Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 662: My Star-Sprangled Child

I was the third child of a monarch. In other words, a mule. Every misfortune, every burden, every mistake–even that of others was my burden to carry; and I had to carry them with great shame. My father, a great man who marched under the Everstar’s banner, was far from lenient, but to me, he was cruel. And that cruelty came in the form of lashings.

What should’ve been the punishment for my brothers quickly turned into my father’s resentment towards me. As to harm his first and the second was beyond questioning, they could carry his name and continue his legacy. But I? A mere footstool for them to step on, nothing more and nothing less.

Still, there was light in that darkness–the Everstar’s radiant blessing. I was blessed by the goddess of the stars, the soulkeeper, and the Everstar. Then how could I give up? Succumb to despair and accept defeat? When she has branded me her chosen? When she had cast her radiant light on my lacerated body?

And so I rode a radiant tri-headed dragon. I marched with it into war alongside my brothers and my family. Their blades and armor were sundered by the flames of steel dragons, but with the blessing of my goddess, I continued to march against that blazing army. My greatsword crafted from the scales of these foul beasts, I slashed their heads from their bodies while their flames roasted my skin from within my steel.

A dragon–the sworn enemy of the giants, they took my family in a war that went on for numerous centuries. But in their hubris and oh-so-wisen ways, they forgot that I had something that they didn’t. Faith...and faith draws even the disheartened from their graves so that they may continue on fighting.

Like rain cast from the skies, the Everstar blessed me with countless that arrived to my aid. They possessed the very vessel of the dead enemies, and through them they marched with me as steel dragons fighting against their own kind. For a hundred years, I prayed, I slaughtered, I sacrificed in her name, but the clan persisted despite countless many deserting Elenaris and even the cities beyond the darkened seas.

What came of the slaughter in the end? The dragons were still out there, just hiding. Then what was it that I gained? It took me years to answer that question, and it did not come with a cry, but instead it came with silence. One morning, when I woke up in my bed inside the dark castle with my many children lying on my chest like scattered pebbles, I finally realized what I had gained.

No more cries of dragons, no more devastation by flames, no more snatching of innocent children, but most important of them all, a time of peace for me, my people and my family.

Amelia, Nessa, Aurora, and Zeil, I would’ve fought for them another five hundred years if it meant they could continue to sleep peacefully. Now, would I survive such an ask? With squeaking knees and an ageing body, probably not, and that’s why I asked her for an army of steel...

”Master? My lady?” Feeling a light poke on her cheeks, Elenaria pulled herself out of her own head. Blinking a few times to focus her eyes, she noticed Cassiopea fluttering right in front of her face with her head tilted to the side. ”Are you okay, my lady? Should I bring you some of those sugarplums I brought from the Harbinger’s domain?”

”Hmm? You stole something from her?” Elena asked, furrowing her brows.

”What?! NO!” Jumping in mid-air, the dainty fairy frantically moved her hand in front of her chest. ”S-she gave them to me! As presents! Obviously!”

Placing her hands firmly on her hips, Casseopea puffed her cheeks and bobbed left and right. Anger was reflected in her gaze; the fairy was offended by such a baseless accusation. How could the goddess blame her?!

”Haaa...Fine, fine. Save those plums for yourself, I was just reflecting on the past, that’s all.”

The past was often a sensitive topic for most celestials, and Elenaria was no different. Being her familiar, even Casseopea knew that whatever had pulled her lady into such a trance must’ve been quite serious.

”Were you by any chance...” Dropping her expression, the fairy flew closer to the goddess’s face. Hesitant and somewhat afraid, her body fidgeted for a few seconds before she spoke while being eyed by Elena. ”Thinking about Sir Victor?”

Without a word, Elenaria gently pushed Casseopea away. Crossing her legs and leaning on the opposite armrest to the fairy, the goddess tried not to look at her. Her mind was still racing with the memories of her greatest chosen, Victor Dex Delhusk. A fine warrior and a greater king than any.

”Of course he wasn’t without his own flaws, but...” Speaking to herself without realizing it, Elena glanced sideways at Casseopea. ”Go bring me that plum, would you?”

Blinking at her command, Casseopea stared at Elena for a few seconds before shaking herself out of the trance. Bobbing her entire body up and down, she turned into a cloud of glittered pink smoke before her existence disappeared entirely for a while.

Finally left alone, Elenaria looked at her pale yet dark hand and conjured a mirror to glance at her own reflection. A darkness darker than dark with the sea of stars held within, she wasn’t a mere goddess but a force of nature itself. Without her, there would be no starry night in the sky, and without her, there would be no reincarnation for innocent souls that deserved a second chance at life.

’Victor, my star-sprangled child...I bid you happiness now that you’d be far from my sight.’ And so, after holding onto his soul for what felt like an eternity, Elenaria finally let go of the greatest giant that ever lived. ’Heaven awaits you. Say hi to Nessa from me. Out of all your children, she deserves to live with you in the afterlife.’

Reunited at last, the king of crows–Victor Dex Dellhusk could finally embrace his daughter once more.

”My lady...”

”Hmm?”

”I brought the plum!”

With a smile, Elena said to the fairy.

”Send it to heaven’s gate. A sweet-toothed girl might need it more than I.”