1 Bells rang in two locations: from inside the monastery and from the bell tower in the town of Estosha. They were announcing the time. Once the ringing stopped, the sound of work could be heard throughout the monastery. Wood being cut, liquid being stirred, heavy objects being dragged. But what you couldn’t hear was conversation. The monk showing them the way didn’t say a single word, nor did his steps make any noise as he continued down the corridor. Just like the town of Estosha, Lus Monastery had a long history. It had been built hundreds of years ago and served as the home for devout Marayist believers who longed for a quiet life. The sprawling complex contained its own farmland, which allowed it to be self-sufficient. The monks oversaw a variety of tasks, including carpentry, smithing, and medicine making. They sold what they made in town to raise the funds to keep the place running. Every person within the monastery worked hard to serve the Lord, so the goods they created were both higher quality and lower priced than average. There were even some merchants who purchased their products cheap to sell at a profit in other cities. The building showed obvious signs of disrepair; it was actually a miracle how long it had lasted, considering when it had been built. For a place that housed tens of people, it was also surprisingly clean. That was undoubtedly a by-product of their ascetic lifestyle. While Ix and Shuno followed along, they passed a number of monks, each giving a polite bow. None of them said a single word. “H-hey,” whispered Shuno, walking beside Ix. “This is my first time in a monastery. Will they get angry if we talk?” “Dunno…,” said Ix vaguely with a tilt of his head. “Have you been here before?” “Nope.” “R-really? You seem pretty calm… Ah, you just look that way, don’t you? Bet you’re all anxious inside.” “Maybe.” “I—I thought so! Don’t think you have to bottle it all up. You can talk to me if you’re nervous. ’Cause I’m not at all.” “I appreciate it.” “All right, then. But, you know, it’s super quiet even though there are fifty people living here…” By this point, Shuno had forgotten to whisper and was speaking at their normal volume. The monk guiding them turned back and cleared his throat loudly. “Ah, s-sorry…” They immediately scrunched up their shoulders. “Guess they really will get mad at us. Make sure you’re careful, too, Ix.” Shuno shot a serious look at the other apprentice, who nodded reluctantly. This was what it had been like since they’d met at the monastery’s entrance and briefly introduced themselves to each other. Shuno had been given a Declaration of Equivalency as a test, which they would need to pass before going independent. Once they learned that Ix was still just an apprentice, and younger on top of that, they’d been acting like they were his mentor or something. “Oh yeah. I know I’m the more experienced of us, but you don’t have to treat me like your superior or anything, Ix. I’m still an apprentice, just like you.” Despite having just angered the monks, Shuno kept on babbling. “But if you ever run into trouble, feel free to come to me for help. I should be able to figure something out as the senior wandmaker.” Far from making fun of Ix, Shuno seemed genuinely concerned for him. At one point, with complete sincerity, they even said, “If your master gets in trouble, it’ll partly be because I didn’t keep a close enough eye on you. In that case, I’ll come with you to apologize.” Ix didn’t know how to respond to most of this, so he stuck with giving noncommittal replies. However, his tone turned oddly weak in response to that last comment from Shuno. “B-but don’t get me wrong. I’m not worried about your skill. Master said you could be trusted, after all.” “Your master?” “Y-yeah. Wait, you didn’t hear? He’s the one who recommended you for this job…” “All that was delivered to me was a letter from the monastery. What’s your master’s name?” “Marlan. You really don’t know him? That’s weird. Why’d he recommend you for this, then? He told me he met you somewhere in Leirest, and you evaluated a lot of wands with just a glance. Only a seasoned craftsman could’ve done something like that…” Ix turned the name Marlan over and over in his mind and came back with nothing. He did remember evaluating a bunch of wands once, during the incident he’d been dragged into at the party last fall. Marlan must have been one of the attendees. But what Ix didn’t understand was why anyone would think highly of what he’d done. Abnormal situation aside, even an apprentice who’d just started their training could have accomplished that. “That’s why I’ve been looking forward to meeting you so much,” continued Shuno. “I’m itching to see you make a wand. Mind if I watch?” “I don’t really mind, but…” “…But what?” Shuno asked, eyes darting side to side and a stiff smile coming to their lips. Ix wasn’t sure how they’d taken his momentary