"You mentioned danger is just one aspect. Are there other reasons?" I handed the task card back to Eunice and asked.

"Rosalynd might not be safe alone at home," Eunice explained. "Also, you’ll need to wait and see if anyone delivers the magic materials from the commission."

I frowned slightly. "If someone actually gathers all the materials and brings them... what would we even pay them with?"

"First, ask Miss Violet for help. I’ll repay her when I return. Newly posted commissions rarely get claimed that quickly anyway." Eunice seemed to have a plan.

Back at Violet’s house in the crisp morning breeze, Eunice borrowed a horse and left immediately. She wanted Rosalynd awake as soon as possible.

I closed my room door, drew the curtains tight, and stood frozen in place, lost in thought.

Only when Rosalynd woke could we enter the Imperial Library. But even there... would we truly find a way to swap our bodies back?

And if we didn’t...?

Eunice’s words echoed: *Chase even the faintest hope.*

*Don’t overthink it. One step at a time.*

I shook my head, clearing the chaos, then sat at the desk to meditate.

Growing stronger mattered most. Power was the surest solution.

During meditation, I’d cut ties with external elements. My Magic Cube was already stable; my mana abundant. No need to absorb more.

What mattered was strengthening my mind—fast. Only then could I cast mightier spells.

...Meditation felt too slow for that.

I broke my trance, ready for a harder method: relentless element arrangement practice.

Arranging elements drained both mana and mental stamina. Many Magic Apprentices boosted those through meditation, only to stall at the Formal Mage threshold because their arrangement speed lagged.

Some chose to practice arrangement first—draining themselves completely—then replenished via meditation.

But this had flaws. For apprentices, mana depleted too fast. After a few attempts, they’d need to meditate again. Only those who recovered mana quickly benefited.

Like those using Magic Crystals. These rare ores naturally stored pre-formed mana, constantly drawing elements to replenish themselves.

Most people didn’t recognize their value. You’d never find them sold openly. Even mages hoarded them for battlefield emergencies.

Using them for daily practice? A luxury.

Worse—in some regions, Magic Crystals were bait. Churches or the Divine Right Kingdoms dangled them to lure out hidden mages. Many saw crystals sold as ordinary gems but dared not buy.

Avaria, though, quietly opposed the Church. It didn’t hunt mages. As long as you hid your identity and didn’t abuse power, Avaria turned a blind eye. Less trouble, better peace.

Of course, if exposed, Avaria’s army would still make a show of pursuit—to calm civilians and avoid openly provoking the Church.

The Church forbade sheltering mages. Any violation gave them grounds to invade Avaria.

So Avarian mages lived easier than those in the Nine Divine Right Kingdoms. Magic Crystals were slightly more accessible here.

Still, for an apprentice? Nearly impossible to obtain.

That’s why most relied on meditation. But for me—mana regenerated absurdly fast. I’d never run dry.

My worry was mental stamina. If I avoided pushing into Formal Mage-level runes, the drain should be manageable.

I abandoned meditation and began practicing non-Formal magic arrangements.

I knew four such spells. Radiance Spell was one. For training, I chose the most complex formula: Scorching Flame.

It conjured intensely hot fire to burn foes—but flew slowly, with a five-meter range limit. Its real use? Lighting campfires... if you missed your target.

Still, it was my only offensive option among the four.

*Can’t expect much from pure element arrangement,* I told myself. *Save the powerful spells for when I become a Formal Mage.*

Within moments, a crimson flame ignited in midair before me. Mana shielding protected me from stray burns.

Seconds later, it vanished—Scorching Flame only sustained on flammable surfaces.

I was growing used to my magical talent. Such swift arrangement felt almost ordinary now.

*Maybe I really am a magic genius...* I’d never believed it before. But after eliminating every other possibility? The impossible became inevitable.

*Perhaps it’s heaven’s compensation for my utter lack of other talents.*

I began the next arrangement.

Mana guided surrounding elements—chaos bending to order. Following precise formulas, they coalesced into magic.

Practice truly accelerated my casting.

Watching the floating flame blossom, a number flashed in my mind: *under two seconds.*

The most complex non-Formal spell. Cast by a Magic Apprentice of mere days. Silent. No incantation. Pure arrangement.

Faster than my first attempt.

Casting felt effortless. Natural. Like drawing a straight line on paper—was that hard?

Most apprentices needed five seconds for Scorching Flame. Even with endless drills, four seconds was their limit.

That was the apprentice bottleneck. Only Formal Mages, using the Mind Clarity spell with incantations, broke the two-second barrier.

Yet I’d just shattered it—as an apprentice. Silent casting. No aids.

*This would terrify people if they knew.*

I sensed I could go faster. With more practice... how far could I push?

Could I reach... instant casting?