Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 1001: Lutheria - City of Repentance - Part 1

You may pull the wool over a god’s eyes once, maybe even twice, but the third time was the charm–just not in your favor. Despite being the worst city within the empire of Hamleth, Lutheria was well watched by the god of law. So much so that a momentary lapse in Athenia’s attention while she was focused on Erika’s spellcasting instead led to the reveal of the elves as they were neck-deep in the dungeoned city of Lutheria.

A shell of a city with a military outpost at its heart, Lutheria was like a turtle with a maze within the interior of its shell. A city meant to house the most vehement of criminals. Its interior is closely monitored by the guards, and with just a pull of a lever, the underground dungeon could close its walls or shut off a path. As if the maze wasn’t enough, even if one were to find an opening either to the inner military base that was above ground or to the outside world, the guards could simply shut off the doors and keep the criminals forever trapped.

However, this time around their target wasn’t the criminals, but rather the two elves who’d found their way inside their dungeon city. Nobody knew how they got in or what they were attempting to do, yet Hamelth’s decree had to be followed without question and in secrecy. No man nor woman outside Lutheria could know that some stragglers managed to pierce the infallible defenses of the dungeoned city. With no goods nor services other than jailing prisoners, Lutheria would fall, and the city would crumble upon itself.

To compensate for the locals’ lack of urgency as well as their secrecy, however, Hamleth in his rage, summoned his chosen from all over the lands and placed them right in the middle of the chaos. Instructed only to hunt the two elves, their objective was sheer vengeance against the hero by slaughtering not one but two of his beloved. Raven himself could not be harmed, but Aria and Mel? They weren’t as important–not to the council gods.

”Another dead end?” At the end of her wits, Mel was growing tired of being chased in the dark by elusive followers of another god. Knocking, or rather punching, the thick wall that had just closed up as they’d turned around the corner, the elf grunted angrily to herself. ”Steel dragon hide? How the fuck did they get enough material to make this damned place?!”

”Stop yelling,” Aria warned, nudging her sister by the elbow.

Walking up to the wall herself, she placed an ear against the thick lever door. Barely another sound made it through the obtuse length of the wall, but there was one faint note of something familiar on the other end.

”Food...rations more likely,” she said, glancing up at Mel with a smile.

”That means we’re here, the damned barracks. Finally!”

”SHSSHHH!”

”Oh–yeah...” Covering her mouth, Mel lifted her gaze to the door. With the stretch of her hand, she attempted to grow a tree underneath the door to lift it, but nothing happened at all. ”The ground isn’t soil. No wonder they call it the turtle city, just a giant fucking shell.”

”Alright, let me handle this.” Taking a step back, Aria wound her shoulders to warm up. Staring intently at the door, she had only just taken the first step when something grabbed her from the floor. ”AGHH! WHAT THE FUCK?!”

Falling forward, she quickly glanced down at her feet while Mel grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her sister back. As the two stared at the shadow underneath, a pair of arms crawled out of the shade and formed into a whole man. A wide grin and a familiar aura surrounded the young ginger-haired man.

”Dark mage,” Mel informed, slapping Aria’s arm with the back of her hand.

”Fuck me, no magic then.”

”They’re only resistant to it, not immune, but yeah, I’m relying on you for this one.”

”And what are you gonna do?”

Without saying a word, Mel equipped her bow and drew out a flaming arrow. Shooting it towards the youngster, she drew another bow even before the man had leaned away from the trajectory of the arrow.

”Is that all you got?” He smirked, but none of the girls were focused on his arrogance.

Instead, glancing past him, the two had a group of men and women pinned in their gaze. The flaming arrow had struck an armored man in armor made of matte dark shadows. His surroundings were lit up by the flaming arrow, allowing the girls to take in the number of their enemies.

”Is every one of you a chosen?” Taking a step forward, Aria buckled her gauntlets around her wrists. Lowering her body to her feet, the dark elf stood her ground with her hands facing the young dark mage instead of the others behind him.

”HEY! I’M STILL HERE!” He complained, but nobody listened.

Crushing the arrow, the man retreated back into the darkness, and so did his companions. Yet his presence remained, stirring within the dark alongside the numerous others. Frustrated and red, the youngster devoured the remaining light around him with a true-lamia scale earring.

”He’s really trying to be Raven, isn’t he?” Mel winced, having noticed the earring and the imitated likeness of his aura to her future husband.

”Say that when I’ve taken his place soon enough!” Screaming in utter darkness, the youth scrambled and echoed the sound of his voice inside the dungeonous prison. Unable to see, the girls relied completely on their hearing, but the countless other feet moving around in front of them made them wish they weren’t so cornered against a wall.

However, there was one advantage the elves had that none of their enemies were aware of. Reaching inside her pocket, Mel took out the monster-holding jewel. Only three girls were within it, as well as a man, but he was currently of no use; even from the girls, only two of them could help them, and that’s exactly what the fair elf had planned.

”Alright, you two, it’s time to burn and drown some assholes!” Placing her hand over the jewel, she let them both out.