They bought a lot of ingredients this time.
On the carriage ride back, Lux stared at the vegetables, meat, and all the oil, salt, sauces, and seasonings packed into the bags, and asked seriously, "Are you sure ice cream made with all this is going to taste good?"
Luke answered just as seriously, "Relax. It'll definitely be good."
But even Lux could tell—
This guy had absolutely taken the opportunity to stock up on food for the next few days too.
And she was the one paying for it!
Lux was already regretting her impulse.
Meanwhile, Luke was quietly thrilled about freeloading several days' worth of meals.
Before long, they were back home.
It was probably around five in the afternoon. It wasn't evening yet, and the streets still looked wide and bright at a glance.
As they got down from the carriage, they happened to run into Fiora walking over.
She wore an extremely minimal black-and-white outfit that made her look strikingly cold and elegant. Her refined face was as aloof as a flower blooming on a snowy peak.
"Good afternoon, Miss Laurent," Luke greeted.
These past few days, he'd been going to the library around midday, and after seeing Fiora back and forth like that, they weren't as unfamiliar with each other as before.
"Hi, Miss Laurent~!" Lux also greeted warmly.
Fiora could tell from the way they looked that they'd just returned from outside. She gave a small nod. "Good afternoon."
Then Luke asked, "Were you looking for me?"
He felt the odds of "randomly" running into Fiora right at his door were pretty low. From the way she carried herself, she seemed to have come on purpose.
Sure enough, Fiora nodded again. "Mm."
Luke said, "Then come in and sit for a bit."
He opened the door and invited her inside.
Luke had Yurna Doer host her first, because making ice cream still required several prep steps—and after that it needed time to freeze—so it was best not to waste time.
He went down to the basement first. According to Yurna Doer, there was a small ice storage room down there, but Luke had never come to look before.
The basement carried a natural coolness. After only a few steps, he saw a small door about half a person's height. The material was clearly different from the surrounding walls at a glance.
An ice room like this was a common noble method for escaping the summer heat. It could produce ice, and it could keep food cold—basically a pretty decent refrigerator.
In ancient times, people used saltpeter to make ice.
It was slow and inefficient, so ice was considered a luxury in summer.
But this was Runeterra, so the methods of making ice were very different.
Luke opened the small door, and a wave of cold air rushed out at his face. Frosty mist rolled inside, and the "refrigerator" itself was made from a different kind of material.
He'd heard it was built using a Freljord material called "Icegather Stone." This stone froze when it touched water, and it maintained a low temperature year-round—an astonishing thing.
It wasn't common even in the Freljord, but that region was cold all year anyway, and some tribes deliberately searched for Icegather Stone.
Whenever summer came, they would travel to Demacia's borderlands and trade it.
Usually for a very respectable profit.
"Nice. No issues," Luke said.
He stuck his hand inside to check the temperature. The deeper in he went, the colder it got.
Near the outside, it was simply low temperature.
Lux, trailing along behind him, couldn't help asking, "Is having this enough?"
"Of course. The first requirement for ice cream is that it has to be cold," Luke replied with a nod.
"Oh." Lux didn't ask further.
Back upstairs, Luke waved and called Yurna Doer over.
Looking at the maid waiting for instructions, Luke said, "I'm only demonstrating the next steps once. Watch carefully and remember everything."
Yurna Doer nodded with full seriousness.
Finally, under Lux's eager gaze, Luke began the ice cream process.
Demacia had plenty of summer treats for cooling off—like a simple old-style frozen dessert, or shaved ice polished down and brushed with a layer of fruit juice.
Or fruit blended into juice, frozen, and eaten afterward.
These were all common ways to beat the heat, and precisely because they were common, they made ice cream seem all the more extraordinary by comparison.
A basic ice cream recipe was actually simple: finish a few steps in order. First, heat milk, milk powder, cornstarch, white sugar, and a small pinch of salt, stirring them together until the mixture thickened.
Then you simmer it over the fire, and finally freeze it.
But Luke, with Cooking Skill Lv. 6, naturally had plenty of new tricks. To improve the texture, he'd deliberately bought a variety of ingredients.
Fiora sat on the sofa, watching the three of them bustling back and forth. Her eyes held a bit of confusion.
