Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 774: Enslavement

Injured and barely breathing, Melenai was the only survivor of the poisoned wine. Eyebrows were raised once again at the dryad, but since she’d been under constant watch and trapped within the dungeon cell, nobody suspected her. At least nobody who also believed the giants’ lies that Frazer and his party were the real saviors. In the servant’s eyes, there was no way these heroes whom their rulers constantly praised could be behind the poisoning, and thus suspicion instead fell on Raven and his party.

However, standing beside Melenai’s bed alongside the elven sisters, Amedith and the priestess, Raven, and the others who’ve been accompanying him ignored such charges, especially since none of the servants could do anything against them. In the end, Melenai remained as the only person who could take the giant’s place, but with her unconscious, the party struggled to figure out what they needed to do next.

’We haven’t even regrouped with the others and there’s problems piling up already.’ Still tired from the fight against the angels, Raven covered his mouth to yawn while still staring at the sleeping form of the horned demi-human. Then, with a slow turn of his head, he focused on the people outside his group who were also present in the room. ’I thought Flitza wouldn’t like us being here, but I guess she doesn’t care that much about it.’

Both Flitza and Mei were present in the room and were visibly concerned about their third partner. For as long as they could remember, they’d been working side by side, and to almost lose one of them wasn’t something they had thought of ever before. Yet now, lying in front of them, the possibility of their deaths became quite real. Besides, with their masters dead, there was little reason for them to stay inside the mansion except for each other’s company.

"What are we gonna do now?" Breaking the silence, Amedith looked around at everyone. "The king and queen are dead, and if that dryad didn’t poison them and the people suspect us instead, we should probably leave this place, shouldn’t we?"

"Our army should for sure," Raven responded, his eyes still focused on the unconscious woman in front.

To leave so suddenly was bound to make them seem even more suspicious, and so deciding to stay behind until Melenai had recovered and could clear up the misunderstanding, the leader of their group ordered for everyone else to head back home. Maria and Helga would carry the servants of the demon general to Milo, and Frazer’s monster girls would remain in the city alongside their leader after all.

As for the others close to him, Raven wanted to keep them inside Eclanor for a while longer just so they’re not chased by some fanatic and killed behind his back. Mercedes, Regalia, the Twin, and even the rest of Maria’s group, the centurion included, would return to their diplomatic and cargo-hauling duties. At least until the misunderstanding is cleared and their next move has been decided.

As the conversation and the duties began to spread, it became clear to Raven that after what had happened, things had to return to normal for a while. There were many things that needed addressing and many people to console, like Hilma. A brief return to their homes wouldn’t hurt anyone; as for Frazer himself, he needed to be looked after due to the effects of brainwashing and what happened with the devil. And that responsibility would soon fall onto Jenna.

"I should go too." Deep into the night, after all decisions had been made and the room had gone quiet, Linkle placed a hand on Raven’s shoulder and decided to take her leave. "But before I go and check on June, I want to suggest something–something that would give insurance about Frazer and the general’s servants."

Lifting an eyebrow, Raven leaned in to listen to her suggestion. Looking at everyone else, however, Linkle grabbed him by his shirt and led him outside. Once everyone was out of earshot, she whispered the perfect way to control Frazer’s party and the sisters.

"I know you’re not gonna like this, but we can place a slave brand on them, and that way they can’t do anything to sabotage us any further."

Had it been any other time, Raven would’ve recoiled at the idea, but after the amount of betrayal that he’s been through thanks to Frazer’s group, he couldn’t help but consider enslavement as a legitimate option.

"The monster girls are one thing but Frazer himself...I don’t know how I feel about enslaving another human."

"Then we make an exception for him. I mean, it’s obvious by the way he’s acting that that kid didn’t have it in him to do what he was forced to do." Placing a hand on his shoulder again, Linkle leaned closer and added further. "We can always kill them or imprison them again, but then that threat would always loom over our head, just like Felix and Astra did. And maybe if we had dealt with them sooner, Hilma wouldn’t be as hurt as she is, and our group wouldn’t be in such disarray."

There was little fault to be found in her suggestion, and so with a hesitant nod, Raven gave Linkle permission to prepare whatever it is that was needed for the rite of enslavement. Taking her leave after that, Linkle went over to Aradin’s group to check up on June–the pregnant elf along with Aradin himself, as he was still affected by the dark water.

In the meantime, Raven stood outside Melenai’s room and wondered to himself how he was going to convince everyone else to go along with their plan.

’Slaves, huh? Never thought I would be forced to have them, but I guess Helga was right.’ Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention to the entrance door. ’You have to do whatever it takes to win a war, and this decision, well, it will help us in many ways. Starting with assurance that we wouldn’t be stabbed in the back.’

And with that thought, he walked right in, fully determined to convince everyone of something that none of them–not even him–agreed with in at least some ways.