“Now that you got your Raven, we are now going to get you a broom,” Professor Ophelia stated. “But, I have to say, I never thought that I’d see a White Raven in Mr. Robert’s Aviary.”
“Is this the first time a White Raven has been sold in his Shop?” Ethan asked. He was feeling a bit smug because he was recognized by a Raven that wasn’t normally seen in the wild.
“Well, I can certainly say that you’re not the first,” Professor Ophelia smirked. “There was once a Great Wizard… or should I say Half-Wizard that owned a White Raven in the past.”
Ethan became curious after the Professor mentioned that the first one to have a White Raven was a Half-Wizard.
“Oh? Who is that person?” Ethan asked.
“Fortis Dud,” Professor Ophelia replied in a heartbeat. “One of the Founders of Brynhildr Academy.”
The young man’s eyes widened in shock after hearing the Professor’s reply. He didn't expect that the Legendary Magician, rather Dud, was also the first person who had a White Raven as his guide.
“Don’t gawk there, silly boy,” Professor Ophelia flicked Ethan’s forehead with her fingers, making the latter yelp in pain. “We’re here. Now, just pick a broomstick, and we can get your wand.”
Ethan rubbed his forehead as he followed the Professor inside the shop.
The first thing he saw were several broomsticks lined up on shelves, which went all the way up to the ceiling and to the back of the shop. Just as he was about to grab a random one from one of the shelves, the clerk of the shop greeted them with a smile.
“Welcome to Brooms For All Seasons!” a lady who seemed to be in her early thirties greeted Professor Ophelia and Ethan with a smile. “What kind of broom are you looking for? We have brooms for long-distance flight, brooms for kids that have safety mechanisms installed, Brooms for leisure flying, and all-purpose brooms that fly, and can be used for cleaning as well.”
“Give me an all-purpose broom please,” Ethan replied.
“Certainly.” The Clerk took a broom from the shelf and presented it to Ethan. “This is called Rudeus 2000. It can fly up to 100kph, and is very efficient in sweeping trash… including people.”
The Clerk gave Ethan a playful wink, which made the young man chuckle.
“Um, you said that this can fly right?” Ethan asked. “How do brooms fly?”
“Oh. A first timer.” The Clerk nodded in understanding. “Very well. This is also a perfect opportunity to test the product and see if it's working.”
The Clerk placed the broom on top of a table before walking away from it.
“You see, all brooms are unique and they require a certain password to activate their flight mechanism,” the Clerk explained. “Of course, in order to activate it, the Wizard’s magic power is required. Right now, the default password for this model is, Cumulus!”
As soon as the Clerk said the password, the broom rose up from the table and flew towards her. It stopped a meter away from her and lowered itself a meter above the ground to allow the Clerk to sit on top of it.
The Clerk, however, didn’t sit and simply picked it up and placed it back on top of the table.
“Now, you try.” The Clerk made a gesture for Ethan to call for the broom using the password that she had used earlier.
“Cumulus!” Ethan said as he looked expectantly at the broom on top of the table.
A second passed…
Five seconds passed…
Ten seconds passed…
Nothing happened.
“Cumulus!” the Clerk stated and immediately, the broom flew in her direction.
Professor Ophelia, who was standing beside Ethan sighed. She had already expected something like this to happen, so she decided to tell the confused looking Clerk about Ethan’s difficulties.
“He is a Dud,” Professor Ophelia stated. “His Magic Power is not the best, even among his peers.”
“Ah…” The Clerk nodded in understanding before giving the handsome boy a pitiful gaze. “I’m sorry, but only those that can wield magic can ride broomsticks.”
Ethan sighed in his heart because he thought that he would be able to fly in the sky with a broomstick like in the Fairy tale that he had read in the past. However, after finding out that he couldn't ride it because of his inability to use magic, he was truly disappointed.
Seeing Ethan’s disappointed look, Professor Ophelia decided to leave the shop with him. But, before he could do that, the door behind them opened and an old man wearing glasses entered with an excited look on his face.
“I did it, Anna!” the old man said in excitement. “I finally did it! Behold, the Wind Dancer!”
The old man opened the wooden box in his hand that was nearly two meters long. Inside it, a broom made from an unknown type of wood could be seen. The handle had a dark-brown shade, while the bristles of the broom were pure black.
Unlike the Rudeus 2000, the handle of the Wind Dancer was thicker, and looked like it was a weapon that can be used to whack people until their faces turn black and blue.
