Chapter 85: Buying a Wand

The weekend morning sun was just right.

Sefina led Mia and Kefi to the bustling Ryan Royal Capital.

The capital’s wide Avenue was paved with polished bluestone slabs, wide enough for several carriages to travel side by side.

Shops lined both sides of the street, and a dazzling array of goods were displayed in the windows.

From Alchemy Devices flickering with faint magical light, to potion shops exuding the fresh scent of herbs, and tailors with luxurious fabrics and exquisite garments on display—everything one could want was here.

The shouts of vendors, the crisp sound of hooves on stone, and the conversations of pedestrians intertwined.

For Mia and Kefi, ordinary students who rarely left the academy, the bustling sights of the capital were dazzling, their eyes full of amazement and admiration.

According to the address provided by Ellaria, the three of them crossed several lively alleys and finally found a seemingly unremarkable shop at a relatively quiet street corner.

The shop’s sign was simple, with only the plain words “Aige Workshop” written on it. When they pushed open the door, the bell above jingled crisply.

The store’s décor wasn’t lavish, nor was it shabby.

The walls were of warm-toned raw wood, neatly lined with all kinds of wands—from simple wooden wands to high-end ones inlaid with magic crystals and engraved with Runes, everything was available.

A faint mixture of wood shavings and metal lingered in the air.

At the center of the shop stood a broad workbench, scattered with files, carving knives, measuring tools, small hammers, and many precise instruments whose names were unknown.

The glossy tabletop bore marks of frequent use, clearly belonging to a professional.

“Hello, is anyone here?” Mia, always impatient, called naturally into the store.

Hearing the voice, a middle-aged man with a thick brown beard emerged from the back workshop.

He wore a leather apron, still dusted with wood shavings, but his face bore a friendly smile, his eyes gentle and focused. He introduced himself:

“Hello, I’m the blacksmith here, Aige. What can I do for you? Would you like a custom wand, or are you looking to buy one ready-made?”

Kefi, a bit shy, spoke softly, “I… I’d like to buy a ready-made wand.”

Aige smiled and nodded, leading them to the shelves as he began to introduce his works one by one:

“Please take a look, all of these were crafted by my own hands. Over here are the traditional wooden wands—light and convenient, very good for magic affinity and conductivity, suitable for most mages.”

He gestured to a row of wands. “For example, this one is made from Lingwood. It’s the lightest, and can slightly increase casting speed—perfect for mages who value agility.

“The one next to it is a Hemlock Wand—hard texture, strong magic capacity, and slightly enhances evocation spells.”

“And over there, the Silver Linden Wand gives a slight boost to light and mind magic, with excellent stability…”

Then he pointed to another section displaying wands with a metallic sheen:

“These are Iron Wands I’ve started making in recent years. Though a bit heavier than wooden ones, the staff can be inlaid with more auxiliary magic stones, and the interior can be inscribed with more complex stabilizing or amplification Runes, significantly boosting overall magical effects.”

“They’re best for users with ample mana seeking the utmost power.”

Kefi gazed at the dazzling, unique wands, momentarily overwhelmed and unsure which to choose.

Sefina spoke gently from the side, “Go ahead and try them, Kefi. Buying a wand is like buying clothes. If you don’t try them yourself, how will you know which one suits you best?”

Mia chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, give it a try!”

Aige smiled kindly as well. “It’s alright, little miss. There’s a dedicated Underground Chamber below the store for testing—it’s quite safe, so you can test at ease.”

Kefi nodded, finally selecting three wooden wands of different types and the lightest Iron Wand, and followed Aige and Teacher Sefina down to the Underground Chamber.

The Underground Chamber was spacious, its walls and floors reinforced, with several Magic Puppets in the corners for testing.

Kefi took a deep breath and picked up the chosen wands in turn, gathering her mana to begin testing.

She first tried the Lingwood Wand. The wand felt extremely light in her hand, and she smoothly released a [Spear of Light], noticeably faster than usual.

Next was the Hemlock Wand. Casting magic with it, she felt her mana condense more solidly, and the Spear of Light was a bit larger than before.

Finally, she picked up the Iron Wand. The heavy feel required her to adapt, but once she successfully channeled her mana, both the speed and sharpness of the spell clearly surpassed the wooden wands.

Only after repeated casting did her arm begin to feel slightly sore.

After careful testing and consideration, Kefi eventually returned to the Hemlock Wand.

Its weight was moderate, magic conduction stable, and it complemented and enhanced her most commonly used spells, giving the best feel in her hand.

“I’ll choose this one,” Kefi said, making her decision.

The three returned together to the shop counter to pay. Kefi carefully took a few shining silver coins from her small pouch and handed them to Aige.

These were her wages from working as Ellaria’s maid, more than enough to buy a quality ready-made wand.

With the transaction complete, Mia excitedly grabbed Kefi’s hand and said, “That’s great, Kefi! Since we’ve finally come to the capital, let’s go explore! I heard there’s a street with lots of delicious snacks!”

However, as the two girls prepared to leave the store, they noticed Teacher Sefina still standing in place, with no intention of leaving.

“Teacher Sefina, are you buying a wand too?” Kefi asked curiously.

Sefina only shook her head slightly, then took out a plain wooden box from the bag she always carried.

She placed the box on Aige’s workbench, opened the lid, and revealed a piece of what looked like an ordinary dried tree branch.

“Mr. Aige, I’d like your help to identify this—what kind of material is it?”

Aige looked at the branch in the box, a flicker of interest in his eyes.

There were plenty who came to him for custom wands, but it was rare for someone to bring their own material for appraisal, especially something so… utterly unremarkable.

“Oh?” Aige responded with interest.

He put on a special pair of gloves, picked up a professional eyepiece fitted with a magnifying lens and glowing Runes from the workbench, and carefully cradled the branch, walking to where the light was best to examine it thoroughly.

Aige first gently rubbed the surface of the branch with his fingertips, feeling its dry and somewhat rough texture.

Then, using the magnifying glass, he studied the grain, fiber structure, and those subtle nodes in detail.

After a moment, Aige’s brow furrowed, as if he’d discovered something unusual.

He changed the angle, letting light shine from different directions, carefully checking whether any crystalline structures or energy veins were hidden inside the branch.

He even brought a Resonance Crystal close to the branch to detect the faintest magical fluctuations, but the crystal showed no reaction.

However, Aige’s frown only deepened, his breathing seemed to slow, and his full attention focused on the object in his hand. Occasionally, he let out soft, puzzled hums.

After quite a long time of careful observation, Aige finally put down the magnifying tool.

He looked up at Sefina, who was waiting for an answer, his voice slightly hoarse as he muttered under his breath:

“Could it be…”