"I understand."
Facing Patchouli, who was now in full teaching mode, Kars didn't argue. As long as he could learn the magic he wanted, he didn't need to worry about the other issues.
"Seven-Element magic is formed by borrowing the power of fairies and spirits. Therefore, to use a certain attribute of magic, you need to be able to communicate with the corresponding entities to draw their power. First, we need to see which attributes you can sense. Give me your hand; I will guide you to feel those attributes."
Kars offered his hand to Patchouli. Once her soft hand closed around his, Kars's senses seemed to undergo a subtle change, as if he could feel something extra floating in the air around him.
As the sensation grew clearer, Kars saw a flash of golden-yellow light drift past his eyes.
"Patchouli, which one does the golden-yellow represent?"
"The Sun attribute. It seems you truly can learn Sun-attribute magic. Now, what else?" Patchouli was more interested in how many attributes Kars could learn than in his success with the one he desired.
"Just this one."
Kars looked around but only found the golden-yellow light representing the Sun attribute. There were no other attributes. While Kars wasn't bothered, this was not good news for Patchouli. Learning only one attribute of magic made him far too vulnerable to targeted attacks.
"How can there be only one…?"
Patchouli frowned. She had guessed Kars would possess at least two or three attributes, but only the Sun attribute remained. The Sun attribute primarily represented mobility and attack, but Patchouli was unsure what Kars could achieve with just that.
"I think it's fine." Seeing Patchouli's worried expression, Kars tried to comfort her. He felt that being able to sense only the Sun attribute simply proved his destiny with the sun.
"How is that fine? Even if you had Water attribute as well, I could at least teach you the Sun & Water Sign 'Hydration Prominence'!" Patchouli couldn't believe Kars was foolishly happy about a situation that should cause distress. Still, it was better than him being upset.
"Forget it. If you aren't bothered, I won't dwell on it. As long as you're happy. Anyway, let's begin your instruction now."
Patchouli found the relevant textbooks among the stacks and prepared to start lecturing, but Kars suddenly lifted her and held her in his lap.
"What are you doing?" Patchouli wasn't entirely surprised by Kars's sudden action, but she was curious.
"Listening to your lesson! This way, I can see the book better and hear you speak clearly. Besides, you used to hold me like this, and it always made my head feel heavy."
"Stop talking about that!" Hearing Kars bring this up, Patchouli's face instantly flushed. If she didn't know Kars was innocent, she would think he was saying it on purpose.
"Now, pay close attention to the lesson. If you don't learn properly, I will issue a punishment."
"Understood." Hearing the mention of punishment, Kars immediately focused his attention, determined not to miss any critical point.
Meanwhile, in the Scarlet Devil Mansion's main hall, Remilia sat on the main chair, a wine glass in her right hand, listening to Sakuya report on the progress of their plans.
"It's almost ready, then. The day we conquer Gensokyo is drawing near. By the way, what is Kars doing now?"
"Master Kars took a walk around the Misty Lake this morning and is now in the Great Library studying magic with Lady Patchouli."
Remilia nodded slightly. She was pleased that Kars was learning from Patchouli. As a member of the Scarlett family, it wouldn't do for him to lack power, and learning the Seven-Element magic from Patchouli was a good choice. Remilia considered setting aside time to personally instruct Kars after their current affairs were settled.
"But I haven't heard about him possessing any unique abilities. Has he not discovered them yet?" Remilia was curious about this point and hadn't heard any relevant information.
"He probably hasn't discovered them yet. Master Kars is still young, after all, and it's perfectly normal that he hasn't unlocked his full potential." Sakuya's answer sounded logical, and Remilia agreed. The Scarlett children's innate talent couldn't be poor. With her and Flandre as examples, Kars's talent surely wouldn't be low.
"Sakuya, after this, where should we look for a suitable girl for Kars?" Remilia brought up the other matter: the mission to find Kars a wife. This was a crucial issue, concerning both Kars's life and the prosperity of the Scarlett family.
"Mistress, I honestly cannot offer advice on this matter." Sakuya truly had no experience in this area and couldn't provide any suggestions.
"Even you can't offer a suggestion?" Remilia sighed helplessly at Sakuya's response. She herself was equally clueless.
"I sincerely apologize, Mistress." Sakuya bowed her head. To her, being unable to help with her Mistress's problem was a failure of duty.
"I'm not blaming you, Sakuya. I just think we can only take things one step at a time. Maybe he'll meet someone suitable later? Once we conquer Gensokyo, we will have plenty of time to accomplish this. It's a vast land; there can't possibly be no one suitable, can there?"
As for the possibility of failure, Remilia never even considered it. In her mind, losing to a human shrine maiden was virtually impossible.
Remilia drank the remaining wine in her glass, licked the residue from her lips, and smiled confidently.
"It is truly something to look forward to."