Mina gave Calypso a long and doubtful stare. Then, the girl sighed and adjusted the bag over her shoulder.

"I guess it's about time for me to go back to school then. Lunch recess is about over."

"Take care, Mina." Calypso responded. "Come find me later, and we can talk about lessons at that point."

Calypso walked with the troll girl to the front door. Her legs were still a little unsteady and she had to take care to retain her balance, but she tried to maintain the best adult-like impression that she could muster. One of the odd things about being 29 years old was that many of her former acquaintances already had children, and some of them were starting to grow up. Even though she obviously never had any children of her own, dealing with her friends' kids inevitably made her feel old.

However, when Mina opened the front door to the brothel, they were both surprised to find an eight foot tall half-troll on the opposite side. He was holding several enormous sandwiches that were wrapped in paper bags.

"Dad?!"

"Mina." Varnes the butcher spoke with an intimidating deep voice.

"I was about to head back to school."

"Did you eat lunch? What did I tell you about bothering Ms. Calypso? She's very busy."

"Ugh, I'll catch you later, Dad! I got to run!"

The half-troll stubbornly blocked his daughter at the entrance. He silently passed her a sandwich.

"Dad?! I can't eat this in class!" Mina protested.

"You can sneak in a few bites between lessons. Eating lunch is important."

"I'll look like a freak if I try to stuff my face like that!"

"Just take it with you and don't argue."

"Ugh..."

Mina snatched the long giant sandwich and weaved around her father's large frame. She did a barrel roll and sprang down the front steps. Very quickly, she hit the streets and was running.

Calypso folded her arms at the front door as she watched the girl disappearing off to the distance. Varnes shook his head and muttered a few things to himself. Then, he turned around and looked at his neighbor.

"I brought your share too, Ms. Calypso."

+ + +

The black-haired witch slowly limped back towards the bar counter.

The half-troll was still standing in the foyer, and he was apparently too polite to invite himself into Calypso's place, even though the brothel was technically a shop and not a private residence. It was really a testament to his old school personality — contrary to the stereotype, traditional demon culture was very noble, and dark creatures never lied or broke promises. In the olden days, demons never violated the sanctity of a person's home unless first invited. Of course, demons had a reputation for being highly deceptive, but it would always be a white lie or a false deception that stayed within the literal boundary of the rules.

Ever since the merging of human and demon societies, traditional etiquette of dark society had by-in-large vanished. It was rare to find dark creatures who still respected the traditional ways, and in fact many demons assimilated human cultural norms, such as petty theft, gossip, or alcoholism. In the stories, the very idea of a vampire pickpocket in rags was unthinkable, but dark society had unquestionably degenerated due to the poor influence of human culture.

"You're welcome to come in," Calypso said, wincing a little bit at the soreness in her muscles.

"Mh."

The eight foot half-troll slowly stepped into the store.

"Is Mina going through a rebellious period?" She asked.

Calypso rummaged through the drawers underneath the bar counter. Now that the child had left, she intended to take a dose of that silvery potion. She had a lot of work she needed to do today, so an energy potion would really give her the boost that she needed. Her muscles were throbbing badly, and she craved relief from the magical withdrawal.

She picked up the bottle and brought it to her lips.

But then suddenly a large gray hand stopped her before she could take a gulp.

Somehow, without her noticing, the half-troll had traveled across the entire lobby in a blink of the eye.

"How many days has it been?" Varnes's deep voice was filled with concern.

Calypso looked up at the half-troll slowly.

"Five? Six? Something like that?" Her eyes were somewhat glassy and distant.

The butcher had a deep frown on his face.

"You shouldn't be taking this. You are slowly killing yourself." 

"I'm fine, Mr. Varnes." Calypso's voice was frosty. "Don't involve yourself in my affairs."

"Just shut up."

The half-troll suddenly grabbed the flask of silver fluid from her hands. He abruptly lifted the bottle to his lips and and chugged all of the liquid down his own throat. He drained it all, not leaving a single drop.

Calypso stared at him with wide open eyes.

That was hers.

Mr. Varnes lowered his arm and dropped a pile of coins on the bar counter. The heavy metal clattered dully on the wooden surface, and from the noise alone, Calypso could tell that it was definitely not a small sum.

"There, I bought your potion."

"...It wasn't for sale."

"I don't care how busy you are. Worsening your sleep debt isn't going to make any of your problems better."

"You don't know what I'm going through."

"Then tell me."

"It's none of your business."

"You're not alone. There are people who want to help you."

Calypso shook her head and struggled to stand up from the bar. 

Varnes reached out for her, but the black-haired witch immediately pushed him away. There was a fiery look in her eyes, and an ominous dark reddish aura started to  ooze around her. It matched with the color of her scarlet pupils, and Calypso seemed to glow with a field of murky air that was cold and bleak. The atmosphere shivered with the witch's displeasure.

The half-troll didn't even blink.

"Your witch's aura does not intimidate me, Ms. Calypso. You're forgetting that I used to be an adventurer. I've encountered many  enemies scarier and more frightening than you."

"Then you best not underestimate me, Mr. Varnes, especially when you lack your sword. Magic trumps melee, as everyone knows."

"You are really tiresome."

The towering man sighed and announced his exasperation.

The floor suddenly gave out without warning. The witch found herself tripping and flailing. She lost her balance and tumbled forwards, yelping in surprise.

The half-troll had merely pulled out the rug from underneath Calypso's feet.

 

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