“Oh, it’s what you do before touching a wand. An…oath? Or a declaration? I’m not sure what you’d call it, but it’s something like that.” “Does it mean anything?” “It means that the wand takes priority over my life the moment I start working on it. That if there’s anything the client is dissatisfied with, they have permission to cut off my arms.” “Hmm, I had no idea there were such traditions.” “Not ‘were.’ People still do it,” corrected Ix, his gaze not moving in the slightest. “What?” “I have no issue with losing my arms if someone has complaints about my work. That’s well within the customer’s rights. And if on the off chance I break the wand, I would pay for it with my life.” There was no hint of a joke or lie in his eyes as he spoke. “Are you serious?” “I am.” “…Do you want to die?” “I have no desire to lose my life. But a wand is a magic user’s third arm. My master taught me to be prepared for the risks when I handle another person’s arm. I’m going to polish it now.” “Huh, polish?” Ignoring Yuui’s confusion, Ix produced a dry cloth and gently rubbed the wand. Then he took out a bottle of solution to remove grime from its surface. He took off the lid, and out came a thick, white, ointment-like substance. Next, he pulled out another cloth from the box and dabbed a tiny amount of the gel on it. When he’d finished using the new cloth to polish it, the wand was beautiful beyond recognition. With the black grime that had built up from handling removed, the wand’s original wood was now plain as day. “…Now that I think about it,” noted Yuui suddenly, “isn’t it a crime to repair a wand if you aren’t registered with the Guild?” “This doesn’t count as repairs. Cleaning falls well within the scope of everyday maintenance.” “O-oh…” Yuui hung her head as if she’d been reprimanded. The candlelight flickered over Ix’s face. She’d known him for only a single day, but his expressionless face couldn’t have prepared her for how absolutely serious he now looked. It seemed he truly did put his work above his own life. Yuui decided that perhaps she could trust him—as a wandmaker at least. …That face—he looks so intense, she thought. The tension in his features made it abundantly clear that he would place his life on the line if need be. And something in that expression looked very familiar… Suddenly, that face was staring at her. “The core?” “Wh-what?” stuttered Yuui, working her sleep-addled brain. She brought a hand to her mouth. He’d probably seen her drooling. “Do you know what this wand’s core is?” asked Ix, holding it for her to see. The core was a material embedded in a wand that determined its characteristics. There was an infinite variety of core materials, including bones and fangs from magic beasts, stones, and plants; even human body parts were used on occasion. The greater the compatibility between the user and the core, the more they could draw out their tool’s power. You might say it was the wand’s heart. The core of Yuui’s wand was a red gemstone, a special material that felt slightly warm to the touch. But there was a tiny crack in that stone. There had been an awful shattering noise when she’d tried to cast a particular spell, and the stone had cracked. It could still be used for magic while damaged, but its power was severely reduced. Instead of releasing flames, for instance, it might instead produce sparks that wouldn’t even be able to burn through the skin of your finger. “I already know it’s made from nueb wood, and I’ve mostly figured out how it was created. But the most important thing is the core, and that’s…strange,” said Ix. “Is it a material you don’t recognize?” “Well…” Ix looked at a loss for words for a moment. “It’s most likely shinee aletts, but…” Shinee aletts, commonly known as red saintstone, was a gemstone famous for its use as a high-end core material. Ix had told Yuui it was an excellent core to have in a wand of this caliber. “Then what are you concerned about?” she asked. “If that’s the core, then something seems a bit off to me. I mean, obviously from a cost perspective, you could say they spared no expense, but…it’s not something my master would have chosen. And…” “And?” “No, it’s just…the disposition…” “Your roundabout way of getting to the point is making me anxious. Please just say it.” “…It’s extreme. It’s an incredibly moral wand.” Munzil’s wands were characterized by an incredibly strong disposition; they chose their user. If wand and wielder had good compatibility, the user could gain great power. On the other hand, if they weren’t compatible, and the wielder tried to use it for something against the wand’s disposition, they wouldn’t be able to draw out even half of its strength. That was why the slogan of Munzil’s shop had been “Putting wands in the right hands.” Even Ix, who was used to seeing wands like that, thought this one was abnormal. With a mixture of admiration and frustration, he muttered, “He really went all out on this one.” Turning to Yuui, he continued. “This wand is totally abnormal, even for something my master made. That aside, I’m curious about how the shinee aletts was fabricated. I wonder what would happen if a magic user with poor compatibility tried using this thing…” “They wouldn’t be able to cast