Although Yukino wasn't particularly pleased about it, Luo Yu was clearly craving seafood. Without hesitation, he selected a king crab and paid a rather large sum for it.
After finishing the shopping and leaving the supermarket, Luo Yu stored everything inside his inventory storage. With both hands free, he walked back home alongside Yukino.
Ranni wasn't upstairs playing games this time.
Instead, she was sitting comfortably with a magic book she had brought back from the Roundtable Hold, quietly reading through its contents.
The cat that had been lying beside her immediately noticed Yukino entering the house. It leapt down from the sofa with excitement and ran straight toward her, meowing enthusiastically.
Yukino bent down with a smile and picked up the cat, softly chatting with it.
Ever since gaining the ability to communicate with cats, Yukino had discovered just how wonderful that ability truly was. During her morning run and even on her way to school today, she had encountered several cats and happily exchanged a few "conversations" with them.
Meanwhile, Luo Yu began taking out the groceries one by one.
When he pulled out the king crab, he lifted it slightly toward Ranni and said with a grin,
"This is tonight's dinner. It tastes fantastic."
The moment Ranni saw it, she immediately recalled the crab enemies Luo Yu used to complain about constantly in the Lands Between.
She smiled faintly.
"My king, it seems you still can't forget them. Do you truly hate them that much?"
Luo Yu shrugged as he carried the crab toward the kitchen to start preparing it.
"Well, they caused me quite a bit of trouble back then. And they loved hiding around corners to ambush people. Of course I hate them."
Ranni shook her head helplessly, then turned to Yukino.
"It seems my king will be busy preparing ingredients for a while. Since Miko isn't here today, would you like to start learning magic with me first? As for the written language of the Lands Between, I plan to teach it to both of you together this weekend."
Yukino naturally had no objections. After setting the cat down, she asked,
"Should we begin now?"
"Yes, we'll begin now. My king, bring another staff. You should still have extras, correct?"
"I do."
Luo Yu might not lack many things, but one thing he definitely had in abundance was inventory.
Unlike the game itself, equipment here didn't require grinding or repeated farming. As long as an enemy possessed an item and he defeated them, it became his spoils of war.
Simple beginner staves like the Astrologer's Staff were especially plentiful in his inventory—he had five of them.
After handing one Astrologer's Staff to Yukino, Luo Yu returned to the kitchen to continue preparing the king crab.
Ranni didn't bring Yukino upstairs. Instead, she began teaching her directly in the living room.
"We'll begin with the basics. First, learn the Starlight spell. It has no offensive capability, but mastering it will help train your ability to gather and control magic. This illumination spell becomes stronger and lasts longer the more precisely you cast it."
After briefly explaining the concept, Ranni began guiding Yukino through the casting process.
Yukino immediately focused on the lesson.
In less than five minutes, she successfully cast the spell.
The light was somewhat faint, but it was undeniably successful.
The floating starlight drifted gently in front of them while the cat repeatedly jumped up, trying to paw at it.
Watching the scene, Ranni nodded with satisfaction.
"Excellent. Your comprehension is impressive."
She continued,
"Next, I will teach you two basic sorceries: Glintstone Pebble and Glintstone Arc. Miko has already learned these spells as well."
"After that, considering your own abilities as a nekomata, I can also teach you certain Carian royal sorceries—especially the glintblade techniques. In addition, the Night sorceries that conceal one's presence and various weapon enchantment spells would also suit you."
After saying that, Ranni paused and glanced toward Luo Yu.
"My king, do you think Yukino could learn Incantations as well?"
"Incantations…" Luo Yu thought for a moment while continuing to handle the crab in the kitchen.
"Yes, she certainly could. Many Incantations would suit her. For example, Bestial Incantations and Dragon Communion Incantations. But there's no rush. Once she masters the fundamentals of sorcery, she can explore other forms of magic later."
Although Yukino was still slightly unaccustomed to Ranni addressing her simply by name, her curiosity about this new concept was stronger.
"Are Incantations also a type of magic?"
Ranni explained patiently,
"They are another form of spellcasting, powered by faith rather than purely by magical knowledge. However, learning them does not truly require genuine belief. You can simply treat faith as another form of energy."
She paused briefly before adding,
"That said, there is one particular school of Incantations called the Frenzied Flame. It is unsuitable for those who lack sufficient mental strength. The power of the Frenzied Flame can easily disturb the mind."
After hearing that explanation, Yukino turned toward Luo Yu.
"Then… have you learned any Incantations from the Frenzied Flame?"
Ranni didn't answer.
Instead, Luo Yu responded while continuing to prepare the king crab.
"As for the Frenzied Flame, I've never touched it. When I first encountered it, I studied it briefly out of curiosity—but that's all."
"There are already many powers I can control. I don't need the Frenzied Flame to make myself stronger."
The Frenzied Flame might contain several Incantations with impressive power and unique effects, but Luo Yu had no interest in dealing with such unstable and sinister forces.
The abilities he already possessed were more than enough.
With them alone, he had conquered nearly every challenge throughout the Lands Between.
Yukino nodded thoughtfully.
She understood immediately that the Frenzied Flame was something dangerous and chose not to dwell on it further. Instead, she continued focusing on learning magic.
Before dinner was ready, Yukino had already learned the basics of both Glintstone Pebble and Glintstone Arc.
In terms of magical aptitude, she clearly surpassed Miko.
However, Miko had her own advantages as well. Because she possessed spiritual sight, her initial magical reserves were much larger than Yukino's. That allowed her to practice spells repeatedly without worrying too much about exhausting her energy.
After Yukino mastered the three basic spells, Ranni paused the lesson to allow her to recover her magical energy. During the break, she answered some of Yukino's questions about the Lands Between.
"As for the history of the Lands Between, I will explain it when Miko is present so you can both hear it together."
Gently resting her hand on the Carian Regal Scepter lying across her knees, Ranni continued.
"As for powerful enemies there, there were quite a few. Ancient Dragons, giants, and the countless deadly traps hidden within underground catacombs. There were even extraterrestrial beings sent by the Greater Will."
"The opponent I had to confront personally was only one. The rest were faced by my king."
She looked toward the kitchen.
"In the Lands Between, you could say he was either fighting… or on his way to another battle."
Yukino blinked slightly.
"…That sounds exhausting. Was there nowhere to rest?"
Ranni nodded.
"There was—the Roundtable Hold."
"But hiding there forever was never an option. If I truly wished to withdraw from the world, I could have stayed hidden and ignored everything outside. Yet in the Lands Between, it is impossible to remain completely uninvolved."
"Fortunately, my king and I ultimately achieved our goals… though many sacrifices accompanied that victory."
Seeing the faint trace of reflection in Ranni's eyes, Yukino pressed her lips together before asking softly,
"Then… do you want to return there?"
"I do not feel particularly attached to the Lands Between," Ranni replied calmly.
"After defeating the Elden Beast, my original plan was to travel beyond the Lands Between with my king and explore other worlds among the stars."
"But instead, we unexpectedly arrived here."
She paused briefly.
"Even so, we will eventually return. My mother is still there, after all."
Yukino immediately thought of the legendary queen who ruled over Caria.
Ranni's mother—
Queen Rennala, the Full Moon Queen.
The thought of such a powerful figure made Yukino's curiosity grow even stronger.
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