“Whew… Good job. Are you low on magic power?”
“Not yet, I’m still fine.”
“You’re young… Here, drink this.”
“Thank you.”
About an hour later.
Sion, who had used enchantment magic on several wands, briefly stepped outside with Kathleen.
According to her explanation, it was not a problem to take breaks every one or two hours.
Leaning against the front wall of the workshop, Kathleen handed a drink to Sion.
“This is a drink that also has magic recovery effects. Strawberry flavor, isn’t it nice?”
“Ah, yes. It’s good.”
“If you don’t like it, I can give you banana flavor… though it’s the one I was drinking.”
“U-Um, that’s alright.”
“Really? Hmm… so how was it, trying it for the first time today?”
Sion lightly tapped his fingers on the potion, lost in thought.
“…I think it was interesting. But because it’s a bit repetitive…”
“Right? Some people struggle with adjusting to this.”
“Haha… I see.”
“I know what you’re thinking. You were probably expecting something more… like an artisan pouring their heart and soul into the enchantment, right?”
At Kathleen’s words, Sion nodded.
To be honest, until before coming here, Sion had expected something more like a laboratory or a forge.
He had a preconceived notion of what a ‘magic workshop’ would be.
“All those kinds of things are done by our manager.”
“The manager… is it Kainstos?”
“Exactly. Us lowly ones are just the Grant wrappers!”
“…I see.”
“There’s no need to feel too down. You’ll eventually make your own magical tools when you grow up.”
Pat!
Kathleen gently patted Sion on the shoulder, as if she completely understood his feelings.
Though the touch startled him, Sion didn’t brush it off. He should take it positively as advice from a senior.
“You did well. You must have learned properly at the Byzantium Academy?”
“Ah… yes.”
“I also graduated from the Byzantium Magic Department.”
“You are a senior?”
“Well, kind of. It’s been several years now… Are you graduating soon?”
“…What?”
Sion blinked.
In reaction to his response, Kathleen frowned.
“Huh? Aren’t you in your graduating semester?”
“Ah, I’m still a first-year…”
“Pft!!”
The potion in Kathleen’s mouth splattered everywhere.
Fortunately, it didn’t hit Sion, but the floor got soaked.
Ignoring the wet floor, Kathleen leaned her face towards Sion.
“Y-You’re a first-year?!”
“Ah, yes…”
“No way. How can you use enchantment magic to that extent… No, what even is that shadowless chant?!”
“Is that so?”
“Of course!… Wait a minute.”
Kathleen pressed her finger against her temple, deep in thought.
“You… as a first-year, you’re already participating in the graduation program internship? Is this the early graduation I’ve heard about in legends? But really, graduating early in the first year…”
“Uh? I’m not an intern… It’s not early graduation either.”
“Huh…?”
“?”
Kathleen and Sion blinked at each other simultaneously.
The conversation felt like it was slowly going off track.
Just as Kathleen was about to speak again.
“Gasp, I’m late, I’m sorry!!”
“…Huh?”
“I’m Michael Watson, and I’m here to participate in this internship program! Nice to meet you!”
A plump man gasped for breath as he bowed his head.
Kathleen turned to Sion with a surprised expression.
“So… then what are you?”
“…Huh?”
“If he’s the original intern, how did you come to the workshop?”
“Uh? Gasp, I applied, gasp!”
The three of them stared blankly at each other, none of them knowing what was going on.
In the midst of the chaotic situation, a savior appeared.
“What’s all this noise about?”
“K-Kainstos!”
Kainstos stepped out of the workshop.She was wearing the same stained tank top as when they saw her in the magic tool shop.
She slowly scanned the three of them…
“Oh! You’re that special little one from the magic tool shop, aren’t you?”
“Ah… Hello.”
“Hmph, nice to meet you, little one.”
Pat!
Sion naturally shook hands with Kainstos.
“You told me to come visit the workshop last time…”
“Right, so why are you hanging around here instead of coming in?”
“Well, that’s…”
“Hmm?”
Sion’s gaze shifted to the side.
Kainstos’s gaze followed, naturally leading to…
“W-Wait…?”
The Kathleen, who had just been teaching Sion as a senior, was now trembling, her face drained of color.
*
Bubbling—
In a laboratory filled with various colored potions whose uses were unknown.
On one side, herbs and magic stones were scattered around haphazardly.This was Kainstos’s workshop, the core of her operation.
“Hahaha! So you were continuously using enchantment magic over there?”
“Yes… I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were Kainstos’s guest. I’m really sorry!”
“It’s fine. It happens. But why were you just working quietly over there?”
At Kainstos’s question, Sion scratched the back of his head.
“I just thought it looked interesting.”
“Interesting, huh. So you learned enchantment magic? Even as a first-year.”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s see it.”
Sion was presented with a wand and a magic stone in front of him.The same task he had been repetitively doing just prior.
He infused magic power into the magic stone and immediately enchanted it onto the wand.
Whoosh!
“…Even without a shadowless chant, this level of probability?”
Kainstos observed the wand with a serious expression.
“Now try it with a shadow chant.”
