Chapter 23: A Mage’s Staff

"I have admired both of them for a long time. Um, would it be possible to shake hands with them?"

Ah.

So he was not actually the main target.

The reason she approached him was because of those two.

Still, admired them?

Were Igor and Viktor really that famous?

The two of them accepted Rita’s request for a handshake with practiced ease.

After shaking hands with her, they exchanged a few words about their impressions of her performance during the exam.

That alone was enough to make Rita’s face light up with a huge smile.

"Thank you so much!"

She repeated those words again and again.

There was no doubt about it.

She really was a huge fan of the two of them.

Even after Qiu Nuoya said goodbye to her when encouraged by the others, Rita’s eyes never once focused on him.

"Looks like you’ll get along well with her," Igor said.

But was that really true?

Qiu Nuoya felt like Rita had only wanted to talk to Igor and Viktor.

He had barely even been on her radar.

"Oh, right. There was something I wanted to ask Viktor."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Do I need a staff too?" Qiu Nuoya asked directly.

Viktor thought about it for a moment before answering. "For now, I don’t think you need one."

"I see..."

Qiu Nuoya tilted his head.

"Are staffs actually necessary for magic in the first place? You don’t use one either, do you, Viktor?"

"I use one depending on the situation. I do carry them with me, actually. Here." As he said that, Viktor lifted the edge of his robe. Inside the hidden pocket were three short staffs arranged neatly in a row.

"Do you use all three of them?"

"I told you, I use them depending on the situation."

Viktor picked up one of the staffs.

"For magic like the spells I showed you yesterday, a staff is normally unnecessary."

He then indicated another one.

"But this staff has a mana amplification enchantment placed on it."

He pointed to another.

"This one has an enchantment that increases attack power."

Finally, he looked at the last one.

"And the third is simply a spare for emergencies."

So that was what these staffs were for.

Even if they were not needed in everyday situations, they could become useful during battles.

"Will I need one someday too?"

"Yes, probably. Once you figure out what direction you want to develop your abilities in, you can get one that complements that path."

So that was what staffs were really like.

"But then, Rita is also a newly registered adventurer, right? Does that mean she is already far more experienced than me as a mage?"

"Hmm, that might be true. She has already decided what kind of mage she wants to become, so she can focus entirely on strengthening that specialty." Viktor continued. "Her elemental affinity is water. She can probably use a little wind magic as well. So her staff is enhanced for water magic. Though, considering her control seems to be a little lacking, that might also be part of the reason she uses one."

"Control?"

"Yes. Originally, a staff can be any kind of stick. For example, even that piece of wood lying there would become a staff if you insisted on calling it one. If we’re only talking about control, something like this is enough."

As he said that, Viktor picked up a fallen wooden stick from the ground. "The skill to accurately aim magic at the exact location you want, along with the ability to track movement and adjust your aim, are things you already possess, Nuoya."

Viktor looked at Qiu Nuoya.

"But if someone does not have those skills, they can use a staff to point toward the target, align their aim, and then release the spell."

He then aimed the wooden stick at a small stone nearby. "Water Ball."

A small sphere of water immediately shot toward the stone.

Qiu Nuoya was certain that the spell had been released from the tip of the wooden stick Viktor was holding.

So that was it.

A staff could also function as a targeting device.

"But even so, this stick is still just an ordinary piece of wood."

Viktor looked at the wooden stick in his hand.

"So if you pass a large amount of mana through it..."

Viktor said that and pointed the wooden stick toward the sky before casting Aero.

The Aero itself was released into the air, but the wooden stick could not withstand the magic flowing through it and shattered into pieces.

"Well, this is what happens. A wooden stick like this cannot withstand too much mana and breaks apart. That’s why when choosing a staff, you should carefully look for one that suits you. If you want a staff, Nuoya, you should visit different shops as many times as necessary and search for one that feels right for you."

Wow, staffs were much deeper than he thought!

They were not something he could just buy randomly and call it a day.

All right, from now on, he would need to learn how to properly identify good equipment.

Wait.

Now that he thought about it, Qiu Nuoya had the Appraisal skill.

Could it possibly be used not only to view his own status, but also to appraise items such as products in shops?

But how would he use it?

Appraisal.

Appraisal.

He repeated the word in his mind several times. Then suddenly, a faint screen appeared in front of him.

"Whoa!"

"Hm? What’s wrong?"

When Qiu Nuoya cried out in surprise, text appeared on the screen overlapping the two people standing in front of him.

[ Igor, Bear Beastman B Rank Adventurer 86 ♡ ]

[ Viktor, Elf A Rank Adventurer 132 ♡ ]

What?

What was this?

What was this supposed to be?!

It was creepy!

Qiu Nuoya looked around.

Above the heads of people walking through the street, similar windows were floating.

Not only that, they also appeared above the merchandise displayed in shops and even the small stones lying on the ground.