Chapter 266

Richter controlled the staff with levitation magic and slowly floated it over to Haruto.

"Try it. See whether it feels right in your hands."

Richter had obtained the staff by chance some time ago, but its sheer weight made it completely impractical for ordinary mages. Most people struggled just to lift it, much less wield it while casting spells, so it had spent years gathering dust in storage.

Now, at last, he might finally have someone willing to buy it.

Haruto reached out and wrapped one hand around the shaft.

Richter immediately released the levitation spell.

The staff’s considerable weight settled into Haruto’s arm.

He gave it a couple of casual swings.

In Haruto’s hands, the massive metal staff seemed almost weightless, cutting through the air with sharp whistles.

Then he channeled mana into the shaft.

The flow was completely smooth, with none of the resistance he had expected. Its conductivity was actually better than he had anticipated.

Haruto stopped and nodded in satisfaction.

The staff was heavy and durable.

Forget simply using it to cast magic—he could probably smash a monster over the head with it without worrying about breaking the thing.

Better yet, its perfectly smooth cylindrical shape meant it could double as a rolling pin.

It was practically made for him.

"Pretty good staff."

Haruto smiled, then casually added,

"Sturdy, practical, and I can use it as a rolling pin when I need one. Two uses in one."

The entire shop went silent.

Denken’s calm expression cracked instantly, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

Laufen stared wide-eyed at the staff in Haruto’s hands, wondering whether she had somehow misheard him.

Richter nearly choked.

That was a combat staff.

And this man wanted to knead dough with it?

Richter opened his mouth, clearly tempted to complain, but after seeing how genuinely satisfied Haruto looked, he found himself with nothing useful to say.

Haruto paid no attention to their reactions and simply handed over the money.

"See you around."

He waved, casually slung the staff over one shoulder, and walked out of the shop.

Only after Haruto disappeared through the door did Richter recover enough to let out a complicated sigh.

Denken looked away from the entrance and turned back toward him.

"The second stage wasn’t your fault."

"You were simply unlucky with the opponent you drew."

"Whoever ran into Sense’s replica probably would’ve ended up in the same position."

Laufen nodded in agreement.

Hearing the sincerity in Denken’s voice, Richter gave a helpless smile.

Meanwhile, Haruto carried his new staff to the inn where Frieren’s party was staying.

The three of them were resting in the common room when he arrived.

Haruto casually lowered the staff from his shoulder and set one end on the floor.

Thud.

The heavy impact made even the sturdy floorboards tremble slightly.

"Hm? An all-metal staff?"

Curiosity flashed through Frieren’s eyes.

She casually cast a detection spell over it.

"That’s extremely heavy. Most mages would have trouble even using something like this."

"It’s fine. The weight feels about right."

Haruto picked it up again and gave it a couple of easy swings.

"And it’s sturdy. I can use it as a rolling pin too, which is convenient."

Stark, who had been examining the staff with interest, immediately froze.

He had no idea how to respond.

Frieren and Fern, on the other hand, did not seem particularly surprised.

After all, this was the same man who had turned mimics into dinner.

Using a staff as kitchen equipment hardly seemed that strange by comparison.

Haruto spent some time discussing magic with Frieren, then booked a room on the same floor as the three of them so they could leave together once the examination was finished.

Early the next morning, Frieren and Fern left the inn and headed for the Continental Magic Association headquarters to take the third stage of the First-Class Mage Exam.

Haruto and Stark stayed behind.

Haruto used the free time to continue exploring Äußerst, visiting the shops he had missed the previous day and buying quite a few more things.

By the time evening began settling over the streets of the magical city, he finally returned to the inn.

He knocked on Frieren and Fern’s door and stepped inside.

Fern was sitting in a chair with a smile on her face.

One glance was enough to tell that she was in an excellent mood.

Frieren and Stark looked equally pleased.

Haruto closed the door behind him.

"So? How did the exam go?"

"Fern passed."

Frieren answered happily.

As for herself, naturally, she had failed.

Frieren had already suspected that would happen the moment she learned Serie was personally conducting the third stage.

She was not particularly bothered.

Frieren was already a Great Mage, though so much time had passed that very few people remembered that fact anymore.

