Ellaria elegantly dabbed the corner of her mouth with her napkin and was the first to answer, her tone as calm as ever.
“I need to return to the royal palace for a while. There are some matters I need to handle.”
Kefi followed up, saying, “I’m planning to visit the capital to look at magic wands. The one I had before broke, so I’ll need to buy a new one.”
She frowned slightly, “I just don’t know which shop’s wands are good. I’m a bit worried I’ll end up with something unsuitable.”
Mia immediately wrapped her arm around Kefi’s affectionately and said with energetic cheer, “I’ll go with you! I’ve been wanting to stroll around the capital too!”
“Magic wands, huh…”
Sefina softly repeated those words, her gaze thoughtfully sweeping over Kefi.
It seemed that during the midterm exam, Kefi had used that old wand that looked familiar to her only because her original wand had broken and she had no other choice.
As for the origin of that old wand, Lisika had already sent back the investigation results—everything was just as she’d suspected.
Thinking of this, Sefina sighed inwardly, a complex emotion flashing deep in her eyes as she looked at Kefi. This child… sigh.
Yet, at that moment, Ellaria—who rarely took the initiative to join in these sorts of daily conversations—unexpectedly spoke up:
“If you want to buy or order a magic wand, I can recommend a shop to you.”
Kefi’s gaze immediately turned to Ellaria, a glint of excitement and delight flashing in her brown eyes.
“Really? Your Highness, the Princess.” If she could get a recommendation from the Princess, the quality and reputation were certainly assured.
Ellaria nodded slightly and said with certainty, “Mm. The Craftsman at that shop is highly skilled and experienced—he’s considered one of the most qualified Craftsmen in the Arian Empire. The wands he forges are all of exceptional quality.”
When she heard “the most qualified Craftsman,” the joy that had just appeared on Kefi’s face froze.
She showed a hint of awkwardness and whispered, “If it’s custom-made… it must be expensive, right…” With her financial situation, she probably couldn’t afford it.
Ellaria seemed to notice her concern. Her slender fingers gently brushed her smooth chin as she added,
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be custom. That shop also sells some wands the Craftsman made earlier in his career or crafted according to standard templates.”
“They’re called the ‘affordable’ series, but the materials and craftsmanship are still solid. Their quality is much better than most ordinary wands on the market.”
Hearing this, Kefi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her face broke into a smile of reassurance, gladly accepting Ellaria’s recommendation.
“That’s great, thank you, Your Highness!”
However, standing to the side, Sefina was deeply moved by Ellaria’s words about “the best Craftsman in the Arian Empire.”
A thought that had lain dormant for a long time rippled in her mind, as if a stone had been thrown into a still lake.
It seemed she’d remembered something. For a moment, her thoughts scattered, a bright glimmer flickering in her wine-red eyes, and she unconsciously muttered a few words:
“Then I’ll go with you all…”
As soon as she spoke, the other three turned to her in surprise, their gazes focusing in unison on Sefina. The teacher is coming too?
***
Nighttime, inside Sefina’s detached villa.
Sefina entered her bedroom and, from the deepest part of her storage cabinet, took out a plain wooden box that looked like it had been gathering dust for ages.
There was a thin layer of dust on the box, a sign that it had been forgotten for a long time.
Sefina carefully and quietly opened the lid, her movements uncharacteristically solemn.
Inside the box, there were no dazzling jewels, nor any powerful magical artifacts—only a branch that looked perfectly ordinary, even a bit dry and withered…
Sefina’s fingertips gently touched the cold, withered branch, and in an instant, her thoughts were pulled back to that afternoon years ago, at the time of her farewell with her teacher—
The scene in her memory had a hazy glow. A girl with long, orange hair stood with her back to Sefina, her hair cascading like a waterfall down to her thighs.
Her figure was a bit taller than Sefina’s at the time, and just from behind, she was a vibrant, youthful maiden.
But for some reason, the aura she gave off was chillingly deep and commanding, with an indescribable dignity.
Like a firefly beside a bright moon, she inspired awe, making others subconsciously avoid meeting her gaze.
The girl didn’t turn around. In a voice as cold and tranquil as still water, she asked, “Are you leaving?”
Standing behind her, Sefina nodded slightly and answered quietly, “Mm.”
The girl fell silent for a moment. Her tone remained even, betraying not the slightest hint of reluctance at their parting:
“Very well. Since you’re leaving here, as your Craftsman, I should give you a farewell gift.”
After saying that, she walked slowly into the courtyard to the one peculiar tree. Sefina had never seen it blossom or bear fruit.
She stretched out her hand and, as if at random, broke off a nondescript branch from the tree.
Then, the girl slowly turned, finally revealing her face. It was a face of cold, exquisite beauty, as if carved from ice and snow.
What stood out the most were her eyes—wine-red, just like Sefina’s, but a deeper shade.
She held out the ordinary branch to Sefina, her voice still calm: “This can be your magic wand.”
Back then, Sefina had accepted the branch with confusion, turning it over and over in her hands. This thing… no matter how she looked, it was just a normal withered stick. Could it really be a magic wand?
Aren’t wands supposed to be made from carefully chosen wood, inlaid with magic crystals, and inscribed with runes?
Yet, as if seeing through her thoughts, her teacher added another sentence before Sefina could ask, her words full of meaning:
“When one day you’re able to cast magic with this, perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse of the world as I see it—just the tip of the iceberg…”
After that, the girl said no more. No matter how Sefina pressed, she only gazed at her with those deep wine-red eyes and offered no further explanation.
In the days that followed, Sefina tried countless times to cast spells with this “wand,” but every time the result was the same—
Nothing happened; it was like a completely inert, magic-insulating object.
Later, Sefina changed her thinking. She wondered if this branch wasn’t a finished wand, but rather a core material for crafting a top-tier wand?
After all, her teacher seemed to treasure that unique tree in the courtyard, never letting anyone approach or harm it.
Maybe it was some rare magical wood that had already vanished from the world?
With that hope, Sefina secretly visited many renowned Craftsmans to have them appraise the branch.
Yet, the results were disappointing. None could see anything special about it.
Every Craftsman, after careful examination, shook their head and said it seemed like just an ordinary branch—maybe a little tougher than usual, but certainly not extraordinary, and definitely not any known magical wood.
At one point, Sefina even deeply suspected that this really was just a regular branch—was her teacher playing a joke on her? Or was there a hidden meaning she simply couldn’t understand?
But deep inside, Sefina’s trust in her teacher far outweighed her doubts about this gift. She believed her teacher would never act without purpose.
That’s why, when she heard Ellaria mention “the best Craftsman in the Empire,” Sefina was moved to try once more.
She wanted to know what secret was hidden in the “branch” her teacher had given her so solemnly.
Was it really… just a branch?