บท 42: She is Discovered!

As promised, Dirk had found several strapping young men who resembled Robin in height and hair color. They each prepared their own mask, ready for the performance to start. After all, they only had to run around town with a mask on their face, acting like the hero.

The masks were readily bought from a nearby mask stall which boasted to have the exact same mask as Hero Robin.

Of course, they had readily agreed to this prank once Robin withdrew the final silver that she possessed. It was a profitable venture to be payed to perform a prank, simply by dressing similarly and running around the capital.

"All right, no matter what, never appear in two places at the same time, don't answer to anyone, and don't get caught. Good luck!" Robin laid out the rules.

"Question! If we do get caught, do we still get paid?" One of them asked.

"As long as you manage to lead my pursuers away from me for long enough, then you will get paid. But, if I get caught, then the whole plan fails, which will make it quite difficult for me to pay you. Thus..." Robin gave the silver coin to Dirk.

"Hey! How come he gets the money?" One of them objected.

"Dirk here will be the banker. Once half an hour is up, you need to come and find Dirk for your pay. There are nine of you, so each one will get one copper coin once the job is done." That was an entire day's wage for a mere half hour's work, quite profitable for these young lads.

"Also, don't think about using my identity to do something criminal, like stealing. You will be carefully watched by others. If I find out you have, there will be no pay. Got it?"

The ten lads all nodded their heads quickly. Nobody wanted to get their pay taken away. Of course, Robin was simply squashing any devious inclinations from the start.

"Okay then! Scatter, and wait five minutes before donning your masks!" Robin clapped her hands, and the youths scampered away.

Then Robin took off her own mask, and placed it in her bag.

Why're you doing that!?" Dirk asked.

"Aside from you and the Prince, do you think that anyone else out there knows what my true face looks like?" Robin asked.

Dirk paused, thinking about it, then shook his head.

"So all I need to do is to avoid the Prince, and I should be fine. Why else do you think that I asked you to find me some people who are built similar to me?"

"So you'll keep 'im chasin after fakes while you...um, wot will you be doing?" Dirk asked.

"The one thing Christian won't expect: I'm returning to the castle." Robin grinned. "You've been a real help this time, Dirk. That last copper is for you."

Dirk rubbed his nose, visibly pleased at the compliment. After all, it wasn't every day that one helped a Hero out. That was about as rare as rescuing a king.

"Tweren't nuthin. What are we waiting for?" He asked, putting on a dignified front.

A cry rang out. "It's the Hero! The Hero is in the market!"

Robin grinned. "That. See you around, Dirk." She patted him on the shoulder, then strode out into the streets and merged with the crowds.

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"The Hero is by the guild!"

"The Hero is at the fountain!"

"The Hero is at the merchants guild!"

"The Hero is at the top of the clock tower!"

Cries came out in rapid succession, causing much confusion among the populace. Christian was confused as well.

'How is he able to move so impossibly fast!? Does he have helpers!? But, if so, how can I tell which is the real Hero Robin!?'

Christian shook his head. 'We just need to capture them. Which one is the real Robin will be easily revealed afterwards.'

Then he addressed the churning mob of Hero Robin's fans. "As you have probably heard, there are many men scattered about with Hero Robin's appearance. Capture them all, so that we can discover the location of the true Hero Robin!"

He waved his arm, like a general ordering his army. Like a magic spell was cast upon them, the boiling crowd broke up into factions, each heading in the location of one of the Hero fakes.

Despite their heroic appearance, these youths could not escape hundreds of men, women, and children.Thus, twenty minutes had not yet passed before they were all captured.

Just looking at the men without even removing their masks, Christian could tell that they were not the Hero. "I'm sorry, but until the Hero is found, you men will have to wait here." he told the masked fakes.

But, where was Robin now?

She was entering the servants gates of the castle, of course. Using her convenient disguise as one of Keith's men, she was able to enter without having to wait.

Just as she returned to her rooms and reattached her mask, Gerard caught sight of her.

"Hero Robin! Hero Robin! Is it true that because you were so mad at the Prince throwing a potion at you, that you got your revenge by dousing him with a potion in return? Is that the reason why He's out looking for you, right now!?"

Gerard's face was flushed with excitement, eager to know the truth.

Robin was dumbfounded at how quickly the rumors distorted.

