Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Staff That Chooses Its Master
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Knights heading into battle carry all sorts of equipment.
But among all that gear, the one they cherished most was none other than their sword.
The sword was their pride, an extension of their body that they doted on, and a comrade-in-arms they shared the battlefield with.
And for a mage, if you had to pick something that played the same role as that sword, it would be the staff.
'Most mages carry a staff around.'
The reason most mages ended up using staves wasn't anything special.
When first learning magic, the tool most commonly used during training to concentrate mana at one end was a wooden stick—what would become a staff.
What started as a familiar training tool, carried initially for self-defense and habit,
gradually evolved over time. Mana stones for storing mana or aids for casting spells were embedded at the tip, turning it into a fully functional weapon and establishing it as the traditional mage's armament.
But even though the staff had such a long and storied history,
'I've never really felt the need for one.'
Jeon wasn't the type to feel a strong need for a staff.
For storing mana, he had his own artifact, the Mana Stone. If push came to shove, he could draw mana from silver-infused artifacts as well.
There were staves that amplified magic power, too.
But they mostly boosted the power of specific attributes or reinforced particular spells.
'Unless it enhances Rune Magic, I don't really need one.'
And for Jeon, whose main arsenal was Rune Magic, such staves held little appeal.
Having one wasn't bad, but lacking one wasn't inconvenient either.
When factoring in the hassle of carrying it around, the staff was something of a white elephant to Jeon.
"It seems Lord Jeon hasn't given much thought to using a staff in the past?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes. I've never particularly favored them."
Conri seemed to pick up on Jeon's feelings and asked casually.
Jeon appreciated the gift, but with the other party clearly aware, he couldn't lie. He nodded with an awkward expression.
"I suppose that's true. These days, with so many excellent artifacts available, I've heard more and more mages forgoing staves."
As Conri said,
the staff was a traditional weapon, but not irreplaceable.
Even Lena, for instance, carried multiple accessory-form artifacts and didn't bother with a staff.
'Though it does look cool.'
Of course, even if he didn't see the practical need,
Jeon did acknowledge the inherent style of a staff.
From his past life, the image of a mage conjured for him was one wielding a staff to cast spells—it was that iconic.
"Still, once you see this, I think you'll change your mind."
But even sensing Jeon's lukewarm stance, Conri seemed quite confident in the gift he'd prepared.
'What could it be?'
At this point, Jeon's curiosity was piqued.
His gaze fixed on Conri, who stood to fetch the gift.
What Conri brought back was a small wooden box.
"This is...?"
Jeon had expected a large staff like those typical mages leaned on, since that's what he'd been told.
But the wooden box Conri handed over was no bigger than a jewelry case.
'A staff fits in there?'
Jeon looked at Conri with eyes full of doubt, and Conri extended the box as if to say, just open it.
Click.
Jeon carefully opened the wooden box, revealing a bracelet made by twisting thin twigs.
"A bracelet...?"
"Yes, for now."
Even after opening the box and checking the contents, Jeon's confusion lingered.
He looked up at Conri, who grinned and opened his mouth to resolve it.
"If you infuse mana into that bracelet, it will transform into a staff."
"Ah."
So it was a shape-shifting item.
"But do you just pour mana into it?"
"As far as I know, you infuse it with the mana of its intended owner to register them. Plus, the amount of mana you put in can adjust the staff's size."
"That's an impressive item."
It recognized its owner's mana and changed size based on the amount infused.
That alone made it a feat of remarkable craftsmanship.
Especially for Jeon, who had crafted artifacts himself—the fact that they had implemented such a function was all the more astounding.
"That's not all. This staff allows you to register spells."
"Pardon? Register spells?"
"Yes. Up to three kinds. You set up the required Magic Language chants and diagrams, and once registered, just channeling mana will make the staff cast them automatically."
A staff that auto-casts spells with just mana input.
This level of functionality was quite appealing even to Jeon.
'It could help with quick Ashen Magic casts.'
For example, pour mana into this staff to trigger a stored spell while casting another with his free hand—that was effectively double casting.
Just the immediate applications seemed like they could greatly aid his Ashen Magic, which relied on combining various spells.
"A staff that stores and replicates the casting process... incredible."
"Exactly. It's no wonder the Celleron family treated it like a family heirloom. It's that extraordinary."
"...Pardon?"
Some family's what now?
Jeon, who had been nodding along to the explanation, froze and turned to Conri.
The item's origin was somewhere Jeon hadn't even imagined.
"I learned about it while investigating the Celleron family this time. It's a confiscated item."
"Uh... wait, why would you give something like that to me...?"
Jeon carefully set down the wooden box he was holding, watching Conri respond nonchalantly to his glance.
"To be precise, the Cellerons acquired an elven staff long ago but couldn't find anyone suitable to use it, so it was passed down unused for generations. The staff chooses its wielder, and no one in Celleron qualified."
With that, Conri took the bracelet from the box Jeon had set down and began infusing his own mana.
Hummm.
He seemed to be a fairly skilled mage himself, as a clear, substantial amount of mana flowed into the bracelet.
"...It's quiet, isn't it?"
The wooden bracelet showed no reaction whatsoever to the mana.
In other words, it was picky about its owner.
"Initially, Prince Lucian praised my handling of the Celleron matter and granted me this as the best item from their haul. But as you see, I can't use it."