“A shadow chant?… I’m sorry, but I forgot what my senior taught me earlier…”
“Kathleen, teach him.”
“Ah, yes!”
Kathleen, who had been standing beside like a screen, immediately taught Sion the incantation.
Just a moment ago she was a dependable senior; now she seemed like the youngest in the magic workshop.
Sion felt a bit guilty as he prepared the incantation.
“Breath of the elements, grant this wand the power it deserves, Grant!”
“…!”
Whoosh—!!
The moment the magic stone intertwined into the wand, a deep smile appeared on Kainstos’s face.
“I’d say this is at least 90% effectiveness.”
“N-Ninety percent…!”
“Kathleen, you try holding it. Your senses in this area are excellent.”
“Ah, yes!”
Kathleen took the wand from Sion and examined it thoroughly.
Then, she carefully set it down, her eyes wide in astonishment.
“With this, it’s 90%… no, it feels like 95% quality. It’s top-notch!”
“T-Top-notch?”
“Top-notch items aren’t sold in the workshop. They’re supplied to the kingdom or the magic tower.”
“…!!”
At those words, Sion’s eyes widened.A regular wand fetches 2 gold; how much would a top-notch item command?
“Hey, little one, I’ve really wanted to try an experiment with you since you came to the workshop.”
“An experiment?”
“Yeah. With your keen sense of manifestation speed and talent for shadowless chant and enchantment magic… you’re a rare talent.”
Creak.
Kainstos stood up from her chair.She walked towards a corner of the workshop.
There was something displayed in that location, covered by a white cloth, obscuring its contents.
“Here, this is it!”
Swish!
With a flourish, Kainstos removed the cloth.Sion’s eyes lit up at the sight of what lay beneath the cover.
It was a magical tool that resembled someone’s ‘arm.’
“This is called the ‘Hextech Arm’… a next-generation wand for wizards to use, following the wand and staff!”
“……!”
Kainstos was excited like a child.She extended the arm towards Sion.
“Now, give it a try, little one.”
“…Can I really put it on?”
“Of course. A wand requires a shadowless chant, and a fast manifestation speed is vital. So, we need someone like you.”
“If that’s the case… excuse me.”
Sion carefully donned the ‘Hextech Arm.’The arm, initially enormous, began to shrink to fit him as soon as he wore it.
An arm that fit perfectly—not a single movement was hindered.
It was clearly an over-technology feeling arm.
“That’s amazing.”
“It’s 99% complete, so it’s not dangerous.”
“Then… isn’t the 1% dangerous?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Now, cast any spell. Just think of the arm as your wand.”
“…Then, I’ll go ahead.”
Swoosh!
Sion extended his hand and chanted the fire magic.The first circle elemental magic ‘Fire.’The magic power manifested from Sion’s heart moved into his arm.
Usually, the magic would flow from the heart, shoulders, arms, and then to the palms to manifest.
Kiiiing—!!
The Hextech Arm glimmered,and as soon as the magic reached his shoulder, the spell began to present itself.
The process of moving from the arm to the palm was skipped.
Fire blossomed above Sion’s palm.It far surpassed the original manifestation speed.No one would be faster than this in casting magic.
“Speed…?! K-Kainstos, what is this…?”
“Kathleen, I guess you’ve never seen such a thing before. This is the next generation wand ‘Hextech Arm’ that will replace the wand! Hahaha!”
“…It’s incredibly impressive.”
Sion fidgeted with the arm.It felt like he had reduced the time by 0.5 seconds.For Sion, whose magic manifestation speed was already faster than other wizards, 0.5 seconds was crucial.
‘This could really replace a real wand, perhaps.’
The performance of the Hextech Arm was phenomenal.If he were to engage in battle wearing the Hextech Arm right now,it would be an overwhelming win, like a duel between a bow and a g*n.
The Hextech Arm was a complete game-changer.
“Can I try it out a bit more?”
“Of course! Hahaha!”
“Then….”
Kiiiing—!!
With a peculiar sound, the moving arm.Sion began to pour all the spells he knew into it.
The four basic elements: fire, wind, earth, and water.Of course, black magic such as mind magic and spirit magic, as well as enchantment magic.
“Oh my… this feels truly amazing.”
“Stop! Don’t use so much all at once…”
“…Huh?”
Kiiiing—!!Steam was rising from the Hextech Arm.The peculiar sound grew louder; it was ominous.Something was going… wrong.
“Uh, how do I take this off?”
“Calm down. First, stretch out your arm! Then open your palm.”
“Like this?”
“Then release!”
“…What?”
What did she mean by release?For a moment, Sion questioned it.The strange magic that had gathered in the Hextech Arm began to flow towards his palm.
Kiiiing—Bang!!!
“What?!”
A straight line of magic shot out from his palm.It… precisely pierced through the ceiling of Kainstos’s workshop.Sion had to step back three steps due to the reaction force.
“T-T-The ceiling…!”
Kathleen, losing her ability to speak, looked back and forth between Sion and the ceiling.Sunlight poured in through the hole in the ceiling.It warmly embraced Sion—
‘How am I going to repay this…?’Sion broke into a sweat while staring at the hole in the ceiling.
