My life was a comedy where I was the clown who tripped over his own feet. The debt of 10 coins to King Arin, because of the fiasco at the palace, weighed like an anvil, and Melina's song about "the royal strippers" now echoed even in the stalls of Vaelor. My head was a knot. 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 — and now Princess Lyra, with her sudden infatuation, appeared everywhere like a shadow in love. Every moment of closeness turned into a disaster. I wanted to understand these feelings, but with this group, it was like trying to sew a tunic during a storm. The amulet, scepter, sphere, tome, orb, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, and royal scepter in my backpack glowed together, and Elowen said that the Demon King's ritual was approaching. Danger was near, yet it seemed distant.
At the guild, I found a mission that could pay the debt: "Capture a phantom thief in the Vaelor market, suspected of stealing valuable items. Reward: 90 silver coins." It was the chance to settle the debt with Arin. Dragging Liriel from the inn was the same drama. "A filthy market? Unworthy of a goddess!" she complained, holding her glass of wine. Elara looked nervous. "I'll use tracking magic, nothing over the top," she said, gripping her staff. Vespera, with her bow, smiled. "A hunt? This is going to be exciting!" I tried to be firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just catch the thief." They nodded, but I knew it was all talk.
The Vaelor market was a chaos of colors and smells — spices, fish, leather, all mixed with the shouts of vendors. Melina was there, strumming her lute. "The strippers! My new verse is ready!" she said, laughing. Selene, the merchant, found us, furious. "This thief is ruining my profits!" She introduced Corin, a spy with sharp eyes and a quick tongue. "The strippers? This will be a spectacle," he mocked. He tracked the phantom thief, who seemed to vanish like smoke. I noticed a vendor with bright eyes staring at me — it was Lyra, disguised with an apron, smiling as if I were a storybook knight. Liriel huffed, Elara frowned, and Vespera laughed. "Look at the lovesick little princess," she whispered. My face burned. Selene said the thief might be stealing something linked to the Demon King, which put me on alert.
The chase began, and chaos came quickly. Elara tried a tracking spell. "Just to find him!" she said. The spell 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 raced. "Takumi, I… I wanted to…" she began, but was interrupted. Vespera, laughing, used her succubus charm. "Come, little thief!" She attracted half the merchants, who abandoned their stalls, but her arrows flew crooked, hitting a potion stand that exploded in glowing slime. "What delicious chaos!" she shouted, as a vendor tripped on 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 run after the thief with the borrowed sword but slipped on the slime, falling near Lyra. "You're so brave, Takumi!" she said, holding my arm. Liriel, Elara, and Vespera shot me glares.
Stuck in the slime, Elara murmured, "Takumi, I just wanted to say that…" but the substance silenced her. Vespera, glued 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. Lyra, unconcerned, declared, "Takumi, you are my hero!" The crowd laughed, and Melina sang, "In the market, they strip and fall, the strippers never get it right!" Corin, with a sigh, threw a magical net, capturing the thief, but the destroyed stall caused a hole. In the thief's pocket, I found a cord with markings identical to those on the amulet, scepter, sphere, and other items. When I touched it, it released more slime, worsening the chaos. Selene huffed, "You are a plague."
We caught the thief, but the market was a mess. At the guild, we received 60 coins, deducted for the damage. We settled the debt with Arin, but Corin charged us 10 coins for the stall. At the inn, I sat exhausted while Elara and Vespera argued over who "saved" the mission. "My magic helped!" said Elara. "And my charm distracted everyone!" retorted Vespera. Liriel, sipping wine, huffed. "You're pathetic. I did everything." Elowen passed by, looked at the cord, and said, "Another clue about the Demon King's ritual. Be careful, strippers." She left without further explanation. Lyra, who had followed us to the inn, sat near me, smiling. "You're going to save me again, right, Takumi?" My face burned, and the three of them glared at me.
When Elara and Vespera 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 away?" She smiled, with a look that left me confused. I looked at the glowing items — amulet, scepter, sphere, tome, orb, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, royal scepter, cord. Those moments with Elara, Vespera, Liriel, and now Lyra — almost confessions, flirting, jealousy — stirred something in me, but always ended in humiliation. And more clues from the Demon King? My life was a nightmare, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.