Shulim was deeply astonished, finally understanding why every mage carried a wand. A mage with a wand and one without were operating on completely different levels in combat. And this was merely a wand used by lower-tier mages, yet it already had such a massive impact.
What kind of power would a wand used by high-tier mages, or even an S-Class wand, possess then...? It could probably transform a person entirely.
Whoosh~!
Dispelling the fireball before her, Shulim decided to try out other spells.
“How was it? How does this wand feel?” Collette asked impatiently when she saw Shulim dismiss the magic.
“Very strong. The effects are astonishingly powerful.”
“Really? That's great to hear.”
“Next, I plan to test other types of magic.”
“Mm, go ahead and keep trying.”
Shulim focused her mind on the wand once more and activated her next spell...
After a while, Shulim stared at the wand in her hand, doubts bubbling up in her mind.
“Student Shulim, what's wrong? Is there a problem with the wand?” Collette asked upon seeing her peculiar expression.
“Um... Teacher Collette, I'm not quite sure how to describe it. Everything went smoothly when casting Fire-attributed magic, but when I cast Light-attributed magic, I felt a strange sense of repulsion for some reason. Even though it was still somewhat enhanced compared to casting barehanded, it fell far short of how well it worked for Fire magic.”
“Eh? Really?!” Collette was also surprised.
At this point, the clerk chimed in:
“Customer, the repulsion you felt might be related to this wand's specific properties...”
The two looked toward the clerk, and Shulim asked in confusion, “What do you mean by that?”
“It is because the wand you are currently using is specialized for the Fire attribute. If you were a Fire mage, this wand would indeed be the best choice. However, precisely because it has too high an affinity for the Fire element, its connection with other elements is diminished, creating an impediment when casting other forms of magic.”
“I see. Thank you for clarifying!”
Shulim glanced at the wand in her hand. Its enhancement for the Fire attribute was indeed impressive, but she couldn't allow a single attribute to hinder the performance of her other elements. She had always positioned herself as an all-around mage.
“Miss Clerk, could you swap this wand for another one?”
The clerk nodded. “Of course!”
Taking the wand, the clerk returned inside the shop. Moments later, she emerged carrying another wand.
This wand had a peculiar shape. It was entirely silver, and its tip resembled a curved spearhead. Rather than calling it a wand, calling it a strangely shaped spear would be far more fitting.
Collette was also surprised when she saw it.
“Miss Clerk, this wand is...”
The clerk explained with a smile, “Ladies, earlier I heard that this young miss is a rare three-attribute mage. While our shop does not carry Light-attributed holy wands, we happen to have a wand well-suited for a mage who possesses both Fire and Non-Elemental attributes.”
Shulim took the wand handed to her. Her first impression was that it was heavy—remarkably heavy. Could this wand actually be made of metal?
“Miss Clerk, why do you say this wand is suitable for both Fire and Non-Elemental attributes?”
A wand suitable for Non-Elemental magic users—just listen to how bizarre that sounded. A warrior wielding a wand?
Understanding their confusion, the clerk explained, “It's like this: when this wand was crafted, a considerable amount of mithril was added. Besides being suitable for crafting magic items, mithril is also a very common equipment material for warrior classes, because its exceptional mana conductivity is just as effective for the qi of Non-Elemental magic!
“Therefore, when using this wand, not only can you cast Fire spells for ranged attacks normally, but you can also use it for melee combat just like an ordinary spear.”
“...”
It really was a spear? So it didn't just look like one?
After hearing the clerk's explanation, Shulim decided to try it out first. With her mastery of Hayeral Swordsmanship and Non-Elemental Aptitude, looking at it from another angle, there was nothing wrong with calling herself a warrior-type class either. If she could combine ranged attacks with close combat like this wand allowed, it might turn out surprisingly well.
“【ᚳᛃᛄᛖᛚᛜᛈᚠᛞᛃᛡᚪᛚᛏᛗᚠᚺᛜᛖᛗהᚠᚷ】”
“Cleanse.”
A faint white glow emanated from the wand.