hesitation. “Seems like you’ve been annoyed with me for a while. I-I’m getting on your nerves with all this talking, aren’t I…? I am; I know I am. I get it; it’s distracting to have someone jabbering away nonstop. I’ll shut my mouth…” “It’s not a big deal.” “R-really?” Ix nodded. It was true that the conversation was a little tedious, but he suspected things would get even more tedious if he told Shuno that. There was no real harm in them chatting with him. “O-oh!” Shuno’s expression immediately brightened. “You should have said something if it made you that happy.” “Huh?” “Since you don’t show anything on your face, Ix.” Just as he was about to protest that he hadn’t said anything about being happy, the monk in front of them came to a halt and turned around. “Ah, s-sorry…,” said Shuno, squeezing their eyes shut. “Wait here, please,” said the monk, pointing at a door next to him while ignoring Shuno. “It seems the craftsman will be late. The abbot will come to greet you shortly. We’ve also arranged for someone to assist you while you’re here. Please ask him any questions you have regarding your work or daily lives.” “O-oh. Thanks… Ha-ha-ha,” said Shuno. The monk bowed and left. They had been brought to a simple room. Ix couldn’t tell what it was used for normally. Several long tables lined the chamber, and there were many chairs against the wall. A fireplace near the front of the room had been lit, so it was already warm. So warm, in fact, that Ix was starting to sweat in his coat. The place was also thoroughly cleaned, without a single speck of dust on the floor. They each grabbed a chair, set them next to each other, and sat down. Shuno had been roving their eyes around nervously from the moment they entered the room. “H-huh…so the craftsman’s going to be late? At least we weren’t the last ones here.” “Do you know who’s coming?” asked Ix. “No, I just heard they’re a wandmaker based in Estosha. The pay’s not great when you do jobs for a place like this, and the assignments usually end up being pretty tough, too, so only locals or apprentices like us are willing to take them. Anyway, I hope this person is nice.” “A craftsman based in Estosha…” “Hmm, you think you know who it might be?” “There’s someone I sort of know.” This was rare for Ix, since he had so few connections to other people in the industry. “A letter came to my master’s shop a few years ago. It was from a wandmaker named Coaku.” The man had left an impression on Ix because Munzil had exchanged several letters with him, a rarity for his master. Though technically it had been Ix who had read and replied to the correspondences after Munzil put him up to it. He recalled being nervous at the prospect of responding to an older craftsman. Incidentally, Ix had first learned of Heaven’s Worship through those exchanges. As he thought back to that time, Shuno stared at him with shock, then asked, “Coaku? Do you mean Coaku Shtah?!” “…Is he famous?” “Uh, yeah, well.” Shuno looked away in embarrassment. “I heard the name from Master Marlan. Coaku’s the most experienced craftsman in Estosha right now. S-someone as important as him wouldn’t come for this job. Well, I don’t actually know if he’s all that, but you’d think the most senior wandmaker in the city would be pretty important. Probably.” “You don’t seem so sure…” “But your master lives in Leirest, right? Their connections must run pretty deep if they know a craftsman all the way out here. Would you mind introducing me later? I might even know their name already.” “You ask for an introduction, but I’m not sure you could really say my master lives in Leirest…” It would be too annoying to explain that Munzil had passed and that he was only working as an apprentice under another wandmaker who’d learned from his old master. Besides, Ix had a hunch that telling Shuno this would lead to some overblown comments on their part. The truth of the matter was that he was just taking advantage of Morna’s generosity and living in her shop. That wasn’t something to be proud of. As Ix considered what to say, there was a knock on the door. “Is everyone all right? I heard a shout,” came the voice of a young man from the other side of the entrance. “Ah, everything’s fine!” Shuno made a big show of clearing their throat. “I, um, just sneezed really loudly. With all this cold, the snow falling, and everything.” “I am so sorry. Is the room not warm enough?” “O-oh, no, it’s not your fault. The chill from outside just got in my bones is all.” Shuno’s convoluted response was both an expression of concern for the other person and an attempt to hide their own embarrassment. “Anyway, why don’t you just come in?” 2 The young monk entered the room. He looked to still be in his teens; though he was tall, his freckled face still showed signs of youth. The boy’s head was shaved close, and his habit seemed to be a hand-me-down, since it fit too snugly on his body. “My name is