Third Person POV

There is a not so little peculiar building if you head north-west on the map. In an environment surrounded by trees and hills alike you'll see a giant palace of sorts.

Its walls white marble with intricate patterns for the glass and the window. Accompanied by a large chain of walls acting as fences, giving the owner of said building ample room for a yard. 

Tap tap tap tap

Seems like the owner had just arrived.

She opened the large front door towering over her relatively small body. 

Her coat had become muddied by the harsh environment and there were clear eye bags on her face. 

Soon finding herself in the living room, she comfortably slouched over on the large sofa, taking off her pointy witch hat and letting her wild, blonde hair loose.

"Welcome back mistress."(Maid)

A maid in black and white dress akin to an anime character greeted her.

She was quite the candy to the eye, with her neat, orange, shoulder-length hair, soft red eyes and thin and delicate fingers.

"I'm tired, go get me some juice now."(Mistress)

The witch ordered while snapping her fingers. 

"As you say mistress."(Maid)

As she waited for her drink she took out a small pouch and emptied its contents. It was full of small rocks, pebbles, jewels, murky and cloudy with a slight tint of red to it.

Grabbing one of them her pink eyes glowed a deep shade of yellow. 

She was puzzled for a bit, closely inspecting the item and scratched her head. 

[Not very good... maybe if I can purify it, then maybe it can be useful...](Mistress)

What she was looking at was none other than the potent ria stone. Rich with magical power even impure ones could lead to destructive results. She's been on the hunt for these for a while now, but what could she possibly need from these stones? A weapon? A new drug? A new spell?

Losing interest after the inspecting them, shew put the stones back and threw them to the side and chose to slouch down deeper into the couch. 

"Your juice is ready mistress, orange flavoured with ice and a touch of lime as you like it."(Maid)

"Eh? I'm not really feeling for orange juice, take it back and fetch me something better, like fruit punch or something."(Mistress)

She shooed the maid away making her grumble under her breath. 

Obediently, although reluctantly, the maid returned back to the kitchen with the juice on the tray.

After a few minutes she returned to the witch's delight. Her droopy elf ears perked up as she gulped the juice down. 

"Ah~ That's actually pretty nice, good job Albert."(Mistress)

"Thank you, mistress."(Albert)

Believe it or not, despite the dress, despite the face, she was a man. 

At first she was embarrassed to wear the dress but after years upon years, you could say he was used to it. 

"You know... it's weird that... you're always in that dress... you're kind of a pervert."(Mistress)

The elf said while taking sips of her fruit punch. Truthfully, no words came out of Albert's mouth, he just sighed bitterly.

"I guess you're just into that kind of stuff I guess."(Mistress)

"Mistress... I hope you are aware that YOU were the one who forced me into this dress."(Albert)

Making a dopey shocked face with a hand on her heart she was completely aghast by the comment.

"Oh wow, pinning this on me, just admit you're a pervert okay?."(Mistress)

"But y-"(Albert)

"Ah ah ah, I don't talk to pervs don't talk to me, else I'm cutting your pay."(Mistress)

"but you don't even pay me..."(Albert)

Albert grumbled irritated at his immature mistress. 

He sighed defeated not really could he do much to the monster in front of him.

"Mistress, have a look at this."(Albert)

He handed her an envelope, after dropping the previous subject. A clean white envelope, different from the brown parchment paper used by the common folk, accompanied by an intricately designed, red wax stamp.

Curiously looking at it, she ripped the envelope clean and took out what was inside. Two tickets, one letter.

Her eyes quickly glance over it, her face went from curious to sour to bored. 

"Don't need it"(Mistress)

She tossed the envelope away.

"May I know what it was mistress?"(Albert)

"Eh, it's just an invitation to a ball in Labelle."(Mistress)

His eyes widen upon hearing it.

"Could it be the moonlight ball!?"(Albert)

"Yeah, I think it was something like that."(Mistress)

"M- mistress, do you know how much, how big of an honour it is to be invited!?"(Albert)

He was flabbergasted, mouth agape. Unusually stuttering in his speech he couldn't fathom why she would so calmly dismiss it.

"It's nothing much, you're just overreacting."(Mistress)

"B- but it's a once in a decade... no a lifetime oppor-"(Albert)

"Shhh,"(Mistress)

Pressing her finger on his mouth, she shushed him.

"You always underestimate who I am, I am and will always will be the greatest witch of them all. Labelle has been sending me letters every decade, inviting me to the same thing over and over again for a hundred years now. Have I ever gone? No."(Mistress)

She silenced the young Albert and finished her juice, carelessly tossing the glass cup which then Albert clumsily caught.

