In the imperial capital of the Valeria Empire, a beautiful girl with silver hair and red eyes sat at her desk.
Her arms were obliquely supported, the back of her hand gently propping up her cheek, while her slender, well-proportioned legs, clad in black silk, were naturally close together.
Her eyes were intently focused on the parchnt book in front of her.
Three days had passed since the underground dungeon fight, and after a brief vacation, Astrid had returned to her never-ending study of magic.
She had now begun to systematically study the magic circle that Charlotte had ntioned before.
Although her ntal power reserves were still only at the level of a low level Apprentice—barely enough to release an interdiate-level ice spell, the one with the highest affinity for her, she knew that continuing to focus on Low level spells would not bring her any significant improvent.
Instead, it would only waste her energy.
What she lacked at the mont was not spell comprehension but the total amount of ntal power.
Since the process of tempering tal power was long and its effects could not be seen overnight, Astrid decided it would be better to preview the magic circle in advance rather than wait.
This would lay the foundation for her subsequent learning.
So ti ago, Astrid had tried to engrave a few magic circles, such as the open magic circle used for perfu or the Aura Vault taught to her by Charlotte.
The latter also contained related structures.
However, these magic circles were either figured out by herself using Elders Speech or taught to her by soone else, requiring her to replicate them by hand.
There were still many intricate details she needed to disassemble and understand on her own.
"Introduction to the magic circle and the Key Points of Interdiate Spell Release," one of the treasures of the Royal Library of the Valeria Empire, provided an in-depth yet simple analysis of the flow process of tal power and the essence of the magic circle.
It was proving to be imnsely helpful to Astrid.
A few rays of sunlight pierced through the curtains and fell on the lilac bed, leaving only the gentle sound of the girl's breathing and the occasional rustle of turning pages in the quiet bedroom.
Unlike knights, who enhance their bodies and sharpen their attacks using ntal power, mages specialize in casting spells to manipulate elental forces for various purposes.
During the process of spellcasting, ntal power is converted into a different form of energy capable of guiding elental particles.
This conversion is irreversible, even if no elents are actively involved.
This principle demonstrates that once a spell is cast, no amount of ntal power can restore even a fraction of it through abrupt termination.
This effect is particularly evident in magic circles, if the transmission of ntal power is suddenly cut off, the pre-transford magic power within the circle can no longer follow its intended course.
As a result, only two outcos remain.
The first outco is that an experienced mage can use various techniques to safely disperse the excess elents into the air.
The second, far more dangerous scenario occurs when the magic circle fails, potentially causing elental chaos.
In such cases, the uncontrolled magic power typically surges back toward the caster.
Due to its incompatibility with ntal power, this results in a ntal backlash, which can be devastating, if not fatal, in battle.
When Astrid read this passage, she noticed that the font was in bold ink, indicating its importance.
She had only encountered interdiate-level Elder Speech spells before and had attempted to cast them directly.
She hadn't realized the process was so dangerous.
It was no wonder Charlotte had such a strong reaction when she learned that Astrid had dismantled the magic circle.
Ordinary peak Apprentices usually have a guardian by their side to guard them when attempting interdiate spells, to prevent accidents.
But Astrid, relying on an English note, managed to succeed in one go. Fortunately, nothing went wrong.
Chanting spells serves not only to mobilize the elents but also to safeguard the crucial process of converting ntal power into magic power.
This prevents external interference and ensures a more efficient transformation.
At the Magnus level, mages can forgo verbal spellcasting and instead recite incantations ntally.
This prevents powerful opponents from anticipating their next move.
While elental fluctuations in the air are generally detectable, this thod isn't always useful.
However, it can sotis work wonders against enemies who lack understanding of magic.
For example, elental vision can detect the gathering of ice elents in the air.
But because the spell is not recited loudly, the opponent cannot imdiately determine whether the caster is preparing to release an ice shield or an ice arrow at the start of the spell circle, making it difficult to counter in advance.
Silent incantations may have limited utility for others, but for Astrid, they hold great significance.
This technique allows her to use more powerful ancient spells without fear of her secrets being exposed to outsiders.
