Erin is the focal point of the world, ryoka is the way to explore the world because Erin can’t to quote good omens “an innkeeper in liscor doesn’t have many travel options” so to keep the world turning ryoka had to see it so Erin can interact with it

Fae/true magic has been teased so much for her its no doubt, hell I think almost every run a fairy has said something like “but what if you went faster, fae can move faster, move like fae” or parts of it

Sort of a good thing, the recap is needed back then and when readers pause but there’s also no “this is the stop, this is the start” either to jag up the story

So, sure, she could choose not to give it up, if she wants to make enemies out of a bunch of gnolls, and a dragon, and have Erin possible it be killed. That makes a lot of sense.

She would probably be able to make the spell work if she visualized that, but that’s not the way the book is teaching. And from what it appears, the book basically teaches its contents directly into your mind. In other words, she can’t really alter what it’s trying to teach, without it being an entirely different spell.

For example, rather than [Water Spray] like the spellbook has, yours would be more of [Condense Water], or possibly like a [Water Bolt] spell. It would likely work, but that’s not the spell the book is trying to teach.

She would probably be fine if she tried other magics and just gave up on water as being separate and different.

Light is pretty easy since light is basically everywhere. Even areas that are generally quite dark have at least a bit of light from something, whether it be reflections, distant stars, or objects creating light in some manner. Manipulating that shouldn’t take much brain bending.

Fire is also relatively easy. Fire just needs a fuel and oxidation. Magic can provide both of those.

She is only hung up on water because it’s basically “creating” matter out of magic. So, just ignore any spells that need that sort of requirement and move on to other ones. There’s got to be plenty on that book.

Idk. You make a good point but I also think ryoka is the second main character. To me i think Erin’s freedom/carelessness/Chill open-mindedness and personality will be something that takes her far higher than anyone else.

It is also a question of perspective, until now we have been taught many incredible powers such as: the king of destruction, Teriarch the dragon, Magnolia, the hives of Antinium, the buried god, the immortal fairies, the dungeons under the city, the armies both of companies like those of goblings etc…

Next to this you have Erin, a charismatic innkeeper who is very good at chess and is a bit good at fighting (she doesn’t really train or try to improve, she is only as good as the author requires)

When you compare Erin to everything really important you realize that she is not that special, of course she is charismatic and is more special than the average innkeeper but I simply cannot imagine her as a power to be reckoned with in the world.

Ryoka on the other hand has no limits and also has an inordinate amount of talents, although she has had some nerfs from the plot she still has much more potential than Erin.
So it is quite easy to feel dissatisfied with the main character, feel that she is not interesting or special enough, maybe the author thinks the same and that is why there are so many chapters with different perspectives.
I hope I’m wrong and Erin is more than just a simple innkeeper who watches the events happen and survives thanks to the armor of the plot (because yes, the nerf that the author gave to the skinner was quite shameless)

? PS: I’m sorry for not putting it all together in a comment but it won’t let me edit