When it comes to magic manipulation, Charlotte is undoubtedly a master.
Astrid unfolded her elemental vision, and all she could see was the flowing, light-green wind element.
The most subtle aspect is that such a strong wind does not disturb the interior of the room, not even her dress or hair shows any signs of being blown by the wind.
Astrid poured a small amount of liquid into her palm and began to concentrate on capturing the wind element in the air.
Although the gusts of wind are under Charlotte's control, Astrid didn't feel much resistance when manipulating them.
They behave almost exactly like the natural wind blowing outside.
Without a magic book as a reference, Astrid can only rely on her memory to reconstruct the magic circle.
Fortunately, she had always had an excellent memory, and she did her homework before coming. Everything was progressing in an orderly manner.
As the prototype of the circle takes shape, Charlotte's gaze toward Astrid gradually shifts,from initial suspicion to surprise, and then to disbelief.
Could it be that Astrid can truly construct a simple magic circle by herself?
Especially one derived from an intermediate magic spell, without any reference to book records.
It was another wind elemental circle, and Astrid felt that half of her mental power had been consumed. The remaining energy should be more than sufficient.
Strictly speaking, she also exercised some caution.
For instance, she built a magic circle for a few drops of perfume instead of an entire bottle, which significantly reduces the consumption of mental energy.
After all, the goal of Charlotte's assessment was to evaluate her comprehension of the magic circle, not her mental power reserve. It was enough to demonstrate the ability to construct it fully.
After another five minutes, the opening circle was completed.
Astrid immediately stopped the transmission of mental power, and the wind surrounding her gradually dissipated under Charlotte's guidance.
"Lady Charlotte, I'm done."
Looking at the delicate and smooth hand in front of her, Charlotte was momentarily dazed, feeling a sense of unreality.
Having worked with magic circles for nearly thirty years, she didn't even need to channel mental power to assess the circle.
Just by looking at it, she could tell that the integrity of the magic circle is sound, and its independence is impeccable.
Symbolically, she infused a hint of mental power, and the scent of perfume filled the air.
Charlotte looked at Astrid with a complicated expression, suddenly at a loss for words.
"Astrid... When did you first start learning magic, and when did you begin studying the Circle?"
To avoid her answer being too shocking, Astrid hesitated for a few seconds before replying.
"I started learning magic last year, and it has been a little over half a year since I began reading books related to magic circles."
In truth, it took her less than a week to go from her first contact with magic to understanding it.
The magic circle, annotated with ancient spells and accompanied by detailed explanations with diagrams, essentially served the knowledge to her on a silver platter.
Even so, Charlotte is stunned by Astrid's response.
To learn how to construct a magic circle and dismantle spells in just over half a year is no longer something that can be simply summarized as genius.
If it weren't for the fact that Charlotte had watched Astrid grow up, she would have wondered if the other party was born with an innate elemental creation and magical talent far beyond what ordinary people could ever hope to achieve.
"Astrid, I take back what I doubted about you earlier," Charlotte said. "Your talent is the highest I've ever seen,unmatched, in fact. An eighteen-year-old Magnus is something that cannot be found even in the entire history of mankind."
As Fanya's biological daughter, Astrid has perfectly inherited her mother's extraordinary magical talent, and she has even surpassed her.
In time, she will undoubtedly be able to reach the realm that no one has stepped into for thousands of years, becoming the second Spellcreator in recorded history.
Seeing Charlotte clenching her hand tightly, Astrid realized that she had still been too conservative in her earlier explanation.
"However, Lady Charlotte, there is one thing you may have misunderstood..." Astrid began hesitantly. "I'm not a Magnus. I'm just a half-beginner apprentice."
Charlotte shook her head gently and corrected her, "Being able to construct a magic circle and dismantle spells on your own proves that you have already reached the level of a Magnus."
"But I can't even cast an intermediate spell..." Astrid replied softly.
As soon as she finished speaking, Astrid blinked a few times and stared at Charlotte in silence.
"..."
After a brief pause, Charlotte realized something and spoke in disbelief. "You... can't cast one?"
Astrid nodded, mumbling an affirmation.
Thinking about it, Charlotte reasoned that Astrid hadn't been practicing magic for very long, so it was understandable that her mental reserves might still be lacking.
She tried to comfort herself and then asked, "Then how much mental power do you have?"
Astrid replied softly, "It's only enough to cast ten beginner-level apprentice spells."
This was not just insufficient,it was, to put it mildly, quite low.
Some ordinary individuals new to magic could cast five or six spells in a row, and Astrid, after a year of training, had only reached this level. It was truly underwhelming.
Charlotte frowned at this, tapping her fingers lightly on her soft, smooth thighs.
She had never encountered a situation like this before, someone with such profound magical understanding but such a limited reserve of mental power.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. Charlotte bit her lip, and a trace of pity flashed in her eyes.
She remembered that Lady Fanya had cast a powerful spell during her pregnancy, a spell that had drained all of her mental power and even caused permanent mental scars.
Could it be that Astrid, who was in the womb at the time, had also been affected and injured, resulting in a congenital deficiency in her mental power reserves?
Seeing Charlotte's prolonged silence, Astrid spoke up cautiously, "So... is this unusual for me?"
Charlotte let out a low hum and pulled a small crystal ball from a drawer. "Astrid, place your hand on this and then channel your mental power."
This was a crystal ball used to measure elemental affinity.
Except for a small number of magic circles that do not require elemental participation, most magic was cast with the help of elemental particles, and the strength of one's affinity is crucial in this process.
The stronger a mage's elemental affinity, the less mental power it takes to control the elements, and the greater the advantage they have in prolonged combat.
If Astrid couldn't compete in quantity, perhaps she could excel in quality.
Hearing Charlotte's instruction, Astrid gently placed her hand on the crystal ball and began to channel her mental power.
A soft white light gradually illuminated the sphere.
First, the scorching fire of the sun blazed within the crystal ball, its flames dancing fiercely.
Then, a thunderbolt tore through the sky, crackling with energy.
Next, a howling wind swept across the scene, carrying raindrops that fell gently onto the earth.
From the revitalized soil, emerald green vines sprouted and soared skyward, vibrant and full of life.
"Increase the flow of your mental power," Charlotte reminded her.
Astrid complied, and immediately, darkness enveloped the entire sphere.
She felt a thin layer of frost form on her palm, sending a slight chill through her hand.
After another half a minute, a faint light pierced through the darkness, illuminating the crystal ball once more.