Ray took a deep breath as he walked into what was called the ‘Armory’. The receptionist had been most helpful in pointing him this way.
“Oh, what do we have here?” the needling voice of the man Ray had met on the gate came. The same one that had spit on the scroll. Krr- something?
“Do you have a reason for being here, paid student?” the man said, spitting the last part out in disgust.
“I would like a wand, sir, if you could just point me in the right direction, I would be happy to take it.” Ray said.
“Oh? And why do you want a wand? Want to wave it around?” the man mocked.
“A…friend told me it might help since I was having trouble with control.” Ray answered.
“Oh? Did you try making a potion and explode it?” the man said, his voice suddenly joyful.
“No, I actually succeeded. I just felt that I could have done better.” Ray said, relishing the chance to prove the man wrong.
“Oh.” the man replied, visibly disappointed, “Well, I suppose not all paid students are completely worthless. Come on, I will show you where the wands are.”
The man led Ray down the golden painted corridor with what could only be a red velvet carpet to an old-looking wooden door.
“The artifact treasury, full of old artifacts the Dean collected during his travels. Artifacts that you couldn't possibly wield. Come on, your thing is this way.” the man turned to the left, leading them down a much simpler corridor to a locked wooden door. The door opened to a well lit room that held wands on both sides.
“The wands are only useful to those below Tier 9, they can’t conduct more mana than that. But there are some impressive specimens here.” the man said. Ray waited for him to suggest something, but soon it became clear that he wasn’t going to do so.
Ray decided to take things into his own hands and observe each wand himself.
The wands on the left all had more mana than the ones on the right, making Ry go towards them. The first was an oak wand that curved the entire length after the handle, making it rather weird to look at.
“The Waveria, it's usually used to enhance the duration of water spells, and is known to also increase their might.” the man said from behind Ray. So he was going to help Ray?
“Sir, could you please help me in choosing a suitable wand? And tell me your honorable name?” Ray asked. The man was clearly the person in charge of the armory, and knowledgeable to boot. The likelihood of him knowing what wand Ray needed was very high.
“Just call me the Armorer, few people can remember my name anyway. As for the wand…” the Armorer’s eyes seemed to glisten in the light as he walked towards a dark brown wand with some sort of cloth on the handle on the right side.
“The Redress. The wand was commissioned by an Archduke to help his son focus his power instead of letting it run wild. But the wand’s original grip was too slippery, and it fell out of the son’s hands in battle. The son was later executed for killing his entire regiment along with the army.” the Armorer said, handing Ray the wand.
Ray held it, but it felt wrong in his hands. The cloth was too soft, and the wand’s mana did not seem quite right.
“I am sorry, no, the wand is too…dark for my magic.” Ray said. The Armorer’s lips curled into a frown, but he kept the wand back in its place. “Well, you weren’t worthy of it anyway.”
“Ah, this might suit your queasiness more. The Treetise. The wand was commissioned by a Countess to use during the first invasion of the elves, it is excellent at targeting and breaking down living cells, but it can do so much more.” the Armorer said, a smile returning to his face as he gave the wand to Ray.
Ray just looked at the wand for a few seconds and gave it back. “Could you please give me something that helps with control, but isn’t built to kill things or has some other bloody history?”
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“No.” the Armorer seemed almost affronted by Ray’s suggestion, “A wand is a weapon! Not as famous as a sword or a spear, but it is a weapon! And weapons have bloody histories! And are made to kill things! Do you think you will be using it only for Alchemy? No, someday you’re going to have to use it in a fight, and you’ll thank me then.”
“But doesn’t the College give solely for use in Alchemy?” Ray asked, “And besides, I would like something that has combat capability, but doesn’t expressly target living cells.”
“Well, there’s a trick question. The College isn’t going to stop you using the wand if you have to use it. And besides, the wand will stay with you until you are either Tier 9 or have graduated, both of which would take years. The College sometimes even lets low level wands like this remain with talented graduates, as a reminder of their time here. “ the Armorer said as he moved towards another wand.
