"What did you just say?" Freya asked, stunned by Kizzarae's revelation.
It was a rare sight to see her display such an expression, but even Kizzarae couldn't bring herself to joke about it. What she had just revealed warranted that reaction—and perhaps even more.
"Umm, well, I might have phrased it wrong," Kizzarae said, scratching her head. "It's not that the deal between the witches and your family will be void. It's just that the Queen has ordered the delivery of potions to be suspended. It's not a targeted measure against your family either—supplies to all non-witches are being cut off."
Freya wanted to argue that the Queen of Witches couldn't just arbitrarily nullify that part of the contract, but as she reflected on it, she recalled that the Queen actually could. That clause had been added by the Queen herself, and at the time of signing, Freya hadn't paid it much mind. Besides, it had been either accepting the clause or losing the deal entirely.
Only a handful of powers across Imperion could boast of having such a contract with the witches, and the Drazen family was one of them. However, the only reason they had secured such a deal in the first place was because of Kizzarae or more accurately, it was because of the fondness she had for Freya.
As she thought more about what Kizzarae had just said, Freya quickly grasped the true motive behind the Queen's decision. "By any chance, does the Queen intend to use the war to sell the potions at a higher price?"
"Nailed it," Kizzarae replied with a slight smirk. "But that's not the only reason." She shook her head. "Apparently, it's becoming harder to acquire the ressources needed to concoct the potions. So even if the Queen hadn't made this decision, the number of quality potions on the market would've dropped anyway."
A few seconds passed in silence before Kizzarae spoke again. "It doesn't look like this news troubles you," she said, eyeing Freya's laid-back demeanor with mild curiosity.
"Why would it?" Freya replied, taking another sip of her tea. The only reason she had reacted so strongly earlier was because Kizzarae had made it sound like the Queen intended to void their entire contract. But if it was just the clause about potion supplies, then there was little to worry about. In fact, chances were that soon enough, they wouldn't even need the witches' potions anymore.
"How come you're so laid back despite the news I just delivered?" Kizzarae raised an eyebrow.
Freya placed her cup of tea back on the table and smiled. "I shouldn't be saying this to you—not so soon, at least—but we have something that might serve as a replacement for your healing potions."
Kizzarae straightened up, her curiosity now fully piqued.
Not one to waste time, Freya took out the yellow smoke potion and set it on the table. She then began explaining everything—from the mysterious organization behind the healing smoke to the deal the Drazen family had struck with Arcane. She omitted a few sensitive details but kept the core of the story intact.
By the time she was done, a deep frown had formed on Kizzarae's face.
"Let me tell you this right now," Kizzarae said, her voice unusually serious, "the Queen won't like this—not one bit." She leaned forward, locking eyes with Freya. "You know how we witches feel about money, right? Well, for that same reason, we don't take kindly to competition. She might not go after you or your family directly—you're just intermediaries, after all—but she will see Arcane as a threat."
Hearing this, Freya's expression darkened. She hadn't known Alex for long, but her feelings for him ran deep. He was one of the rare few who accepted her without judgment, and she had no intention of letting any harm come to him. Besides, if anything happened to Arcane—or to Alex, specifically—the financial loss her family would suffer was beyond calculation.
On the other hand, it was common knowledge in Imperion that there were some races to never cross. And the witches were high on that list.
"Is there really nothing that can be done to prevent anything from happening to Arcanor?" Freya asked.
Kizzarae was momentarily surprised that Freya mentioned Arcanor specifically and not Arcane, but upon reflection, it made sense. 'If he's the only one capable of making these potions, protecting him is the same as protecting the entire organization.'
Kizzarae leaned back into the couch and let out a sigh, shrugging casually. "I have no idea."
"Kizz, please..."
"Tsk, I can't stand you looking at me like that," Kizzarae grumbled, shifting in her seat. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. No promises, though. The Queen's been in a dark mood lately." She crossed her arms. "So don't get your hopes too high."
"Than-"
Before Freya could reply, the door to her office swung open and a huffing Maya barged in.
The instant her eyes landed on Kizzarae, her whole face lit up. "Grandma Kizz!" Maya shouted, literally throwing herself at the witch.
Kizzarae caught her mid-air with practiced ease, a warm smile spreading across her face. "I missed you, sweetie. How have you been? I hope your mother treated you well while I was gone."
"Of course! Mother always takes good care of me!" Maya replied proudly, then her eyes sparkled as she quickly changed the subject. "So... what did you bring me this time?"
The words had barely left Maya's mouth when a sleek pair of glasses appeared in Kizzarae's hand with a small puff of smoke. "See these, sweetie? They're way better than the last pair I gave you! Once you put them on, they'll literally bind themselves gently to your eyes—no more slipping off or losing them like before. To activate the function, all you need to do is—" Kizzarae paused, her explanation faltering as she noticed the strange look Maya was giving her.
"Grandma Kizz... I no longer need to wear glasses," Maya said with an amused chuckle.
"Huh? What do you mean...? Wait—where are the glasses I made for you?" Kizzarae asked, only now noticing Maya's bare face.
"They're here," Maya said, pulling out her old glasses from her space ring. "But I don't need them anymore—I can see perfectly without them now!" she said, practically beaming with excitement.
"Seriously?" Kizzarae blinked, visibly stunned.
Finding it hard to believe, she immediately made Maya go through a series of ocular tests. But even after Maya had passed each one with ease, Kizzarae still looked unconvinced.
"Maya, stare into my eye for a second," Kizzarae said at last, pulling the eyepatch from her left eye and placing it over her right one, revealing an eye that looked nearly identical to her uncovered one.
Maya simply shrugged and did as she was told—it wasn't the first time Kizzarae had made her do this, after all.
As she gazed into Kizzarae's left eye, something that always fascinated her began to happen.
Under her very eyes, Kizzarae's left eye began to shift in color, transitioning slowly from deep black to a glowing crimson red, almost like molten lava pooling into place. As Maya stared into it, she felt an overwhelming urge to keep watching, as if the eye itself was pulling her in, compelling her to dive deeper into its depths.
However, just as Maya was getting lost in it, Kizzarae abruptly closed her eye and slid the patch back over it, now covering her left eye and revealing her right once more.
"Who did this to you?" Kizzarae asked, her voice lower than usual, trying to compose herself. But the tremble in her tone betrayed how shaken she truly was.
Maya opened her mouth to answer, but stopped herself just in time. Her gaze turned instinctively to her mother, silently asking for permission.
Freya slightly nodded, giving her approval.
"I was healed by Amy," Maya finally said, her voice calm but firm.
"Amy?" Kizzarae repeated with a raised brow. The name rang no bell. For someone capable of reversing a condition even she had been unable to fully cure, the fact that she didn't know of her was even more shocking.
"She's a member of Arcane," Freya added, her tone measured.
Kizzarae seemed once again stunned to hear this bit of information, 'this Arcane organization seems to be more mysterious and resourceful than I thought.'
"Is this Amy that healed you around? I would want to meet her if it's possible," Kizzarae said.
"I'm sure if I ask her she would accept to meet you, but you would have to wait as she isn't available right now," Maya replied, as she knew that right now, Amelia was busy.
Thinking back to what she had seen Amelia perform during the last few hours she was with her in the library, Maya started to sweat and a slight shiver ran down her spine.
"I don't want to disturb your reunion, but you will have to catch up later," Freya said, standing up from her position, "it's time for the auction to start."