Chapter 214 - She Leaves Via the Window

Robin scowled. "So we can only wait until tragedy has already struck?" She asked. If they did not get rid of all the magic beasts in the sewers, then it would be like a ticking time bomb threatening the safety of the city.

"I'm afraid so." Marin replied. "My magic tower surveillance only covers the streets and common areas, as well as the areas that are off limits. It doesn't cover the insides of the buildings aside from those of historical or monumental worth."

"Urgh...Sheesh!" Robin ruffled her hair in frustration. Then she had an idea.

"Do you have an item enchanted with magic communication?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, no. We usually send missives via a familiar." Marin shook his head.

"Urgh this is a world of swords and magic, for goodness sake! There's gotta be something!" Robin paced back and forth. "Think, Robin, think!" Her mind travelled back to the light novels she'd read. Wait, hadn't there been something....

Robin blinked. "Hey...I'm a bit new to this magic stuff, but, have you ever heard of..."

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"Impressive. That you could discover such a structure so quickly is highly praiseworthy." Jasmine admitted, seeing the narrow passageway ahead of them. From then on, they could only travel through one at a time.

"Liam, if you would?" Chelsea asked.

"Got it." Liam stepped forward, shielding the two behind him from possible attacks from the front. They then travelled single file down the narrow passageway.

Due to the somewhat stifling air of the place, none of them really felt like talking for a bit. Rather, they were watching out and listening. Surely the black Merchants guild must have placed some traps for safety precautions, right?

But after several minutes, nothing happened. In fact, soon enough, they could see a light up ahead past the passageway exit. This caused them to slow down cautiously. If they hadn't encountered traps in the passage, then would they be in the room beyond?

Liam finally stepped out into the room, keeping alert for possible ambush or traps. However, he was unable to anticipate what happened next. Chelsea suddenly tugged Jasmine back with her, and just in time, too.

A stone door slammed down right where Jasmine had been standing. If Chelsea hadn't tugged her, Jasmine would have been killed, or seriously injured. Liam instantly tried to break the door open, to no avail.

"Chelsea! Are you all right?" He called.

"We're fine. But the path behind us has been blocked off as well!" Chelsea called back. "Looks like we'll be trapped here for a while!"

"Hold on, I'll get you out of there." Liam called.

"It's no use! Not even a dragon could break down that door." A voice called out from behind him. Liam turned to see a strange sight. A young boy sat in a silver bird cage suspended over an immense pile of treasure. He leaned against the bars with a smile.

"The door is not really made of stone. But no one knows how it was made, or what it is made of. It was taken from an ancient ruin. The only thing we can determine is that it is nigh on indestructible, which is why father placed it there as the door."

"Tch! So I really can't break it, huh? There must be a way to open it, somewhere..." Liam looked about for a switch of some sort.

"It's no use. Anyone caught in that trap will first be cut off from the rest of the place, then the gate will open, and flood the room with water. Unless your friends can last for 3 hours without air, it is practically impossible to survive."

"Three hours, you say?" Liam asked.

"Yes. 3 hours." The lad said.

"I see..." Liam trailed off as he headed towards the treasure mound.

"Huh? You're a rather cold-blooded one. Aren't you worried about your friends?" The lad asked.

"Need I be worried about them? I'll see them again in 3 hours, won't I?" Liam asked.

"Like I said, they'll be dead by that time." The lad repeated. "You're not worried now that you won't ever be able to talk to them again?"

"No. I am not worried." Liam replied. "They can take care of themselves." He strode closer.

"W-what are you gonna do now?" The boy stammered a bit in surprise.

Liam examined the contraption.

"Well, for starters, how about we get you out of that cage?"

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"Impressive! How did you even think of applying such a thing in this manner?" Marin asked, surprised.

"Oh, just something I'd read a while back." Robin replied.

"But to think of something like using gemini stones for communication...Quite frankly, it's amazing!" Marin exclaimed, looking at the brass contraption.

Gemini stones were a unique product found in the area. If one stone was rocked, vibrated, or pushed, the other stone would rock in the same way. Robin had just modified her little telephone a bit, and made a couple of smaller versions with the help of a few wizards. Embedded in the bottom of each brass cup was a gemini stone. Robin also placed a cloth over the cup which was intended to be spoken into so the two weren't mixed up.

The only issue was, these phones only worked in pairs, and required 4 gemini stones to make. The twin stone to the one in the mouthpiece was placed in the earpiece cup, and vice versa. This way, each could speak and hear what the other was speaking. Robin took one of them for her own, and left the other one with Marin.

"You can make more later. For now, I need you to tell me where these outbreaks are happening throughout the city so that we can quickly take care of them." Robin instructed. "I'll do my best to make sure that the casualties are limited."

"That's all I could ask for, at this point." Marin sighed.

"Wizard, Marin! There's a sewer breach on south circle 27!" On of the monitoring magicians called out.

"Looks like that's my cue." Robin nodded, and jumped right out of the top window.

"What in the blazes- We're on the 13th floor!!" Marin cried out, as he rushed over to the window. Thankfully, after not catching sight of a dead body, he saw Robin waving from a building across from them.

She raised her gemini phone to her ear and mouthpiece. Marin did so as well.

"I'll be going ahead~ Let me know where you need me to be!" She said cheerfully, before speeding off over the rooftops towards the trouble location.

"Wha-Hero Robin!!? Hero Robin-... Haah." Marin let out a long breath as he realized Robin was no longer listening.

"Well~ I guess that's Robin for you." Keith said with a smirk.

"Okay, stop it already. We all know that you're super proud of your long-lost nephew." Christian narrowed his eyes at Keith. "But you're beginning to act insufferable."

Keith glanced over at Christian with a pitying smile. "You don't understand. You probably won't ever understand unless you have kids of your own one day."

Christian rolled his eyes and smirked. "You say that, but Robin isn't even your kid, but your sister's kid, right? Regardless, He's already considered adopted by my parents."

"What are you trying to say here?" Keith scowled at him.

"What I'm trying to say is: Good luck convincing my mother to give him back." Christian laughed before also jumping out the window.

Keith's eyes widened. "You Young Rascal! Get back here! I promise I won't half-kill you!" He jumped out after him. Both of them easily used the momentum from falling to launch themselves out to the rooftops after changing directions via the resident wizard tower flag pole.

Marin could only stand there, feeling somewhat weakened in his heart.

"Mr Fest...when you leave, I would be ever so grateful if you left via the door instead of the window..." His voice shuddered.

"Ah. If there's nothing else, I'll be returning to young master's side. Send word to the mansion if my presence is needed again." Fest paused. "Also...if you're so scared of heights, you shouldn't have come here." He chuckled as he walked to the doorway.

"....I had no choice in this matter. The magician's tower is where all the wizard resources can be found. After all, I couldn't give up my dream just because I am afraid to fall." Marin muttered.

"And that is why we're still friends~" Fest said as he left through the doorway.