spells?” “Maybe something even worse.” “Is it possible the core could be made from something other than shinee aletts?” “Hmm…,” muttered Ix, opening his hand. “I can think of one thing, but that can’t… Well, either way, it’s best to ask someone who knows. Got any ideas about the core?” “No…I don’t,” replied Yuui, shaking her head. “You don’t? The wandmaker should definitely have explained that when you picked it up. Especially with my teacher. He’d talk for ages until the customer had memorized everything.” What good would that do? Yuui wondered, then said, “It was my father who ordered this wand.” “Then you should ask your father. Where is he?” “Nowhere,” she said with a sigh. “He passed away. The only things I have left to remember him by are that wand and the contract.” “I see.” Ix nodded, expressionless. “Nothing we can do about that. Let’s hope we can figure out what it is tomorrow with the equipment at the shop.” “Ah…okay.” Giving up on his investigations into the core material, Ix pulled out another strange tool. Yuui tried asking what he was doing just to see if he would answer. Surprisingly, he explained it all to her. There were parts she didn’t understand, but it seemed he was conducting some sort of in-depth inspection of the wand’s condition. Whether its components had sustained minor damage, if it was warped, if it was degrading—all information that would be useful for its repair. Yuui had a lot to learn about wand maintenance tools, even the ones she used regularly, so soon she found herself completely absorbed in asking him question after question. “I want to look at it a bit more, but you seem tired,” noted Ix. “I’m not…tired.” Though her eyelids had been drooping for a while now, Yuui still insisted she wasn’t tired. It seemed as if her mouth couldn’t keep up with what she wanted to say. “Sure,” said Ix sarcastically before dexterously gathering all the tools he’d laid out and standing. He heaved up the box by the handle, then walked to the door. “You’re going already…?” asked Yuui. “I’m tired, too.” “Wait… There was something I wanted to ask…” Ix stopped and turned to her. “What is it?” “You’re not going to use test magic?” “No.” He gave a quick shake of his head. “Why not?” Test magic was used to determine the condition of a wand. You channeled a small amount of it into a magic catalyst to get a feel for it. It wasn’t just for repairs, though; magic users also employed it in place of warm-up exercises. “Because I can’t use magic.” “…Huh?” I must be really tired, thought Yuui dimly. Surely she had misheard him. What had he just said? “Oh, and,” Ix continued in his deep voice, “sorry about barging in here earlier. Next time I’ll knock and wait for a response. My teacher never bothered with manners, so…sorry.” She heard the door shut, followed by footsteps. Her eyes closed. Yes, I must have misheard. Yuui sank into the warmth of her bed and smiled. Ix? Apologizing? That rude, inconsiderate man? No way, not possible… 3 The next day. Yuui looked around while closely following behind Ix. As always, her hood was pulled down low, so she could see only his back. The street was jam-packed with pedestrians. She could get lost if she wasn’t careful. I’ve got no other choice, she thought. However… “Um, is this really right?” asked Yuui. “Is what right?” replied Ix. “Is there really a shop around here?” “That’s why we’re going this way.” “No, that’s not what I meant…” They were wandering through an older part of town, far from the city center, in an area where only lower-class people lived. The rows of buildings they’d passed consisted mostly of houses, with the occasional shop here or there. Even then, those shops were primarily bars and general-goods stores. Wands were high-end items. Since they required valuable materials to craft and wandmakers were scarce, they always ended up being quite expensive. Even if that weren’t the case, you could cast spells well only if you had received a high-level education. Plus, the kingdom didn’t exactly encourage people to have wands, since they could serve as powerful weapons. Most citizens rarely encountered magic in their daily lives anyway. In fact, it seemed so dangerous that some were even averse to magic. That was why the only sorts looking to purchase a wand were a small portion of adventurers, researchers, soldiers, nobles, and students studying magic. It was a product for the rich, in other words. The average citizen had nothing to do with them. For that reason, wand shops were typically situated in high-class areas. Their interiors were often so resplendent, they resembled a noble’s manor, with trained staff who waited hand and foot on potential buyers. When Yuui had been looking for a wand shop before, she’d searched the district where the wealthy lived. Even though she hadn’t brought any money, they’d all treated her respectfully. They’d even told her the location of Munzil’s shop, though it was already gone by that time. Apparently, news of his death hadn’t even spread to his fellow wandmakers. But a wand shop was the last place you would think to find in the area they were in now. It seemed as if you were almost asking to get robbed if you tried to sell wands or other items here. Sensing Yuui’s