"Haha! You didn't!" Shula happily bantered with the witch sitting across from her.
"And why wouldn't I? He was all uppity, the prick. The guy had a stick up his ass so thick, it easily outclassed my best dildos! His type are my favorite." Milia licked her lips with a predatory smile.
"So, what? You enticed him into your bed over a few drinks and were 'accidently' seen?" Illya guessed in a much calmer voice than previous, obviously having calmed down.
The witch leaned back in her chair and explained with a knowing smile. "That's right. People like him rely deeply on the reputations they build on their righteousness, whether true or a façade." Her face twisted in a scowl as she remembered events untold. "It was the latter in his case I assure you. That pompous bastard was selling 'losses of evidence' to the highest bidders in the city. If there was a slam dunk case against you, and you had the money to pay, the evidence would mysteriously disappear or would be counted as inadmissible for the silliest of reasons. What's worse, the man would vocally proclaim his outrage at the corruption of the situation and vow to make it better. He built a perfect reputation on a dumpster fire."
Illya snorted with a scowl. "Hmph~ I'm not surprised. The prettiest of paragons always have a skeleton or two."
"Try a lich, damn~" Shula added on lightheartedly.
"Yep. Bringing him down was easy too. After the man was caught cheating on his beloved wife, hmph~ try skank." Her scowl blossomed into a malicious grin. "Anyways, afterwards, he grew a little… aggressive in some of his dealings. The stress of his fractured reputation, the bridges he was quickly torching, combined with a little of my wonderful magic, made keeping up his meticulous routine untenable. It only took a few weeks for his entire operation to be exposed and his glorious sandcastle to be brought down by his livid victims."
"Good riddance." Illya sharply commented. "Weeds like that are the worst; they play as the most gorgeous of flowers, all the while sapping the life of the real ones."
"Yeah, glad it worked out for you Milia. Still, you're one scary chick, ya know that? I mean, ouch." Shula incredulously replied.
Milia lackadaisically shrugged. "Meh, it's kind of my shtick. My witch's title paints me a certain way, but perception doesn't always equal reality."
Illya nodded in agreement. "That's true. As the Witch of Paradise Lost, there are many that view you as the downfall of empires and while true, it isn't only the good that dwell in paradise."
Milia stifled a giggle. "Hehe~ You don't know the half of it. There is nothing like watching proud angels fall from their golden thrones and revealing to all just how ugly they truly are."
"I can imagine…" Illya calmly affirmed. Then, her eyes narrowed, and a bit of her earlier ire resurfaced, "-and if you only stuck to those… fiends, we wouldn't have any problems. In fact, I feel we would've been the best of friends."
"But we still are." Shula argued, confused. "Just because you argue, doesn't mean we're not friends."
"You know what I mean, Shula. We may be close, but that doesn't mean I trust her farther than I can throw her."
Shula interjected. "Which is pretty far, by the way."
"Regardless." Illya pointedly asserted before turning her attention back to Milia. "It'd be nice if you could just stick to the scum; that way we wouldn't have to protect our own circle."
"I won't apologize, nor can I promise I'll stop." Milia calmly replied with a knowing smile.
Illya's face hardened even further as she turned to Shula. "See what I mean?"
Before she could respond though, Milia continued, "It's not that I seek ill with you mind you, but you must understand, just like the two of you, Michael has special qualities that make him an exceptional individual, ones that I'd struggle to study anywhere else. Like all witches, my title directs me along two polar lines, creation and destruction. I explained the latter just now, but I must also pursue the former. It's an obsession inherent in every one of my kind, one that we must follow absolutely, without fail, till the end of time."
Neither Illya nor Shula responded, letting their table fall into silence. Illya and Milia sat there staring at each other for what felt like eternity. Shula, for her part, just lamented at the situation.
Just when Illya opened her mouth to say something else, a familiar, shocked voice called out. "Milia!? What are you doing here?"
The witch in question sported an amused smile as she turned to the approaching familiar face. "Mike~" She practically purred, stopping him in his tracks. "We were just talking about you."
He stood there, dumbfounded about the conversations they could possibly be having, especially ones about him that haven't ended in a brawl between the two.
"…Good things, I hope. As much as I like reflecting on my mistakes…"
Milia shook her head. "Not at all, and please… those weren't mistakes; they were milestones. We were performing life's most fulfilling practice. Ismene would be so proud."
"I very much doubt that. Sure, she loves seeing life blossom, but what you do has nothing to do with that." He rebutted with lidded eyes.
"What do you mean? It very much does, or… perhaps you just didn't notice?" She suggestively asked with a smile that spoke of a hilarious secret.
Now he was back on the backfoot, confused by her implication. "…I couldn't have gotten you…"
"No. No. Nothing like that. It's different, and beneficial if I might add. I won't spoil the fun though. It'll be so much more entertaining to see you realize it on your own."
Illya's eyes narrowed at the conversation. While still somewhat irate, the logical part of her brain had once more seized control of her faculties as she processed Milia's words. Prone to wrath she may be, but Illya wasn't stupid. She'd learned much since taking her position as Jupiter. Sure, many things were still kept from her, many citing her young age to be incapable of handling them, but many other things weren't. She'd keep her own council though for now; it wouldn't do to communicate uncertain hypotheses.
