Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 531 Hope Blossoms In His Dark Heart

Things were finally heating up and Athenia's curiosity had tenfold in recent days. She was curious not only for the prospect of war and how to prepare for it but the eerie thought that somehow that dead soul attached to Raven was making him do certain things. The plan to build an army came to him first, why? Why was Nightsilver a man sure to be dead affecting the decisions of the hero of today? And why was it that his suggestion to Raven was the conclusion she herself derived with a few days of delay?

'I'm missing something or else I could reach for the future and figure out how to make sense of this...' Looking through the mirror and watching her chosen fighting the pathetically weak angels, the goddess of life and death pondered just how many other invisible bystanders were helping Raven in his journey? 'First, he gets the power to absorb corruption by some strange deity, then he runs into Choux's ancestor who was part of the last hero's party. It's almost as if the path has been predetermined and there are much larger hands at play.'

Squeezing her fingers around her throne's armrest, her eyes squinted in doubt and her mind continued to race. Exhausting every possibility of finding an answer and coming out on the other end with none, Athenia looked in the direction of the infinite library. A single book from those shelves could reveal secrets only her father could've known and continues to write them as the many timelines merge into one.

'Maybe today...' She wanted to get out of her chair and head for the library but then reminding herself of the flow of time being much different there, she decided to do so later as Raven and his party weren't out of the woods yet.

The angels, having been unable to fulfill their duty, had already perished in a gruesome frenzy against the hero's party. Their bodies thrashed, slashed, pinned and battered to a pulp, the once grotesque creatures were laid to rest. In doing so, Raven found himself covered in their guts, he could even taste their blood on his lips, and the sheer anger still bubbling in his heart.

His thoughts, interrupted only by the maniacal laughs of Jenna from inside the infirmary, he turned around to check on the others, and thankfully it appeared that nobody was hurt. Noticing a window of opportunity for her to speak to him and his party, Athenia thundered her voice down into her skull.

"The people of these lands are finally waking up from the nightmare that was, now is the best chance for you to win them over for if the opportunity escapes, their god Batimos could pursue them to follow his teaching still." The sudden order cast from heaven froze everyone in their tracks as they were left to wonder what to make of the situation. First came the surprise of the queen being a keeper, then the angels, and now having to take over yet another city on Athenia's command.

Slowly opening her eyes to find his fist just inches from her face, she looked at the silver-eyed beast. Turning back to his human form, Raven pulled himself away from the woman, and in return the release of anxiety made Hilma's legs give in and she sat there on the ground with soiled panties.

A moment passed and Raven was once again discussing something with his party members. Hilma was finally coming to her senses and thus came a question wandering into her mind.

"W-why..." Looking at Raven's back, she called out to him for an answer. "W-why didn't you hit me?"

"Hmm?" Slowly turning back to face the woman, the mage looked deep into her eyes and answered. "Because I needed at least one of you conscious to answer some questions. What did you think? I was doing a favor because of the way you look or something?"

Although closer to the truth, Raven told a lie. For not only the woman's face was far too beautiful to be punched, but she also reminded him of Rose and the many other older women of his harem. His desire to build the biggest harem had tumbled far down the list of priorities, but even then subconsciously, the mage was held to his humanity by his fascination with the feminine and everything beautiful about it.

"T-thanks..." Hilma replied, her breath just as restless as before.

Looking her up and down, Raven mused to himself for a moment before coming out with some orders for her as well.

"Tie your companions yourself and stay here for now, I'll be back and then you can show us around town." Hoping to use the false heroes as a way to win the people's hearts and shift their faith from Batimos to Atheina, Raven decided to keep the woman by her side, at least until he could find another use for her and her useless party members.