A Little Spar with Titus

'So sound is still necessary for spellcasting, for controlling mana. But the real key is the source of the mana itself. As long as I can find a neutral source of mana, one that isn't directly tied to any of the five Matriarchs, I should be able to cast spells without needing to chant their names at all.'

That brought him right back to the same problem as before. His lack of mana.

Still, this time he had gained a new insight, a genuinely good one, and a fresh spark of hope began to grow inside him.

'Shadows are technically just using someone else's mana. That means there has to be another way for me to do the same thing.'

He just needed to find that way, without ever having to accept a Shadow and Witch contract that would tie him to anyone else.