I am sitting here with my back against a polished wooden chair, the damp, warm morning air permeating the room with its intense heat. My hands, calloused and rough from hours of wielding a sword, are wringing against each other in an unsettling rhythm.

I am not going to make it.

Yeah, I know, it's pessimistic. The problem is, it's true. There's no way that, with the current speed, I will even have the necessary muscle recovery to wield the sword for a reasonable length of time. Wait, not reasonable. What I'm trying to do is not exactly reasonable, if you catch my drift.

Anyway, I'm rambling.

My gaze flickers towards Flaminia, her form slipping into the folds of her new uniform. It fits her like a glove.

"So, what are we going to do?" Flaminia asks, turning to me with a questioning gaze.

“Well, you are part of the team now,” I smile. “It’s official.”

I get up, biting my lower lip.

"Magic food, or whatever we choose to call it. I've asked someone who knows a lot about it, and apparently, no one has really done this. Only [Witches] do something similar.”

Flaminia stares blankly at me as I continue.

“There are [Alchemists], sure. However, there are no cheap body-nourishing potions. No magical supplements, heh. There’s no better candidate to generate some super-speedy magical recovery than food, our body’s natural fuel."

"Joey… what?"

"Ok, Flam, listen," I say with a nervous edge to my voice, "Diamonds are made under pressure, ok? I'm on a harsh deadline. I've made a deal for my training, and I am facing some impossible odds."

I point at my arms and face, "This? This is meant for muscle growth.”

I pause, heaving a sigh that's ripe with exhaustion and a strange sense of satisfaction.

Pointing out the intricate patterns of the runes, the arcane symbols tattooed onto my skin; I let the truth spill out. "These have been inscribed by my teacher, and I need you to keep this secret locked away, alright?" My plea hangs heavy in the air, raw and pleading. "These runes," I continue, "are not merely decorations. They boost my training, making my muscles recover and grow faster, preparing me to face a death trial at the end of my training."

My gaze sweeps back to Flaminia, my heart hammering with urgency as I unload the weight of my thoughts. "Honestly, the duel with Appius—it's nothing compared to this. I could surrender to him, toss in the towel. But with this training, there's no such option. It's either victory or death. So, are you ready to listen?"

Her reaction to my outpouring of words is a string of blinks, her gaze wide and reflecting a deep-seated terror. Flaminia looks like a doe caught in the headlights of a speeding car, the reality of what she's been dragged into washing over her in tangible waves.

"I know," I acknowledge, a sour twist on my lips as I cringe at the magnitude of my predicament. "It's a huge, steaming pile of shit." Despite the harshness of my words, there's an undercurrent of wry humor, a way to lighten the dense cloud of apprehension. "But if I'm to have a fighting chance, I need the best [Baker] and [Chef] that Amorium can offer."

There comes the only silver lining I can offer her – the prospect of a stronger class, a small reward amidst this insane situation. "We're clear now, and I'll be resuming training soon. I need someone who can cook me magical meals that will speed up my recovery 24/7; sorry, 27/9. If my math checks out, without your assistance, I’m dead. Fully dead."

“You could even get a stronger class; who knows,” I cringe, trying to lighten up. But when I see that it’s not working, I refocus.

Air gets stuck in Flaminia's throat as her hands fly up to cover her face, her widened eyes mirroring the gravity of what’s been revealed. And then, with a rush of desperation, the plea tumbles out of my mouth. "Can you step up, Flam? Can you be a fucking friend and maybe, just maybe, save my fucking life?"

For a moment, she seems frozen in shock, staring at her hands before slapping her face twice, a gesture that's part disbelief and part acceptance. "I will do my best," comes her solemn promise, her deep breath resonating with the determination that infuses her voice.

"As a friend," I emphasize, my tone strained with the urgency that each passing moment brings. The conversation is already eating into my precious training time.

Her voice echoes mine, "As a friend, Joey," she asserts, the strain evident in her voice as well. The romantic undercurrent that seems to have crept into our conversation is hastily brushed aside.

A sense of relief floods through me, "Alright," I respond, reaching into my bag of holding and pulling out a piece of parchment. "This holds the recipe and a significant rune to accelerate my recovery. It's a simplified version of a tier 4 rune, so it'll take some time to master. However, since it's not truly enchanting, an approximation of it should suffice."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Her concern is visible, lines of worry etching themselves onto her forehead as she questions me. "Joey, why can't you do this? You've used enchanting at the bakery before, right?"

A sigh escapes me, resigned and weary, "That's true, Flam, but there's another deal that I made."

“But didn’t you make the kneader?” She meets my eyes with a look that's skeptical and resigned at the same time.

"I did, but… Yeah, I also made a lot of deals," I agree, "But my current agreement limits my magical abilities to Cantrips and spells learned through my class. If I attempted to etch this rune onto food, which, by the way, would consume too much of my precious training time, I'd be zapped to death."

Flaminia looks hesitant, but she steels herself.

"Yes. I want to help."

"Great. Great. Now, close your eyes."

Flaminia complies.

Yo, Magister Mulligan. Can you do the thing we agreed on?

