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“Sir Plerion, class is over!”
“Alright, let’s go home! Just you wait, Laika Galactica!!”
“Yeah, yeah. See you tomorrow.”

With the ringing of the bell signaling the end of the day’s lessons, those two stormed out of the classroom like a whirlwind.

The fact that Plerion could run around with such energy after a magic power surge that explosive might be a kind of talent in itself.

“Teach… are you sure…?”
“He complains a lot, but he still attends class properly. There’s no issue.”
“If you say so…”
“If he causes trouble again, I’ll just pin him down. More importantly, did you need something from me?”

The other students were chatting and leisurely packing up their things, but Stell came straight to me the moment class ended, leaving her belongings spread across her desk.

“Um… Teach, I want to ask about staves…”
“Ah, from the afternoon lesson. Was there something you didn’t understand?”

Staves serve as auxiliary tools for handling magecraft.

They act as safety measures to prevent magical outbursts, help control advanced spells beyond one’s capabilities, and enhance lacking power or precision— essentially, they fill in the gaps.

Because of this, they’re often mocked as ‘training wheels,’ something for children to use. A wizard is only considered truly skilled when they can wield magecraft without relying on a staff.

“Teach… you don’t use a staff…?”
“I don’t struggle with magic control enough to need one. If I were using highly complex spells, using one would be better but…”

I used to have my own staff, but it probably decayed over the past thousand years.

And remaking one from scratch would take a ridiculous amount of time— once you get picky about it, crafting a staff becomes a painstaking process.

“…I want a staff like yours, Teach…”
“Hm? If that’s what you want, how about we go make one right now? Though, making one exactly like mine might be a bit tricky.”
“…! Is that… really okay…?”

Come to think of it, it hadn’t been long since Stell’s treatment for magic crystallization syndrome. A staff would definitely be a helpful aid for her.

Actually, now that I considered it, the same went for all the elementary division students— they were complete fledglings when it came to magecraft.

If even someone like Konis or Plerion had been holding a staff, things might have gone a little smoother. In that case, distributing support tools to everyone before practical lessons would be the most logical step.

“Teacher! If that’s the plan, may we join you as well?!”
“W-We want to go too!”
“I, too, wish to join!”
“Um, is big sister Momo going with you…?”
“……Teach, you’re really popular…”
“O-Oh…?”

✦✧✦✧✦

“…And that’s how we ended up with this big group. It’s like a picnic!”
“I’d call it more of a field trip. I’ll have to submit an invoice for the overtime pay.”

I led the entire elementary division, with Momo in tow, as we walked through Rigel’s streets.

For a place that prided itself on being the Magecraft District, it certainly lived up to the name. Just a short stroll revealed countless shops selling staff catalysts.

And just a short stroll was enough to leave me feeling tired.

“Master, want a piggyback ride?”
“I’ll pass. If it comes down to it, I’ll just float a little.”
“Float a little.”

Even if my time with these students would be brief, I couldn’t afford to show them anything too pathetic.

Besides, I’d brought Momo along to help herd any wayward students back to the group— I’d need her hands free in case of trouble.

“Teach… where to make… staff…?”
“Let’s see… I’ve decided. We’ll go to that shop over there.”

I pointed to a store a bit removed from the bustling main street.

Its door was carelessly left open, with only a thin indigo curtain halfheartedly concealing the interior.

Whether it was due to the angle of the sunlight or some magical adjustment to the lighting, the store’s interior was strangely difficult to see from a distance, despite the open door.

“Teacher, is there a reason you picked this place?”
“There are a few, but the most important one is the magic power I can feel from the shop. Good materials naturally hold magic power, and more importantly, that’s proof the shopkeeper is a skilled wizard.”

A wizard knows another wizard’s craft best. When it comes to making staves, having an expert oversee the process is far better than relying on an ordinary merchant.

And truth be told, in a sea of shops with similar offerings, the faint yet distinct aura coming from this quieter store had piqued my curiosity.

“It’s dark… and kinda scary…”
“Teacher, can’t we go to another store?”
“Big sis Momo, may I… hold on to you?”
“Hey, don’t break formation. If you’re scared, just hide behind me. A teacher makes a perfectly good meat shield if needed.”
“Master, please don’t teach them things like that…”

Some students obediently hid behind me, trembling. Others tried to act brave despite their fear, while a few didn’t seem bothered at all.

Despite the varying reactions, not a single student turned tail and ran. In the end, they all followed my lead as I pushed through the store’s curtain.

“Excuse me. Is the shopkeeper in?”
“Yeah, yeah… What do ya need…? Ow, my back… my back…”

My call echoed through the dusty shop, and after a moment, an elderly man emerged from the back.

He walked with a frail shuffle, one hand rubbing his lower back, but the staff he leaned on told a different story. Even at a glance, it was clear the craftsmanship was top-notch.

We’d hit the jackpot. I’d chosen the right store after all.

“Ah… Sorry, miss, but I don’t carry any materials good enough for ya here.”
“No, I’m not the one who needs anything. Sorry for bringing such a large group, but I’d like you to help these kids find staves they can handle.”
“Oh-ho… Quite the young crowd ya brought, huh? What is this, a batch of child soldiers?”
“Of course not. They’re students at the academy in this city. But as wizards, they’re all still fledglings and in need of training wheels.”
“Teach… I’m not a fledgling…”
“Kakaka! That’s exactly what a fledgling would say! Hmm… but there sure are a lot of ya… Hold tight for a bit.”

The old man counted heads, stroking his long beard a few times before disappearing into the back of the shop.

Moments later, loud clattering noises echoed through the store, like he was rummaging through an utterly chaotic storeroom. Apparently, the back room was a mess.

“Ugh, if I remember right, it should be… OWWW! My back!?”
“…Momo, can you go check on him? At this rate, we’ll be here until sundown.”
“Okay! Hey, Grandpa, are you alright?!”

I was starting to understand why this shop had so few customers. With the shopkeeper in that state, it was no wonder he couldn’t handle much business.

Still, the quality of the merchandise was undeniable. Both magic and magecraft-related catalysts lined the shelves, all in excellent condition.

If this shop had existed back when we were dealing with Aldebaran, we could have stocked up on everything needed for the magic crystallization syndrome treatment in no time.

“Teach… what’s this?”
“Hm? Oh, that’s likely something related to magicology. Unfortunately, my knowledge in that field is a bit lacking.”

The object that caught Stell’s attention was a small tin golem. A magic stone was embedded in its core, and it looked like it would start moving automatically with just a small infusion of magic power.

Other strange magitech items, whose purposes were completely unclear, were scattered around the shop as well.

“Ahhh! The box is eating Grandpa?!”
“Gwaaaaahhh! Grandma, I’ll be joining you soon…!”
“…Looks like this might take a while.”

In the end, it took quite some time before the two finally emerged from the back room, leaving us to idly browse the shelves in the meantime.

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