"Fairies?" If my attention had been distracted before, it was undivided as soon as he said that word. "What about fairies?"

"Come with me for a moment." He stood up, gesturing for the other men to leave.

Without seeing if I followed, he turned and started moving toward the door the magician had been dragged a short while before. I exchanged a look with my girls, but they were all disposed at the moment and none could follow or scout ahead. It would have been hard to anyway, because he seemed to have servants lined up all along the way, controlling this entire area. He seemed to have had this all planned from the moment he started talking to me. I couldn't help but follow him.

"Master… I feel mana… it's a fairy queen!" Celeste warned.

I gave her a little nod and followed Lord Vandeer into the hallway. It wasn't like he was going to attempt my assassination there. With that many guards, it would have been impossible anyway. He led me down a short hallway, and then into a side room. We entered a cozy bedroom, and in the center of the room was a bed covered in a canopy. There was a strong medicinal smell, and a woman was sitting next to the bed with a mortar and pestle and seemed to be mashing up ingredients.

He stopped, looking back at me. I continued forward, walking up to the bed on the opposite side of the alchemist and pushing back the curtain. Lying on the bed was an extremely beautiful woman with bright red hair. She had a small chest, a slim, tall physique, and big lips. Her eyes were closed like she was sleeping. The most eye-catching thing about her was what was behind her, a pair of two thin red wings folded carefully under her body. Her hands were on her chest, and if she wasn't breathing regularly, one would be forgiven for thinking she was dead.

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"A fairy queen." I had already expected it thanks to Celeste's warning, although I wouldn't have needed her words to know what this was.

"Yes." He nodded. "She's very ill. Her entire hive has seemed to have caught a contagious curse. It's been causing the fairies to die."

"Hive?"

"It's what we call a colony of fairy." He responded quickly. "As we said, we use dungeons in this country to provide for us, but we understand that dungeons cannot be used without a renewable energy source. This is why we have… planted various hives across Jespain. They maintain the dungeons. There was an accident a month ago and one of our dungeons got out of control, sending a curse that struck our fairy."

"This is what you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked.

He gave a helpless smile. "Despite our best efforts, none of the hives have successfully created a fairy spring. Our lead… fairy expert says that the waters of life can be used to make a potion to curse the hive."

"Fairy expert?"

"That would be me." The woman who hadn't said a word or looked up when we entered finally shot me a look. "Waters of life used to be more plentiful twenty years ago when Karr used to sell it, but they have slowly dwindled over the years. Rumor says you have it, yet you haven't sold it on any market."

"It's said that the waters of life can only be produced by the presence of a Fairy Empress." Lord Vandeer added. "Is this how you came to make your fountain?"

"Don't believe everything you hear."

"I wouldn't dare." He chuckled.

I frowned. He likely knew I had a fairy empress if that magician spoke, but he might have thought I had a second one to make the fairy fountain. It was clear this was at least one of the things he wanted from me. I felt a bit uneasy about it, but I could see no reason not to give them the fairy water, especially if it could save a queen's life. That said, I wouldn't offer it for free.

"I can provide you enough for your remedy." I stated, "but what will you give me?"

"I was hoping you could consider it a gift, such as all the items graciously purchased for you earlier today." He responded immediately. "It only seems fair, no?"

He had planned this request from the beginning. I couldn't say 'no' without seeming ungrateful. I still had a long way to go in this political game. I handed over a vial of waters of life.

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