Note: Sorry if the previous two chapters felt a bit lacking in quality both in terms of flow and story telling, was struck with an headache plus had a flood In my area so had to cram through it, I promise it won't happen again however!
By the time Raven arrived at the Lifeclover, Helga was already inside waiting for him. Markus and she shared a knowing glance before the barbarian pulled out a scroll and threw it in the air–burning it.
"We should have some privacy from that goddess now," she said, leaning against the tablet next to her.
"What the fuck are you two on?' Glancing between the two, Raven has had enough of their cryptic messaging. "Just say what you mean already!"
Silence lingered for a moment following his words, but then reaching for his helmet Markus took it off revealing a dark flame with burning green eyes glaring at Raven. He wasn't human...And Raven had no idea. Even now as he was staring at him, he couldn't believe that a king's royal guard was an undead spirit.
"It wasn't a keeper that we can sense on you, it's a demon lord's war general..." Despite the lack of his helmet, his voice echoed as if it were still inside a metal box.
"We doubt Athenia knows, but even if she does, she'll likely keep pushing you to march to your death," Helga chimed, getting Raven's attention back on her.
What he'd thought was supposed to be a discussion about zealous nobles had turned into something far more sinister. He had no doubt that what Markus had said to him before was a lie just to get him to the Lifeclover without having to explain things too much.
"I'm still fucking confused..." Grabbing his head, he could feel his head throbbing with a headache. Yet powering through, he glanced between the two again before asking them further. "Why the theatrics then? Pushing me out of your house? Lying to me about the demon general? Why not just tell me how things are?!"
Heaving a sigh, Helga began moving closer to Raven.
"Because we didn't want the goddess to know that you know who you're facing.
With a brief pause, Helga turned to the door that led into Linkle's workshop.
"If you truly have a reason, a promise, then only will I help you fight, even if that means a certain death," grabbing the door handle, she turned to look at the men. "And don't think I'm doing this because I care about whatever mission you're on, I just don't want that monster making it to Athenia to lay its foul fingers on my daughters."
"Helga! Don't encourage him!" Markus rebutted, his feet stomping the ground as he rushed to the barbarian.
"Shut up, Markus. I hate the gods just as much as you do, but if the kid wants to kill himself fighting against a general, then I'd rather be there and die than watch that monster make it to my home!" Undoing the lock on the door, Helga pushed the door open.
On the other side were the monster girls as well as Linkle in a visibly foul mood.
"Now, the goddess still can't hear us, so I'll ask," shifting her attention to Raven, Helga asked but only once. "Are you doing this for yourself or because the goddess asked you to?"
'Promise me...' Those words by Lilith echoed in Raven's head, thus clenching his fist and steeling his heart, the mage raised his head with a stupid smile on his face.
"Yeah, I wanna die on this hill."
And so it was time, time for preparations, and not because the goddess had asked him to, but on pure principles.
"Ughh...You're both idiots," grabbing the back of Raven's shirt, Markus slipped his spectral hand into the mage's heart. "But if you're gonna do something stupid, then at least do it without your enemy spying on you!"
"AGHH!" Feeling as if his spine was being ripped apart, Raven gritted his teeth tight while the spectral undead pulled out the spying horror–the very same Raven had encountered smiling over his shoulder in the Arachne cave.