anxiety, Ix said, “The land here’s cheap. She didn’t need much to set up shop. And she doesn’t get many customers. Even though our master’s name is famous, only people in the know are aware of his apprentices.” “Isn’t it a problem to not get many clients?” “It’s actually a good thing. She lets her incredible skills do the talking. That way, she makes plenty from existing customers.” “When you say she’s incredibly skilled, what exactly does that mean?” “It means she’s the best of all us apprentices,” asserted Ix, as if it was a simple fact. “And being the best apprentice of our master means she’s the best in the kingdom.” “I—I see.” “I guess you could say she’s a genius… Even though she was his second-to-last apprentice, she learned her craft incredibly fast. She surpassed the others before they knew what hit them.” Yuui was behind Ix, so she couldn’t see his face, but she sensed a hint of admiration in his voice. That confused her. “If she was the second to last, that means she was before you?” “Yep. She was the only one I lived with. The other apprentices had already moved out by the time I came along.” “Huh…,” said Yuui, thinking about how horrible it would be if this other apprentice turned out to be as unfriendly as Ix. “What is her name?” “Morna Velle.” They wound their way through the city lit by the morning sun until they came upon a stagnant water channel, where they crossed a wooden bridge that looked about to break. A horrible stench floated up from the water and made Yuui nauseated. They continued along the channel until the road curved partway through. Out of the row of shacks, they spied a house that appeared to be of slightly superior make. That being said, it still looked more suited for animals than people. “……” Yuui stared at the building, taken aback. A sign over the entrance read MORNA’S WANDS. That was the only evidence this was a place of business. “Ah, w-wait for me,” said Yuui, following Ix into the shop. Suddenly, the smell of mold assailed her nostrils, and she couldn’t help covering her nose with her coat. She frowned as she looked around the room. It took some time for her eyes to adjust to the dimness. When she could finally see clearly, she realized the inside of the shop was just as bad as the outside. No, even worse. The first thing that caught her attention was the large number of logs. Timber of all colors was stacked against the walls, which prevented light from coming in, leaving the room dark despite it being morning. Light from a candle wavered in the center of the room, but it was so weak, it was almost pointless. Yuui quietly headed deeper into the store. Something strange was piled up in the corner. She moved closer. Squinting, she realized they were the corpses of magic beasts. “Urgh…” She quickly turned away. It was a mountain of magic beast carcasses of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Their cloudy eyes glared at her. They must have been enchanted with a spell to prevent decay, but it wasn’t a pretty sight, regardless. Yuui realized there were magic wands and staffs lined up neatly farther into the shop, the only place properly cleaned and organized. Each of the wands and staffs was displayed with care. Her eyes settled on one staff in particular. It was painted completely white, with a blue gem sparkling from the top. She’d never seen such a beautiful staff. It wouldn’t feel out of place in the hands of a saint. Its splendor contrasted violently with the filthy shack housing it. This place was far shabbier, messier, and stranger than any wand shop she’d ever visited. I think this is less that wandmakers in general are weird and more that… She glanced sideways at Ix. He seemed to have forgotten why they’d come there and was glued to one of the logs lined along the wall. She sighed. Were all Munzil’s apprentices like this? If they were, then how strange was the master himself…? “Engraved number: 0070, Halted,” came a voice by her ear out of nowhere. “Aaah?!” Yuui shrieked, leaping back. At some point, a boy had crept up next to her. He must have been around ten years old. The boy was short, with swaying blond hair and a small smile on his face. “It uses good-quality artey. Its core is brilliant rosestone. It’s pure but has an affinity for difficult people,” continued the boy. “U-um…” “Though the wand’s durability is excellent, it has some minor issues with tenacity. Overall evaluation is excellent. It has already been sold.” Even as she tried to interrupt the boy, he just kept staring at her and moving his mouth as if he couldn’t hear her at all, the smile never leaving his face. “Oh, Ottou. We just barged in,” someone said from off to the side as the boy’s spiel ceased. Ix headed over with a hand raised in greeting. In response, the boy he called Ottou turned to him, stood stock-still for a second, then murmured, “Ix.” The smile glued to his face didn’t waver. “You really helped me out with sorting through the stuff Master left behind,” said Ix. “Sorry for coming to the shop all of a sudden.” “Sorting. I also received something.” “Yeah, thanks for caring,” added Ix in high spirits. Why doesn’t he show that attitude toward his customers? Yuui wondered with dissatisfaction. “Ottou, let me introduce