My life was a comedy where I always ended up face-first on the ground. The new debt of 10 coins to Silvian, because of the fiasco at the elven market, was another burden, and Melina's song about "the stall strippers" was already making elves laugh even in the taverns of the elven city. My head was total chaos. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with my feelings in ways I couldn't understand. Elara's shy glances made my heart race as if I had just run a marathon. Vespera's provocations, with that smile that seemed to know everything, made me blush like a bonfire. And Liriel's jealousy, hidden behind sharp sarcasm, left me more lost than ever. Vespera's kiss at the Moon Festival, even drunk and accidental, still lingered like a mist, with her avoiding my gaze and Elara and Liriel throwing indirect remarks that cut like knives. I wanted to understand what I felt, but with this group, it was like trying to assemble a puzzle in a storm. 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 Silvian and avoid more humiliation.
At the elven guild, a vine-covered building pulsing with magic, we received an unexpected invitation: a formal audience with the royal family to "discuss our impact" on the city. It was a chance to improve our reputation, but I knew it would go wrong. Liriel grumbled: "A palace full of stuck-up elves? Unworthy of a goddess!" Elara, clutching her staff, seemed nervous. "I'll behave, I promise," she said, with a look asking for trust. Vespera, with her bow slung over her shoulder, smiled but still avoided my gaze. "An audience? This will be interesting!" I tried to be firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just be polite." They nodded, but their mocking smiles said I was dreaming.
The elven palace was a spectacle. Living trees formed columns, with leaves glowing like lanterns. The throne room was decorated with magical tapestries that changed scenes. King Elandor received us, alongside Queen Aeloria, Princess Thalira, Princess Elowyn, and Prince Lothor. He introduced Thalor, an elven advisor with long hair and wary eyes. "The strippers? Don't destroy my palace!" said Thalor, with a tone mixing seriousness and sarcasm. Elandor asked us to demonstrate our "skills" to assess our usefulness. Melina, appearing out of nowhere, plucked her lute. "New verse ready!" she announced, drawing laughter from the court. The tension between Vespera and me was still high, with Elara and Liriel watching us as if I could start a fire just by breathing.
The demonstration began, and chaos arrived quickly. Elara tried a light magic to impress. "Just to show control!" she said. The spell shone 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. "Takumi, I… I wanted to…," she began, with a look that almost made me forget the palace, but the light exploded, cracking a tapestry. Vespera, laughing, tried to show precision with her bow. "Just a simple shot!" she said. The crooked arrow hit a chandelier, which fell with a crash, scattering shards. "What a delightful chaos!" she shouted, as an elf tried to push her, and she seemed to enjoy it. "Liriel, do something!" I yelled. She raised her wine glass. "Divine purification magic!" The light exploded, but set a curtain on fire, spreading smoke. I tried to put out the flames with a rug, but slipped on a shard, falling with a thud that echoed through the room.
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 palace!" Vespera, still avoiding my gaze, teased: "Relax, Liriel, he's just clumsy as always." Liriel huffed: "Mortals and their silly crushes!" Thalor, eyes wide, extinguished the fire with a spell, but the curtain was reduced to ashes, and shards of the chandelier scattered across the floor. He found a pendant 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 pendant, it vibrated, knocking over more shards. Elandor, sighing, said: "You will pay for this." The court pointed and laughed, and Melina sang: "In the palace, curtains stripped, the strippers fall in the mess!" Thalor huffed: "You are a plague!"
We returned to the elven inn with the audience ruined. The local guild paid us 60 coins for "diplomatic efforts," deducted for the damages. We paid the debt to Silvian, but Thalor charged 10 coins for the curtain and chandelier. I sat, exhausted, while Elara and Vespera argued over who "messed up less." "I just made a light!" 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 pendant, 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 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 palace."
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, pendant. Vespera's kiss, Elara and Liriel's jealousy, the new debt with Thalor — my life was a nightmare, and I just wanted a day without being called a pervert.