Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!
Chapter 699 - 699: Visiting The Dragoness - Part 1

With the clone of Mono–aptly given a new name–The Twin, in his tow, Raven left the dark castle for Lantherem to finish some last-minute preparations. The rest of the party returned home with their trust in their leader firm and to fulfil the duties that they had left. Rations, armor, shield, arrows and every manner of potions and elixirs needed to be procured. Thankfully, Athenia had provided the holy order with most of their equipment with some help from the mortals, but the rest still required some work, and with only a few days left before their promised return to Eclanor, splitting responsibilities was the only way to fulfil them all.

"What exactly are we doing here?" Unable to help her curiosity, the Twin grabbed Raven by his shoulder. As the warlord turned around, however, his piercing eyes and the memories of him so easily destroying her army froze the twin right on the spot.

"Visiting a friend that's gonna help us get our hands on what we need." Even though he wasn't trying to be intimidating, his presence alone made the hand quickly retreat. "Her name's Mercedes, we need her and then we're gonna visit a dragoness–and lastly, she's gonna help us get in and out of a vault."

"Wh-what vault?" She stammered, struck by his words.

Her mind mostly clung to the mention of a dragoness as well as the vault, but what troubled her even more was why in the hells was he bringing her everywhere with him. Even the blind could've seen that she was a liability in case her life was threatened, and yet for some reason, the hero had decided to take her everywhere with him.

"Long story, and after the trouble we've dragged us through, at least shut up and do as I say for a few days." Having been given no reason to show her leniency, Raven pushed her button one last time before he continued walking through the cobble paths of Lantherem.

Making his way through the streets that were surrounded by rice fields, he could hear the Twin walking behind him. Hesitant for sure, but she was following his orders all the same, and that's exactly why he was testing her fealty towards their deal.

"That statue…" His attention, however, shifted to the statue of the angel that had helped him long ago. Radiant even in stone form, she held her sword firm and her eyes appeared to somehow follow him. "I never said thank you. Maybe once you're out of that hard shell."

And with that, he continued his march until eventually he stumbled into the inn that was once destroyed by Choux. Now restored to its former glory, it stood tall and proud as a hub for travelers and the occasional pirates taking refuge from the harsh sea. Owned by Mercedes and run by her employees, the establishment was Raven's best bet to find the woman who often preferred to be left alone if there were no deliveries to be made.

"Welcome~" Invited in by a cat girl dressed modestly, the duo walked right in.

For a moment, Raven couldn't help but reflect on the irony that the establishment once used to be owned by a cat girl and now one of her race was but a welcoming doorwoman. Brushing that thought away as quickly as he had thought of it, however, the warlord looked around the packed space and instantly noticed the freckled red head wasted on a table stacked with empty booze bottles of booze.

"There she is, that woman…" Raising an eyebrow at the way Raven mentioned her, The Twin wondered what kind of person Mercedes was. Of course, she had no way of knowing the cost her greed had exacted in the past. Not to mention making a demon her patron wasn't exactly something anyone was fond of. "Just follow me and don't talk to her."

Walking over to the woman, Raven pulled himself a chair in front of her. Resting his hands on the table, he tapped his fingers along the edge. The drumming echoed in Mercedes's head, but despite that, she wouldn't lift herself off the table. Instead, swatting the bottles away with her hands, she tried to slap the hand of the person sitting on the other side.

"Cu-CUT IT OUT!" Red-eyed and visibly drunk, she finally turned her head to the front. "R-Raven?! Wh-what…What are you doing here? AH-ahaha…"

Fumbling with herself, she picked herself up and sat upright. Folding her hands neatly by her knees, she let out a nervous chuckle while her eyes remained locked with his.

"I need you to jump into the vault again," Raven ordered, blankly.

"Um…what did you say?" The merchant's heart raced at his words; her breaths grew rampant as well. "Y-you don't mean that same vault from last time, do you? The one that cursed me for a year and nearly killed me?"

Wearing a fake smile, she tried to hide her frustration. But as Raven refused to budge, Mercedes stifled an outburst and instead let out a stammering laugh.

"And–uhhh…." Looking at the woman standing beside him, the merchant waved. "Who's the fine lady here? A sister to the queen? She looked like her."

"You can say that." The cryptic response filled the air with an awkward silence. The weight of responsibility weighed on the merchant, and no matter how much she tried to slime her way out of it, there was no way for her to escape. And even the Twin managed to pick that up from the conversation between her and Raven.

Getting off his chair, Raven grabbed Mercedes by the hand and pulled her up on her feet. The drunken merchant stumbled for a bit, even covering her mouth as nausea took hold of her body, and before she could keep herself afloat by herself, Raven turned to the Twin and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Time to leave. We don't have much time." In the blink of an eye, the trio teleported away–leaving behind a stream of blue light that nearly blinded all the customers.

Coming out on the other end, however, Raven couldn't care about anyone else. Sitting in front of him in that same rustic chair was the dragoness, tipping her top hat at him, and awaiting what followed his unexpected visits.

"I wonder what cursed treasure you'll get out of that vault this time~" With a chuckle, she gestured to the trio to turn around and cast their gaze at the vault of a thousand curses.