Capítulo 258: She Makes a Promise
"So, which guardians are there remaining?" Robin asked.
"You mean, ASIDE from Cambers?" Keith chuckled. "There's the Lythari guardian Fenn, The Batkin guardian Stella, and the Beastman Guardian, Brandi."
"Hmm? What's the difference between beastmen and the different races that we've already encountered?" Robin asked. "And what are Lythari?"
"The Lythari are a specific group of wood elves who can transform into wolves. Their kind is respected, since they guarded against the Abyss, lest werewolves return to the land. Even now, after the Abyss has long been destroyed, the respect for their kind gives them their own place of honor, despite the small numbers." Keith explained.
"The Beastmen are those men who can both partially and completely transform their appearance into that of a beast. These all come from their natural abilities. It's different from those with a fixed form."
"Ah. I see." Robin nodded.
"But, what's the difference between Lythari and Werewolves then?"
It was an innocent enough question, but one that had stunned the people within the carriage.
Quinn rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Ah, of course, someone who's never encountered either wouldn't really know much of this world's history. But, Hero, if you had asked this question outside, you would have offended the hearts of many folks."
Jasmine nodded. "At their core, both are similar in that they can transform into wolf-like forms. However, a Lythari's change is by choice and controlled. A Werewolf's change is more like an uncontrollable takeover resulting in madness. It was an abyssal infestation which turned those it bit into half-wolf monsters against their will."
"Ah. I see..." Robin understood.
"Yes..." Keith said darkly. "A scratch from a tooth or a claw was all it took... On the full moon, entire cities could be transformed to rubble overnight, it was that bad. Those who were infected, and those who weren't were completely indistinguishable until then. But the Lythari were able to tell the difference. Their ability to command wolves gave them the ability to sense other wolves. But the twisted nature of werewolves would not stand the pure uprightness of the Lythari. Likewise, to the Lythari, Werewolves were utterly abhorrent to them."
"So, what happened then?" Robin asked.
Jasmine picked up the story again. "Once a person became a werewolf, it was near impossible to undo. The werewolves were killed to extinction. Every single tooth and claw were corroded to nothingness under the oversight of the Church. And the Abyss exists no longer. But the scars remained. The Lythari and even wolf beastmen had to endure the stigma and assaults of those who remembered the werewolves. Now they keep to themselves more, and rarely venture outside of their lands."
Jasmine sighed. "A pity. But it is a consequence of our ancestors' foolish mistakes."
"In that case... it's probably not likely that they'd want to welcome the hero, huh..." Robin muttered.
"Actually, If it's you, then it'll be fine." Jasmine smiled. "Lythari may be able to transform into wolves, but they're wood elves first." Jasmine explained. "That golden leaf of yours is your golden ticket to an audience, at least."
"It works like that?" Robin asked.
"It works like that. Elf friends are always welcome." Jasmine nodded. "And heroes are even more welcome."
"Oh....wait. I can understand elf friends, but why heroes?" Robin asked.
"The Lythari still exist because of the intervention of a hero. Otherwise, they would have perished alongside the werewolves." Jasmine explained. "In fact, their esteem for heroes could be considered unmatched. Some of them have travelled extensively to research stories of heroes past, or to meet with summoned heroes."
Robin paused, then pointed at herself. "And what about me?" She asked.
"When we decided upon this diplomatic journey, word was sent to them that we would be heading their way." Christian said, with a sour expression. "I had intended to head there right before we needed to see Cambers as...well...they are a rather enthusiastic group, but at least they'd be welcoming."
"Is that so...well that's probably better than heading there first and raising my expectations." Robin smirked.
"Ah...well...yeah." Christian admitted, looking away. He had been seen through.
"In that case, we would need to see the Batkin Stella, or the Beastman Brandi next, huh." Robin noted.
"What, the hero is going to leave his potential fans waiting?" Christian asked, suddenly feeling mildly amused. He tilted his head to rest upon his fist as his eyes smiled in Robin's direction.
Robin paused, thinking about how to respond. Then she lifted her head to look into Christian's eyes. Christian blinked in surprise. Robin's blue eyes were perfectly clear, trusting, and filled with confidence in this moment. Christian felt like he could look into them forever. It was only after Robin had finished speaking that the words finally got through to his brain.
"I'm sure you made these arrangements for a reason. We already have a plan, so why bother changing it? In any case, we will be visiting them anyways, so whether now or later, it makes little difference."
Christian nodded and fell silent, feeling an uncommon emotion bubbling up inside. He had been acknowledged by the Hero for his efforts. He suddenly felt like he wanted to laugh, or dance about, fly, or maybe do all of these at the same time.
But, unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, they were all sitting in a carriage. If Christian actually did attempt such a thing, he would most assuredly be asked if he hadn't gone insane. So he could only savor his feelings behind a straight face.
Well...the face was straight.
Several minutes later, he noticed Robin's gaze on him, as well as the others.
"...is something the matter?" Christian asked.
"You seem to be in a good mood today." Robin smiled in appreciation. The others looked like they were trying not to snicker.
"...what gave it away?" Christian asked, somewhat surprised that she could tell.
"You're humming." Robin laughed. "It's a nice tune. Are there lyrics to it?"
Christian was taken aback. "I was?" He asked, in shock.
"Indeed. Rather loudly, I might add." Jasmine giggled.
A rare blush took over Christian's face as he turned his face back to the window, and became notably silent for the rest of the ride. The rest of the people in the carriage smiled, but refrained from teasing him further. Robin only smiled. She would ask Christian about the lyrics later.
"In any case, whether one, or all four of them, it requires heading further west along the border." Keith explained. "Which means we'll be traveling through the lands of other human kingdoms first." He explained.
"Oh?" Robin asked. "What are the countries we will be heading through?"
"Well, much of the lands in question are benign under the treaty of the Sylvan council, so there won't be any problems with them but..." Keith sighed. "There's two kingdoms which are of concern to us. The first is the land of Thieves... specifically Djinn City, which we will need to pass through."
"Thievery is legal there?" Robin asked.
"Not quite. It's an autonomous region where the inhabitants answer to no one. There's a giant auction site there in which anything can be sold regardless of it's origins. Thus, an awful lot of contraband or stolen items usually finds its way into the auction site." Keith explained. "Once it's there, it's nigh on impossible to find any traces of the thief who had stolen it."
"Ah. I see." Robin nodded.
"...and...slavery is legal there..." Keith said quietly.
That got Robin's attention. "Slavery, huh...." Robin pondered to herself. If she were to get caught up in helping rid the land of slavery, there was a chance that she would never be able to return home.
"Robin...you don't have to help anyone here. Our job is to help you find your way home." Christian said. He knew that slavery was wrong, but this was a mostly lawless zone. They would do well to get through it unscathed.
"Many people in that zone have run there due to legal issues, whether it was unjust overtaxing, illegal transactions, or being chased out of their lands... If they know the hero is there, they might try to rope you into solving their problems by dragging you into a war. You are not responsible for these folks." Jasmine insisted.
"Do you think I help just anyone I come across?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.
""Yes!"" The entire group answered.
"..." Robin sighed. "You know, I don't like senseless violence. While it's true that I don't like slavery, I don't think I can quickly resolve such a case in a place where it's legal. Ekkinshire was different, as it had already banished slavery."
"..." The group stared at Robin, unconvinced.
"Above all else, I hate war." Robin insisted. "I won't do anything. I promise."
"Since you promised, you are expected to keep it." Jasmine turned back to her book, satisfied.
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