“Have you really finished it, Mr. Carwell?” the Clerk, Anna, asked. “Does it even fly?”
“Of course it can fly!” Mr. Carwell replied. “Heck, even a Dud can fly in this thing! It runs on Mana Cores, the first of its kind! Although buying Mana Cores to maintain its flying mechanism might get costly in the long run, it is still an all-purpose-broomstick that can be used even if you don’t have magic! I’ve gone to great lengths in order to make this broomsti–”
“How much?”
Professor Ophelia, who was listening at the side, approached the excited old man, and interrupted his explanation.
“Excuse me?” Mr. Carwell asked back. “This is the first of its kind. I’ve only tested it a few times, so I can’t sell it to anyone unless I’m sure that it is safe to use.”
“Pardon my rudeness,” Professor Ophelia gave the old man an apologetic look before introducing herself. “My name is Ophelia Quinn, and I am a Professor in Brynhildr Academy. This boy here is Ethan Gremory. We have come here today to purchase a broom. However, he is unable to make it fly because he is a Dud.”
The countenance of the old man immediately changed as he looked at the young man that was looking at the broomstick on the table.
“A Dud you say?” Mr. Carwell took out his wand and lightly tapped Ethan’s chest with it.
A moment later, he looked at the tip of his wand as if making sure of something.
“Are you sure he is a Dud and not an Ordinarius?” Mr. Carwell frowned. “I don’t sense any magical power coming from him.”
“He is a Dud,” Professor Ophelia insisted. “The Appraisal Stone in the Academy proved it.”
Mr. Carwell gave Ethan an appraising look. “I see…”
Professor Ophelia who had already broken the ice decided to press on while the iron was still hot and made her voice heard.
“You said earlier that even Duds can use this broom, right?” Professor Ophelia. “If that’s the case, how about you let him buy it? If he can really make it fly then it means that what you declared earlier is true.”
Mr. Carwell broke out from his daze after hearing Professor Ophelia’s words. For a brief moment, he considered it, but half a minute later he shook his head firmly.
“Like I said, this product hasn’t been fully tested yet,” Mr. Carwell explained. “I cannot in good conscience sell a product that hasn’t passed my safety regulations. It’s not about my reputation that is at stake here, but the life of a teenage boy. I will not be able to sleep peacefully at night knowing that an accident might occur anytime, while he is using my creation.”
Mr. Carwell’s voice was firm, making Professor Ophelia nod her head in defeat. Just as she was about to drag Ethan out of the shop, so the boy wouldn’t get disappointed any further, the old man said something that made her stop in her tracks.
“While I may not be able to sell it now, that doesn’t mean that I can’t sell it in the future,” Mr. Carwell stated. “After I finish testing it for safety, I will contact you, Professor Ophelia.”
The old man’s gaze softened as he shifted his attention to Ethan.
“The reason why I made the Wind Dancer is to allow those who have given up on flying in the sky, because they possess no magical powers, to once again gain hope,” Mr. Carwell said softly. “The Wind Dancer is the first of its kind, so its success will pave the way for these dreams to become a reality.”
The old man then walked towards Ethan and patted his shoulder.
“Give me a month at the earliest, and two at the longest,” Mr. Carwell declared. “I will fine tune this broomstick, and send it to you, Ethan. I look forward to seeing you soar in the sky, and become the beacon for those who have given up their hope of ever flying in the sky.”
The old man’s words were filled with determination, which carried a promise.
His passionate words touch Ethan’s heart, and he thanked Mr. Carwell for giving him the opportunity to test his newest creation.
After rekindling his hope, the handsome young man left the Brooms For All Seasons with a spring in his step.
Now that the issue with the broomstick was over, there was only one thing left to do and that was to buy a wand, which was something that every Wizard and Witch must possess.
Ever since Ethan arrived in the Magical World, he wondered if having a wand would be able to let him use magic.
However, as he and Professor Ophelia walked towards the Magic Wand Store, the Professor told him that wands were similar to Flying Broomsticks.
Even if you had a magical wand in your possession, If you didn’t have an ounce of magical power, you would never be able to cast spells.
This dampened Ethan’s mood, and he no longer felt excited about acquiring a wand. However, since they were already there, Professor Ophelia was determined to get him one.
Right now, Ethan was technically her “chosen candidate”. Because of this, she needed to at least give him the proper tools in order for him to properly study in Brynhildr Academy.
