Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 784: A Travelling Merchant’s Tale

From the same stable through which she’d entered the inn, Regalia and the witch were soon about to leave. However, upon seeing the blood rain and the gore gushing from a crimson sky, the demi-wolf’s mind was frozen in a state of fear and awe. Watching it pitter-patter from the sheltered stable, she stood beside the witch’s wagon, wondering where this woman had come from and what were these powers that required such a strange price.

The sudden neighing of a horse pair brought her out of her mind for a moment. As she turned, she noticed two ethereal dark horses, the bodies of which were translucent. Bound to the red wagon that belonged to the witch, their dark eyes looked back at Regalia as if peering deep inside her very soul.

"I’ve put her in." Walking out of the wagon with a top hat and a crossbow, the crimson witch Erika gestured for the wolf to come closer. "She should be fine as is, but you should still sit next to her."

"Y-yeah..." Feeling stuck between whether to trust this woman or not, Regalia had no idea what she was supposed to do. Walking closer to her by the entrance of the wagon, she decided that she should at least try to get to know her better. "Can I ask you something?"

Tilting her head, the witch raised an eyebrow. Seeming curious about what she wanted to know, she shrugged her shoulders and gave her permission to go ahead.

"I mean no offence when I say this, but what are you?" Shaking her head left to right, Regalia pointed to the horses, then at the wagon, followed by a brief glance at the pouring rain, and then finally landed her gaze back on the witch. "Not to mention you. Rings in every finger, the frill-hemmed dress, the top hat, the umbrella and the talking marionette–"

"Dandelion, her name’s Dandelion, but you can just call her Dandy."

"If you knew what I know, then you’d know that that name only makes this more creepy."

"Hmm," straightening her head, the witch loosened her grip on her crossbow and let her arms fall to her sides. "Since you know Razor, I guess I can tell you."

Taking a deep breath, Erika heaved a sigh with a conforming nod.

"I’m a world skipper. I travel through different worlds in search of what I need. Currently, it’s a flower." Placing a hand on her mask that covered half of her face, she closed her eyes. "As you might’ve seen already, I have a flower sticking out of my Mythril half skull. It’s the only thing keeping me alive, and it’s also the source of my magic."

Opening her eyes again, she lifted her head and matched Regalia’s gaze.

"The more I use it, the less time I have to find a replacement. Now, unfortunately for me, I also happen to be a red devil’s child–not biologically, but we can skip the details; it’s not going to make sense to anyone from this world. All you need to know is that my magic is tainted and I can’t be killed. Anyone who tries brings misfortune upon themselves."

Although a great deal of what she said made little sense to Regalia, the fact that her lifespan may have been shortened because she healed Hilma was enough to make her trust her–even if just a little.

"So that means, you risked your own time for my friend..."

"I sure did, but we can talk about that later. You may not believe me, but I’m also a travelling merchant, so maybe when we get to your people, they can buy a few things from my wagon. What do you say?"

"That sounds...doable, yes." It was almost unbelievable how nonchalant the witch had been during their whole encounter. Compared to Linkle’s initial personality, this woman was practically a saint.

"Very well, now if you won’t mind getting into the wagon and giving me your companion’s location, I shall take us there this instant." Said the witch, with her expression gradually dropping. The joys of her words often seemed brief, perhaps because of her illness, but there was something within her that was obviously hurting. Regalia wasn’t blind to that either, but she tried not to overstep her boundaries with the questioning.

"Actually, there’s no need for that; I can just teleport us there."

"With that ring?" She asked, her eyes instantly landing on the ring.

"How did you–" Covering the ring with her hand, Regalia instinctively tried to hide it.

Keeping the same neutral contour, however, Erika lifted her gaze and gave a performative smile.

"Like I said, I’m a travelling merchant who travels through different worlds. That ring was an easy pick since it radiates a unique magic that’s not exactly of this world. Almost as if an outside force made it for you and not a sorceress that belongs here."

’Linkle? I guess she’s an outsider.’ How exactly the ring was made, Regalia had no clue. But even now, only Linkle could make it, and so Erika’s words held true.

"Pardon me, I might’ve overstepped. Let’s get into the wagon and start this journey, fine lady." Snapping Regalia out of her head, Erika gave her a subtle nod before turning around and walking towards the rider’s box of the wagon.

"Fine lady... You have a unique way of speaking," Regalia said as she began walking towards the wagon’s entrance.

"I suppose so. I used to be a princess, after all," the witch replied while boarding the rider’s box beside her already seated Marionette Dandy.

"A princess now? Are you making all of this up?" Regalia asked, getting a bit sceptical of her stories.

"I wish, a princess turned slave and now a merchant trying to fulfil my master’s last wish..." Humming to herself in quiet, the witch began to question herself. "When I put it that way, it does sound bogus, doesn’t it?"

"Is it?"

"I’m sure you have stories to tell that I won’t believe either."

"Yeah, fair point..."

With their conversation coming to an end, Regalia gave the witch the coordinates to her party. At first, she expected a long ride since Erika didn’t want to be teleported by the ring, but as night came and her eyes winked only once, the wagon came to a stop, and their journey was done.