As Ron dripped his blood onto the Scalevine, he simultaneously began channeling mana into it.
For an ordinary person to bond with a Scalevine, they would have to faithfully feed it a drop of blood every day for fifteen days to complete the bonding ritual.
But mages and warriors were different.
By infusing mana or battle aura along with their blood, they could accelerate the bonding process.
For Ron, this meant it would take only three days to make the Scalevine fully acknowledge him as its master.
After a few minutes of feeding it, Ron tossed the Scalevine back into his inventory and opened it to absorb the reward from his completed quest: Volume II of the Natural Meditation Technique.
The system interface leveled up, and the number of available pattern themes increased from three to seven.
It even unlocked pattern combination modes.
Ron had zero interest in the system's fancy gimmicks. He casually picked a new theme and closed the panel.
Spending the rest of the morning efficiently running through his usual cultivation routine, Ron left the Dimensional Realm.
—
Back in the shop, Nora sat at the coffee table, diligently practicing her vocabulary.
Ron walked up behind her and, upon seeing her confident grip on the pen and the steadily improving, elegant handwriting, felt a genuine sense of accomplishment.
It really felt like playing a character-raising game—and in full 3D immersive mode, no less.
Noticing someone behind her, Nora looked up and gave her boss a bright smile. "Good afternoon, Boss."
"Mm." Ron smiled and nodded. "Once your vocabulary's a bit better, I'll get you a few simple books. When you can read fluently, feel free to check the shelves upstairs and pick out anything that interests you."
"Okay!"
Radiant Mercenary Group Regional Office — Chaos City Branch
Commander Webster sat in his office, skimming through documents while Jasper gave a detailed report on the current situation in Chaos City.
"…In short, everything at the Chaos City branch is running smoothly. Those are the main points to be aware of," Jasper concluded respectfully.
"Mm." Webster nodded, pulling two contracts from the pile. "Now, tell me in detail about His Highness Ron and the Magic Academy."
"Yes, sir," Jasper replied, organizing his thoughts before starting from the beginning.
Since much of the background had already been covered in previous letters, he briefly summarized the early stages and focused on his latest findings.
"His Highness Ron visits the Magic Academy every afternoon for study and exchange. The plants he needs for the flower shop are likely transferred during that time."
"Based on the intel we've gathered so far, the Academy has two active research labs working on Nether Orchids and Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemums. Both labs fall under Professor Hicks."
"We've searched across the various branches of the Manchester Mountains, but aside from a few valleys officially owned by the Magic Academy, we haven't found any signs of cultivation."
"So if these plants were indeed developed by the Academy, then the cultivation base is most likely in those valleys."
"Of course, there's still the possibility they're hidden deeper within the Manchester Mountains, but that region belongs to the Dwarven Kingdom, so I didn't risk sending scouts further."
"Just a few days ago, Dean Vosbites and Professor Hicks visited the dwarves under the pretense of academic exchange in metallurgy and astronomy. It could easily be a cover for some secret deal."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Webster listened intently, his finger rhythmically tapping the tabletop through the contract paper.
While Jasper's analysis sounded plausible, it lacked solid evidence.
"You'll continue to monitor the situation," Webster instructed calmly. "Don't jump to conclusions until we have something concrete."
Jasper nodded silently and stepped back.
"Bring me some Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum petals and leaves," Webster added, dismissing Jasper.
—
"Ron André…"
Webster repeated the name silently, recalling the handful of times he'd spoken with the Seventh Prince.
Before arriving in Chaos City, Ron had approached him with a request, asking for ownership of a shop.
At the time, Webster thought it laughably naive. Did he really think running a flower shop would win back the Emperor's favor and recognition?
But now, things seemed far more complicated.
If the Nether Orchid and Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum had truly been developed by the Magic Academy, then when exactly had Ron formed ties with them?
Had he connected with the Academy before being sent away from the Royal Capital?
Or had he opened his shop first, and only afterward caught the Academy's interest?
If it were the former, it would mean the Academy had already reached out to Ron while he was still at the capital—implying a long-standing scheme.
If it were the latter, that still pointed to clear ambition from the Academy's side.
But why would the Magic Academy need to promote these plants through the hands of the Seventh Prince?
What was their goal?
—
Just then, there was a knock on the office door. A subordinate entered with a tray containing Chrysanthemum petals and leaves.
Webster's thoughts were interrupted. He shook his head and asked the man to brew him a cup of Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum Tea.
The teapot and teacup were placed on the desk. Without hesitation, Webster downed the tea in one go, ignoring the scalding heat sliding down his throat.
A gentle warmth spread through his body, stimulating the ball of battle aura in his lower abdomen, making it stir slightly like a small sun.
Webster raised an eyebrow, surprised to find that Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum had a noticeable effect—even on a legendary-level warrior like him.
It was subtle, but over time, that kind of enhancement could be significant.
After a second cup, his battle aura surged more actively, and his thoughts became clearer.
Now, when reconsidering the Ron situation, a new possibility suddenly occurred to him.
What if the Nether Orchid and Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemum weren't developed by the Academy at all?
What if they actually belonged to Emperor André III?
What if Ron wasn't merely "banished" from the palace to "retire peacefully"…
…but was instead entrusted with a secret mission?
What if the Academy's interactions with the flower shop were nothing more than legitimate commercial transactions?
Could this entire situation be part of a deliberate plan orchestrated by the Emperor himself?
If so, what was His Majesty truly after?
And how did Ron maintain a continuous supply of these rare flowers?
According to Jasper's surveillance, Ron had no unusual interactions except for his regular commute between the flower shop and the Magic Academy.
Jasper had people shadowing Ron at all times, both to protect him and to gather intelligence.
Webster massaged his temples, then stood and walked to the window, gazing into the distance.
Dean Vosbites was likely at the Magic Academy right now.
Maybe it was time for an old friend to visit him…