That night, in their lodgings in the rear courtyard of the hall.
As their host, Leon had just returned from treating everyone to dinner.
After bidding farewell to the other guests and keeping Roland behind alone, he beckoned with a smile. He had the trusted attendant who stayed at his side fetch an item, then personally presented it to Roland.
"On behalf of the Corlens Family, I would like to offer you this welcoming gift, Mr. Roland. Please accept it."
It was a Mage Staff fashioned like a gentleman's walking stick, roughly ninety centimeters long, with a handle about 2.5 centimeters in diameter that curved into a "?" shape. Its tip was fitted with a casing of gold and mithril layered together.
It seemed to have been made from a special oak. Warm and smooth to the touch, like yellow jade, it gave the impression that one could feel the vital energy within simply by holding it. It was certainly no ordinary object.
Roland's eyes lit up, and he said with a hint of admiration, "What a fine Mage Staff. This is..."
Leon explained proudly, "This is a Command Staff with seventy-five charges. It can cast the level 1 spell Level 1 Monster Summoning for one charge per use, the level 2 spell Level 2 Monster Summoning for two charges per use, the level 3 spell Level 3 Monster Summoning for three charges per use, and the level 4 spell Charm Monster, which recharges itself once a day."
In a high-magic civilization, widespread access to low- and mid-level spells was nothing unusual. This item, fashioned as a walking stick and called a Command Staff, should originally have counted as ordinary equipment.
Even so, as a primary weapon among magical equipment, a Mage Staff would be worth at least ten thousand