After signing the contracts, Ron and Jasper stood up and shook hands, and the atmosphere between them warmed once again.
Jasper breathed a sigh of relief—things hadn't turned out too badly after all.
Considering that the Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum supply was entirely in Ron's control, being able to purchase it without a markup was already a win in his book.
What he didn't know was that the system itself fixed the price of the chrysanthemum, neither cheaper nor more expensive.
Regarding the actual delivery, someone from the Radiant Mercenary Corps will come to handle the exchange tomorrow. There was no rush on either side.
Ron personally escorted Jasper downstairs and saw him out of Ron's Wonderful Flower Shop.
When they reached the carriage on the street, Jasper didn't leave immediately. Instead, he clapped his hands, summoning four mercenaries who had been waiting nearby. These were the very four who had successfully advanced to Tier 1 warriors after taking the chrysanthemum last night.
Ron looked on, puzzled.
Jasper smiled and said, "Your Highness Ron, these four are the lucky ones who formed a Battle Aura Vortex after taking your Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum. The corps doesn't lack manpower right now, so I figured I'd have them stick close to you. Just in case anything like the other day happens again."
Ron shook his head with a smile. "Jasper, you really don't need to go this far…"
"No need to be polite, Your Highness," Jasper interrupted. "I'm not asking them to live here or anything—just to keep watch nearby and ensure the shop's safety."
"I've already spoken to the city patrol, but you can never be too careful. With the kind of rare plants in your store, once word gets out, you're bound to attract attention from all sorts of unsavory characters."
"In the City of Chaos, high-ranking figures are always under surveillance, but it's impossible to keep an eye on everyone. You might not worry about these things, but it's better to be cautious."
With Jasper saying all this, Ron couldn't really refuse.
And since the four wouldn't be entering the shop, there was no worry about them uncovering its secrets.
Thinking it over, Ron nodded and turned to the four. "Thanks for your help."
Holt and the others quickly shook their heads, saying it was no trouble at all.
Jasper left them with Ron, then boarded his carriage and departed.
Ron gave Holt and the others a few words before stepping aside to speak briefly with Nora at the door, then headed out himself.
Now that he had an employee, there was no need for him to stay in the shop all day. It was time to pay a visit to the Chaos City Magic Academy.
The Chaos City Magic Academy, located in the southeastern part of the city near the Boundless Mountains, was his destination.
Ron wasn't in a hurry. He wandered leisurely through the bustling streets, soaking in the city's atmosphere.
For the past half-month, he had rarely strayed far from the area around his shop. His only real "outing" had been to the Temple of the Harvest Goddess for a prayer.
So, although he had technically been in the City of Chaos for more than two weeks, today was the first time he'd truly taken a look around.
As the most prosperous trading city on the Rixis Continent, anything that existed on the continent could likely be bought or sold here.
Eventually, Ron arrived at the gates of the academy and presented the pass that Professor Hicks had prepared for him.
After being allowed entry, he didn't rush to find Professor Hicks but instead began strolling through the academy grounds.
The pass from Professor Hicks allowed him access to most non-restricted areas, excluding key labs and archives.
While he was curious about the academy's secrets, he wasn't about to cause trouble.
Walking along the corridor of the main teaching building, Ron peeked into classrooms through the back windows, watching as intermediate mages lectured wide-eyed students. It felt both novel and nostalgic.
Ah… student life.
Ron chuckled and kept walking through the halls.
As he passed a lecture hall, a glimpse through the window made him stop in his tracks.
An elf?
The elf woman at the podium looked quite young, with soft light-green hair cascading over her shoulders and a delicate, serene face—none of the typical elven pride was present.
Class had just begun. The elf instructor stood at the front, introducing herself.
"I am your instructor, Illya. Over the next few weeks, I will be guiding you through the Introduction to Basic Magic Circle Analysis course."
Ron raised an eyebrow. Interesting.
On a whim, he slipped through the back door and sat in an empty seat at the back of the lecture hall.
"To understand magic circles," Illya's gentle voice rang out across the room, "we must first understand what a magic circle is."
"And to do that, we must trace its origins…"
"Does anyone here already have some knowledge in this area?"
It was a typical teaching approach—starting slow to build curiosity—but it made Ron, eager for advanced theory, a little restless.
Several students near the front raised their hands and gave answers. Ron didn't really listen to what they said—probably things he could've read in Magic for Beginners or something.
At that moment, a student beside him nudged him with an elbow, leaned in, and grinned.
"Hey, bro, which class are you from? You here to see Illya too?"
"Huh?" Ron blinked, pulled from his boredom. "Nah… I just thought the class seemed interesting…"
"Yeah, right." The guy gave him a look. "You've been staring at her the whole time, didn't even listen to the answers. You sure you're not here for Illya?"
"Uh…" Ron smiled awkwardly. Well, those answers were boring…
He turned to glance at the guy—a round-faced youth with a bit of baby fat—and asked, "So you came just to see this Illya? Is she really that popular around here?"
Baby-Face looked him up and down suspiciously, clicking his tongue. "You're really playing dumb? Everyone in the academy knows about the two elven saintesses studying here. You seriously didn't know?"
Ron's eyes widened slightly as he glanced toward the podium. "She's one of the elven saintesses?"
"What rock have you been living under?" Baby-Face rolled his eyes. "They've been here over a year already. Within just a few months of enrollment, they both reached Tier 3 Mage. One became a teaching assistant and started this magic circle course. The other became a lab researcher under Professor Hicks. Everybody knows that!"
"Oh… I am new here," Ron replied casually. An elven saintess working with Professor Hicks? That's gotta be Edith, right?
"Yeah, right. Like new students can walk right into elective classes." Baby-Face snorted. "You're either a returning student who picked this class just to see Illya, or if you're really new, you must've heard about her and snuck in."
"Man, why are you so hung up on this?" Ron laughed helplessly. "Fine, fine. I'm here to see her. Happy now?"
"Heh, nothing wrong with that." Baby-Face chuckled and looked around cautiously. Then he fished out a book from his bag, opened it to a page, and discreetly showed it to Ron.
"Illya Special Edition Illustration Booklet. One silver coin per copy. Want one?"