The Vermillion City, the now-capitol of the entire known world, was now bustling even more than in normally was. With the Grand Imperial Ceremony coming up to celebrate the unification of the two continents, every important member of the Empire was either there, or on their way to be there. The city itself was in full swing, of course. The Battlemaster's expansions to the city were being utilized to their utmost, and now there was talk of adding even more layers. Temporary camps were even set up outside to accommodate people in preparation.
The attitude was festive, if nothing else. The majority of the inhabitants were Valmese born and bred, and those who had traveled the long roads and oceans in order to attend were all in favor of the Empire. Dissent was done in taverns of the farthest reaches of the Empire. But in the Vermillion City, it seemed like the whole world was thrilled for this event.
And, with less than a week to go, the main guests, the Council, had arrived. Magical enchantments managed to make messages manageable from member to member, but even still, this would be the first time all nine members had arrived in person. It had taken a personal request from Chrom, but Tiki herself had agreed to serve on the Council, so long as it served all the world.
Pheros herself was sitting in the throne room, upon the Valmese throne. It had once belonged to Walhart, but now it was Pheros that sat upon it, and she ruled different from how Walhart might have ruled if this day had come. The door, manned by a loyal group of Valkyries from Fort Steiger, opened to welcome the first of the day's many guests to the throne, but the first was not a member of the Council.
"My Empress." Ravena knelt before the throne. Robin's adopted daughter had quickly proved her own competency, and served as Pheros's chief advisor, among other things. She had grown in the last five years, now at the end of her teenage years. Her hair was long and put in a braid, and she wore dark black armor with a green cloak in a manner reminiscent of Robin's Battlemaster armor. She had matured fast in those years and some of it was reflected in her demeanor but still kept had her odd mannerisms buried under the surface, waiting for an excuse to come out. "You have summoned me?"
"You can drop the act, Ravena." Pheros said. "I'll need your help before this day is through."
"Yes." Ravena got up and smiled. "But when is that not true, Empress?"
"Save your lip and quip for the rest of them."
"Ah. Then you want me to play the role of your court fool." Ravena licked her lips. "I can do that, Empress."
"Thankfully." Pheros said as Ravena walked up beside the throne to where she was standing behind Pheros, taking her customary spot as an advisor to the throne. "We need this celebration to go off without a hitch. And, speaking of that, I take it that you and Vermil still haven't had any luck?"
"No." Ravena frowned. "I know one thing for sure – there's no way that he's missing this. He'll be somewhere in the Vermillion City during these celebrations. Even if not to attend the celebration itself, he's working for several purposes right now, and since everyone is in the capitol. There's really too much here for him to just ignore."
"Oh, good. One man in a city of a several hundred thousand." Pheros said. "Will you be able to find him?"
"No. Not without an exceptional amount of luck, anyway. The only one I know who might be able to track him down has been out of contact with me for an equally long amount of time." Ravena sighed. "It would be really nice to have both Dant around right now."
"Since when does a tactician deal with what-ifs?"
"I thought I was being your fool today."
"Very true!" Pheros laughed. She gestured to the guards by the door. "Alright, keep your mind and wits sharp. Let's great the Council, shall we?"
The doors opened again, this time providing entry to two figures, one dressed in royal blue with an extravagant cravat and the other in Chon'sin garb. They both knelt together.
"Virion, Say'ri." Pheros greeted them. "It is good to see you again. How do your nations fare?"
"Rosanne is quite pleasant this time of year, and I sorely miss it." Virion stood up. "I freely invite the Empress to vacation there if she would so please after this ceremony is over and enjoy the land's beauty herself. The people there still hate me for being a traitor, but they love Cherche, so it's not all bad."
"I'm pleased to see that you're in good spirits. But, more importantly, the nation itself?"
"No complaints, Empress." Virion said. "Rosanne hasn't managed to restock all the rebels that came from it, so we shall be a loyal member of Valm for years to come."
