Chapter 008: Wand Theory (3)

Du Fan thought for a moment and said, “What if I specialize in Holy Light magic?”
“Holy Light magic?” Jimmy was slightly taken aback. After a pause, he replied, “If it’s Holy Light magic, then an attributeless crystal ball would be needed. But I don’t have one here. You might have to order one custom-made. After all, no one in our mage guild specializes in Holy Light magic.”
Du Fan nodded slightly, though he understood that the main functions of Holy Light magic were support and healing. In terms of offense, it was rather inadequate. The Holy See naturally practiced Holy Light magic for its own interests, but none of the guys in the mage guild had the patience or interest for it. After all, in actual combat, Holy Light magic couldn’t compete with spells from any other school!
Of course, Holy Light magic wasn’t completely useless. Against undead creatures, dark magic, or even demons, it could have unexpected effects.
Thinking of this, Du Fan couldn’t help but recall the magic book Anthony had given him. It contained all kinds of spells, even dark magic incantations for undead… Hmph. That old fox said anything could be used for the Light God… He gave this mixed-up collection to him—what was his intention? Could it be that the old fox realized he wasn’t specializing in Light-based combat energy or magic, so he did this?
With this thought, Du Fan felt inspired and asked, “What about a crystal ball for dark magic?”
Jimmy’s eyes flickered slightly, showing a hint of fear. He sized Du Fan up carefully before sighing and saying, “For dark magic… not many people specialize in it these days… Let me think. Ah, the store does seem to have a dark magic crystal ball. Its function is to help you easily detect where lingering spirits exist when practicing dark magic!”
Du Fan frowned.
He had said it jokingly, but he never expected such a thing to actually exist. Collecting lingering spirits and then creating undead creatures? Was that something a proper white-robed priest would do? It was truly blasphemous!

But Archbishop Anthony seemed to have said that any force could be used as long as it served the God of Light… Moreover, if one truly managed to create death creatures, there would be no need to send others to carry out tasks… Besides, who would think that a pious cleric would create death creatures? At this thought, Du Fan’s expression became strange. Seeming to notice Du Fan’s odd expression, Jimmy hurriedly said, “By the way, esteemed sir, if you want to buy this, I must remind you… You need to sign a contract with me; otherwise, I definitely won’t sell it to you.” “Oh?” Du Fan frowned. “What kind of contract?” Jimmy, seemingly aware that Du Fan truly didn’t know the rules of the Mage Guild, took a breath and explained, “Dark magic is legal within the Mage Guild. Using dark magic to gather lingering souls after death to create death creatures is also permitted… But if dark magic is used to commit massacres or to create death creatures using living beings, then it becomes necromancy… Sir Du Fan, you must know that both the Mage Guild and your Holy Church consider necromancers undeniable heretics… So, if you buy this from me, you must sign a contract, meaning that whatever you do with it in the future has nothing to do with me…” As he spoke, Jimmy sneaked glances at Du Fan. But Du Fan already had his own plans in mind. He practiced all kinds of magic, with wind magic as his main focus. Of course, he wasn’t opposed to learning other magics either. Since he had started learning magic late in life, it was only right to master as many as possible. Using dark magic to create a few death creatures wasn’t a big deal… As for lingering souls after death, maybe others didn’t know where to find them, but did he not? The dungeons beneath the cathedral, the trial chambers of the Inquisition, the cells of the Divine Prison—there were surely many such souls in those places. With just a word, that Archbishop Anthony would surely help him out. After all, it was he who gave him the magic books, telling him that any force was permissible for the sake of the God of Light. So even if Du Fan practiced dark magic, that old fox wouldn’t have anything to say…

Thinking about this, Du Fan nodded and said, “I get it. If we’re signing a contract, then let’s do it. But it shouldn’t be the case that just by buying a crystal ball, everything becomes known to everyone, right?”
“No, no, of course not,” Jimmy shook his head repeatedly. “In fact, once this contract is signed, as long as you don’t act recklessly, no one else has the right to see it. Unless you really do something wrong, even the president doesn’t have the authority to look at such things on his own.”
Magicians can be considered peculiar creatures, so it’s not surprising there are such rules. Hearing this, Du Fan felt a bit more at ease. He nodded and said, “Then I’ll buy your dark magic crystal ball.”
Jimmy immediately became happy. He placed the crystal ball on a cloth on the counter and said, “So, Lord Du Fan, would you like to see other items, or just buy this crystal ball?”
Du Fan hesitated for a moment, then glanced around at the other items and asked, “Do you also sell magic robes here?”
“Of course,” Jimmy replied quickly. “We naturally sell magic robes here. But since magic robes aren’t available ready-made, if you need one, I can customize it for you. As long as you choose the fabric, it won’t take long… But it seems you’re not a proper magician yet… This magic robe…”
What he meant was that it would be odd for a white-robed priest like Du Fan to wear a magic robe.
Du Fan understood this well. After thinking for a moment, he smiled slightly and said, “It doesn’t matter. Just make it for me… But I don’t want it to look like a magic robe. Just make it in the style of my priestly robe. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“Of course not… But I’m not sure what fabric you’d like to choose.”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it does,” Jimmy said, pointing to a blue fabric. “For example, this kind of fabric, after processing, has water-resistant properties. If you need to go to the southern regions, bringing a magic robe made of this fabric will keep you dry in the rain. As for this green one, it has wind magic enhancements and even some levitation effects. And then there’s this one…”
“Never mind,” Du Fan interrupted him, pointing to the red fabric on top. “What about this red one?”

Jimmy glanced at the cloth and said, “Oh, that one? The red fabric has fire-resistant properties. Wearing a robe made from it, you can’t swim in magma, but it’s fine to move in and out of fires… Besides, as we all know, fire magic is the most destructive type of magic. If you wear such a magic robe while casting fire spells, there’s even a power boost effect.”

Hearing this, Du Fan felt a stir in his heart. He remembered what that old fox Anthony had said—that he would soon be promoted to a cardinal priest. Although the robes of the Holy Church had certain protective properties, how could they compare to the practicality of such a magic robe? With that in mind, Du Fan pointed at the red cloth and said, “Use it to make a robe for me.”

Jimmy smiled and said, “Sure, Lord Du Fan. But this is the first time I’ve made a robe, so it might take a bit longer… If you don’t mind… I’ll get started right away.”

Du Fan nodded and said, “Go ahead.”

After that, the two negotiated a bit more. Clearly, Jimmy wasn’t as good at haggling as the fat magic apprentice Du Fan had met before, and his price wasn’t very high. Wanting to build a good relationship with him, Du Fan didn’t haggle much instead giving him two high-grade magic stones.

After agreeing on the price, Jimmy began crafting Du Fan’s robe. He pulled out his wand from behind, recited a spell, and a ruler appeared out of thin air. After measuring Du Fan’s body for a while, scissors and needles floated into the air as well, and they started cutting the red cloth. In less than a moment, a red robe was basically shaped—much faster than even the best tailors in the capital.

Du Fan couldn’t help but marvel at the advanced state of magic civilization in this world. If he hadn’t joined the Mage Guild today, he probably wouldn’t have had the chance to learn about these things.