Truth be told, even the Professor didn’t know if what she was doing was right. However, she believed that, even if Ethan couldn’t really use magic for the duration of his stay in Brynhildr Academy, there would be no harm as long as he tried his best to learn magic.
Everyone in the Magic World knew that the magic of Duds was unreliable at best, and non-existent at worst. However, since the Appraisal Stone had detected a trace of magic, even though it barely existed, it still allowed the young man to stay in Brynhildr Academy to study magic.
“Don’t be so down, Ethan,” Professor Ophelia. “Have you forgotten? Fortis Dud is just like you. He was called a talentless and magicless Wizard in the past. However, he was still one of the heroes of the continent that defeated the Demon Lord. You may not be able to surpass his glory, but that doesn't mean that you couldn't distinguish yourself from the rest of the wizards, and witches in Brynhildr Academy.”
Ethan reluctantly nodded his head as he walked beside the Professor.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a store that was called Sanders.
“Sanders… makers of wands since 300 B.C?” Ethan blinked. “Is this some kind of advertising campaign just to get customers?”
“Of course not, silly boy,” Professor Ophelia. “Sanders has been on this continent for a very long time. This is just one of their branches in Eastshire.”
“Did the existence of Wizards and Witches start during that time?”
“They have existed for far longer than that. Magic has been around since time immemorial. The long-lived Elves were the first one to harness its power because they are the guardians of the World Tree, Yggdrasil. The other races slowly learned through trial and error.
“As for Humans, although we are a short-lived race, we are more numerous and like innovation the most. The concept of using wands to channel magical powers from our body, and amplify them was our creation. Of course, there are also Wizards and Witches who channel the magical powers around them to use as their own, and cast magic in that manner.”
Ethan, who was listening seriously to the Professor’s explanation, suddenly had a brilliant idea.
“Professor, can I also channel the power in my surroundings and use it as my own to cast my magic?”
“It is possible.”
This information gave Ethan hope that he would still have a way to use magic, even if he didn’t possess any magical powers inside his body.
“Ah… good morning customers,” an old man with glasses greeted Professor Ophelia and Ethan as soon as they entered the door. “What may I do for you today?”
“Mr. Mason, we need a wand for this boy,” Professor Ophelia said. “Can you give him a recommendation?”
The old man adjusted his glasses and smiled.
“My, if it isn’t Professor Magnolia.” Mr. Mason smiled. “How is everyone in the Academy?”
“It’s Ophelia, Mr. Mason,” Professor Ophelia corrected.
“Yes, I heard you the first time, Camillia,” Mr. Mason made a gesture for his two guests to come closer. “A wand recommendation for this boy you say?”
Mr. Mason eyed the young man for half a minute before taking out a wooden box behind him.
“Your name is Ethan Gremory, right?” Mr. Mason asked. “Seventeen years old, and currently staying in Dud Manor.”
“H-How?” Ethan looked at the old man with a dumbfounded look on his face.
He couldn’t believe that the same person who kept getting Professor Ophelia’s name wrong was able to know his full name, age, as well as the Manor he was staying in the Academy with just a glance.
“How isn’t important,” Mr. Mason replied. As he took the lid off the box and presented its contents to the young man, who was looking back at him in disbelief. “What is important is that you give this wand a wave.”
The old man handed a gray wand to Ethan and took a step back.
“Go on, try it,” Mr. Mason urged.
Ethan stared at the wand in his hand and pointed it at the wooden target practice at the corner of the store with great expectations. He had long wished to use magic ever since he arrived in Brynhildr Academy, and now, his dreams was about to come true.
“Ignis Fulmine!” Ethan shouted.
This was the spell that Chloe used inside the dungeon, allowing her to hurl Fire Bolts at the zombies that attacked them.
Ethan had wished he could do the same, so the first spell he tried to cast was his cousin’s Fire Bolt Spell.
A few seconds of awkward silence passed by before Mr. Mason cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.
“Some people have specific Elemental Affinities,” Mr. Mason explained. “For example, even if someone has strong magical powers, but their affinity lies in Ice Magic, they will not be able to cast fire magic.
“Of course, there are exceptions. There are several individuals who have multiple affinities allowing them to use two to three, sometimes even more, elements. However, it seems that you’re not one of them, Mr. Gremory. What you need to do is cast a universal spell that anyone can use. Now, say the words, Lux Aeterna.”
Ethan took a deep breath before raising his wand high up in the air.
