Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 875: A Queen’s Testimony

With Markus gone and Helga still unconscious, there was still a lot for the party to discuss. More sensitive matters could now be breached without the fear of spreading any more rumors among the general public. Thus, with all scattered and settled inside Raven’s room around Helga’s unconscious body on the bed, the one person who could shed some light on the situation was finally let out of her cage.

A fresh douse from the shrinking potion, and Arche stood still before the court of the hero’s companions. Each had their doubts and questions, but one thought prevailed.

”Can you tell us more about the man who saved you while you were in that pit?” Liliyana asked, trying to draw more proof for her theories about Raven.

Taking a moment to reflect on her past, Arche closed her eyes and folded her many arms. Mino and Maine both stared at her with anticipation as well–both of them had been conversing with the arachnid about the topic, and alas, she was ready to speak.

The queen of spiders spoke of a man draped in darkness–his likeness a shadow of a form which could’ve been tall or short or fit or obese–there was one thing she could’ve made out in itself as whatever surrounded him was like a kaleidoscope of appearances. Each was a different kind, but the one in focus was that of a young man around the same shape and size as the current hero.

Arche even spoke of some women whom she’s seen in those reflections, but the man known as the impartial judge stuck out to her more than anyone else. He spoke to her in faint words that now eluded her, but one thing was clear, and that was the fact that he was there to help. As for his aura, it was not much like Raven or Liliyana, the latter part of which confused the party furthermore.

”What do you mean his aura was like mine?” Standing straight, the devil narrowed her eyes and was drawn forward by curiosity.

Looking at her, the queen heaved a sigh and explained exactly what she meant.

”Your mysterious powers–to me they glow the same hue as the man, and the same goes for Raven’s corruption.” Shifting her attention to the hero, she stretched a hand forward. ”The two of you are cut from the same cloth with only minor differences, if you ask me. Whatever the origin, I can sense a similarity and perhaps...”

Glancing over at Liliyana again, Arche’s eyes fell on the little fairy sitting on her shoulder.

”Will-O can answer more about the devil, at least.” Her lips curved into a smirk as her eyes dug deeper into the fairy’s skin. ”You know something, don’t you? I can hear your heart racing when I mention the girl. What are you hiding, fairy? This isn’t the time to be secretive.”

A moment’s trepidation came apparent on Will-O’s face. Her eyes wandered nervously, and the moment they met her daughter’s, they fell to the floor with a look of uncertainty. Feeling the pressure of all eyes being on her, she knew that there was no escaping. And thus, after a few more seconds of contemplating, she flew off Liliyana’s shoulders with her gaze turned to her daughter and Amedith.

”I...I guess it’s time to tell you the truth.” Swallowing her angst, she shook her head and at last revealed. ”The goddess Athenia made you with a sliver from her own soul, and aiding her with the flesh was the mother fairy Natura and Umbra–the mother of fairies and the elves. Athenia doesn’t know that such was the case, and how I came to be your guardian by mother Natura’s blessing, but thankfully the goddess didn’t pry too much into the matter as it must’ve all worked out in her eyes.”

”U-wh-what...W-Will-O, w-what are you saying? No... what about my past–” In a moment of clarity, Liliyana’s mind ventured into the past. But no matter what she tried, nothing before her capture by the Lamia could she remember.

Despite being just as stunned, Amedith moved closer to Liliyana and grabbed her by the arms. Giving them a comforting squeeze, he hugged her from the side while his gaze turned to their leader. A sharp, knowing look directed at Raven reflected the magus’s mind and the realization that they’d all come together.

If what Will-O said was the truth and if Arche was right as well, then it only made sense that somehow Nerva had made Raven with a sliver of her soul mixed with Nightsilver’s. As for the difference in the race between Liliyana and him, perhaps it was the late hero’s soul or something else entirely that had made him human. After all, if Umbra had helped Nerva as well, then Raven would’ve been an elf or a dark elf; instead, he was part fae and mostly human.

In fact, it was that very separation between Nightsilver and the fae part that convinced the party of what they’d been suspecting. And with their eyes boring in on him, everyone wondered how the chosen of Athenia could also be the son or perhaps even the chosen of Nerva. Had it not been for the existence of the demon lord, the alleged chosen of the goddess of calamity, would that not have made Raven the very fiend that they were meant to be fighting?

Feeling the weight of such questions lying heavy on him, even though nobody had said a word, the hero defended his position with the only thing that made sense in their bizarre situation.

”The demon lord is already born, remember that? We heard it a while ago, and if that was me, I was born more than twenty years ago at this point.” Clicking his tongue, he turned his gaze towards a window. ”The demon generals have retreated to the end of the world to welcome the demon lord, and only after Nerva took Aurora, so obviously the little girl isn’t him or her either.”

Lifting his head with a sour expression, he added.

”Either way, we need to get Aurora back. And I have a feeling that Nerva took her to the end of the world–at least that’s the only place which makes sense to me.”

Whatever the truth was in the end, the party recognized that there were greater problems to solve than unraveling a puzzle whose pieces they obviously lacked. Besides, while there was doubt in the people’s mind about the hero now, nobody–not Liliyana nor Amedith nor any of his girls ever had doubt about his loyalty to them or their cause.

Amongst their ranks, the soldiers, their companions, and some such, there were devils, there were scoundrels, there were monsters and true monsters–so how could they judge a man simply based on the matter of his birth?

Even Athenia was born from the goddess’s womb, who was responsible for their torment, after all.