Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!-Chapter 576: The Inn Forgotten - Part 2

Note: I've been having severe issues with my back, that's why the unusual schedule. I'm sorry about that, will try to keep up with the mentioned schedule from tomorrow.

Not even half a minute had passed since Shamisha blacked out in the Bricks and Cobbles, and so, when she woke up momentarily to see Raven carrying her, she was bewildered beyond reason.

"H-how did you ge…get her..e?" She mumbled.

Seeing how she was barely capable of forming a sentence, the mage ignored her question for now and carried her to Diane's bed instead. Laying her down, he tucked her under the blanket and watched as she fell asleep again. Returning to the bar right after, he pulled himself a seat and sat in front of Lana and the other two of her family members.

"Looks like I teleported here right on time, huh." Grabbing a glass that had belonged to Shamisha moments ago, he took it in his hand and finished the rest of the drink. With a sigh, he placed the glass on the counter and looked at the tall elf again. "Everyone's asleep at home, so I thought I should take the time to visit you guys. Sorry about being away for so long–not really the kind of work where I can hop in and hop out, you know?"

With a sigh, Lana leaned forward and poured Raven another glass. Looking him in the eye, she placed a finger under his chin and lifted his head to look at her. Smiling, the elf tilted her head sideways and said in a whisper.

"Saving the world against the forces of evil, yeah–I imagine that takes precedence over visiting an aging couple." Smiling back, Raven grabbed her by her collar and pulled her in. Pressing her lips onto his, slipped his tongue into her mouth and let the lingering taste of whisper pervade Lana's mouth.

Immune to liquor at this point, however, the only thing the elf could taste was the strong taste of her man. But as her eyes opened, and she noticed a ring on his finger, she squinted her gaze and slowly pulled back.

"Did you get married?!" She screamed, and the other two were drawn in, too.

Pointing at the exquisite ring, the elf stared at it in disbelief. However, as Raven realized what the misunderstanding was, he took the ring out and placed it on the counter. Sliding it towards Lana, he picked up the glass again and began his explanation.

"Not quite, that's just a djinn's ring–she promised that she will grant one wish I have, and since you don't know when you would need something like that in a battle, I always keep that on me."

"Wait…" Chiming in as well, Zoey squinted at Raven's wording. "You said not quite; what does that mean? Did you have to marry her to get this?!"

Bursting into a laugh, Raven waved his hand to let them know that wasn't the case.

"Nono, I just believe that–" Taking a deep breath as a smile took over his lips, Raven looked around at the women's faces, all pushed in his direction with direly serious expressions. "Tia, the princess of Athenia, she and I probably got engaged some time ago. I'm not sure though, ceremonies aren't exactly my thing, so I can't say for sure."

"Engaged?!" The trip jumped to the word as they had no idea about this.

However, before they got even more worked up, Raven decided to assure them that things hadn't gotten too far yet. Explaining from the point where the corrupt nobles had to be shown their place to their recent venture the hells, it took a while–a long while. A bottle of whiskey had whittled, and two more took its place.

A collection of glasses laid before Raven, and finally, as he was finished with his stories, the girls sat there in disbelief. Getting engaged was one thing, but the journey through hell? Just listening to it was enough to make them wanna vomit. Walking through a living, breathing place of flesh? Everything alive screams like a banshee and feeds on human flesh.

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"Remind me never to touch the hell's ocean again…" Diane whispered, her face grimacing at the idea of being inside such a place.

"And it gave you some weird disease, huh? Nobody else has woken up yet?" Lana asked, and Raven confirmed her doubt with a positive shake of his head.

"You mentioned another Automaton; where is she? Is she asleep too?" Zoey asked, just as curious as the other two.

"Surprisingly enough, yes–everyone is sick and sleeping. I have no idea why I woke up so much earlier than them." Speaking about the others made Raven realize just how much of an entanglement they had left to struggle through. The countless jars of souls for Maria, Linkle and the failure of her body's acquisition, not to mention Maine and her mother's death. And sure enough, there were plenty of other troubles even amidst those who hadn't gone to hell.

'The nameless city, Mercedes, those false heroes, Gallaria–who else am I missing?' It was almost like he'd forgotten even the names of people whom he'd known for a long time. The first of them would be Mono, then Grace, and plenty of other folks who'd helped him venture thus far.

"Well, enough about the past." Planting her hands down on the table, Lana drew Raven's attention out of his thoughts. Making him look at her drunken blush, she licked her lips and asked the important question. "Are we making some memories tonight or what?"

The answer, of course, came as a smile.

"Alright then, I'll get the bedroom ready~" Diane muttered to the non-verbal response.

"I'll get us something to eat and drink in the meantime," Zoey added, planning to eat something nice and then cuddle before any of the action.

Left alone for a while as the girls prepared everything, Raven sat on the bar finishing his drink. Something about the last few days had not set right with him, and that is why every time he was left to his thoughts, he had decided to visit someone to occupy his mind.

'Moxy, Choux, Tia, Robin, Hilma, Astra, Jenna, even that guy Felix–who else? Who am I forgetting about?' That feeling of forgetfulness still wouldn't leave him. To prevent harm from coming to his closest aids, he had to remember their names first. 'Darius, Aelin, Athenia, the djinn sisters–Riyanzah and Seraphim.'

But even now, he felt like he was missing someone. Someone important, someone he was supposed to know but hadn't met yet? In the end, however, his struggle with his memory was cut short. The girls came to get him, and the night grew a lot less stressful.