My life was a comedy where I always ended up face-first in the dirt. The debt of 10 coins I owed Bjorn, because of the fiasco in the rural village, was another weight on my back, and Melina's song about "the cabin strippers" already had adventurers laughing in the taverns of Vaelor. My head was a whirlwind. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel tangled my feelings in ways I couldn't understand. Elara's shy glances, now filled with a new vulnerability after her memories, made my heart race like a wild horse. Vespera's teasing, softer since she revealed her past, still 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 still lingered, with her avoiding my gaze, while Elara seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Liriel's indirect remarks cut like knives, especially after Elara's memories in the village. I wanted to understand what I felt, but with this group, it was like trying to read a map in a storm. The amulet, scepter, orb, tome, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, royal staff, cord, orb, diadem, key, stone, pendant, and bracelet in my backpack all glowed together, and Elowen said the Demon King's ritual was getting closer. The danger rumbled like distant thunder, but today, I just wanted to pay Bjorn and avoid more humiliation.
At the Vaelor inn, Elara sat quietly, fidgeting with her staff as if she carried an invisible weight. "My family… I never thought I'd talk about them," she murmured, with a distant look. Vespera, more reserved since Infernia, gave me a look mixing curiosity and something else. Liriel, with a cup of wine, mocked: "Mortals and their family dramas. Pathetic." The guild offered us a side mission: protect a merchant at a fair on the outskirts of Vaelor, where an unstable artifact was causing trouble. "Maybe it'll cover your damages," said the clerk, with a smirk. Liriel grumbled, "A noisy fair? Unworthy of a goddess!" Elara, nervous, promised, "I'll be careful with my spells, I swear!" Vespera, bow slung over her shoulder, gave a half-smile. "Fairs? This should be interesting." I tried to sound firm: "No crazy spells, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just protect the merchant." They laughed, as if I were dreaming.
The fair was a lively scene of colorful stalls, the smell of warm bread, and magic floating in the air. The merchant introduced us to Sigrid, a blonde mage with sharp eyes—Elara's older sister. "The strippers? Don't destroy my fair!" Sigrid said, in a tone that mixed sarcasm and resentment. She explained that the artifact, an unstable orb, was inside one of the stalls, causing visions among the customers, possibly linked to the Demon King. Melina appeared, plucking her lute. "New verse ready!" she announced, drawing the merchants' attention. Elara tensed when she saw Sigrid. "You… here?" she asked, her voice trembling. The air between Elara and me was heavy, with Vespera and Liriel watching as if I might burn the fair down just by breathing.
The night before, at the inn, Elara had shared more about her family. Her parents, Haldor and Ingrid, were failed mages, deep in debt after a series of disastrous experiments. Her siblings, Sigrid and Torvald, older and more skilled, blamed her for the accidents caused by her unstable mana—like the time she burned down the village barn, leading to their downfall. "They said I was a disgrace," Elara had said, tears in her eyes. "I left home to prove I could be better." The confession weighed heavily, and I wanted to say something, but Vespera and Liriel's stares kept me silent.
At the fair, the mission began, and chaos followed quickly. Elara tried a containment spell on the orb. "Just to stabilize it!" she said. The spell glowed before she collapsed. "Mana… gone," she groaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close my heart almost stopped. "Takumi, I… I wanted to…" she began, but the spell activated the orb, releasing visions. Flashes of Elara's village appeared: Sigrid shouting that she was "a disgrace" after the fire, Torvald turning his back on her. Dazed, Elara murmured, "I didn't mean to…" Vespera, trying to help, used her charm—but ended up distracting the merchants, who toppled over stalls. Her crooked arrow hit a beam, which collapsed. "What a delicious mess!" she shouted as a customer shoved her, and she seemed to enjoy it. "Liriel, do something!" I yelled. She raised her cup of wine. "Divine Purification Magic!" The light exploded—but set fabric on fire, spreading smoke. I tried to grab the orb but slipped on a bottle, crashing into a pile of goods.
Amid the chaos, Elara, now recovered, grabbed my arm. "You saw it, didn't you? They hated me." Her voice was fragile, and I felt a pang in my chest. Vespera, watching, teased, "Pretty intimate, huh, Takumi?" Elara blushed, muttering, "Takumi, why does she always do that?" But Liriel cut in, eyes burning with jealousy. "Focus, mortal, or you'll burn the whole fair down!" Vespera laughed, "Relax, Liriel, he's just as clumsy as ever." Liriel huffed, "Mortals and their stupid crushes!" Sigrid sighed, extinguished the fire with a spell, but the stall was a ruin—burned fabrics and scattered goods everywhere. She found a ring with markings identical to those on the items in my bag, lying among the wreckage. "Curious," she said, handing it to me. When I touched the ring, it pulsed, knocking over more boxes. Sigrid scowled. "You'll pay for this." The merchants laughed, and Melina sang: "At the fair, they strip the stalls, the strippers fall in confusion!" Sigrid grumbled, "You're a plague!"
We returned to the Vaelor guild with the orb—but the fair was in ruins. They paid us 60 coins, minus damages. We cleared Bjorn's debt, but Sigrid charged 10 coins for the lost goods. At the inn, I sat, exhausted, while Elara and Vespera argued over who "messed up less." "I only used one spell!" Elara said, cheeks red. "And I only shot one arrow!" Vespera retorted, avoiding my eyes. Liriel, drinking wine, scoffed: "You're pathetic. I did everything." Elowen appeared, looked at the ring, and said: "Another clue to the Demon King's ritual. Be careful, strippers." Then she left without explaining more. The tension between Elara and me grew heavier, with Vespera and Liriel casting suspicious glances. "What's going on, Takumi?" Elara asked, jealousy clear in her voice. Vespera murmured, "Nothing, just memories."
When Elara and Vespera went out to get food, I pulled Liriel aside. "If you're a goddess, who's sitting on your throne right now?" She shrugged with a lazy smile. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying, but she handles things." She took a sip. "Why? Planning to send me back, mortal?" She smiled with a look that left me confused. I glanced at the glowing items—amulet, scepter, orb, tome, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, royal staff, cord, diadem, key, stone, and more. Vespera's kiss, Elara's memories, Liriel's jealousy, the new debt with Sigrid—my life was a nightmare, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.