Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 986: The Brutal Princess

Charlotte Charammer has worked for the empire of Hamleth for most of her life. Her parents before her had worked the same post, and now for a decade it had been her only reason to wake up and tackle the day head-on. So was her impression, but those who knew her better weren’t as blind to her true colors.

With a smile, she swings her ribboned hammer, and with great glee she enjoys dancing amidst the chaos. Her trip to Aurum was meant to be no different. The empire had denounced the consulate’s rule over the territory; hence, a demand was to be made soon for it to be handed back to the nearest duchy, which just so happened to be Charlotte’s territory. Alas, with the documentation far from over, the duchess couldn’t wait any longer and had set out to Aurum to collect the monthly taxes and tithes.

Dressed in a long greyish blue gown, she marched forward with her hammer thrown over her shoulder. Ribbons of her long sleeves dragged across the ground, the star-shaped bangles on their ends making a metallic ring every time even the smallest rock came in contact with them. Following the same starry theme, her dress was patched full of stars, both big and small, as well as clusters. Even her hammer’s ends were shaped as stars, all thanks to her fascination with them throughout her childhood.

Even now, while walking the path under the stretch of a starry sky, her head remained lifted, and her eyes wandered here and there, counting the stars and reminding herself of every single one of their names.

"The Cassiopeia cluster, I haven’t seen it in a while..." She murmured to herself.

When no response came from her accompanying parties and all sound died down around her, she lowered her head. To her surprise, a handful of people were headed their way from near the Aurum’s wall. A carriage was following a lone woman who was walking on foot with a large spear held firmly in her hands.

"The mad Valkyrie?" Raising an eyebrow, she squinted her eyes to get a better look at the spear in her hand. "Doesn’t seem like the war herald, Gungnir. A regular enchanted frost spear then? Really? I thought they would front more of a fight after revolting."

"They could be evacuating the city, Mistress. Sending in reserve troops as a distraction while the main force evacuates the citizens." Glancing down at the armor woman speaking to her, Charlotte moved a thumb under her own chin in deliberation.

"The dark general evacuating citizens? I do not think so; something’s off."

"My lady, we can still turn back; the church hasn’t approved of this expedition! If we turn back now–"

Lifting her head, Charlotte placed her massive hand on the head of the soldier on her other end. Freezing up to her touch, the man’s body and mind had both shut down in unison. Swallowing hard as she looked at him, he almost peed himself even before she spoke to him.

"Even gods make mistakes; for one, I should be the empress of Hamleth, not some greasy old fart. And for second, those o’so holy men and women both receive virgin slaves from the black trade in my territory so it’d take a lot for me to give a crap about what some degenerates have to say."

Eyes wandered, and whispers erupted throughout the crowd. Nobody but the duchess was aware of the secret dealing, but as was her nature, she didn’t care if such a secret quickly turned to widely known facts.

"Now then." Lifting her hand off his head, she raised it halfway over her shoulder. "Raise the banners! Plant your blades and blunt weapons! We are here on official business of my people, and I alone will decide the terms! The emperor be damned!"

Although reluctant at the sacrilege she was spewing, the soldiers complied with her commands. Her servants weaved through the crowd and moved next to her, lifting her dragging ribbons and giving them a gentle polish to wipe the dust and grime.

"You don’t have to do this; it’ll get dirty in a fight regardless," she said.

Shaking their heads, however, her personal maids Melodia and Malice kept up with the cleaning until finally the spear-wielding envoy from Aurum arrived.

"You must be the brutal princess," Helga asked, planting her spear into the ground next to her.

Staring up at the tall human woman, the valkyrie couldn’t help but wonder if she had some giant genes in her. Nearly eight feet tall, with just enough weight on her slender limbs and curves to make her feel like a pronounced presence.

"And you must be Helga, the mad valkyrie who heralded the start of the holy war before the threat of the demon lord could be extinguished."

"I suppose I am that woman now." Grabbing her spear, the valkyrie exuded an air of chilling cold from her weapon. As it washed over the soldiers and the duchess, their bodies went still, and a sprinkle of ice had formed over their eyelids. "But I used to be more, and I would advise you to turn back before you find out what I was."

Wiping her face, Charlotte wore a smirk. Planting her hammer on the ground, she glanced past Helga at the consulate members who were just getting out of the carriage. Joselia, Brein, Haurum, and Ellia- they’d expected the Valkyrie to be rash but not as much as she was at the moment. Thus, with a sense of urgency in their eyes, they rushed forward–all but Haurum, who was already winded from getting off the carriage.

"Mistress Charlotte! I’m so glad to see you again..." Joselia murmured, smiling weakly.

"Had we known, we would’ve prepared a better welcome." Bowing his head, Brein tried to appeal to her hubris. "I hope your visit today remains uneventful."

Brein had hoped for a quiet day of dealing and handshakes. Charlotte’s response, however, would shatter the possibility of either.

"Tithe and taxes, and assimilate to my territory, and we’ll call it even." Lifting her hammer again, she pointed at the Valkyrie. "And I wanna fight her in your colosseum. See for myself if the mad Valkyrie lives up to her tall tales."

"What if you lose?" Asked Helga, hiding her thrill behind a mask of confidence.

Scoffing at her question, the duchess shrugged her shoulders and surprised everyone with her answer.

"Then I will tail, and you get free passage through my region, granted secrecy is kept about our deal and no trouble is caused." Many soldiers and her advisors quickly rushed to warn her, but with her mind already set, there was no denying the brutal princess. Besides, she had one more reason for coming up to Aurum when the hero and his guests were present.

’If Hamleth is so weak to be defeated by a handful of soldiers, why the hells would I serve him?’ Ever since learning about how their god was relying on the chosen of another god–that too a rival- Charlotte’s impression of the so-called god of law had dropped into the muddiest of puddles.

"So what do you say?" She asked one last time.

Instead of a verbal response, however, Helga turned around and beckoned the duchess’s army towards Aurum’s gates. The consulate wasn’t happy about the situation, but between a fight and surrender, all they could do was to take a step back and watch as their fate was decided.