As Alaric's very first true magical apprentice, Jaina was naturally granted the Dragon Factor by Alaric, undergoing enhancement through dragon lineage.
It had been decades since Alaric first developed the method of dragon bloodline enhancement in the Harry Potter world.
Throughout this period, multiple girls had acquired the power of dragons through this method, and the technique itself had been continuously refined by Alaric.
By now, the enhancement no longer needed to be completed in one go but could be carried out over an extended period in multiple stages.
At first glance, this method seemed more cumbersome than completing the enhancement all at once. However, in reality, it was much more suitable for Jaina.
One must understand that although dragons possessed strength and lifespans far surpassing mortals, their growth rate was also significantly slower.
The original enhancement method, while bestowing immense power upon the recipient in a single ceremony, had two unavoidable drawbacks.
The first was the issue of initial strength.
After completing the enhancement ritual, the recipient would indeed gain the power of dragons and the ability to transform into one.
However, their strength would only be at the whelp level.
While this was already an extraordinary boost for most, to grow from a whelp into an adult dragon, or even an ancient dragon, the individual would have to live through the years just as a dragon would.
Of course, the ritual not only granted dragon power but also a dragon's lifespan. Even so, for a long-lived race, a thousand years was still a considerable amount of time.
The second drawback—though it could be considered an advantage for some—was the slowed physical growth rate.
Once the ritual was completed, not only would the recipient's lifespan change, but their physical maturation would also slow to match that of dragons.
Their appearance at the time of the ritual would serve as the starting point, and from then on, they would age at a dragon's pace.
This meant that if a child underwent the enhancement ritual, they would retain their youthful appearance for an extended period, consistent with a dragon's growth cycle.
If this child lived in human society and did not carefully conceal their condition, they would undoubtedly be seen as a monster.
Both Alaric and the girls from the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones worlds had experienced this "trouble."
As Alaric's apprentice, if Jaina remained a little girl for an extended period after undergoing the ritual, it would cause far more trouble for her and her teacher.
At this stage, she was still too young—far younger than any of Alaric's other lovers had been when they received the enhancement.
Hermione and Penelope, for instance, had undergone the ritual only after reaching full physical maturity during puberty.
Even if their appearances remained unchanged afterward, they could still use makeup to blend in.
But Jaina? She was just a tiny child, not even at the age of puberty. No amount of makeup could disguise this.
If such an anomaly were discovered, countless people would investigate her secret.
Rulers, aristocrats, and mages alike were all in pursuit of immortality.
Alaric absolutely did not want the enhancement ritual to be exposed.
Fortunately, the new enhancement ritual eliminated this flaw.
The updated ceremony would proceed in phases. The first ritual would enhance physical strength and magical power but would not grant the ability to transform into a dragon.
More importantly, it would not alter the recipient's lifespan or growth rate.
After the first stage, the recipient would undergo subsequent rituals every few years.
Only after the final ceremony would they obtain the complete power of a dragon—but at that point, their strength would not be that of a whelp, but of an adult dragon.
Given Jaina's current age, she would need to wait until she was in her twenties to fully complete the enhancement.
By that time, she would be in the prime of her life, and freezing her body in such a state would be an ideal choice.
Moreover, by then, she would be powerful enough that no one would question her lack of aging—especially with Aegwynn as a precedent.
When Jaina realized that she had gained strength comparable to an adult and an abundance of arcane energy surging within her, she was astonished.
"Teacher, teacher, how did you do it?" The little girl excitedly bounced around the study, testing her newfound power before eagerly questioning Alaric.
"I've heard Auntie Gina talk a lot about Dalaran, but no mage there can do anything like this!"
Rather than answering his apprentice's question, Alaric was more intrigued by the name she had casually mentioned.
"Auntie Gina?"
The name gave Alaric a headache. He couldn't believe it had come from the mouth of the eight-year-old girl before him.
"The Gina you're talking about… who is she?" Alaric asked cautiously.
"You don't know Auntie Gina?" Jaina looked at him strangely. "Didn't my father tell you? Auntie Gina is Gina Goldenblade—she's my father's lover."
As expected, the Gina she was referring to was indeed Gina Goldenblade. But how did she know about this?
Why did old Daelin share such inappropriate things with his daughter? Wasn't he worried about setting a bad example?
Jaina explained the situation.
"Actually, I figured out Auntie Gina's identity on my own.
After deciding to send me to Dalaran to study magic, Father suddenly introduced me to a beautiful mage lady, asking her to tell me about Dalaran.
Even though they pretended not to know each other well, they couldn't fool me. Hmph, I knew right away that there was something unusual between them."
"How did you figure it out?" Alaric asked curiously.
"Because Auntie Gina was way too nice to me," Jaina said matter-of-factly.
"If she didn't know me before and wasn't familiar with my mother, then the only reason she'd treat me so well was because of my father. I secretly observed them and quickly realized something was off."
—What a sharp little girl.
Alaric couldn't help but chuckle. With such a clever daughter, Daelin's parenting must have been a real headache. No wonder the admiral was in such a hurry to hand her over to him.
With that in mind, Alaric patted Jaina's head and comforted her.
"It must have been tough for you, seeing your father in that light at such a young age."
"I'm used to it," Jaina forced a smile. "After all, he's the leader of Kul Tiras. My brother is the same way, involved with a maid…
Honestly, most nobles I've seen are like that. As a noble's daughter, what choice do I have but to accept it? At least Auntie Gina is a good and kind person."
"So is this why you decided to study magic?" Alaric asked.
"Exactly!" Jaina declared in her childish yet determined voice. "I don't want to be like other noble ladies, living in fairy tales only to be married off to some noble in the end.
I want to become a mage, gain real power, and control my own fate."
Hearing Jaina's resolute words, Alaric sensed her maturity, inner strength, and determination.
No wonder she achieved such great things in the original timeline. Her success wasn't just due to talent—it was deeply rooted in her character.
That kind of conviction and self-assertion wasn't something everyone possessed.
"Don't worry, I'll support you," Alaric encouraged the ambitious little girl.
"As my apprentice, you should wield the greatest power and master your own destiny. No matter what, I'll stand by you."
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