"Would that I could say the same, Empress." Say'ri said. "The dynasts squabble amongst themselves like petty children on the best of days. My blade has been unsheathed to deal with the worst among them, but there are still quite a few left who do not learn from the mistakes of their predecessors."
"Have they designs against Valm?"
"I've no doubt." Say'ri said. "However, it would require them capable of forming steady alliances with each other to even attempt such a thing. And, seeing as such a thing is beyond the dynasts, you have nothing to worry about."
"Ravena?" Pheros queried her advisor. "What are your thoughts?"
"It seems that this one is out of rebels that are capable of fighting us, and that one has too many rebels which are incapable of fighting us." Ravena said. "But both are mostly full of those who appreciate us, so it seems that, no matter where you are, rebels seem to be endangered species."
"Indeed." Pheros look to her guards. "The others?"
Two more entered, both in full uniform. One was an admiral, and the other a general. They both knelt as well. "My soldiers." Pheros said warmly. "How are you faring?"
"General Zulas, of the Duma Wastes." Zulas saluted. "Reporting as ordered, Empress."
"Admiral Pike, of the Nova Islands." Pike saluted. "It's my pleasure to serve, Empress."
"Rise, friends." A small smile played on Pheros's lips. "You come as Council members, not as generals, now. Though I wouldn't mind hearing of how things progress."
"The Wolfguard has been kept busy." Zulas said. "It's kept us in good condition, or as they like to put it, keeps the claws and fangs sharp and ready to bite. The Dire Wolves accepted around a dozen new members, they aren't in the triple digits just yet, but it's only a matter of time. We've reached out to the Shepherds, but they prefer to fight under Chrom."
"And the sea?" Pheros turned her attention to the admiral.
"Pirates, unfortunately." Pike said. "Trade between continents is up, and that's a lot of new and juicy targets for pirates. That's lead to a rise in piracy. My navy is handling them as best we can, but they still keep popping up. Though…" Pike trailed off and shook his head. "Never mind. It's not really anything of importance."
"No, I think you'll want to hear about it if it's what I think it is." Ravena said.
"I'll hear it then." Pheros gestured for him to continue.
"Very well. For a time, there was a group of pirates were being led by a ship captain who modeled himself after the Battlemaster. Wore an eyepatch, red cloak, called his ship the Wolf of the Seas." Pike said. "Obviously, not the Battlemaster, but quite annoying. We're not quite sure if he was trying to tap into the Battlemaster's reputation to scare people, if he was a rabid fanboy, or if he was just stupid and thought people would think he was Robin."
"I'd assume the last one." Pheros said, chuckling. "I can guess how this might end, but go ahead and tell me."
"Well, as soon as we heard about it, we put together a patrol to deal with it." Pike said. "But, before we could manage anything, we found him in one of our docks. Or, well, we found his ship in one of our docks."
"Was he not on the ship?"
"No. In fact, he was the only one who was. The ship was abandoned, except for the man himself." Pike winced. "He was found hanging from the mast on his ship with over twenty daggers in various parts of his body. My healers tell me that most of them went in when he was alive. Apparently, he was strung up and then used as target practice. Likely in front of his crew, who were then set loose to spread the word, because the story spread like wildfire through the seedier taverns. There was also a crude message scrawled in blood which warned people not to try the same stunt."
"Robin's handiwork?" Pheros wondered out loud, frowning. "I can't imagine he'd pull something like that…"
"No, Empress. Robin wouldn't hesitate to deal with the situation, but that kind of a solution isn't quite his style." Ravena shook her head, interjecting. "That was the work of a vexed assassin if I've ever seen one. Unfortunately, she's even more elusive than Robin."
"Ah. Dant, then." Pheros said. "Aside from that, have things been going well, Admiral Pike?"
"Of course."
"I'm glad to hear it." Pheros smiled. "Zulas, on a private matter, I'm correct in understanding that Argeni will not be attending this celebration?"
"No, she'll be here. Apparently, the royal house of Ylisse has a habit of wet-nursing their offspring, so her words were to the effect of 'Well, then that's good enough for me too'." Zulas said. "Ezekiel will be staying behind in our castle."
