Hero's Party

After finishing his after-sex exercises, Alek invited Savva to accompany him on a late afternoon stroll. The Demon Continent may be one of the most desolate regions in the world, but its night sky was beautiful to the point of leaving people feeling speechless and introspective.

Though she was native to a village where the Mana was nearly as dense as the Demon Continent, Savva agreed to Alek's request with a smile. He might leave her feeling dissatisfied in the bedroom, but she had vowed to follow and support him after receiving a prophecy from the God her tribe worshipped. It showed her a vision of a great cataclysm that threatened to annihilate a large part of the Asura Kingdom, plunging the entire world into disarray. The only way they could stop it was by defeating Paul Notos Greyrat before he could seize power.

Fortunately for Savva, Alek happened to be 'residing' within their village since the time of her great grandparents. Many within their tribe believed him to be a fool, but knowing Alek had invested seventy years of his life to keep them safe, Savva, as the daughter of the village Chief, couldn't help respecting and admiring him. At the very least, he took her seriously when she informed him about the prophecy she had received...

Walking along with Alek, Savva couldn't help staring at his profile with a wide-eyed, ostensibly captivated look on her face. He appeared no older than the other boys around her age, but his temperament and the aura of confidence he exuded were in a league of their own. She wasn't the only one who noticed it either. Whereas most newcomers to Wind Port would find it difficult to find their footing, even the most demonic and terrifying individuals gave Alek a very, very wide berth.

Noticing Savva staring at him, Alek returned a friendly smile and asked, "What is it? Did you want to hold hands or something...?"

Though he preferred to keep his hands free at all times, Alex decided to make an exception for Savva, extending his left, non-dominant hand for her to grasp. She was his first girlfriend in more than eighty years, so he didn't mind lowering his guard a bit to make her happy.

Returning a smile of her own, Savva was about to accept Alek's hand when a familiar voice interrupted them, asking, "Oh? Am I interrupting your lovey-dovey couple time...?"

Following the question, a man with short brown hair, large ears, and a distinct, monkey-like nose emerged from a nearby alleyway, a teasing smile on his face as he added, "It's good to be young."

As he had already sensed the man's presence, Alek raised the hand he was offering to Savva, replying, "I see you're still sneaking around, eh, Geese?"

Shrugging his shoulders, the monkey-like man, Geese, replied, "It's easy when everyone's paying attention to the Hero and his follower. Come on; the others are already waiting."

Though he nodded his head in affirmation, Alek said, "We'll be there in a few minutes. I want to walk around for a bit with Savva."

Throwing his hands up in mock helplessness, Geese replied, "Have it your way. Just don't pin the blame on me if Elinalise wanders off before you arrive. With such a wide variety of men available, that woman can't sit still for more than a few minutes without disappearing somewhere."

Understanding the truth contained within Geese's words, Alek's brows briefly furrowed until Savva touched his arm and softly assured him, "It's okay, Alek. Once we've completed our mission, we'll have plenty of time to spend together..."

Regaining his smile, Alek replied, "You're right." before grabbing Savva's hand and adding, "Once this is over and done with, let's return to your village and start a family together. I still have twenty-nine years to slay the behemoth. That's plenty of time to raise a child or two."

Not expecting Alek to basically propose to her, Savva found herself at a loss for words. She was happy, but she also knew that Alex descended from the Immortal Demons. In thirty years, she would be old and nearing the end of her life. Inversely, his appearance probably wouldn't change in the slightest...

Interpreting Savva's silence as her being overwhelmed with surprise and inexpressible glee, Alek exhaled a chuckle and caressed her face, saying, "Don't worry. When your father hears about our accomplishments, there's no way he'll be able to refuse our marriage. You have my word."

Blinking back to awareness, a somewhat wry smile developed across Savva's face as she placed her hand overtop Alek's. Others would jump at the opportunity to have a Hero as a husband, so, even though she felt like it was only a matter of time before Alek got tired of her, she replied, "It's a promise..."

Narrowing his eyes, Alek began to draw his face closer to Savva's until a loud clapping sound interrupted them, accompanied by Geese shouting, "Bravo! Congratulations, you two! To celebrate, let tonight's drinks be on me! Gishishishishi~!"

Though he was a little annoyed by Geese's constant disruptions, Alek maintained his smile as he replied, "I'll hold you to it." Then, with Savva's hand in his own, the trio made their way to the nearby bar where the rest of their Party was waiting...

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"Mou...if those three don't arrive soon, I'm going to leave..."

Standing at 178cm tall and possessing locks of golden hair forming drills that extended past her shapely bottom, Elinalise Dragonroad was a sight to behold. Her modest chest left certain groups feeling disappointed, but the moment she got them alone, even the most fervent breast lover would be singing her praises.

Though he heard his Party member's complaint, the stout and burly Dwarf accompanying her largely ignored her. Instead, he winked at a man nearly twice his size on the opposite side of the bar, smirking when the muscular man visibly trembled.

Following her stout companion's gaze, Elinalise's eyes sparkled as she teased, "Boohoo, it appears you'll be spending another evening drinking alone..."