The only real reason she had participated in the First-Class Mage Exam was to gain permission to enter the Northern Plateau.

With Fern now officially qualified, that was enough for their journey.

Haruto turned toward her.

"Congratulations, Fern. You’re officially a First-Class Mage now."

Fern accepted the congratulations with a pleased smile.

Then she looked toward Haruto, Frieren, and Stark.

"There’s a privilege-granting ceremony tonight. Apparently, companions are allowed to attend as well..."

"Since it’s a special occasion, I’d like all of you to come with me."

The ceremony was a tradition of the Continental Magic Association.

Every newly appointed First-Class Mage would formally receive the privileges associated with the rank, including authorization to enter the Northern Plateau.

More importantly, Serie would grant each new First-Class Mage one spell of their choice.

Fern clearly cared about the ceremony and wanted Frieren, Haruto, and Stark to be there with her.

She included Haruto because Frieren had already told her that he would be traveling with them for some time.

If he was going to become a companion, then naturally he should be invited too.

"Of course I’m going!"

Stark agreed immediately.

If he refused something like this, Fern would definitely get angry.

"I’m in."

Haruto agreed just as readily.

Fern then turned toward Frieren, who had remained suspiciously silent.

Frieren looked deeply reluctant.

She knew Serie far too well.

Serie was petty.

There was absolutely no doubt she would find some way to make things difficult for Frieren, so going along would only invite trouble.

"Frieren-sama..."

Fern looked at her expectantly.

Faced with that expression, Frieren tried to refuse.

The words simply would not come out.

After a long sigh, she finally nodded with the expression of someone accepting an unavoidable fate.

"...Fine. I’ll go."

Fern immediately brightened.

That evening, the four of them headed to the Continental Magic Association headquarters together.

They did not make it very far inside.

"I’m terribly sorry, Frieren, but you’re not permitted to enter."

One of the Association staff members stopped her with an apologetic expression.

Fern frowned.

"Why?"

"Weren’t companions specifically allowed to attend the ceremony?"

"My apologies, but this is a direct order from Lady Serie."

The staff member calmly explained,

"Frieren is forbidden from entering."

Then, after a brief pause, he added,

"In fact, for the next thousand years, Frieren is prohibited from entering any facility belonging to the Continental Magic Association."

Fern looked genuinely offended.

"What exactly did Frieren-sama do to deserve that kind of treatment?!"

Frieren, meanwhile, wore the expression of someone who had expected this from the beginning.

"Can’t be helped."

"I annoyed Serie."

She turned and started walking back toward the entrance, grumbling as she went.

"She really is like a child."

"I didn’t even want to come here in the first place. I’ll wait outside."

Frieren had known something like this would happen.

Fern had refused Serie’s offer to become her apprentice.

Naturally, Serie had decided that somehow this was Frieren’s fault.

"I’ll wait outside with you."

Stark immediately followed her.

Given the situation, going in without her felt wrong.

Haruto stayed outside as well.

The three crossed to the plaza in front of the Continental Magic Association and passed the time chatting while they waited for Fern to finish.

Before long, Lernen approached.

His gaze was fixed directly on Frieren.

"Frieren."

Stark frowned and lowered his voice.

"Who’s that?"

Frieren’s expression became more serious as she watched Lernen approach.

"A member of the Continental Magic Association."

Haruto calmly glanced at Lernen, then back toward Frieren.

He knew perfectly well why Lernen had come.

Still, this was not something Haruto had any reason to interfere with.

Besides, the two of them were not actually going to fight to the death.

"I am Lernen, a First-Class Mage and one of Lady Serie’s apprentices."

Lernen bowed slightly.

His voice remained completely even, with only the slightest hint of almost reverent respect entering it when he spoke Serie’s name.

"It seems Lady Serie has caused you some trouble."

He straightened and continued looking at Frieren.

"It’s fine."

Frieren answered calmly, with the resigned understanding of someone who had known Serie for more than a thousand years.

"She’s always been like that."

Serie impulsively banning her from every Continental Magic Association facility for a thousand years was exactly the sort of thing Frieren had expected.

Compared with Serie’s pettiness, she was far more curious about why Lernen himself had come to see her.

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