Jean, who was patiently waiting outside the door, heard the abnormal sound, but he didn't rush inside. There was no killing intent or hidden attackers. The magician inside served the Hill family so he was loyal. It was normal for magicians to make strange sounds.
"It broke." Claire only said two words while looking at the crystal shards scattered on the floor.
"Yes, it broke," The middle aged man replied, still recovering from his shock.
Claire didn't speak another word, and instead, she waited for the man to recover. After a while, the middle aged man finally came to his senses and slowly reached in his robe and grasped for an object. This time he brought out a larger crystal ball and said, "One more time."
Just like before, the crystal ball exploded, and just like before, the middle aged man's jaw was about to fall off.
"Again?" Claire asked quietly. She understood that magic supplies were valuable and that the crystal balls were not cheap.
"No, no, no need, Miss." Shock first filled the middle aged man's eyes, then ecstasy. He even wanted to accept her as his disciple right away. Magic was always, of course, a magician's greatest asset, so they wouldn't teach just anyone. Yet, they don't wish to take their knowledge to the grave either. A way to transfer this knowledge would be to teach a disciple that they were satisfied with. Because talented candidates were so rare, there were even situations where magicians fought over prodigious disciples. Although the Sunrise Institute taught both Dou Qi and magic, it only taught the basics. At most, you could become a primary magician or primary warrior. If you wanted to go beyond that, you had to find a mentor. Only by becoming the disciple of a mentor could you gain more exquisite schooling. And this young girl was no less talented than the prodigy Lashia – no, maybe even better!
Although he really wanted to take her as his disciple, he knew that this was only his own fantasy. Not only did he need her to agree, he also needed Duke Gordan's approval. He was only a ** mage and not yet qualified to be the mentor of this girl in front of him.
"Miss, young Miss, please wait." The middle aged man had calmed down and then remembered he had to report to Duke Gordan first. "Miss, I'll first teach you how to sense the elements and then how to meditate."
"Are you talking about these small specks of light around me?" Claire pointed at the air.
The middle aged man was astonished. "Miss, you already can Sense the elements?"
"This book was very detailed. I already finished it last night." Claire took out the book that taught the basics of magic.
The middle aged man was shocked speechless. Finished yesterday?! She just started learning magic yesterday? But she could already sense the elements?!
"Then does Miss know the next step?" The middle aged man asked carefully.
"Capturing the magical elements, and letting them enter the body to store. But it seems very hard. After capturing ten thousand, only one thousand stayed in my body." Claire said a little bitterly.
Plop. The middle aged man fell to the floor and stared wordlessly at Claire. Capturing ten thousand and storing one thousand!! And she's not satisfied? Does she not know that when someone first meditates, it's not bad to store ten after capturing ten thousand!? Lashia was called a genius because in her first Meditation, she captured ten thousand and stored one hundred. This already shocked many people in the capital. But this girl in front of him performed ten times better! Oh my god, how on Earth!
A long time passed before the middle aged man was able to crawl up and warn her, "Miss, you must not tell anyone what happened today."
"Yes." Of course Claire understood that the person before her had already thought it over. It seemed like her performance for the test had been over the top. She more than understood a tall tree attracts the wind.
"Then, Miss, I'll teach you the very basic Primary fire spells. Tell me when you are able to master them." The middle aged man couldn't wait to report to the Duke.
"Yes." Claire nodded.
"The fireball is the most basic technique. You must direct the elements inside your body to converge to a single point, and then chant the spell to let them erupt." The middle aged man took pains to be thorough. "But Miss, you must remember there are no shortcuts in magic. You must take one step at a time and follow the path firmly. No matter how talented you are, wanting immediate results will only be detrimental to yourself."
"Yes, thank you teacher." Claire saw the sincerity clearly in the middle aged man's eyes. She bowed solemnly.
"No, Miss, I don't have the qualifications to be your teacher." The middle aged man repeatedly waved his hand no.
"You taught me, therefore you are my teacher. Whether you or anyone else admits it or not, as of this moment, you have become my teacher," Claire sincerely said. "Being my teacher one day means being my teacher forever."
These words almost moved the middle aged man to tears.
"Miss, I don't qualify as your teacher. With your aptitude, even the most powerful magician of Amparkland wouldn't be enough. But I, Emery, hereby swear to teach you absolutely everything I know with all my heart." The magician, Emery, emotionally made this oath. He foresaw that the young girl before him would shine brightly in the future.
"Thank you, teacher." Claire bowed solemnly.
"Miss, you can keep on practicing here, I will go report to the Duke. Remember, you must not tell anyone what happened today," Emery warned Claire once again. If people knew of this talent, who knew whether it would be a blessing or curse.
"Yes." Claire promised, nodding.
When Emery walked out the door, the guard there, Jean was a bit flabbergasted. This dead faced magician never reacted to anything, but today his face was actually red and he seemed very emotional. What is happening?!
After Emery found Gordan in the military hall and finished his report in secret, Gordan initial reaction was shock."What did you say? Are you sure?" Then, he went happy beyond reason. If Lashia was a genius rarely seen in a hundred years, then Claire was a prodigy rarely seen in a millennium. This is a gift from the heavens to the Hill family! After feeling delighted, Gordan immediately understood why Emery personally came to report this in secret. Because of the Temple of Light! If the Temple of Light found out about Claire's talent, they would definitely think of every possibly way to recruit her to become one of them. She would then be brainwashed and become loyal to the Temple of Light. The relationship between the Temple of Light and the Royal family was subtle and delicate. The Hill clan absolutely could not let this future power join the Temple of Light. Gordan did not want his own granddaughter to be used against him.
"Your grace, every word is true." Emery nodded seriously.
"Very good, Emery, you did very well." Gordan happily patted Emery's shoulder. "Before Claire matures, this matter must not be spoken to anyone."
"Yes, sir." Emery nodded.
Gordan stroked his chin thoughtfully, pondered for a while, and then made a decision.
"Emery, you may go for now." Gordan finally came back to his senses and laughed while saying, "I will send men to replace the crystal balls that Claire broke."
"Oh, no, you shouldn't joke around, your grace." Emery waved his hand no, embarassed.
"Alright, you can go now. Tell Claire to wait for me in my study when I return at night." Gordan was clearly in a good mood, and patted Emery on the shoulder while laughing. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get rewarded fairly."
On the east side of the capital in a magnificent building, a few people sat around a conference table made of white jade in a long and quiet room. Sitting at the head of the table was a kindly old man dressed in a white robe. Gold embroidery on the edges of the robe indicated that he was a member of the Temple of Light and also of high status too.
"How has it been coming along, any new findings??" The old man frowned slightly as he asked a person sitting close by. The person was in a white robe and with a beautiful womanly figure and had soft, straight, green hair that was so long it touched the floor. Her facial features were so fine they could make people gasp in admiration, but her eyes had no irises. Both of her entire eyes were ghostly white. Very strange.
"My holiness, there's been no progress." The strange green haired woman shook her head no.
"How come? You are the most powerful clairvoyant, but you can't find the person that the deity is looking for?" A person across the table asked impatiently.
"It's not that I'm not trying, but I can't seem to read the natal chart of the person." The strange green haired woman said with bitterness. It was first time her horoscope didn't work.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing." The pope sighed quietly. "The person that that deity is looking for must be unusual. We only need to send a decree to bring all the noteworthy people in the country here."
"There's no other way."
Everybody agreed.