I was at my limit. The new 10-coin debt to Sylva, because of the damaged labyrinth, was another weight on my shoulders, and Melina's song about "the strippers of the labyrinth" was now sung even by the guards of Vaelor. My head was a total mess. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with me in ways I couldn't explain. Elara, with her shy glances that sped up my heartbeat, Vespera, with her teasing that left me flustered, Liriel, with that jealousy she barely hid — and even Fiona, with her flirting at the festival, made everything more confusing. I wanted to pay the debt, clear our reputation, and maybe have a normal moment with someone. But with this group, that was as likely as finding the Demon King having tea. The amulet, the scepter, and the orb in my backpack glowed together, and Thorne's scroll spoke of a ritual of the Demon King's general. I didn't know what to do, but I could feel danger drawing closer.
At the guild, I found a mission that seemed familiar: "Clean Torin's hot springs of aquatic creatures. Reward: 80 silver coins." Returning to the place where our reputation as "strippers" began wasn't ideal, but the money could pay off Sylva's debt. Dragging Liriel out of the inn was the same ordeal. "Those springs again? Unworthy of a goddess!" she complained, holding her wine cup. Elara looked nervous. "I'll only use light magic, I swear," she said, clutching her staff. Vespera, with her bow, smiled. "Hot springs? Perfect for excitement!" I tried to be firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just clean the springs." They nodded, but I knew it was all talk.
The hot springs of Torin were as steamy as before, with smooth stones and a sulfur smell. Torin greeted us with his usual distrustful look. "The strippers are back? Don't destroy my springs again," he said, pointing to the pools. Fiona, the dancer, was there, helping around the springs. "You again?" she said, with a smile that threw me off. "Let's see if you dance better in the water." She winked, and I noticed Elara and Vespera staring at me, with Liriel huffing in the background. Torin introduced Mira, an attendant with braided hair and a serious demeanor. "Be careful with the water creatures. They're sticky," she said. Torin mentioned, offhandedly, that he'd heard rumors of a strange ritual nearby, maybe connected to the Demon King's general. "Nothing you can't handle, right?" he said before heading back to the tavern. I noticed Elara walking closer, Vespera throwing me teasing looks, and Liriel posing with her cup as if they were competing for my attention. It was confusing, and I just wanted to focus on the mission.
At the spring, chaos came fast. Elara tried an ice spell to freeze the creatures — slimy frogs with glowing eyes. "Just to trap them!" she said. The ice formed for a second before she collapsed, panting. "Mana... gone," she groaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close that my heart raced, but a frog jumped, and I pulled her back. Vespera, laughing, used her succubus charm. "Come here, froggies!" She attracted dozens, but her arrows flew off course, hitting a rock that released a jet of hot water. "What a lovely mess!" she shouted, as a frog hit her, and she seemed to enjoy it.
"Liriel, do something!" I yelled. She raised her cup. "Divine Purification Magic!" The water glowed, but instead of killing the frogs, it turned into sticky slime that clung to everyone, leaving our clothes semi-transparent — again. I tried to hit a frog with the borrowed sword but slipped on the slime. Fiona, seeing that, laughed and jumped into the water to help, sticking to me. "You're fun, Takumi," she said, with a smile that made me blush. Elara, still weak, murmured, "You always save me, don't you?" blushing as she tried to stand. Vespera, laughing, approached. "I like seeing you like this, all wet." My face burned, but Liriel, irritated, tried another spell that only made it worse: the slime spread, sticking the four of us — and Fiona — together. "Mortals and your ridiculous crushes!" Liriel huffed, but I noticed the fiery jealousy in her eyes as she got stuck to me. Mira, killing a frog, said, "You're a plague."
We managed to kill some creatures, but the spring was damaged. Torin, furious, shouted, "My tavern!" Fiona, laughing, said, "You guys are a show." Our reputation was now "the strippers of the springs, again." At the guild, we received 50 coins, discounted for the damages. We paid off the debt to Sylva, but Torin charged us 15 coins for the spring. At the inn, I sat, exhausted, while Elara and Vespera argued over who "helped" the most in the mission. "My ice helped!" Elara said. "And my charm attracted the frogs!" Vespera replied. Liriel, drinking wine, huffed. "You're pathetic. I did everything."
When they went out to get food, I pulled Liriel aside. "If you're a goddess, who's on your throne right now?" She shrugged. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying but takes care of things." She took a sip. "Why? Trying to get rid of me?" She smiled, with a look that confused me. Mira stopped by the inn, saying she found a symbol at the spring identical to the marks on the amulet, scepter, and orb, suggesting a ritual of the Demon King's general in Vaelor. "Careful, strippers," she said, walking away. I looked at the glowing items. Those moments with Elara, Vespera, Liriel — and even Fiona — stirred something in me, but always turned into humiliation. And now a ritual of the Demon King in Vaelor? My life was a circus, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.