Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 347: The Long Awaited Visit

The lantern-lit streets, the hustle and bustle passing families, and the hearty sounds of children giggling; the streets of Athenia were a charm at night, and with the hint of seasoned meat, freshly made candy, and the sizzling of otherwise unsavory veggies, was unlike anything in from the kingdom of Elenaris.

It was homely, warm, and carried a sense of simplicity, and yet it provided something to Shamisha that sheʼd never felt living in the spire, comfort.

ʼEveryoneʼs…so healthy, how?ʼ Moving through the crowd her hand brushed against the other, and the bounce from their skin reminded her of the cold touch of automatons as well as the animalistic demis. Some pumped oil, the others cold blood, one had no use of riches and the other shower in them at the council. ʼYet these people, what do they have thatʼs making them smile?ʼ

Sure there were parts unsavory, but to the visiting bunny girl, everything was as bright as fireworks. She hadnʼt seen a family walking their children through a bazaar at night in Elenaris, nor had she seen fresh food being prepared in front of her eyes.

Most of her kingdom was filled with criminals, and that may have changed with Mono as queen, but they havenʼt and were only waiting for a chance to go feral once again.

”Is nobody worried about getting robbed?” Unable to help herself, Shamisha stopped the moment the group came out on the other end of the bazaar. Looking back, she almost felt a longing for that cramped space filled with haggling, laughs, and the smell of something delicious every step. ”I wish Elenaris was like this, at least a little bit.”

”Hey! You wanna come or not?” Raven called from far up ahead.

Her words had fallen on deaf ears, but the sight of something warm had set inside her heart. Two kingdoms, two cities, two different forms of upbringing, she wasnʼt sure if she could fault one more than the other, her city or the people themselves, however, that contrast itself reminded her of Monoʼs words that she molded herself instead of letting her surrounding distract what she became.

”Y-yeahhh…Iʼm coming, wait!” Shaking away those thoughts, Shamisha turned around and once again followed Ravenʼs lead towards the succubusʼs maze.

Walking beside Mel, Erika, as well as Amedith and Liliyana, both the bunny girl and Lana were feeling a bit intimidated about visiting this place. After all, Raven had warned them multiple times not to wander even for a second. But wasnʼt this an establishment meant to be explored?

Such were their thoughts, but those questions didnʼt last long as the moment they stepped in through the shimmering beads their eyes laid on an eerily empty dance hall.

”Shit…” Hearing Raven breathe that word, the two knew that this wasnʼt normal and instantly went into a state of alarm. For Lana, it was much easier as sheʼd been an adventurer before, but Shamisha had no choice but to skirt her way into the middle of the group.

”I donʼt suppose theyʼre having a bad week?” Lana jokingly asked, her voice nervously cracking up a bit.

”Nahhh, the maze is almost always full,” Raven responded, his eyes still wandering throughout the room. Using his mana-fused eye, he tried to spy out anyone hiding in the shadows, but no matter where he looked he just couldnʼt find anyone. ”Erika, take Lana and Shamisha out, the rest of us will continue forward.”

Nodding at Raven, Erika closed her eyes and parted bodies with Asmodia. Grabbing the hands of the other two, she left the demon with the party moving forward while taking the visitors out of the establishment.

”I can smell a demon not too far from here,” Asmodia cackled, smiling at the thought of facing another demon for the first time since her imprisonment.

”Get your weapons ready, we donʼt know what kind of tricks she might have planned for us,” conjuring himself a pair of dark dagger in his hands, Raven gestured to Amedith to lead the group behind his holy shield.

Your journey continues on

Holding his shield forward with one hand and holding the sword of light in the other, Amedith cautiously advanced. For a moment his eyes struggled to see through the darkness, no candles had been lit and no lamps were burning with a violet flame, but taking note of that difficulty, Raven shared his vision through his eyes to everyone else.

”Should I summon a wolf pack?” Acting as the second scout after Raven for the limited party, Mel felt her fingers tingling to summon some woodland creature for help.

”Not yet,” however, seeing how narrow some of the passages were, Raven didnʼt wanna block their exit with too many people. ”Asmodia, keep an eye out for any illusions, I doubt the mistress can fool you.”

Floating right behind the group as if she was sitting on a chair, the demoness flashed a smile at the compliments and kept an eye out for any illusions nearby. But to her surprise and the surprise of everyone else, the establishment was as free of people as well as traps. Nobody was there, except for the only person who mattered.

”Mistress…” Looking at her sitting at the edge of the bed, Raven lowered his guard somewhat yet his eyes remained glued to her mask. He hadnʼt seen her without it, much less without those drapes around her bed, but tonight those drapes were shoved to the side, leaving only a mask hiding her true face.

”Get that thing off!” He commanded, and surprisingly enough she did.

Pulling the mask off of her face, she revealed a face painted with the goddessʼ finest brush. Fair as an elf with the seductive look of a succubus, not to mention those painted violet lips like Aria but with a lustrous finish on them. Not to her body–supple and plentiful, a dream of many men, yet only ever touched by the finest of virgins.

”Now then, shall we begin this interrogation?” Leaning forward on her knees, the Mistress flashes even more of her cleavage than was already apparent. Then with a smirk befitting a devil, she swirled a finger in the air and pulled a chair underneath all of them. ”Settle down, I know this is about to be a long night.”

”Not if I donʼt like your answers,” holding firm on his weapon, the mage was still ready to slit her throat if her answers were not satisfactory.

”So…start talking.” He ordered and the Mistress flashed yet another smile.