Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 736: The Path Back Home

Bleeding through the forehead, Elowe managed to escape the killer's sight. He hadn't expected the man to be so swift with his draw, not to mention wielding a weapon of which there was supposedly only one true piece in this world. But now, as he carried that rifle, he knew that the weapon wasn't the only one–not with that man alive at the very least.

Dragging himself through the brambled woods, he kept chasing a beam of light being cast from above in the distance. To his surprise, out of nowhere, a band of adventurers flew in through that hole. Getting closer and closer, however, he realized that it wasn't just some adventurers but the Athenian hero and his group.

'What are they doing here?' He thought, for his spies were taking a few days off and cut off his information network.

Making his way closer and closer, he stretched one of his hands forward. Had the nature around him been blissful, his body would've healed, but with everything withered, nothing happened. Instead, as the group noticed him approaching, they mistook him for a horror for just a moment.

Regaining his footing as well as wiping the blood away, the high elf took a deep breath and gestured for them to go back to where they'd come just then.

"How in the–" Shortening the distance between them, Raven quickly got to the man. Barely holding himself up from the injury, he seemed somewhat dazed and yet was pretending to keep up a well-balanced facade. "What the hell have you been doing here?"

Snapping his fingers, Raven beckoned the others and, with a flourish of his hand, ordered Erika to attend to the wound on Elowen's head. Walking forward, the priestess intentionally tried to use Asmodia's magic first, but once again, as it failed, she fell back on her own holy spells. Squinting his gaze at the party while being healed, Elowen seemed far from pleased with the help.

"I told you to go," he complained weakly.

"And you're not the leader of our group, so your orders have no weight," Erika shot back, smacking the man lightly on his temples before continuing to heal him.

"Don't do that again," glaring her down, Elowen pulled himself away from the priestess. "Now, if you're done, we need to leave before he catches up to me."

"He?" Furrowing his brows, Raven walked closer to the high elf. "Who's he?"

"The same guy who killed my spies and your scouts…"

As Elowen's head swiftly turned to look around, Raven eyed the rifle in his hand but decided against taking it. How he got his hands on it, why was here and using it, there were far too many questions in mind at the moment to risk a confrontation.

'We'll ask him about the rifle later, let's leave for now.' Deciding that it was best for them to get back to the city after what had happened, Raven wanted to make a better plan on how to handle the person who'd been chasing Elowen and killing everyone who entered the brambles.

"Alright then, we're leaving, but you owe us an explanation," Raven said, and although Elowen clicked his tongue in frustration, he turned his head to the front again and complied.

"Whatever, I'll come back to him later." Even still set on killing the man, the high elf left the brambles along with the party, but his plans to kill the killer weren't gonna leave his head just yet. After all, he tried to give him a chance to live by lowering the rifle, and yet just moments later, he lifted the revolver and shot at his face.

Clenching the rifle tight, Elowen followed the group, his mind already drifting back to the dark place. Had he not been taken by surprise, the high elf wouldn't have lost to a human, at least that's what he believed. But as that thought crossed his mind, he began to question.

"Why was a human there doing the work of the demon general?" Overhearing him talking to himself, Raven turned his head to the elf and inquired.

"Long way back home, how about you start talking about what you saw?"

Returning his gaze, Elowen thought over the matter for a few seconds before shaking his head and revealing what had happened inside the brambles. To his surprise, Raven's pupil dilated at the mention of the man, proving interest beyond normal, as nothing else seemed to have shaken the general.

"What's that look?" Tilting his head, Elowen stared at him. "Do you know something about that man?"

'The killer Athenia warned us about.' Although he meant to keep it a secret from the elf, Raven did pass on that thought to everyone else with the mental link. 'Erika, catch up to Flitza and Dandy, will you? I need you to be done with your tasks before asking some questions directly to Athenia.'

Nodding her head in silence, the priestess turned into crimson mist and began flying much faster than the coppelicons could walk. Being finally able to use Asmodia's powers after not being able to for a while, however, the priestess had questions, not just for her goddess but for the devil within her as well.

As for the rest of the group, they had a little hunting to do before returning to camp. The food from yesterday was already running low, and since most of the animals were killed by roaming monsters, it would be monsters that the party would have to hunt–or so they assumed was what they would be doing, but not ten minutes into the ride, the shriek of a dragon came from overhead.

Looking up, the party instantly noticed Choux on top of her drake. Held in her hand was her rifle, aimed downwards at Elowen.

"That weapon belongs to my family. I need that now!" For the first time in her life, she'd heard the lurker in the dark directing her to do something. And since the voice was so familiar, Choux knew that she had to get that weapon back in her hands as the only survivor of her family.

Raven, on the other hand, had other ideas. Ideas that won't exactly please Choux, but had to be done for the betterment of his people.

"Come down," he ordered, and although hesitant as of now, the girl did as asked.

Her rifle, however, remained aimed at that, and his fate hanging in the balance, Elowen remained stoic yet firm.

"I need that rifle now!" Choux exclaimed, but saying anything, Raven knocked her out…