I was at the edge of my sanity. The new debt of 10 coins with Torin, after the tournament fiasco, was a constant reminder that my life was a joke. Melina's song about "the perverts of the tournament" was already being sung by every drunk in Vaelor, and I just wanted to pay the debt and stop being everyone's punchline. Worse, my head was a knot. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with me in ways I couldn't understand. Elara with her shy looks, Vespera with her provocative remarks, Liriel with that jealousy she tried to hide—and even Zara, with her shameless flirting, made everything more confusing. I wanted a normal love life, but with this group, it was like wishing for gold to rain from the sky. The amulet and scepter in my backpack, glowing together, gave me chills. Zara said they were connected to the Demon King's general. I didn't know what to do with that, but it seemed dangerous.
At the guild, I found a mission that seemed serious: "Investigate a haunted village near Vaelor. Reward: 80 silver coins." The village, Cresta, was the same from the wagon escort, and rumors said the ghosts were linked to the Demon King's general. It was a chance to pay Torin and understand the amulet. Dragging Liriel out of the inn was the same old story. "Ghosts? Mortals and their ridiculous fears!" she complained, holding her wine glass. Elara looked nervous. "I'll use protection magic, nothing extreme," she said, clutching her staff. Vespera, with her bow, smiled. "Ghosts? This is going to be exciting!" I tried to be firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just investigate." They nodded, but I knew it was just talk.
We arrived in Cresta at dusk, with wooden houses shrouded in mist. Harlan, the "reformed" bandit from the wagon, was there, now working as a guard. "The perverts? Great, more chaos," he said, laughing. He introduced us to Elowen, a seer with deep eyes and a calm voice, who seemed to know more than she said. "I've heard of you," she said with an enigmatic smile. "The ghosts are the result of a curse, perhaps from the Demon King's general." The mission was clear: enter the haunted house, dispel the ghosts, and find the source of the curse. I noticed Elara walking closer to me, Vespera throwing me teasing looks, and Liriel posing with her glass as if wanting my attention. It was confusing, and I just wanted to focus on the mission.
Inside the haunted house, chaos came quickly. Elara tried a protection spell. "Just to keep the ghosts away!" she said. The shield glowed for a few seconds before she collapsed, panting. "Mana… gone," she groaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close that I felt my heart race, but the doors started slamming on their own, and I pulled her to the floor. Vespera, laughing, used her succubus charm. "Come on, little ghosts!" A specter appeared, but her arrows flew crooked, hitting a shelf that collapsed, releasing more ghosts. "What a delightful mess!" she shouted as a specter hit her, and she seemed to enjoy it.
"Liriel, do something!" I shouted. She raised her glass. "Divine purification magic!" The light shone, but instead of dispelling the ghosts, it made the house shake, and a glowing slime—almost alive—stuck to everyone, leaving our clothes semi-transparent. Again. I tried to hit a ghost with the borrowed sword but slipped on the slime. Harlan, outside, shouted, "You guys are a joke!" Elowen, calm, pointed to a mirror in the hallway. "The curse is there."
In the mirror, we saw a ghost that looked... jealous? It threw objects whenever Elara got close to me, murmuring, "You're so kind, Takumi…" before fainting again. Vespera, laughing, got stuck to me in the slime. "I like seeing you like this, all flustered," she said, with a look that made me blush. The ghost threw a vase, and Vespera smiled, as if she loved the danger. Liriel, irritated, tried another spell, which only made things worse: the slime spread, sticking the four of us together. "Mortals and your stupid crushes!" she huffed, but I noticed jealousy in her eyes when she helped me up, standing too close. Elowen broke the mirror, dispelling the ghost, but the house was damaged.
We managed to lift the curse, but we only received 50 coins at the guild, deducted for the damages. The debt with Torin was settled, but Elowen charged us 10 coins for the house. At the inn, I sat exhausted while Elara and Vespera argued about who "faced" more ghosts. "My protection helped!" said Elara. "And my charm drew them in!" retorted Vespera. Liriel, drinking wine, scoffed. "You're pathetic. I did everything."
When they left to get 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 handles things." She took a sip. "Why? Trying to get rid of me?" She smiled, with a look that left me confused. Harlan stopped by the inn, saying that the mirror had markings similar to the amulet and the scepter, confirming the connection to the Demon King's general. "Be careful, perverts," he said, leaving. I looked at the items, which glowed together. Those moments with Elara, Vespera, and Liriel stirred something in me, but always ended in humiliation. And now a Demon King curse? My life was a circus, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.