"Ah, a pity. I'm glad for your wife's company, but I haven't seen your son yet." Pheros said. "There will be time enough when he gets older, I suppose. Now, has the Archaneian delegation arrived yet?"
"Ahem." Ravena coughed. "I received a message from Morgaine using our crystals. She's a few hours out."
"Excellent." Pheros got up from her throne. "I could use a brief recess. Ravena, I require your company."
-Vermillion Palace, Empress's Private Tearoom-
"So, what do you want me to tell you, Empress?"
"Well, for starters, was that really Dant," Pheros asked with a small smile on her face as she delicately brought up a cup of tea to slowly sip, "or was that someone else and you're just blaming her?"
"I'm pretty sure it was her." Ravena said honestly. "I heard about that incident of course, but I hear about so many things, I try not to bring things to your attention unless I know things for sure. Unfortunately, she was gone before I could get there and left no clues on where to find her."
"Well, if that was her, she's gotten a lot more explicit in her methods." Pheros commented. "Not to mention that I didn't think Dant was the loyal type."
"Well, it definitely wasn't Robin." Ravena said. "I've tracked some of his movements, and it doesn't fit the overall pattern of what he's been doing. Though it does bring up the possibility that Dant has begun working for Robin again. I doubt that, though."
"You think it's just a remnant of Dant's loyalty?"
"Dant is many things, and one of them is she takes an extraordinary amount of pride in her craft." Ravena said. "Part of the reputation is that she was Robin's primary means of assassination. Any slight against Robin which doesn't receive retribution would throw into question her ability as his assassin."
"But she no longer works for him." Pheros countered.
"I know that. You know that." Ravena smiled. "But do you think that anyone besides the two of us will believe it when Robin says that he took the greatest assassin alive off his payroll?"
"Fair point." Pheros said. "Changing the subject back to Robin. I've seen the reports that you and Vermil have put together. Have you given those to anyone else?"
"Morgaine, for one. She's helped me put together a fair amount of the information as Avarice, so it's only fair." Ravena said. "Chrom has asked me a few questions, via letters, so I've given some sparse details but had him sworn to secrecy."
"I notice you haven't mentioned Argeni." Pheros said. "She has quite the keen mind. Don't you think she could be of help?"
"Empress, I wouldn't dream of giving you orders, so I won't tell you to keep information from Argeni." Ravena said. "But Robin kept things from her ever since she married Zulas, so I've chosen to do the same. I've no doubt she'd be helpful to us, but it's not fair to Zulas to convince his wife to betray him like that. And, worst case scenario, she doesn't betray Zulas."
"So he still doesn't know."
"Not for a lack of trying. Him and his brother have been sniffing every trail Robin left behind to track him down." Ravena said. "Fortunately, we have one advantage – they're looking for the mastermind behind the rebellions, and Robin wasn't the only man. We know there was someone else involved, so I've been trying to direct their investigation that way. Best case scenario, they catch their 'Gray Tactician'."
"Are we ever so lucky?"
"Robin wasn't." Ravena sighed. She stared down at her own cup, blew off the steam, and took a long sip, draining almost half of the near scalding liquid.
"I do agree with your assessment that Zulas still shouldn't be told." Pheros sighed. "I chided Robin for keeping secrets from people, yet here I am doing the same thing now that I know his secrets."
"You only know some of them, Empress." Ravena absently took a cookie from the platter in the center of the table, snapped in it half and tossed one of the halves into her mouth. The other half was just dropped in her cup of tea.
"You know you'll never be ladylike with those eating habits."
"Oh no." Ravena snapped into focus and sighed, staring at the cookie getting soaked by her tea. "Did I do it again?"
"I'd ask you what secrets I don't know, but even I'm not sure I want to hear those answers."