Yes, young Luciani. I am already at work.

There's an almost perceptible shift in the air around us as the magister sets his plan into motion. The room is suddenly charged with unseen energy, and a soft, ethereal glow begins to envelop Flaminia. I watch as her mouth falls open, awe replacing the trepidation in her eyes.

"What is this?" she questions, her voice laced with wonder and a hint of apprehension.

I dismiss her concerns with a wave of my hand. "It's a simple magical routine, Flam, to teach you [Mana Sense]. Nothing to be afraid of. Here," I add, handing her the small, pulsating stones, their inner power barely contained. "You've been primed to learn the skill. Once you can perceive these Mana Stones with your eyes closed, you should gain the actual skill."

Flaminia is taken aback, her gaze flicking from the stones in her hand back to me. "Joey, this… a skill like this…" She hesitates, her eyes widening with realization. "Do [Archmages] even possess such a power?"

A secret smile twitches at the corners of my lips. Little does she know the full extent of it all. "Yeah, yeah. Just remember the ticking death clock," I remind her. The levity feels forced, but it's necessary. "Once you've got the hang of the skill, I've written down a series of instructions on that parchment. There's a lot you'll have to figure out on your own, because I need to get back to training. If I don’t—"

"You are going to die, yes," Flaminia interrupts me with a raised hand, scanning the paper I've put on the table and the rocks. "Ok. I'll do it."

"Great, now listen; if you need any help, just get it. Call Tiberius and Quintus if you need, even though I doubt they would be able to do much. Maybe Camilla? I don't know. You are the best [Baker] in town; you figure it out. I know it's a lot to ask, but—"

"Joey," Flaminia cuts me off again, "I don't want to see you die. It's not too much. I perfectly understand."

"Ok, that's good," I say, nervously scratching my head. "Call whomever you want and have them get the skill, too, if you need them to help you with the rune. I don't particularly care about who gets to learn that rune. I'll be the one paying for it, and it's more than enough if whoever learns it saves my life. Now, if you understand, this is the last time you are seeing me before the end of my training. By the way, this is the money for the ingredients. If you run out of it, ask Clodia."

Flaminia catches the bag of gold that I throw her and, peeking into it, her eyes go wide again.

"Rotten roots… What in the world am I supposed to be cooking? And how do I send it to you?"

"Just place it on my bed when it's ready," I instruct, grinning at her flabbergasted expression.

…

As I resume my punishing regime of squats, Magister Mulligan can't resist posing a question. His voice floats in my mind, a note of unease in his normally calm tone. "Young Luciani, are you sure about this? That is a powerful rune you've entrusted with her. I am not even sure I should have gifted it to you."

A grimace twists my face as I push through the pain, the burning in my muscles a constant reminder of the ticking clock. "I don't care," I grunt between breaths. "If she can't do this, I'm as good as dead."

Mulligan pauses before pressing on. "She's caused you trouble before. She went against you. Why entrust her with something so vital?"

The answer comes to me with a sense of certainty. I smile despite the pain coursing through me. "All that you just said," I manage between gasps, "is the exact reason she's the right one for it."

…

Joey said to focus on the sensation of Mana and that being primed for it would make it much easier, Flaminia thought.

Flaminia found herself perched on the precipice of a new world, the Mana Stones in her hand serving as a tangible tether. Joey's instructions played in a continuous loop in her mind, grounding her into this surreal experience.

Behind her closed eyelids, the usual inky blackness seemed to have been replaced by a denser fog speckled with shimmering flicks of light. They clustered around the Mana Stones, forming nebulous clouds that stood out against the opaque darkness. The more Flaminia concentrated, the more the clouds responded. They twisted and twirled, matching the rhythm of her thoughts. And when her attention wandered, they lost their form, dissolving back into the encompassing fog.

After a painstaking half an hour of intense concentration, Flaminia realized that the shifting shapes were not as unpredictable as they seemed. Instead, they were entirely at the mercy of her focus. Encouraged, she refined her attention, using the Mana Stones as her anchor. Slowly but surely, she urged the amorphous clouds to solidify into clear, definite shapes.

Her first attempt resulted in a blurry, yellow mass that vaguely resembled one of the Mana Stones. But as soon as her focus wavered to the next stone, the shape collapsed back into the mist. The intricate dance between concentration and manifestation continued, each cycle bringing her closer to her goal.

Two hours ticked by in the blink of an eye, each moment carrying the weight of an eternity. And then, just as exhaustion began to creep into the edges of her mind, there was a breakthrough. The nebulous mist suddenly took on distinct shapes, mirroring the Mana Stones. Although the stones' details remained elusive, their basic forms were clear enough to distinguish them from one another.

With a sigh of relief, Flaminia carefully set the stones aside and lowered herself onto the bed. She drew a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come. As she closed her eyes again, she felt the familiar pulsation of Mana against her skin, its rhythm lulling her into a serene state of anticipation.

[Apprentice Mage Class Acquired!]

[Apprentice Mage – Level 1!]

[Skill –Mana Sense Acquired!]