you,” said Ix as Yuui realized his arms were spread. “This is my client. Her name is Yuui. She came to ask me to fix a wand.” The boy looked at her after blinking a few times. “H-hello, I’m Yuui,” she said, bowing her head. “I’m Ottou.” “N-nice to meet you, Ottou.” “She’s not a client,” remarked the boy. “Huh?” Yuui was confused. “What do you—?” “True,” Ix said, cutting her off. “Can’t right now,” replied Ottou. “I’m going to.” “All right.” Yuui was baffled. She looked to Ix for help, since he seemed able to have a conversation with the boy, but he refused to interpret. “Ummm, is he…Ms. Morna’s apprentice?” asked Yuui. “No, he’s just a kid from the neighborhood who comes to help her out,” explained Ix. “At first, he just showed up out of curiosity, but now he handles everything outside of wand crafting. He deals with the customers, does the accounting, all that extraneous stuff.” “He looks like just a kid.” “You’re probably older than he is. But when it comes to brains, he’d probably have anyone in this town beat.” “His brains?” “He’s a genius. So smart that it’s scary. Honestly, if it weren’t for Ottou, this shop would have collapsed by now.” “Um, I do not mean to be rude, but I find that hard to believe,” admitted Yuui. “I could not understand a word he was saying.” “It’s ’cause he doesn’t have time for useless things like courtesy or proper sentences. Only geniuses are like that,” came Ix’s cheerful response. “If you don’t believe me, then, hmm… Oh, if you don’t mind, try taking off that hood of yours. He’ll tell you something interesting.” “But…” “Do you see anyone here who’ll speak ill of you?” Yuui glanced around to check. After confirming it was only the three of them in the shop, she removed her hood so that her characteristic skin and hair were visible. The boy looked her way, still smiling, and froze for a few seconds. “Ottou. What about Yuui?” asked Ix, concealing his mouth with a hand. “Shipukk, Taakdue, Masakak, Nadam,” chanted Ottou as if he was singing. Yuui gasped. He’d just recited the names of cities near her hometown. She hadn’t even told Ix that. How could Ottou have…? But that wasn’t the end of what he had to say. “Her earring has a similar character to items belonging to the Habi royal family. Rough areas in the metalwork. A village in that city cluster has similar things. That’s all.” “H-how…?” Yuui unconsciously touched her earlobe and felt cool metal. It was true that her earring was proof of her bloodline, but no one in the kingdom should have been able to recognize its significance. Pulling her hood back up, she asked Ix to explain. “Apparently, he does this by comparing what’s in front of him with what’s in his memory,” he said. “What does that mean?” “You might meet someone similar to someone else or see an object that resembles something else you’ve encountered. You do it, too, yeah?” “Yes, but…” “I told you. Ottou’s a genius,” insisted Ix, spreading his hands with his palms up. “His memory and observational skills are way above average. He can tell your place of origin, your tribe, and even your family relations just by looking at your facial features or bone structure. The kid can also intuit your position and social standing based on your clothes and mannerisms. Guess he’s always been like that. ’Cause there are people of all social classes from inside and outside the kingdom gathering in this city. That makes him perfectly suited for gathering information. With those skills, he—” “Are you saying he can tell I’m one of the minority Lukutta people?” Lukutta was a country to the east. The kingdom invaded it several years ago. Though they fought back for all they were worth, they had to surrender their ravaged land in the end. According to the kingdom, Lukutta was their “eastern ally.” In reality, however, the kingdom had forced Lukutta to give up its people, land, and resources, so the region was now nothing more than a powerless vassal state. The sun shifted; a thin ray of light poured into the shop. Something clinked. Yuui looked over to find Ottou arranging the wands and staffs. He moved lackadaisically, making tiny adjustments to each wand’s location. The boy seemed to have lost all interest in Yuui. Actually, it would be more accurate to say he hadn’t had any interest in her in the first place. He’d simply pointed out that certain things resembled other things. She felt somehow discouraged and let out a sigh. Ix shrugged and urged her to follow before opening a door leading into a room in the back of the shop. “Well, that’s Ottou for you. He’s a good kid. Not many people understand him, since he’s so out there. Apparently, he gets treated like a nuisance at home, too, but still, he’s a good kid,” said Ix quickly, as though he was making an excuse. “It’s all right. I understand he didn’t have any ill intentions,” said Yuui. “And, uh…” Ix’s expression was changing so quickly, it made Yuui wonder what had happened to his normal unsociability. She smiled awkwardly as he said, “So what I’m trying to say is…” “Yes?” “Morna’s so specialized in making wands that she needs a genius like Ottou. So, uh, you remember how I said you can only meet her during the daytime?” “I do.” “What that really meant is, Ottou’s only in the shop