Witch

Stick arrived at a small villa in the middle of the slum, along with his brother. The villa was well-kept, with a flourishing garden surrounding it. There was a small gazebo and a cute little swing decorating the garden. Additionally, there was a small table right outside the villa, making it perfect for a tea party.

The villa was absolutely stunning in every way, with luxurious fittings and breathtaking design. However, it was nestled in the heart of a slum, an unusual choice of location. Despite its striking appearance, no one dared to tamper with it.

Within the slum, the imposing villa was a familiar sight to all residents. It held a notorious reputation as a desolate and dangerous place, predominantly avoided by all except those with a specific purpose for being there, or individuals who, for whatever reason, sought out the peril lurking within its walls.

With a trembling hand and a racing heart, Stick tentatively pressed the doorbell, its piercing sound echoing through the quiet neighborhood, reaching the ears of the neighbors. As the clamor began to subside, the door swung open languidly, revealing an empty threshold with no one in sight.

"brother, I'm scared"

"shut up. just stay quiet and don't do anything stupid"

The stick slowly started to inch forward, as a thick mist enveloped the entire villa, obscuring everything in its path. The mist was so delicate that it only rose to the height of the ankles, creating a serene and mysterious atmosphere.

Through the mist-shrouded villa , a narrow trail emerged. Following the trail, stick ascended to the second floor of the building. Inside a partially open room, a faint light could be seen emanating from within.

As Stick and Dumb entered the room, they noticed a woman peacefully reading on the couch with a book in her lap. She was dressed in a comfortable sleeping gown and wore sophisticated reading glasses. A small tablet rested on the table beside her, accompanied by a delicate lamp and a steaming cup of tea.

She casually remarked without looking up, "You're early. Although I don't really care because I get paid per hour for it," as she elegantly flipped up the book.

Maylin Fowler is known as the red dresses witch, a formidable figure in the slum. Even the toughest characters, like the black bear, are compelled to show her respect and wouldn't dare to challenge her authority.

A witch is a mystical and enigmatic being that is believed to have existed long before the emergence of the first human mage. Throughout history, they have been both feared and revered for their unparalleled mastery of magic, a privilege that was once exclusively theirs.

In the past, there were instances where witches, intoxicated by their own power, would venture into the human world and wreak havoc. This led to widespread discrimination against all witches, causing humans to begin hunting them out of fear and animosity. Consequently, a cycle of hatred formed between humans and witches.

As time passed and magic advanced, discrimination and hatred toward witches gradually began to fade. Human mages, who were able to rival witches in their magical abilities, started to emerge in larger numbers. With their numerical advantage, they managed to strip witches of their privileges to wield magic.

Even though they look just like humans, witches possess the extraordinary ability to attain the status of arch mage solely through their bloodlines. They are considered a type of demi-human, akin to elves and dwarves. The more powerful a witch is, the longer their lifespan. Ancient witches, who have lived for thousands of years, still hold a profound animosity towards humanity.

"The agreed-upon time remains unchanged. I am here to make another request." He briefly explained the situation with the witch.

"So you need my assistance to remedy your mistake? Do you believe you can afford my services?" Maylin once again said without bothering to look up.

"I'm willing to participate in your experiments for full filing the request"

After hearing those words, she calmly closed the book resting in her hands and lifted her gaze.

"I find your offer intriguing, but your participation alone may not be sufficient to secure my services," she remarked, casting a meaningful glance at his brother who stood behind him.

He was aware that the witch would make that demand, so he had already formulated an alternative agreement.

"I will participate and also bring in three more individuals," he offered.

"Make it five people, and your brother as well," she stated, gesturing towards Dumb.

"I will participate and also bring in an additional ten individuals," he promptly replied.

As Maylin gave a sweet smile, the mist below their feet began to rise, snaking its way into their mouth and nose. Suddenly, they fell to the ground, writhing in agony from the fast-acting attack. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the pain vanished.

"Ha, how adorable. So the rumors about the kind-hearted older sibling taking care of their foolish younger brother are true. Alright, this time, I'll humor your little requests," she said playfully.

The experiment Stick participate in is no ordinary one. It's a transfiguration experiment aimed at transforming individuals like Stick and Dumb, who have unconventional body proportions, into bodies that are considered ideal.

The concept looks promising in theory, but there haven't been any successful experiments to back it up. If someone were to survive, their body would end up even more disfigured than before. Even if the experiment were to succeed, it would still be one success in a sea of failures.

Maylin stood up and without any notice took off her nightgown. Seeing this stick didn't dare to take a look and immediately pushed his brother out of the room.

There is a rumour that anyone who dares to stare at the witch for an extended amount of time would get their eyes coughed out.

Seeing this, Maylin once again gave a small smirk.

"How Cute"

After a few minutes of waiting , Maylin finally emerged, stunning in her trademark red dress. As she passed by, she lightly brushed the side of Dumb's face and playfully said, "lead the way." Dumb couldn't help but shiver with fears at her words.

---------

As Eric departed from the brothel, he was not alone this time. Walking alongside him was the enigmatic figure who had always lingered behind Black Bear.

This man who was known as "Grease," and he was Black Bear right-hand man. It was common for people in the slum to have nicknames, as it helped them gain recognition and maintain anonymity. While not everyone had a nickname, a significant portion of them did.

When the black bear mentioned that he needed to pay up for the potions, the first thing that came to Eric's mind was the thought of returning to the mansion to ask for extra money. However, the idea of making the journey back and forth seemed impractical, as it would take too much time. The trip alone would take an hour, not to mention Eric's reluctance to disappoint his dad by revealing what had happened.

The second idea involved a carriage that he brings along. Although the carriage was primarily used for household chores, it was still well-maintained and of high quality. The value of the carriage is estimated to be 100 gold coins. Therefore, pawning it for 21 gold coins should not present a problem.

The reason he bring grease with him was to lead him to the black market. As he entered the shadowy tunnels beneath the city. The damp walls seemed to close in on him as he ventured deeper. The flickering light from the small stalls on either side of the passage gradually gave way to a row of makeshift stores, where hooded figures muttered and haggled over their wares. The network of tunnels branched out like an intricate maze, and for a newcomer like Eric, the path ahead seemed daunting and labyrinthine.

As Eric arrived at the store recommended by Grease, he approached the store owner with his carriage.

"I'd like to pawn this carriage," Eric said.

After a quick inspection, the store owner offered, "The best I can do is 5 gold coins."

"Isn't that too low?" Eric questioned.

"That a fair deal, if you want to sell it. I would buy it from you for 25 gold coins"

"What are you talking about. This carriage should costs at least 100 gold coins"

"That is the best prices i could give you. You can ask others place if you want to"

"Fine"

What a rip off. The carriage may be used by the butler for daily use , but its opulence rivals that of a carriage befitting a wealthy merchant.

Despite Eric's attempts to haggle, he discovered that the asking prices at other shops were just as low.

This is weird. The prices they give always above above 21 gold coins but always below 25 gold coins.

And with a quick glance, eric see a familiar face. It was the guy that he sees at the first store. He started to realised that guy actually in every store he visited so far.

As Eric cast a sidelong glance at grease who is next to him, he watched in frustration as he was blatantly ignored him . In that moment, he realized that he had fallen for a trick, but it was already too late. Having spent a considerable amount of time in the black market, he knew that even if he continued his search, he wouldn't find a store that offered him a fair price.