“...I'm fine.” Robin replied. “But if possible, I would like to return to my companions. Those lackeys spirited me away in the middle of something important, after all.”
“Fine? You mean it had no effect upon you? Curious..” Magi Payton bobbed his head thoughtfully then looked up. “ As for returning to your friends, why, of course, of course! But, er… it will take a while to contact your comrades, no doubt. Would you like a tour of the establishment while you're here?”
“Magi Payton, that isn't advisabl-” Lawson cautioned.
“Nonsense! If it hasn't had an effect upon the Hero at this point, then it won't have an effect at all. Lovelorn is the instantaneous type, after all.” Payton waved a dismissive hand.
“The original one, yes. But this is a failed antidote, after all. There's no guarantee that its effects will be the same.” Lawson insisted.
“I can attest. It was near instant the time Christian drank it.” Robin put in her two cents, as she raised a hand lazily.
"Wait, someone else drank that failed potion!?" Lawson shuddered.
"Yes. He did. Mistook it for a hangover remedy. Chased me around the Capitol, he did." Robin said flatly.
“See? I understand that caution is necessary in magic research, but with age comes experience in these sorts of things.” Magi Payton patted Lawson's shoulder. “Don't worry too much or else your hair will turn grey at a young age.”
“Apologies, Master.” Lawson bowed his head, formally.
Magi Payton patted his shoulder. “No harm done. No harm done. But it would be a shame for Hero Robin to visit our research center and only see this one room. So? How about that tour?” Magi Payton asked.
“Well…I don't mind.” Robin said politely.
To be honest, it didn't matter to her. Robin was fairly certain that she wouldn't be able to understand much of what they were trying to accomplish. But, since this was a fellow of Jasmine's, she wouldn't mind giving them a chance to show off.
But…perhaps she should have stayed in that room after all…
~-~
Ray entered the communications array room. “Can you patch me through to Magi Jasmine? Gregory Lawson has a message for her.”
“Yes, hold on…” the sage turned away from the viewing mirror of the elemental array. “What did you say? Magi Jasmine?”
“Yes. Is she indisposed, currently?” Ray asked.
“Actually, she's attempting to enter the research center with a larger group than she has permission for. I’ve been trying to tell her that they don't have proper access permissions for that.” The sage replied with a sigh.
“Hmm…how many over the required amount are there?” Ray asked.
“Three.” The sage replied.
“I recognize three of them, so you can let those three in under my name. Tell them I will meet them in the reception room to lead them to Robin.” Ray replied. “I trust Magi Jasmine’s choice of companions.”
“Well…All right…if you say so.” The sage turned back to the array to pass on the message as Ray headed back out of the communications array room.
~-~
“And here is our newest addition: an experimental room for growing extinct crops.” Magi Payton introduced. “Come inside to see, they're all fairly harmless to look at.”
Inside the room, the walls were a bright sky blue near the entrance, but the room itself stretched out as if it were actually a meadow. Robin stared wide eyed at the organized blocks of plants that seemed to stretch on like rice fields.
Lawson's eyes were drawn to a nearby section of a plant with yellow blossoms. He drew closer to examine it, then turned to look excitedly at Magi Payton. “Master! Is this..?”
Payton nodded. “Yes, Yes. I managed to cultivate a few plants from those seeds you recreated. Sylphiun is no longer an extinct plant anymore. Congratulations, Lawson.”
Lawson stared at the plants before saying. “There's more plants than I had made seeds for.”
“That's because this is its fifth season already.” Payton explained. “This place is a subspace specifically for the growth of plants. It took a long time to add that time accelerator array into the main frame, but it was completely worth it.”
“Time accelerator?” Robin asked.
“Oh, pay it no mind. It only works on the plants, not people.” Payton waved a hand. “And with that, we have seen pretty much all of the places which can easily be seen. How about waiting in my office until we get news from your friends, ey?”
Magi Payton led them out of the experimental room and closed the door. Robin felt it was impressive to be able to bring a plant back from extinction. Lawson had fallen silent, thinking about something as they headed to Payton’s office.
“Um…excuse me, Master. I remember I need to check on an experiment of mine.” Lawson bowed his head formally as they arrived at the office.