Beter,” he said with a polite bow. “I’ve been tasked with caring for you while you work. If you have need of anything during your stay, please just ask.” “Thanks,” said Shuno, standing up and offering a hand. “Ummm…” Beter stared at their outstretched palm with uncertainty. “Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Shuno.” “Ah, Shuno. Very nice to meet you. And you are…?” asked Beter, looking at Ix. “Ix,” he replied from his seat. “N-nice to meet you, Ix—” “Oh, he’s not angry or anything, so don’t worry,” interjected Shuno somewhat boastfully. “He’s just the kind of person who doesn’t show much emotion on his face. But inside, he’s overjoyed to meet you.” “Is that so?” “Yep. Hey, why don’t you have a seat, too?” “No thank you, I’m fine as I am. Now then…,” said Beter before launching into a quick overview of the monastery’s structure and rules. The two apprentices would mostly work in this room, and they were to avoid wandering around the monastery. They would also need to refrain from speaking with the monks and shouting. Essentially, they would have to steer clear of the residents as much as possible so as to not interrupt them. “Ummm…,” said Shuno quietly. “Does that mean we shouldn’t really talk to each other, either?” “No, not at all. You are welcome to converse with each other. These rules apply to us, not you. Also, since this is currently part of my job, there’s no issue with speaking to me, either,” explained Beter. “R-really?” Shuno smiled and looked at Ix. “So we can still chat. Wait, but then why did they get angry with me earlier?” “Because you shouted,” said Ix. “…Hmm.” Shuno closed their eyes and gave a small cough. Since the craftsman was going to be late, Beter decided to show the two around the monastery. Cold air swept their fire-warmed cheeks the moment they stepped out of the room. The hallway ran along the outer edge of the building and gave them an excellent view of the surrounding scenery. Snow was pouring down outside, and the field that led to town was being swallowed by white. “It’s really piling up…,” murmured Shuno. “This way,” said Beter as he walked down the hall. “At this time of day, everyone will be reading in their rooms. We probably won’t bump into anyone else.” Staring at the blanket of white, the pair followed along. There was nothing around them, and it was unnaturally quiet outside, as if the snow swallowed all sound. Actually, that silence was to be expected. The monastery was a world of purity, separated from the rest of society. A world dedicated to God. It was like a bubble rising up through the water. That was why no sound carried here. On the first floor, they peered into several workrooms. Some were lined with large barrels while others were filled with tools. Despite the fact that these chambers were used for labor, the tools were perfectly arranged in neat rows. Things were so orderly that even Shuno shut their mouth and stopped fidgeting on the tour. This level also contained a kitchen and a library, but there was no one to be found in them at the moment. The back exit of the kitchen led to a garden. It had been cleared of trees to form a large vegetable plot. Though white snow was piling on the black soil, there were still some plants that hadn’t been harvested. They had to be winter vegetables. At the entrance to the monastery was a silver bell. Beter explained it was to chime the hour. Farther in was a staircase that led up to the second floor, crisscrossing twice as it climbed. The upper level seemed to primarily consist of dormitories, their narrow entrances packed tightly along the hallway. The door to each cell contained a small window you could peer into, revealing only a bed, a small table, and an elderly monk flipping the pages of a book. None of the residents turned to glance at them as they passed through the hallway. At some point, they passed another person in the hall. He must have been old, as his back was hunched over. The man’s face and form were hidden beneath rags, and he was pushing a cart laden with books. Instead of saying anything to him, Beter simply made eye contact in greeting. Just as the man passed Ix, the wheel of his cart caught on a small lip in the floor, causing one of the books to fall. Ix picked it up and gave it back but predictably received silence in response. The man accepted the tome and continued along at a steady clip. The majority of the rooms were occupied, but the last two were empty, and their doors were open. Some daily necessities were still there, though. “People were in those cells until just recently,” said Beter as they went back to the first floor. “They were two lay brothers who had just entered the monastery in the fall. They ran away a few days ago.” “Well, I’m sure there’re some people who just aren’t suited to this kind of life,” remarked Shuno. “Might be rude of me to assume so, but I imagine that kind of thing happens a