Continuing her reading, Astrid reached a section she particularly enjoyed—the English-to-English link.
Several magic spells were demonstrated with ancient incantations, and the corresponding magic circles were relatively simple, making them easy to understand after a short study.
As the minutes passed and noon approached, Elise knocked on the door to inform Astrid that the maids had prepared lunch and urged her to eat promptly.
"Miss Astrid, there's one more thing to report," Elise said, her eyes lowered as she gently adjusted Astrid's bow tie. "His Majesty wishes to et you this afternoon. The eting will take place in the back garden of the palace."
Emperor Hibbort wants to see her?
Hearing this, Astrid's expression grew thoughtful.
She turned her head to glance at Lyra, who stood quietly nearby.
Her slightly cold gaze caused Lyra to straighten her posture instinctively, her slender, hands clasped neatly in front of her skirt.
Although Lyra knew that Princess Astrid was kind-hearted, the natural aristocratic aura the princess exuded still gave her a strong sense of intimidation, making it difficult to et her gaze directly.
"I see," Astrid replied softly.
After lunch, the three of them made their way to the eting place specified by Emperor Hibbort.
Astrid instructed Elise and Lyra to keep their distance before stepping into the back garden.
Though called a garden, it was not filled with flowers but rather adorned with statues and reliefs.
Near the central fountain, a middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes sat with his legs crossed.
He wore a loose bronze robe over a plain white undershirt and trousers, and a dark-feathered eagle with white-spotted wings rested on his shoulder.
Hearing the sound of crisp footsteps, Hibbort opened his eyes and saw Astrid approaching.
The stern, unyielding expression he often wore in the council hall faded, replaced by a touch of genuine affection.
"Good afternoon, Father," Astrid greeted politely with a slight bow, her tone gentle and respectful.
"Rise and sit beside ," Hibbort replied, his voice calm.
Noticing there was enough space for two on the bench, Astrid complied, sitting down about half a body's length away from Hibbort.
The distance was neither overly intimate nor distant, reflecting the unique relationship between the two.
As soon as Astrid settled, the eagle perched on Hibbort's shoulder flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
Within monts, it was nothing more than a small black dot before disappearing entirely.
"Did I disturb it?" Astrid asked softly.
Hibbort shook his head. "No. It had rested enough and simply wanted to stretch its wings."
Astrid glanced at the man beside her, noting his blond hair and the way the sunlight emphasized the strong contours of his face. After a brief pause, she spoke again.
"Father, is there sothing you wish to tell ?"
In Astrid's mory, while Emperor Hibbort held great affection for her, he rarely summoned her for private etings.
Such occasions were few and far between throughout the year.
His sudden call today likely ant there was sothing important to discuss.
Hibbort nodded, his hand absently rubbing the honeysuckle scepter, a symbol of power and order. He spoke in a asured tone.
"I arranged for a thorough investigation into all sources of seafood in the market and scrutinized every suspicious individual in the palace. Yet, even after all that, we have very little useful information."
If soone had managed to place an allergen on the princess's plate, they must have been a close servant or maid.
Were it not for Elise's sisterly bond with Astrid, Hibbort might have even suspected her.
"Is that so?" Astrid murmured, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows as she lowered her gaze.
Hibbort studied her delicate profile before continuing. "Earlier, you ntioned that the seafood might have co from the port of Ostwycke. However, no matter how deeply we investigated, we found no leads."
Hibbort knew Astrid well. She wasn't particularly sharp or cunning, and the information about the seafood seed to have co from Elise.
But when he considered the potential beneficiaries of such an act, the answer beca clearer.
From a motive perspective, it was highly unlikely that Alistair would target Astrid.
Firstly, any blow to Lucas would be limited.
Secondly, if the truth were uncovered, the cri of harming the emperor's beloved daughter would be enough to banish Alistair from the imperial capital for life.
The stakes were high, the rewards were low, and no one in their right mind, especially a seasoned royal, would commit such a foolish act.
In summary, Hibbort didn't truly believe that Alistair was behind the incident.
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