Robin had no idea what prompted Jasmine to come and fetch her in such a hurry, but she quickly answered.
“All right, All right. I’ll come and look. Just take some deep breaths, okay? You aren't used to exercising, so your stamina can't keep up with the sudden demands for running.” Robin patted her on the back.
“Please…it's best…to know..soon as…possible.” Jasmine was still heavily panting.
“Then, forgive me…” Robin placed a hand on Jasmine. “ ‘By Your leave, Lesser Restoration’” She chanted. Motes of light gathered to Jasmine, and then suddenly just as quickly dispersed with a small chime. Jasmine suddenly could breath normally.
“You said that it's best to know as soon as possible, right?” Robin stood up and offered her a hand. “Let's go, okay?”
“All right-Pfft!” Jasmine turned her head aside. She had seen Christian in the back of the crowd with his expression as bitter as if he had eaten a lemon. Christian was sulking openly now.
Jasmine led Robin away quickly, while the res stayed where they were. After all, Magi Jasmine had only called for Robin. The Researchers Headquarters was not somewhere they could move about as they liked without proper backing.
Briar, had also seen Christian’s sour face. She patted Christian on the head, like an older sister chiding a sibling. “Hey, no need for such a face. Your cousin is safe and sound currently.”
“I know that! …I wasn't thinking about that in particular…” Christian sighed.
Briar pointed to the window behind them. “I have a good set of ears.” She said. “Want me to hear you out?”
“If anyone else had asked, I wouldn't say anything but…Perhaps you know of a way to help me.” Christian glanced at Keith. “If possible, I would like to talk to Briar, alone.”
“You know I can't leave you alone, Christian.” Keith said seriously.
“I promise, nothing untoward will happen.” Briar placed a hand over her heart. “After all, I am already betrothed to someone.”
“You are!?” Christian asked, surprised.
Briar laughed. “That's yet another thing that isn't in the history books.”
“You're betrothed, and yet you're still wandering around with us like an adventurer…” Christian didn't know how to feel about it.
“No worries. He can always find me, even if I go to the edges of the world.” Briar smiled as she looked towards the window.
“Well…” Keith sighed. “Usually I would still be obliged to refuse. But...As the leader of the True Nighters Party, which has housed many heroes in the past, you have been granted the honorary title of ‘Hero of the Land’. Since your status is above even the king, I cannot forbid you this request.”
Keith pointed back to the corner at the crossroads they had emerged from. “I and the rest of the party will be over there. Please finish your talk soon.” And with that, the rest of them followed Keith around the corner.
Briar walked back to the window and leaned against the wall next to it. “So? Let's hear it.”
Christian looked out of the window, and then sighed. “This…is all my fault.”
“What specifically is your fault?” Briar asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I…I helped Old Albus summon the Hero here.” Christian said, feeling ashamed. “It wasn't because it was necessary, or because we wanted to test Albus's theories …no. I helped him summon the Hero because I was bored. I wanted to do something, anything…that could be different from how I usually lived.”
“Bored, huh.” Briar chuckled. “It can happen.”
“A prince is bound to his kingdom…but heroes were the ultimate sign of freedom to me. Perhaps it's because I yearned for what I couldn't have myself that I helped fund Albus's research…” Christian bit his lip, and paused.
“..And perhaps it is because I did things so flippantly that I am being punished for it.” Christian sighed.
“Oh? Is Robin secretly holding a grudge where I can't see it?” Briar asked.
“No…to be honest, I.. haven't told him yet.” Christian raised a hand to brush his hair away from his face. “If he could settle everything with just beating me up, then I would willingly take it. But..I don't want him to have any more reasons to despise me.” Christian grimaced bitterly.
“...You love Robin. Don't you?” Briar recognized that gaze. It was the same one she had seen on another human, so many years ago. She rubbed the medallion ring on her finger, as if pondering something with closed eyes.
Christian silently stared off into the distance, a pained expression on his face. He nodded resignedly.
“...yeah.”
“Then…keep doing so.” Briar smiled.
“No, um, h-how do I put this…Ah, I can't find the words..um..” Christian stammered, flustered. “I…feel towards Robin like how you feel towards your fiancee, probably…” Christian tried to explain it as best he could.
“Yeah. I know.” Briar nodded.
“But…it's definitely not because I am inclined to that sort of thing! Ugh…it's only Robin.” Christian said, extremely troubled. “I only have those sorts of feelings for him. The All-Father…doesn't approve of such relationships, does he?”
“Certainly, if it's a relationship between two of the same gender, then it is indeed forbidden.” Briar nodded. “But between you and Robin? There's no such barrier.”
“...You aren't making any sense.” Christian looked at Briar with concern. “Are you all right?”
“That's because, Robin isn't a man…” Briar responded evenly.
“Oh...wait! What do you mean by that?” Christian asked, alarmed.
“A certain thing which makes one a man is not present upon Robin. You understand now, right?” Briar replied vaguely.
“What!?” Christian took a step back. He thought back to the words Robin had told him beforehand, and his expression faltered. “When…did he lose it?”
Briar raised an eyebrow. Christian had somehow completely missed the most obvious clue that she had set before him. It reminded her of a certain young wood elf…She wanted to tease him.
“Who knows? I know that Robin had lost many things before arriving here. Perhaps…you ended up saving my newest sibling more than you realized.” Briar shrugged. “Oh well, and it was such a good hint, too. It seems you can't understand unless I directly say it, but…”
Briar eyed Christian’s dumbfounded expression. “...That wouldn't be interesting, huhuhu~” Briar went to the intersection and looked around the corner.
“I'm done with our conversation. I return your clueless Princeling back to you unscathed, for the most part.” She announced cheerily.
“Unscathed, you say?” Keith looked at Christian, who's expression had gone completely blank in shock. “What on earth did you two talk about?”
“Heh. Even with such an obvious hint, he still doesn't understand. But I was asked not to tell him directly, so he will just have to suffer from his overactive imagination.” Briar shrugged.
~-~
Jasmine brought Robin into the records room, to a glowing display in which a familiar orb was displayed. “...Robin…I could be mistaken, but is this what you saw back when we encountered that slaver merchant?” Jasmine asked, with a shaky voice.
Robin examined the orb thinking back to that night. She walked around the magic display looking at it from every angle. Then she sighed.
“...Yeah. this was it…Sorry, Jasmine. I know you didn't want the Magi Council to have had something to do with this.”
“No, don't be! It's better to find out where it came from, instead of trying to track down its creator.” Jasmine shook her head. She looked down at the description underneath the device.
“This was created seven years ago, in response to a request to create a device that can initiate taming contracts without a tamer’s ability. The device was finished, but the requester never picked it up, so it was left in storage for a few months…purchased by Marvin Billefonse a few months later?”
“Is that odd?” Robin asked.
“Usually those who request these devices do so secretly. For him to purchase it means that he was already aware that it exists.” Jasmine replied.
“Who requested it originally?” Robin asked.
“The name isn't specified…but the person who created it is. This item was created by Magi Aaren of Rag’nok.” Jasmine said, with a shaky voice.
“Rag’nok…so… odds are he’s a dwarf.” Robin noted. “Is Magi Aaren currently inside headquarters at the moment?”
“...what are you going to do?” Jasmine asked, alar
med.
“I am going to inform him exactly what his little ‘tool’ was doing outside of his supervision.” Robin said.