Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 989: Constellations And Heart

While the adults in their world were getting their affairs in order, Helga’s daughters managed to slip out from under their mother’s nose and sat atop the consulate’s structure. At the arching dome right above the judges’ ruling house, they sat beside one another with their eyes set to the stars. So much was happening, so much was going on, and being just sixteen no longer spared them from sharing communal anxiety with those around them.

Right with them, with her body curled around the entirety of the building, was Arche, the lack of shrinking potions making her ginormous again. Leaning her head against the dome with her hands folded right under her chin, she had her eyes closed while the girls leaned against her nails. Mino and Maine had come out to check on them as well, especially since Helga was forced into taking over for Regalia’s absence.

News of Raven’s departure with the tridents from the dark sand beach had instilled a sense of urgency within everyone. With nobody to guide the soldiers of Aurum against the forces of evil, it fell on Helga and the now recovered soldiers to prepare them for the mental torture they would be subjected to against those monsters.

"I hope Dad’s watching over us; I’m scared." Overhearing Stella from the other side of the dome, Mino’s heart grew heavy.

Staring into the same night sky, she knew one thing for sure. If her father was a half-dragon and he didn’t know that Aphrodite was dead, then his soul must’ve perished in either limbo or the flames of hell blazing under their feet.

"Only human souls go up there, in the stars," Tatiyana responded, her body rocking back and forth with her arms wrapped around her knees.

’So they know?’ Turning their heads towards each other, both Mino and Maine wondered if they should chime in. But before they could, Arche’s weight shifted a little, making both the girls fall on their backs and quake the building a bit.

"Moxy’s father is in heaven, so should be yours; Athenia changed the rules, or so I heard," said the giant arachnid, yawning.

"Really?!" Propping herself up again, Stella squeezed her hands together and moved up close to the giant’s face. "Are you sure? He’s up there, right? Watching us?"

Opening her eyes, Arche’s eyelids remained half lidded. She was tired, and there was no place for her to stretch herself fully. Even now, her body was getting larger and larger, and before long the very kingdom of Aurum would be too small for her. Even so, with a deep breath, she sighed and answered the excited teen.

"Whether he’s watching or not, I don’t know. But he should be up there; Viktor had his soul in the sea of stars, so there’s a possibility that he’s up there as well."

"Hmm..." While her sister screamed with joy, Tatiyana picked herself off the ground with a grim look on her face. Staring at the giant woman, she was reluctant to believe her words because of the pessimism she’d developed in recent years. "If he’s up there, then why can’t he help us? We can use a mage; he was a battalion leader on top of that."

Shifting her eyes to the fire dragoness, Arche buried her chin in between her folded arms and closed her eyes again.

"Maybe because he trusts you to handle it yourself, like the man who saved me in the dark well."

"Right?" Feeling a wave of relief washing over her, Stella finally dropped her shoulders and turned around to wave at the sky. "DAD! I MISS YOU SO MUCH!!"

"Stella! Don’t shout! Mom will find out that we’re here!"

"She already knows, child." Lifting a finger, Arche pointed at the other end of the dome. "Why do you think they’re here? To watch over you two."

With the click of their tongues, the girls ignored Arche and kept hidden on the other side of the dome. The sisters, however, grew curious and walked around the structure to find the two demi-human girls lying on the back, with their eyes catching them as soon as they walked into view.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!" Stella complained, her cheeks all puffed up.

"Looks like Mom still doesn’t trust us and sent her spies to keep an eye on us." Visibly more upset than her sister, Tatiyana began walking towards the demi-humans. "Miss Gallaria taught us a lot since we last had a spar with her; you can go and tell her that we don’t need her to keep a constant watch on–"

An ear-piercing whistling sound cut through the air from behind the dragon sisters. A wave of strong winds hit them on their backs, followed shortly by a sudden halt of the phenomenon and a sharp click and clank. As they slowly turned and the other two got off the ground, their eyes were pulled to a star-faced hammer pinched between Arche’s fingers.

"My~ my~ What do we have here?" Opening her eyes, the giantess’s gaze was focused just under the dome before it followed the form of the interloper as she climbed up on top with just her hands. "Brutal Princess, I suppose I can see why they gave you that moniker if you’re throwing hammers at children."

"Yeah yeah." Walking up to her hammer, Charlotte snatched her weapon out of Arche’s grip. "I was just gonna admire the stars up close, but couldn’t help myself from testing my luck against that woman’s daughters."

Moving a hand between the two groups like a wall, Arche smiled at the woman while moving her colossal face closer to her.

"You want a challenge? Find it elsewhere, mistress. Hurt a hair on their heads and none of us will live to see another day."

"Arche? What’s going on?!" Tatiyana screamed from the other end, demanding an answer. But without waiting even a second, she spread her wings wide and flew over the arachnid’s hand. "Who is that?"

Blinking a few times and getting closer, she finally realized who the attacker was. All the while, her sister warned her to wait for her, and the duchess’ maids were also trying desperately to get to her. Smiling at the sight of the dragoness, Charlotte gripped her hammer firmly.

"I heard your father’s in the stars." Touching the face of her hammer, she smirked. "You see, my hammer here is as alive as you are, and forged from a fallen star with a soul, thoughts, and memory and all."

"That’s enough!" Rising over Arche’s hand on the shoulder of a spectral minotaur, Mino jumped between the duchess and Helga’s daughter. "Whatever you’re gonna say next, save it for someone who cares because we have no time to play whatever twisted game that you wanna play here."

With a dramatic sigh, Charlotte shrugged.

"I could arrange a meeting with your father’s soul if you want, girls? All you have to do is tell me about your mother’s weaknesses. I swear I won’t kill her, but I really wanna smack her in the face."

And with that, the trajectory of their conversation took a drastic turn.