Instant casting represented spell releases with no delay and sustained attacks without pause. Controlled skillfully, it was easy to toy with an opponent as if manipulating a chess piece.
As of now, the concept of instant casting seemed far closer to me than I had originally imagined.
Unable to contain my excitement and my growing eagerness, I took a deep breath and began practicing the elemental arrangements of Scorching Flame repeatedly. Bit by bit, I shortened the casting time, compressing the process to its limits. By the time my Magic Cube’s magical energy was drained completely, forcing me to stop my training, I had managed to reduce the casting time for Scorching Flame to within just one second.
How incredible...
It felt like I had reached my limit. Closing my eyes, I calmed my spirit and entered a state of meditation, gradually absorbing the ambient magical elements into my Magic Cube.
Once I mastered advanced magic and learned supplementary spells like Clarity of Thought, perhaps my casting time would become even faster.
The prospect of achieving instant casting didn’t seem so distant anymore.
I pondered this as I came to from my reverie. By then, the Magic Cube was filled to capacity with elements, ready to be converted into magical energy.
That... was ridiculously fast. A snide thought flitted across my mind; it felt as though my Magic Cube replenished faster than other Magic Apprentices could manage with Magic Crystals.
In the grey void where my spirit roamed, a dark Magic Cube rotated smoothly and steadily. Its metaphysical position corresponded to the region near my heart, yet remained unattainable in the physical realm.
According to recorded knowledge, the Magic Cube wasn’t tied to the physical body. Instead, it was a second heart for mages, fused with their souls but devoid of any physical manifestation. Yes—the Magic Cube belonged to the spirit, tethered to the essence of one’s being.
That was why Mages were usually frail physically, unlike Knights who possessed strength beyond ordinary humans.
It hit me then. Once Eunice and I switched back bodies, my Magic Cube would return to me, bound to my soul—back to its corresponding void, where it always belonged.
Such a power that couldn’t be lost—how could I not yearn for it?
As magical energy continued to flow through me, I couldn’t help but think of Eunice.
Despite our swapped forms, she wielded her tremendous strength with ease. How exactly did she manage that?
That thought had puzzled me for days. Only during my latest session of absorbing magical elements through the Magic Cube did I finally catch a glimpse of the truth.
What if Eunice wasn’t merely someone gifted with strength—what if she was a Mage herself?
That hypothesis could explain the origin of her power.
Even if we exchanged bodies back, she would still remain a Mage capable of using the Magic Cube’s abilities.
But...
No, that still didn’t seem right.
I shook my head, dismissing my theory.
If Eunice truly were a Mage, while it might explain where her power came from, additional questions began to surface. In all of her confrontations—whether against Archibald or the dragon Phyllis—all her attacks pointed more toward the fighting style of a Knight or Swordsman, relying on close combat rather than magic.
Mages engaging in melee combat often risked their lives; their innate frailty made long-range magical bombardments the safer choice.
When I first encountered Eunice at the Levitating Tower, she had been dragging a corpse in her grasp—then casually flung it several meters away.
Could a Mage, with a body as fragile as an ordinary human’s, have truly managed such a feat?
The transformative process within my Magic Cube was complete; every element converted to pure magical energy, leaving no room for excess.
I returned to the physical world but refrained from diving back into my magical practice. Instead, I found myself lost in contemplation.
If her power didn’t derive from the Magic Cube, then how did Eunice regain her strength?
As far as I knew, the body that she now inhabited had originally been mine—an ordinary human vessel devoid of exceptional attributes.
Well, aside from one thing. I had woken up one day, inexplicably thrown into the Levitating Tower... and then drawn the Demonic Sword Talcaros.
Drawn the sword?!
A jolt ran through me as I reflexively stood from my chair, only to painfully slam my knee into the table’s edge. Gritting through the sharp pain, I clumsily sat back down, cradling my stinging leg.
Even as my knee throbbed, my realization consumed all my thoughts.