“Go ahead. Go ahead. No need to keep this old man company.” Magi Payton waved a hand. Lawson bowed again and hurried away with haste.
“Heheh. That lad, he’s always so eager to check on his experiments.” Magi Payton chuckled as he opened the door. “Well, this is my office. It isn't much for a Magi, but it's fairly comfortable nonetheless.”
Robin looked around. It was set up similar to Old Albus's room, except with a more simplistic design. The ceiling was much taller to accommodate the large bookcases that lines the walls. The furniture, though simple, was built for comfort instead of fashion.
Payton settled in his seat at his desk with a sigh. “That's better. That's better…don't ever get old, Hero Robin. It wears away at your bones.” Payton poured himself a cup of water from a nearby pitcher and drank from it. “Much better. Much better.” He sighed.
Robin sat down across from him. “So, why did you want to meet with me, Magi Payton?” She asked.
“Ah yes. There was that, wasn't it…Actually. I was interested mainly in the hero summoning. It was a topic of research for quite some time under old Albus, you see.”
“Hero…summoning?” Robin asked slowly.
“Why yes. You don't think people just accidentally arrive here from another world, do you? Either the Almighty Father himself had a hand in it, or…you were summoned via a summoning. So?” Payton leaned forward in his chair eagerly.
“So…what?” Robin asked.
“Did you meet the Father Almighty? Or did you come here via summoning?” Payton asked clearly, paying full attention to Robin with a kindly smile on his face.
“I…don’t know…but I didn't meet this 'Father Almighty' of yours.” Robin replied honestly.
“In that case, it seems Albus's research was successful after all.” Payton leaned back in his chair, delighted. “Oh, but where are my manners, here.” He poured a cup of water for Robin. “Have a drink.”
Robin accepted the cup and drank the water, without thinking about it.
Just then, the door burst open, and Gerard and the rest of them rushed into the office.
“Robin!” Christian called out.
Robin, startled, turned to look at Gerard, who was at the front…and her face suddenly turned red. She reached out and pulled Gerard into a hug.
“Well, aren't you just the cutest little thing!” Robin said, rubbing her face up against Gerard.
“Wha-wha-what is going on!?” Gerard exclaimed, pushing Robin’s face away from him. “Help!”
“...So…it is true.” Lawson said behind the group as he stood in the doorway with some notes in his hand. “Master…you …created Lovelorn?” He asked with difficulty.
“WHAT!?” Jasmine exclaimed.
Magi Payton sighed. “Yes. I did.”
“..Why?” Lawson asked, feeling heavily conflicted.
“I was originally studying it for its medicinal properties...the Sylphiun plant. Lovelorn came about as a side product…” Magi Payton looked down at his gnarled and knotted hands.
“...I'm old, Lawson. I haven't made any further progress in my studies as a researcher or as a Magi. My time is growing short. And there's still a million questions left unanswered. So I studied the plant that was said to extend life back in the day. At the time, those who tested it were all getting older. But then, the research center ran out of funds. I had to come out with some way to earn money. So, I marketed Lovelorn as something to rekindle feelings between old couples. But…I made a mistake.”
“Which was?” Lawson asked.
“Lovelorn merely acts as an affection booster. It wasn't originally meant to mess with your decision making skills, or change your orientation. However, that changes when a young person takes it. When you combine Lovelorn with raging teenage hormones, it combines into an imprinting effect that sets the first person you see as an important person to you, much like how ducklings imprint upon the first creature it sees as it's parents. I stopped supplying it to the outside after I found out about it, but..the damage was done.”
“I see…and why did you give lovelorn to the Hero?” Lawson asked.
“As I am an old person, I already have an immunity to all except the healing effects. But..I thought that since the Hero was immune to the failed antidote, he wouldn't be affected by the product itself. I didn't mean any harm by it.” Magi Payton tilted his head, puzzled. “It really is quite baffling. If he's immune to one, he should be immune to the other as well.”
“While I am aware of that reason, it is currently irrelevant. Magi Payton…you will have to take responsibility for your actions. Drugging the Hero is a serious offense.” Magi Jasmine said.