"I wouldn't worry about it. There's no problem keeping the occasional secret." Ravena hastily swallowed the rest of her tea, and then popped in the tea-soaked morsel that was formerly a cookie, enjoying it to a degree that anyone besides her couldn't understand. "And there's nothing wrong with it. Robin wasn't right when he never told anyone anything, but that's because, most of the time, Robin kept his secrets all to himself. You tell them to everyone you could."
"There is that." Pheros blinked. "Regardless, I want to bring something up with you before we convene the full Council."
"Bring up what?"
"I want to make you Battlemaster."
"…Sorry, what?" Ravena blinked. "For a moment there, I could have sworn that I heard you say, 'I want to make you Battlemaster'."
"Yes."
"Empress, you have to be joking." Ravena protested. "Robin is-"
"-not here." Pheros said, cutting her off. "Ravena, I want him back too, but we have to face the facts. Maybe he'll show up tomorrow, maybe in five years, maybe in ten. But it's going to be embarrassing if we're missing our Battlemaster at this celebration. Alongside a unanimous Council vote, I have the power to pass on the role of Battlemaster to you. And I need a Battlemaster. Valm needs a Battlemaster. I've been holding off on this until I thought you were old enough to handle it, and I can't delay it any longer."
"You said that's with a unanimous vote, right?" Ravena said.
"Yes. If you choose to fight me on this, I will not win." Pheros said, calmly. "I know that much. You possess enough leverage over the Council, not to mention that it could be very ugly if we both went all out with trying to influence them. That's why I'm asking you now. For the good of the Empire."
"Empress, even if I wanted to, I can't!" Ravena said, looking aside. "I'm – I'm not as good as my father was, I'm nowhere close. I can't take over the mantle that he left behind."
"Are you better than any other candidate for the job?"
"Yes. Of course I am. I'm not modest enough to lie about that."
"Good." Pheros said, smiling. "So, it's settled. We need a Battlemaster, and you're the one who's best suited for the job. That makes the job yours."
"…Fine." Ravena held up a hand. "On two conditions."
"I wasn't aware this was a negotiation." Pheros arched an eyebrow. "I'm the Empress, am I not?"
"And I'm the Fool, that entitles me to speak the truth." Ravena said. "The first condition is simple enough. I'm not going to use any influence or tricks I have to help you sway the Council's vote. If you think that we truly need a Battlemaster and I'm the best candidate, then you shouldn't have a problem convincing them on your own."
"Fair enough."
"The second is obvious, I should think." Ravena said. "The moment my father comes back, the job is his again. I don't care what we need to do to make that so, but that will happen."
"My apologies, but I'm not sure I can agree to that one." Pheros considered. "I will compromise. If that's Robin's wish upon coming back, then I will help you as much as I can. However, if Robin does not want the power of the Battlemaster upon his return, I shall not force it upon him."
"Now it's my turn to say, 'fair enough', I guess." Ravena paused. "So, how long have you been planning on this, Empress. Were you just allowing me to serve as your advisor in preparation for this?"
"No, of course not, my dear." Pheros smiled. "Robin has been the one planning for you to take over his position. He was far too good of a tactician to not have a replacement waiting for him – or at least, that's what he would say if he was here. I simply continued where he left off, and I've been quite grateful. Don't think I just have an interest in you as a pawn, Ravena."
"I'm a knight on your board, am I?"
"If we're being honest, a rook."
"Then, if we're being honest, that's quite the compliment." Ravena said. "Thank you for the opportunity, Empress. Should you manage to make me Battlemaster, I'll serve you well."
There was a knock on the door. "Empress, the Archaneians have arrived, and are waiting for an audience."
"Well, let's go." Pheros smiled, getting up.
-Vermillion Palace-
The four in the room knelt and saluted to Pheros, even though she would have only preferred it if three of them had. Unfortunately, Tiki has insisted, claiming that if Pheros was good enough for Chrom to kneel to, then she, Tiki, would have no problem doing so as well. Pheros's inner Naga devout died a little every time it happened, but as Robin had pointed out long ago, exceptions couldn't very well be made. The newcoming four knelt, and the previous four members stood in the room's background.
