Annie's suggestion didn't seem to help much. After the "Witch of Midnight," Sheila, and the "Ashen Witch," Elaina, failed to locate the missing hair with tracing magic, they stormed off to the city's various doll shops. Unfortunately, they found no useful clues in the shops that were still open.
The closed shops were even less promising. With nobody around, who could they ask for clues?
Fortunately, when they returned to the inn, they unexpectedly noticed something off about a doll belonging to the innkeeper—a man with glasses. After successfully using the threat of force to make him reveal where it had really come from, they were able to head for a certain secret underground auction house.
And then...
Annie didn't want to remember what happened after that. She hadn't even been there!
Anyway, all that had happened was that the genius witch Elaina had caused a huge scene at the auction, beaten up an auctioneer who was an accomplice of some "murderer," intimidated the criminals attending the auction, and boldly captured the mastermind behind it all—the witch who owned a certain doll shop!
In the end, Elaina had of course used magic to retrieve and repair her gray hair, which flowed so gracefully in the wind, preserving her reputation as the "Ashen Witch."
"Ah~?"
"You look so cute when you're angry..."
"Go on, get angrier! Torture me as much as you like—I want to see you even angrier~?!!"
"That angry expression of yours is just wonderful..."
"Ugh~?"
"Keep getting angry!"
"Please give me some more of your hair. I'm going to make a perfect doll of you looking angry..."
The insane witch had been captured and locked in a cage, with anti-magic shackles binding her. She was still hysterically clutching the bars and taunting the "Ashen Witch," who stood before