lot.” “Ah, well…” Beter nodded with a pained smile. “These two were passionate, though, so I was sure they would be fine. They said they wanted to live a quiet life of faith to atone for the harm they’d brought to others… Apparently, they were originally adventurers. We came to rely on them for jobs that required strength. Their departure was so sudden, too…” “You seem really bothered by it. Were you close with them?” asked Shuno, who seemed like they were having a hard time understanding. “As close as I was with any of the others, I thought…” Beter furrowed his brow in worry. “But the thing is, they said they saw a ghost.” “Ghost?” murmured Ix. “Yes, that’s what they claimed before fleeing the monastery,” said Beter, nodding. “I would get it if they’d admitted the life was too difficult for them. But a specter…” “They were adventurers, yeah?” said Shuno with a frown. “I mean, I’m not trying to disparage them, but I bet they were so used to living a life of freedom that having all these restrictions just became too much. The ghost stuff was probably just an excuse.” “We don’t chase people who leave the monastery. You don’t need a reason to abandon this life. Which is why I find it strange they would go to the effort of concocting such an unbelievable excuse,” replied Beter. Shuno nodded in agreement, since it made sense, and the conversation ended there. After taking a trip around the building, they went back to the chamber they’d started in to find seven monks waiting. One was an elderly man with white hair and a beard. The other six monks looked to be in their twenties or thirties. They stood side by side in a line, gazing at Ix and Shuno as they entered the room. “Ah, wh-what?” gasped Shuno, recoiling from the stares. “I am the abbot,” the elderly man announced in a mild tone. “Beter, we’ve received notice that he won’t be coming today and that we should ask these two to begin work without him.” “Understood,” said Beter with a nod. “I apologize for the short greeting, but I must be on my way.” The abbot gave a short thank-you and quickly left the room. Ix waited for the door to close, then asked, “What he just said, did he mean the craftsman isn’t coming? I thought this assignment was for the three of us, though…” “Yes, that is the case. It seems he’s tied up with another assignment at the moment,” responded Beter, nodding. “But he also said to go ahead with the job, right? Which means these people lined up here”—Shuno snapped their fingers—“are the people we’re going to be making staffs for?” The monks nodded in silence. “…Uh, I was hoping for a more energetic response,” Shuno said. “You’re going to make them angry again,” said Ix with a snort. 3 All six of the men had only just recently been promoted to monk from lay brother. To accomplish this, they’d needed to get a recommendation from the abbot and pass a standardized test. Magic-wielding was on the exam, and if they were promoted, they would receive permission to carry a staff of their own in public. Ix had accepted a commission to make those staffs. This kind of work came often during winter, and it was actually nice to have, since there was little else to do during the season. Even so, most craftsmen refused to take this sort of job. Not only were monasteries unlikely to have a large pool of funds available to compensate who they hired, but they were also aware that commissions dried up for wandmakers in winter. These factors put monasteries in a better position to negotiate good rates. All in all, the payment just wasn’t worth the effort. Besides, monks had little opportunity to fight, so their staffs would go almost entirely unused after their creation. They were more of a commemorative item. Obviously, no wandmaker wanted their work to go unused, so anyone skilled refused the work. Despite all that, most craftsmen hated jobs from monasteries for a separate reason. “Thank you for your help,” said the monks as they showed Ix and Shuno what they held. Each monk was carrying a branch of artey, its twigs and bark removed, of different thicknesses and lengths. Some of them even had holes from bugs chewing on the wood. Ix held back a sigh. Monks had to “choose their staff” by preparing their own wood and core material as part of their training. They cut the wood from the nearby forests before doing a small amount of work to it. Getting core material wasn’t as easy, so each person brought theirs when they joined the monastery. The wandmaker would have to produce a staff from these components. No one but a craftsman would understand how much of a pain this was. There were even people who thought the way the monks did it was easier, figuring that the wandmaker just needed to put the materials together, since they were already prepped. Obviously, it wasn’t that simple. In fact, making a wand or staff from preselected ingredients was far more difficult than adjusting a stock wand or crafting