Youyu: "..."
Chinai said she wanted to learn how to play cards from him, but did you really think she wanted to learn the game?
I think what she wanted was to warm the bed!
Actually, how could Youyu not see through the girl's little thoughts? Even if Chinai is naturally expressionless with poor emotional expression, the affection level doesn't lie.
Until now, sometimes there would still inexplicably pop up a few lines of "Affection Level UP" over Chinai's head, and Youyu had become almost numb to it after getting used to it...
But let's not forget, after all, she's still a high school student, and she's still underage at this time.
If Youyu really just went along with it so casually, wouldn't he be taken away without needing any evidence?
This is a matter of principle!
... But if it's just teaching card games, it might be something worth considering.
At this moment, the Dark Magician Girl materialized in front of the two: "Mas... Master! I want to learn too!"
"Huh?" Youyu said in surprise, "You also want to learn cooking from me... Ah, crap, learn dueling?"
The spirit girl nodded vigorously.
Youyu found it strange. Why does an elf need to learn to play cards? Isn't it enough that you can help me in battles?
"Yeah, yeah." She stuck out her tongue a little shyly, "Because... because my skills are too bad, I can't make the Master enjoy himself every time. So I want to get a bit stronger..."
"I see." Youyu thought about it and felt that what she said made sense.
Even just as a practice partner, having better skills would surely have its advantages.
Although it feels a bit sorry for the spirit girl, but currently, the Dark Magician Girl's understanding of dueling basically still stays at the level of "you play one, I play one." Playing cards with her gives Youyu the illusion of bullying a simple AI...
"Alright, alright, but it's already late today." Youyu sighed, "Hmm... If there's time tomorrow, I'll teach you both."
"Sure!" said the Dark Magician Girl, and after thinking for a while, turned to Chinai, "Then I'll be relying on you from now on!"
Chinai glanced at the magician lady's well-endowed chest, then looked down at her own size, and unconsciously turned her head away with a slightly awkward "um."
Nothing else, she just got a bit dizzy...
...
Since the matter was agreed upon, naturally, it wasn't convenient to delay. The next noon, Youyu specifically made time to give lessons to the two students.
You wouldn't believe it, but Chinai was really well-prepared. Before Youyu even started talking, she was already sitting properly, with a notebook and a pen in front of her, resembling a model student seriously listening in the front row of each class in college.
Although he thought that in this world setting, there shouldn't be people who don't understand the rules of Duel Monsters, Youyu still started by briefly explaining the basic rules.
Including both sides starting with five cards, the basics of the Monster Zone, Magic Trap Zone, graveyard, and the distinction of card types, etc. ...
Chinai-chan listened carefully and took notes throughout. And the magician lady also seemed to be listening to the master's lecture with eyes wide open, but her attention wasn't where it should be.
The girl's internal OS: Suddenly realized that the Master's voice is quite nice to listen to, why didn't I notice it before...
...
Well, some students have the skill of listening to the teacher's lectures with their ears perked while still daydreaming...
After briefly explaining the rules, Youyu continued, "Then you should also know that the most important thing in a duel is the Card Deck, after all, cards are the duelist's strongest weapon, and it's not exaggerating to say they are the soul..."
The Dark Magician Girl didn't miss this sentence even though she had been spacing out for half a day and immediately felt proud.
The Master said that cards are the soul of a duelist, and I am the Master's card. If you make an equivalent substitution, doesn't that mean I am the Master's soul?
The girl immediately puffed out her chest, feeling a little proud.
"... so, let me have a look at your Card Decks."
Of course, even without looking, he could roughly imagine the state they were in.
The result was as he expected.
There was no need to even mention the Dark Magician Girl. After so many practice sessions, Youyu was familiar with the composition of her deck. It was basically just a Normal Deck focusing on Spellcaster-Type, colloquially known as a card pile...
As a beginner, there were no high expectations from Chinai either, and naturally, she also brought out a Normal Deck.
"How... how is it, Master?" The Dark Magician Girl asked nervously, "Is my Card Deck not any good?"
Well, if I were to be brutally honest, Youyu might say, there's no hope, just dig a hole and bury it...
... Of course, it's impossible to say that.
Youyu decided to think of a way to let her realize the problem herself.
Youyu pondered for a moment, shuffled her deck, and then handed it over.
"Let's assume you are dueling against me now," he said, "Draw five cards."
"Oh... oh."
Although she didn't understand the intention, the spirit girl has always obeyed the Master's words unconditionally. She obediently drew five cards and flipped them open for the Master to see.
Two low-star Normal Monsters, two high-star Monsters, and a meaningless Magic Card, a very ordinary starting hand.
"Look, with this hand, just summoning a monster in the first turn is pretty much the end," Youyu said. "The starting five cards have no synergy, no cooperation, and zero workable space.
Duel Monsters, after all, aren't games won with a single card, a 40-card deck each has its value and meaning..."
"But... but my Card Deck does have synergies!" said the Dark Magician Girl, "I just didn't draw them..."
"That's where the problem lies," Youyu said, "In actual combat, opponents won't listen to your excuses, even if you didn't draw the combo you wanted, a loss is still a loss. So, this is what I'm going to teach you today, and it's the foundation of the foundation. You must find ways to minimize the chance of this happening in practice..."
"I... I understand, Master!" The Dark Magician Girl suddenly realized.
Youyu nodded slightly.
Hmm, as expected of my spirit, her understanding is pretty good.
Dark Magician Girl: "So, becoming a real duelist's first step in training is to be able to draw the cards you want, right!"
Youyu: "..."
"Oh... I see." Chinai showed a thoughtful expression, "Indeed, if you can't draw the cards you want, no matter how powerful the combos are, they're useless..."
Saying this, she started to write notes in her little notebook.
Youyu: "No, that's not, what I mean to say..."
"That's right! The duelist and their cards are closely connected!" said the Dark Magician Girl, "As long as there's a bond between us, the cards will definitely respond to the duelist!"
Actually, there was the second half of the sentence she didn't say—
—Just like me and my Master! (Proud face)
She blinked at Youyu: "Right, Master?"
Youyu: "Uh... yeah."
Actually, what the Dark Magician Girl said... seems not wrong.
After all, if not for the bond being fully charged, who's the heck doesn't want to perform miracles?