Regna Ferox had opted to send in a representative. The country's West Khan, Jan, had arrived in place of the East Khan. This wasn't necessarily a bad choice on their part, he was the second most important member of Regna Ferox and was perfectly willing to play the game of politics in a way that Flavia wasn't. It wasn't the best outcome that Pheros could have hoped for, but it was the best of the current options, so they made do. Flavia herself was no doubt back in Regna Ferox, probably hosting a tournament and beating the stuffing out of people to distract her from what was happening.
Morgaine was a welcome sight. She'd transferred her services to Pheros with surprisingly little resistance, though Pheros supposed that was because of the woman's surprisingly strong undying loyalty to Robin. And Morgaine knew that Robin had put his hopes in Pheros as the Empress of Valm. They'd become fast friends, even with the little contact between them. Part of it was because Morgaine never treated the woman as Empress, merely as a fellow player of the grand game. Pheros didn't mind one friend who did that.
Chrom was the leader of the group, more by presence than anything else. The Ylissean nobility hadn't liked bowing their heads to Valm very much, but a combination of Dire Wolf intervention and Chrom's natural charisma had managed to keep them in line. He also took his job as Defender of the Realm seriously, and the Shepherds were single-handedly responsible for a large fraction of all Risen defeats. Chrom lead the group of four, Tiki to his right, Jan to his left, and Morgaine slightly behind him.
"My Archaneian subjects." Pheros said. "How does the Empire fare?"
"Regna Ferox is willing to serve." Jan said, speaking up. "We've secured our borders from Risen incursions, and our warriors make short work of them whenever they show up. I also have good news, Empress."
"Oh?"
"My team of warriors grow more skilled by the day." Jan boasted. "At the next tournament, I shall win for sure, and then you can give me a proper place on the Council."
I'm not so sure I'd want that. Pheros considered. Jan is not a man of small ambition, though the same can't be same for his talents. Fortunately, Flavia has a tendency to call upon Chrom for these tournaments, and the number of warriors who could best him is a small list indeed, and all those I know on it wouldn't help him. Robin might be able to lead a team of inferior fighters to victory from merely commanding them, but Robin wouldn't help Jan, at least, not unless there was a gain I'm not seeing here.
"Very nice, I'm sure." Morgaine said. "Plegia has removed every trace of the Grimleal that I could find, and I've tracked down several of their splinter groups that had tried hiding in other areas. Their locations were given to the Wolfguard or the Shepherds, when appropriate."
"I see." Pheros said. "And how stable is Plegia? It's my understanding that the country's ruling structure more or less relied on the Grimleal."
"Not as stable as I would like." Morgaine admitted. "I'm relying on a more militant arm of the Wolfguard, named the Desert Wolves, to help keep order. They aren't being used against the normal Plegians, of course. Fortunately, the dissenters aren't unified, and I should be able to stomp them out given enough time."
"And our mutual friend? Have you heard anything the rest of us haven't?"
"Still missing." Morgaine said. "Avarice has received quite a wealth of information, so there's no question that our mutual friend is both alive and active. That said, I'm no closer to tracking him down than anyone else."
"Thank you." Pheros said. "Tiki, does the Voice of Naga have anything to add to this discussion?"
The manakete blinked once at her question, then yawned. "I'm sleepy. If this is over, I'd like to take a nap."
"I'm sure that can be arranged." Pheros said, holding back a sigh. Tiki did not exactly live up to the reputation of being the Voice of Naga, though Pheros supposed that was always going to be the case. At her root, Tiki was a normal manakete, nothing more and nothing less. Though Pheros wouldn't have minded Tiki being a bit more normal. "Last of all. Chrom, my Defender of the Realm. Have you anything to say to me?"
"Nothing, Empress."
"Nothing?" Pheros blinked in surprise. "What of Ylisse?"
"There's not much that needs to be said. The reports are pretty regular, Empress." Chrom laughed and got to his feet. "Besides, we're here to celebrate, not to go over the Empire as a whole. It's nice to stand on ceremony, but we shouldn't do it more than we have to."
