Flirting as they went, the two eventually arrived at a section lined with glass display cases.

Like a museum exhibit, glass cases were lined with evenly spaced wands. Charlotte peeked into the cases and let out a soft, admiring sigh.

"Wow... they're so pretty. Are these all magic wands?"

One made from wood, one carved from pale stone, some studded with sparkling gems… Even though they were all wands, their appearances were wildly diverse. Some even have the mark of a craftsman engraved on them, and Charlotte stared at them curiously.

Allen nodded calmly.

"Well, everything here is for beginners."

“There are other types, too?”

“Sure. Some have fire magic embedded in them, just wave it, and it’ll shoot out a fireball.”

It's a type of magic tool.

Although it has the drawback of being limited in the number of times it can be used, it's popular among adventurers because anyone can use it easily.

However, the wands here didn’t have any flashy, straightforward effects like that.

Allen points to his head with his index finger.

"To use magic, you need to concentrate and have a clear image in your head. These wands here help with that."

“So… holding one improves your concentration?”

"Well, to put it simply, that's about it. Once you get used to it, you can use magic without a wand, but it's essential at first."

In addition to aiding concentration, wands helped refine magic power, improve aim, and more.

Allen opened the glass case and gestured for Charlotte to come over.

"Well, rather than explaining, why don't you try holding one?"

“O-okay. But… these look expensive. Can I even afford one with my salary?”

"Well, it's for our first date. I'll pay for it."

“Muu… You always say that… My monthly salary’s just piling up, you know?”

Charlotte pouted slightly, but still timidly reached for a wand.

She chose a slender one made of metal with a blue crystal on top sparkling under the store’s lighting.

She held it in both hands, tilting her head slightly.

“Uhh...”

"Hmm."

Allen rubbed his chin and studied her standing there.

And then――he twirls his index finger.

"Sorry. Could you please spin around for a bit?"

"Y-Yes. I understand."

Charlotte nodded with a serious look on her face and spun around for him. The hem of her dress flutter up and her golden hair swayed.

“Does spinning help show whether the wand suits me?”

"No, not really."

“Fueh?”

Allen says nonchalantly.

Whether a wand suits a person or not can be determined just by holding it. He had her spin around for a much more important reason than that.

“I just thought it looked cute on you.”

“...A-and… how was it?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Allen placed a hand gently on her shoulder and said in all seriousness.

“Absolutely adorable.”

“Uuuuugh...”

With a pop, Charlotte’s face turned crimson.

She clutched the wand tightly to her chest, curling in on herself.

“Y-you’re always so smooth with your compliments, Allen-san… but flattery won’t get you anything, okay…?”

"What? You think I'm the kind of man who can say flattery?"

“Ugh, guh… I-I don’t think you should be saying that about yourself…”

Mumbling awkwardly, Charlotte shrank even redder.

But Allen kept press her.

“Hey, don’t hide your face. Let me see more of your cuteness. Charlotte, you watched me while I was sleeping right, now it’s my turn to look at you.”

“A-auu… This is revenge for earlier, isn’t it!? Don’t look please…!”

Charlotte finally turned her back on him.

Allen figured he’d teased her enough, and decided to stop before pushing her too far.

As he grinned smugly――.

"Well, let's talk about that later. I’ll show you how to use the wand… huh?”

“Kyah!”

At that moment, the lights throughout the store suddenly went out.

The whole area was taken over by silent darkness, and Charlotte let out a small shriek and went over to Allen.