“Oh for fu-” Nicholas tried to say.

“What do we do?” Eins asked, interrupting their agitated friend. With [Lust] active, everyone in the local area would have their thoughts processes reduced. The group would need to act quickly if they wanted to act at all. Their minds gradually slowed. It would eventually become impossible to do anything. This was nothing like the team’s first encounter with Lust. It was intense. She was either amplifying her skill to a new extreme, or her skill was out of control. Regardless of the real reason, something needed to change before it got bad enough to notice.

Nicholas looked over to the rest of his crew. The other three members of his team were still dancing without a care in the world. It was odd. They should have all heard the same message. The stakes were clearly high. Proper actions were necessary. So, why weren’t they aware of the situation? Fortunately, narrow eyes could see the truth and the beads of cold sweat that formed on each team member. Aside from them, no one else knew the truth. The other bar patrons were ignorant of the sin within their midst.

“We do what we always do, wing it,” Nicholas said. His voice carried misplaced confidence that would confuse anyone that heard it. The Unnamed Team not formulating a fool-proof plan? Did they not think every action through? Those sorts of questions would pop into most minds when they heard his proclamation. Of course, people who personally knew the team wouldn’t have those kinds of questions.

“Why am I not surprised?” Eins said. They were one of those people. The Unnamed Team was capable of creating plans, but they often had flaws or were rushed. It was why they frequently acted in the moment and without hesitation. As a result, they were confused for being heroic and not faltering in the face of danger. In reality, the team was extremely reactionary and simply acted on their self-preservation instincts.

The summoner and familiar duo split up to enact their loose plan. One went to the bar while the other approached the bards. Quick actions were absolutely necessary. They didn’t want to garner the attention of any unsavory individuals or guards. Meanwhile, the rest of The Unnamed Team continued their dance. Their job didn’t have to be said. They were to act as a distraction and prevent anyone from noticing what was going on, especially Prince Morgan. He’d only need to shout for plenty of guards and elite units to arrive on the scene. Lust wouldn’t stand a chance, and the team would be forced to put her down.

“Hey, you three, got any good songs? I’m looking for something to raise the mood.” Nicholas said. What was a tavern party without good music? Nothing. That was why he needed a great tune to keep the room’s spirits high. The more people that were immersed in the moment, the less they’d notice the team’s movement in the shadows. Nicholas held up a few gold coins as if to bribe the bards, but they would play any tune for free. It was simply an added incentive and thanks. Unfortunately, they took it as a bit of an insult.

“The Song of Heroes isn’t good enough for the heroes?” One of the bards said. The other two started to chime in with their own heckling. How could a hero not like a song about them? Was it the bards that were the problem? Did the little hero prefer the musicians from the Annual Winter Ball? Of course, it was all in good faith. They were simply giving Nicholas a hard time. They’d eagerly take his money if he could specify the song he wanted.

“No, it’s just-” Nicholas tried to explain but was interrupted by an unexpected voice.

“It’s just that our friend here needs something with a bit more oomph. Let’s play Firecracker, boys!” Peter Knight said with a voice full of glee. He pulled out his trusty lute and joined the other bards. Excitement filled the small stage as the others realized who they were dealing with. It was the Peter Knight. The bard that went to the Autumn Festival Tournament and defeated Wrath. The bard that created a plethora of songs known the world over. The bard that always followed his heart, even when it wasn't for the best. The Peter Knight was offering to play at such a small establishment. Needless to say, the other three bards were ecstatic to work with their own personal hero. Only one person felt anything other than joy at the time, and he was more confused than anything else.

“Peter? How did you… You know what, never mind. I don’t care.” Nicholas said. He was concerned that Peter somehow managed to both escape the ball and track The Unnamed Team, but all of that worry dissipated. There wasn’t enough time for all of the questions he wanted to ask. As long as the new bard behaved, there was no problem.

At the same time this was happening, Eins was working their magic on the bar and the barkeep. Both were what one would expect for a tavern. The bar was wooden with many stains for years of drinking and hosting a slew of adventuring parties. The barkeep was rough and tough enough to handle any kind of patron and send the greedier ones home crying. He wasn’t the type of man who would take an insult lying down, but money had a way of making people avert their eyes. That was what Eins was hoping for.