"I suppose you're right." Pheros said, standing up. She took hold of a single circlet of gold upon her head and carefully took it off, leaving it on the throne. "Very well, my court is adjourned."
"Excellent." The entire room turned to see a cloaked figure leaning against the door of the room. "I'd much prefer coming here after all the politicking is done."
His face was hidden in the shadows of the hood, but aside from that, everything about him was familiar. His tone of voice, his build, his stance. It was almost as if nothing had changed from his disappearance from five years ago. Even his detest of politics was there.
"It can't be…" Pheros said, walking towards him. "Are you…"
"'Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return'." Robin tossed the cloak aside and he knelt before her. "Did I not promise that I would return someday, Empress?"
"Robin!" A chorus went up from the inhabitants, Pheros the loudest among them. She found tears forming in her eyes, but quickly wiped them aside. Pheros looked down at the kneeling Grandmaster. "Are you really back, Robin?"
"I am, Empress. I'm sorry it's taken so long." Robin said, humbly. He stood up, still looking very much the same since Pheros had last seen him, missing eye and all. "Please forgive me."
"Do you think it's that simple?" Pheros asked.
"I was kind of hoping it was." Robin offered a weak smiled.
"Well, you're a fool for that, then. I'm afraid that my forgiveness must be earned, Robin." Pheros smiled as Robin's face fell. "But I suspect that for you, that won't be too difficult. I am glad that you're back, Robin. And I'm sure the rest of us are as well."
"Father!" Ravena, seeing her opening, dashed past the Empress and embraced him in front of everyone. "You're back!"
"Yes, I am. Why do I get the feeling that I'll be saying that quite a lot over the next few hours?" Robin asked himself, chuckling. He hugged Ravena back. "It's good to see you too, Ravena. I'm sorry for leaving you for a while, but you've done fine in my absence."
"That's no excuse! They were going to make me Battlemaster in your absence."
"And a fine Battlemaster you would have been!" Robin smiled. "But I'll take the post back now, have no fear. Don't worry, I'll make up for the lost time, I promise."
"Why were you gone?" Chrom interrupted. Behind him, Say'ri nodded in silent agreement with the question.
"That's … a good question." Robin said, slowly. "The answer isn't simple, but the short of it is that I needed something which couldn't be gotten if I wasn't alone."
"Obviously." Say'ri said. "Or you would not have done it. I would assume that you've obtained it, and that you can't tell us anymore. You always did overly fond of your little mysteries."
"It's exactly as you say, Robin. That's the long and short of it." Robin sighed. "I don't feel comfortable talking in a public setting, but I'll make the time over the next few days to talk with everyone individually. There will still be things I can't mention right now, but, rest assured, everything will be explained given enough time."
"Well, you're back." A firm hand clapped itself on Robin's shoulder. The Battlemaster turned to see Zulas, smiling. "And that's good enough for me. Ready to get back into the fight, Robin?"
"I've got some leads on the Gray Tactician, so once the ceremony is done, I'll be glad to lend a hand." Robin said. "I haven't been entirely resting on my laurels for the last five years, you know."
"So, then-"
Pheros smiled as Robin was lost within an animated discussion with the rest of the room. She was fine with it – there would be time later, and patience was a lesson that Pheros has long since learned. Robin was fielding multiple questions and carrying on three different conversation with the group, mostly about his various exploits or things that he was going to do now that he was back. Morgaine, surprisingly, didn't join the conversation, but instead kept back with Pheros. She watched with amusement.
"Empress." Robin called out. "Is my old office in the palace still available for my use?"
"As far as I know, it hasn't been touched." Pheros said. "Why? Are you so overwhelmed with the few minutes of attention you're receiving right now that you're seeking refuge already?"
"Ha!" Robin shook his head. "No, I think I can last for another few hours. I was just checking that I had all my avenues of retreat still lined up. Empress, we need to have a serious discussion at some point."
