Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!-Chapter 607: Elana’s Return

For a year, Elana–the queen of the sunken island Elanavia had spent her time wandering through lush lash lands throughout Atlaris. She'd seen many new cities, many different terrains, even beasts and monsters. However, the creatures of flesh could barely sense her presence. And even when they did, her long, lamian tail, her cat-like eyes, along with her many shapes and appearances, often sent them running.

Freedom, she'd always dreamt of it, and even if she were to go back and join her sisters, unlike them, her body was incapable of feeling any warmth from anyone. Unlike the spirits that could manifest in the flesh, her body was like a mist that slips through the fingers like sand. And while she could touch others, anyone who wasn't her family or shared a spirit ancestry couldn't lay a finger on her.

But as he halted the flow of sand through the oceanic desert, the prince reached forward with his hand and shook her hand. No sand–or rather, her fingers slipped through him, and to her surprise, the god wanted to marry him.

"Wh-what?!"

"You heard me right. I wish for us to stay together for the rest of our lives…" Although Elana's appearance was peculiar no matter the form, the god was in love and nothing would keep him from making her his own. "No other man can touch you, no other man can love you as I can, no other man can see through that smile and notice the pain you carry behind that facade."

Elana's eyes quivered at his words; she felt heard without having to speak, and the warmth of his hand further melted her heart. Yet with a shake of her head, she pulled her hand away and took a step back.

"I…I have no true form–a bastard of magic and tainted flesh, that's what I am–"

"And I'm a god fallen from the heavens with nobody to praise my name," moving closer, he pulled her hand towards him again. The others watched in silence, especially the girls, since their own hearts fluttered as if they were watching a romance play. "My powers are faint, my influence none. I'm an outcast just as you are, but if I can be with you, then I wouldn't change this life for anything else."

"Uhm…" Looking around, Elana's eyes landed on the girls, but upon noticing their thrilled expressions, she turned to Raven instead. "I-is this really what you want your wish to be? For me to be with him?"

"The decision is up to you, Elana." Shaking his head, Raven took a step back to reflect that the weight of the decision lies entirely on the Djinn. "Your sisters are a handful already, and I never had any interest in having you join the ranks of my girls. So if that's what you're concerned about, there's no reason to be."

Elana's lips parted to speak for a moment, but after everything that she's been through, the Djinn had finally realized that freedom was its own kind of prison. Turning back to face the prince, she stared at him for a while and pondered.

'What am I supposed to do? Decline and return to being a nomad, or be with him?' The answer, while at a glance seemed clear, to love a man after just one meeting was far from ideal in Elana's head. And so, taking a deep breath, she replied.

"How about we try and stay together for a while? D-dating, that's what they call it, right? Why don't we try that first?" Flashing an awkward smile, she wasn't entirely against the idea, but also not sure if it was the best thing she could do for herself.

"As you say~" The prince replied, conjuring a lyre instead of a harp this time.

His fingers fiddled with the strings for a few seconds, but then, taking a step back, he began playing a gentle melody. At first, that was that it was–an expression of love through the song, but then came the fireflies. Dancing in the air, they slowly made their way towards Elana and sat on her crown to create a glowing tiara.

Realizing what they were doing, Elana gasped, and the other girls barely held the urge to scream. Keeping their hands clinging onto Raven's side, they watched as Elana's eyes numbed a little. After a whole year of being ignored or run from, being treated like a princess–or the queen that she was, almost made her cry.

However, washing the tears away, she turned to the party and, while looking at the ring on Raven's finger, she asked.

"Your wish? What about it?"

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"Keep an eye on the god and don't let him manipulate you in any way, and if he so much as tries, report to me that instant." Elana was shocked to hear him answer without even thinking for a moment. But then, looking around at everyone, she realized…

'They've grown, he's no longer the same person–at least not entirely.' The aloof yet reliable mage, he'd turned into a tactical mind, thinking of advantage even when others might consider his action to be distasteful.

"Now that we're done here, you two are coming back to camp, then I have to visit someone else," Raven told the duo.

"Wait, I still have something to tell you." Quickly stopped by the prince, he raised an eyebrow and stared at him.

"What?"

"About what lies ahead, the land, the people and a true demon general," taking a brief pause with one hand resting on his chest, the prince added further. "Not to mention, a cruel god and their servants of suffering."

'Fuck…' Just hearing what he had to say was enough to give Raven a headache. The current time was meant to be spent checking up on everyone and letting the soldiers rest, but if there were gods and a true demon general waiting for him beyond the desert, then there was much that needed to be done before moving so much as an inch beyond the desert.

"Fine! But save it for when I come back, for now we're heading back!" Barking out that order, the warlord led the party towards camp again. And just as he'd arrived on the oasis, his mind kept racing anxiously, for there were still plenty of things left to be done.

'Mono comes first and then the others, we'll deal with the rest of the mess later.' Making a mental note, he rode the corrupted werewolf, hoping that at least his soldiers would be able to get some rest even if he had to rush about everywhere.