If it were up to Daneel, he would have been half-tempted to just call those five the crooks, especially after hearing what Luther had said. They could have collected the prize, and instantly left this sordid issue behind.
Yet…he knew that that wasn't possible, because it needed to be proven beyond a doubt that they were responsible, and he might even have to find out their motive so that the Head could say that it had reached a 'satisfactory' conclusion.
Right after Daneel reached outside the mountain through the path that they had taken before, he found a small camp waiting to the side, outside which the Head was pacing to and fro.
On seeing him arrive, he nodded, and taking the message, Daneel walked in that direction along with Luther, who looked like he was close to falling unconscious, because healing would take a toll on even those with the strongest of constitutions.
After reaching that camp, Daneel peered inside to see that a man wearing a blue cloak was waiting with a genial smile on his face, standing beside a table that looked like it was meant for someone to be laid down on.
"Meet Gerard, one of the foremost Champion-level Healers on the Continent. His Path is also one that is related to Healing, and he is always on standby for the seeds so that they can be attended to right away in case there is an injury. I hope you see my sincerity in deploying him. All of us have high hopes for when he becomes a Hero, because we expect that he will be indispensable on the battlefield. As such, he is a top-order target for the Church. He will be taking care of your commander."
Daneel looked the man over after the glowing introduction, and it did look like he was quite capable.
Nodding, he lay Luther on the table, following which healing spells that were at least three times better than what Daneel had deployed sprang into existence.
Daneel couldn't help but pause as he saw this, and he hastily asked the system to record everything.
Each and every one of these spells displayed a remarkable level of knowledge into each of the body parts of a human, and there were minute differences in each that were working on different body parts which allowed them to be much more effective than those that would be deployed by a normal Champion.
Oh, he definitely was capable.
Walking outside, he looked at the Head and said, "Yes, he seems to be in good hands. What are your thoughts? I gather that you must have seen the expressions on their faces before the explosion. They all knew it was present, but they didn't warn him. If my man didn't bring it to my attention, I might have missed it, too!"
Daneel had been a little tempted to take the credit, but he knew that there was no need to.
Luther's sagacity in these matters was known, and it would have been strange if he had been the one to spot something like this.
Besides…he was already learning at top speed, and before this matter was done, he expected to have some or the other discovery to his name.
By the slight widening of the Head's eyes, he could tell that he hadn't noticed it, just as expected, and this drove the point home that experts really were better.
Without answering, the Head entered a brooding mood, but Daneel gave him his time.
After a minute, he finally answered.
"Something dark is behind this matter, King. Believe me, I wouldn't have involved you or your man in this if I had any other option. But…ever since I saw those ashes, I knew that something was off. And as for this matter…it makes me fear that these five precious seeds might have gotten into a matter way above their heads. My objective is to save them from it, so I wish to find out the truth behind everything that has happened. You are right, your commander being guarded here is probably for the best. I'll even keep a Hero on guard, just in case this matter is much more serious than how it appears on the surface. They are young, and naive. Even the oldest, Matthew, is just 22 years old, and Jessica is just 19. They have so much potential, though, so I hope this does not cast a black mark upon their minds…"
As the Head's words drifted off, Daneel noticed the sincere emotion that he was displaying. He really did care for them.
Nodding appreciatively and saying that both of them would do their best, Daneel walked back onto the path, but even after he left, the Head's gaze lingered on the spot where the path began for a long, long time.
…
Right after getting back to that open area where the five were now sitting separately on some of the many benches that were present, Daneel clapped his hands and said, "All right, this is how it will go."
Flicking his fingers, he made a small building that could sit two appear beside him. Pointing at it, he continued, saying, "Each of you will be called in here to give your testimony which will be recorded. I might ask questions about your life, and you should know that answering each and every question to the best of your ability is in the best interest for you. I might ask about your love life, your food interests, and even your sleeping schedule. Just shut alllll of that sass up somewhere, and let your tongues do the talking."
The statement had the expected response: Dave, Jessica, and Scarlet, who had all already displayed their short tempers looked livid, and resisting the urge to chuckle, Daneel calmly walked inside before calling out to Matthew.
This man had had a mostly neutral expression, but as he heard this summons, he gulped slightly.
Already learning from his mistake, Daneel had ordered the system to keep a close watch on each and every detail, including the micro-expressions of all those present. Hence, as soon as he was notified on this, he doubled down on making sure that he would wring each and every detail possible out of this leader who had purportedly sworn allegiance to him.
