WINTER came and went, and spring was on the horizon, but snow still blanketed Lawlife. It would fully melt at the start of summer. An outsider might declare that it was still winter, but the locals could sense spring because snow no longer fell every day.
Mother and I journeyed back to the royal capital for my practical exam. Father and Claire stayed back again. The social season was upon us, and I invited them to have some fun, but Claire wanted to stay and study for her future duties. I left my hometown, warmly sent off by my beloved family.
Even in the carriage, my practice continued. I kept trying to make a feather float, analyze the hat of a man who sat in front of me, and send letters to my mother, who sat right next to me. Five days passed, and for the first time in three months, I returned to the royal capital. It was packed with people since it was in the height of the social season, and it was rowdy wherever I went. I checked my belongings into a hotel and headed for the city with Mother.
I needed to purchase wands, bracelets, rings, and other supplies for spells. I’d purchased a bit of white birch from a general store in a nearby village and fashioned it into my wand, but we weren’t very compatible. My wand degraded by the day.
“Misha, you can buy whatever you like,” Mother said.
“Thank you, Mother,” I replied.
She’d brought some money for herself and wished to use that on me. I wanted to find something cheap and compatible with my mana. I promptly headed straight for a shop that sold magic tools. It was filled with people, and I even spotted a few young people who were presumably applicants for magic schools. They all had servants and maids attending them, a sign that they came from noble households.
The store itself was spacious, and it wasn’t too crowded despite all the people. I spotted Mother speaking with what I thought was the store owner, so I headed straight to the wand section to pick one out. I was overwhelmed by the sheer variety.
Wands came in all shapes and sizes. The most popular type was a short bit of wood. A teacher told me that most students at magic schools chose short wands as their first tool. The second most popular tool was staves. A staff could be engraved with spells to enhance its powers, and the wielder could cast spells that strengthened their staff. There were also longstaves, which were larger than staves. Only those who’d been learning spells for several years could hope to wield one. Maces were a type of wand as well, capable of bludgeoning opponents while boasting high attack capabilities. I recalled reading in a book that a wizard or witch with a mace was one to look out for—they were dangerous.
Since I loved fantasy novels, longstaves always looked cool to me, but a tool that long would be a pain to carry around between classes. A wand was the classic and best option. Just as I reached out to grab one that caught my eye, I heard a cry beside me.
“Aghhh! Why are wands so damn expensive?!” someone shouted.
I spotted someone with ashy gold hair, closer to a hazel hue, his scarlet eyes colored with disappointment. I couldn’t tell if he was a boy or a young man, but he buried his face in his hands. Though other customers were dressed well, he was in a simple shirt and pants. Is he a commoner? I wondered. He didn’t have anyone attending to him, and he clearly was thinking out loud, but his voice was so loud that I couldn’t pretend that I didn’t hear him. I spoke up.
“Are you perhaps an applicant for a magic school?” I asked.
“Huh? Yeah, sure am,” he replied tersely.
I thought so.
“Don’t ya think wands are a bit too expensive?” he inquired.
“I suppose so.”
Even the cheapest cost one gold coin, and in this world, that was equivalent to a month’s paycheck on average. Even a former Japanese person like me thought that this was a bit much.
“Man, I even cut down on how much bread I was eating to save up,” he groaned. “But I can’t afford this.”
“How did you cast spells until now?” I asked.
“Me? I just used a random branch lying around.”
“A branch…”
“I mean, they’re practically the same thing.”
They might seem the same, but they’re totally different.
“I’m surprised that you managed to cast anything using a simple branch,” I said.
“Yeah, it exploded in my face every time,” he added.
“Th-That’s quite dangerous.”
“Yep. So, that hag of a proctor told me to bring a wand for the practical exams, y’know?”
“A-A hag?”
I’d never heard that word in this world. His appearance and mannerisms made it clear that he came from a different upbringing from the posh nobles filling the shop.
“Agh, dammit!” he groaned. “Without a wand, I can’t take the exams!”
“Probably not,” I agreed.
“But I can’t buy something this expensive. I’m flat broke!”
He buried his face in his hands, and I felt bad for him. Then a brilliant idea hit me.
“Hey, do you want the wand that I’ve been using?” I offered.
“Huh?!” he gasped.
I offered the wand fastened to the belt of my dress to him.
“Wait… Seriously?” he asked.
“Of course,” I replied. “I’m actually here to buy a new one, so I’ve no need for my old wand. I don’t know if it’s compatible with you, though…”
I told him that it was made from white birch from the snowy region of Lawlife. He gingerly took it from me.
“Awesome…” he murmured. “So, this is a real wand…”
The moment he grabbed it, he claimed that his mana coursed through the wand without issue.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Really?” he asked. “Are you really, truly sure about this?”
“Very much so,” I stressed. “I’d be happy if you took it off my hands anyway.”
“Thank you! Seriously! I owe you my everything!” He beamed brightly and thanked me like an excited puppy. “The name’s Ehr. Ehr Barre.”
“My name is Misha. Misha von Ritual.”
“Ah, so you’re a noble,” Ehr said. “Thought so.”
“I am.”
Since I spoke to him, he had assumed that I was from the upper middle class, at the very least.
“Nobles usually ignore guys like me,” he said.
“That’s a real shame,” I sympathized.
There was a clear social hierarchy in this world. That was just how society worked here.
“I don’t know if I’ll get in, but if I do, would you be my friend?” he asked. He flashed a brilliant smile and offered his hand.
“Yes! I’d very much love to be!” I said as I happily shook his hand.
“I’ve gotta go now! Later!”
And with that, he energetically left. I hoped that I’d meet him again one day; he was one of my precious potential friends at school, after all.
I switched gears and perused the wands again. Rings were smaller and more compact, but my eyes practically fell out of my sockets when I saw the high price. Even the cheapest one was two hundred gold coins. Mother claimed that the family she hailed from was wealthy, and she had plenty of pocket money to spare, but even I couldn’t beg her for something that lavish.
Some tools resembled a grimoire. The book looked old and ancient, but it was decorated with gold and silver accents, making it look quite splendid. It was around three gold coins and within my budget, but it looked heavier than the wands and rings.
I also saw crystal balls that fortune tellers used, brooms suitable for witches, daggers inscribed with spells, bracelets fitted with magic stones, and a myriad of other tools. I deemed a wand would be the best fit for school when my mother returned to my side, the shop owner in tow. The owner claimed they could choose the best wand that would be compatible with my mana. When I told the astute owner that I was of the snow element, they chose a wand that was made from solidified icicles.
“I suspect that this will be a good fit with your magic,” the owner said.
The moment I gripped the wand, it fit snugly in my hands to an almost alarming degree, and I felt my mana being stimulated very well.
“What do you think?” the owner asked.
“I’d like this, please!”
My answer was immediate. Satisfied, I returned to the hotel to practice my spells for the exam. I was able to cast them better than I had with my white birch wand, and I was quite confident I could get a good grade.
I wonder if Ehr’s doing all right with his… I was a touch worried, but since he claimed he used a random branch in lieu of a wand, the white birch would be a considerable improvement for him. I hope he gets in!