My life was a circus where I was the clown who always took a fall. The debt of 10 coins to Elowen, because of the fiasco in the warehouse, was another burden, and Melina's song about "the strippers of the ritual" now echoed even in the alleys of Vaelor. My head was chaos. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with me in ways I couldn't understand. Elara, with her shy looks that made my heart race; Vespera, with her teasing that made me blush; Liriel, with that jealousy she disguised with sarcasm — every moment of closeness turned into a disaster. I wanted to understand these feelings, but with this group, it was like trying to read a map during a hurricane. The amulet, scepter, sphere, tome, orb, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, and necklace in my backpack glowed together, and Elowen said that the ritual of the Demon King's general was imminent. The danger was so close I could smell it.
At the guild, a royal messenger delivered an invitation that made me swallow hard: an audience at the Palace of Vaelor, because the royal family had heard of us as "the clumsy heroes." The mission promised 100 silver coins, enough to pay Elowen. Dragging Liriel from the inn was the same drama. "Royal pomp? Unworthy of a goddess!" she complained, holding her glass of wine. Elara looked nervous. "I'll use protection spells, nothing over the top," she said, gripping her staff. Vespera, with her bow, smiled. "A palace? This is going to be glamorous!" I tried to sound firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just behave." They nodded, but I knew it was all talk.
The Palace of Vaelor was a marble monster, with guards in shining armor and carpets worth more than my existence. Melina was in the court, strumming her lute. "The strippers! My new verse is ready!" she said, laughing. Elowen, with her mystical air, greeted us: "Be careful, there's a royal relic connected to the Demon King's general." We were led to the main hall, where the royal family awaited us: King Arin, a gray-bearded man who seemed lost in thought; Queen Seraphine, elegant, with eyes that seemed to see through my soul; the eldest princess, Elara, mature and skeptical, whose name made our Elara choke; and the youngest princess, Lyra, a girl with bright eyes who looked at me as if I were a storybook hero. "Are you the Takumi from the stories?" Lyra asked, blushing. I noticed Liriel huff, Elara (the mage) frown, and Vespera laugh. This wasn't going to end well.
King Arin requested a demonstration of our abilities to "entertain the court." Elara (the mage) tried a protection spell. "Just to impress them!" 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 my heart pounded, but Princess Elara scoffed, "What a ridiculous name for such a… weak mage." Our Elara blushed with embarrassment. Vespera, laughing, used her succubus charm. "Come, nobles!" She attracted half the guards, who dropped their spears, but her arrows flew crooked, hitting a tapestry that fell and released glowing slime. "What delicious chaos!" she shouted as a guard tripped onto her, and she seemed to enjoy it.
"Liriel, do something!" I yelled. She raised her glass. "Divine purification magic!" The slime turned into a sticky substance that clung to everyone, leaving our clothes semi-transparent — again. I tried to cut the tapestry with the borrowed sword but slipped on the slime, falling near Lyra. "You're so brave, Takumi!" she said, holding my arm, her eyes shining with admiration. My face burned, and I noticed Liriel, Elara, and Vespera glaring at me. Elara (the mage), still weak, murmured, "Takumi, I… I wanted to tell you that…" but the slime interrupted her. Vespera, stuck to me, laughed. "I like seeing you like this, all sticky." Liriel, irritated, tried another spell, which only made it worse: the slime glued the four of us and Lyra together. "Mortals and their stupid crushes!" she huffed, but her jealous gaze was more intense than ever. Queen Seraphine raised an eyebrow while King Arin laughed. Melina sang, "The strippers reign and strip, in the palace none can resist!"
Elowen calmly retrieved a relic from the royal altar — a scepter with markings identical to those on the amulet, scepter, sphere, tome, orb, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, and necklace. When she touched it, it released more slime, worsening the chaos. The court laughed, and our fame became "the royal strippers." We managed to entertain them, but the hall was damaged. At the guild, we received 70 coins, deducted for the damages. We paid the debt to Elowen, but King Arin charged us 10 coins for the hall. At the inn, I sat exhausted while Elara and Vespera argued over who "impressed" the most. "My protection helped!" said Elara. "And my charm distracted the court!" retorted Vespera. Liriel, sipping wine, scoffed. "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 now?" She shrugged. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying, but she takes care of the rest." She took a sip. "Why? Planning to send me back?" She smiled, with a look that left me confused. Elowen stopped by the inn, saying that the royal scepter confirmed an imminent attack by the Demon King's general's minions in Vaelor. "Be careful, strippers," she said, leaving. I looked at the glowing items — amulet, scepter, sphere, tome, orb, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, royal scepter. Those moments with Elara, Vespera, Liriel, and now Lyra — almost confessions, flirting, jealousy — stirred something in me, but always ended in humiliation. And now an attack from the Demon King? My life was a nightmare, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.