Wands Choose Wizards
While I awkwardly chuckled at the old man's self-deprecating joke, the shopkeeper checked the ledger. He didn't say anything special even after seeing the name written in Korean. The ledger, enchanted with special magic, was just for verifying if someone was truly an Eldmier student. No matter the language, falsehoods would erase themselves, while truths left a clear signature.
"Cough, cough! Alright, now just pick one wand and one grimoire from anything here that feels right. Help yourself."
With that, the old man leaned back deep into his counter chair, as if his job was done.
"Mystery-infused items have souls of their own. It's not the wizard choosing the wand and grimoire. The wand and grimoire choose the wizard."
"Ah, yeah."
I brushed off the clichéd line I'd heard somewhere before and started looking around the shop. It looked like no one had touched the place in years. The dusty shelves held wands and grimoires jumbled together with no organization whatsoever.
Whoosh—
I pulled out one visible grimoire, blew off the dust, and wiped the cover lightly.
"But is this stuff any good? It looks damaged in places and way too worn out."
Compared to the previous shop, the poor condition made me seriously doubt the quality.
"Cough, cough. Magical tools come with basic self-repair functions, so they're fine. They've just been low on mana from not finding an owner for so long. Use them, and they'll regain their true form soon enough."
Hmm... I see.
No matter how I thought about it, I strongly suspected the source of his near-death coughs was all that accumulated dust.
So, what should I buy? There were 90% off clearance labels on some stock, but here, with zero info, choosing was even harder.
In situations like this, prioritize. The top priority when buying is price—but that's irrelevant here, so skip. Origin and materials aren't listed, skip. Left with design and condition.
Go for the oldest, most worn design? Or the cleanest, best-preserved one? One of those two.
Hmm... The tools choose their owner, right?
I gathered several that met my criteria and lined them up on one side.
"Which one will it be? Guess right! Ding dong dang dong, do re mi fa so la ti do!!"
Having set aside the wand and grimoire chosen by Professor Chekcheok, I tidied up and headed to the counter.
"I'll take these."
"Cough. Not a bad choice. This grimoire is made from aspen wood—it'll give a slight boost to water-attribute spells."
What? So he explains the items separately?
Should've asked earlier.
"And the wand?"
"A hawthorn wand excels at delicate mana control. Perfect for an inexperienced wizard. Cough!"
With the explanation, they seemed fine to take as-is.
"It'll really recover with use, right?"
The grimoire had a decent design but was especially damaged.
"Yes, no worries. If not, you can exchange it later. Cough!"
Hugging my free wand and grimoire, I left the shop satisfied.
"Saved a ton. Sweet!"
Having gotten everything I needed with pockets still heavy, my heart felt all warm and fuzzy. Even with variables, money shortages seemed unlikely now.
Nah, considering prices here, better not get complacent.
"Save when you can."
Skip one meal, and you could buy a limited skin set at full price. Thinking of plumpy's skirted butt made me grin happily.
With renewed resolve to show what a true cheapskate looked like, I pressed on through the twilight streets.
Bracken Veil was shrouded in fog year-round, but on sunny days, it paired beautifully with the blue sea for stunning views. This time coincided with a certain school's semester start, drawing crowds to the harbor for the scenery.
Eldmier Academy wasn't in Bracken Veil, of course. But all students gathered there because the standard way to reach Eldmier was boarding a ship from Bracken Veil. Other methods existed, shrouded in secrecy for security, but everyone except a tiny handful of school staff used the ships.
"Whoa... First time seeing a real galleon. It's huge."
Even from afar, its overwhelming size—powered by wind alone—was hard to believe. The spotless white hull gleamed blindingly under the sunlight, like a massive swan perched on the sea. Waves crashed against its base, kicking up white foam that blended seamlessly with the hull—you couldn't tell wave from ship skin.
Three masts pierced the sky like cloud-piercing wings, connected by thousands of intricate ropes like a giant spider's silver web, taut and ready to catch the wind. A low hum resonated from the strained lines.
Bwooooom—!
As the ship neared, the clear vibration felt like the deep breath of this colossal living being.
"Wowww...."
Nearby kids waiting with me cheered. Judging by their age, freshmen.
"That's the Asphodel Ship, right?"
"It's just like Dad described!"
Unlike typical kids, they had a heavy vibe, but kids were kids.
"Cute."
I savored the moment with the breeze. No better scenery for killing time alone in an unfamiliar place.
Mesmerized, I walked to the pier's end. Smooth ivory planks fit without gaps, and the carved white goddess figurehead at the bow looked ready to dive into the blue sea. Up close, every detail was artwork.
"Man... this is real magic."
Nothing like the grimy galleons in movies. Black pearl? The real pearl was here.
After docking and minor prep, boarding began.
"Freshman? Place your hand on this crystal."
A gold-uniformed crewman checked identities. My hand on the crystal glowed white.
"Welcome aboard the Asphodel Ship. Head to A012."
He handed me a ticket with room details and notices.
The deck was packed with students—where were they hiding before?
"Insanely spacious even inside."
First, unpack. Most kids wore uniforms, so I'd change too.
I sorted luggage at the storage area and found my room. The Asphodel, a school ship to Eldmier, had basic 3-per-room setups. Excluding profs' singles, students were by year and gender. Rules weren't strict—older years broke them often—but irrelevant for new first-years.
Hmm... Michael Tyson?
A black guy with a build that could snap my Korean dad—still slaving safely at work, worrying about getting home—in half sat on a bunk. Eighth year? Eldmier went to eight, so probably graduating seniors. No need to suck up to seniors, but same room, so I greeted him.
"Hi. Nice weather today, huh."
Nod.
He met my eyes briefly and nodded with a slight smile.
'Nod? What the hell?'
Western kids do small talk as courtesy, right? Face full of worldly grudges—practicing his resting bitch face?
Awkward. No more to say; dragging it out would make me look dumb. Laughed lightly to cut the tension and headed to an empty bunk.
Unpacked, changed into uniform—nothing left to do. Didn't love phone videos over PC games, and no signal here anyway.
'Hope the school has internet.'
Nah, modern world—no way. Trusting you, Starlink!
Shaking off unease with lame faith, I tapped my foot bored when the door opened to a new face.
"Whoa! Everyone's so diligent. Am I the last one?"
Mischief incarnate—total rascal vibe—strode in.
"Hi, nice to meetcha. I'm Rupert."
Nod.
Freshly ignored, Rupert turned to me.
"Hi, nice to meetcha. I'm Rupert."
Acting like nothing happened, reintroducing casually—I instantly pegged him as shameless.
"Yeah, nice. Park Seojun."
I lightly shook his offered hand.
"Park Seojun? Korean?"
"Yep."
"Whoa, really? You know Devil Hunters? I love Jay."
"Everyone does—don't know it these days, you're a spy. You a freshman too?"
"Duh, Asphodel rooms by year. We're all same grade."
"What?"
I whipped around, eyes wide.
Nod.