“How many rounds can a platinum coin get me?” Eins said with a confident smile. They placed their coin on the bar and slid it to the barkeep. Their eyes wandered, looking for anything expensive or especially intoxicating. The plan was to establish a distraction. Nicholas would handle the music, and Eins would keep the drinks flowing. Cheaper drinks would have been preferred, but it wouldn’t hurt to get the background guests drunk to keep them from saying anything or being taken seriously if they did.

“More than you could handle, little one,” The barkeep said. He eyed Eins for a moment. There was no way this person could drink a platinum coin’s worth of alcohol. They’d be dead long before the river of liquor stopped flowing. Nothing in the tavern came remotely close to that absurd amount. It wasn’t surprising to see Eins’s single effort blatantly rejected. To the untrained eye, they looked exactly like a human. A normal person who could probably only handle two to three drinks at most. Fortunately, Eins was neither human nor intended to drink alone.

“I like the sounds of that. How about I put three on the tavern’s tab and-” Eins started to say but was interrupted by a familiar annoying voice.

“Hey, everyone! The Demon Slime is buying us drinks with their platinum coins!” Gerhki, the halfling, shouted. His shrill voice was agitating to most that heard it. How he jumped into conversations and situations that didn’t involve him also rubbed people the wrong way. It was especially bothersome that he took Eins’s spotlight. This was supposed to be the Demon Slime’s moment. A way for them to show they were a real member of the team. They would have cursed at the halfling, but there wasn’t time for that.

“Aren’t you that little… Actually, that doesn’t matter. Just make sure everyone has fun.” Eins said. It wasn’t worth the effort. The job was done. Griping wouldn’t do anything. As long as the distraction continued, they didn’t care who was doing the distracting. It would have been best for Nicholas and Eins to do their respective jobs, but their target called out to them.

“Hey, you two! Why not join the party that you’re so clearly amping up?!” Lust said. She was clearly drunk. How a demon with multiple layers of poison resistance could be wasted over liquor tailored for humans was unclear. What was obvious were the numerous empty wooden mugs that lined all of the nearby tables and even littered the ground. The Unnamed Team members, Morgan, and Emma all seemed fine if not a little inebriated, so the true culprit couldn’t be hidden.

With the spotlight on them, Nicholas and Eins were forced onto the main dancefloor. Neither were particularly eager to join the fray, but rejecting the request would cause problems. The anthem that played was one that rarely played in taverns. It was a song that required multiple bards and instruments. The song was also rather rudimentary, opting to primarily use its chorus for lyrics. Audience participation was also a must to get the full experience of the anthem. All those things needed to be in perfect unison with one another, but that wasn’t hard. Every ear in the room perked up at the recognizable melody. Stomps and claps quickly ensued, and the dance began.

One of the defining features of the dance was how it didn’t require partners. People would simply form a large circle and take turns entering and exiting. Only two dancers were allowed to be within the inner circle at a time, and they would switch with the next pair once the chorus repeated. Pairs were chosen at random, usually by eyeing another person and hopping in at the right moment. It was the type of maneuver that brought both partners and strangers closer together. Forming a connection with someone wasn’t uncommon.

Everyone in the bar joined in as if hypnotized by a spell. The song had that sort of effect on people. It was infectious. One couldn't listen to it and not dance. Peter might have infused some of his magic into the vocals, but it wasn’t necessary. It didn't take long before the entire dining area was clear out to make room for multiple dancing pairs. Some of the pairs were obvious. Others were a bit unorthodox. Then, there was Gerhki, who was frolicking with a barrel of ale.

It didn’t take long for Eins to convince Lust to join the circle. Or rather, she convinced them to do so. The two tried to dance in perfect harmony but found the endeavor to be difficult. Lust was still inebriated and feeling the effects of heavy drinking, which would have killed a human. Eins didn’t know how to dance, so they opted to simply copy their partner until realizing that was pointless. The end goal was clear. All they needed to do was take that single step forward.

Eins practically lunged at Lust. She fell back, but Eins was there to catch her. The two exchanged looks for the briefest of moments. As if to give approval, Lust nodded her head and turned to gaze at her actual partner. It was nice. She had accepted her inevitable outcome but never quite expected The Unnamed Team to pull a stunt like this. It seemed like they were heroes after all.

As the song reached its climax, Eins used [Greed] to steal [Lust].