"R-really?!" the blonde girl exclaimed excitedly. "What should I call you? Teacher? Master? Is there a formal apprenticeship ceremony? Do I need to perform the three kneelings and nine prostrations, present a formal apprenticeship petition, and offer ceremonial tea?"
"Oh, right! I haven't even introduced myself yet. I'm Artoria Pendric, nineteen years old, and a freshman at Cambridge Magic Academy!"
"You can just call me Artoria or Lily!"
Herta was speechless after the girl's rapid-fire speech. Lily seemed surprisingly knowledgeable about Dragon Nation culture, even understanding the proper apprenticeship rituals.
And since when had Cambridge University in Great Britain become a Magic Academy? Given the current state of the country, perhaps it wasn't so strange.
Finally, there was the girl's name... it couldn't help but remind Herta of King Arthur.
Adjusting her hat, Herta said, "Then I'll call you Lily."
"Mm-hmm!" Lily nodded enthusiastically and pulled out her phone. "Teacher Herta, what's your WhatsApp? I'll add you right away!"
WhatsApp is essentially one of the most popular messaging apps in Great Britain. Naturally, Herta didn't have it.
She shrugged and said, "I just arrived in this world and don't even have a phone yet. By the way, could you go buy me one?"
As Herta reached for some cash to give the young girl, Lily snapped to attention, saluted crisply, and shouted, "Understood!" Then she turned and dashed off without looking back.
Herta stared after her, speechless.
Even though I've already thought it, I can't help but wonder—is this girl really that naive? If I wanted to, I could probably trick her into bed seven times in one night. Not that I would, of course. Just a hypothetical.
After Lily left, Herta picked up another magic textbook, the sequel to Elementary Magic Theory titled Intermediate Magic Theory.
But after skimming it for less than five minutes, she slammed the book shut in exasperation.
As a standardized textbook designed for ordinary people, the content was fragmented and overly detailed, making it easy for beginners to grasp. But for Herta, it only grew more irritating the more she read.
To Herta, this book felt like explaining "1 + 1 = 2" over and over again. What's worse, she realized she already knew much of the content even before reading it.
After all, this was the sequel to Elementary Magic Theory. The moment Herta finished that first book, she had already independently deduced most of the material in Intermediate Magic Theory.
To revisit the earlier analogy: if Elementary Magic Theory was the multiplication table, Herta could now mentally calculate "99 times 99." Yet this Intermediate Magic Theory was still teaching "50 times 50."
Next, Herta picked up Advanced Magic Theory. After another five minutes of forcing herself to skim through it while suppressing her boredom, she could confidently declare that she had completely mastered all of Great Britain's "elementary school-level" knowledge.
In less than half an hour, she had covered ground that would normally take an average person six years to traverse.
It's worth noting that the elementary school curriculum naturally covers more than just these three books. However, all other texts and knowledge are merely extensions of the core principles contained within them, like branches sprouting from a tree trunk. Herta saw no need to delve into them, and frankly, she couldn't be bothered.
She was tired of tormenting herself with basic problems like "1 + 1," as if this pointless knowledge was supposed to strengthen her brain.
After finishing the three books, Herta gained a rough understanding of wandless casting. She realized that two crucial factors determine whether someone can become a mage:
First, physical aptitude. Some people are born with abundant Magic Power, while others possess barely any. Those lacking this innate gift are naturally incapable of using magic.
Second, intelligence. Learning magic is no different from studying mathematics. Some effortlessly solve advanced calculus problems, while others struggle endlessly with basic algebra. Even with ample Magic Power, a foolish individual would inevitably fail to master magic.
These stringent requirements naturally limited the number of mages. However, Great Britain believed the more mages, the better. To address this, Queen Elizabeth devised the Magic Wand.
The wand functions like a calculator. Even someone who doesn't understand the multiplication table can find the answer simply by using it. This allows many individuals with limited intelligence but possessing magic power to wield magic and serve their country.
Furthermore, wands assist in guiding magic power and amplify its release, making them virtually perfect auxiliary tools.
In other words, wandless casting isn't as far-fetched as it seems. Someone who meets the first two criteria and dedicates time to studying could theoretically achieve it. Yet almost no one bothers.
Why would someone exhaust themselves memorizing multiplication tables and painstakingly recall textbook knowledge while channeling magic during combat, when another person can simply wave a wand to achieve the same result, often even casting spells faster? The choice is obvious.
However, Herta discovered that her wandless casting differed from the norm. She realized she possessed no magic power whatsoever—not a single drop.
One would expect that someone without magic power in their body would be completely unable to cast spells. Yet Herta had managed to do just that.
The small flame she conjured wasn't fueled by her own magic power, but by the sparse magic power drifting in the air. It's worth noting that Elementary Magic Theory explicitly states that atmospheric magic power is unusable—a fundamental principle of magic.
Yet Herta, driven by a momentary whim, shattered this "fundamental principle."
In the advancement of science, "inspiration" is a rare but crucial factor. Many groundbreaking inventions stem from those fleeting moments when scientists, after years of research, experience a sudden flash of insight.
But for Herta... inspiration was merely a commonplace mental fluctuation, her brain experiencing thousands of such fluctuations per minute.