Chapter 13 — Every Wand Is Just a Stick(1)
Day 5 – fire ball training.
The morning breeze swept across the dojo back yard, carrying with it the faint scent of scorched wood.
Five days of trial and error.
Five days of burns, smoke, and stubborn effort.
Rowan stood at the center of the training back yard, sleeves rolled up, sweat clinging to his brow. His gaze was locked onto the wooden target ahead—charred, cracked, and barely holding together after repeated abuse.
Under the shade of a large pillar, Vice Master Eldric Vayne lounged cross-legged like a noble on vacation, sipping from his cup with lazy satisfaction.
"Well?" Eldric drawled. "Let's see what you've got today, dolt. Impress me. Or at least try not to set yourself on fire."
Rowan inhaled slowly.
Mana stirred around him—present, steady, no longer slipping through his fingers like before.
A spark flickered.
It grew.
With a low grunt, a compact fireball formed in his palm.
Rowan hurled it forward.
Thud.
The fireball struck the wooden board, leaving behind a solid scorch mark. Rowan didn't stop—another fireball followed,
slamming into a nearby dummy and setting its surface glowing with embers.
Then another.
And another.
When the last flame faded, Rowan threw his arms into the air.
"Finally!"
He turned toward Eldric, eyes bright, chest rising with excitement—waiting.
The Vice Master rubbed his chin theatrically, squinting at the targets like a scholar pondering ancient scripture.
"Well…" he said slowly. "I'd say you're… decent."
Rowan frowned. "You don't sound sincere."
Eldric smirked." Students here usually take two days to perfect the Fireball spell. You took five."
He claps slowly.
"But hey, progress is progress. Congratulations, Firebug."
The Rowan scratches his head. "I'm still new to this. I'm trying as much as I can."
Eldric stands, dusting his robe off.
"Trying, huh? Alright then, time for your next lesson."
He reaches behind his waist and pulls out his wand — a smooth, polished rod carved with faint shining wood and a small gemstone embedded at the tip.
He holds it up dramatically.
"Tell me, what is this?"
Rowan squints. "…A stick?"
Eldric blinks. "…It's a wand, stupid."
"That's literally a stick," Rowan argues, half-serious, half-annoyed. "Are you messing with me again?"
Eldric sighs, rubbing his temple. "Okay, fine. It is a stick. But it's a magical stick — we call it a wand."
Rowan crosses his arms. "So what does it even do?"
Without answering, Eldric flicks his wrist. A fireball bursts from the wand, shooting toward the target with speed and precision, slamming dead-center and leaving a smoking mark.
"See the difference?" Eldric asks, smug grin spreading across his face.
Rowan tilts his head. "…What difference? It was just a fireball, like always."
Eldric leans forward. "Ah, no, no, not the fireball itself — the magic."
"It looked the same to me," Rowan shrugs. "Only, you cast it faster this time."
Hearing that Eldric freezes, then slowly
points at him. "What did you just say?"
"That you casted it faster this time."
"Bingo!"
Eldric snaps his fingers triumphantly.
"Exactly! That's what wands do — they help channel mana more smoothly. Faster, more controlled casting."
He looks at Rowan's face — who is, as usual, utterly lost.
"…Okay, simpler terms," Eldric groans. "It makes doing magic easier, got it?"
"Ohhhh." Rowan nods. "Why didn't you say that earlier?"
Hearing that Eldric squints his eyes. "I just did."
"No, I mean five days ago! If you told me about the wand then, I would've learned fireball in two days!"
Eldric stares at him blankly, speechless. Then with a deadpan expression, he mutters,"…I didn't think of that."
Rowan glares. "You didn't think— you— you're supposed to be a teacher!"
Eldric waves his hand dismissively. "Don't give me that look. It's just a stick, after all."
Rowan raises a brow. "So what's it made from, huh? Wood from some magical tree?"
"Exactly!" Eldric says proudly. "From the Banjang Tree. Very rare. Also, two monster cores are implanted inside — TigerSnake and Ashira."
Rowan blinks. "Wait, that makes three. Tiger, Snake, and that last thing you said."
"No, no, TigerSnake is a hybrid monster, you dolt!" The Vice Master rubs his forehead.
"By the gods, teaching you is exhausting."
"But why would you shove monster cores into a stick?"
"It refines the magic," Eldric explains with mock patience. "Makes mana flow smoother, spells cleaner, all that."
Rowan cuts him off mid-sentence. "Yeah, yeah, makes magic easier, I got it."
Eldric freezes again — then bursts into laughter. "You're learning! Spending time with me is working, see?"
Rowan folds his arms, unimpressed. "So what's next?"
Before Eldric can answer, a loud shout echoes across the dojo courtyard.
