Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 841: A Trepidant Time

The news about Nerva had only recently reached the city of Eclanor, and already the council was preparing for war. Throwing resources at Meimei to create more unique weapons, Melenai was trying to form an army in her kingdom with the help of Maria’s group. In terms of battle prowess, even Frazer was being helpful, along with Josare and Kumi, both of whom used to be his travel companions.

And with Hilma joining the ranks as an instructor, the operation to form an army seemed to be going smoothly. Except, of course, Flitza of all people was trying to draw near perfection from what were just until recently mere civilians.

Casting an illusion of horrors, Maria helped with her magic, and Ophelia with her commander-like strategic prowess. Amelia, on the other hand, had busied herself with other political duties alongside Melenai. As for the spirit possessing an automaton, Hayley, she was simply trying to keep the soldiers from dying from Flitza’s extreme practices.

"Is she trying to kill them?" Hilma asked, eyeing Flitza in the middle of the training ground, hitting the soldiers with a wooden sword.

With a slight tilt of her head, Maria huffed.

"I heard she’d been extreme ever since she saw what fighting horrors are truly like," looking up at the warrior woman, a faint smile came over Maria for just a moment. "She’d been training by clearing the residual horrors around the city all by herself. Quite extreme there if you ask me, but it seems to work for her."

Responding with a subtle nod, Hilma turned her gaze back to the paladin. Her frustration was apparent in each blow, and although she was chasing the rookies with full determination to hurt them, a moment’s hesitation was clear in her final blows. Shifting attention to Frazer and his group, on the other hand, they seemed far more coordinated. Teaching not one but different methods to deal with multiple enemies at once.

Given the unique nature of the horrors, the contrast was necessary, but to a degree or the other, both sides were lacking in experience that could be acquired by fighting the real thing.

"You know, Hilma..." Breaking through the silence between them, Maria looked at the warrior woman again. "I’m glad that you’re doing better."

Smiling at her but only for a few seconds, Maria looked away, for she felt embarrassed and saw a reflection of herself in the younger woman. Unaware of her struggles, Hilma wasn’t too sure of her behavior, and yet the gesture alone was enough to assure her that she was, in fact, on the right path, even if her nephew was gone.

"Sometimes, I think back," speaking up to unload a burden, she followed Maria’s averted gaze. "And I feel like Felix got what he deserved in the end. Trying to poison people... He could’ve killed so many more. Still, his death kills me even now."

"Hmm..." Catching another glimpse of herself, Maria quickly lowered her head. "You know, if it’s any consolation. My son, he disowned me, and now I can’t go back to the royal castle in Athenia. And before that?"

Audibly chuckling, she matched Hilma’s gaze again.

"I had unintentionally sold my soul to a devil and lived a life in someone else’s body while watching that very person succumbing to the disease that I had carried for years. It was harrowing to see and know what that person was feeling, and yet act like nothing was happening. In the end, however, I just learned to live. For better or for worse, I feel happy that it happened, for without that agony, I could’ve never come to appreciate the life that I have now."

"Even though we’re on the verge of the demon lord’s invasion?"

"Despite that, yes."

The queen’s optimism was somewhat foreign to the warrior. And yet she felt a sort of comfort in it, as if being around her was enough to give her courage to keep going. Perhaps it was a habit from the past. Serving a queen and being by her side, Hilma was no stranger to a task, but this time the queen in question wasn’t possessed by a keeper and serving a corrupt god.

"What now?" She muttered, unsure of the direction that their future may steer them towards.

"Well," bobbing her head sideways, Maria considered the question for a moment. "We continue training these guys and then–"

"I’m sorry to disturb you," cutting through Maria’s words, a voice came from behind her. "I had some stuff to talk to you guys about, and oh, you might wanna head back to your home cities before Raven sets everyone off to the final march."

Turning towards the voice, the two women noticed Kara standing behind them. Being a priestess of Aphrodite, her magic was uncannily strong to have escaped any form of detection by them.

"What are you doing here?" Maria asked.

"I told you already, didn’t I?" Kara responded, and after a moment’s consideration, the girls remembered what she’d just said.

Allowing her to speak, they listened to her as she detailed the group’s findings. From Nerva’s true plan to what Kara had learned from her father about the unusual paradox of time. Some of the party members and extended were never supposed to be alive, and that in itself was causing a whole host of problems.

Then came the hero’s plan to mobilize the armies and go after the heart of the demon lord, the end of the world and the very place that her father called home. Many answers lay there, and at this point, it became clear that no matter the question, all roads converged there.

"I’ll go and quickly talk to the map maker, Elowen. Maybe he knows something, but if not, our destination remains unchanged. For me, it’s Elenaris to report back, and you guys can either visit your homes or stay here." Looking at Hilma one last time, Kara felt glad that she’d decided not to end her life. Her willingness to live was written all over her face, and as a priestess of the goddess of life, she could read it without any strain. "Well then, see you whenever our fates align."

Disappearing into thin air, the priestess was off to the map maker’s. Leaving the two to consider whether they wanted to remain on their posts or head back home one last time. For one of them at least, the answer was simple. Having nobody to return to, Hilma made her decision with ease, Maria on the other hand, wasn’t so sure.

"Something wrong?"

"It’s just..." Forcing a smile on her face, Maria tried not to let her true emotion be known. "I can’t visit my kids, so what’s the point of returning? Raven’s in Elenaris anyways so going there might be better if I want to visit him."

Humming a curious tune, Hilma narrowed her eyes and reached onto Maria’s shoulder. As she lifted her gaze and looked at her, the warrior said with a smile.

"You’ve been through hell, literally. I doubt a visit to your kids is going to make it any worse." A smile quickly took over the queen’s contour. She hadn’t expected such a remark by the warrior, but it was exactly what she needed to get out of her stupor.

"Ahh, fuck it. What’s the worst that can happen?" Making up her mind, Maria busied herself with some last-minute preparations before she could leave Eclanor. In the meantime, Hilma did the same, ready to visit the place again, but this time to appreciate its beauty and clean air rather than in preparation for a coming war–at least that’s what she thought when the reality was no different than the time she’d visited last.

Raven was already present in Athenia, and having just finished his breeding session with a trio of women, he wanted to have a moment with everyone close to him before departing on that very war. A visit back to Elenaris with a visit to Diane and the rest, and then back to Athenia, where he would meet everyone at his mansion as the Duke ’Phordite.