One Hundred Years As An Extra

I restrained myself, regained my composure and accepted the communication.

“I greet the Crown Prince of the Empire,” I said while trying to tame my tangled hair from laughing too much on the sofa. Julius waved away the formalities with a friendly smile. It would charm anybody. But to me, it was a smile from a man who narcissistically knew how handsome he was and didn’t fail to announce it to the world.

[Did something good happen?] He looked at my face because I was still smiling. If it was to tease Kaichen, he would join in come, come hell or high water. I thought about how to tell him the story of what had transpired.

“I made a wand with Teacher.”

[Hmm? A wand? You didn’t make it… together, by any chance, did you?] I had thought Julius would laugh but he only frowned.

“Yes, we made it together.”

[What?! You… who suggested it? Of course, you! He would never…]

“Yes, I suggested it. Teacher told me his wand was broken. He also said that it was time for me to make one. So, I asked him if we could do it together. Is it forbidden?” I asked.

I was beginning to think I had done something big without knowing. Kaichen was reluctant when I had suggested it. I hadn’t thought much of it because Kaichen was always so uptight. But seeing Julius being this serious, it was beginning to worry me.

[There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s not forbidden. But… It is a serious matter. Not everyone does it. Did you suggest it knowing what you were asking of him? Do you know what it means?]

“Does it have to have a meaning?” I asked. Julius’ reflection in the air was distorted. I couldn’t make out whether he was frowning or smiling. He sighed and looked at me in sympathy.

[You are really clueless, aren’t you? If I don’t tell you, you probably would never know what it means to ask a magician to make a wand together. I assume you know how very precious a magic wand is for the magician?]

“Of course. It is almost a lifetime commitment. You can’t modify or change the shape of your wand and you have to stick by it whether you like it or not. Making it is as hard as trying to pick a star from the sky.”

Julius nodded at my answer. [Correct. A lifetime commitment, as you said. It is something you stand by for the rest of your life. A magic wand in that sense would be like a close companion.]

“A companion?”

[Yeah. That is how precious it is. A wand is made from a magician’s mana so it is a part of himself. Having it or losing it could make a difference of life and death to the magician.]

“Ah. I guess making a wand together requires utmost trust in each other.”

[It’s more than that. Offering to make a magic wand together with another magician is a proposal asking them to be with you for the rest of your life.]

“What?!” My mouth dropped open in shock. I thought I had heard him wrong so I looked at Julius, imploring him to say more. He just smiled like he was having fun watching his younger sister get herself in trouble because of her stupidity. That smile annoyed me.

“P-proposal? I must have misheard you. Did you say a proposal?”

[I did. You heard me correctly. A proposal is what it is.]

I was too shocked to respond.

[I invited you to Heulin so that you could socialize here with others. I never expected you to propose to Kaichen. You, Countess, are a bundle of surprises. So, what was the result? Did you create a wand successfully?]

“I… uh… only the teacher got to make his wand and then he stormed off in anger,” I stammered. What the hell did I do? That was why he kept asking me if I knew what it meant!

[Making a wand together means mixing each other’s mana. Kaichen must have controlled the flow of mana since you are inexperienced in that field. So, the person who remained would have to channel their thoughts in the hope of shaping the wand.] Julius laughed. [By the look on your face, you must have thought of something ridiculous.]