After their little celebration at the Forest Brownie, the group wandered down Campbell Street together.
They looked around at rare magic tools, checked out the latest robe fashions and tried them on, and did some shopping at the magic supplies store.
And the five of them never ran out of academy-related topics to talk about.
That professor ticks me off, that class is absurd, that dish at the student dining hall was no good—and so on.
As they walked, they engaged in various nondescript topics as anyone their age might.
And Shino, Annie, and Serephina, being girls of the same generation in a way, had their own topics to talk about…
“Hey, Shino, check out this sapphire amulet!” said Annie. “It matches the color of your eyes! This would definitely look great on you!”
“…Y-you…you think so?”
“Yeah, let me put it on you!”
“Wai— Annie, you’re too close…”
“Oooh, yes, it does indeed suit her! Annie, you have exquisite taste!” said Serephina. “Might you pick out an amulet that would suit me as well? Something ruby, ideally!”
In the corner of a magic accessories shop, the three girls were chatting happily.
While Shino didn’t contribute much to the conversation, she seemed fairly pleased.
By all appearances, the three of them looked like a regular group of friends.
“Good for them,” said Rix.
“Yeah,” said Randy.
Their arms crossed, the two boys kept a watchful eye on the trio of girls.
After browsing for a while, all five friends decided to visit a store they’d stumbled upon called Cacus’s Wand Emporium.
“So this is what it’s like inside this kind of shop… And they sell magic wands, huh?” Rix remarked, surveying the store’s wares curiously.
The walls and display shelves were packed full of a variety of products.
Surprisingly, different from what one would assume from a shop called a wand emporium, wands weren’t the only items stocked on the shelves.
There were all sorts of items—weapons like swords and spears, armor like bracers and shields, and accessories like bangles and rings. There seemed to be very few actual wands.
“In essence, a magic wand is but a magical amplifier that aids in spiritual access to one’s Sphere.”
Serephina picked up on Rix’s confusion and took it upon herself to explain.
“It matters not what shape it is. Take my rapier, for example. This is also a magic wand,” she added. “Until recently, wands came in a standard shape, and consequentially, the term wand now refers to any instrument that amplifies mana and facilitates magic use. These days, it’s commonplace to choose a wand shape that best fits your style of magic.”
“Interesting,” said Rix.
“Hrm… I guess I should choose one for myself pretty soon… But I have no idea what I should use.” Randy surveyed the huge variety of products and started to look lost.
Then:
“Rix, you should choose one as well,” Shino urged, tugging at Rix’s sleeve.
“A wand? Even though I can’t use magic yet?”
“Yes. Serephina said it’s supposed to assist in spiritual access to one’s own Sphere, right? Then it should become easier to open your Sphere if you have one.”
Shino looked over the wands lined up on the display shelves, eventually picked out one that was thirty centimeters long, and handed it to Rix.
“How about this? It’s crafted from the wood of an ash tree, and its catalyst is hair from a pegasus mane. It has excellent magical conductivity, so it should be perfect for a beginner like you. I’ll buy it for you as a thank-you for the other day.”
Perhaps confident in her own powers of discernment, Shino looked proud of her choice of wand for Rix.
“This one’s no good. It’s too light. And too brittle,” Rix said in total seriousness. “This thing won’t last a minute if I start swinging it around.”
“You won’t be using it for physical attacks, you meathead!” Shino howled.
“W-wait! Wait, wait! L-let me pick out a wand for you, too, Rix!” Annie cried.
She hurriedly looked around the shop, picked out one that caught her eye, and brought it to Rix.
“I think this one will definitely suit you! You are very strong, after all!” she told him. “And look, it’s an orcish two-handed greatstaff! It’s heavy, it’s big, and if you throw it, you could take out any enemy in one hit! It’s perfect for you! On top of that, it’s not too expensive, either, so I’ll buy it for you!”
“Annie, no, you’ve got it wrong… We’re not trying to choose a weapon for Rix… We’re choosing a wand that will help him unlock his Sphere…,” Randy reminded Annie, who was beside herself with enthusiasm.
Then:
“Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! You know nothing! Ignoramuses, the both of you! You understand absolutely nothing about Rix!”
Serephina let out a triumphant, high-pitched laugh.
“But I am different, you see?! I’m the woman who fought side by side with him against a sea monster!” she crowed. “And so, considering his fighting style, the current issue of unlocking his Sphere, and his potential for future growth and development, I have selected the most suitable wand for him! This is the only option for you, Rix!!”
Upon declaring this, Serephina proudly presented the wand she had selected to Rix. It was…a longsword.
The huge sword was about as long as Rix was tall. Forged with a high-grade magic metal, even the untrained eye could see it was well crafted. It had magic script engraved on the blade and a powerful enchantment applied to it.
This was clearly the work of a prolific magic swordsmith.
It was a masterpiece of high caliber, both as a weapon and as a magic wand to aid in the casting of magic.
“Wow! I like this one! With this, I could fight my way through any battlefield!”
Rix had a twinkle in his eye as he took the longsword in both hands and raised it up.
“Heh-heh-heh, I know, I know. I have a keen eye for this sort of thing.” Serephina peeked over at Annie and Shino with a victorious grin.
“…”
Annie’s usual cheerful smile had somehow turned a little scary.
“…!”
Shino had on a poker face as usual, but…crack…the ash wand in her hand had snapped.