Inside the freshly cleaned laboratory—
"So, it was the effect of this plant that improved your meditation efficiency and allowed you to break through to Tier 4?" Professor Hicks sat in his chair, his gaze serious as he stared at the purple flower on the table.
"Yes." Mason nodded repeatedly. "I didn't really believe it at first either, but the shop has connections to the Empire, and honestly, I was in a 'desperate times, desperate measures' mindset. So I figured I'd give it a try... and the results were surprisingly good."
"Incredible... I've never heard of a plant like this before." Hicks furrowed his brow, clearly still stunned.
But as the flower's fragrance gradually filled the office, Hicks felt his mind grow noticeably clearer, and the elemental concentration in the air did seem to be slowly rising.
All of this pointed to one thing—
Mason wasn't lying.
And more importantly, he had really advanced to Tier 4—that much couldn't be faked.
Still, Hicks was a cautious and methodical man. After some thought, he said uncertainly, "A shop with imperial backing… could it be something developed by the Royal Capital Magic Academy?"
Given the alleged involvement of the royal family—and possibly even Emperor Andre III himself—Hicks couldn't help but feel suspicious.
This whole thing was also tied to the Radiant Mercenary Corps, but he wasn't particularly familiar with their commander, Webster, so there wasn't much he could do to dig into the inside story.
The Dean did have a good relationship with Webster, but this wasn't something he could bother the Dean with—at least not yet.
Hicks mulled it over for a moment and finally said, "Since a plant with such effects has appeared, we definitely need to conduct further research. Mason, I want you to go back to that flower shop today and buy five more Nether Orchids. Bring them here to the lab. I'll cover all the expenses under my budget."
If the shop really did have imperial support, there was no choice but to handle things carefully and through proper channels.
If the Nether Orchid's scent alone could enhance meditation, then what if it were combined with other materials? Could they create an even more powerful meditation potion?
If so, the Magic Academy might be able to negotiate a partnership with the shop, buying the orchids in bulk—a win-win situation.
Of course, all of that would depend on whether the Nether Orchid could actually be used as a potion ingredient.
That would take time to verify.
"I understand, Professor," Mason replied immediately.
Professor Hicks then turned to Harper and said with a stern expression, "And you, Harper! Once the Nether Orchids arrive, you'll be in charge of the research. Try creating a new meditation potion. For now, stay out of trouble!"
Harper opened his mouth to protest, but Hicks added:
"I'll assign Edith as your assistant."
The moment he heard the name Edith, Harper's mind conjured up the image of two towering snowy peaks. His eyes sparkled with golden light as he thumped his chest enthusiastically.
"No problem! Leave it to me!"
Ruby District, Aikley Street.
It was nearing 4 PM.
Ron, lounging in the recliner behind the shop counter, glanced at the time. He set aside his book, A Brief History of the Elves, and with it… the uncensored elven illustration book that slipped out from inside and fell to the floor.
In a small panic, he scrambled to pick it up.
Once everything was tucked away again, he peeked outside the shop nervously, then let out a sigh of relief.
"Next time, I really should read that in my room…" he muttered.
He got up, hung the "Temporarily Closed" sign on the door, and headed next door to the barbecue shop.
He'd closed an hour early today because he had an appointment with Lyle to taste test the newly seasoned barbecue.
There hadn't been many customers this afternoon anyway, and those who did show up were just ordinary folks. They came in expecting to buy a basic bouquet, only to see the shop selling a single kind of flower—at 20 gold coins. They left scowling.
Some with worse tempers even cursed him on the way out.
Ron hadn't paid them any mind, simply going back to his history books.
It was clear that the dwarf mage Mason hadn't yet spread the word at the Academy about the Nether Orchid—no mages had shown up today.
Maybe he's just a selfish guy, Ron thought to himself.
If Mason didn't want others to know about the Nether Orchid and chose to keep it to himself, that could cause trouble down the line.
Would Ron have to go "beg on the streets" just to make a sale?
He shook his head. No point overthinking it.
It wasn't like he was in any rush.
These days, life was going great.
Even without sales, the flower shop gave him a peaceful and enjoyable routine.
Training with the Light Sword Codex kept his body energetic.
Daily meditation kept his mind clear and focused.
All the backaches and fatigue he used to suffer as a stay-at-home otaku were gone.
Throw in his handsome face and "solid assets," and honestly, he was living like a total winner at life.
Just wondering which lucky girl's gonna end up with this prize package? He thought smugly.
With that, Ron pushed open the door to Lyle's barbecue shop.
Lyle had clearly been waiting. He eagerly waved Ron over to the courtyard behind the store.
After learning the sauce recipes last night, Lyle had invited Ron to come taste-test the new seasonings and give some feedback.
Free barbecue? Ron accepted without hesitation.
Back in his old world, hanging out with friends over grilled meat and cold beer was one of life's purest pleasures.
But ever since arriving in this world, he hadn't had much of that kind of fun.
Helping Lyle improve the barbecue shop wasn't just being neighborly—it was also a long-term investment in Ron's own meals.
Because, let's be honest—cooking for yourself every day gets tiring fast.
"Ron! I've prepared the black pepper sauce, cumin powder, and pepper powder just like you said! I tried some earlier—it tastes amazing!" Lyle beamed, leading Ron to a wooden table in the courtyard.
"Did you get the wooden skewers I mentioned yesterday?" Ron asked as he sat down.
Lyle's grilled meat was delicious—crispy outside, juicy inside—but the cuts were always large slabs.
Palm-sized portions were more than enough for Ron, and frankly, the sheer size made the meat feel heavy and repetitive.
So Ron suggested using skewers—bite-sized pieces threaded onto sticks, allowing customers to sample multiple types of meat.
Plus, at the end of the meal, seeing a table covered in empty skewers gave a huge sense of satisfaction.
"I did! Got a whole batch. The two kids in the back are skewering meat as we speak," Lyle said, then laughed. "I don't know how you come up with so many clever ideas. I never realized my big chunks of meat were even a problem until you brought it up."
"I'm just offering ideas. Whether they catch on depends on your customers," Ron said humbly with a smile.
The two chatted happily in the courtyard. Before long, the staff brought out the skewers and began grilling.
What Ron didn't know was that Mason had just left the Magic Academy and was now headed straight toward his flower shop.