a staff to individual specifications. Wood and core materials had certain compatibilities, as did the user. If they weren’t in alignment, the wielder’s mana could be greatly decreased, or they might even end up with a product that couldn’t cast a spell. The monks studied a little wandmaking before preparing the materials for their staffs, but they were still amateurs. Despite having learned only the most basic of the basics, they often convinced themselves they understood everything, leading them to select unacceptable wood. Then there was the work they did to it, which you could call nothing better than haphazard. Ix shook his head, thinking about how annoying the job would be. Shuno must have felt the same, because they took one glance at the wood and gave an unambiguous groan. “R-right, Ix, there are six of them. So, you take three, and I take three,” they said, trying to pull themselves together. “You can decide who you want to work with. Since I’m the more—” “I’m not the one who should determine that,” interrupted Ix. “Beter, have them choose who they want to work with.” “Oh, okay,” he acquiesced. The six monks hesitated for a moment, but Beter gave them a look, and they gathered together to discuss things quietly. “You sure about this?” Shuno whispered as they came over to Ix, who was staring at the monks in the corner. “And after I tried to give you the choice, too.” “The working on their wood is equally terrible. It wouldn’t have made a difference who I picked,” said Ix. “Huh? No, that’s not what I mean.” Shuno shrugged. “If you let them decide who they want, they’ll, you know, all choose me.” “…If that happens, you can make them all. I’ll just provide support.” “Seriously? But I’ll feel bad for you.” “Craftsmen shouldn’t force their problems on the clients.” “So that’s what it’s about…” Shuno smiled. “All right, what you said just now is enough to tell me everything. If no one chooses you, I’ll just have to explain to them how reliable you are.” “A wandmaker’s personality has nothing to do with their reliability.” “Well, obviously. If they were connected, you would have failed long ago.” “…You’re probably right.” “Uh, wait, I’m sorry—that was a seriously mean joke. Really, I’m sorry.” Shuno spread their hands. “But, you know, it might be good for you to show your emotions a little more, Ix.” As the two of them chatted, the monks finished their discussion. “Um…,” Beter spoke up hesitantly. “Oh, they’ve decided?” Shuno turned toward him. “Well, they’ve each said which person they would prefer, but…” Beter cast his eyes down, having difficulty getting the words out. “Their decisions are a bit lopsided.” “Wait, you can’t mean they all chose one of us?” “I’m afraid so.” “What, really?” Shuno’s eyes opened wide. “Oooh, no, that’s not good…” “Everyone wants Ix to make their staff,” revealed Beter. “…What?” It was Ix who’d said that. He simply couldn’t understand why the monks had picked him. This was his first time meeting them, and they didn’t know anything about his level of skill or experience, so they shouldn’t have leaned toward him so heavily. Shuno was obviously surprised as well and stood there with a look of disbelief on their face for a few moments. “W-w…” They moved their mouth wordlessly as they tried to respond. “Wait a minute, why are all of you choosing Ix? I mean, he is reliable, and if you really want it, I’ll just support your selection…but this… It’s a bit hurtful, you know?” Tears started to form in their eyes. “No, they probably just don’t know our station,” said Ix. “Let me explain, everyone. Shuno’s older and more experienced than I am. I’m just an apprentice, but they’re about to go independent, so they’re closer to being an actual craftsman. I think you should reconsider.” After saying that, the six monks looked at one another. They’d probably figured the opposite was true. People often assumed Ix was older than he was due to the color of his hair. “N-no, Ix, you don’t have to worry about me,” said Shuno. “Now you’ll be the one who’s left out. But it does make me happy that you care.” “I’m not worried about you; I’m just stating the truth.” “That’s because you care. You would lie if you didn’t,” said Shuno with a smile. “…No, it’s just that’s the way it has to be to satisfy the client. I’ll support you with everything I’ve got.” “U-um…,” interjected one of the monks as he raised his hand. “Excuse me, may we have another moment to discuss this?” “Huh? I don’t mind…,” said Ix. It seemed the revelation that Shuno was about to go independent had changed things. Even if the monks wouldn’t have much opportunity to use their catalysts, it was only natural for them to want a good craftsman to make them. Ultimately, the conversation ended with Ix and Shuno each being assigned to three of the six men. The apprentices got straight to work, dividing the space between themselves. Shuno and Ix sat with their backs to each other in