'What is up with these people and their ears for gossip!?' She wondered to herself. Robin could not understand why people were so darned interested in other people's lives, when she was perfectly happy minding her own business.

"Where did you here this?" She asked.

"It's all over the castle by now." Gerard said. "Me and Ponzu heard it in the kitchens from one of the other chef's apprentices. By he way, you missed a really great dinner!"

"Well, then, let's go to the kitchen to see if there's anything left. Then I'll tell you and Ponshieu what really happened." Robin chuckled as she shook her head.

"Unless, you want to take someone else's word over my own?" She teased.

"I wouldn't dare!" Gerard waved his hands. "That's why I came to see you first, after all!"

On their way to the kitchens, a maid that was on her way home managed to catch a glimpse of them.

'The Hero is still here? Then why is the Prince out looking for him?' She wondered to herself. It was only a matter of time before the news would make its way to Christian's ears.

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"And so, that's what happened." Robin finished her tale.

"So it wasn't your fault at all?" Gerard asked.

"Not at all. I was just there to buy soy sauce." Robin asserted.

"Soy sauce?" Ponzu's ear twitched.

"Why would the court magician have soy sauce? Wouldn't it be more likely for Ponzu to have it? And why would you have to buy it? Is it super expensive or something?" Gerard asked.

Robin laughed. "It's an expression of speech. It means I was just an innocent bystander."

"Oh! Well, why didn't you just say so, then!" Gerard asked.

It was then that a voice echoed down the hallways, rapidly approaching. The voice raised goosebumps on Robin's skin, as she immediately jumped out the nearby open window.

"Roooooooooobiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnn!" The sound of feet pounding on the hallway floors made a beeline for the kitchen.

"Is Robin here!?" Christian cried, as he suddenly stood in the doorway.

"You just missed him." Ponshieu replied. "He left not even over ten minutes ago." 'Much less ten seconds ago.' Ponshieu kept that last part to himself. As the hero's student, he needed to give his Teacher a running start.

"Darn! He must be close by! Hero, why do you run from me so!?" Christian muttered as he ran further off down the hall.

"Wow, he was right. That Prince has way more than bats stuffed in his belfry." Gerard burst out laughing.

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Soon enough, Christian caught sight of Robin.

"Wait! For me, Hero!" He called out to the Hero. Imagine his surprise when he heard her spitfire answer in return.

"There's no way in Wall Street!" She called over her shoulder as she headed into the rose maze.

Of course, before today, she wouldn't even dare to try this. But earlier, when she had been making her way back down, she saw the whole maze from above. Thus, she could easily figure out the route into, and out of the rose maze.

Unfortunately, she ended up taking a wrong turn, somewhere. Thus, she found herself with her back against a thorny wall, holding her breath in the hopes that Christian would just run past.

But, he didn't. By some arcane means of deduction, he turned the bend, walking slowly in Robin's direction. Having run about the capital for an hour, he was breathing heavily.

"Give up, Hero. I know you're there." he finally said.

"Then, I can only use my last resort…" Robin replied darkly, as she drew in a long breath. And leapt into the air, flipping and kicking something right above her head.

"Oof!" Keith fell off his magic carpet, into a rose bush, his magic cloaking spell coming undone.

"Ow! What was that for!?" He complained. "And how did you know I was there!?"

Robin flipped onto the magic carpet, and gained height just as Christian launched himself at her. Too late. Robin flew up fifty feet in the air.

"It's not hard to locate a person by the sound of their breath." she said. "That's punishment for being there the whole time, yet not helping me out at all!"

"But you had everything under control!" Keith objected.

"So That's why you told Christian that I was here?" Came the sharp retort.

"...uummm...no?" Came a weakened reply. Keith knew he was in trouble.

"Find your own way out of that. If you can, then I might just forgive you." Robin sniffed coldly at him, before aiming the magic carpet to circle around the castle in search for Jasmine's carriage.

Keith's eyes met with Christian's. "...A little help, please?" He asked.

Christian smiled. "Oh no. I'm not doing anything to make Hero Robin any more mad at me than he already is."

After Christian said that, he swiftly backtracked out of the rose maze. He was still angry at Keith for practically handing Robin an escape route on a silver platter. Now he had to find another magic carpet so that he could go after him.

Keith sighed. "It's a good thing that the recording ball is still safe." He schemed how he was going to get back at those two who left him by himself in the middle of a briar bush, as he slowly worked upon extricating himself.