She Goes Looking For Magic Gems

Freddy delicately rearranged a few of the blocks, and one side started to glow with a green light.

"This is Pfosfer. It has a glow effect. The higher rune would be something that means 'light beam'. But it can't happen without the last key."

"Does this work permanently?" Robin asked.

"No. Magic cardstock has a limited mana function, so when it's used up..." Freddy looked down at the cube. The paper cube disappeared in a burst of flames. "See?"

"Izzat so?" Robin chuckled. "Very well then. I look forward to seeing when it's almost completed..." Her head dipped down for a moment, before it came right back up, as Robin struggled to stay awake.

"If you're too excited to sleep, how about you see about arranging what materials are necessary to make the real thing?" Robin suggested. Regardless, Robin was not going to sleep before Freddy left.

"Ah! Of course! The materials!" Freddy bit the tip of her thumb as she thought about what sort of materials she could apply for it.

"Headsup, it would be a good idea for most of it to be some sort of gold, if possible. If not, potentially gilding it would be a last resort." Robin suggested. She stood up, and gently guided the pacing alchemist towards her open door.

"You really think so?" Freddy asked.

"It's a dragon's request, after all. We must make sure to satisfy it's sense of pride and treasure. If the first one is made of precious materials and is the only one of its quality, then that would make it worthy of a dragon's hoard, don't you think?" Robin advised.

"But... I'm not sure how many precious metals I can apply for at the enchanters guild..." Freddy muttered.

"In that case, get the materials absolutely necessary for the cube to work first. And leave the accumulation of gold and jewels to us, alright?" Robin yawned.

"It's not gold and jewels that's the issue, though! this sort of thing requires magic gem dust, and magic gems themselves are both rare, and in rather short supply everywhere!" Freddy insisted.

Robin blinked, and glanced down at her waist pouch. She had suddenly remembered all the magic gems she had acquired at the stone gambling plaza back in Rag'nock. She then smiled and waved Freddy away.

"In that case, leave that up to me. I can't guarantee many things, but this is one thing that I can definitely manage. However, regardless, nothing will arrive until tomorrow, so why don't you go rest for a bit while you wait?"

"Well...are you sure?" Freddy asked, concerned. "It's magic gems, not the regular kind, after all."

Robin rubbed her forehead, trying not to sleep standing up. "As the hero, I have my ways..." She replied. "But for now, goodnight."

The door was quickly shut before Freddy could ask any more questions.

---

Early the next morning, Robin's door opened a crack, letting Skye out of the room. The flying cat glanced around carefully, before setting off with a purpose towards the front desk. Skye jumped up in front of the inkeeper, and pulled out an envelope. The innkeeper glanced at it, then nodded as the envelope disappeared into his hand.

Almost everyone who went to the party was dealing with a migraine. So, they all collectively slept in that morning. Nothing seemed amiss until everyone came out around 11 for brunch. Christian was the first to notice.

"Hey... Where's Robin?" He asked, looking around.

"Hmm? Come to think of it...I haven't seen Robin, either. I assumed he was simply sleeping off a migraine." Keith shrugged. "He did have a few drinks too, after all."

"Yes, but I had already tried those brands. They were all low alcohol drinks." Christian shook his head. "It shouldn't be enough to make him bedridden, not Robin."

"Oh, in that case, maybe he's out gathering materials..." A voice came from the room hallway. The group turned to see Freddy, standing in the dining room entrance, with dark circles under her eyes.

"Gathering materials? What kind of materials?" Jasmine asked.

"What else?" Freddy hopped up onto a chair and began helping herself to the food. "Materials to make the magic rubiks cube, of course."

"Magic Rubiks-wait you finished the calculations!?" Jasmine stood up, surprised. "And materials...does that mean..."

"Mmnn! It's possible. However, it requires some rather unique materials. Robin said to leave it to him last night." Freddy nodded.

"Ho? But...now I'm curious...What sort of materials would Robin need to go acquire on his own?" Sir Raymond asked, looking up from his food.

"Magic Gems."

Everyone at the table seemed to have frozen in surprise. Christian was the first one to move. He blinked as he suddenly recalled the time he had placed a bet with Quinn about whether Robin would unearth anything of value at Rag'nok. He lowered his head calmly and continued eating his breakfast.

"Hmm? Now this IS odd..." Keith noted, poking fun at Christian's somewhat dignified reaction. "Aren't you usually the first one to start worrying about that nephew of mine whenever he's out of your sight?"

"You say that as if I was the only one who was worried. I only worry when I have no idea where he is." Christian replied evenly with a shrug. "Yet, if it's this matter, I can rest assured. In that place...it is still a matter of luck whether there will be magic gems or not. but if there are any, then Robin will definitely find them."

"Ooh, with such confidence, I believe I can surely be pleasantly surprised this time." Freddy's eyes lit up with anticipation. "I wonder what kind of gem Hero Robin can find me?"

Christian was right to have paused before drinking his tea, or he would have choked. Behind his pleasantly smiling poker face, Christian disagreed.

'No! It's not simply one kind of magic gem that he can find. If it's Robin, then he's most likely aiming at a complete set of them!'

Christian refrained from bursting out with his thoughts, as he felt that Freddy needed a shock of her own, before realizing just how impressive the Hero was.

-----

In Rag'nok, Robin was indeed aiming for a whole set of magic gems, as she wasn't quite certain which kind of magic gem was needed. As a new shipment had arrived, she was participating, disguised as a human merchant. After looking through her purchases, she had acquired all but one kind of gem: Magic Diamond.

Not that there wasn't any magic diamonds at all, mind you. There were magic diamonds...Well, in comparison to the other mana gems...the diamonds really were too small. Even the mana in them was pathetic. They were probably only suitable for encrusting on some decorative sword to add to its pompous display.

(A.N. No offense intended, Hikaru.)

(Hikaru: [O.O]? ...[UvU] Ah yes, none taken, oh scribe from afar.)

Robin sighed as she looked over the remaining stones. There really weren't any good pickings here for magic diamonds.

"What's the matter, lad? Don't like the look of these?" A dwarf asked, seeing her apparent dismay.

"Well, no... it's just that...are these all the stones there are? my wallet doesn't have enough girth to buy them all, and I really would need to have insane luck to hit the jackpot, if I were to look at the larger pieces." Robin shook her head.

"Have you tried looking through the reject pile?" the dwarf asked.

"Reject pile?"

"Ah, I knew it. With that fresh outta apprenticeship look ye have, there's no wonder you didnae even know of the reject pile!" The red bearded dwarf nodded to himself, before explaining. "It's where smaller ores and partially cut material gets dumped afore it's been properly sifted through. If'n it's yer pockets yer worried aboot, then the material there is much cheaper."

"And, where is this pile?" Robin asked, flicking a silver his way.

"Aye, thankee kindly fer that! Et's doon that street, next to tha gravel factory." The dwarf caught the coin, and then pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Thank you good sir! I'll go on ahead to take a a look!" Robin practically flew down the street towards the location of the reject pile.

"Oy oy! Hurr hurr!" The Dwarf chuckled to himself as he called after Robin. "Et ain't gonna grow legs and run away, young'un!"

"Aish, them young'uns!" He shrugged. "Always in a hurry they be."