"Even so, a gift from the Prince himself..."
"It's fine. When I told him I couldn't use it, he said to find someone who could and make them one of my people for when the time comes. He figured that would be the way for me to make use of the staff."
With that, Conri held out the wooden bracelet to Jeon.
"Of course, giving you this doesn't mean I'm trying to make you 'my person.' It's a thank-you for this incident and a way to forge even a small connection with you, Lord Jeon."
At Conri's words, Jeon awkwardly accepted the wooden bracelet.
No matter how it was framed, he couldn't help feeling some burden.
What Jeon had done was, at best, catching one criminal in the city.
Sure, the criminal was a serious offender, but it was the sort of thing a decent bounty would cover.
"And don't feel too burdened. It's a gift from me, but if the staff doesn't accept you, I couldn't give it anyway."
"Hmm, true enough."
Conri had a point.
It was an amazing item, but if Jeon didn't meet its criteria, he couldn't use it either.
"Are there specific conditions for using the staff?"
"From what I hear, it judges the purest mana and the talent of its bearer."
The purest mana and talent.
Vague terms.
"Purest mana" might mean mana in its natural state, untouched by processing—but no mage stored mana that way; they all refined it with mana circulation techniques.
Did it mean the most refined mana instead?
Hard to guess from words alone.
And "talent" was even more ambiguous.
Judgments varied wildly depending on the criteria.
'Hmm.'
So Jeon, figuring he probably wouldn't qualify anyway, casually infused a bit of mana into the bracelet with a light heart.
And at that moment,
as Jeon's mana seeped in, he felt the bracelet's color gradually brighten.
If he had to compare, it was like a dry twig coming back to life.
He infused a bit more mana,
and then—
"Huh?"
Shrrrrk.
The bracelet in Jeon's hand began to unravel, flowing along his arm and reforming as a bracelet around his wrist.
"Did... did it work?"
"It seems so. Congratulations."
While Jeon was slightly flustered, Conri—the actual giver—nodded as if he'd expected this.
'As expected, his talent is extraordinary.'
In truth, Conri's reason for gifting the staff to Jeon wasn't just to gain favor.
A big part was curiosity: whether Jeon's talent was enough to win over this staff.
'He took down Jack, a graduate-level knight, despite being such a young mage.'
That alone put Jeon's talent far above average.
But Conri wondered if it could charm an elven staff—one so rare few humans had ever wielded.
'It's confirmed. He's destined for greatness, with no visible limit.'
As he'd anticipated, Jeon's talent shone bright enough to earn the approval of a staff that had sat unused for ages, waiting for an owner.
And Conri loved forging ties with such talent.
He knew each connection could prove invaluable someday.
'I get why the Prince did what he did.'
Prince Lucian awarding Jeon the Empire Guardian Medal must have stemmed from the same mindset.
"The staff's name is Elderlake. Now that you're its owner, infuse mana to shape it as you wish."
Thus, he happily shared the staff's name with Jeon.
It was only right that its new master know it.
"Uh, no, but really, is it okay for me to take this?"
"Of course. It was useless to me, after all."
"Still, it's far too precious..."
Meanwhile, the recipient, Jeon, was still flustered.
He'd infused mana out of mere curiosity,
but it had accepted him far too easily.
Deep down, he'd pictured no reaction, allowing him to politely decline with, "Looks like it doesn't accept me either."
But that perfect scenario had fallen apart.
"Really, it's fine. Precious or not, records show Celleron acquired it over a century ago and forgot about it since no user emerged. Keeping it myself would be no different."
An item that went a hundred years without an owner.
Jeon couldn't help wondering who wielded Elderlake a century ago and how Celleron got it.
"No need to feel burdened. To anyone else, it's just an old wooden bracelet—nothing more, nothing less."
"Hmm."
Conri had a point.
But Jeon still felt the gift outweighed what he'd done.
Sure, he'd received precious gifts before.
The Empire Guardian Medal, presents from Alexar.
Valuable items, but each had justification—like saving the Prince's life or compiling the family's lost secret spells into a grimoire.
This one didn't.
He'd just caught a troublesome city criminal.
"How about this? If it still bothers you, add a simple promise: if you ever pass near the capital, visit my family once."
"Pardon? Your family?"
"No pressure. Just, if you happen to be in the capital someday and think of me or my house, drop by."
It barely qualified as a condition.
But to Conri, it was significant.
'He's aiming for Archmage or beyond. Planting a positive impression of me and my family is crucial.'
Someone of Jeon's caliber would surely visit the capital someday.
Even if he never actually visited, the promise alone would keep Conri and his house in Jeon's thoughts—a preemptive investment in a future powerhouse.
"Alright, I understand."
With the other party going that far,
Jeon set aside his reluctance and accepted the gift.
"Thank you. It's been a while since I gave a gift this rewarding."
Conri nodded in satisfaction at Jeon's response.
"By the way, I heard you're departing on a trade caravan with Lord Bolton afterward—is that true?"
"Yes. I have a destination but don't know the way, so I asked him to guide me."
"I see. I wish you both a safe journey."
With that,
their exchange complete, the two parted ways.
A few days passed since Jeon received this unexpected gift from Conri.
Jeon joined Bolton, who had finished preparing the trade caravan, and set off toward the White Tower.
However, contrary to Conri's parting words,
the caravan Jeon and Bolton departed on was anything but smooth sailing.