Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 26: Another Murder In Town

After leaving the minotaur horns at Linkleʼs and being shoved out the front door by the disgruntled witch, Raven was on his way to visit the Enchantedwand. The cold shard given to him by Darius never came in use, and since he had no plans to use hellflame anytime soon, wanted to return it back to him. Besides, heʼd promised to inform him once the minotaurs were all dead.

ʼI wonder if heʼs heard the rumors already?ʼ Raven wondered, hoping that his plans to spread the news would carry his name far and wide.

”Get me out!” Suddenly screaming through the ruby, the Queen now aptly named Mino, tried to get Ravenʼs attention. Although succeeding, she went quiet the moment he glared at her reflection on the rubyʼs surface.

”Shut for now, Iʼll let you out when weʼre on adventures and such,” he explained, his stride towards the Enchatedwand slowing not in the least.

ʼWhatʼs happening? Why canʼt I just resist him?ʼ Thoroughly charmed through her body, Mino could think on her own but her body failed to co-operate, at least not when she was trying to resist Ravenʼs commands. ʼWho knows what wouldʼve happened to me if my mental fortitude wasnʼt so strong...ʼ

Dreading at the very thought, Mino kept hushed so she wouldnʼt piss off Raven more than she already had.

”What the hell?” Stopping in front of his destination, Raven was confused by the closed sign dangling by the door. ”Since when did he start taking holidays?”

For as long as heʼd known Darius, he was a man of punctuality–one that loathed lazing around when work could be done. His passion for his craft went so far that even when he was sick, he kept working until it was time to shut the shopʼs door for the night.

Moving in closer, Raven tried to look in through the windows. And sure enough, the ever hardworking mage was working on his desk. Confused by the whole ordeal, he decided to push the door open and head inside anyway. However, the moment he stepped in, instead of a cheery welcome from a suicidal mission, he was greeted by the sound of sniffling and the sight of shedding tears.

”Darius? What the hell happened to you?” Raven asked, slowly moving forward.

Hearing someone elseʼs voice, the mage was astounded. Jerking away from his desk, he stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him.

”Wh-What are you doing here?” Trying to hide them, he wiped his tears into his shirtʼs sleeves. ”The shopʼs closed for today!”

Taken aback by the shouting, Raven didnʼt know what he should do. Push an already bothered man to figure out what was happening. Or respect his wishes by leaving his property? The answer, after just a momentʼs thought became clear.

Reaching into his pocket, Raven took out the crystal shard–which happened to be proof of Dariusʼ concern for him. After holding it in his hand, how could he leave the man be, especially when it was clear that he needed help with something?

”Here, I came to return this,” tossing the shard back to him, Raven used the time it took Daruis to catch it to get even closer to the counter.

Catching the shard in his hand, Darius looked at it for a moment before shoving it into a drawer. Aggressively slamming his hands on the counter, he lifted his grimacing face back up to Raven

”You gave it back, now leave,” he demanded, but having gotten right in front of him, Raven had no intention of leaving before knowing what was happening.

”You already know I wonʼt leave so easily, why not just cut to the chase and tell me whatʼs the problem?” As frustrating as Ravenʼs presence was to him right now, Darius knew better than to try his luck against a stubborn adventurer.

”Damn it...” With a click of the tongue, he hung his head low.

Looking left and right aimlessly, he let out a heavy sigh with his eyes slowly lifting to what heʼd been staring at before Raven walked in. Reaching for the same parchment, he slid it closer to Raven for him to look through without him having to explain anything. Noticing the gesture, Raven took the parchment off the desk and began carefully looking through it.

ʼArcane?ʼ It was a scroll of profane knowledge, one that directly defiled the goddessʼs teaching. Even so, skimming through the scroll, he read it until the end to understand what was happening. ʼI canʼt make out what it means exactly like most arcane scrolls but...ʼ

Lifting his head to face Darius, Raven looked him in the eye and asked him a question.

”Scroll of resurrection, why?” Unlike how heʼd been until now, Darius responded with clear words.

”My fiance was killed by some murdering psycho, theyʼre holding her funeral soon and I want to get this done before her body begins to rot in that damned coffin,” his answer shocked Raven, although not for long.

”I didnʼt know, Iʼm sorry,” he responded, putting the parchment back down.

”Just forget that,” pulling the chair on the counter back, Darius grabbed the parchment and returned to work. ”And...leave me, please.”

”I will, but before that,” placing his hand on the desk, Raven got Dariusʼ attention again. ”I wanna know what bastard killed her.”

In a moment of weakness, Dariusʼs lips quivered. Even tears welled up in his eyes, but looking down again, he distracted himself with his work.

”Who knows? Apparently, the guards didnʼt see anyone, even though these murders are becoming more and more common,” that was all he had to say, and with that, he picked up the quill and shut his ears to everything around him.

Etching one word after the other, he carved his heart into the scroll–Hoping that one day, possibly the very same, he could decipher what he was missing and complete the most profane acts of blasphemy.

ʼThe goddess revived me, she bent the rule then so can he, and at least his reasoning was far less selfish.ʼ Letting him be, Raven made for the exit. Plotting the murderʼs hunt would come soon enough, before that he has to gather more intel about these murders in general. And what better place than the palace itself, the home of the cityʼs so-called defenders?

”Iʼm waiting for that invite king, bring it soon.” Wishing that the rumors would fly over to the palace soon, he wanted some answer from the king himself, the man responsible for his people whoʼd evidently done nothing about these murders.

ʼAnd if you donʼt have an answer, then perhaps you should know the same hurt of losing those you love, just like Darius has.ʼ Despite having no family of his own, he wasnʼt going to let the loss of Dariusʼs fiance slide so easily.