A witch in a large heavy cloak was waiting in a sinister section of the docks.

Kyrza was a the largest port city in the region, and it was the primary entry point for those who crossed the Fariel Straits aiming to access the Western frontiers of the Empire. The main shipping lane for the entire region passed through Kyrza, which meant that a vast network of convoluted piers, docks, and warehouses stretched for miles along the coastline. Thousands of seafaring vessels sailed through the harbor every week, and the heavy volume of traffic made it easy for smugglers and other criminals to slip in between the cracks.

The witch lifted her hood, revealing long black hair sleek like silk and red eyes that glimmered in the eerie morning fog.

Another shadowy figure was standing across from her.

"You have guts for coming to the docks by yourself, Witch Calypso. Although it's no longer nighttime, it’s a dangerous place for a woman to be alone, even if in truth you're only half of one."

"I live in the red light district, Sibelius. You know perfectly well that I'm capable of defending myself."

"Is that so?" There was a dry laugh. "I suppose you're fortunate that your business is only being attacked through legal channels. Don't you ever wonder when they'll get tired and resort to more primitive methods? Or as one might say, if a magiputer¹Magiputer: A magical computer. is broken, the easiest way to fix it is to beat it with a stick."

"Is that your way of saying you have information to sell? Someone posted a bounty?"

"My dearest friend, I'm just giving you some helpful advice. Please don't read too much into the things I say."

"I would find your advice more helpful if arranging a meeting with you weren't so difficult. Even if you're my main supplier, it's remarkably tedious to track you down when I need to find you."

"If it's difficult to track me down, then I simply do not wish to be found."

"I don't have time for that. I need to get a contract signed, and I need it done fast."

"Oh? You too? It's a bad time to be a witch, isn't it? The election is in two weeks. Unfortunately, I'm not canceling any more contracts..."

"I'm not canceling an order, Sibelius. I'm placing one. A large one."

The dealer raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Every other witch I work with is bailing out of the business and fleeing off the map. The conservative party is not very friendly to witchcraft and black magic. There are fears that the Witch Trials will resume after a hundred year moratorium, and the Supreme Court ruling that overturned the previous protections..."

"You're floating on a stock of dark ingredients that you can't get rid of, right?" The black-haired witch interrupted the man. "I'm buying, so our interests align with each other."

"Why on earth...?"

"H.L.R. 174S — if it passes the House of Lords, all sales of ingredients classified under black magic will be required to pass through the Imperial Customs Office for inspection, and then be taxed under a State Department tariff for an unspecified amount. Obviously, this poses a problem for my supply chain."

"Oh my, you're meticulous on the details as always, Calypso. It's a shame you went for such a plebeian career. You were always a top student in the Coven, it's a waste to see you squandering it away on cosmetic potions."

"I don't intend to stop making them."

"Ordinarily, most normal people would say that's the last of your concerns..."

"I'll buy your entire stock, Sibelius. If the resolution passes, I'm sure you're no happier than anyone else if you're forced to dump your stock. How much do you got?"

"Ehh, five or six years worth based the typical orders you place."

"Good. I'll take all of it."

"Do you even have the capital to buy all that? Last I heard, you were basically broke."

"I'm tapping into credit. Net worth."

"Oho... borrowing from your future? Ain't that desperate? The interest rates aren't pretty. Can you even find a bank that will sign you?"

"No banks, but I know you will."

The merchant snorted.

"Don't you remember anything from school? You don't sign disadvantageous contracts with demons. I'm a loan shark. If you're counting on my sympathy to go easy on you just because we were classmates, you're terribly mistaken about my personality. If you default on payments, I own you."

Calypso was unfazed, and she didn't even blink.

"By any chance do you have a pen?"

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