Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Locking the Inn-room door, Aria quickly moved a drawer in front of it. Barricading herself inside, she didn't want anyone to get in, especially Helga in case she'd already noticed that the book was gone and came looking for it at the Boartooth.

'Not like that small drawer will keep her out but it's better than nothing.' Aria thought, tossing the glowing red potion on the side of the bed before quickly unwrapping the cloth around the book. Revealed underneath the dusty cloth was a hardbound cover of dark metal.

Decorated with engravings resembling skeletons, monsters, and even some angels around the top, the book had plenty of grooves that ran up and down.

However, what drew Aria's attention the most was a skull–much larger than the rest of the engraving at the very center of the book cover. Pulling everything up with its design gave the illusion of trying to escape the iron hardbound.

"What in the hells?" Aria heaved, her hand feeling up every groove on the cover.

Barely feeling anything because of the gauntlet stuck in her hands, she shook her head and turned to the lock on the side of the book. Preventing it from being opened, the lock had no slot for a key, instead, it was engraved with a few words that spelled…

"Offer your blood to Murdok and know his gospel?" Though the language was archaic, it was written in the same language as the 'Tomb of divine grace', the holy book of Athenia which contained Aphordite's commandments and gospels.

'Am I supposed to give it blood?' Turning the book back to the front, Aria noticed a small hole inside the skull's mouth. It seemed to run directly into the book's pages, and since the pages were already painted red from the sides, she figured out what had to be done. 'Why does Helga even have this? Is it a grimoire?'

Pricking the side of her arm with the gauntlet's razor tips, Aria scooped up some blood on her finger and drained it into the skull mouth. Flooding down the hole inside, the eyes on the skull began to glow bright crimson. And the next thing Aria knew, the lock popped open. The glowing eyes didn't last long either, and with it all settled, the elf picked up the book to read its contents.

But to nobody's surprise, the insides of the book were far more difficult to decipher. Although the more she attempted to read the better her understanding grew. Was it an effect of the blood sacrifice or just conditioning? Aria didn't know and neither cared to find out.

Instead, reading through the first few paragraphs, she realized that it was a holy book for some ancient god called Murdock. However, no matter how much she tried, the name didn't seem to ring any bells.

'The god of death?' Reading through the god's title, she found herself questioning why she'd never heard of other gods and their titles? Athenia was said to be secluded from the rest of the world, but even so, why have they not even heard of someone entitled the god of death? 'That fraud goddess probably hid it from us, from everyone…Maybe?'

Unsure which was the case, Aria continued to read. Despite the peculiar understanding of the text, she could still only make out bits and pieces. Some referred to a god–his body made of death's essence. Bloody swords would stick out of his ribcage, and his four-bone arms would pull them out as he rode on a bicorn with both of them clad in dark armor.

His swords were the bane of legions and his cackling laughs were the nightmares of those unfortunate enough to survive his assault. Unfortunate, for they knew, that when the time comes for them to be on their death beds, he would be right beside them, watching them dying with a smile on his face.

Then why? Why would anyone praise him as a god when the only thing he did was cause menace all over the world? The reason was simple, for in times of war, the god of death stands as a judge–making decisions over every life in the war theater.

'A god who can just kill any mortal that he wants…' The thought sent chilling shivers down Aria's spine. 'Should I even be reading this?'

Closing the book, she decided to put it down at least for now. She needed time to process what she'd read and how to interpret it. After all, unlike Aphrodite the goddess of bounty, the god of death did not give all that you desire, but strips you of everything you have along with your life.

Your hopes will be trampled, your dreams shattered in the face of his silver skull, and for someone who'd only known a giving goddess, the very concept struck fear down to her very soul.

"Damn…Maybe I shouldn't have read it?" Wondering whether or not to return the book, Aria quickly covered it with the cloth again. Placing it on the only side table left, she then turned her attention to the devil's potion glowing in the corner of her bed.

'Any wish, huh?' Looking down at her hand, she couldn't help but wonder whether it was worth it to use it to get rid of the gauntlets. For all she knew, they could be a better opportunity to use that thing, although carrying it into battle was also out of option since it could easily break. 'The moment I use it a devil will get someone's soul…I don't know if I want that on my conscience either.'

Reminded of Helga's explanation and the fact that the people were forced to submit their souls in turn for a quick painless death only made matters worse. Grabbing the bottle out of the counter, she slipped it into the bag along with the book of Unholy Grace.

"I can't return the book to Helga, she'd be fucking pisses and I can't just leave it lying around in her house either, what if one of her daughters finds it?" Finally deciding to keep it with her for now, Aria laid down on the bed and tried to speed up time by sleeping.

Although the moans of Brenna and Aerin leaking from another room of the Boartooth, proved her attempts to sleep to be quite difficult.