With alarming clarity, Lan Wangji pictures Magnus Chase wearing a forehead ribbon. The image is so charming that it comes shockingly close to making him smile again.

"Lan clan sword techniques," he recites, taking the question at face value even as he understands that there is something else beneath it. "Musical cultivation; some play the qin, as I do, but others play the xiao. As I said before: painting, calligraphy, and weiqi. There is a great deal of theory to study as well. When I deem them ready, they can apply it in practice and embark on night-hunts. Initially, I supervise. With time, I allow them to go alone, as long as they carry the signal flare that can alert me immediately if they need my assistance."