Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 790: A Last Show For The Council

Morning came, and Melenai sat beside Flitza and Meimei in the royal dinner hall. Their seats were far apart from each other, and Mei was given a dozen pillows to sit on since her tiny body wouldn’t reach the top without them. The clatter of silverware and the footsteps of the servants echoed in their heads, and even as everything fell quiet, not a muscle in their bodies wanted to move.

Their masters were dead and buried, and now they sat in their seats to eat breakfast. For nearly their entire lives, they’d shared a meal in the basement smithy, but now that could only be used for work. Why? Because if left empty, the seat of a rule invites conflicts, and with so much chaos all around, some rebels were bound to try and overthrow the budding council. And sure, Raven and his companions could deal with such a nuisance, but after they handed the demon servants to their land’s king, it was clear that nobody from their group wanted to be entangled in Eclanor’s messy politics.

"Kumi," breaking the tension, Melenai looked to her shoulder with the now indebted monster girl sitting on her shoulder like a hawk. "Leave us alone, will you?"

Without any question, the shapeshifting monster girl fluttered away and left the group alone. Shooting quick glances at the servants as well, the bard made them leave. And once they were all gone, she brought her attention back to the two with whom she was sharing the table.

"Anything to say?" She asked, knowing full well that the sudden change in their operation had taken a toll on them both.

Flitza, being a paladin who’d lost her faith, had also lost her powers. Her once ever-blazing blade has finally had its thirst quenched. Silent in its scabbard, the sword lay as dormant as her master. No longer did she feel that burning desire to protect her god’s honor, nor did she feel the need to protect her kingdom’s rulers.

Mei, on the other hand, was deeply saddened by the giant’s deaths. She had no clue of their atrocities, or perhaps she was blind to them, as they were her saviors. Without them, she would’ve perished as a child and never seen the miraculous potential of her own powers. But now, with them buried deep under the desert sand, much time was needed before she could get back to her work.

The silence from the two spoke volumes of the maelstrom that raged in their hearts. Melenai knew better than to push the topic, and so she decided to move on to other matters.

"You will soon be part of the council. I hope you are ready to shoulder that responsibility." No answer, no change in emotions, no response at all. "Oh, I heard the hero had a visitor last night. Some sort of merchant, the witch Linkle, also came this morning–perhaps you two should go and meet with them. Maybe they have something that could help you guys get your mind off of things."

"What would they even have for a bunch of misfits..." Breaking her silence, Flitza looked into Melenai’s eyes. A sombre expression devoid of all hope, she felt broken, as her very purpose in life had been stripped away from her. "I mean, look at us. An abomination walking with limbs from so many creatures that I have no clue what kind of beasts my parents were. Then there’s Mei..."

Turning towards Mei, Flitza stretched a hand in her direction.

"She might as well have lost her parents twice, and you, Melenai," shaking her head, the dragoness pressed her forehead against the table. "You’re just as much of a misfit as the two of us. Maybe not by the lack of a body part or some mutation, but even I can see that your mind’s split in two about everything that has happened."

"The giants were poisoning the water–they were in on Muena’s plot to kill the army." Unable to hold the secrets any longer, Melenai spoke the truth, and the other two lifted their heads and just gawked at her with a look of pure disbelief. "Poisoning the water source was part of their plan as well. So was killing the heroes that saved us after their job was done."

"Y-you’re lying!" Mei screamed, her voice ending with a nervous squeal.

"The people you served–the people I served–did not care for any of us. They only cared for themselves, Mei." Looking into the girl’s eyes with a hollow look, Melenai picked up a fork and finally lowered her head to the food. "I followed them day and night; my people served their kind for as long as time existed, and I know it’s not easy to accept, but what happened was for the best."

"But!"

"Mei..." Cutting off Mei, Flitza lowered her shoulders and heaved a sigh. "She doesn’t lie easily; her words hold power, remember?"

"Still, there’s no way they lied to us!"

"You met the heroes, didn’t you?" Lifting her head off the meal, Melenai looked at Mei once again. "Tell me, are they the monsters that the giants told everyone that they were? And what about Frazer’s party? Do you really think they killed the demon general, hmm? You’re not the giant’s prized little girl anymore, Mei; you need to think like an adult–even if for a moment."

"I-I..." The young Caladarius had no words to respond with. She thought as long as she did what she loved and stayed in that basement working, everything would be fine, but that illusion of safety was finally shattering.

The very people who should’ve protected her turned out to be monsters in hiding. Of course, she couldn’t digest such a truth at face value, and so it would be a long time before she could trust anyone. Needless to say, a part of her innocence died alongside the giants and learning the truth had nearly killed the rest of it. It would be a while until she recovered, but for now, it was to eat a meal with friends as she always did. But this time, there was silence instead of the usual chatter and complaints about life.