Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

The Mistress, rarely if ever did she leave her den. Nobody had seen her walking under the sun, and yet today she roamed through the streets under the shade of a pink umbrella, no longer simply a myth but very much a real person. To some, she appeared to be a tourist from Elenaris, something the people of Athenia had gotten used to at this point, but the others who truly knew or at least could sense who she was, kept their distance and even urged the rest to follow their examples.

Upon her arrival at the 'Phordite mansion, she was amused by the extravagant sight. She expected the king to provide a hut to the commoners turned noble, but it seems that she'd misjudged him…again.

'That kid Milo, not half my pain but that doesn't stop him from being a pain up my ass.' The mere thought of him and how he was slowly taking away her business, powers, and influence by weeding out or discouraging the ranking nobles, made her visibly upset but the time to show her temper wasn't yet here, for she'd come to make peace not sow further discourse.

Invited in by the head maid, who obviously recognized the woman by her presence, she was spotted by Tan and Blossom–both of whom went rushing inside to alert the rest of the mansion's inhabitants. Seeking no one's permission, the Mistress walked further into house 'Phordite. She admired the many flowers working away at the shrubbery. Smiling and waving at them, she thought.

'No wonder he stopped coming to my establishment, he has such rosy women working here as servants and maids.' The women of the mansion, each an elegant beauty in their own right, carried within them pride for they knew exactly what kind of man they were serving. A hero, a champion of the people, one who invited the entirety of Athenian commoners to have a meal at his house. What else could a servant ask for, but to serve under the hand of a benevolent master?

But the Mistress knew that even if somehow she were to get such girls to work in her maze, they would wither to the corruption held within those depraved walls.

'Ughh who cares, just keep moving!' Shaking her head, the Mistress pushed the male servant holding her umbrella away from her. His body all withered from being used nonstop by the rather tenacious girls couldn't keep him steady, making him fall on his butt which in turn invited sympathy from the hero's servants.

Only after she was inside the empty hall of mansion 'Phordite, did the Mistress hear the girls behind him rushing to help the living caress of a man. He was but a young adult and yet his body betrayed his age.

"Time to put on the poker face and hope neither Raven nor Asmodia are here," unbothered by the fallen servant, the Mistress made her walk to the meeting hall by simply sensing the presence of the people whom she expected to be there.

At first, she was surprised to sense Helga and even non-combatants like Tanya, Robin and Tia, but then she assumed that simply everyone must've gathered to discuss their plans with no concern for who was actually involved in carrying out Tariyaan's murder.

'I sense the dragon girls too, but…' Walking under the arching stairs, the Mistress glanced upwards. She could sense Helga's daughters as well as a beast of immense power roaming with them upstairs. 'Those girls, it's almost as if their aura is being suppressed. Did Helga do something or was it her half-dragon husband?'

Having shared a lover with the woman in the past, she knew that the Valkyrie couldn't use such magic. If anything, her strength was very much restrained to assaults, evasion, and barbaric tactics with utter disregard for the destruction of her own body.

The thought continued to roam inside of the Mistress's head as she made her way to the room, where she was eventually greeted by everyone standing in their chairs. Lowering her head, she glanced around in the silence at everyone's surprised faces. But then, her attention turned to find an empty chair.

"Do you mind if I sit down and join this discussion?" She asked, smiling.

Being the leader of the charge in this instance, Linkle became the centre of attention. Staring at her from the edge of their eyes, everyone awaited her response, while she herself was left a bit stunned. Gathering her metal with a deep gulp, she gripped her chair tight and gestured for the primordial to pull up a chair and settle down across from her on the table.

"Very well then," walking up to the chair, she sat.

Slowly looking around again, she gestured for the rest of the group to do the same. Everyone did with the exception of Helga, who kept glaring daggers at the demon–already ready to unleash Gungnir on a demon. Noticing that poisonous affection, the Mistress smiled, and although she didn't want to blow the chance of striking a deal she decided to keep up her act.

"Miss me already?" Smirking with her index to her chin, she teased the Valkyrie about their past together with a man. "Want me to mark your back with my name to keep you company?"

"Why are you here…" Betraying her expression, Helga spoke in a quiet yet commanding voice.

It shocked the Mistress right out of her pretence. Her eyes wide, she looked around again but this time her nervous laugh was giving away her anxiety.

"Truee, I too would like to know. Why are we letting a black swan swim with us in the same waters?" Having no idea what the Mistress was beyond her title, the Red Madam pushed the matter further. "A glorified pimp on royal grounds, ughh~ Such a travesty."

Averting gaze with a deep-rooted hatred for the perverse, the Madam–a true artist, couldn't allow for her imagination to be muddied by the Mistress' foul-scented presence. Tanya, Aura, Tia, and Robin–none of them had a clue as to who she truly was either, but only the madam had spoken up. And that helped the rest who knew, gather their courage and finally speak up.

"Just say what you want already," Linkle inquired.

"We are late as it is, don't want to hold everyone up here for no reason," Shamisha added, even though her legs quivered under the table.

Turning her head towards the assumed leader of the group, the Mistress took a deep breath, heaved a sigh, and finally laid out her plan.

"Tariyaan, I heard you're planning to kill him." As soon as she mentioned the name of the devil, Linkle's expression tensed in an instant. Seeing this as an opportunity, the Mistress made her an offer–an offer that would require them to change their strategy altogether, but had a much greater chance of bringing down the tyrant called Tariyaan.

Once her offer was laid bare, there was doubt floating in the air, but when asked what she was getting out of the deal, her answer was simple, and perhaps that's why it convinced everyone without her seeming desperate to get rid of another named devil.

"After my many century-long stay here, I don't want to go back down to the hells. I'm assuming you're not ecstatic to go there either, so just get rid of the nuisance and I'll help." Holding her smirk as she noticed everyone's expression lighten, the Mistress knew that her deception worked, and it had worked well.

'Now I just have to wait for them to do my dirty work, ahaha~' And she wouldn't have to wait for long, as Raven was coming to Athenia the very next day.