"Eeeeeeh—?!"
Miku's eyes widened as she stared at Mukuro, who was floating mid-air with only her upper half visible. She couldn't help but let out a shocked cry, covering her mouth.
In contrast, Nia, sitting nearby, didn't seem the least bit surprised. Instead, she grinned and said:
"No need to be shocked, Miku."
"This child is just like us—one of the Spirits symbolising the Sephirot of Kabbalah."
"But unlike you, who represents the Foundation of the ninth Sephirah, she embodies the Beauty of the sixth."
"Beautiful?" Miku Izayoi blinked, then scrutinised Mukuro Hoshimiya carefully.
Though still somewhat surprised, she had to admit that Mukuro was indeed one of the most beautiful girls she'd ever seen. That golden hair resembling wheat stalks even gave her the urge to stroke it.
At this moment, Miku suddenly felt that Nia Honjo being a yuri fanatic wasn't without reason.
Anyone who knew their compatriots were all super beautiful girls would naturally develop a preference for pretty girls. It made perfect sense.
Ignoring Miku's astonishment, after revealing herself, Mukuro floated out from the passage as if still in space, flipped mid-air, and landed directly in Luo Shu's arms.
Despite her perfect proportions, Mukuro's frame was petite—the smallest among all the girls present.
Thus, though somewhat cramped, she managed to squeeze into Luo Shu's embrace and settle down comfortably, surveying the dishes on the table before her gaze settled on Luo Shu's piled-high rice bowl.
"Oh~ You've already prepared dinner for Muku? Since big brother remembered me, I'll forgive you."
As Mukuro picked up Luo Shu's chopsticks to eat, Kisara's eyes instantly welled up beside them, her whole demeanour crumbling.
That was the dinner she'd specially served Luo Shu... Wait, those were Luo Shu's chopsticks?!
Instantly alert, Kisara swiftly picked up a lobster piece from Luo Shu's bowl and stuffed it into Mukuro's mouth.
"Mukuro must be unaccustomed to Earth's utensils. In that case, let me feed you instead, hahaha..."
Hearing Kisara's forced laughter, Mukuro looked momentarily confused but accepted the feeding.
After a busy day, she was hungry anyway. Being fed without having to lift a finger wasn't a bad deal.
While Kisara volunteered to feed Mukuro, Luo Shu, who was holding the girl, asked curiously:
"Mukuro, have you finished your space work?"
"Muku completed the tasks early, so Big Sister granted me three days off~"
After chewing her food, Mukuro leaned back against Luo Shu's chest and said:
"Speaking of which, did Big Brother receive the modified ring Muku sent?"
As she spoke, she grabbed Luo Shu's right hand, seemingly searching for something.
Not shying away, Luo Shu raised his hand to show her the Mist Ring, smiling:
"Excellent craftsmanship, Mukuro."
"Thanks to you, the ring's functions have expanded."
"As long as Big Brother likes it." Mukuro sighed in relief, apparently genuinely worried he might dislike it.
Watching their interaction, Miku felt somewhat envious of Luo Shu holding Mukuro.
She really wanted to hug such an adorable, well-behaved living doll, too.
But after this moment of envy, Miku turned to Nia with curiosity:
"By the way, Nia, when you mentioned an education expert earlier, did you mean this girl?"
At that moment, Nia Honjo nodded with a smile and said:
"If this girl has already interacted with Natsuki Minamiya, then right now, she's the most formidable education expert."
"And a fast-tracked version at that!"
"Fast-tracked?" xN
The group of girls exchanged bewildered glances.
Luo Shu also asked in confusion, "When did Mukuro become an education expert? And how is this related to Natsuki?"
Meanwhile, Mukuro Hoshimiya gave Nia Honjo a puzzled look, seemingly surprised by how much this person knew.
But her observation was brief. Soon, Mukuro tilted her head up and said to Luo Shu:
"Has Big Brother forgotten the ability of the Master of Seal and Unlock?"
"By using the Master of Seal and Unlock to access Natsuki-chan's knowledge and memories, then sealing them into my own, I can quickly absorb a vast amount of information."
"This technique was actually developed under the guidance of Big Brother's secretary. Didn't Brother know about it?"
"Yukino taught you this?" Luo Shu was momentarily stunned. "So that's how it is..."
He genuinely hadn't been aware of this. Yukino Yukinoshita hadn't mentioned it to him either.
At this point, Nia Honjo chimed in with a smile: "This technique was devised by Chairwoman Lacus to help Mukuro and Miss Mira quickly grasp mystic side knowledge, aiding in the research and development of sealing abilities. Several individuals, including Yukino Yukinoshita, were enlisted to assist."
"Yukino Yukinoshita apparently studied the knowledge transfer method there, connected it to Mukuro's abilities, and developed this convenient approach."
"Through this method, Mukuro and Miss Mira swiftly became masters of mystic side knowledge, much like Natsuki Minamiya..."
"Though they're only half-baked—knowing the theory but unable to apply it practically."
"Still, it's undeniably efficient, capable of transforming a complete novice into a theoretical expert in the mystic side almost instantly."
"That's why I said Mukuro is now an education expert!"
"Oh, by the way, Yukino-san should have already submitted a written report on this. It's just that someone hasn't returned to the garrison yet."
Hearing Nia Honjo's explanation, Luo Shu's expression turned peculiar.
Without warning, his Familia had pulled off something like this—quite impressive indeed!
At this moment, Luo Shu felt a twinge of pride. Even in his absence, his Familia was growing stronger in their own way.
This sense of being chased after was hard to describe, but it was undoubtedly a joyous feeling!
Meanwhile, Miku Izayoi, who had been listening nearby, finally grasped the situation:
"So, all we need now is for Miss Hoshimiya to use her ability, and I can instantly learn all about the mystic side?"
"Is there really such a convenient teaching method? This is practically cheating, isn't it?"
Miku Izayoi thought of her struggling high school coursework and the difficult musical scores she had to memorise for her idol work.
Didn't this mean that as long as Mukuro Hoshimiya agreed, she could just tap her ability and perfectly solve all these troublesome memory problems in the future?
How could there be such a convenient Spirit ability?!
"Pretty much," Nia Honjo affirmed Miku's speculation and asked, "So, Mukuro, could you help copy the mystic side knowledge you obtained from Natsuki Minamiya and share it with Miku?"
Hearing this, Mukuro Hoshimiya, who was currently being fed by a gritting-teeth Kisara, raised her head while chewing and looked at Luo Shu.
At that moment, Luo Shu smiled and nodded, patting Mukuro's head.
Seeing Luo Shu's permission, Mukuro raised her hand and summoned the Master of Seal and Unlock.
Amidst golden light, the sceptre-like Master of Seal and Unlock appeared in Mukuro's hand, and in an instant—before Miku could react—touched the tip of the staff to the centre of Miku's forehead.
"Master of Seal and Unlock!"
"Knowledge Seal and Record!"
With a tap, Mukuro twisted the sceptre, and in the next moment, streams of crystal-clear knowledge surged into Miku's mind like rivers merging into the ocean.
In that instant, Miku understood many, many things.
Her gaze first turned blank, then sharpened with realisation, and the way she looked at Luo Shu gradually changed.
At this moment, Luo Shu, who was being stared at by Miku, felt something was off.
Why did Miku's gaze toward him suddenly feel... different?