Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 946: Gifts From The Lady Fae

When it came time for Joselia to meet Raven and his companions, the hero had booked nearly all the inns in the city to facilitate his entourage of companions, lovers, even soldiers and their families. As soon as she was informed, she waived the fee and instead compensated the establishment with a formal promise letter from the consulate’s treasury, signed by none other than the esteemed lord Haurum Oswall.

The hero, of course, wasn’t quite used to such charity in a different nation than those he had either captured or befriended. And yet, he found some comfort in the hospitality as his lovers and the families of the injured soldiers were accompanying him on this non-mission expedition.

To his further surprise, the dark elf lady had shown up at the inn he himself planned to stay in. Not alone either, with a merry band of servants carrying all manner of oddities obviously meant to serve as gifts to the visitors.

"Welcome to the city of law, Duke ’Phordite." In curtsy, Joselia bowed her head along with the numerous elven servants behind her. "We hope your stay is to your liking and that we can strengthen our alliance through this mingling of our cultures."

A gentle smile rested on the woman’s lips as she lifted her face; many servants eyed the hero and his companion from over her shoulder, but none dared match their gaze. Everyone was curious about the guests; even the master of the inn had offered free ale to the heroes before the letter from the consulate came.

All seemed well, and the people were understandably curious. However, their attempts seemed a bit desperate.

"It is a fine city, I have to admit." Turning around in his wooden chair that faced a table, Raven threw one of his hands over its head and leaned back while looking at the dark elf. "I expected a shambling city from the proximity to alliance, but this place’s worst edges are more polished than that crystal palace."

"We take good care of mother land; she nurtures us, and we nurture it right back." With a smile, Joselia closed her hands by her hips. "The design was lord Raguel’s choice. A sprawling city with posh housing, paved roads lined with bushes and trees. Even fountains that draw from a natural spring–we’ve been blessed in all aspects; the ambassador only helped us to appreciate what we already had."

Having been to numerous cities and kingdoms at this point, even Raven couldn’t help but admit the beauty of the consulate. A city paved with polished stone and shaded under the branches of countless trees, not to mention the clear water through the numerous fountains laid about nearly every twenty steps in the city–set the place above all but one kingdom in his gaze.

"You seem to have it all, Joselia." Taking a pause as he took her name, Raven let the informal response hang in the air to assert himself. "I noticed numerous rice fields, orchids, and just as many farms before entering the city. All beautiful in their own right, but the ever spring of my home, there’s nothing quite like it."

Instead of taking offense to the comparison, however, the fae closed her eyes and kept smiling. Trying to imagine in her mind what that beauty must be like. The fabled ever-spring, a god’s very spirit turned into fertility. Oh, how sweet must be a god’s nectar; oh, how blessed are the children of the land that grow amidst such blessing?

"I have only heard good things about Athenia, though our lord Hamleth always painted it as the lies of heretics." Opening her eyes, she wiped her lips as if she herself had already tasted that nectar. "But now, if it is true–I hope you can share with our children some of that land bounty. Won’t you?"

"We will see," speaking up, Erika drew attention away from Raven and brought it upon herself. "The children may deserve it, but I would like to see the construction of Athenia’s temple first and the establishment of an orphanage within it. Stake your gold where your mouth is, and we will have an agreement."

"Of course," Joselia responded.

With the pleasantries out of the way, the elf gestured to the servants to step forward one by one. First came an elven woman wearing fluffy clothes made of white wool and a chestpiece that could’ve belonged to an exotic dancer. But her demeanor was anything but exotic as she presented to the hero’s table a bottle of fire dragon blood wine. Placing it in front of the valkyrie–her children right next to her–the woman quickly stepped away, not realizing how conflicted the gift must’ve been for a mother of dragon girls–one of whom was a demi fire-dragon.

"What is that?" Stella asked, her nose picking up something pungent from within the glass.

Glaring daggers at the woman whose head was low to the ground, the valkyrie quickly snatched the bottle and put it into her dimensional pocket. Though she liked the taste of dragon’s blood wine, drinking such a thing in front of her daughters wasn’t exactly something she’d ever planned.

"Thank you...for the gift," Helga muttered, her gaze shifting to Joselia.

"I-I apologize for the misunderstanding. We weren’t aware that your daughters would be here, mistress."

"Let’s just move on," Helga responded, and Joselia’s only choice was painfully obvious.

Another servant came forward, about to unveil the head of a dead drake to Regalia; however, realizing her mistake again, Joselia pulled the girl back. One after the other, she handed the guests minor gifts from her kingdom herself. Some were offered the insignia, a pin, resembling a fae creature–the mother of the elf kind, any and all. Others were comforted by shawls made from the wool of bihorned sheep–a local breed known for its tender meat and a fruity scent that was naturally infused in its wool.

The smell, however, was a little too strong for the hero and his companions. Forcing them to put them down, and thus, the smile on Joselina’s face finally dropped.

’Heavens protect us, why can’t a single thing go the way I want?’

"A-at least, allow us to host you in the council’s personnel lounges. They are far superior to the inns–"

"Joselia," cutting her sentence short, Aria lifted her hand to get the woman’s attention.

"Y-yes?"

"Stop trying so hard to please us; we’re not barbarians," Aria chuckled, followed by the rest of the crowd gathered at the table.

"I–yes, of course, I apologize." Lowering her head, the woman unintentionally revealed something that was best left in the past. "Lord Hamleth’s standards were quite high, and I suppose the punishment for not reaching them has turned us a little...jumpy, so to speak."

"We’re here to relax before our next adventure," slamming a fist on the table, Raven looked to the bartender. "Bring your barrels and spread the word! The wounded rest and drink tonight; our alliance and its constraints can wait for later! Now bring the ale and that damned honeyed bihorn leg you were talking about, inn’s master!"

Feeling defeated, Joselia was about to turn and leave with a formal bow, but to her surprise, Raven grabbed her hand and looked her right in the eye.

"Where are you going? Your servants too? Didn’t you hear? We’re drinking together tonight! So bring out your friends, family, and those council members! Let’s see what they talk about with booze stinking tongues!"

At last, watching him from behind his shoulders–Mel, Aria, and the rest of the hero’s family–were reminded of the man who used to be a simple adventurer. A man they went to hunt some minotaurs with, the man known to be the life of the party whenever the Boartooth inn was full and lively.

’That corrupted part of his soul...it must’ve taken so much of him. But at least, he’s himself right now.’ And with that thought crossing their minds, like the idiots they were a few years ago, the ’Phordite raised their mug and shouted out together.

"Didn’t you hear?! Bring out another!" Laughter erupted throughout the inn and, for the first time in centuries, the stringent city under the god of law knew leniency and the joys of being an idiot drunk on booze, good company, and the absurdities of life. Not to mention, sex and sensuality were to follow soon in great abandon...