My life was a comedy where I always ended up flat on my face. The 10-coin debt to Nora, because of the fiasco at the fortress, was another weight on my back, and Melina's song about "the strippers of the columns" already had adventurers laughing even 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, 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 matters worse, Princess Lyra had sent another letter with a passionate tone praising my "unshakable courage," while Thalira, the elven envoy, gave me looks that mixed fascination and flirtation, causing Elara and Vespera to huff. Elowyn, through her druidic messages, sent a carved root ring saying, "For your perseverance, Takumi." That only deepened the emotional chaos. 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, 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, and pendant in my backpack all glowed together, and Elowen said the Demon King's ritual was only a few steps from completion. The danger felt like a deafening thunder, but today, I just wanted to pay off Nora and avoid more humiliation.
At the Vaelor guild, after the confrontation with Kaelthorn, Elowen sent us to an ancient temple in the mountains where the Demon King's ritual was to be performed. "Kaelthorn is close to success," she said, with her mysterious aura. "Find the altar and destroy it." The guild gave us a mission: locate the altar and neutralize its runes before Kaelthorn completed the ritual. Liriel grumbled, "A dusty temple? Unworthy of a goddess!" Elara, clutching her staff, promised, "I'll use magic carefully, I swear!" Vespera, with her bow slung over her shoulder, smiled, "A ritual? Sounds fun." I tried to sound firm: "No crazy magic, no crooked arrows, no succubus charm. Just destroy the altar." They laughed as if I were dreaming. Lyra sent a royal cord as a "symbol of hope," and Liriel threw it to the floor: "Stuck-up princess!" Thalira, who accompanied us, said, "Your determination is captivating, Takumi." Elara muttered, "Why is she always so close?"
The temple was a scene of worn stone, broken columns, cracked stained glass, and dense magical energy. Elowen introduced Astrid, a human cleric with gray hair and sharp eyes. "The strippers? Don't destroy my temple!" said Astrid, with a tone that mixed seriousness and sarcasm. She explained that the altar was protected by runes and magical guardians. Melina appeared, strumming her lute. "New verse ready!" she announced, drawing looks from allies. Elowyn touched my shoulder: "You lead with courage, Takumi." Elara and Vespera huffed, while Liriel kicked a stone: "Idiotic princesses!" The atmosphere was tense, with jealousy flaring like a fire.
The search began, and chaos came quickly. Elara tried a detection spell to locate the runes. "Just to find the altar!" 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 I could feel my heart racing. "Takumi, I… I wanted to…" she began, but the spell triggered the wrong rune, releasing specters that attacked. Vespera, trying to help, used her charm but distracted Astrid, who dropped a candelabrum. Her crooked arrow shattered a stained glass window. "What a delightful chaos!" she shouted as Bjorn shoved her, and she seemed to enjoy it. "Liriel, do something!" I shouted. She raised her wine cup. "Divine purification magic!" The light exploded but set the curtains on fire, spreading smoke. I tried to strike a specter with my borrowed sword but slipped on a puddle, crashing into a statue. Astrid, fighting the specters, yelled, "You're all a disaster!"
Amid the chaos, Elara, still in my arms, murmured, "Takumi, have you ever felt… that you can't change fate?" Her voice was fragile, and I felt a tightness in my chest. Vespera teased, "Getting close, Takumi?" Lyra, who was accompanying the mission, said, "Your bravery is charming, Takumi." Elara blushed, muttering, "Why is she so close?" while Liriel, eyes burning with jealousy, shouted, "Focus, mortal, or you'll burn the whole temple down!" Thalira laughed, "Your chaos is almost divine." Elowyn, glowing with druidic light, said, "You're stronger than you think, Takumi." Vespera scoffed, "Another princess!" Liriel kicked Lyra's cord: "Stupid princesses!" Astrid, sighing, put out the fire with a spell, but the curtains were ashes. She found a stone with markings identical to the items in my backpack, lying among the rubble. "Curious," she said, handing it to me. When I touched it, it vibrated, knocking over more statues. Astrid, irritated, said, "You'll pay for this." Our allies laughed, and Melina sang, "In the temple, they strip the statues, the strippers fall into confusion!" Astrid grumbled, "You're a plague!"
We reached the altar, but Kaelthorn wasn't there. The runes pulsed, indicating the ritual had begun. Astrid deactivated one rune but said others were scattered. We returned to the Vaelor guild with the stone but with the temple damaged. They paid us 60 coins, minus the damages. We paid off the debt to Nora, but Astrid charged 15 coins for the curtains. 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 shot one arrow!" replied Vespera, avoiding my gaze. Liriel, drinking wine, scoffed, "You're pathetic. I did everything." Elowen appeared, examined the stone, and said, "Another piece of the Demon King's ritual. Kaelthorn is one step from success. Be careful, strippers." She left without explaining more. The air was heavy, with Elara, Vespera, and Liriel throwing jealous looks, and Lyra's, Thalira's, and Elowyn's words only made things worse. "What's going on, Takumi?" asked Elara, her jealousy obvious. 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 on your throne now?" She shrugged with a lazy smile. "Celine, my assistant. She's annoying, but she handles the rest." She took a sip. "Why? You trying to send me back, mortal?" She smiled, giving me 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, 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, pendant, stone. Elara's memories, Liriel's jealousy, Lyra's letters, Thalira's and Elowyn's flirting, the debt with Astrid — my life was a nightmare, and I just wanted one day without being called a pervert.
That night, I dreamed again of Kaelthorn. He laughed, holding a glowing rune. "The ritual is inevitable, Takumi," he said, with red eyes. I woke up sweating, with Elara sleeping beside me, holding my hand. "You were restless," she murmured, without opening her eyes. My heart raced. Vespera, on the other side, watched silently, while Liriel, with her wine, muttered, "Mortals and their stupid dreams." The damaged temple, the glowing stone, and Kaelthorn's looming threat weighed heavier than ever. I knew the next step would be decisive.