My life was a comedy where I always ended up with my feet in the mud. The new debt of 10 coins to Prince Lothor, because of the fire in the Sacred Forest, was another weight, and Melina's song about "the tree strippers" was already making the elves laugh even in the taverns of the elven city. My head was a whirlwind. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with me in ways I couldn't decipher. Elara's shy glances made my heart race like a frightened horse. Vespera's provocations, with that smile that seemed to know too much, made me blush like a torch. And Liriel's jealousy, hidden behind sharp sarcasm, left me lost. Vespera's kiss at the Moon Festival, even drunk and accidental, still lingered like a shadow, with her avoiding my gaze and Elara and Liriel throwing indirect remarks that weighed like lead. I wanted to understand these feelings, but with this group, it was like trying to hold smoke in a gale. The amulet, scepter, sphere, tome, orb, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, royal scepter, cord, orb, tiara, key, cord, ring, stone, and necklace in my backpack glowed together, and Elowen said the Demon King's ritual was closer than ever. The danger felt like a low thunder, but today, I just wanted to pay the debt to Lothor and avoid being called a pervert.
At the elven guild, a vine-covered building that seemed to pulse with magic, I found a chance to breathe: exploring the elven market to buy supplies and regain the elves' trust after the forest fiasco. It wasn't exactly a mission, but Queen Aeloria suggested that "civilized behavior" could help. Liriel grumbled: "A market full of stuck-up elves? Unworthy of a goddess!" Elara, clutching her staff, looked excited. "I'll just look at the crystals, without touching!" she said, with a look asking for trust. Vespera, with her bow slung over her shoulder, smiled but still avoided my gaze. "Shopping? This will be fun!" I tried to be firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just buy things and don't break anything." They nodded, but their mocking smiles said I was dreaming awake.
The elven market was a spectacle. Stalls of living wood displayed glowing fruits, enchanted jewels, and floating scrolls. Elves negotiated in soft voices, and magical lights danced in the air. Aeloria met us there, her aura serene, and introduced Silvian, an elven merchant with silver hair and precise speech. "The strippers? Don't destroy my market!" he said, half serious, half laughing. He sold rare artifacts, and Aeloria suggested we buy something to show "good intentions." Melina, appearing out of nowhere, plucked her lute. "New verse ready!" she announced, attracting curious glances from elves. The tension between Vespera and me was still high, with Elara and Liriel watching us as if I might start a fire just by breathing.
The shopping began, and chaos arrived quickly. Elara, fascinated by a crystal vase pulsing with light, tried to examine it. "It's just to understand the magic!" she said. She touched the vase, and her mana failed, causing it to shatter into glowing pieces. "Mana… gone," she moaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close that I felt my heart race. "Takumi, I… I wanted to…," she began, with a look that almost made me forget the market, but the shards flew, hitting other stalls. Vespera, laughing, tried to help with an arrow to "clean up the mess." The crooked arrow knocked over a stack of scrolls, which caught fire. "What a delightful chaos!" she shouted, as an elf tried to push her away, and she seemed to enjoy it. "Liriel, do something!" I yelled. She raised her wine glass. "Divine purification magic!" The light exploded, but it set a fabric stall on fire, spreading smoke. I tried to put out the flames with a cloth, but slipped on a fallen fruit, crashing down with a thud.
Amid the chaos, Elara murmured: "Takumi, I just wanted to say that…," but Liriel cut her off, eyes full of jealousy. "Focus, mortal, or you'll burn the whole market!" Vespera, still avoiding my gaze, teased: "Relax, Liriel, he's just clumsy as always." Liriel huffed: "Mortals and their silly crushes!" Silvian, eyes wide, extinguished the fire with a spell, but the fabric stall was reduced to ashes, and shards of the vase scattered across the floor. He found a necklace with markings identical to the amulet, scepter, and other items, fallen among the debris. "Curious," he said, handing it to me. When I touched the necklace, it vibrated, knocking over more scrolls. Aeloria, sighing, said: "You will pay for this." Elves pointed and laughed, and Melina sang: "In the market, stalls stripped, the strippers fall in the mess!" Silvian huffed: "You are a plague!"
We returned to the elven inn with the market in ruins. The local guild paid us 60 coins for "diplomatic efforts," deducted for the damages. We paid the debt to Lothor, but Silvian charged 10 coins for the fabrics and shards. I sat, exhausted, while Elara and Vespera argued over who "messed up less." "I just touched the vase!" said Elara, her cheeks red. "And I only shot an arrow!" retorted Vespera, avoiding my gaze. Liriel, drinking wine, huffed. "You are pathetic. I did everything." Elowen appeared, looked at the necklace, and said: "Another clue about the Demon King's ritual. Be careful, strippers." She left without further explanation. The tension between Vespera and me remained awkward, with Elara and Liriel casting suspicious glances that weighed like lead. "What's going on, Takumi?" asked Elara, jealousy so obvious it could be cut with a knife. Vespera murmured: "Nothing, just the market."
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 lazily, smiling. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying, but she takes care of the rest." She took a sip of wine. "Why? Planning to send me away, mortal?" 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, orb, tiara, key, cord, ring, stone, necklace. Vespera's kiss, Elara and Liriel's jealousy, the new debt with Silvian — my life was a nightmare, and I just wanted a day without being called a pervert.