It was over. It was already over. Then why did she feel so horrible still? Robin raised a hand up to hold her head. She staggered over to a chair to sit down, raising the other hand as well to completely cover her face. While her face wasn't visible, everyone could clearly see that Robin was trembling.
“What happened here? What could possibly cause Robin to…” Christian bit his lip as he saw Robin’s current state. “...lose his composure, to that extent?”
Jasmine pointed at the newly broken device.
“Oh?” Christian looked at it. “Isn't this the pieces of the slave crest device that we recovered from the slave merchant that time?”
“No it's not.” Jasmine reached into her magic bag and brought out the pieces she had kept for evidence. “Those pieces are here in my possession.”
Christian stared at the pieces in Jasmine's hand, then looked at the pieces on the table. His expression became solemn.
“Jasmine…was he the one who made that infernal device?” Christian asked quietly.
“We just confirmed it. Yes.” Jasmine nodded.
“You suspected, and you didn't bring anyone to back you up? Just Robin? Whose idea was this, going up against a potentially dangerous Magi with an illegal magic slavery crest device!?” Christian’s eyes flashed with anger.
“Wait, Cousin! We didn't know he had a second one! Honest!” Jasmine protested. “I'm a Magi too! And it was Robin who stepped in to save me as soon as he found out -”
“So Robin stepped into the palms of a very dangerous Magi, and almost was captured again!?” Christian’s face turned white with rage.
Christian was furious. He felt so mad right now, but to raise his hand against a woman was a disgrace. And to raise his hand against Robin, who had just gone through something terrible on Jasmine's account, didn't sit well with him. Christian stormed out of the room.
“But…that doesn't make any sense. If Robin was captured, he wouldn't have been able to move. But if he could move, then how did he get close enough to punch ex-Magi Aaren?” Keith asked.
“He was pretending…for my sake.” Jasmine shivered. “He broke the device again. But if he hadn't thrown me out of harm's way, then I would have been the one stuck under that dwarf’s thumb.”
“That is to say, that Robin knew he would be able to break the device?” Keith asked. “It was a calculated risk?”
“That…that's right. Robin told me not to get too close…said that if anyone should approach the dwarf, it should be her-him.” Jasmine admitted.
Keith sighed.
“What am I going to do with you two? Yes, Jasmine. You're a Magi. But you're still inexperienced when it comes from a tactical standpoint. Why would you put yourself in harm’s way, without having one or two other Magi that can back you up?” Keith explained.
“What-because him getting his hands on another Magi would be disastrous!” Jasmine exclaimed. “And more people meant the likelihood that more powerful individuals might have been captured.”
Keith pinched his forehead, feeling an headache coming on. “While that is true, did you not stop to consider that you are also a Magi? Why didn't you call on any of us?”
“Because I told her not to.” Robin replied, shouldering the responsibility.
“No Robin, I agreed to this-” Jasmine was about to object, but was interrupted by Keith suddenly smacking his hand on a table angrily.
“WHY?” Keith had never truly gotten angry before, so Jasmine was shocked into silence.
Robin shuddered again. “Because the person who would most definitely have been captured otherwise would either be you or Christian. And I couldn't allow that to happen.”
Keith winced. “...While I understand how you feel, that was really foolish of you, Robin. You do understand that, right? It isn't a good feeling, having you go off by yourself into danger, and not knowing about it. If something had truly happened, we wouldn't be there to help save you. I'm your family, too…couldn't you trust me even a little bit? Couldn't you rely on me?”
“... It's because I rely on you…that I can't let you go.” Robin said quietly. “You're …part of the only family that I have left. If you were taken, I wouldn't be able to put up a fight, or lift a finger. I can't fight against you, uncle. Neither you, nor Jasmine, nor Christian…I could never…”
Keith muttered something under his break darkly. He wanted to kick himself. He shouldn't have yelled at her.
He knew that Robin had done this because she felt she had no other choice. She was in an unfamiliar land. She didn't know the people here. The only people she could rely upon were her newfound friends and family. And so the idea of them being held hostage was probably…most likely, more terrifying than the thought of death.
“Well, look at where it's gotten you now…a shivering, terrified mess. I don't like seeing you like this.” Keith said, worried.
“No…that was…u-uncle…” Robin stammered as she tried to explain. “Do you remember when I told you about…those inhuman people..?”
Keith paused for a moment, and an idea came to him. “Your bloody jackal relatives?” He spat out.
“Yeah…H-he was just like them…I-it seems even if I wanted to, I can’t forget it.” Robin grimaced bitterly, as she hugged her arms. “It can't happen again. Never again. I…can't allow it to happen. Not to Jasmine…not to anyone.” Robin shuddered once more.
“Robin…” Jasmine watched Robin, dismayed. She had no idea that Robin was struggling so much with a dark past. Jasmine bit her lip, feeling guilty for dragging Robin into this…
Clap, clap!
“All right, that's enough~.” Briar said in a sing-song voice, startling everyone out of their foul moods. “Before you return to your doom and gloom, I would like to present my findings.”
Robin, Keith, and Jasmine collectively blinked at Briar, dumbfounded.
“We apprehended the criminal inside of his den, which is to say that: this entire place is a treasure trove of clues, and evidence!” Briar informed cheerfully. She waved her hands around her as if the place were a secret cove at the beach.
Briar held up a finger. “First. Judging by the receipt of materials, and the residual materials remaining, it is apparent that this was the only machine he was able to finish out of the batch.”
Robin blinked. “Batch?”
Briar added another finger. “Two, he was planning on mass producing these things.” She pointed to a pile of semi-constructed spheres next to his desk. Robin paled upon seeing the things.
Briar added another finger. “Three, he has at least one or more accomplices-perhaps even a group behind him. I don't believe that he intended to use all of these spheres on his own, after all.”
That information seemed to hit like a sack of bricks. Someone, some nefarious group were intending to use these spheres to capture people on a large scale basis. The very idea itself was enough to send shudders down everyone's spine.
“Four.” Briar added another finger. “Someone from Rag’nok was working alongside him in this project, if we consider the initial person who commissioned the piece.”
Robin's brain started getting to work. Who among the council at Rag’nok was the backer behind this Magi? Several council dwarves came to mind, but suddenly Robin recalled King Throm's half brother, the one in a wheelchair who had escaped capture.
“Five. That person is still in this building even now.” Briar places her open palm on an empty spot on the table with a sly grin.
“...What? What makes you thing that?” Jasmine asked, curious.
“Because he had poured two cups of wine for himself and another guest.” Briar pointed to a nearby table. “They even ate lunch together, it seems.”
“So…someone could be nearby currently?” Jasmine asked, alarmed.
“Lastly.” Briar’s expression became serious. “Magi Aaren is not the mastermind in this, despite his weaknesses and reasons. I suspect that the person he dined with is the one behind everything.”
“What? How could you say that? Didn't you hear what he was saying earlier?” Jasmine exclaimed in disbelief.
“If I didn't, I know someone who's been able to hear everything so far perfectly clearly. Right, Christian?” Briar smirked at the open doorway.
Christian came back into the room, sheepishly.
“The hallway restrictions are still in place. You definitely couldn't have gotten far before you had to turn back.” Briar shrugged good-naturedly. “This is the reason why both you and the criminal couldn't leave this place.”