Snorting through his nose, the burly Dwarf finally turned to Elinalise and replied, "Shove it, you long-eared hag. Once I get a few beers in 'im, he's bound to become more honest with himself."

Instead of taking offense to being called a hag, Elinalise chuckled before crossing her arms and leaning against the table as she asked, "How about we place a bet? If you can convince him to accompany you to your room without getting him blackout drunk, I'll foot the bill for all the alcohol you consume during our stay in the Demon Continent."

Though the grade and quality of the Demon Continent's alcohol left a lot to be desired, there wasn't a Dwarf alive who could resist the temptation of free drinks. Thus, after a very brief moment of consideration, the stout, full-bearded fellow replied, "I accept your challenge." before hopping off his stool and strolling confidently toward his quarry.

As money wasn't a concern for her, Elinalise watched her markedly more diminutive companion with an intrigued smile on her face. They had been traveling together since the Begarrit Continent, and, though it was pretty rare for Dwarves and Elves to get along, they were an exception thanks to their shared 'interests.'

Seeing the Dwarf who had been 'glaring' at him approach, the burly half-demon and his friends promptly stood up, asking, "What's your problem, man? Can't you see we're trying to enjoy our drinks? Piss off...!"

Causing the group of men to tense, the Dwarf reached into his pocket to retrieve a rather sizeable coin purse, declaring, "The name's Tallhand. I'm an A-Rank Adventurer who came to the Demon Continent to experience the sights, sounds, and culture. I've taken a liking to you and your friends. How about the three of you join me in my room later?"

Though they were going to refuse immediately, the trio's eyes widened when Tallhand threw the coin purse onto the table, its contents spilling out to reveal several Asura Gold and Silver.

Hearing Tallhand's proposition, Elinalise slammed the table as she rose to her feet and shouted, "You rock-headed stone fondler! That's foul play...!"

Without batting an eye, Tallhand gestured toward Elinalise with his thumb, adding, "Once I'm finished with you, you can have the tree-hugging harpy console you. Don't let her Noble appearance fool you. Even Succubi can't compete with her in terms of experience."

"You...!"

Though she intended to seduce the trio when Tallhand inevitably failed, Elinalise didn't enjoy being used as leverage to win a bet against herself. She knew Tallhand was shameless, but this was taking things a little too far.

Before the trio of Demons could choose between their dignity and some easy money, the tavern door was kicked open by Geese, shouting, "Order up, everyone! Drinks are on my tonight! We're celebrating the engagement of the North God and his future bride...!"

Hearing Geese shout out 'North God,' the eyes of everyone in the tavern shifted to the entrance, zeroing in on the young couple that had entered behind him. Very few people had met Alek, mainly due to the fact he had spent the last seventy years idling atop a hill, but everyone recognized his black hair, blood-red eyes, and, most notably, the enormous sword on his back.

Though the promise of free drinks was ordinarily enough to draw a crowd and countless cheers, those closest to the exit began to file out as Geese, Alek, and Savva made their way further inside. Even the trio that had been considering Tallhand's proposition made a pretty swift exit, as, even at the lower ranks, North God practitioners invited trouble everywhere they went. Only the brave, foolish, and outright suicidal would dare to accept the generosity of a North God...

As he was pretty used to people running away once they learned of his identity, Alek maintained his usual smile as he joined Elinalise at the bar. The latter was a more than a little annoyed that Alek had scared off all of her prey, but she still managed a smile as there was at least one person even more annoyed.

With an expression that looked like he had swallowed a bug, Tallhand joined the group at the table, groaning, "Wipe that smug look off your face, woman. We both know I was about to win our bet."

Reacting before Elinalise could respond with a teasing remark, Alek's expression revealed his interest as he asked, "Oh? Did the two of you make a bet? What did you wager...?"

Though their nightlife wasn't exactly a secret from Alek, both Elinalise and Tallhand averted their eyes, refusing to meet the youthful-looking Hero's gaze. Fortunately, even though he was ultimately responsible for their bet going south, Geese was there to chime in and state, "Probably something foolish." before holding up his beer and adding, "Cheers to the North God and his future wife...!"

Seizing upon the opportunity to change subjects, Elinalise and Tallhand joined Geese in his toast, shouting, "Cheers!" with a hint of awkwardness in their tones. Even after three months, they still weren't used to being in the same Party as the North God. However, with a payout of 10,000 Asura Gold on the line, they were more than willing to attend Alek on his journey to 'save the world.'

After everyone had clinked their glasses together, followed by a period of loud chugging, Geese exhaled a satisfied sigh and revealed, "According to the information brokers in this area, our target never passed through Wind Port. Fortunately, there are records of a Party calling themselves Einherjar registering at the Port City of Kurasuma. After trading in a bunch of Asura Gold Coins for local currency, they reportedly murdered a group of people in broad daylight before purchasing a six-wheeled carriage and departing for the Gaslow Region. A few days later, enormous storm clouds appeared over the region, raining down a constant stream of lightning that persisted for hours..."

Hearing Geese mention the Gaslow Region, Alek couldn't help reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew it was only a matter of time until his Grandmother came searching for him, but he wanted to delay it for as long as possible. Now, it was all but guaranteed that he would have to go directly to her...

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