I was at rock bottom. The debt with Rylan was 5 coins, but now I owed Fiona 10 coins for ruining the festival dance. Melina's song about "the strippers of the festival" echoed in every corner of Vaelor, and the mocking looks made me want to dig a hole and disappear. Worse, my head was a mess. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel were driving me crazy. Elara's shy ways, Vespera's teasing smiles, Liriel's disguised jealousy—and even Fiona flirting at the festival—everything turned into chaos before I could even understand. I wanted to pay off the debts, clear our reputation, and maybe have a normal moment with someone. But with this group, that was like asking for a miracle. The amulet in my backpack glowed from time to time, and I didn't know if it was a clue or a curse.
At the guild, I found a mission that seemed promising: "Explore an abandoned mine and recover a lost treasure. Reward: 90 silver coins." A treasure could pay the debts and maybe give me some breathing room. Dragging Liriel out of the inn was the usual. "A mine? Full of dust? Unworthy of a goddess!" she complained, holding her wine cup. Elara looked nervous. "I'll use simple spells, without fainting," she said, gripping her staff. Vespera, with her bow, smiled. "A dark mine? Perfect for excitement!" I tried to be firm: "No exaggerated spells, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just grab the treasure." They all nodded, but I knew it was a lie.
The abandoned mine lay in the hills of Vaelor, with dark tunnels and a smell of mold. At the entrance, we found Garth, the veteran adventurer, and Durin, a dwarf miner with a braided beard and a grumpy face. "The festival strippers? Great, more trouble," Durin muttered. Garth laughed. "Careful not to strip the treasure." My face burned. Durin explained that the mine was cursed, filled with traps and rumors of treasure linked to the Demon King's general. "Don't destroy my mine," he said, while Garth led us inside. I noticed Elara walking closer, Vespera throwing me teasing looks, and Liriel posing with her cup as if competing for my attention. It was confusing, and I just wanted to focus on the mission.
In the tunnels, chaos came fast. Elara tried a light spell. "Just to see!" she said. The glow lit the path for a few seconds before she collapsed, panting. "Mana… gone," she groaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close that my heart raced, but a trap triggered, throwing a net of ropes over us. Vespera, laughing, used her succubus charm to lure the mine's creatures—giant rats, not treasure. "Come here, little monsters!" Her arrows flew crooked, triggering another trap that dropped rocks, blocking a tunnel. "What a delicious danger!" she shouted, while a rat hit her—and she seemed to like it.
"Liriel, do something!" I yelled. She raised her cup. "Divine purification magic!" The light shone, but instead of helping, it turned the net into sticky slime that glued us together. I tried cutting the slime with the borrowed sword, but ended up stuck to Elara and Vespera. Elara, still weak, murmured: "You always save me, right?" blushing. Vespera, laughing, leaned closer. "I like seeing you stuck like this, Takumi." My face burned, but Liriel, annoyed, tried another spell, which only made it worse: our clothes turned glued and semi-transparent—again. "Why always this?!" I shouted, trying to cover myself. Garth, laughing, said: "You're a walking joke." Durin, furious, yelled: "My mine!"
At the bottom of the mine, we found the treasure—a chest with jewels and a shining scepter. But when I touched the scepter, the curse activated, and the ground trembled. Liriel's slime spread, sticking the chest to us. Elara, trying to help, fainted again, falling on top of me. Vespera, laughing, got stuck on the other side. "This is fun!" she said, with a look that made me uneasy. Liriel, huffing, tried to pull me, but got stuck too. "Mortals and your stupid crushes!" she complained, but I noticed jealousy in her eyes. Durin and Garth saved the chest, but the mine was damaged.
At the guild, we received 60 coins, discounted for the damages. The debt with Rylan was paid, but Durin charged us 15 coins for the mine. At the inn, I sat exhausted while Elara and Vespera argued over who "found" the treasure. "I lit the way!" said Elara. "And I lured the rats!" retorted Vespera. Liriel, sipping wine, scoffed. "You're useless. I did everything."
When they went to grab food, I pulled Liriel aside. "If you're a goddess, who's on your throne now?" She shrugged. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying, but she holds the fort." She took a sip of wine. "Why? Want to send me back?" She smirked, giving me a look that left me confused. Garth passed by the inn, saying the mine's scepter had marks similar to the amulet, maybe tied to the Demon King's general. "Careful, strippers," he said, leaving. I looked at the amulet, which glowed again. Those moments with Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with me, but always turned into humiliation. And now a cursed scepter and the Demon King? My life was a nightmare, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.