My life was a comedy where I always ended up face-first on the ground. The 10-coin debt with Gunnar, because of the fiasco in the attacked village, was yet another weight on my back, and Melina's song about "the wagon strippers" was already making adventurers laugh even in the taverns of Vaelor. My head was a whirlwind. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel messed with my feelings in ways I couldn't understand. Elara's shy glances, now more intense after regaining her memories, made my heart race like a wild horse. Vespera's teasing, softer since Infernia, still made me blush like a bonfire. Liriel's jealousy, hidden behind sharp sarcasm, left me more lost than ever. To make things worse, Lyra's letter praising my "bravery" burned in my pocket, while Princess Thalira, sent by the elves, appeared in Vaelor with a look that mixed curiosity and something else, making Elara and Vespera exchange murderous glances. Elowyn, with her druidic messages, only added to the confusion. Vespera's kiss at the Moon Festival still lingered, with her avoiding eye contact, while Elara hesitated to speak. I wanted to understand what I felt, but with this group, it was like trying to read a scroll in a hurricane. The amulet, scepter, orb, tome, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, royal scepter, cord, orb, diadem, key, cord, ring, stone, necklace, bracelet, ring, bracelet, medallion, ring, pendant, cord, bracelet, and fragment in my backpack glowed together, and Elowen said the Demon King's ritual was drawing closer. Danger felt like distant thunder, but today, I just wanted to pay off Gunnar and avoid more humiliation.
At the Vaelor guild, after the meeting about General Kaelthorn, we were sent back to the attacked village to investigate more traces of the minions. Elowen met us at the village entrance, with her mysterious aura, and introduced Freya, a local healer with blonde hair and gentle but firm eyes. "The strippers? Don't destroy what's left of the village!" said Freya, in a tone that mixed concern and sarcasm. She explained that the minions—creatures with claws and glowing eyes—had returned at night, leaving marks of dark magic. Melina appeared, strumming her lute. "New verse ready!" she announced, drawing glances from survivors. Thalira, sent by the elves to monitor us, approached me and said, "Your courage is admirable, Takumi." Her tone was serious, but her eyes sparkled, making Elara blush and Vespera huff. Liriel kicked a stone: "Stuck-up princesses! Pathetic." The atmosphere was tense, with Lyra's letter in my pocket and Elowyn sending a druidic message: "I trust you, Takumi." Elara murmured, "Why are there so many princesses?"
The village was a scene of devastation: burned houses, ruined fields, and the smell of ashes in the air. The investigation began, and chaos came quickly. Elara tried a tracking spell to locate the minions. "Just to find their trail!" she said. The spell glowed for seconds before she collapsed, panting. "Mana… gone," she groaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close that I felt my heart pounding. "Takumi, I… I wanted to…" she began, with a look that almost made me forget the minions—but the spell triggered a trap, releasing magical thorns that ensnared us. Vespera, trying to help, used her charm but distracted the villagers, who knocked over a fence. Her crooked arrow hit a post, which toppled. "What a delicious mess!" she shouted, as Freya shoved her, and she seemed to enjoy it. "Liriel, do something!" I yelled. She raised her wine cup. "Divine Purification Magic!" The light exploded—but set a haystack on fire, spreading smoke. I tried cutting the thorns with my borrowed sword but slipped in a puddle, crashing into a pile of logs. A smaller minion appeared, but Freya defeated it, leaving behind a fragment marked like the items in my backpack.
Amid the chaos, Elara, still in my arms, murmured, "Takumi, have you ever felt… like you're not good enough?" Her voice was fragile, and I felt a pang in my chest. Vespera teased, "Getting cozy, Takumi?" Thalira, watching, said, "Interesting. Your loyalty is inspiring." Elara blushed, muttering, "Why is she standing so close?" while Liriel, her eyes burning with jealousy, shouted, "Focus, mortal, or you'll burn down the whole village!" Elowyn appeared with a druidic glow, touching my shoulder. "You're stronger than you think." Vespera scoffed, "Another princess!" Liriel kicked Lyra's fragment: "Idiotic princesses!" Freya, sighing, put out the fire with a spell, but the hay was already ashes. She picked up the fragment and said, "Curious. It looks like part of a map." When she touched it, it vibrated, knocking down more logs. Freya, irritated, said, "You'll pay for this." Survivors laughed, and Melina sang, "In the village they strip the hay, the strippers fall into disarray!" Freya muttered, "You're a plague!"
We returned to the Vaelor guild with the fragment, but the village was even more destroyed. They paid us 50 coins, minus damages. We settled the debt with Gunnar, but Freya charged 10 coins for the hay and the fence. At the inn, I sat exhausted while Elara and Vespera argued about who "messed up less." "I only used one spell!" said Elara, cheeks red. "And I only fired one arrow!" retorted Vespera, avoiding my gaze. Liriel, drinking wine, scoffed, "You're pathetic. I did everything." Elowen appeared, examined the fragment, and said, "A map for the Demon King's ritual. Kaelthorn is planning something bigger. Be careful, strippers." She left without further explanation. The atmosphere was heavy, with Elara, Vespera, and Liriel throwing jealous glances, and Thalira's, Lyra's, and Elowyn's words only making things worse. "What's going on, Takumi?" asked Elara, her jealousy obvious. Vespera muttered, "Nothing. Just stuck-up princesses."
When Elara and Vespera left 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 takes care of the rest." She took a sip. "Why? You planning to send me back, mortal?" She smiled, with a look that left me confused. I looked at the glowing items—amulet, scepter, orb, tome, crystal, scroll, ring, cube, medallion, bracelet, necklace, royal scepter, cord, orb, diadem, key, cord, ring, stone, necklace, bracelet, ring, bracelet, medallion, ring, pendant, cord, bracelet, fragment. Vespera's kiss, Elara's memories, Liriel's jealousy, Lyra's letter, Thalira's flirtation, and Elowyn's messages, the debt with Freya—my life was a nightmare, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.