My life was a comedy where I always ended up face-down on the ground. The 10-coin debt to Ingrid, because of the fiasco at the fortified field, was yet another weight on my back, and Melina's song about "the barrier strippers" already had adventurers laughing even in Vaelor's taverns. My head was a whirlwind. Elara, Vespera, and Liriel tangled my feelings in ways I couldn't understand. Elara's shy glances, now more intense after her memories returned, 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, Princess Lyra had sent another letter, full of passion, praising my "unbreakable courage," while Thalira, the elven envoy, threw me looks that mixed fascination and flirtation, earning huffs from Elara and Vespera. Elowyn, with her druidic messages, sent me a carved bark amulet, saying, "For your resilience, Takumi." That only made the emotional chaos worse. Vespera's kiss at the Moon Festival still lingered, with her avoiding my gaze, while Elara hesitated to speak. I wanted to understand what I felt, but with this group, it was like trying to read a scroll during a hurricane. 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, ring, pendant, cord, bracelet, fragment, cord, scepter, pendant, necklace, bracelet, bracelet, cord, stone, cord, ring, and amulet in my backpack glowed together, and Elowen said the Demon King's ritual was imminent. Danger rumbled like distant thunder, but today, I just wanted to pay off my debt to Ingrid and avoid more humiliation.
At the Vaelor guild, after advanced training, Elowen warned us about an ambush planned by Kaelthorn in a nearby forest. "He knows about the items," she said, with her usual mysterious aura. "Be vigilant." The guild gave us a mission: intercept Kaelthorn and his minions before they could steal the items from my backpack. Liriel grumbled, "Facing a filthy general? Unworthy of a goddess!" Elara, gripping her staff, promised, "I'll use magic carefully, I swear!" Vespera, with her bow slung over her shoulder, smirked, "An ambush? This will be interesting." I tried to sound firm: "No crazy spells, no crooked arrows, no succubus charms. Just defeat the enemies." They laughed as if I were dreaming. Lyra sent a royal medallion as a "symbol of protection," and Liriel threw it to the ground. "Stuck-up princess!" Thalira, who accompanied us, said, "Your determination is inspiring, Takumi." Elara muttered, "Why is she always so close?"
The forest was a dense scene of tall trees, glowing moss, and a magical mist floating in the air. Elowen introduced Bjorn, a human hunter with a thick beard and sharp eyes. "The strippers? Don't destroy my forest!" Bjorn said, in a tone that mixed seriousness and sarcasm. He explained that Kaelthorn had sent minions to lure us into a trap. Melina appeared, strumming her lute. "New verse ready!" she announced, attracting glances from our allies. Elowyn touched my shoulder. "You lead with courage, Takumi." Elara and Vespera huffed, while Liriel kicked at a root. "Idiotic princesses!" The atmosphere was thick, jealousy flaring like wildfire.
The ambush began, and chaos came fast. Elara tried a barrier spell to protect the group. "Just for defense!" she said. The spell glowed for a few seconds before she collapsed, gasping. "Mana... gone," she groaned, falling into my arms. Her face was so close I felt my heart race. "Takumi, I... I wanted to..." she began, but the unstable barrier spell collapsed over Bjorn, knocking down trees. Vespera tried to attack using her charm, but distracted Thorne, who tripped over a minion. Her crooked arrow hit a tree, which toppled. "What a delightful mess!" she shouted, as Sigrid shoved her aside — and she seemed to enjoy it. "Liriel, do something!" I yelled. She raised her wine glass. "Divine purification magic!" Light exploded — and set the vegetation on fire, spreading smoke. I tried to strike a minion with my borrowed sword but slipped on a root, crashing down and knocking loose branches. Bjorn, fighting the minions, yelled, "You're all a disaster!"
Amid the chaos, Elara, still in my arms, murmured, "Takumi, have you ever felt... like you can't save anyone?" Her voice was fragile, and I felt a tightness in my chest. Vespera teased, "Getting cozy, Takumi?" Lyra, who had joined the mission, said, "Your bravery is enchanting, Takumi." Elara blushed, murmuring, "Why is she so close?" while Liriel, eyes burning with jealousy, shouted, "Focus, mortal, or you'll burn the whole forest down!" Thalira laughed. "Your chaos is almost heroic." Elowyn, glowing with druidic light, said, "You're stronger than you think, Takumi." Vespera huffed. "Another princess!" Liriel kicked Lyra's medallion. "Stupid princesses!" Bjorn, sighing, doused the fire with a spell, but the vegetation was left in ashes. He found a fragment with markings identical to the items in my backpack, lying among the debris. "Curious," he said, handing it to me. When I touched the fragment, it vibrated, knocking down more branches. Bjorn, irritated, said, "You'll pay for this." Our allies laughed, and Melina sang, "In the forest they strip the trees, the strippers fall in confusion!" Bjorn grumbled, "You're a plague!"
The minions retreated, but Kaelthorn never appeared. Bjorn suggested he was testing our defenses. We returned to the Vaelor guild with the fragment, but the forest was damaged. They paid us 60 coins, minus the damages. We settled the debt with Ingrid, but Bjorn charged 15 coins for the vegetation. 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, avoiding my gaze. Liriel, sipping her wine, sneered, "You're pathetic. I did everything." Elowen appeared, examined the fragment, and said, "Another piece of the Demon King's ritual. Kaelthorn is closer than ever. Be careful, strippers." She left without further explanation. The air grew tense — Elara, Vespera, and Liriel exchanging jealous looks, while Lyra's, Thalira's, and Elowyn's words only made things worse. "What's going on, Takumi?" asked Elara, jealousy evident. Vespera muttered, "Nothing, just stuck-up princesses."
When Elara and Vespera went out to get food, I pulled Liriel aside. "If you're a goddess, who's sitting on your throne now?" She shrugged lazily, with a teasing smile. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying, but she takes care of things." She took a sip. "Why? Trying to get rid of me, 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, cord, bracelet, fragment, cord, scepter, pendant, necklace, bracelet, bracelet, cord, stone, cord, ring, amulet, fragment. Vespera's kiss, Elara's memories, Liriel's jealousy, Lyra's letters, Thalira's and Elowyn's flirtations, the debt to Bjorn — my life was a nightmare, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.
That night, I dreamed of Kaelthorn. He was a tall shadow with red eyes and a cold laugh. "You cannot stop the ritual, Takumi," he said, pointing to the items. I woke up sweating, with Elara asleep in the chair beside me, holding my arm. "You were restless," she murmured, eyes still closed. My heart raced again. Vespera, on the other side of the room, watched silently, while Liriel, still with her wine, grumbled, "Mortals and their stupid dreams." The burned forest, the glowing fragment, and Kaelthorn's looming threat weighed heavier than ever. I knew that the next encounter wouldn't be just with minions.