then.” 4 They made their way to what looked like a storage room. It was surprisingly organized, with slender objects neatly lining the shelves. As soon as they entered, they saw a door leading to the garden to their left. No one was there right now. Brilliant white light poured in from a small window at the end of the storage room. Near it was another door on the left-hand side. It appeared this property consisted solely of the shop, the storage room, the middle garden, and a rear room. Yuui watched Ix knock on the door. “Morna, it’s Ix.” There was no reply. He looked at Yuui. After exchanging nods, he placed his hand on the door. As the door scraped open, they heard the sound of a few objects thumping to the floor. Ix paid that no mind and walked in. “Sorry to disturb you,” said Yuui quietly as she followed behind him. However— “Huh? Huh?” She couldn’t find anywhere to put her foot down, so she ended up wavering with one leg in the air as the room came into view. Wooden boxes and paper bundles were heaped on either side of the door. One of those mountains seemed to have collapsed in an avalanche, and it was spread all over the floor. Something like black cloth was also draped over the floor. On closer inspection, she realized it was clothing. Yuui stepped back out into the storage room for a moment to get a view of the entire rear room. She let out a sigh, lost for words. She’d thought the mess in the shop was bad, but that was nothing compared with the catastrophe in here. The floorboards were entirely invisible, obscured by a chaotic mix of everyday items, clothing, several strange tools, wood (of course), magic beast corpses, other things that appeared to be materials, and what looked like dirty garbage. The only place in the room you could even think of calling tidy was the area around the workstation in the back. The chair was free of any clutter, and only a few wands in progress and a knife for working on them rested on top of the desk. Similar tools were scattered over the floor nearby. Ignoring this disaster of a room, Ix casually stepped on the items strewn across the floor until he was near the middle of it all. Then he leaned over and reached a hand into a small mountain of rags near the work desk. Since piles of trash were blocking her view, Yuui couldn’t see what was there. The pile swallowed Ix’s arm as he touched it. When his arm was concealed up to the elbow, it gave a violent tremor. “There we go—fished her out,” he announced, pulling back his hand. The trash and cloth fell to the ground to reveal a human being. “Yikes!” cried Yuui as she recoiled. The light of the sun allowed her to get a clear look at the person’s condition. It was a woman with long hair. Her disheveled locks fell to her waist, with flyaways going in every direction. She wore a giant smock with a hole for her head to come through that appeared to have been resewn on numerous occasions. The cloth was untreated but dark, and it seemed too small on her. Actually, it looked ridiculous, tight around the chest, then falling limply down from there. Even so, it obviously wasn’t long enough, as Yuui could see part of the woman’s bare leg peeking out near the floor. Her ankles were thin, like twigs. They seemed ready to snap. She was tall, perhaps nearly as tall as Ix, but her poor posture made her seem shorter. Her eyes were half open and lacked any sort of life. There was a trace of drool on her chin. “Uhhh…,” groaned the woman quietly. Either she’d just been roused, or she was still half asleep. She pulled on Ix’s arm and rubbed it hard across her face. Was she trying to clean it off? There must have been some paint or varnish on her face because his sleeve cuff turned black. Yuui didn’t miss the slight frown on his expressionless visage. I see, she thought. Yuui had only these two to go off, but she was starting to understand what sort of people Munzil had taken on as apprentices. “Wake up,” demanded Ix. “Aaaaaaah…agh.” Though the woman remained in place for a little while after Ix waved his arm, she crumpled to the ground before long. The woman sat up, touching the back of her head where she’d struck it hard. “Ow…” She rubbed her eyes and looked around. “…wie?” “Morning, Morna,” greeted Ix flatly. “I-Ixie.” Ixie? thought Yuui, feeling faint. The woman, Morna, spent a few seconds with her mouth agape. But when she looked at Ix’s face, she started making a fee, fyuu sound that was neither breathing nor speech. Her mouth was oddly twisted. “I—I—I…,” she stammered. “Last night, I told you I’d come over once I got everything sorted,” reminded Ix. “R-really? Fee, fyuu…” “You forgot. I figured you might.” “Hee, hee-hee-hee…” Morna let out a disconcerting sound as her shoulders shook. Yuui realized that the strange sound Morna had been making was her way of laughing. It wasn’t that she lacked the energy to use her voice or that she was groggy from being woken up; that was just how she was. Morna rose unsteadily to her feet. Her neck flopped like a baby’s as she looked around the room. Then her gaze fell on the door. Her eyes met Yuui’s. Suddenly, Morna grew pale. She retreated a few steps, mouth half open, before backing into the wall and letting out a groan.
Chapter 4
24 min read