"Yes, I think that's in order." Pheros said, nodding. "Perhaps-"
"I think it would be best if we have it in a few days' time." Robin said. "I'm sure that you have your schedule filled, as the Empress, and it would be negligent to clear them out. I also am going to have a busy few days, so … three days' time?"
"…Practical." Pheros nodded and refrained from the biting the inside of her lip. She wouldn't lie and say she wasn't disappointed, but Robin had a point, and three days wasn't much to ask for after five years, was it? "We'll have the discussion then."
-Castle Vermillion, Robin's Offices (Formerly Abandoned)-
Robin approached his office. It'd taken a while, a long while, to get time alone. He walked through the corridors, mentally ticking off the boxes of things that he'd promised to people and trying to figure out the best way to sort them out.
In any event, he was in for a rough future. There was a lot to do in regards to the whole 'celebration', and some of that work had been shifted to him during that time. But he really wanted to take a look back at his office. There were things in there he wanted, and he daren't approach it and sneak in during the five years hiatus after the war. He reached the door, made of impressive oak, and twisted the handle. Locked. Robin reached into his pocket.
The key to the door, like the keys to almost every door in the palace of Valm, was custom made specifically for the job by the castle's builders. The key was built specifically to fit the lock, no two locks alike, of course, and once cast, anything relating to the key would be destroyed. It was widely considered impossible to have gained a copy of any of the castle's keys without stealing the original. Robin didn't believe that it was impossible, of course, he just considered it to be incredibly difficult. Besides, any competent thief could just pick the lock, not that the lock showed any of the telltale scratches of getting picked.
Robin was therefore wholly surprised when his key opened the door to find his office completely ransacked. The desk itself was on its side, papers were everywhere, drawers pulled open from the various cabinets. A sword was impaled clean through the chair, and its cushions were cut open with the stuffing pulled out. Someone had searched the office thoroughly.
Either that, or Robin had a tantrum right before he left. It disturbed him that he had no idea which one it was.
Robin entered swiftly and closed the door, locking it behind him. It wouldn't do for this to be noticed. He scoured the room, checking to see if things were missing. The room's chaos meant he couldn't tell, but Robin did notice one thing absent – dust. The fallen papers and chairs didn't have any dust on them, despite the fact that the room was pervasive with swept-up dust. This was all done recently – within the month at least. But Robin suspected it was done even sooner than that.
"This would be helpful it I knew what was in this room before I came." Robin hung his head, sighing. "Well, this isn't good. I can't imagine I'd leave anything remotely incriminating in this room. And no one intelligent would do something as dumb as raiding this room and leaving behind all this evidence here. But at the same time, they had the means of entry into this room."
Robin took in the room. The sword was a cheap and crude iron sword, something that could be picked up at any armorers for a handful of silver. Nothing was out of the ordinary for it. Piles of dust were in places all over the room, presumably either swept there using wind magic or an old fashion broom. The time frame for the ransacking was within the month, and very little was taken, given the mess of the office. If anything was taken, it was something specific and not within Robin's arsenal of files. But, again, Robin was of the opinion that nothing was taken.
"Simple conclusion. This was done as a message. And this possibly happened even as recent as my entry into this palace, though I'm not sure how likely that was." Robin considered. "So, do I have Balt to thank for this? Perhaps it wasn't done as a message at all, and was Ravena looking for clues where I was? Or … someone else entirely? If this is a message, that means someone's challenging me to a game. Well, I'm not one to shy away. Finally, I've returned! And that means that this game is only getting started."
A/N: Sup? According to my estimates (which are no doubt blatantly wrong), I've got quite a fair amount of the fourth arc already written, so I should be able to go for weekly releases. Which is kind of what I've been doing so far, even though I keep saying 'roughly two weeks'. There's going to be quite the amount of fun things happening now, so keep paying attention as close as you can. And, just saying for further chapters - there will be some long cons that some characters will be pulling off in the future so if you figure stuff out from foreshadowing, be a sport and don't post it in a review, yeah? Just message me directly or something.