That body of mine... had drawn the Demonic Sword.
Only the first to draw the blade could claim mastery over it, gaining immense strength and ascending as the ruler of the magic-infused realm.
Eunice herself had divulged this fact—her words could not have been mistaken.
In a flashback of Eunice’s memories, I witnessed how she had impaled me, allowing the Demonic Sword Talcaros to dissolve into dark mist before burrowing into the wound left behind.
Could it be... that Eunice had gained her strength because she drew the lost Demonic Sword?
The sword must have imbued my otherwise ordinary body with Radiant Tier power.
And yet, it seemed as though she hadn’t even tapped fully into its potential; she hadn’t visibly wielded the sword itself.
At long last, I felt I had unraveled the mystery. Eunice’s control over the Demonic Sword allowed her to harness powers sufficient to contend against foes like Archibald and Phyllis—even while using my weak human frame.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I gently massaged my reddened knee. Despite the lingering sting, my heart felt light and content.
Even with the coveted Demonic Sword in her possession, Eunice had remained steadfast in her determination to switch back to her old body. It seemed she genuinely had no intention of fleeing with my body and the sword in tow.
She had stuck to her word, just like she promised.
The last burden in my heart was lifted.
To think—this eccentric girl, in spite of her quirks, had proven herself reliable and steadfast in her promises. She was, without a doubt, a good person.
And then there’s me—the one who had taken the sword in the first place. I might actually be the villain here.
Before I knew it, a smile tugged at my lips. My trust seemed warranted after all. Even though Eunice had killed me once, there was something undeniably likable about her.
Oh, no... the more I thought about it, the higher my admiration for Eunice climbed.
What if I ended up falling for her?
No way. Absolutely not. It’d be ridiculous if I really had Stockholm Syndrome, wouldn’t it?
Impossible. Totally impossible!
Shaking my head frantically, I dispelled the dangerous thought lingering in my mind.
I told myself that my type was more gentle and sweet; Eunice didn’t fit the description by any stretch.
And for her part, Eunice probably couldn’t have any feelings toward me—the one who’d taken the sword—either. Right...?
Even if there was the tiniest chance...?
Ugh, no! What am I even hoping for?
I slapped both hands against my cheeks to snap myself out of it.
Time to get back to practicing magic. Eunice... liking her or anything close was definitely a misunderstanding. Once we swapped back bodies, we’d go our separate ways for good.
“Miss Myra, are you inside?”
Violet?
I quickly stood, ignoring the ache in my knee, and opened the door to be greeted by Violet’s flaxen-hued hair cascading down her back.
Waving to me, she greeted, “Good morning, Miss Myra! What were you doing in here by yourself?”
“Uh, just thinking about some things...” My face flushed slightly. At this point, what was I even supposed to call my state—a teenage boy’s awkward phase or a maiden’s budding emotions?
“I saw Aranthien riding out earlier. Did something happen?” Violet asked curiously as she stepped into the room.
“Hm...” I hesitated before deciding there was nothing worth hiding, so I admitted, “He... My brother is actually a freelance mercenary. He received a commission and went off to find the task’s location.”
“A freelance mercenary?” Violet frowned, skeptical. “But he hardly looks strong enough to fight off magical beasts. Are you sure he’s up to the task?”
Smiling gently, I reassured her, “Don’t worry, I trust him. He’ll get the job done.”
“Tsk. What’s so great about someone so cold and aloof? Let’s not bother talking about him. Forget him, Myra—come on, let’s go out together!” Violet said with a pout, wrapping her arms around mine and steering me toward the door.
“Eh?”
Before I could process her suggestion, I found myself out in the hallway with her, looking out through a floor-to-ceiling window onto the lawn below. The chill of morning light had faded as sunlight cascaded over the grass in a warm golden haze.
Sighing with exasperation, I accepted my next reality.
Great. Guess I won’t be practicing magic for a little while yet...
