I don't need much money, so I gave all of my winnings except a suitcase of credits and some jewellery to Magnolia. (After second thoughts, funding a terrorist organization is not a good idea.) In return, Magnolia provides Agatha and I the most lavish and large room at her disposal.

Although, well, that idiotic move angers Agatha.

"You shouldn't have done that!" Agatha whispers furiously. "Look, I saw her blow up an elven orphanage once! She's that kind of person! Imagine what she would do with that much resources!"

"Look, okay," I say. "Yes, that was stupid. But still, we need to get on somebody's good side if we were to investigate Madu."

"Well, that–"

Agatha stutters. She buries her face underneath her hands.

"Sorry," she mutters. "It's just that I've seen her at her worst."

I pat her calmly on her back. "Agatha! Vio!" Magnolia calls from below, "come down here!"

"Damn it. What now?" Agatha murmurs. We hurriedly go down the stairs.

Loud music blasts my ears. Flashing lights blind my eyes. Stacks of food lay untouched. A dozen or so people await us.

"Woah!" one of them screams. "It's the real Vio, Magnolia?"

"I'm pretty much real, thank you very much," I say. Magnolia passed me a glass of martini.

"Whatcha doing, Agatha?" Magnolia, already half-drunk from the glass of martini she gulped a moment ago, asks. "Come here, sit with me."

Agatha proceeds to sit right across Magnolia. She finishes off her second can of beer.

"Ya know," Magnolia says. "That fucking snake–whatever thingy that is."

"It's beaten, finally after two months, damn it."

The crowd bursts into cheer and laughter. I clutch my shocked chest strongly. "Vio, you damn awesome!"

"Luck," I reply.

"Actually, ya know, Vio, there's a prize the officials forgot to send ya."

A Fundamentalist brings out a slave elf. I roll my eyes at them, Agatha gulps down another martini uncomfortably. Weary eyes decorate her face.

The slave stares at me chillingly. Magnolia takes out a syringe filled with yellow liquid.

Gotcha.

"What is that?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Madu. Honestly, dunno how it works. Stimulates the brain or something. Pretty efficient at keeping them submissive, I can tell ya," Magnolia answers as she injects the syringe into the slave's arm. "Got it at the market."

"Really? Such a strong drug at the market?" I ask.

"Heh. Name anything and you'll find it here."

All of a sudden, the emotionless slave puts her hand on Magnolia's shoulder.

"Whatcha doing, filthy elf? Hands off!" Magnolia barks.

"Die."

Fuck not another suicide bomber again!

"Blood Shockwave!"

"Wind Prison!"

The elf falls right into the Wind Prison, the explosion harming nothing. "So that is killing us. Damn Purists," Magnolia curses. She kicks away the corpse.

"Don't worry about that," a Fundamentalist chuckles. "We'll get rid of it."

"I never heard of that drug," I say, fabricating an obvious lie. "Is it new?"

"Eh, well, new-ish. A couple of years or so. Ya know, it makes the slave industry go boom," Magnolia says. "Training a slave used to be superbly difficult."

"Who introduced that?" I ask. "That kind of elixir isn't going to pop out of nowhere."

"Humm ... hey, anyone, where does it come from again?" Magnolia asks.

"Eh, some gal named Weiss, I think."

Darn. Now the White Witch has to appear out of nowhere?

"I'll take ya there tomorrow if you're so interested," Magnolia offers.

"Aren't you busy, Magnolia?" Agatha interrupts. "I'll do it."

And Magnolia and others party until dawn. Agatha and I sneakily escape to our room, where we receive some well-earned rest.

The very next day, Agatha and I travel to the market. The vibrant air and the loud chattering give me the impression of a regular market, until we penetrate deeper and deeper into the heart of the market. Agatha points out at a shoddy potion shop.

"Archduke Elliot," Agatha gasps. The minute man notices us, but ignores us. He leaves very shortly after.

What is he doing here?

"What are you searching for?" the old, half-elven, shopkeeper asks.

"Got any Madu?" I ask frontally.

The shopkeeper stares at me blankly. "No, whatever the heck that is."

We leave. "We haven't pierced this market yet," Agatha says. "We must get deeper."

"Whatcha doing?" Magnolia surprises me from behind. I clutch my chest tightly.

"Oh, Magnolia," Agatha greets her with false warmth.

Magnolia laughs loudly. "Oh, come on," she says in a whisper. "You won't find Madu here."

She leads us further down the road. The stench of blood is awful and provoking. The wailings tear apart my sanity.

"You'll have to search the inner sections of the market, Vio," Magnolia claims. "As illegal as this market is, Madu is a whole other matter."

"So where is it?" I ask.

"Slave houses, mostly," Magnolia says. "I told ya, that gal Weiss is pretty damn secretive about her operations."

I bite my lips, dreading Weiss' presence. Maybe, maybe, we can use Magnolia as bait and get the hell out of here. On the other hand, though, the White Witch wouldn't want to wreck chaos here, so perhaps we can count on that.

Magnolia enters what looks like a large house. It's far more colourful and well-maintained than the buildings and shops surrounding it.

"Hey! Weiss!" Magnolia, still half-drunk, shouts, shocking the passer-byes.

A cloaked man opens the door. "Weiss is not here, sorry. What do you need?" he asks.

A vampire. Must be the White Witch's goon.

In a very fast movement, the man strikes, a syringe stuck in Magnolia's neck. She collapses.

"What are you–"

"Violleta Vonville. Agatha Sinclair. We don't have much time," he says as he picks Magnolia up. "Enter the house now. We need to talk."

Agatha and I exchange looks. "I'm far weaker than either of you is. Please do not fear."

"Very well," I affirm.

"I'm an agent of the Stars," he says. "We are neutral."

"Yes, I'm aware of that, thank you very much," I reply.

"Your tongue is sharper than I expected it to be. My king requests you to come to our land."

"And why is that?" I ask, my eyes slanting.

"I don't know," he whispers.

Seeing my raised eyebrows, he continues. "The Empire won't know if I don't know. Now please leave. We're attracting too much attention, I fear. The Empire's dogs watch this area carefully."