"Now tell me, anything I should know about as of recent?"(Mistress)

"Uhm, well I heard a new community has appeared. Apparently it's a small village composing of roughly a hundred members, it was called Fahrooky or so."(Albert)

"Hmm? Why does that matter?"(Mistress)

"Well, I heard everyone single one of them were descendants of refugees from the Second Millennium War. I've also heard two representatives are going to the moonlight ball."(Albert)

"Anything else?"(Mistress)

"Not much, most of the other important things are about trade and country relations, things you dislike to listen to."(Albert)

Upon hearing this, the witch lazily sighed. Standing up and getting off the couch, she stretched her dainty arms. 

Snap snap

"Albert, go prepare the hot water, I'm taking a bath."(Mistress)

"As you say."(Albert)

After a minute or two, Albert returned and alerted the elf that her bath was ready. In an instant, her body glowed a bright blue and she disappeared into thin air. 

Teleporting into the bathroom, she undressed herself and sunk into the hot waters of her tub.

"A hot bath after a long adventure is the best!"(Mistress)

Her porcelain bathtub was more than enough for her body. Warm soapy water with bubbles sucks all the stress out of a person's body. 

[It's strange for them to do the moonlight ball this year, hadn't their king been murdered a month ago? Were the assassins even found? I heard he had a daughter who's too young to rule, I wonder what's going on over there.

Veronica's been really quiet this year, just what is she planning?

She's been out for magically powered things as of recent... could she possibly be after the aeonstone? Could she have already taken it? No that would be impossible, then all the power in Labelle would've already disappeared and I don't remember hearing anything about a power outage in Labelle.

...

Maybe I should I listen to Albert and take a visit to Labelle to check on the aeonstone, if not, at least give myself a vacation.

Listen to Albert, ew, how low have I gotten?](Mistress)

The girl shivered at the prospect of listening to her maid. 

[Then that's that, when is the ball anyway? I think it's in about a week.

You know I'm just not going think about it anymore, I want to enjoy my well deserved bath.](Mistress)

-----

Fresh out the bathroom, with two towels, one around her body, the next around her hair. 

Snap

"Milk."(Mistress)

With a snap of finger, the redhead appeared with a glass of milk. It was a routine for them and Albert knew this very well. His mistress likes a spot of milk as soon as she gets out of a bath but never a shower. 

The milk must be cold and must be regular cow milk. No goat milk, no skim milk, just a cold glass of cow milk.

"Hah~ simply wonderful~"(Mistress)

After enjoying her milk, she dressed into her mint one-piece dress. With the combination of fire and wind made a blow-dryer for her long golden hair. 

"Oi Albert."(Mistress)

"Hmm? What is it mistress?"(Albert)

"I made my decision, I am going the Labelle!"(Mistress)

Upon hearing those words, Albert's eyes had a glow to it. There were two tickets, one for him and one for his mistress, I mean who else would she take? There are no other maids besides himself and Albert couldn't think of anyone his mistress would even consider taking. 

Once a poor peasant boy, turned slave and now a maid going to the most prestigious events that even the nobility had trouble getting into. 

From such humble beginnings to this, how could anyone even contain their excitement? 

"And you're not going! Hahah!"(Mistress)

But like that, his dreams were utterly crushed.

What a cruel mistress is the 'Nova Witch'.

-----

"Hmm... it's pointing east."(Reiko)

Looking at the map the small one said. Her fingers glided through what was simply thick forests and empty plains drawn on the map till she met a kingdom dubbed Labelle. 

It was pretty, more than quadruple the distance between her and Traumland. 

Well of course it was a rough estimation, she had to determine her location with what both Camilla and Moume had told her. It was not accurate but still better than nothing.

"Your legs are too small to travel long distances. If our assumption of your sister's location is correct, by the time we reach there in about a month. And who knows if she'd still be in Labelle by that time. Hmm this is a problem isn't it?"(Cheryl)

"y- yeah..."(Reiko)

"Ah I know!"(Cheryl)

It seemed as if there was a lightbulb on top of Cheryl's head, no a candle would be better. With her hand in a fist smashing to the next hand which was flat, she purposed an idea,

"Look over here,"(Cheryl)

She said, pointing to a much closer city named Noxton, located slightly up north.

"we can take a train straight to Labelle in Noxton over here."(Cheryl)

"Train?"(Reiko)

"Oh, a train,  well it's like a long carriage that can carry people-"(Cheryl)

"I know what a train is!"(Reiko)

Reiko said a little embarrassed. 

"I was just a little confused about..."(Reiko)

Her words became mumbled and muffled the longer she spoke.

"Hmm? What is sweetie? Speak up."(Cheryl)

"It's nothing! And don't call me that!"(Reiko)