The performance of a magic staff is determined by the material of its body and the ore at the core of the staff.

　For example, the staff of the female sage Arte, one of the senior members of the Knights of St. Sophia, is based on willow wood and has a large diamond embedded in the top of the staff.

　Both willow and diamond are unwieldy materials, but if a sorcerer can master them, they are highly effective, especially in the use of offensive black magic.

　In fact, Arte has gained a reputation as a genius in offensive magic by skillfully controlling that staff.

　The one I chose for Princess Filia, with Perse's help, was Sakura's staff.
　The core of the wand was made of white silver.

　Both are high quality materials that are easy for the surgeon to get used to and suitable for beginners.

　Filia hugged the reddish colored wand with care.

　After we bought the wand, we came back to the mansion.

　We were in a study on the first floor of the mansion, which we had turned into a room for training in magic.

　It was still past noon, and I thought I'd immediately start teaching Filia magic today.

'How do you like it, your first personal wand?'

　I smiled and asked Filia.

'Yeah!　It's nice. But.....

Do you have any complaints?

I have a wand that Solon has prepared for me. I'm not complaining. But I wish I could have used a magic sword like Solon.

　Saying that, Filia glanced at the treasure sword tetracord hanging on my waist.

　Even if I didn't have a staff to begin with, I could still use faint magic, and even more, there are things that can take the place of a staff.
　One of them is a special sword called a magic sword or holy sword.

　But I shook my head.

''Essentially, it's evil to use magic swords to do magic. It is only a substitute for a staff.''

　The magic sword uses the sword's hilt and sword blade as a staff for the use of magic.

　The core of the Treasure Sword Tetracord is made of blue lead, making it a pseudo staff.
　In addition, it has quite excellent performance as a pure sword, and at the same time, the sword itself is imbued with a special spell power that creates magic.

　Thanks to that, I'm able to take advantage of fighting many demons on my own.
　I can also release reasonably strong magic without chanting.

　However, in terms of training in magic, the magic sword is harder to use than an ordinary staff. You can't improve your magical skills if you rely on the magic power of the sword itself.

''A magic sword is a tool for battle. When I was taught magic by Lucy-sensei, I also used a normal staff.

　When I used the magic sword, my master, Lucy, made a reluctant face.

　Lucy was wont to say, "It's evil to use a magic sword, so follow what I say and focus on studying magic.

　But I'm not a genius like Lucy-sensei.

　I wasn't talented enough to be active enough to use magic normally.
　That's why I chose to become a mage swordsman.

　Filia spoke to me in a bouncy voice.

''Then, if I become a magic swordsman like Solon and then become an adventurer, that means I can use a magic sword, right?''

'That's true, but...'

　Filia says she wants to be a magic swordsman like me, but I don't think that's necessarily the right thing to do.
　But I don't think that's necessarily the right thing to do.

　I think there are more suitable paths for Filia to take.

　For example, a white mage like Saint Sophia, who is strong in church-style recovery magic.

　Or a black mage who specializes in offensive magic, such as the sage Arte.

　Filia seems to have high magical qualities, and I don't think she needs to be a halfway house like a magic swordsman.

　But that's up to Filia to decide.

　Of course, I'll give her advice on the direction she should take in the future, too.

　But for now, we need to prioritize teaching Filia some basic magic.
　I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do, but I'm going to tell you what to do.

'So now Solon is going to teach me some magic?

Yes.

It feels like you're finally becoming a master and apprentice!

　Filia's face lit up with a happy smile.
　I couldn't help but feel happy when she looked at me like that.

　Filia and I looked at each other and chuckled.
　Now, let's get on with the training.

''Let's start with some simple levitation magic, shall we? Try holding up your wand.

Yes.

　Filia grasped the cherry tree wand with her right hand and held it forward.
　The posture was fine with that.

　All that was left to do was to say "levitate" as it was, and very slightly, Filia should be able to float up from the floor.

　But Filia chanted "levitate," but nothing happened.
　Filia nodded her head.

'Maybe I'm not getting my magic through the wand properly.

What do I do?

I can help you with that. Can I give you a hand?

Okay.

　Filia smiled and held out her right hand, still holding her wand.
　I put my hand over that white hand.

'It's kind of ticklish, isn't it?'

'I'm sorry. Please be patient with me.

No. Isn't this what I want to do all the time?

　Filia said in a beautiful voice, and her cheeks flushed a little.
　I felt the coolness of Filia's small hands and felt a little embarrassed.

　Come to think of it, when I was learning difficult magic, I also had Lucy-sensei put her hand on top of mine like this, and we used magic together.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of it.

'Please chant with me at the same time.

Yeah. It's all yours.

　Filia called out and I did the same.

"'Float!'

　Softly, me and Filia floated up.
　Success.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the same magic work for the next time without any problems once you successfully pass the magic through your wand.

Then, please continue to slowly reduce the output of your magic........

　Suddenly, with a thud, we fell to the floor.
　Filia had stopped the magic too quickly.
　It wasn't much of a height, and I was able to regain my posture with no problem, but Filia was different.

　I hurriedly stopped Filia in my arms.

''Are you okay, Filia-sama?''

Uh-huh. I'm sorry, Solon.

　After doing so, Filia's face turned bright red.
　Filia was now in a frontal hug with me, and our faces were almost so close to each other that our lips touched.
　I hurriedly pulled away from Filia.

'I beg your pardon,'

You could have just kissed me like that, you know?

You shouldn't make that joke.

You've already kissed the back of my hand and my cheeks, so now it's on to my lips, right?

　Filia looked me up and down.

　I kissed the back of Filia's hand during the duel with Gillan, the second-in-command of the Imperial Guard.
　I had done it as a ritual of victory for Filia, as it was a duel for her.

　The kiss on the cheek is when Filia teased me and I played "father and daughter" with her.

　It was embarrassing for both of us, but, well, it was no more than a sign of affection.

　But a kiss on the lips is not something you can do with a ritual or a joke.
　It's not something you would do in a master and student relationship.

'Well, now let's use another magic to acclimate the wand.

Oh, don't change the subject.

No, that's not what I'm talking about...

You're not going to get an answer, are you?

　Filia stared straight at me, and I was confused.
　How should I answer her?

　But I didn't have to worry about it right away.
　It was because Clarice opened the door to her room and walked in.

　Clarice, dressed in a maid's uniform, looked somewhat flustered, and as soon as she entered the room, she was taken off her feet and fell down with a thud.

''Ugh, it hurts...''

Hey, you okay?　Mr. Clarice?

'Hmm. I feel like I could be cured if Mr. Solon gave me a hug...

You're looking good.

　I overheard Clarice's joke and reached out to her.
　Clarice looked a little disappointed, then smiled and took my hand.

'What's up with you in such a hurry?'

We've got a visitor!

Customer?　In this mansion?

Yes. And I'm sure he's a very important customer.

　Clarice announced the name of her visitor.

　The guest's name is Notaras the Summoner.

　He is one of the thirteen officers of the Knights of St. Sophia and a former companion of mine.