After a night had passed, Matthew rubbed his slightly aching temples, his expression showing clear fatigue. He had spent the entire night practicing Aemon's Basic Meditation Method.
Constructing runic models within the mindscape consumed a tremendous amount of mental energy. Now that he had begun cultivating the meditation method, he could clearly perceive his mindscape—and at this moment, it was completely drained.
Floating within the dried-up mindscape were four runic models.
That was the result of an entire night's effort.
By his estimation, the natural recovery of his mental energy in a day would only be enough to construct one runic model.
At that rate, it would take eight days to complete the thirty-two runic models required for the Lightning Bolt spell.
By the standards of this world, he was currently equivalent to a First-Rank Wizard Apprentice.
Matthew reached into his Extension Charm pocket and took out a Calming Draught and a Mental Restoration Potion, drinking them in quick succession.
A sharp, warming sensation spread through his mouth and throat. After a few breaths, the recovery speed of his mindscape increased significantly.
Matthew's expression brightened.
Potions had a substantial effect on restoring the mindscape!
He needed to test this further.
He took out two more potions and drank the Calming Draught first. After waiting a moment, there was no noticeable change.
Then he drank the Mental Restoration Potion.
Within a few breaths, the recovery speed of his mindscape increased again.
"So it's the Mental Restoration Potion."
Matthew confirmed that it was this potion affecting the recovery rate of his mindscape.
And—
Its effects could stack.
"Let me see your limits."
This time, Matthew took out five vials of Mental Restoration Potion. He wanted to find the upper limit of its effect.
The improvement was obvious.
One potion increased recovery speed by about twenty percent. After drinking three more, the recovery rate had doubled.
Beyond that, however, there was no further effect.
"Five doses total, including the earlier ones—that's the limit."
Matthew felt both delighted and pained.
Each vial cost nearly two Galleons.
"I wonder if Professor Snape has a stronger version…"
For a moment, Matthew found himself missing Snape.
After that, he tested every potion in his possession that had fatigue-relieving or refreshing effects.
In the end, he discovered another useful one:
The Mandrake Restorative Draught.
It could directly restore fifty percent of the mindscape's mental energy—but repeated use within a single day caused side effects. Moreover, each vial cost around ten Galleons.
He hadn't yet determined the duration of the Mental Restoration Potion's effect.
After some calculations, Matthew reached a conclusion:
If he maintained the effect of the Mental Restoration Potion continuously, and drank one Mandrake Restorative Draught per day, he could construct ten runic models daily.
That meant—
He could complete all thirty-two runic models required for Lightning Bolt in about three days.
Spending money to train really was fast.
Just then, a knock came from the door.
"Big Brother Matthew, lunch is ready."
Only then did Matthew realize it was already midday, and hunger hit him all at once.
"Alright, I'll be down in a moment."
He packed away the empty potion bottles, leaving no trace behind.
As he went downstairs, he saw Tina carrying out a pot of stew from the kitchen. The rich aroma of meat made him unconsciously quicken his pace.
...
After lunch, Matthew asked Chris:
"Do you know about Bluewater Flowers?"
Bluewater Flowers were a supplementary ingredient required for Aemon's Meditation Method. Applying their extract during meditation could accelerate the development of the mindscape, allowing it to hold more runic models.
Once 128 runic models were constructed within the mindscape, one could advance to a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice.
By Matthew's estimation, if he continued spending resources at this rate, he could reach that level in about thirteen days.
Chris nodded.
"They're pretty common. There are some in the river behind the street. But they usually grow underwater—and right now, the surface of the river is frozen."
Matthew was slightly surprised.
The supplementary ingredient for such an important meditation method was actually just a common plant in this world.
After bidding Chris farewell, Matthew headed toward the river. Since the surface was frozen, he would have to dig them out himself.
---
The weather outside was clear, the landscape blanketed in snow. There were still quite a few pedestrians on the streets.
Before long, Matthew reached the frozen river.
It stretched about ten meters across, with a stone bridge not far to the right.
His right hand moved slightly, and his wand slid into his palm from his sleeve.
With a flick—
A Blasting Curse detonated on the ice, revealing the flowing water beneath.
At that moment, a young man and woman happened to be crossing the stone bridge nearby.
The blonde woman walked with her head lowered, complaining:
"It must have been a wizard again. Not a single clue left behind."
Beside her, the red-haired man with a ponytail strolled casually, hands in his pockets.
"They'll slip up eventually," he said lazily. "Sometimes, the absence of clues is a clue in itself, Anna."
Anna turned her head, about to reply,
—when she noticed a wizard casting magic by the river behind him.
She frowned slightly, hesitating for a moment before saying,
"Captain Watson, take a look. That wizard back there looks unfamiliar."
Watson turned and glanced toward Matthew.
After a moment of thought, he said:
"You're right. We've been in White Stone Town for a while—we've seen most of the wizards here.
"This one just appeared out of nowhere. Suspicious."
With a subtle glance to his partner, he began walking toward the river.
---
By the river, Matthew extended his magical perception into the water, sensing the conditions beneath the surface.
This was a method he had developed himself—infusing magic into a liquid medium to expand his perception.
After a while, he found no obvious danger.
Just as he was about to enter the water—
He noticed two people approaching.
"Wizards…"
Matthew frowned slightly. He could sense magical fluctuations from both of them.
This was his first time encountering wizards from this world.
He turned to face them, quietly on guard.
When the two approached, a faint yellow glow flickered in their eyes—
They were using a Detection Spell.
Assessment complete:
First-Rank Wizard Apprentice.
The red-haired man with the ponytail spoke first.
"Sir, we are court wizards. We'd like to ask you a few questions."
Matthew nodded, signaling for him to continue.
"You just arrived in White Stone Town, didn't you?" he added. "We haven't seen you here before."
Matthew answered calmly,
"I arrived last night."
The red-haired man exchanged a glance with his partner before continuing:
"Did you see the night watchman last night?"
Matthew nodded. "I saw one. There was another who stayed inside the tower."
The man continued:
"The night watchman has gone missing. We'd like you to come to the security office and assist with the investigation."
Matthew's expression cooled.
"This has nothing to do with me."
He recalled the watchman in the hooded cap. Just last night, Chris had been chatting with him—mentioning they'd have a drink together at the tavern after his shift.
Anna, however, had already grown impatient.
She didn't believe this line of questioning would yield anything. The timing was too coincidental—this man had appeared right after the watchman disappeared.
And he was only a First-Rank Wizard Apprentice.
Better to subdue him first and extract the truth afterward.
Anna raised her right hand.
The enchanted ring on her index finger flashed green—
A vine shot forward, racing straight toward Matthew.
=====================
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