She didn't know what they were making.
But she was curious, so she watched anyway.
After they'd been busy for a while, Lux gave up first. There were too many steps, and she couldn't keep them straight.
So she decided she'd just enjoy the final result.
She walked into the living room and sat down across from Fiora.
The tea Yurna Doer had brewed was at exactly the right temperature.
Fiora lifted her teacup, blew lightly, and took a small sip. Her deep blue eyes brightened.
"This tea… is very good."
She took another sip, this time tasting it carefully.
It seemed like "very good" didn't even begin to cover it. Without exaggeration, she suddenly felt that every tea she'd ever had before couldn't even compare.
Her mind gradually quieted, and a thin warmth seemed to circle through her entire body. The fatigue of these past days slowly began to fade, and an unexpected clarity rose in its place.
"Is it really that good?" Lux asked. Seeing that Fiora spoke so highly of it, she picked up her own cup and tried a sip too.
She considered the taste, then nodded. "Mm. I guess it's pretty good."
Tea—whether it was good or not—Lux honestly couldn't tell. To her, most teas tasted basically the same.
She didn't particularly love it, so she couldn't see the value in the cup.
If she could choose, she'd rather trade it for a glass of fruit juice.
Seeing that, Fiora's eyes took on a hint of amusement. "I suggest you drink more. It'll help you develop."
As she said it, her gaze swept, almost casually, across Miss Crownguard's flat chest.
And Lux, at the exact moment Fiora spoke, happened to glance at Fiora's chest.
Instantly, Miss Crownguard felt offended.
The next second, she lifted her teacup, tipped her head back, and gulped the whole thing down in a few noisy swallows.
Luke, passing by at the side, just stared, stunned.
That Smoky Earl Grey Tea… is that how you're supposed to drink it?
He swallowed his urge to complain and turned back to keep working.
The ice cream process itself wasn't that long, but it still took nearly an hour. It was only when a sweet, fragrant scent drifted from the kitchen that it truly caught the attention of the two in the living room.
Curious, Fiora looked toward the kitchen.
Lux, meanwhile, was excited again.
Smell didn't lie. If it already smelled this good, it couldn't possibly taste that bad!
Luke carried the finished ice cream mixture down to the basement ice storage to freeze, then came back upstairs.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Luke said as he sat on the sofa. He picked up the tea that had cooled and took two sips. "Give it about another hour and it'll be ready."
Hearing that, Fiora asked, "What exactly are you making?"
"Ice cream." Luke smiled. "Something delicious. You'll understand once you taste it."
Fiora didn't bother being polite. She took a sip of the freshly refilled hot tea. "Then I won't refuse."
"By the way, I didn't get the chance to ask earlier—what did you come to see me for?" Luke asked then, finally addressing why she was here.
Leaving her sitting around for nearly an hour really couldn't be helped, but it still wasn't ideal.
"It's not anything important." Fiora smiled faintly. "I just wanted to ask—have you been practicing your swordsmanship lately?"
Luke thought about it and answered, "I guess so."
"'I guess so'?" Fiora repeated, slightly puzzled.
"During outdoor class every day, I'll practice a bit sometimes. And I've been teaching Lux a couple moves too," Luke explained.
Lux nodded along on the side to back him up.
"…." After a second of silence, Fiora's brows knit slightly. "If you only practice that little each day, will you really improve?"
In her eyes, Luke was purely wasting his talent.
She couldn't help coming today because, at the academy, she'd seen Luke running around all day like a drifter with that blonde girl.
The sword style he'd learned—if it were on any other swordsman, that person would be practicing day and night, hoping to become a top-tier duelist with it one day.
But after several days of watching, Fiora had practically never seen Luke seriously train his swordsmanship.
So she'd come straight to his door.
If Luke's swordsmanship didn't improve, that was a loss for her too.
In places like the training camp before, there was basically no one who could challenge Fiora anymore. If she couldn't fight strong opponents, her strength wouldn't progress.
Later, only Luke's swordsmanship had made her eyes light up.
And on that day, an idea had formed in Fiora's mind.
If she could help Luke grow to the level where he could truly spar with her, maybe she could break into a new realm herself.
But up to now, the Luke she'd seen was either slacking off or coasting—there wasn't a trace of serious training in him.
