My life was an endless sequence of disasters. The new debt of 10 coins with Veyra, because of the destroyed temple, was another burden, and Melina's song about "the strippers of the temple" now echoed even in Vaelor's workshops. My head was a mess. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with me in ways I couldn't explain. Elara with her shy glances that made my heart race, Vespera with her teasing that made me blush, Liriel with that jealousy she hid behind cutting remarks — every moment of closeness turned into a catastrophe. I wanted to understand these feelings, but with this group, it was like trying to fix a cart in the middle of a storm. The amulet, scepter, orb, tome, sphere, crystal, scroll, and ring in my backpack glowed together, and Veyra said the ritual of the Demon King's general was imminent in Vaelor, with minions gathering. The danger was closer than ever.
At the guild, I found a mission that seemed connected: "Protect the Vaelor Invention Fair from possible sabotage, suspected to be linked to the Demon King's general. Reward: 90 silver coins." It was a chance to pay Veyra and advance against the threat. Dragging Liriel out of the inn was the same drama. "A fair of tinkering mortals? Unworthy of a goddess!" she complained, holding her wine glass. Elara seemed nervous. "I'll use protection magic, but nothing over the top," she said, gripping her staff. Vespera, with her bow, smiled. "Inventions? This is going to be exciting!" I tried to sound firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just protect the fair." They all nodded, but I knew it was all talk.
The Invention Fair was a spectacle of gears and smoke, with stalls displaying noisy gadgets and the smell of burnt oil in the air. We found Kael, the smuggler, and Tilda, an inventor with messy hair and crooked glasses. "The strippers? Great, more destruction," said Kael with his sly grin. Tilda, holding a strange device, snorted: "Don't touch my machines!" Kael said a mysterious gadget, possibly linked to the Demon King's general, was at the fair. Tilda, who was organizing the event, guided us through the stalls. I noticed Elara walking closer, Vespera throwing me provocative looks, and Liriel posing with her glass as if competing for my attention. It was confusing, and I just wanted to focus on the mission.
At the fair, chaos came quickly. Elara tried a protection spell against saboteurs. "Just to block explosions!" she said. The shield glowed for a few seconds before she collapsed, panting. "Mana... gone," she moaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close I could feel my heart race, almost like she wanted to say something more, but the spell failed, and a gadget exploded, scattering sparks. Vespera, laughing, used her succubus charm. "Come on, saboteurs!" She attracted a group of apprentices who started fighting, but her arrows flew crooked, hitting a machine that spilled a glowing slime. "What a delicious mess!" she shouted, as sparks hit her, and she seemed to enjoy it.
"Liriel, do something!" I shouted. She raised her glass. "Divine purification magic!" The slime turned into a sticky substance that clung to everyone, making our clothes semi-transparent — again. I tried to disable the gadget with my borrowed sword, but slipped in the slime. Tilda, seeing this, huffed: "You're a plague." Kael, laughing, grabbed the suspicious gadget — a cube with markings identical to those on the amulet, scepter, orb, tome, sphere, crystal, scroll, and ring. When he touched it, it released more slime, sticking all of us together. Elara, still weak, murmured, "You're so brave, Takumi...," blushing, almost a confession. Vespera, laughing, got closer. "I like seeing you like this, all trapped." My face burned, but Liriel, annoyed, tried another spell, which only made things worse: the slime glued the four of us and Tilda together. "Mortals and their stupid crushes!" she grumbled, but her jealous gaze was more intense than ever. Tilda managed to deactivate the cube, but the fair was left in ruins.
The crowd laughed, and Kael improvised: "The strippers invent and undress — at the fair, no one's spared!" Our new fame was now "the strippers of the fair." We managed to protect the event, but the destroyed machine cost us dearly. At the guild, we received only 60 coins, discounted for the damage. We paid off the debt with Veyra, but Tilda charged us 10 coins for the mess. Back at the inn, I sat, exhausted, while Elara and Vespera argued over who "saved" the fair. "My protection spell helped!" said Elara. "And my charm distracted them!" retorted Vespera. Liriel, sipping wine, snorted. "You're pathetic. I did everything."
When they left to get food, I pulled Liriel aside. "If you're a goddess, who's sitting on your throne now?" She shrugged. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying but takes care of things." She took a sip. "Why? You planning to send me back?" She smiled, with a look that left me confused. Tilda stopped by the inn, saying the cube confirmed an imminent ritual by the Demon King's general, with minions gathering in Vaelor. "Be careful, strippers," she said, leaving. I looked at the glowing items — amulet, scepter, orb, tome, sphere, crystal, scroll, ring, cube. Those moments with Elara, Vespera, and Liriel — almost confessions — stirred something in me, but always turned into humiliation. And now, more of the Demon King's minions? My life was a nightmare, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.