"Moving on." Illya cut their conversation short, much to the surprise of the two other girls at the table. "Mike, grab a seat from a nearby table and sit down. We have much to discuss."
He was silent for a second, processing Illya's continued composure.
"…Will do." He eventually replied before moving to follow Illya's instructions. It only took a few moments, time in which the others kept their silence.
"Alright Mike, before I catch you up, why don't you tell me what you found out?"
They already knew each other's habits. Given recent events, Illya knew exactly where he would've gone first upon entering town. It didn't always bear fruit, but a quick intel run was good form when something world shattering like this popped up.
Unlike one would expect, they weren't furnished with a dedicated intelligence unit to enable them; that's something they were tasked to manage themselves. Lacking the means to effectively do so, they took the approach of building contacts in various cities that did so on their behalf. Although the intel wasn't as timely or effective, the overhead was much easier to manage.
Michael went over his discussion with the group, taking care not to bring up the name or location of his source. Even if he could trust Milia, which he wasn't quite sure he did, discussing specifics about informants in public was a great way to lose them, either to loss of trust or persecution.
"Three witches…" Illya muttered incredulously. She turned to Milia. "You mean, you weren't the only one?"
The witch's brows furrowed. "It seems not… Just what is your queen thinking? My coming is already guaranteed to cause immense upheaval in Palahaem; it already has in fact, not that it's any of your business. For three of us to be in one place though…"
"Say, Mike." Illya asked.
"Hmm?"
"Whenever she reaches out to us for something like this, it's always through official channels, isn't it?"
While she was present for a couple of those communications, she was often relayed the details by Michael as this fell in line with his duties. Sure, she normally read the original letter herself, but that didn't mean she was always aware of how it got to them.
He nods. "It doesn't always have to be, but generally yes. It's a policy amongst the royal family to always communicate through official stationery to title holders. I don't know how, but any form of direct message can be tracked, regardless of method. It's something she alluded to in the past. …Why? Do you think she may be trying to get something done on the sly, and couldn't reach out directly?"
"…It's possible, but what could it be to need that extreme a change?" Illya mused. "Milia, do you have a way of checking which witches are nearby?"
Placing her hands on her hips, Milia puffed out her chest proudly. "Oh, easily. We can't hide from each other. When we're actually trying to look, we stand out as beacons to each other."
She was confused, however, when the group just looked at her silently.
"… well?" Michael asked what they were all thinking.
"Nuh uh, no can do." Milia swiftly denied.
Shula's hands hit the table. "What!? Why!? You just said you could!"
Milia spread her hands in surrender. "Deals amongst fellow witches I'm afraid. Can't break 'em. We aren't allowed to work against each other. Technically, there are provisions for us to do so, but none apply in this situation."
"What kind of rule is that!?" Shula asks indignantly.
"It is rather inconvenient." Michael adds.
"Do you really think so?" Milia asked with a sudden seriousness that stunned the group. "Before making judgements, think well on the nature of witches, and the impact we have on the world around us. If people like you are the actors in a play, we're its plot devices given form. We exist to disrupt the status quo. Sure, we can also serve as actors, but only if not in conflict with another of us. If we as variables aren't regulated like we are, the end result could be and has been… well, bad."
"Sigh~" Illya sighed while massaging her temples. "That's fine, if inconvenient." She took a breath, collecting herself. "No need to worry about factors outside our control. Any leads on how we can go about answering this question?"
"I can do that." She smiled. "The hunt's in a month. Give me a day, and I'll send a hint your way."
She pushed her chair back from the table and stood up from her seat. "I gotta go. See you later, my~ lovely friends. Momma's got business elsewhere." And in with pep in her step, she strolled away.
The trio watched her leave with equal confusion and uncertainty.
Michael was the first to respond. "She's an odd one, isn't she?"
Illya crossed her arms. "I don't know. Aside from Ismene, she's the only true witch we've ever met. I heard they're eccentric characters, so it's possible that this is the norm."
Shula leaned forward, resting her head on her pleated hands. "What do you think she meant by calling her kind 'plot devices'? Kind of a weird way to describe your people, don't you think?"
"Who knows? There are plenty of ways to interpret that analogy. I'm sure it's something we'd need to experience to understand."
"Agreed." Michael affirmed. "Anyways, this has been an eventful trip. You two ready to head back?"
"Hell no! We haven't even eaten dessert." Shula strongly rebuked.
Illya shook her head at her friend's behavior. "Couldn't we just make dessert at home? Mike could make us those powdered chocolate cookies."
"Illya." Shula replied with absolute seriousness. "Don't you know, this place has the most delicious…"
Illya leaned in anticipation, while Michael quietly admitted defeat.
"… chocolate lava cakes."
'and… checkmate. Hook, line, and sinker.' Michael thought to himself as he watched Illya unconsciously lick her lips at the prospects.
'I guess that's that then…'