"Ow—"
Don't be fooled by Andeni's small frame—those punches to Gauss's waist landed hard. He sucked in a sharp breath as pain shot up his side. His Mage Hand spell almost fizzled on the spot.
"Oh—sorry, sorry!"
Realizing she got a little too excited, Andeni licked her lips and gave an awkward grin.
"It's fine," Gauss said after a few deep breaths. Once the sting faded, he managed to speak again.
Still, his opinion of Andeni shifted a bit. She wasn't just good with magic—she was strong.
Clearly a seasoned pro. Even if she didn't look like a strength-type, her body was clearly far above average.
"Can't believe it... this bone wand finally found someone it resonates with..." Andeni muttered, caught somewhere between relief and nostalgia.
She'd always wondered if someone out there could use it. Now that they'd appeared, she felt... strangely melancholic.
"So, uh, Senior Andeni... what's the price for this wand?" Gauss asked carefully.
She'd said it wouldn't be expensive, but it was too perfect for him. Naturally, he was worried she'd change her mind.
And with her current unreadable expression, he couldn't tell what she was thinking.
After a moment of silence, she finally let out a sigh and said:
"Ten silver coins. It took some work to carve and prep, after all."
That number was a huge relief for Gauss.
"But…"
"…?"
Never mind.
Spoke too soon.
His heart, just starting to relax, clenched up again.
Why can't people ever say the full sentence in one go?
Gauss looked at her, uneasy. Was she backing out?
He instinctively tightened his grip on the wand.
"But," Andeni continued, smirking, "if you ever want to turn this into a proper magic wand, that won't be easy."
Her sharp little canine tooth showed as she bit her lip with a mischievous smile.
"Maybe I just suck at it, but I've tried turning this thing into a finished wand more times than I can count. Every single one failed."
"Tried every kind of magic core I could find. None of them worked."
That's it?
Gauss kept a straight face, but internally he let out a long sigh of relief.
He'd been bracing for something serious. This? Not a big deal.
Getting it made into a full wand could wait. Right now, priority one was getting it into his hands.
"But hey, don't worry about it," Andeni added casually. "You'll have more wands eventually. Two, three, maybe more."
"For casters like us, having multiple wands is totally normal."
"Each one's got its own personality—some are built for speed, some for accuracy, power, balance..."
She gestured toward her own rack of wands, where one was taller than she was. Gauss couldn't imagine how she'd even use that thing without it looking ridiculous.
"Got it." Gauss nodded. "So, uh... should I pay now?"
Just ten silver—he had that much on him.
"Tch, sure, sure. Look at you, so eager."
Andeni rolled her eyes and held out her palm.
Gauss quickly pulled out ten silver coins and placed them in her hand.
But the second they touched her skin—poof—they vanished.
Storage magic? Dimensional inventory?
Whatever it was, she didn't explain—and Gauss didn't ask.
He ended up staying at Thorn Cottage a while longer.
Andeni gave him a bunch of advice—some helpful, some bordering on lectures—and even lent him one of her early notebooks on magical theory. Maybe out of respect for Gollum... or maybe because he was now the bone wand's chosen user.
By the time Gauss stepped outside, the sun was already dipping past the rooftops.
The heavy oak door shut slowly behind him.
The place already felt like it was fading into the background—like it was just another part of the alley, plain and forgettable.
"Damn... that's some subtle magic."
Gauss took one last glance, then turned to leave, the bone wand in his hand and a spring in his step.
The visit had been more than worth it.
He left with a magical theory notebook and a perfectly matched wand base—all for just ten silver.
In the end, he didn't sell the life mana stone either. Andeni had told him, "If you're not desperate for cash, keep it on you. Wearing one long-term has small health benefits. Slow, but steady."
…
Over the next few days, Night Owl party took it easy—just like most adventurer teams after a mission.
Gauss didn't know what the others were up to.
But him?
He made every day count.
Wake up with the town's bell. Eat. Head outside with his bone wand. Practice spells. Read. Spar. Rest. Repeat.
Having the wand reignited his passion for magic.
His focus was on Magic Missile, of course.
After the last mission, his skill was at Level 2 (3/20).
But with the wand in hand and full immersion training?
He pushed it to Level 2 (6/20) in just a few days.
The wand's buff, the rising skill level, and his steadily growing mana reserves…
They all stacked up.
Current mana: 1.65 standard units
Compressed casting for Magic Missile went from 60% to 50% power.
Which meant...
He could now launch 3 micro-missiles in a row without burning out.
The wand also increased casting speed and slightly boosted the spell's power.
A 50% missile through the wand now hit as hard as a 70% one used barehanded.
In short, his combat power had leveled up—hard.
He could easily mop the floor with his past self.
Because in a fight, who casts first usually wins.
And faster casting = first strike.
In the world of spellcasting, speed kills.
Gauss was already counting the days. Their next mission had to be soon.
And honestly? He was itching to go.
After seeing how much he'd grown, he wanted to test it for real.
Maybe this time, they could take on something besides goblins?
He was stronger now. He could handle it.
And he was ready to start unlocking more entries in his Adventurer's Manual.