He had also asked the system to go through his memories and pick up any and all sorts of investigative techniques he might have witnessed or heard of back on Earth. It was incredible what a human brain could pick up from its surroundings without the owner even realizing it, and after a few moments, the system had already listed 3 different types of approaches.
The classic one, of course, was 'good cop-bad cop', but Daneel was acting alone, and he didn't really believe that he could intimidate any of these five, at least with the power he was supposed to have.
So, settling on the approach which used sudden questions to make a target answer instinctively, thus increasing the probability that they would spill something that shouldn't, he waited for Matthew to arrive.
Two hours later, Daneel was back in the camp with Luther, and both of them were pouring through sheets of parchment with information on each of the five suspects which had been created by the system.
Luther shot odd glances at Daneel occasionally, and after seeing this happen a few times, Daneel finally couldn't control himself and asked, "What is it?"
"Err…it just puzzled me that you are looking at the information as if you are seeing it for the first time, too, My King."
"…"
Daneel had to fumble for an answer.
"I just…want to make sure I don't miss anything. That's all."
Seeing Luther nod and return back to the activity, the King of Lanthanor heaved a sigh of relief and scolded himself that he should really think of these small things.
True, it might not matter much with normal people, but what if the one who was observing him was as astute as his commander, here? He might just spill stuff which he shouldn't, and that…would definitely be regrettable.
Although Daneel had been the one asking questions before, the long answers of each of the five had almost blurred in his mind, as he was prone to get bored when people talked for too long. This was especially the case with Memphis, who talked so much that a simple question regarding the time he went to sleep had traveled to the state of affairs in the Big Four, to the continent-wide shortage of high-quality foal which was apparently depriving him of a good meal.
Hence, he had asked the system to create the summaries, and that was the reason behind this incident.
All in all, after a few moments, they were ready to begin discussing.
"The backstories share a lot of similarities, as I expected, My Lord. Four of them were born in the Big Four, and the last was adopted when she was but a child. That last one is Scarlet. The Big Four used special methods to find out their potential beforehand, and they used secret methods to make sure that they would slowly increase in power even if they weren't training, mainly by using special materials. They began earnestly training from the tender age of eight, and a team of Heroes kept careful watch of each of their actions to pick their Paths for them. This is different for Matthew and Jessica, both of whom have Bloodlines. They were pushed towards undergoing an Awakening successfully. Anyway, all of them had limited interaction except in this small group of five, and Letitia was actually a recent addition. The policy is to make these groups so that seeds can compete, and also find solace, if needed, in those who are like themselves. Now, here…is where the interesting stuff begins."
As Daneel nodded, Luther continued.
"Letitia was instantly liked by all, including the usually stoic Dave. In fact, Jessica became her best friend, and there was even talk of a relationship forming, even though such things are forbidden until one reaches the Hero realm. Scarlet also really liked Letitia, and Memphis states that she was so jealous that he even heard her saying that she would be ready to do anything to make herself the apple of Letitia's eyes! Anyway, they all became fast friends, and Dave states that they even swore oaths to stay friends until, and I quote, 'death did them part'. I am even more interested in this Letitia, now. What did she have that allowed her to infiltrate this gang of childhood friends so efficiently?"
Daneel could only shrug.
He had been similarly surprised by the revelation regarding Letitia's influence, and even though it didn't help the case much, it was definitely interesting.
A few moments later, Luther shrugged, too, not reaching an answer, and just as he was about to remark on the most interesting aspect that had been discovered, the loud sound of a bell ringing interrupted them.
It was the alarm bell.
Whirling around, Daneel began running inside the mountain, and even as he neared that open area, he could hear loud screams.
"NO! GET AWAY! YOU KILLED MY FRIEND, I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME, TOO! HEAD, APPREHEND HIM, HE'S THE ONE! WHY AREN'T YOU MOVING?!"
This was the same voice that belonged to the tender maiden who had broken down in tears, and as Daneel reached the area, he saw the Head standing with a gobsmacked expression on his face.
In front of him, Jessica was taking step after step back with a terrified expression on her face, as if she was facing death itself.
In front of her were the other four, who all had extremely serious expressions on their faces, too, as if they were prepared to defend Jessica even if it cost them their lives.
All of their gazes were fixed on one spot in front of them, and as Daneel followed their line of vision, he understood the reason behind the Head's expression.
There…was no one there.