Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

His eyebrows raised in suspicion, the mage wondered if it was she was still worried about that lizard latching onto her again, but since she didn't seem like she wanted to talk about it, he let the matter go and instead tangled his fingers with hers.

"If you say so, but let's go to some other shops later too, alright?" He suggested, looking at her with a smile.

Her eyes lit up at the thought, but quickly reeling herself in Aria faked a few coughs and wore a face of indifference–and not a particularly convincing one at that.

"I don't see any harm in it, so why not?" Giving off a nervous laugh, she held the urge to scream like a little girl being hit on by her first-ever crush. Although, with her eyes shut and a massive smile painted on her lips, it wasn't hard to figure out that she was hiding behind a mask of toughness.

Despite her effort to hide her true feeling, being in vain; Raven let her think she was being an exceptional actress. But she had not to pretend for long as the carriage arrived at the blacksmithy sooner than they'd expected. Getting off the carriage and leaving it to wait outside, the duo noticed curious gaze of the bystanders with whom they once shared the lower city.

'Can't be good if someone takes up jealousy because of us getting a royal title…' Though Raven, already feeling the sizzling of many hearts through hushed and groaning whispers.

Having unlocked their arms as she'd gotten out, Aria tried not to let anyone else see them being too close, but in doing she had to turn around at the smithy's door and wait for Raven. Noticing his curious gaze darting all over, she glanced across the squinting faces.

At first, she feared it might've been because she was a dark elf roaming around with the hero by herself, but catching a hint of what they were talking about, she figured it was just jealousy.

"Flaunting their wealth now that they're royalty…" Spat a vicious-looking woman, her hand dragging along her young child. The kid seemed curious about the redwood carriage, but the mother was far too furious to even take a look at him.

"Our taxes paid for these bastard growing up, and now look at them, all high and might!" Growled a disgruntled adventurer, seemingly unfettered about whether he was heard or not.

"Why don't they pay it back then now that they're rich!" The voices continued to grow even though the hero and his lover were about to move.

"And what the hell did you do at the maze, you bastard?! The fucking owner's racking prices for everything! EVEN ESSENTIAL MEDICINE!"

"OH SHUT IT!" Her mood ruined and her anger having taken over, the barbarian moved towards the young man who'd just growled at them both. Seeing her approaching with a raging look in her eyes, his body froze in fear halfway to his attempt to step back. Stumbling on his ass instead, he looked up at the elf as she move closer and closer. "What fucking essential medicine?!

If your dick doesn't work it's not our fucking problem! Go be a fucking cuck like you were meant to–"

As Aria's feet raised from the ground to stomp the man's face in, Raven quickly pulled back with a jolt and stepped forward himself. Staring down at the horrified man still lying on the ground, he offered him a hand and eventually as his fear subsided Raven helped him up to his feet.

To Aria's surprise and the surprise of everyone else, the hero smiled at the man and even patted him on the side of his shoulder. But then as he leaned into his ears, his words turned the man a ghostly pale shade.

"S-sorry! I-I'm s-SORRY!" Without wasting another second, he hastily turned around and rushed his way out of the crowd that had been watching Raven and Aria get out of the carriage.

The other stood there baffled, even perplexed as to what had happened, but then a voice came from within that very crowd that said something not even Raven had expected.

"Crabs in a fucking bucket, one person tries to get out and you wanna drag them back into the pit!" It was the voice of a young man–whom Raven faintly remembered drinking with before their journey had started. Moving through the grow, he amongst many other familiar faces popped out of the crowd and smiled at him like toothy idiots. "Oi! You don't listen to these idiots! They live for the gossip!"

The crowd grew disgruntled at the criticism even though they knew that's exactly what they were doing.

"Yeah! Oh–and don't forget you owe us some drinks! The expensive shit! Ahahaha!" Added another orphan girl turned adventurer, Aria remembered her face more than Raven.

A smile crossed the lover's lips hearing old pals cheering them on. And although there were barely times when they met anymore, those nights at the inn drinking their minds shut together–had formed a bond that couldn't be rattled.

"Fuck it!" Grabbing Aria's hand with his, Raven held them high and enthusiastically announced. "We're leaving for the next corrupted land soon, but before we head out, expect a fucking buffet at that bastard's mansion!"

Hearing the announcement Raven's friends being cheering their hearts out with whistling, a bit of dancing, and a clutter of laugh. However, those who'd been mocking the couple weren't as excited, but they weren't still mad either, instead, they wanted to join in and see what it was like in the upper city, maybe even get a taste of clean water, food, and the luxuries it has to offer.

Yet how could they join in the cheer? After viciously mocking the hero and his companion.

Noticing just that, Raven didn't say it at that time as he wanted their hearts to simmer with sadness–but eventually, when the time comes, he would sent them invites to join him at the mansion with their families.

"We're gonna have a budgeting issue…" Aria heaved, still trying to hide how excited she was deep within.

"OI, YOU RUNTS FECK OFF WITH THIS NOISE!" The celebration outside the smithy was quickly cut short as the owner came out charging with a burning piece of iron in her hands.

"ANYONE STILL WANNA YELL?!" She asked, but nobody even dared to answer.