“This stroke should be carved a little shallower. The magic will flow more slowly when it reaches this corner,” An said casually.

Sophia didn’t answer, but her carving did slow slightly.

Time passed little by little. Only after the sun’s afterglow was swallowed by the distant Kelong Mountains did Sophia slowly raise her head.

The holy Hazelnut wood in her hands was now covered in densely packed symbols. Faintly, they seemed to be connecting with something around them.

“An?”

“Hmm?”

“Give me one of your dragon scales.”

Sophia looked at An coolly. Her tone was so calm, it was as if she were asking to borrow a small piece of cheese instead of a dragon scale.

A trace of humanlike embarrassment flashed through An’s dragon eyes. In the end, he sighed and pulled off one of his scales, handing it to Sophia.

Sophia took the scale neatly. She cut an opening in the top of the holy Hazelnut wood, then fitted the dragon scale inside.

A fiery-red light flashed.

A ring of red magical radiance rippled across the holy Hazelnut wood. Sparks of magic danced around it like embers.

“It’s a shame your dragon scales aren’t water-aligned. Otherwise, this staff might suit me even better.”

Sophia sighed as she gripped the staff in her hand.

The staff was tall, reaching more than half a head above the girl. Yet she held it without the slightest effort.

“Having one is already good enough. Don’t complain about this and that. By the way, how do you know how to make a staff?” An asked.

“I saw it in some ancient books at the royal library,” Sophia replied. “During the wars between the races, some of our predecessors could carve magic arrays onto any branch they happened to pick up.”

“Uh… So this is your first time making a staff!?”

An’s voice held a hint of disbelief.

Sophia had clearly understood what An meant. Her mood lifted at once.

“Hmph. Of course it is. I’m a genius of House Hermethor.”

An wasn’t sure whether he had heard the girl’s pride, but he immediately mocked her:

“Heh… You may have misunderstood me. I meant that this staff you made is hideous beyond precedent. The only acceptable part is that it uses my scale.”

“…”

Sophia shot the proud, arrogant fire dragon a glance and said nothing more.

…

Sophia rose early the next morning. After waking An and eating breakfast, she decided to head for the western district of Nexar City, where she had arranged to meet Bill.

“This bread is truly awful. It’s foul and hard, almost as bad as my feces.”

An had been complaining about the tavern’s breakfast for half the morning. He cursed the tavern owner the entire way.

Sophia was already used to An’s foul mouth. His words simply went in one ear and out the other.

By the time Sophia reached the western city gate, several warbands had already gathered there. At least five different banners stood high in the air.

Sophia recalled Bill’s description of the lion banner. At last, she found the group at the very front of one formation.

Bill had clearly already told his warband about Sophia. The moment they saw her distinctive outfit, they knew this was the level-seven mage who had arrived.

As Sophia walked toward the warband, a broad-shouldered man stepped out from within it. He also strode quickly toward her.

“Esteemed archmage, the Lion Warband welcomes your arrival. I’m the warband leader, Raging Lion Lane.”

As he spoke, Raging Lion extended a large hand covered in calluses.

Sophia carefully examined the tall man before her. From the scars covering his body to the plain greatsword on his back, it was clear that this warband leader was a powerful swordsman.