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The three girls followed the massive man who jumped them right at the entrance of the shop, and followed him in, despite their thoughts stating otherwise.
"Okay, blondie! What are you looking for?" Mae was very uncomfortable being called blondie, but she couldn't bring herself to say no to that man.
"Any form of clothing, you know," Mae said, blushing for a bit as the man led the way through a tiny passage, which then opened into a wide room.
They had made their way to the clothing section, and despite the shop's humble outside, the insides were pretty grand, akin to some upscale shops that Mae saw back at the capital where she lived.
"Wow... This place certainly doesn't fit the picture of a place called The City With No Name" Mae said, as she gawked around the place.
Her eyes started evaluating all the dresses around her, and the options to choose from were practically endless.
"Choose, blondie!" Zorro uttered, his words echoing in the room, and her eyes gravitated towards a particular dress.
It was red. A beautiful red dress, with black suspension belts and a black border. It just captivated her.
"I want this." She pointed to the dress, with a resolute face.
"That's a wonderful choice lady! Want to try it on?" He said and grabbed the dress in an instant, with a speed that visibly spooked the three.
"O-okay, sure..." Mae hesitantly took the dress from his hand.
After a bit in the changing room, she loved the fit of that dress. it accentuated her curves while hugging her comfortably, and she was satisfied.
"Now onwards to a weapon of your choice! What do you want, blondie?" Zorro asked, his eyes still sparkling like a child as they walked back to the weapons section.
"Get whatever you want Mae, a weapon is an extension of yourself, so choose carefully," She said as she checked out all the different staffs lying around in the room.
"Whoa, these things are super neat! Each one of these has various buffs and debuffs!" Esther exclaimed.
"I know right!? This one here is a doozy! A poison staff! A solid couple of hits, and with a skin-penetrating poison, it should be game over!" Zorro joined in with her childlike excitement as they continued talking about staffs
Esther's eyes widened with excitement and she quickly made her way back to Mae. "Get a staff, a staff is the best," she whispered to Mae with enthusiasm.
"Oi, weren't you the one who just said pick whatever you want?" Leona grumbled.
"I told her to pick whatever she wanted, but a staff is the best, hands down," Esther said, crossing her hands across like a kid making a statement.
Leona stepped forward and selected a rather basic-looking staff from the collection. She held it out to Mae, urging, "Hey! Use this item! It will help."
Mae accepted the staff, a sense of curiosity filling her as she studied the patterns on it, which revealed themselves as she turned them to see light in the right way. "What is this?" she asked.
Leona smiled, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mystery. "This is an enchanted item," she began, "and I think you should know that people have magic power flowing through them at all times, even subconsciously. Have you ever used magic before?"
Mae shook her head, feeling a mix of apprehension and intrigue. Leona continued, "Well, grab this staff and come out fast. Let's test if you can use it."
Leona led Mae to a spacious area, demonstrating how to hold and wield the staff. "You see," Leona explained, "I can pump magic power through this staff, and when enough magic is infused into it, your innate technique will manifest."
"Technique?" Mae inquired, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Leona nodded, her red hair glinting in the soft glow of the underground chamber. "Everyone has the same magic, but we're all born with unique techniques. This staff acts as an amplifier, allowing you to manifest and discover your inner self. You can call it whatever you like, and it's entirely your own to use."
Leona illustrated her point by revealing her own technique. She held her hand out and concentrated and suddenly, balls of fire resembling pumpkins appeared around her, floating in the air.
With a snap of her fingers, they exploded with a fiery display. "I call it 'Fire Pumpkin'," Leona explained, grinning.
Esther, still intrigued but uncertain, picked up a long staff that resembled a gun. "If your technique doesn't manifest when we check, you can use this gun as a backup." Esther waved it around her head, for Mae to see
They ventured outside to begin the test. Mae held the staff in her hands, a mix of excitement and nervousness swirling within her.
"So, how exactly do you channel Magic?" Mae asked, tugging on Leona's sleeve.
"Allow me to show you," Leona muttered and brought her hands together first.
"Bring your hands together, Mae," Leona said and gestured her to follow with a nod.
"Okay... Like this?" Mae brought her hands together and cupped them.
"Now rub your hands together, Mae," Leona said and started to rub her hands together at a uniform pace.
"Why do we need to do this?" Mae asked, a bit confused.
"Just follow my instructions, and you will find out." She said a sense of wonder in her voice.
"Feel the heat, Mae?" Leona asked, her hands still rubbing together. Mae nodded, a growing warmth between her palms.
Leona smiled and answered, "That heat you feel is a part of your magic power. Magic is all about harnessing your inner energy."
She paused, allowing the anticipation to build. "Now, keep the rolling motion, but slowly bring your hands apart, just a fraction of an inch."
Mae followed Leona's guidance, and as she did, she couldn't believe what she was experiencing.
It was as if a small, weightless ball was rolling around in her hands. Her eyes widened in amazement, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "What is this?"
Leona's smile widened, and she reached for the staff. As she held it, the intricate lines etched into the wood began to glow with a soft, ethereal light. "That, Mae, is a bit of mana mixed in with the heat from your hands. It's the very essence of magic."
With a gentle nod, Leona encouraged Mae, "Now, channel this energy you feel right now, and push it into the staff." Mae could sense the energy vibrating within her hands, and she directed it to the staff.
At first, nothing happened, but then the staff responded. The lines on its surface began to pulse with a matching glow, mirroring the energy Mae was transferring.
She could feel the connection forming, and an exhilarating thrill coursed through her as she realized she was starting to master the art of channeling magic.
Leona looked on, proud of Mae's progress. "You're doing great, Mae. Just keep practicing, and over time, you'll get the hang of it. Magic is a journey of self-discovery and constant learning."
it began to emit a faint red aura. The energy hummed, but nothing extraordinary occurred.
"Oooh, a red aura. Pretty standard, continue pouring more magic into it, and let's see," As she bent closer to take a better look.
Leona frowned slightly and examined Mae's aura. "It's odd, there was no technique that manifested," she mused, "But don't worry; we're out of time for more attempts right now. Just take the staff with you, and come along with us."
"If that doesn't work..." Esther said and pulled out something resembling a rifle.
"Use this," Esther said and threw the rifle towards Mae, who proceeded to catch it.
"How much is all of this, sir?" Esther asked, pulling out her purse.
"Where the hell did you hide that thing, Esther?" Mae asked, confused about how the purse just seemingly materialized out of thin air.
"Shhh, that's a secret," She said, placing her lips on her hands.
"Alright, Mae looks pretty, and is loaded with some starter gear too, let's go! We don't have much time left!" Leona exclaimed, as they quickly made their way to the gathering point.