Just as the clerk had said, when Shulim activated the Non-Elemental First-Tier spell, the Non-Elemental mana conducted through without the slightest obstruction.
“【ᛓᚠᛟᚾᚲתᛖᛜᚢᚪᛖᛡᛞᚠᛟᛃᛜᚣᚲ】”
“Ignition.”
Whoosh!
A cluster of flames ignited at the tip of the wand as well, though compared to the previous wand, the flame had shrunk somewhat.
After all, it wasn't exclusively specialized for it.
After a moment's thought, Shulim continued to test out other spells.
Soon, a bright light shone from the tip of the wand.
Before long, the light dissipated. Looking at the wand in her hand, Shulim fell into brief contemplation. Then, raising the wand, she attempted to swing it in the style of Hayeral Swordsmanship.
After swinging it a few times, she lowered the wand.
It wouldn't do...
This wand was too heavy for her current self, and for someone walking the path of swordsmanship, a spear simply didn't work.
On top of that, although the repulsion wasn't as severe as with the first wand, wands with such distinct attribute inclinations seemed to hinder the casting of other types of magic. In ordinary times, these minor flaws might be negligible, but at crucial moments, they could lead to irrecoverable consequences.
“Miss Clerk, could you change it for another wand again?”
Shulim handed the wand back to the clerk.
“Was this one too heavy? Certainly, I'll exchange it for you right away.”
The clerk noticed the strain Shulim had felt while swinging the wand and immediately agreed to swap it.
Thinking for a moment, Shulim added, “Miss Clerk, does the shop have any wands that don't hinder the activation of any elemental attribute? Um... I don't really want to affect my practice in any particular attribute because of the wand.”
The clerk, who was about to leave with the wand, halted her steps.
“Hmm, is that so...? Alright, I will look for one, though I can't guarantee I'll find it.”
“It's fine even if you can't find one. Thank you in advance.”
“Since you don't mind, please excuse me for a moment.”
The clerk took the wand and returned inside the shop.
After the clerk left, Collette spoke up as well. “Indeed. If you want to accommodate three attributes, finding a suitable wand is truly a difficult problem... I'm sorry, Student Shulim. Because I'm a single-attribute mage, I overlooked that a single-attribute wand would affect other attributes.”
“There's no need to apologize, Teacher Collette. In fact, I'm the one who should be thanking you. If you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have even thought about buying a wand right now. Plus, you accompanied me here to shop for one. To be honest, I know nothing about wands myself, so even if I came into the shop alone, I wouldn't have known where to start.”
“... Student Shulim, you're far too modest. I feel like I haven't been useful at all. Earlier, I shamelessly claimed I'd help advise you, and now I feel downright embarrassed as a teacher.”
“No, not at all! Teacher Collette is a wonderful teacher, I can guarantee that!”
“Ahaha, really? So I'm actually a good teacher...?”
Collette rubbed her cheek sheepishly. Even she couldn't help but feel a touch of bashful delight at that moment.
“Pardon me, ladies, thank you for waiting.”
At that moment, the clerk returned from the shop.
In her hands, she held a wand that looked... well, like an ordinary stick of wood.
“My goodness, I didn't expect to actually find one. Probably because nobody ever wanted this wand before, it had been sitting forgotten beneath the counter.”
“Miss Clerk, what kind of wand is this? I don't think I've ever seen this material before,” Collette was the first to ask.
The clerk smiled and explained, “Ladies, this wand is crafted from the trunk of a mist marsh treant. Because mist marsh treants are relatively rare, magic items made from their body materials are uncommon as well.
“Furthermore, mist marsh treants possess a unique trait: they have a comparable degree of resistance to magic of any attribute. Therefore, when material made from its trunk is used, magic of any attribute will not face any repulsion!”
Hearing the clerk's explanation, Collette's eyes couldn't help lighting up.
“Oh~! Really?! Such a wand actually exists? I've only ever heard of mist marsh treants, but to think I'd get to see an actual item crafted from one's trunk!
“Hey, Student Shulim, try it out quickly!”
Rate on N.U.
