Holy crap!
A cat... actually speaking!
This absurd scene left Byrne and Selena frozen in place, their pupils shrinking as looks of utter disbelief washed over their faces.
Snapping out of it, Byrne asked in shock, "What... what are you?"
Hearing this, the black cat flicked its tail. Its heterochromatic eyes locked onto Byrne as it said testily, "Heh. Careful with your words, little cub. My name is Aurelia, and I am your Guide."
A Guide? More like a Guide Meow, Byrne thought to himself.
He suppressed the snarky comment and said aloud, "I think you've got the wrong people. We're here to join the Tax Collection Department as Tax Collectors. We never planned on joining any 'Bureau of Heresy Research.'"
Aurelia let out a snorting laugh, her tone mocking. "Heh. Did you two really think Marcus's little test was just to pick out some low-level lackeys to collect taxes?"
Selena countered, "What do you mean by that?"
Aurelia licked her paw nonchalantly.
"My meaning is simple. Marcus's test was the preliminary screening to find suitable candidates for the Bureau. If you don't believe me, take another look at your employment agreements."
Byrne and Selena exchanged a look, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes. Back in Marcus's tent, they had both read the documents thoroughly. The title had clearly read Tax Bureau Collector Appointment Certificate. The clauses were standard—tax duties, salary, benefits. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Despite their doubts, they both pulled out their respective agreements. One look, and Byrne was floored.
The header that had once read Tax Bureau Collector Appointment Certificate had somehow transformed into Heresy Investigator Appointment Certificate. Even the contents had shifted from tax-related clauses to protocols for handling various types of heretics.
Seeing their reactions, Aurelia gave a smug grin. "How about it? Was I right? From the moment you signed that agreement, you passed the preliminary screening."
"Preliminary? Does that mean there's a secondary screening?" Byrne asked.
Aurelia nodded. "Of course. Just now, while you were in the reception room, that sudden darkness and spatial transfer was the final filter."
She extended a front paw, pointing at the two men lying on the floor. "Those two little fellows had weak wills. They were crushed the moment the space distorted. They've been eliminated."
Hearing the word "eliminated," Byrne looked at the sleeping duo. "And what will you do with them?"
Aurelia flicked her tail.
"Simple. Send them back to the reception room, swap their agreements, and wipe their memories of the test. When they wake up, they'll be ordinary Tax Collectors. They won't even know this place exists."
Tampering with agreements, spatial transfer, memory wiping... the Bureau's methods are no joke, Byrne thought.
He tested the waters. "And if I don't want to fulfill this agreement? What then?"
Aurelia narrowed her mismatched eyes, her swaying tail coming to an abrupt halt.
"Little cub, I suggest you drop such childish thoughts. Trying to refuse now... well, it won't be as simple as memory wiping. It will cost you your life."
With that, Aurelia turned and headed through the doorway.
"Enough explaining. Move it, you two. If you don't follow now, the door is going to vanish."
Faced with those stakes, Byrne and Selena had no choice but to follow. As they crossed the threshold, the wall behind them sealed shut instantly, as if it had never been there. Byrne glanced back at the smooth, grey surface, marveling at the Bureau's advanced tech.
Beyond the door wasn't a dark tunnel as he'd imagined, but a vast corridor that stretched as far as the eye could see. Energy light-strips embedded in the walls illuminated the path brightly.
Aurelia led the way with a light, ghostly gait, occasionally glancing back to ensure they hadn't fallen behind. Byrne followed, scanning his surroundings constantly. Selena trailed half a step behind him; compared to Byrne's guarded gaze, she seemed relatively composed.
After walking for a while, Byrne found a topic to break the silence. "I wanted to ask... since it's called the Bureau of Heresy Research, how do you determine who counts as a heretic?"
Aurelia explained:
"There are plenty of ways. Secret research into Warp energy, conspiring with Chaos forces, spreading heretical ideologies... In short, anyone who threatens the safety of Kolor is our target."
Selena thought for a moment before adding, "Why does the Bureau use the Tax Bureau's name to recruit? Wouldn't it be easier to just conscript people directly?"
Aurelia chuckled.
"You're quite naive, little one. If we recruited openly, we'd become sitting ducks for the very people we're investigating. How could we conduct undercover work then? Using the Tax Bureau as cover lets us screen for talent while hiding our existence. It kills two birds with one stone."
As they walked, door after door appeared on either side of the corridor. These doors blended perfectly with the walls; without close inspection, they were nearly invisible. Each door had an unordered numerical code engraved in the top right corner.
"What are these rooms for?" Byrne asked curiously.
Aurelia didn't look back.
"Some are archives for records of captured heretics and incident reports on Kolor; others are analysis labs for dismantling and studying items seized from heretics. There are also combat prep rooms for investigators to calibrate gear and plan operations. Of course, those are the minority—most are cells for holding heretics."
After a few more minutes and several turns, the black cat stopped in front of a heavy metal door. This one was wider than the others and bore the golden Aquila.
Aurelia turned to look at them.
"This is the Team Leader's office. He'll brief you on your specific duties as investigators and your first assignment."
With that, Aurelia pushed the massive door open with her front paw.
Behind it was a spacious office with a massive solid-wood desk in the center. Seated behind the desk was a figure in a black robe, their face completely shrouded by a hood, leaving only a pair of glowing blue eyes visible.
Seeing them enter, the robed figure spoke slowly:
"Welcome to the Bureau of Heresy Research. I am Roderick, Team Leader of the Seventh Action Group."