Secrets of the Deserted Haven [Part 1]

As dawn broke, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, I found myself cocooned in a whirlwind of warmth and softness. Clingy girls in bed beside me? Quite the strange feeling indeed. Don't get me wrong; I appreciated their affection, but I could feel my dignity slipping away like grains of sand through my fingers.

Let's rewind a bit to lay the foundation for the day ahead. My name is Velvet Goon Kaiser, an adventurer born into a noble family. Yet, fate played a cruel trick on me. With the blood of commoners coursing through my veins alongside that of royals, I became what some call a half-noble.

Because of that, ridicule and scorn followed me everywhere. I made the decision to leave that wretched household behind after graduating from a place known as Azure High—a typical school with mediocre grading and few nobles among its ranks.

Fast forward to the present: I stand proud as a successful adventurer, having achieved the highest rank just a few weeks ago, a heart-stopping moment etched in my memory.

And here I am now, sandwiched between three girls. There's Ariel, the short-tempered brown-haired elf; Ruka, a blunt yet strikingly beautiful blonde elf who gifted me passive luck magic; and Poru, a petite red-haired dragon princess, straightforward and full of spirit.

These girls—Ruka and Poru, specifically—are my cherished companions in our party, whimsically dubbed the "Blooming Lotus Extravaganza," a name that Poru whimsically conjured.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room: I found myself trapped in a delightful predicament. The previous night had left me exhausted, as the girls had taken turns engaging in playful mischief that would surely make anyone blush.

After several minutes of squirming, I finally managed to break free from their grasp. "Okay, girls, it's time to wake up," I declared, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.

Yet, instead of releasing me, they clung tighter, their possessiveness a surprise to me. With a sigh, I managed to escape their embrace and stood up.

"Wow, these girls are more clingy than I expected," I muttered, wiping the sweat from my brow.

After dressing, I watched as the girls fumbled with their gear, using magic to adjust it to their slightly grown figures.

"See? I told you doing it too much would cause this!" Ariel huffed, a pout forming on her lips.

"Come on, at least you enjoyed it," Ruka replied, a teasing smirk on her face.

"Yeah, Vel takes good care of us, you have to agree!" Poru chimed in, her enthusiasm infectious.

Their playful banter only fueled my embarrassment, but I decided to brush it off. "Anyway, let's head to the guild if you're all ready," I said, my voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

As we made our way out of the house, I helped a few locals along the way, indulging in some light-hearted conversations before reaching the guild.

"Here we are," I huffed, feeling my legs protest from our journey.

Ariel quickly darted off to find a quest for our party, and I observed her as she picked up a particular one that seemed like a fun challenge. What happened next would alter our fate. When she touched the quest paper, it vanished in a flash, teleporting us to an unfamiliar island.

"Make it stop!" I shouted, panic creeping in as I realized the others had vanished, only to find Ruka and Poru staring at me with confusion, Ariel sporting a disappointed expression.

I laughed nervously, shaking off the shock as I took stock of our surroundings. We stood alone in a deserted expanse, surrounded by nothingness.

"So, how did this happen?" I mused, contemplating our predicament. "Ruka, can you use your search magic to find an exit?" I asked, hopeful.

She concentrated and, after a moment, declared, "I found a cave!" She pointed toward a sinister-looking entrance.

Just then, a monstrous creature leapt from the shadows—a killer rabbit, but far larger than any I had faced before. I felt my heart race.

"Thank goodness this isn't a strong monster!" I exclaimed, relief washing over me. I unleashed a blast of magic to push it back, only for it to deftly dodge. Ruka and Poru quickly combined their magic, obliterating the creature.

"That was some impressive magic," I said, kneeling in awe.

We decided to venture into the cave, but it quickly became apparent that it was limited in space. Just as we stepped inside, Ruka tripped, activating a trap door beneath us.

"I'm sorry!" she shouted as we tumbled down together.

"How long are we going to fall?" I groaned, rolling my eyes as we plummeted.

When we finally landed, I expected pain, but instead, we landed on a surprisingly soft bed.

"Huh…" I mused, exploring the large bed beneath us. "This is odd."

"Odd? This is beyond strange!" Ariel responded, her tone calm yet perplexed.

"Why is there a bed here anyway?" I pondered aloud.

Poru clung to my arm, pointing to the wall. "This is a… dead end!" she whimpered.

"Don't worry," I reassured her, "I'll find a way—"

Suddenly, a booming sound echoed around us. Ruka had unleashed an explosion against the wall.

"I found a secret location, tehee~" she proclaimed proudly, waiting for my praise.

"Alright, good job, Ruka," I said, patting her head.

"Mmmm!" Ruka purred, "I'll thank you later, once we're out~"

"No," I replied teasingly.

"Wha—" she pouted.

"Just kidding." I chuckled, sensing jealousy radiating from the girls behind me.

With the newfound passage, we ventured in together, only to stumble upon an intriguing pillar with an object atop it.

"What's this?" I murmured, inching closer to inspect the peculiar orb. As I approached, a creaking sound filled the air, but it felt like mere imagination until I triggered yet another trap, sending us plummeting down again.

"Again?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

This fall was shorter, but when we landed, the space felt even more confined. Frustrated, I decided to take a cue from Ruka, but with more intensity.

I aimed my magic at the wall ahead, determined to clear the path without harming the girls.

"What?" I gulped, fear gripping me. "Are you seeing this?" I asked the others.

"Nope, it seems you're not mistaken," Ariel confirmed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Poru and Ruka expressed their joy at the treasure revealed, filling my storage dimension beyond capacity.

"Make sure to take as much as my storage can fit!" I sighed, summoning the dimension.

"Vel! I got something we need to keep—" Poru dashed forward, her hands glowing brightly.

"Uh-oh…" she looked at me, a hint of panic in her voice.

I snatched the object from her hands just as it began to tick ominously. A wave of dread washed over me as I braced for impact.

"Velvet!" the girls screamed in unison, horror etched on their faces.

The device quivered violently in my grasp, and I shouted, "How do we make it stop?!" before it exploded.

"Uh…" a voice echoed, cutting through the silence. "Are you my master?"

In that moment, I was left in stunned silence, glancing back at the girls. "The device… turned into a girl?!"