My life was a vicious cycle of blunders. The debt of 10 coins with Tilda, because of the chaos at the invention fair, was another weight in my pocket, and Melina's song about "the strippers of the fair" now echoed even in Vaelor's squares. My head was a tangle. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with me in ways I couldn't decipher. 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 sarcasm — every moment of closeness turned into a disaster. I wanted to understand these feelings, but with this group, it was like trying to light a campfire in the rain. The amulet, scepter, orb, tome, sphere, crystal, scroll, ring, and cube in my backpack glowed together, and Tilda said that an imminent ritual by the Demon King's general was being prepared in Vaelor, with minions organizing. The danger was getting closer and closer.
At the guild, I found a mission that seemed connected: "Face a trickster fairy in the Enchanted Forest, suspected of being linked to the Demon King's general. Reward: 90 silver coins." It was a chance to pay Tilda and advance against the threat. Dragging Liriel out of the inn was the same drama. "A forest full of fairies? Unworthy of a goddess!" she complained, holding her wine glass. Elara seemed nervous. "I'll use protection spells, nothing too much," she said, clutching her staff. Vespera, with her bow, smiled. "Fairies? This is going to be exciting!" I tried to sound firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just defeat the fairy." They all nodded, but I knew it was all talk.
The Enchanted Forest was a maze of glowing trees, with flickering lights and a sweet scent in the air. We found Sylva, the elf huntress, and Gorr, the swamp hunter. "The strippers? Great, more mess," grumbled Gorr. Sylva laughed. "Careful not to strip the forest." My face burned. They introduced Nyx, a fairy with shimmering wings and a mischievous smile, who led the tricks in the forest. "I've heard of you," said Nyx, teasingly. "Don't destroy my home, okay?" Sylva said Nyx was causing trouble, possibly linked to the Demon King's general. The mission was clear: capture Nyx and retrieve any suspicious item. I noticed Elara walking closer, Vespera throwing me provocative glances, and Liriel posing with her glass as if competing for my attention. It was confusing, and I just wanted to focus on the mission.
In the forest, chaos came quickly. Elara tried a protection spell against Nyx's tricks. "Just to block illusions!" 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 that I felt my heart race, almost like she wanted to say something more, but Nyx cast an illusion, trapping us in a net of glowing vines. Vespera, laughing, used her succubus charm. "Come here, fairy!" She lured Nyx, but her arrows flew crooked, hitting a tree that released a glowing slime. "What a delicious mess!" she shouted, as vines 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 cutting the vines with the borrowed sword but slipped on the slime. Gorr, seeing this, huffed, "You're a plague." Sylva captured Nyx with a precise arrow, but the forest was damaged. In the center, we found a pendant with markings identical to those on the amulet, scepter, orb, tome, sphere, crystal, scroll, ring, and cube. When I touched it, it released more slime, sticking all of us together. Elara, still weak, murmured, "You're so brave, Takumi... I..." blushing, almost a confession. Vespera, laughing, came closer. "I like seeing you like this, all trapped." My face burned, but Liriel, irritated, tried another spell, which only made it worse: the slime glued the four of us and Sylva together. "Mortals and their stupid crushes!" she grumbled, but her jealous look was more intense than ever. Nyx, laughing, said, "This one's going straight to the taverns."
We got the pendant, but received only 60 coins at the guild, discounted for the damage. We paid off the debt with Tilda, but Nyx charged us 10 coins for the forest. Back at the inn, I sat, exhausted, while Elara and Vespera argued about who "defeated" Nyx. "My protection helped!" said Elara. "And my charm distracted her!" 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 sitting on your throne now?" She shrugged. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying, but she handles the rest." She took a sip. "Why? Planning to send me back?" She smiled, with a look that left me confused. Sylva stopped by the inn, saying that the pendant 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, pendant. Those moments with Elara, Vespera, and Liriel — almost confessions — stirred something in me, but always ended in 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.