the room they’d split in half. “From now on, this is my crafting space. You can come over to watch me every once in a while,” said Shuno while laying out tools. “Since I’ll swing by to see what you’re up to sometimes, too.” Ix gathered the three monks he was now in charge of and asked them to show him the wood and core materials they’d prepared. He wouldn’t get anywhere without checking those first. But… He furrowed his brow as he examined the wood. Monks traditionally wielded staffs, though there weren’t actually any rules that demanded they do so. The three men who’d chosen Ix all wanted staffs and had prepared long cuts of wood accordingly. “Um… What do you think?” asked the monk who was sitting across from Ix. “What do I think?” asked Ix back, his eyes never leaving the stick in the man’s hands. “Well, I just wondered if there’s a problem with the work I did on it.” Ix removed the magnifying lens from his left eye and stared at the monk. Behind him, he could hear Shuno saying, “Huh?! Ah, i-it’s so well-made, ha-ha-ha…” They must have been checking the wood as well. And from the sound of Shuno complimenting the monks, it seemed those three were also interested in how they’d done. “It’s all right. You didn’t completely botch it,” said Ix, trying to reassure his client. “The mistakes on the other two aren’t too bad, either. I should be able to make staffs out of these.” “M-mistakes?” The monk looked slightly insulted. “I worked so carefully, though.” “You made some unnecessary adjustments to it. This sort of prep is for wands, not staffs. But fortunately, it’s not so bad that I can’t do anything with it.” “…Oh.” “Show me your core materials.” Despite what Ix had just said, if there was a problem, it was going to be with the core material. Since the monks of this monastery traditionally selected wood from the same species of tree, it was guaranteed to be suitable for staffs. But that wasn’t the case with the core material. Ix was on edge because there were so many options the monks could have chosen from, and he didn’t know what they might pull out. He took the materials one after the other and inspected them. They were all stone-type cores, which set Ix at ease, since they had few quirks and wide compatibility. Today they would be doing only a simple check of the components. As Ix returned them to the monks, Beter came over and said, “You’ve worked hard today. Will you start crafting tomorrow?” “No, it’ll take a while to design the staffs. I’ll start making them after that. Shuno will probably do the same.” “Ah, Shuno…,” said Beter with a quick glance in their direction. Ix turned back to find Shuno groaning, core material in hand. The monk standing across from them looked concerned. “Um, is there a prob—?” he started. “Wait,” Shuno interjected, holding a hand up to the monk. “I’m thinking right now.” “O-oh…” Curious, Ix went over to check out what was going on and saw that Shuno was holding a clump of some milky-white substance. They were so focused, they didn’t notice Ix watching from behind. Looking closely at their hand, Ix saw a strangely twisted lump, which might have been stone. Ix couldn’t help bringing a hand to his mouth. It was moma. This was actually his first time seeing it in person. It was an incredibly uncommon resource, so rare he hadn’t even seen it in his master’s shop. That didn’t mean it was particularly powerful or valuable, but the material did explain Shuno’s worries. Based on what wandmaking literature had to say about moma’s disposition, it had poor compatibility with artey, the wood all the monks were using. Ix quickly ran through a few possible methods for getting the two substances to work together, but he didn’t think any of them would bear fruit. But Shuno couldn’t very well tell the monk to switch to a different core material at this point in the process. Noticing Ix’s consternation as he stood there silently, the monk grew even more uneasy. Just then, however, Shuno gave a shout. “All right!” With an exaggerated nod, they returned the moma back to the monk. “Yep, it’s not a problem. Here, you hold on to this for now.” “Huh? A-all right,” he said, his eyes wide as he accepted the material. “Okay, now I’ve checked everyone’s materials, right? Oh, Ix. You didn’t have any problems, did you?” said Shuno once they noticed Ix standing right behind them. “No, nothing on my side, but—” “Great, looks like we’re both getting off to a good start.” Shuno smiled in satisfaction, cutting off Ix as he tried to ask if they really didn’t have any issues. Though it didn’t feel like much time had passed since the noon bell, night fell early in winter, and it was already getting darker outside. Each of the monks expressed their gratitude and left the room. That left the three of them in the workroom. Beter bowed his head as he said, “I apologize for any burden we place on you.” “Nah, it’s no problem, but…,” Shuno replied, glancing