Headache...
Ron rubbed his temples, sighing and shaking his head.
He'd thought that with the Chameleon Radish, everything would become easier.
But apparently, things were still just as complicated.
Hundreds—maybe even thousands—of Chameleon Radishes. Even packed closely together, they'd still take up hundreds of square meters.
And if you factored in soil nutrient needs, that area would have to be multiplied several times over.
Not to mention, water was a critical factor.
After absorbing the cultivation guide for the Chameleon Radish, Ron had a clear understanding of its characteristics.
During its growth stage, all the environmental conditions and nutrients it needed could be easily managed inside the farming space.
Once mature, the plants could be transplanted to an outdoor plantation.
Chaos City backed onto the Manchester Mountains, so land wasn't really an issue.
Once mature, Chameleon Radishes had strong vitality and didn't require much in terms of nutrients—but they did need a lot of water.
Especially after harvesting the leaves, if given sufficient water, the Radish could quickly grow new ones.
Of course, this "quick" still wasn't anywhere near the speed of the farming space. Even in the best-case scenario, it would take 3–4 days to regrow.
During that regrowth period, their water requirements would be especially high.
So, when selecting a site for his plantation, somewhere near a river or lake would be ideal.
…Okay, I'm getting sidetracked.
Ron stored the two Chameleon Radishes back into his inventory and thought, Maybe I should just focus on producing Elemental Cards first?
If he modeled them after a deck of playing cards, he'd only need 54 different types. That's 54 Chameleon Radishes.
One Radish per card type.
Even if production was slow, making a few sets would still be much more manageable than the four to five hundred Radishes needed just to mass-produce Legendary Kill.
In terms of complexity, Elemental Cards were way easier.
And when it came to gameplay, they were also more beginner-friendly than Legendary Kill.
Of course, he was referring to the basic version of Elemental Cards modeled after poker, not the heavily modified version Harper and the others played.
Harper, Mason, and Edith played a magic-infused version of Elemental Duel, which required extensive magical knowledge—totally unsuitable for ordinary people.
Something like classic "Landlord" would be much easier to pick up.
Ron grabbed a pen and paper and started sketching out a rough plan for Elemental Card production:
At least 54 Chameleon Radishes
A large plot of land, ideally near a water source
A small team of workers will harvest the leaves daily.
A sales channel
When he got to the fourth item, Ron's headache returned.
Sales channel…?
Now that was a problem.
Once he had the Elemental Cards made, how was he supposed to sell them?
He couldn't just toss them in the flower shop.
As he pondered, he pulled a copy of The History of Goblin Trade Alliances from his bookshelf.
He remembered something—goblins had a natural talent for business.
Back when they migrated from the South Sea Volcanic Islands to the continent, they had split into several branches.
The largest surviving groups had gone on to form the continent's three most prominent merchant alliances.
The one most active in Chaos City was the Gemstone Trade Alliance.
If possible, maybe he could work with them?
Ron couldn't distribute and market the Elemental Cards on a large scale—but a merchant alliance like the Gemstone Alliance definitely could.
Only problem was… he didn't know anyone from the Gemstone Alliance.
Ugh. So much hassle...
Ron was completely in the dark when it came to this kind of thing.
He'd thought that with the system-gifted Chameleon Radish, he could easily spread card games like Elemental Cards and Legendary Kill across the continent.
But reality had poured a big ol' bucket of ice water right on his head.
Chilled to the core.
Maybe the life that suited him best really was just growing flowers at home, playing cards with Mason and the others, and occasionally teasing his cute little employee.
Card game empires? Global tabletop revolutions? Meh. Let someone else do it.
Ron crumpled the paper on his desk and threw it aside. Then he pulled out a copy of the Illya Special Edition Illustration Booklet from the shelf.
Time to unwind with something nice...
Factories and production plans could wait.
There's no rush anyway.
Meanwhile, under the cover of night—
Nora returned to her little shack, clutching her bundle of bedding.
She had roamed Chaos City for years. She was strong and tough—carrying this load wasn't a problem.
She gently placed the bundle on her straw bed, where it fell apart into a pile.
The biggest items were a thick bedsheet, a thick quilt, and a thick pillow.
In addition, there was a set of semi-new robes and a sturdy pair of boots.
These were Nora's spoils of the day.
She spread the bedsheet over the straw and knelt on it, eyes gleaming with excitement.
In the dim light of her little hut, she patted the thick, soft bed and quilt, her face breaking into a wide, satisfied smile.
With this set of bedding, this winter wouldn't be cold anymore.
Nora changed into her new robes. The ones she had been wearing, she hung to the side, planning to tear them into cleaning rags—or shoe padding.
Then she lay down on her soft, warm bed and pulled the quilt over herself, letting out a long, contented sigh.
How many years had it been since she slept in a bed this warm and secure?
She couldn't remember.
At least since arriving in Chaos City, she'd never had anything like this.
Even the straw bed had only been made a year ago.
Before that, she mostly slept on the streets.
And all this… started changing the moment she met the Boss.
Just one week's wages had already transformed her life.
Nora rolled around in bed, thinking back over everything that had happened, and especially tonight's walk with the Boss.
Her cheeks flushed, and she hugged the blanket tightly, unsure what to do with herself.
But then she remembered how respectfully Jasper had treated him… how even the patrol squad captain had shown fear and deference toward him.
Her blushing face slowly cooled.
Sigh…
Seventh Prince…
Nora gave herself a light slap on the cheek, trying to snap herself out of it.
Just do your job well. Earn your weekly ten silver coins. That's already more than enough.
Don't get carried away with unrealistic dreams—or you'll lose the job you finally got.
That was the real reason she had refused the Boss's offer to move into the shop.
Because she didn't dare get too close to him.
She didn't want to be a moth flying straight into a flame.
The things she dreamed of… were far too luxurious for someone like her.
Thinking that, Nora's dark cat ears drooped, and her tail curled up tightly behind her.
She clasped her hands to her chest, feeling dejected.
Then she looked down at her little hands.
And remembered the feeling of the Boss holding her hand earlier.
A silly smile crept across her face.
Her ears perked up, and her tail popped out from under the blanket.
But then she thought again of the huge gap in status between them.
Her expression instantly turned gloomy again.
Frustrated, she pulled her pillow over her head.
Her slender legs kicked at the quilt in distress.
What am I supposed to do...
I can't sleep...
In the end, Nora lay sprawled on the bed, half her face buried in the pillow, one eye peeking out.
Her gaze was misty.
What's… happening to me…?