“Lux Aeterna!”
Another awkward silence passed before Mr. Mason took the wand out of the young man’s hand and returned it inside the box.
“Maybe some other wands will do,” Mr. Mason returned the wooden box to its rightful place as he rummaged through the other shelves of his shop. A minute later, he returned with another wooden box in his hands and presented it to Ethan.
“Okay, try this one,” Mr. Mason stated.
Ethan nodded and once again raised the wand high up in the air and shouted the magical words that would bring light to the world.
“Lux Aeterna!”
A few seconds later, Ethan returned the wand to Mr. Mason with a face-filled with disappointment.
“Forget it, Professor,” Ethan sighed. “Just get me a mass produced wand. Spending gold on an expensive wand is just a waste of money.”
Mr. Mason shook his head helplessly before lightly tapping the boy’s head with the wooden box in his hand, making the latter cry out in pain.
“Boy, are you making fun of me?” Mr. Mason asked with a smile that wasn’t a smile. “We don’t make ‘mass produced’ wands in this shop. Every wand in this shop is tailored to perfection. You see, even if you choose the wand that doesn't guarantee that you can use it. It’s the wand that chooses the person. We just haven’t found the right wand for you.”
Ethan chuckled before shaking his head. “Mr. Mason. For example, I’m just an ordinary person who happened to fancy myself into buying a wand in your shop. Then, as the good man that you are, you tried to help me find a wand that will suit me.
“However, since I have no magic power whatsoever, even if you allowed me to test every single wand in this shop, it would be useless. I have no magic power, therefore I can’t use mag-ouch!”
While Ethan was talking, a wooden box that was on a shelf above his head, mysteriously fell, stopping the teenage boy’s pitiful monologue.
Mr. Mason hurriedly picked up the wooden box to see if the wand inside it was damaged. However, after seeing its model, a thought came into his head.
‘I wonder…,’ Mr. Mason thought as he stared at the black wand inside the box, completely ignoring Ethan who now had a bump on his head.
A minute later, the old man turned to look at the teary-eyed boy, who was being treated with a magical potion by Professor Ophelia.
“Ethan, hold this wand,” Mr. Mason said as he presented the young man one of the most unique wands in his collection.
“I told you already Mr. Mason,” Ethan replied as he reached out his hand to hold the wand presented to him. “It’s usele–”
As soon as he touched the handle of the wand, something unbelievable happened.
He found himself standing on what seems to be a clear, blue sea that spanned for miles on end. A moment later, he heard a playful giggle behind his back, which made him slowly turn his head to see where it came from.
The moment he laid his eyes on her, they young man stood frozen in place due to the sheer beauty of the lady that was smiling back at him.
She had deep blue hair, and her upper half was bare for him to see. However, something else caught his attention. Instead of legs, he saw what seemed to be a rainbow-colored fish tail from her waist down.
Seeing his reaction, the mermaid giggled before opening her arms wide as if to welcome Ethan with a big hug.
For some reason, his body moved on his own, and floated in the air. A moment later, the handsome young man found himself being hugged by the beautiful mermaid.
“Finally, I am now a part of your world,” the beautiful mermaid whispered in Ethan’s ears. "You've kept me waiting for a long time."
The mermaid then cupped Ethan’s face and kissed his lips, making him taste something sweet like honey.
A few seconds later, that beautiful blue world disappeared, along with the mermaid who had stolen his first kiss.
Ethan found himself back inside the wand shop. Mr. Mason and Professor Ophelia were looking at him in a weird manner.
“Well, I know that the wand in your hands is a work of art, so it is perfectly normal for you to kiss it,” Mr. Mason chuckled. “I assume that you find this wand to your liking, Ethan?”
“We’ll be taking this wand, Mr. Mason,” Professor Ophelia said in a voice filled with amusement. “But, can you tell me what the core ingredient used to create this wand is?”
Mr. Mason nodded as he looked at the wand in Ethan’s hand, who was currently blushing due to embarrassment.
“The core of this wand is made from a rainbow scale of the Mermaid Princess,” Mr. Mason replied. “It is one of a kind, and no other wand here in my store, nor any of the wands in the other branches of Sanders, that is like it.”
After hearing Mr. Mason’s explanation, Ethan stared at his wand with a flushed face. For some reason, the sweetness of his first kiss still lingered in his lips, just like the memory of the Mermaid Princess, that was still fresh in his mind.
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