around the room. “Uh, where are we going to be staying for the night? I heard you’d be preparing us lodgings. Are you going to let us use this room?” “Um, about that…,” said Beter, who sounded like he was having trouble getting his words out. “We’ve made arrangements for you to stay in Estosha…” “You’re saying we have to walk all the way back there now? Urgh, that’s kind of a pain.” “Well, I suppose we do have those empty rooms you saw on the tour.” “Oh, the ones that used to belong to the guys who ran away?” Shuno clapped a fist into their palm. “They’re a bit small, but it’s better than walking back and forth.” “Yes, if you would like to use those rooms, you may, but…” Beter looked away from the two of them. “Is there some sort of a problem?” asked Ix. “An issue? Well, no, not with you, Ix,” replied Beter. “Um, is it a problem with me, then?” asked Shuno, blinking in surprise. “Well, there’s just one thing I need to confirm first.” Beter cleared his throat, steeled himself, and asked, “Shuno, are you a man?” “I don’t see how that’s relevant,” they replied with a smile. “It is very important,” said Beter carefully. “Just as men are not allowed in a nunnery, women are not allowed in a monastery. The same holds true anywhere. We need this arrangement for our life of abstinence. Of course, there are exceptions, like now. While we don’t have any issue with inviting special craftspeople into the building, staying overnight is a completely different story. I also believe that this has something to do with why all the monks picked Ix at first…” “Ah, I see,” said Shuno, staring up at the ceiling with their arms crossed. “Hmm… Yeah, uh, I don’t feel like telling you that information just for this. I’ll stay in Estosha.” “Understood,” said Beter with a nod. “And you, Ix?” “I’ll go back there, too.” As Ix said that, he noticed Shuno nodding slightly out of the corner of his eye. 4 They borrowed two lamps and returned to Estosha. The snow was falling only lightly, but the field was already coated with white, and the road back to town was completely concealed. They would certainly have lost their way had it not been for the lights of the city. Compared to Ix, who was wearing the bare minimum, Shuno looked massive in their big coat and oversized rain hat. Every part of their body was covered in protective clothing. “Ix, are you curious about me?” asked Shuno as they walked beside Ix. “No, not really.” He shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t care.” “Ha-ha, that’s very like you… Why didn’t you stay in the monastery? Wait, did you want to be with me?” Glancing sideways, Ix saw Shuno in profile, white breath coming out with their every exhalation. They were lit up from below, from the lamp in their hand. Ix hadn’t noticed until Beter pointed it out, but he really couldn’t tell Shuno’s gender. Their voice and face were both androgynous, and their winter clothing obscured their body. Shuno could claim they were a man or a woman, and Ix would take them at their word either way. But that had zero influence on their job right now. What mattered here was their wandmaking skills. Ix had no interest in anything but that. “Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Huh? What are you agreeing with?” “I want to talk to you.” “H-huh?” stuttered Shuno, looking around for some reason. But they had nothing to lay eyes on except a snow-covered field. “H-how am I supposed to respond to something so direct…?” “The moma. How can you combine that with the artey?” asked Ix. “Huh?” “I can’t come up with any way to use moma in a staff made of artey. But you decided it wasn’t going to be a problem earlier. How are you going to make it into a staff? Have you worked with it before?” Shuno stared at Ix, at a loss for a while, then let out a sigh, as if all strength had left them. “W-wand talk…? No, today was my first time seeing moma.” “I’ve been thinking about how to get it to work this whole time but can’t come up with anything. No matter what you do, you’ll get a defect at the conduit junction…” “Oh yeah, you’ll definitely get a leak.” Shuno immediately echoed Ix’s concerns. “But if you put in, like, a balancing mechanism sort of thing, or something, in the inlet for the leakage, then… Ummm, I mean, it’s sort of like a reverse Rednoff-Seiquan-style thing. I’ve got it all worked out in my head, but it’s hard to explain… Anyway, I think it won’t be a problem if I do it that way.” It took a few seconds for Shuno’s explanation to unfurl in Ix’s mind. But as he thought it over, goose bumps slowly formed on his skin. This wasn’t because of the cold; if anything, Ix felt hot. It was intuitive. The solution Shuno had devised would work perfectly for making a staff. But… “…Did you invent this procedure, Shuno?” asked Ix. “‘Invent’ makes it sound like a big deal. That guy went to all the trouble of getting his core material, and I would feel bad telling him I