A silver-white one that had a gem on its tip. “The Elven Cutter. The choice weapon of an Elven soldier that killed a lot of humans. The wand sharpens and concentrates your magic, so you have your control thingy and some attack.”
“Sir, wouldn’t it be harder to alchemize if it's sharp?” Ray asked.
“Not too hard, I have seen people manage, the liquid nature of most elemented mana makes it harder to use it as a sharp sword.” the Armour replied.
“The thing is, my mana is glitter.” Ray conjured a little green glitter. The glitter turned into leaves within seconds of it appearing. “I need something that can control the glitter, so it doesn’t transform immediately.”
“Oh how interesting. And the Elven Cutter would be even better for you in combat! Just imagine plants growing inside a person!” the Armorer said, almost giddy, “But I also can’t give it to you. The wand can’t be used by you for Alchemy, and that is what it is supposed to be used for.”
The sigh that escaped his lips made Ray reconsider how bad the man was. Perhaps he just wanted the best for Ray…and thought it lay in giving him things that helped in combat. The statement made more sense now that he’d spelled it out.
“Perhaps I should just try to pick something up, and you can say if it's suitable?” Ray asked.
“Well, sure, that's the way it's supposed to go anyway.” the Armorer said.
Ray nodded as he looked for a wand with his perception. The wands on the right weren’t very useful, perhaps the ones on the left were less combat focused? Ray looked for a suitable wand, his eyes finally resting on a wand that wasn’t, for some reason, on a stand.
The wand was some kind of white wood, with a gem on the tip, quite like the Elven Cutter, but the wand also sparkled to his eyes. Perhaps it would be more suitable? Ray’s element was glitter, after all.
Ray picked up the wand and showed it to the Armorer. “Ah, one of the waste wands.”
“What do you mean waste wands?” Ray asked, wondering if it was broken.
“The armory has limited space to store things, so we regularly throw out some weapons that are on the weaker side. The Elvensong is a ceremonial Elf wand that they use in their festivals.”
“The wand doesn’t have much use except having the power to draw from different mana sources and sustain volatile mana for longer periods of time. A basic skill for most Alchemists. Though I suppose it would be of more use to you.”
“ Well, you can have it.” The Armorer said, handing the wand to Ray. “I was supposed to dispose of it in a couple of days anyway.”
“Why are you helping me? I thought you hated me when I first came in. And even today, you acted so vilely at the door, but helped me now.” Ray asked, putting his thoughts into words.
“The answer is simple, Mr Rosenmund, talent. At the gate, you were a talentless idiot who had used money to get into this prestigious institution. Now you are the student who made a potion on their second day without instruction and using a textbook guide. A simple potion, but we all have to start somewhere.”
“I expect you’ll find the teachers far more welcoming than you expected at this class change, I am sure you’ll find yourself in some classes at least. Though that might change with all the things that are happening.”
“What things?” Ray asked.
“Now that answer will cost you. But I am willing to tell you, for the small small cost of a favor.” The Armorer said.
Ray thought about his proposition for a moment, but decided against it. To owe a debt to a man that was clearly greedy? No, who knows what that debt would become.
“I am sorry, but I must refuse.” Ray said, moving to leave the armory.
Oh, I thought so.A thing to remember, Mr. Rosenmund, is that in the Empire, how you are treated is decided by how much you can contribute to the Empire. As long as you are talented and powerful, you will find that many doors open to you.”
“But if you fall…well then there is nothing to be done. Now go, play with your new wand. And remember, I might be a fair weather friend, but I am an excellent one.” The Armorer said as Ray left the Armory, his thoughts occupied by what the Armorer had said.
What had Ma said about the nobles? ‘A bunch of fair weather friends’, well it looked like she was right. But the things the armorer mentioned worried Ray, what was happening behind the scenes that bothe Luna and this Armorer had warned him about?
Ray could not help but think back to the fact that the System gave mana to anyone who worked, and who worked more than the commoners?