I was at my breaking point. The debt to Torin was finally cleared, but now I owed Rylan 15 coins for the destroyed wagon. Melina's song about "the campsite strippers" was being sung by drunks across Vaelor, and the stares on the street made me want to disappear. Worse, my head was a mess. Elara, Vespera, and even Liriel were driving me crazy with their gestures—Elara's shy demeanor, Vespera's teasing smiles, Liriel's barely concealed jealousy. I wanted to pay Rylan, salvage our reputation, and maybe have a chance to flirt with someone without becoming a punchline. But with this group, that seemed impossible. And the amulet in my bag, glowing now and then, wasn't helping ease the tension.
At the guild, I found a mission that seemed perfect: "Assist with security at the Vaelor Harvest Festival. Reward: 70 silver coins." A lively festival with food and music could be a chance to earn money and maybe meet someone. Dragging Liriel from the inn was the usual ordeal. "A festival? Mortals and their ridiculous parties!" she complained, clutching her wine glass. Elara was excited. "I'll use light magic to help, no overdoing it," she said, gripping her staff. Vespera, with her bow, grinned. "I love festivals! So much excitement!" I tried to be firm: "No crazy magic, no stray arrows, no succubus charm. Just keep the peace." They nodded, but I knew it was all talk.
The Harvest Festival turned Vaelor into a sea of colors, with stalls of sweets, glowing lanterns, and music echoing. We found Melina on the main stage, strumming her lute. "The strippers are here!" she said, laughing. "My new song's almost ready." My stomach churned. She introduced us to Fiona, a dancer with long hair and a smile that left me flustered. "Heard about you," Fiona said, winking. "Let's see what the strippers do at a festival." Sylva, the elven hunter, showed up too, carrying her bow. "I'm here to catch thieves, but with you lot, I bet it'll be chaos," she said with a sarcastic look. The mission was simple: patrol the festival, prevent thefts, and help with the main dance. Melina casually mentioned hearing about bandits linked to the Demon King's general lurking around the festival. "Nothing you can't handle, right?" she said before returning to her music.
The festival was lively, but chaos struck fast. Elara tried a light spell to brighten a dark area. "Just to help!" she said. The glow lasted seconds before she collapsed, gasping. "Mana… gone," she groaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close my heart raced, but her failed spell set a lantern stall on fire. Vespera spotted a thief in the crowd and used her succubus charm. "Come here, you rogue!" The thief was hypnotized, but so was half the crowd, sparking a brawl. She fired an arrow that hit a banner, toppling it onto a group of dancers. "What a delicious mess!" Vespera laughed, diving into the chaos like she wanted to get hit.
"Liriel, do something!" I shouted. She raised her glass. "Divine purification magic!" A light flashed, but instead of calming the crowd, it made everyone's clothes—ours and the dancers'—sticky and semi-transparent. Again. I tried to put out the stall fire but slipped in a puddle of spilled liquor and fell onto the dance floor, right in front of Fiona. "I like the enthusiasm," she said, pulling me to dance. My face burned, and I noticed Elara and Vespera staring, with Liriel huffing in the background. I tried dancing with Fiona, but Vespera cut in, "accidentally" bumping into me. "My turn, Takumi," she said with a smile that took my breath away. Elara, trying to help, tripped and fell on us, murmuring, "You dance well…" before passing out. Liriel, annoyed, tried another spell, which only made things worse: the dance floor turned into glowing goo, sticking everyone together.
The crowd laughed, and Melina started singing: "The strippers dance and strip, at the festival, no one can resist!" Fiona, laughing, said, "You're a show all on your own." Sylva, who caught the thief, looked at us with disdain. "You're a plague." The festival went on, but our nickname was now "the festival strippers."
At the guild, we got 50 coins after deductions for the stall damages. The debt to Rylan dropped to 5 coins, but Fiona charged us 10 coins for "ruining" her dance. At the inn, I sat, exhausted, while Elara and Vespera argued over who danced better with me. "I didn't faint during the dance!" Vespera said. "But I lit him up!" Elara retorted. Liriel, sipping wine, huffed. "You're both ridiculous. I'm the star here."
When they left to grab food, I pulled Liriel aside. "If you're a goddess, who's watching your throne right now?" She shrugged. "Celine, my assistant. She's a bore but holds things down." Before I could ask more, she took a sip. "Why? Missing me up there?" She smiled, with a look that left me confused. Melina passed by the inn, singing her new song, and mentioned the festival bandits might be tied to the Demon King's general. "Careful, strippers," she said, leaving. I stared at the amulet, which glowed again. Those moments with Elara, Vespera, Liriel—and even Fiona—stirred something in me, but they turned into jokes. And now more bandits and the Demon King? My life was a disaster, and all I wanted was a day without being the town's laughingstock.