Chapter 54: Designing a Magic Staff
"Surely, it is for you?" Serie turned her head, a little confused. In her eyes, the fact that Rhodes had sought out a dwarven master smith and commissioned a holy sword meant that it had to be for himself. Although, the idea of a mage wielding a holy sword was a bit strange. But if it was Rhodes, she was sure he would surprise her with it in some way.
"Well... it is now."
Rhodes had originally just wanted to have a holy sword forged. After all, they had the materials and they weren't short on money. Carrying a holy sword would complete their 'Hero's Party' cosplay. He had never really intended to use it, at most just to complete the look. He was a mage, after all. A mage wielding a holy sword in close combat... that just seemed wrong. And he didn't have the monstrous stats of a true hero; he wouldn't be able to bring out the sword's full potential. But with Serie's request for the added feature, a new idea had sparked in his mind. Perhaps he really could make himself a 'Curry Stick'.
"The traditional method of improving your mana by constantly casting small spells is too inefficient," she explained. "So you can use this sword instead. By just pouring your mana into it, you can achieve the same effect."
The best way to increase your mana was to use it, to deplete it and stimulate your body's latent potential. And now, this sword had that very same effect. And in a pinch, the stored mana could also be used for some unexpected purpose.
Rhodes was touched that she had considered this for him. The child has grown up.
"In that case," he said, "how about I have a magic staff made for you?"
He had never seen Serie use a staff, but he remembered from the original story that mages needed one to cast magic, including Frieren herself. Could it be that the magic staff hadn't been invented yet in this era?
"What is that?" Serie's words confirmed his suspicion.
"A long staff with a mana crystal at the tip. It helps mages cast spells and maintain a balance between different kinds of magic."
"I have no need for such a thing." Serie felt it would be useless to her, but she was still curious. "But you can have one made and show it to me."
Rhodes didn't press the matter. If she didn't want it, he or Eirik could use it. "Alright. I'll talk to the old dwarf tomorrow."
Making a magic staff shouldn't be too difficult, or at least, a simple one shouldn't be. As long as he didn't ask for some ridiculously overpowered, 'arrogant water dragon king' level staff, it should be possible.
The next morning, Rhodes went to the old dwarf's workshop early. The old dwarf, whose name was Dural, was directing his apprentices in the construction of a special magic furnace for Rhodes's holy sword. The furnaces in his workshop weren't hot enough to melt the Eternal Ore; he needed a special one. If Rhodes hadn't been paying so well, Dural would have never gone to such lengths.
Seeing him, Dural came over. "Mr. Rhodes, are you here to activate the mana crystal?"
"No, I have another commission for you." Rhodes took out a piece of rough paper, a design for a magic staff he had drawn last night. It was crude, but the design was clear enough.
"This is..." The old dwarf took the sketch and squinted at it. "A strange construction. A mana crystal at the tip, and magic runes carved on the shaft? Is this thing called a magic staff?"
"Yes. Can you make it?"
"I can, but what's it for? Is it for storing mana?"
"I don't need that function for now." One weapon that could shoot energy beams was enough. Rhodes wanted this staff to be simple. He pointed to the drawing. "The shaft should be made of a light but sturdy material. Light enough for a little girl to lift." A magic staff was for casting spells, so it had to be light. He didn't want it to be so heavy that it looked like a bludgeon.
"In that case, it won't take long. But I'll still need you to activate the mana crystal."
The mana crystal they had was of a high purity and large enough that they could spare a small piece for a magic staff. Dural was quick, and the request wasn't very difficult. In just one day, he had the staff made. All that was left was to set the mana crystal at the tip.
"Mr. Rhodes, are you ready?"
"Yes."
Rhodes handed him the already-activated crystal. It was glowing with a faint blue light, though Dural had said that was only temporary; the glow would fade soon. It would only reappear when it was infused with mana.
"By the way, what do you do if you need to make a magical item but there's no mage around?"
"We have other methods," Dural said, carefully setting the crystal as he spoke. He pointed to a strange device nearby that looked like a large oven. "That's our dwarven mana-resonance device. We can use special minerals to generate mana, and with the right runes, it can also be used to activate a crystal."
"Then why do you need mages?" Rhodes was confused. If they had that thing, why had he just spent the better part of a day activating the crystal himself? Wasn't that redundant?
Dural laughed awkwardly. "That thing only works for ordinary magical items. The activation process is too slow, and the mana isn't very pure."
Hearing his many explanations, Rhodes had a feeling the old dwarf was still hiding something. "Is there another reason?" he asked tentatively. "Like... it's too expensive?"
"Of course not!" Dural protested, but under Rhodes's increasingly 'friendly' gaze, he finally admitted in a small voice, "W-well, yes, that is also a factor."
"So you can make it all on your own?" Rhodes said thoughtfully.
"That's right, but..." he lowered his voice, "a crystal activated by a mage is several times more effective."
It was only after a more detailed explanation from Dural that Rhodes finally understood. The mana crystal they had was of such high purity that if the dwarves were to try to activate it with their own methods, the cost in minerals would be astronomical. And the mana wouldn't be as pure, which would mean the finished holy sword wouldn't be able to hold as much. Considering all these factors, Dural had decided to have Rhodes activate the crystal himself. It was definitely not about cutting costs.
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