didn’t need it. That’s why I came up with the technique.” That’s impossible, Ix nearly blurted out. In simple terms, the process Shuno explained essentially involved swapping the mana input and output on the staff. It wasn’t a particularly complex idea. Just saying that much was enough for someone to understand. Yet, as far as Ix was aware, that sort of technique didn’t exist anywhere in the world currently. It was actually an incredibly abnormal thought for a wandmaker to have. It was a total departure from commonsense wandmaking. This discovery would only be applicable in very rare cases, but if Shuno really had developed it in such a short time… They would be nothing short of a genius. Ix’s legs trembled. Up until this point, he had met several people who could rightfully be called geniuses, but he never expected one to waltz into his life as casually as you might say good morning. To think he would find someone so gifted on this job of all things… “Anyway, were you really honest with that one guy?” asked Shuno in a light tone, holding up a finger. They didn’t seem aware of how incredible they really were. “…What are you talking about?” Ix managed to say, still reeling from shock. “You know, the monk who did some seriously crazy work on his wood. There’s no way you’ll finish before winter ends if you have to redo everything. I was about to jump in and help if you started complaining.” “No, it was fine…” Ix cocked his head in confusion. “Oh, you probably didn’t see it up close like I did. It wasn’t in that bad of shape. I’m planning on using it as is.” “Huh…? But he’d worked it like it was going to be a wand, didn’t he? Or did he only half finish?” “He finished. Seems he’s hardworking, for better or worse.” “Wait… Wait, wait, wait.” Shuno brought a hand to their temple. “Uh, how the heck are you going to turn a stick in that condition into a staff? I don’t remember learning anything like that.” “I doubt it’s the kind of technique you’d be taught.” “Wh-what do you mean by that?” “I don’t mean anything…” Ix frowned. He didn’t understand why Shuno was so invested in this line of conversation. “It’s just combining a few basic principles. Anyway, that doesn’t matter; I want to hear more about your tech—” “Nope, wait. Just hold up.” Shuno grabbed Ix’s wrist. “Hang on. We obviously need to talk about this before we talk about that. So tell me.” “All it is is…” It wasn’t a difficult concept at all, so it didn’t take long for Ix to explain it. Yet after hearing it, Shuno just walked on in silence for a while, lost in thought. Ix was losing his patience; he wanted to hear more about Shuno’s technique as soon as possible. “So that’s it… I’d thought you might be able to join two, but three…?” muttered Shuno before they raised their head and stared straight at Ix. “…You’re incredible.” “Huh?” said Ix loudly in response to the abrupt, ludicrous praise. He looked the other apprentice in the eye, trying to decide if they were being sarcastic, but they seemed serious as they stared back. Maybe Shuno just thought it was amazing because they didn’t happen to come up with it themself. No matter how you sliced it, their idea was far superior. “What are you talking about? You’re the genius here,” replied Ix, his voice somewhat hoarse. “Wh-what?” Shuno asked back. “How can you say that? I mean, it makes me happy you think I’m so talented, but I don’t remember doing anything worthy of being called that. You’re not talking about the moma thing, are you? Anybody could’ve come up with that. But what you proposed isn’t so simple. You couldn’t develop a solution like yours without an incredibly thorough understanding of wandmaking theories. You just went and formulated a way of joining three base theories like it was nothing—that’s super complicated! That’s something a genius would do. You could give a lecture on it at the Academy.” “Are you serious? What I did was as simple as addition or subtraction. A child could do the same thing as long as they thought it through. And it’s not like I came up with it in an instant like you. All I did was tweak the application of something I’ve been researching lately.” Recently, Ix had been looking into making wands that could withstand actual use despite being crudely worked. That research had led him to his idea. It was just dumb luck; it had nothing to do with ability or talent. “Most importantly,” continued Ix, “this is just a way to get something out of a worthless wand, not a path to forging an excellent one. Which means it’s practically worthless for wandmaking as a whole. But your idea’s the opposite. Not just anyone could have come up with it. No matter how much knowledge someone builds up, they’re never going to have a breakthrough like that without a little bit of genius. Plus, your method could lead to all sorts of advancements. You’ve opened up a new path toward the future of wandmaking, Shuno.”
Chapter 33
36 min read