walk away from the trio's table.
"Psst," Rupert hissed at Sam after ensuring their supervisor was out of sight, "Don't you think the old man is being too charitable with us? I mean, pulling out a confidential document from the Archive and giving it to us -- kinda ballsy, especially for someone in his position."
"It certainly is, but he must have his reasons," Sam retorted before grabbing the slightly crumpled envelope. It felt heavy in his hand -- not surprising since the Order only began miniaturizing their devices five years after the report was written. "Is it okay if I take a look at this? It's your mother's..."
"It's fine. It's an official report, so you don't need our permission to read it," Lucy swiftly answered.
"Forget the report!" Rupert cried out with fork and knife in his hands, startling his sister and Sam, "Let's frickin' eat!"