Fortune's Dice: A Wager of Luck

Sunny days are still as horrid as ever; at least there's a hint of rose in the air. "Wait, what's that lovely rose scent?" I wondered, lifting my sheets to discover something that momentarily left me in shock.

"Morning already?" the elf goddess exclaimed, stretching and yawning like a cat.

Before we continue, hello again, I'm Velvet, your average adventurer cursed with a luck ability—thanks to this mischievous elf who insists on calling herself a goddess. By some twist of fate, she now lives with me after we formed a party together.

"Get dressed, will you?" I averted my gaze, trying not to stare.

"A little too revealing for you, boy?" she teased, grinning as she flashed me a cheeky smile.

"That's definitely too revealing!" I protested, my cheeks flushing as I hurried to get dressed myself, hoping to hide a certain… reaction.

"Oh my, how bold," she said, blushing as she raised her arms for me to help with her shirt and even lifted her leg for her socks and boots. I let her handle the rest to avoid spoiling her too much—or accidentally showing my own embarrassment.

"Ahem, now that you're all dressed, let's fetch your adventurer's clothes from the guild," I said, finally suited up in my armor.

"Mind if I cling to your arm?" she asked, her big eyes pleading.

I thought for a moment. "Sure, but don't cling too tightly, okay?" Of course, she latched onto me as if I were a life raft, leading to an exasperated sigh.

Hours later, we finally arrived at the guild. Usually, it would be faster by carriage or whatever those wheeled contraptions are, but who knew where they came from? I imagined some great inventor had left them behind, a true hero of the ages.

"Ah, there you two are!" Ariel waved at us, her smile brightening the room.

"Hello, Ari!" Ruka dashed over to give her a quick hug.

"Good to see you again! It feels like we always meet at the guild," I scratched my head, feeling a bit weary.

Sometimes, my luck swings in my favor, hinting that maybe nothing unfortunate would happen today. A big gamble, but I didn't want to dwell on it.

"Here you go, your tailored and custom-made clothes," Ariel announced, handing us our outfits. "And be sure to clean them regularly!"

"We most certainly will!" Ruka and I chimed.

Moments later, we donned our new gear. Ruka decided to style her hair with cute buns, complementing her majestic wanderer look. My attire resembled that of an old nomad, complete with a few ripped bits, which seemed to fit me just fine—especially with my messy cyan hair flowing just right.

"Very handsome, if I may say so," Ruka nudged my arm playfully.

"Same to you! That looks great on you," I gave her a thumbs up, and she turned her head away, embarrassed.

No punches or sharp words today—was this a stroke of luck? I wasn't sure, but the day had been promising so far, without interruptions.

Ariel stood before us, a serious look crossing her face. "Alright, now that you're all suited up, could you tackle this quest that's been hanging around for a few days?" With a flourish, she produced the quest details.

"Wow, Ariel is something else," Ruka whispered, awe evident in her tone.

"Keep that to yourself! She's just a lovely guild attendant," I shushed her, hoping to avoid any awkward comments.

"My bad," Ruka sighed, looking apologetic.

We accepted the quest and set off. What the quest entailed? Well, we'd find out soon enough—and in the most unexpected way possible.

"So... how did we fall into this layer surrounded by monsters?" I wondered aloud, feeling a sense of foreboding.

"Don't worry, I've got you covered!" Ruka exclaimed, rushing in front of me and casting a spell that obliterated all the monsters in an instant. I was astonished and a bit terrified.

"That's... an impressive skill, Ruka," I managed, sweating.

"Right?" she beamed, crossing her arms proudly.

"So, how do we get out of here?" I asked, trying to keep my cool.

"I haven't thought that far ahead," she admitted, a frown creasing her forehead.

"Ninety," I replied, "we're on floor ninety."

"Wait, that far down?" Panic flickered across her face.

Just when I thought luck might shine on us, Ruka accidentally pressed a button on a large, circular platform with strange patterns, and suddenly, we were teleported back to floor zero.

"Well, that was unexpected," I stood up, disoriented from the sudden shift.

"My head hurts," Ruka groaned, regaining her bearings.

"Should we head back to the guild and deliver the items to Ariel?" I suggested, patting her back gently.

"Yeah, let's do that," she nodded, looking a bit green around the gills.

After resting for a moment on a nearby rock, she suddenly asked, "You don't think we can drive this rock, do you?"

"By magic, sure. But why would we?" I replied, confusion evident on my face.

"Why not?" she responded with a completely serious expression.

"Of course," I rolled my eyes, realizing this was just her being her quirky self.

Luck is a gamble, and today had been a mix of good and slightly disastrous—but at least it all worked out in the end. Or so I hoped.

"We're back, Ariel!" we called as we neared the guild entrance.

"Ah, welcome back—" She paused, eyes widening at the sight of our massive bag full of items.

"We left her speechless," Ruka chuckled, glancing at me.

"We most certainly did," I agreed, a grin creeping onto my face.

Ariel finally regained her composure. "Can we go somewhere more private? Everyone seems too curious," she suggested, glancing around at the growing crowd.

"Let's do that," I laughed off the stares.

In a secluded area, Ariel handed us a generous amount of money, having stored our large bag of loot somewhere safe. Thanks to my magician class, retrieving and storing items was a piece of cake.

"Thank you for completing the quest! I'll stamp it now and send it off," Ariel said, giving us a warm smile.

"That was quite a day, huh, Ruka?" I said, wrapping an arm around her instinctively.

"A-ah, yes it was," she stuttered, her face flushing.

"Oh, my mistake!" I backed away quickly, trying to play it off with a chuckle.

But she didn't let it slide easily and instead, walked me back home with a mischievous glint in her eye—one I certainly didn't expect after such a long day.

"Maybe we should talk about this?" I suggested hesitantly.

"Not a chance, Velvet," she grinned, leaning closer as a playful challenge.

How unfortunate it is that my day took a turn like this; just when I thought I'd rolled a good luck day, things became delightfully chaotic.