While I’m on the fence regarding the old adage that claims absence makes the heart grow fonder, I can state with confidence that there are few things better at drawing two people closer than a shared secret.

The reason Artemis’s bond with me had grown so dark so soon was because there was a secret that only the two of us knew, that we couldn't share. Not even with Phobos, Deimos, or Ceres… The Imperial technique of Regiis.

It had been quite the challenge guiding Phobos and the entire research division towards a solution to Phobos’ mother’s problem without them tracing it back to me. All the while, making it look like they had chanced upon it on their own.

In the end, utterly frustrated by the situation and tired of watching Phobos suffering from increasing bouts of anxiety and sleepless nights, I had tried consulting Artemis. My oaths stated that I couldn't reveal the technique to those not already in the know. If I even so much as thought about telling Phobos, my jaws would seize up and the words wouldn't make it past my lips. But, when it came to Artemis, I could speak freely. After all, she already knew the partial contents of the technique.

I was pretty sure that the Demigods knew about this loophole. And as they hadn’t said anything about it, I took it as them tacitly agreeing to me sharing my troubles with my new wife.

Artemis was a great help. Her very first words after listening to me explain my dilemma were, “If you can’t share the technique itself, why not create one of your own with it as a reference?”

That opened up a whole new avenue of possibilities that I had been neglecting due to my preconceived notions about the technique being the only thing that could save mother-in-law. When I thought about it more deeply from a fresh perspective, I began to see the logic in her words.

A technique could only be perfected through repeated use. The more people who used the technique and the more frequently they used it, the more issues they would come across. And as these issues were resolved, the technique would take steady steps towards perfection.

This was why any well-established clan’s secret techniques were so effective. They were the culmination of the unceasing effort of generation after generation of mages.

In sharp contrast, the secret technique of Regiis had only been passed down to a single individual each time in a line that stretched back to Empress Maeve, the Lightbringer. And each subsequent Empress was oath bound not to spread the technique. Thus, it had received very little research and development since its conception.

There was no need to cling tightly to the technique. Rather, using the principles inherent in it, I could work together with Phobos and the magical research division to create something completely new. That way, I would no longer be restricted by my oaths.

Brainstorming with Artemis, between her experience with the technique and my enhanced soul senses, we had quickly settled upon a few likely solutions. I also came up with some tentative plans to covertly suggest our conjectures to Phobos, and through her, to the research division.

The payoff had been something far beyond our wildest imaginations. A technique that could allow one mage to replenish the mana of another as long as both had the same affinity. While that didn't sound like a big deal, it really was.

Due to the differences in personal mana frequencies, as of now, one couldn't just help someone else restore their mana, even if they both had the same affinity. Only Tamers, due to their innate ability to alter their mana signatures, and one's spouse could achieve the same.

There were three components that had made the technique possible. First and foremost, Phobos’ clone technique. Second, her unique method of mastering the Aspect of Darkness. And finally, some inspiration from the imperial technique.

Observational studies of marriages where both partners had the same elemental affinity had also provided a great point of reference. Someone at the Academy had gotten it into their head to study the phenomenon of same element marriages due to their rarity and the data had unexpectedly come in handy.

Up till the current moment, Phobos was the only one who could use the technique. She would create a clone, use her Aspect of Darkness based on the concept of ‘abandonment of self’ to alter the characteristic frequency of her mana to a neutral standard, then deliver it directly into the mindscape of the mage she was working with. There, it would blast apart and, due to its neutral nature, the mana would easily be absorbed by the other mage.

It was an invention that threatened to revolutionize all aspects of society, from the way widows were treated to how war was waged. Even the very way one approached the practice of magic.

Tier 3 mages with their Domains had a huge advantage over anyone below their level. Thus, the current practice was to race to Tier 3 as soon as possible before immersing oneself in the study of one’s Aspects. But, if the technique could be simplified and become more accessible, then the current system of having the lower Tier mages focus solely on mana accumulation would become obsolete.

Some of the mages could focus on mana accumulation while the others who were confident in their comprehension capabilities could opt to study their Aspects instead. The mages with larger mana capacities could supply the mana required for the mages with higher Aspect comprehension to cast spells. That way, by splitting up the work between two groups of mages and then bringing them back together, one could have the best of both worlds – more efficient spell casting as well as stronger spells.

It would also change the landscape of marriage. As of now, the mages always tried to marry someone with a different bloodline so that they could gain access to another elemental affinity through their bond. For example, wind mages were the most sought after brides for fire mages while a water mage would be their last choice. It was quite rare for two mages of the same element to tie the knot. But, if the technique became mainstream, the number of same-affinity marriages would definitely rise.

And widows, the main impetus behind the creation of the technique, would be the principal beneficiaries if it was successfully created.

Vita's Divine will lingered mostly within a mage's mindscape, intermingled with their mana. It was only when they were under physical attack, that it emerged in the form of a protective Barrier. A strong bond with their husbands would allow them to shift the Divine Power and Will to him, leaving their minds clear of the vengeful Goddess' influence.

If a widow exhausted their mana and then their mindscape was replenished using this clean mana, it would be as though they had been purified of Vita's influence by their husbands.

Only if Phobos made her method of mastery public and a lot of people went through the trouble of devoting years to learning it would this technique find broader application. Even then, due to the incompatibility of mana signatures, the only ones suitable to transfer mana using this technique were extremely close relatives with the same element, significantly narrowing the scope of its use.

There were a many other issues to resolve. Not the least of which was the technique's impact on society. If these concerns weren't addressed to the Demigods' satisfaction, it could end up becoming yet another banned technique. But still, it was a start. A jolly good one.