Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 819: Chaos Rides Their Shoulders

Note: No Yuri, No Yaoi don’t worry - You’ll understand once you read the Chapter.

The day after the mayhem at Ditsy’s lab, Eren sat quietly in his room, going over yet another fleet of written complaints by the citizens of Inktaus. His mind was consumed by his failure to pit Ironheart against the heroes and Garcia, but since everyone in the lab was found unconscious, nobody could be put to blame for what happened just yet. Another session of court would be held, but this time, the bard somehow felt like things would not go his way.

’Ditsy has got amnesia, tsk...Garcia was cleared by the goddesses, and she’s still claiming that the heroes had nothing to do with this mess.’ The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. There was no one left to blame, especially since Garcia hadn’t revealed the whole truth about Ditsy and how she was possessed by an alpha horror. ’And I can’t blame the vampiress myself because of my deal with my mistress. This is...beyond frustrating.’

Feeling locked in a pen of his own choices, the minister was left with no choice but to move on from the matter. Ironheart had also felt a change when the alpha horror was dealt with, and ever since then, he was more in line with his senses and no longer suspected Garcia, given the amount of proof proving her innocence.

”There must be a way,” though he wasn’t the one to have caused the problem, Eren wanted to keep dragging this matter for as long as possible. ”Otherwise, we will end up with two people on each side to defend our positions.”

No longer holding control over the elects since the followers of Fortuna and Mesmerazia were now an equal share, he wanted to spew more chaos. Alas, his wishes were too far-fetched. Thus, as the man in his bed–a slender and feminine figure, awoke from his slumber, Eren’s gaze returned to him and eased up quite a bit.

”Where are you going?” He asked.

”Town surveys won’t do themselves,” flashing a brief smile, the feminine figure who was most definitely a man, as would be evident from one look between his legs, walked over to the wardrobe and began changing into formal wear. ”I would love to stay, but a commoner sharing a room with our lady’s chosen? Gosh, the scandals would be devastating. ”

Watching him closely, Eren felt a strange sense of ease take over him. He was calm for once, and that feeling of a chase towards chaos had settled quite a bit.

”But I have to say,” turning around again, the fair man batted his long, pearly lashes. ”Seeing you chasing this thing...It makes me wonder if a man like you can ever know happiness?”

”What do you mean?” Eren asked, squinting his gaze.

”A bird that nests in trees shouldn’t fly too high,” holding his lover’s gaze, the man took a deep breath and heaved a sigh. ”There’s always a larger bird waiting to snack on them. And if you ask me, you’re that bird right now, nesting in trees, trying to compete with a predator.”

”Hmm...” There were a few that Eren listened to, and even fewer whose advice he took to heart. But today, he was already feeling overwhelmed, which made him reconsider his options about this whole mess. ”And what do you suggest I should do?”

”Rest,” walking closer, the man sat in front of him and leaned forward. ”Sometimes it’s best to rest, my love.”

And that was that, the end of Eren’s conviction to continue the drama. Disarmed not by a villain but another than he loved. And as it happens, a beloved of another was also waking up from a villainous slumber. Having slept the longest, Raven’s mind opened back to the world. The first person that he laid eyes on was Arche, who’d been sitting next to him this whole time.

She remembered the hurt that he’d caused him, and yet something had drawn her to stay beside him throughout the night. Staring at her as she stared back at him, the two exchanged brief smiles before the arachnid started talking.

”Last night when your mind was consumed by something...” Reaching out to touch his skin, Arche was shot back with a sudden zap of magic, repelling her from within Raven’s body. ”Hmm...I guess I was right. The man who visited me while I was dying, the same man who gave me another chance at life in that ditch...”

Squinting at her words, Raven picked himself up and sat upright. Smiling at him still, Arche reached towards him once more, and despite getting zapped again and again by a mysterious source of magic, she touched Raven on the side of his face.

”It was you.” Arche’s words hung heavy in the air.

Having just woken up, Raven couldn’t wrap his head around what she even meant.

”Or a version of you, I do not know what exactly. But I know one thing for sure,” leaning closer and closer, Arche for once got to place a kiss directly on Raven’s lips. The shock from the magic tried to repel them, but forcing herself to remain, she kept their lips sealed together. ”You saved me more than once, and I’ll do anything to keep you and everything that you love and adore safe, even if it kills me again.”

”I...I don’t understand,” Raven said while pulling away from Arche.

His eyes lingered on hers, but the monster queens’ gaze remained as it was. Filled with conviction and a love like nothing else.

”I felt it.” Placing a hand on his chest, she tried to kiss him again, but was stopped as Raven moved his head away. Even so, she continued to explain. ”That same presence as in my dream, I felt it inside you. But it was intense that my heart felt like it was splitting, and there was also something else–something in opposition to that very spirit. I think that’s what was causing the conflict.”

”The only thing other than me is a fragment of Nightsilver,” Raven responded, visibly confused.

”No, no...” Shaking her head, Arche pulled her hand away from him. ”I know that part of you knocked us cold once before, but this was nothing like it. It wasn’t someone else, it was you, I swear. I just...I don’t think I can explain it any other way.”

Not knowing what to think, Raven remained quiet for the time being. He had no clue what had happened last night, as everything after their entrance into the lab was a giant blur.

’I should ask Athenia what’s going on.’ He thought to himself, but of course, Athenia herself had her hands full from a problem that she didn’t quite understand.