Episode 45.2

Lecan has come across a few other mages that give off similar feelings before. Jiza was one, the chief mage of Tsubolt was another.

Lecan is capable of discerning those who know their ways around swords with a glance. How they walk, their presence and their reactions toward their surroundings can be used as a reference for that particular individual's strength.

And now that he's gone through his magic training regime as well as honing his mana perceptions, he's also able to discern mages to a degree.

This old man's doesn't have that large of a mana pool, but the mana clad around him is that of a very well honed one.

(Reminds me of Elder Termin.)

Their builds are the complete opposite. Termin is skinny and tall, while the man before him got a short and stout stature. His frame is well defined. You'd believe it if someone told you he's a shield warrior. And yet something about them just feels alike.

"What the. What's with the crowd."

"I'm telling you they're customers."

"Hmph."

The shopkeeper turned his sight at Lecan while complaining. He must have sensed something.

"This big man is Lecan. He's a skilled swordsman who's also a user of amazingly powerful <Flame Spear>."

"Magic swordsman?"

The shopkeeper's face distorted loathsomely. He might have a prejudice on magic swordsmen.

"Do you have a wand that boosts magic firepower."

"Hmph. Just sit tight there."

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The shopkeeper went in the back.

Lecan stared at the counter. It has some sort of magic imbued on it. Several wands have been placed behind the counter invisible to customers, each of which has been imbued with magic.

Lecan can't tell what kind of effects they have, but he marvels at the way they're all interconnected. Transparently beautiful without a hint of distortion. The shopkeeper's quite an expert of magic.

(Now I can't wait for the wands.)

The shopkeeper came out after a little while.

"Here ya go. Let's start with these."

Three wands got put on the counter. All of them have a fist-sized head and an adult arm-long medium-sized body. They have three magic stones embedded on them.

"All three of these boost your flame magic firepower. The rightmost for power, middle for speed and leftmost for accuracy."

"What? They only boost flame magic?"

"Tolda. Yer' sure this big thing don't got some screws missing?"

"Lecan. It's because they have fire elemental magic stones on them."

"What's fire elemental magic stones."

"Now this is surprising. Haven't you seen one yet? See here, magic beasts in this dungeon drop elemental magic stones. Some boost flame elemental magic power, some lightning elemental magic, some move type magic."

"That kind of stuff exists huh. I had no idea."

"Well, those elemental magic stones are no different than ordinary magic stones in their raw forms. But the craftsmen in this town make use of them in all kinds of stuff such as wands, rings, and necklaces. Even armor with embedded magic stones that can lower magic effects."

"Hou."

He'll ask for more details later, and deal with the wands before him first. Lecan took the rightmost wand in his hand. It's the power-focused wand.

It got this weird feel to it. There's some sort of mana veil around the wand, which feels like it's repulsing Lecan as he grabs the wand.

"Are you allowed to do a trial run."

"Ya daft or somethin'? Like hell any wand stores gonna allow trial runs. Besides direct order ones that is. I'll get the seal undone if ya wanna try putting mana in 'em."

"Please."

"Put that wand on the counter."

Lecan put the medium wand on the counter, then the shopkeeper took out a thin wand and converged his mana on the tip of that wand directed at the medium wand.

"Jiraad."

Then the veil disappeared.

"What was that spell?"

"Lecan!"

Tolda spoke out in a sharp tone, Lecan looked at him. Tolda shook his head.

"That's a no go. You can't ask that."

Looks like he's touched on some sort of custom in this town.

"So it is. My bad."

The shopkeeper said nothing while maintaining a sour look.

Lecan grabbed the unsealed medium wand. It feels familiar in his hand. Or more like, to his mana.

(I see. The seal earlier was there to isolate mana.)

"Lecan. Just a friendly warning. When you wish to pour mana into the wand, first put the wand down and ask for the shopkeeper's permission. By doing so, you will be given the permission to in most cases. Absolutely don't try to recite a spell. No matter if it's preliminary casting or activation spell. Or rather, saying any word when you're holding an unsealed wand is a breach of etiquette. Got it?"

Lecan nodded and put the wand on the counter.

"Shopkeeper. Mind if I try pouring mana into this wand."

"Yea. How else yer' gonna find out if a wand is for ya."

Lecan grabbed the medium wand and poured his mana into it.

Where the user's mana gets into the wand and the route it takes seems to be pre-established, Lecan's mana rushes into it. But the response feels a bit sluggish. Then it soon became difficult to put more mana in. Lecan quizzically stared at the wand and the mana inside before raising his mana output and rate even further.

The shopkeeper who had been observing Lecan with his thin wand held up raised his voice to stop him.

"H-hold it. That's enough."