The following morning, I woke up earlier than usual.
The theory I had found in the ancient mage's book continued to occupy my thoughts. Even after dinner, my conversations with the girls, and a good night's sleep, I still found myself reflecting on those pages.
It was rare to come across something that truly surprised me when it came to magic.
Since arriving in this world, I had encountered countless mages, libraries, grimoires, and experts. I had learned many things throughout my journey.
Even so, that book felt different.
After having breakfast with the girls, I returned to the reading room.
The book remained exactly where I had left it.
I sat down and opened the page I had been studying the previous day.
The author continued explaining the same theory.
According to him, long incantations were not the source of magic.
They were merely a method of mental organization.
A mage's mind used words to structure their intent and guide mana.
The more accustomed someone became to a particular spell, the less dependent they would be on lengthy phrases.
That made sense.
When I first started using a sword in this world, I had to think about every movement.
Now my body reacted naturally.
Perhaps magic worked the same way.
The more experience a mage had, the fewer steps were necessary.
I continued reading.
The ancient mage described numerous tests conducted over several decades.
He explained that he had started by reducing small portions of incantations.
First, he removed unnecessary words.
Then he eliminated entire phrases.
Finally, he realized that many spells continued to function even when only the primary word was spoken.
I partially closed the book.
"If this really works..."
The possibility was astonishing.
In combat, saving even a few seconds could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
I resumed reading.
The author presented simple examples.
A traditional fire spell normally required a relatively long phrase.
However, after extensive training, it was enough to pronounce only the word associated with the element.
The intent would complete the rest.
I stared at that page for several seconds.
Then I stood up.
It was time to find out whether it worked in practice.
I left the mansion and walked to an open area in the gardens.
The sky was clear.
A gentle breeze swayed the surrounding trees.
The place was perfect for testing.
I looked at an empty area several meters ahead.
I took a deep breath.
First, I decided to use the traditional method.
I raised my hand.
I gathered mana.
I recited the fire incantation I knew.
A few seconds later, a blazing sphere appeared before me.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
The spell worked perfectly.
Next, I dispelled the magic.
Now came the important part.
I remembered the book's instructions.
According to the author, the secret wasn't simply reducing words.
It was necessary to keep the mental image of the spell perfectly clear.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
I visualized the fire.
I visualized the mana gathering.
I visualized the sphere taking shape.
When I felt that the image was firmly fixed in my mind, I raised my hand once more.
"Fire."
The word came out naturally.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then the mana responded.
A sphere of fire appeared before me.
My eyes widened.
It was slightly smaller than the previous one.
But it was there.
Working.
I stared at the spell for several seconds.
Then I smiled.
"So it was true."
The book had not been exaggerating.
The method really worked.
My interest grew even more.
I began repeating the test.
This time with greater concentration.
"Fire."
The sphere appeared once again.
More stable.
Faster.
Then again.
And again.
With each attempt, the process became more natural.
It was like learning a new sword technique.
At first, it felt strange.
But little by little, the body adapted.
As I carried out the tests, I heard footsteps approaching.
I looked back.
Elara was walking through the garden.
"I knew I'd find you here."
I smiled.
"Good morning."
She looked at the marks left by the spells.
"So you've already started your experiments."
"Yes."
"Did it work?"
I raised my hand.
"Watch."
I gathered mana.
I maintained the mental image of the fire.
"Fire."
The sphere appeared instantly.
Elara blinked in surprise.
"It really worked."
"I was surprised too."
She stepped closer to the spell.
"It's a little smaller."
"For now."
"I see."
I dispelled the spell.
"The more I practice, the better it should become."
Elara nodded.
"That makes sense."
We continued talking while I repeated the tests.
A little later, Liriel also appeared.
The goddess watched several attempts before commenting.
"Your control is improving quickly."
"You think so?"
"Yes."
She crossed her arms.
"The theory in this book has merit."
That was an excellent sign.
If even Liriel approved of the method, then it truly had value.
I continued practicing for most of the morning.
After fire, I moved on to wind magic.
The results were similar.
At first, there were small mistakes.
But before long, I was able to reproduce the spells without much difficulty.
The process was faster.
More efficient.
Less exhausting.
It was impossible to ignore the advantages.
During lunch, I continued thinking about it.
The girls noticed immediately.
Scarlett laughed.
"It looks like you found yourself a new toy."
"That's not it."
"Of course it isn't."
She smiled.
"You're just completely obsessed with that book."
Rai'kanna agreed.
"For the first time, I've seen someone so excited about reading."
"That's because neither of you likes studying."
"We do."
"That's a lie."
The two exchanged glances.
Then they started laughing.
The atmosphere became lighthearted.
It was nice to have moments like that.
For a long time, our routine had been dominated by wars and battles.
Now we could enjoy peaceful days.
After lunch, I returned to my studies.
This time, I tried to better understand the logic presented by the author.
He explained that shortening incantations wasn't just a matter of speed.
It also improved the flow of mana.
Fewer steps meant less waste.
The simpler the process, the more efficient it became.
That explained the results I had been obtaining.
Even while using fewer words, the mana consumption seemed lower.
It was an extremely useful discovery.
I spent hours analyzing examples.
Some were simple.
Others required more attention.
But they all followed the same principle.
By the end of the afternoon, I had already managed to reproduce several basic spells using shortened versions.
I still needed a great deal of practice.
But the progress was obvious.
I slowly closed the book.
I looked at the sky through the window.
The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon.
A feeling of satisfaction rose within me.
I had learned something truly valuable.
Something that could make a difference in the future.
A short while later, I heard voices coming from the hallway.
The girls were gathered together talking.
I smiled.
The more I thought about that book, the more certain I became of one thing.
I shouldn't keep that knowledge to myself.
If those theories truly worked, all of them could benefit from them.
Elara.
Liriel.
Lyannis.
Even the others who occasionally used magic.
All of them could learn something useful.
I stood up from the chair.
Carefully closed the book.
Then I made a decision.
The following day, I would show them everything I had discovered.
That knowledge was far too valuable to remain in the hands of just one person.