By the time Ron stepped out of the laboratory, it was already noon.
Before he could even leave the gates of the Royal Capital Magic Academy, he was "coincidentally" stopped by the dean of studies, who invited him to have lunch at the academy cafeteria.
As a specially appointed assistant instructor, Ron had actually never eaten there before.
Watching the lively, youthful students coming and going, he couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
If the original Ron hadn't been ostracized as a child…
Then maybe, when he transmigrated, he would've been studying here too.
Meeting the campus beauty, clashing with arrogant bullies—
A classic underdog rise story.
Now that would've been the proper script.
After getting their food from the staff counter, Ron experienced a bit of nostalgic "school culture" from his previous life.
The two of them sat by the window, chatting casually while eating.
The dean spoke enthusiastically about the Element Card research division, clearly impressed with Ron's work.
Ron listened with a faint smile, thinking—
If you knew I was planning to poach your people, would you still be this warm?
Still…
The mages in the card research division were excellent candidates.
He mentally added that to his list.
"Your Highness, ahem…"
After a long round of praise, the dean finally got to the point.
"Marquis of Wash asked me to convey his regards."
"He also wishes to ask whether you might consider selecting your count territory from his domain."
"If you agree, he's willing to grant you Belmus City, along with several surrounding towns—prime location, strong economy, excellent transport."
Ron set down his knife and fork, smiling faintly.
"We've known each other a long time. Is someone in your position willing to act as a lobbyist?"
The dean sighed helplessly.
"…Well, Marquis of Wash is my brother-in-law."
"But of course, I wouldn't pressure you. The decision is entirely yours."
"This is just me passing along a message—it won't affect our relationship."
"Of course."
Ron picked up his utensils again, cutting into a piece of pork and chewing slowly without replying immediately.
"To be fair," the dean continued, "Marquis Wash is very sincere this time."
"Belmus City is a second-tier trade hub in the eastern region—comparable to his own main city."
"I imagine many others have approached you as well. His offer would easily rank among the top three."
Ron nodded in agreement and took a sip of vegetable soup.
In just a few days, over a dozen marquises had already reached out.
But Ron hadn't even bothered comparing their offers.
Because he had no intention of accepting any of them.
So "top three" meant nothing to him.
He suddenly asked:
"Marquises in the eastern region—what's their relationship with Duke Christine?"
The dean replied:
"Marquis Wash' territory itself was granted under Duke Christine. It falls within the duke's domain."
I see.
Ron nodded inwardly.
Previously, Count Hodge of the Christine family had tried to invite him through Eileen.
After being politely rejected, they were now taking a more indirect route—
Trying to pull him into the eastern faction through a subordinate marquis.
Quite the elaborate effort.
As with the others, Ron gave no clear answer.
After finishing lunch, he simply took his leave and departed the academy.
He boarded a carriage and headed toward the Moonview Street tournament venue.
After two days of preliminaries, the third day was even more lively.
It was also Sunday, the day of worship.
After morning prayers, many people came here to relax and watch matches.
Entering the first-floor hall, Ron looked at the walls lined with Mimic Grass projections:
Venue maps and match distributions
Replays of exciting matches from previous days
Advertisements for newly released Element Card skins
These ads were edited by Kiel using recent footage.
Though still rough in structure and perspective, to people in this world, this kind of promotion was incredibly effective.
Additionally:
The incident involving the baron's illegitimate son was still being replayed as a warning
Promotional material for Magic Duel tournament halls was in production
All handled by Kiel—the newly crowned "advertising master."
With Ron's guidance, Kiel had quickly grasped the essence of what Ron called "advertisements".
He had even already produced a skin promotion video.
Ron wandered through the floors, occasionally stopping by entrances to watch matches.
Even from outside, the roaring reactions of the crowd made the intensity inside obvious.
He also caught one of Mia's matches—
She lost 1–2.
Ron chuckled and shook his head before leisurely heading up to the fourth-floor control room.
Inside, the staff was busy as ever:
Recording results
Compiling data
Relaying urgent updates
Making announcements through the audio system
Under Nora's coordination, everything ran smoothly and efficiently.
Ron didn't need to intervene at all.
The girl who once could barely help sell flowers—
Had now grown into someone capable of managing an entire operation.
If not for Nora's rapid growth, Ron would've had to spend far more time here.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Standing behind her, Ron gently ruffled her hair.
Nora, fully focused on her work, turned at the touch.
Her face lit up with a soft, obedient smile.
"Boss."
"Don't mind me. Keep working."
Ron pulled up a chair beside her, casually picking up the documents she had already processed and flipping through them.