My life was a comedy where I always stumbled at the worst possible moment. The debt of 10 coins to Astrid, because of the fiasco on the road back to Vaelor, was another weight on my shoulders, and Melina's song about "the wagon strippers" was already making adventurers laugh even in Vaelor's taverns. My head was a whirlwind. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel tangled my emotions in ways I couldn't understand. Elara's shy glances made my heart race like a wild horse. Vespera's teasing, with that knowing smile, 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 daggers of innuendo that cut deep. 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, diadem, key, cord, ring, stone, necklace, bracelet, ring, bracelet, medallion, and ring in my backpack all glowed together, and Elowen said the Demon King's ritual was drawing near. The danger rumbled like distant thunder, but today, I just wanted to pay off Astrid and avoid further humiliation.
At the Vaelor guild, a familiar wooden and stone building, we found a simple mission: retrieve a lost artifact from an ancient temple on the outskirts of the city, which could help us pay our debts. Liriel grumbled, "A dusty temple full of spiders? Unworthy of a goddess!" Elara, gripping her staff, promised, "I'll use magic carefully, I swear!" Vespera, with her bow slung over her shoulder, smiled but still avoided looking at me. "An old temple? Sounds interesting!" I tried to sound firm: "No crazy spells, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just get the artifact." They laughed as if I were joking. The guild was full of adventurers snickering at us, thanks to the "strippers" reputation Melina had spread. I just wanted to finish this and eat something that wasn't dry bread.
The ancient temple was a scene of cracked columns covered in moss, faded runes on the walls, and an aura of old magic that gave chills. Elowen met us at the entrance, with her usual mysterious air, and introduced Sigrid, an elven historian with braided hair and wise eyes. "The strippers? Don't destroy my temple!" said Sigrid, in a tone mixing seriousness and sarcasm. She explained that the artifact, an enchanted sphere, could reveal old memories and might hold clues about elven magic. Melina appeared, strumming her lute. "New verse ready!" she announced, attracting glances from other adventurers who had followed us. The tension between Vespera and me lingered, with Elara and Liriel watching every move as if I could cause a fire just by breathing.
The exploration began, and chaos came quickly. Elara tried a detection spell to locate the sphere. "Just to find it faster!" she said. The spell shone for seconds before she collapsed, panting. "Mana... gone," she groaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close that my heart nearly burst. "Takumi, I... I wanted to...," she began, with a look that almost made me forget the temple, but the spell triggered a trap, firing bolts of lightning that cracked a column. Vespera, curious, touched the enchanted sphere before Sigrid could warn her. A burst of light exploded, and she froze, eyes distant, as if seeing something. "My... village?" she murmured. Images flashed in my mind, as if the sphere shared her memories. Vespera was born in Infernia, a shadowy village of succubi, with streets of black stone and torches that never went out. Her mother, Lilith, was a wandering seductress, traveling to deceive humans. Her father? A mystery — perhaps a human adventurer. As a child, Vespera couldn't control her charm, causing accidents — like when she made a merchant burn his own cart. The village rejected her, calling her a "walking curse." Her family, isolated, lived on the margins. The vision broke when Vespera, still dazed, fired a crooked arrow that struck a statue, knocking it over. "What a delightful mess!" she shouted, as Sigrid pushed her away — and she seemed to enjoy it. "Liriel, do something!" I yelled. She raised her wine cup. "Divine Purification Magic!" The light burst forth but set dry vines on the wall ablaze, spreading smoke. I tried to save the sphere but slipped on a shard, hitting the ground hard as more stones fell.
Amid the chaos, Vespera, now recovered, looked at me with a strange glint in her eyes. "You saw it, didn't you? My village... It's not something I tell people." Her voice was softer, almost vulnerable, and I felt a warmth in my chest. Elara, still in my arms, muttered, "Takumi, I... what's she talking about?" but Liriel cut her off, eyes burning with jealousy. "Focus, mortal, or you'll burn down the whole temple!" Vespera, back to her usual self, teased, "Relax, Liriel, he's just being clumsy as always." Liriel snorted, "Mortals and their stupid crushes!" Sigrid sighed, casting a spell to extinguish the fire, but the statue was shattered, and the burnt vines stank. She found a pendant with the same markings as the items in my backpack, lying among the debris. "Curious," she said, handing it to me. When I touched the pendant, it vibrated, knocking over more shards. Irritated, Sigrid said, "You'll pay for this." Adventurers pointed and laughed, and Melina sang, "In the temple, they strip the statues, the strippers fall in confusion!" Sigrid huffed, "You're a plague!"
We returned to the Vaelor guild with the sphere, but the temple in ruins. They paid us 70 coins, after deductions for damages. We paid off Astrid's debt, but Sigrid charged 10 coins for the broken statues and vines. At the inn, I sat exhausted while Elara and Vespera argued over who "messed up less." "I only used one spell!" said Elara, cheeks red. "And I only shot one arrow!" retorted Vespera, looking away from me. Liriel, sipping wine, snorted. "You're pathetic. I did everything." Elowen appeared, glanced at the pendant, and said, "Another clue to the Demon King's ritual. Be careful, strippers." She left without explaining further. The air between Vespera and me was even stranger, with Elara and Liriel casting suspicious looks. "What's going on, Takumi?" asked Elara, jealousy written all over her face. Vespera muttered, "Nothing, just memories."
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, with a lazy smile. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying but handles things." She took a sip. "Why? Planning to send me back, mortal?" She smiled, her gaze leaving me confused. I looked at the glowing items — amulet, scepter, sphere, tome, orb, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, royal scepter, cord, orb, diadem, key, cord, ring, stone, necklace, bracelet, ring, bracelet, medallion, ring, pendant. Vespera's kiss, her memories, Elara and Liriel's jealousy, the new debt with Sigrid — my life was a nightmare, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.