My life was a comedy where I always ended up flat on my face. The new debt of 10 coins to Lothor, because of the fiasco in the Forbidden Forest, was another weight on my shoulders, 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 total chaos. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with my feelings in ways I couldn't understand. Elara's shy glances made my heart race like a wild horse. Vespera's provocations, with that smile that seemed to know everything, made me blush like a bonfire. And Liriel's jealousy, hidden behind sharp sarcasms, left me more lost than ever. Vespera's kiss at the Moon Festival, even drunk and accidental, still lingered like a fog, 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 read a book during an earthquake. The amulet, scepter, sphere, tome, orb, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, royal scepter, cord, orb, tiara, key, cord, ring, stone, necklace, bracelet, ring, bracelet in my backpack glowed together, and Elowen said that the Demon King's ritual was drawing closer. The danger felt like distant thunder, but today I just wanted to pay the debt to Lothor and avoid more humiliation.
At the elven guild, a vine-covered building pulsing with magic, Princess Thalira offered us a mission: to retrieve a relic in the Tower of Mages, an artifact that could stabilize elven magic. "Maybe it'll make up for your disasters," she said, with a smile mixing hope and doubt. Liriel grumbled: "A tower full of conceited elves? Unworthy of a goddess!" Elara, clutching her staff, seemed nervous. "I'll use search magic, no exaggerations!" she said, with a look asking for trust. Vespera, with her bow slung over her shoulder, smiled, but still avoided my gaze. "Elven magic? This will be interesting!" I tried to be firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just get the relic." They nodded, but their mocking smiles said I was dreaming.
The Tower of Mages was a spectacle. A spiral of white stone that seemed to grow from the ground, with windows shining like stars and runes floating in the air. Thalira introduced us to Torvald, an elven mage with a short beard and piercing eyes. "The strippers? Don't destroy my tower!" he said, in a tone mixing seriousness and sarcasm. He explained that the relic, an enchanted orb, was in a chamber protected by magical traps, possibly linked to the Demon King. Melina, appearing out of nowhere, plucked her lute. "New verse ready!" she announced, attracting the attention of elven apprentices. 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 search began, and chaos came quickly. Elara tried a deactivation spell to open the chamber. "Just to get past the traps!" 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, with a look that almost made me forget the tower, but the spell triggered a trap, sending out lightning that cracked a wall. Vespera, laughing, tried to disarm another with an arrow. "Just to help!" she said. The crooked arrow hit a crystal, which exploded, knocking down runes. "What a delightful chaos!" she shouted, as a lightning bolt pushed 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 the tapestries in the chamber on fire, spreading smoke. I tried to reach the orb with my borrowed sword, but slipped on a shard, falling with a thud that knocked over a shelf.
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 entire tower!" Vespera, still avoiding my gaze, teased: "Relax, Liriel, he's just clumsy as always." Liriel huffed: "Mortals and their silly crushes!" Torvald, eyes wide, deactivated the traps with a spell, but the chamber was in ruins, with tapestries in ashes and broken runes. He found a medallion 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 medallion, it vibrated, knocking down more runes. Thalira, sighing, said: "You will pay for this." Elven apprentices pointed and laughed, and Melina sang: "In the tower, the runes stripped, the strippers fall into chaos!" Torvald huffed: "You are a plague!"
We returned to the elven inn with the relic recovered, but the tower in ruins. The local guild paid us 60 coins for the mission, deducted for damages. We paid the debt to Lothor, but Torvald charged 10 coins for the tapestries and runes. I sat, exhausted, while Elara and Vespera argued over who "messed up less." "I only deactivated one trap!" said Elara, cheeks red. "And I only shot one arrow!" retorted Vespera, avoiding my gaze. Liriel, drinking wine, huffed. "You are pathetic. I did everything." Elowen appeared, looked at the medallion, 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. "What's going on, Takumi?" asked Elara, jealousy evident. Vespera murmured: "Nothing, just the tower."
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. "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, bracelet, ring, bracelet, medallion. Vespera's kiss, Elara and Liriel's jealousy, the new debt with Torvald — my life was a nightmare, and I just wanted a day without being called a pervert.