Astrologian "BUFFS"

[Budi]

If I say I will clean your house if you give me a hug, is it a free house cleaning because it didn't cost you money?

Obviously. If I get a free house cleaning every time I hug you, put me on speed dial.

Aetherflows are a finite resource just like MP - and one could actually make the case that due to their usefulness and scarcity, an ability that costs one is actually more expensive than something with a standard MP cost.

One could argue that it is more expensive, but that would be a really bad idea. You are not throwing away your stacks, you are always using them, to get the ability you want. It is actually worse to NOT use them, than to use them. How you decide to use them doesn't change the fact.

I will agree with you it's free of MP costs if you agree it's not free.

I stated that free means no MP cost from the beginning, and never tried to argue otherwise. People only tried to argue the meaning of the word 'free', but failed, because the only thing they care about is "being right on the internet" and not what was actually said. That's why no one could answer my question "Why does it matter?" properly, because it doesn't.
You are literally trying to force a different meaning on the word I used to show to me that I'm wrong.