Of course, there were plenty of swordsmen in the capital stronger than her, but with Fiora's current status, she couldn't openly challenge them.
Luke saw those cool, clear eyes land on him.
For some reason, he felt like a teacher had come to his house to check homework.
After thinking for a moment, Luke sighed. "Actually, I've been working hard in places people can't see."
Yurna Doer listened quietly, saying nothing.
Working hard… as in working hard at sleeping?
Fiora didn't really believe it. She stood up. "Spar with me in the courtyard."
Luke didn't refuse. He had nothing better to do, so he stood as well and went with her to the front courtyard.
The house had protective gear and weapons prepared.
Before long, the two of them stood facing each other with weapons in hand.
Lux sat on the steps by the doorway, propping her chin on her hands, watching the match.
"Same as before," Fiora said, raising the blade in her hand. Her entire presence turned proud and cold.
Luke drew his long blade, gathered the wind around his body, and attacked directly.
He was even faster than usual. In the blink of an eye, the blade was already slashing out.
Clang—!
A crisp metallic ring burst out as their weapons collided. Fiora's expression shifted from that very first exchange.
She lifted her gaze toward Luke charging in. She was suppressing her own strength while blocking his attacks, yet she could already feel considerable pressure.
This offensive… was far stronger than last time. Not just a little.
Fiora could clearly feel it from the momentum of these sword moves: this sword style had reached the point of transformation, as if only now was it truly beginning.
Did this guy actually train in secret?
Otherwise, there was no way to explain what she was seeing.
Luke followed with several more slashes. While parrying, Fiora steadily pressed down her surprise and began to counterattack.
In the end, the sparring result was naturally still Luke's defeat.
After all, Fiora was suppressing her strength—no matter what, she wasn't going to lose.
Fiora looked at Luke and said, "You've improved a lot. Your swordsmanship has taken shape."
Between each move and form, there were no longer obvious flaws. It made her more and more eager for the day Luke grew to her level—when they could finally have a real fight.
In only a few days, the gap between their strength had shrunk by another huge step.
She had to admit: his talent was extremely rare.
"Looks like I didn't disappoint you," Luke said with a smile, inwardly marveling that the duelist really was something else.
He just didn't know what level Fiora's strength had reached by now.
If he counted the timeline, Fiora should still be in her growth phase.
His strength came from a cheat.
But Fiora's strength was earned—step by step, one foot in front of the other.
He genuinely respected people with that kind of iron will.
They sparred a few more times. Only when the sky had mostly darkened did they return to the living room.
"It should be ready in a little over twenty minutes," Luke said.
He hadn't tracked the exact time, but by feel he could estimate it closely enough.
He picked up the newly poured hot tea and took a sip.
Suddenly, two system notifications popped up.
[Congratulations, Host: Aptitude +1]
[Congratulations, Host: Aptitude has broken through to "Exceptionally Gifted"][]
Luke swept his eyes over it. His aptitude had advanced again.
Now he seemed to have some real talent. He remembered that at the very beginning, he'd only been mediocre.
Just like before, he didn't feel anything especially different.
But this Smoky Earl Grey Tea truly had impressive effects. After only a few cups, his aptitude had risen noticeably—more precious than some rare treasures. As expected of a top-tier tea.
Watching Lux gulp down another cup in noisy swallows, Luke smiled helplessly.
This was what people meant by wasting something priceless.
But he didn't really mind. Tea existed to be drunk. As for how you drank it—whatever.
Fiora, on the other hand, sipped her tea quietly. She looked composed and elegant, but inside she was anything but calm.
Only now did she truly realize how extraordinary this tea was.
When someone's strength reached a certain level, a very obvious bottleneck would appear.
Fiora had been stuck with that bottleneck feeling for a long time. But now, after two cups, that clogged, immovable sensation had actually begun to loosen—just slightly.
She couldn't help lifting her eyes to Luke across from her.
Luke noticed Fiora hesitating, as if she wanted to speak but couldn't quite say it. He smiled and said, "I know what you want to say. This tea's good, isn't it?"
Fiora nodded lightly.
What she cared about even more was this: such precious tea had been given to her to drink so casually—was that really okay?
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