"Vice Master! Vice Master! The Master of the dojo has returned!"
Eldric stiffens instantly, his face dropping. "…Crap."
He turns to the Rowan, trying to play it cool. "Well, uh, looks like my vacation's over."
Rowan frowns. "Wait, what about my next lesson?"
"Can't teach you anymore, sorry. Bye! And thanks for the drinks!"
With that Eldric starts running towards the dojo building.
"Hey, wait!" Rowan jogs after him. "At least tell me what to do next!"
Eldric just waves over his shoulder. "It's simple! Get your own wand!"
Rowan yells, "How am I supposed to get that?!"
Eldric's voice echoes as he walks off, "Every wand is just a stick! Go find your own!"
He pauses for a brief second and glances back one last time, his grin faint but genuine.
"Oh — and don't forget what I taught you. Keep practicing. You've got the spark, kid."
Rowan nods slightly, watching as Eldric disappears through the dojo gates.
Then, almost as an afterthought, Rowan shouts, "Hey! What about that recommendation letter you promised!?"
Eldric calls back, already halfway gone, "Next month's competition! Whoever wins gets the letter!"
And just like that, the backyard falls quiet.
Rowan stands alone, staring at the smoldering target and the faint trail of smoke rising from it.
He sighs.
"…Guess it's time to find my own stick."
---
After sometime
Rowan walks through the marketplace, a vegetable stall where Rowan picks up some greens vegetables, a few potatoes, and a loaf of bread, paying the old vendor as he carry the bag of vegetables on his shoulder and walks.
"wow I really was able to buy so much."
He thinks,' it's all thanks to the woods I chopped at the dojo.'
Rowan remembered that at the second day of his fireball training at the dojo when his fire magic was not working out his cut a tree of the dojo yard. Eldric after seeing the fallen tree shouted at him
"what mess are you making clean it up."
After that Rowan chopped the tree and stored it in a bag as he then went to the Harthwood Timber & Supply.
'I still remember. I don't know why but Garron was so surprised seeing the woods.'
Rowan remembered when he had placed the woods of the tree from the dojo. On Garron's table.
Garron had his mouth wide open. As he touched the wood running his finger through it's texture like it's some kind of jewelry.
"where did you find these woods."
Rowan replied,"ahh from that mage dojo."
Garron then asked,"did they allowed you to take it?"
"yeah the vice master of that place told me to clean it up so I brought it here."
A smirk forms on Garron's face hearing that. he then took 3 medium size pouch out of his table drawer. And put it on the table.
"Here... Fair price."
Rowan opened the pouchs and saw so many silver coins in it that he couldn't even count.
Garron said with a serious expression,
"if anyone asks you where you sold it don't tell them about this place."
Rowan saw Garron holding one wood like it's something precious.
Back to present.
Rowan is still walking," i knew that those were high quality woods but this much from just one tree wow."
Rowan is heading to the carriage stop.
He hands a few coins to the carriage man.
"Take me to the Greywood forest outskirts."
The carriage rattles down the stone path, the city slowly giving way to the quiet wilderness. Rowan gazes out at the trees rushing past, the hum of wheels mixing with his thoughts.
'I wonder how Ma and papa are doing...'
Halfway through the ride, he taps the carriage man's shoulder.
"You can stop here. I only needed to go this far."
The carriage halts. He steps down, slinging the food bag over his shoulder.
"Thanks."
The man nods and drives off, leaving him alone in the whispering woods.
---
A while later, Rowan stops before a small hut at the forest's edge. Smoke curls lazily from the chimney. He knocks gently.
The door creaks open, and his mother's warm, worn face lights up.
"Ah! You're here!"
"Hey, Ma," he smiles, handing her the bag of food. " I Brought some vegetables."
His father sits by the fire inside, sharpening his old axe. He looks up, a slow, proud smile forming beneath his rough beard.
"You've been working hard again, huh?"
Rowan remembers when he told his parents about how he is learning magic in a dojo and is going to become a mage. His parents were silent for a long time but after a long silence they allowed it.
Rowan sits beside him. "Yeah. Things are going well. I'm... learning. Slowly, but I'll get there. I'll definitely make it into the academy one day."
His father chuckles. "Don't push yourself too hard, son. The world doesn't change in a night."
"I know," Rowan says softly, glancing at the man who once taught him how to swing an axe.
Dinner passes with laughter and comfort — simple food, simple warmth. Later, his parents sleep peacefully, but Rowan lies outside, staring up at the silver stars scattered across the night sky.
'Get your own wand.'
'Every wand is just a stick.'
Eldric's words echo in his head.
He sighs, looking at the dark night sky, shimmering with stars.
"…How do I even get my own stick... I mean, wand?"
---
Chapter ends