"Ahem, it's you," Ron scratched the side of his nose, trying to cover up his awkwardness.
The student Mason brought in had a classic baby face—so youthful and soft that he instantly left a good impression.
But Ron knew better. This guy wasn't all that innocent. In fact, he'd secretly been selling the Illya Special Edition Illustration Booklet under the table.
Of course, the fact that Ron himself had bought a copy meant he wasn't exactly a saint either...
Mason stood between them with a suspicious look on his face. "You two know each other?"
One of them was just an ordinary student at the academy, who had only recently advanced to a First-Rank Mage.
The other was the Seventh Prince of the Human Empire, holder of rare and wondrous plants, and newly appointed as the Chosen One of the Goddess of Harvest — Hervesta just days ago.
They couldn't have been more unrelated. And yet—they knew each other?
"I was wandering around the academy a while back and stumbled upon a class that seemed interesting, so I sat in for a bit. I happened to sit next to him," Ron explained, sneaking a glance at the baby-faced student.
The baby face instantly caught on and nodded vigorously, playing along.
Ron was worried the guy might out him for buying the Illya Special Edition, but turns out the baby face was just as afraid of being exposed.
Mason was an assistant professor. If he found out a student was secretly selling those kinds of things, wouldn't he kill the guy on the spot?
"You probably don't know who this is," Mason said to the baby-faced student. "This is His Highness, Prince Ron André—the Seventh Prince of the Human Empire. He personally invented the Elemental Cards."
Then Mason turned to Ron. "This is Kiel. He just advanced to a First-Rank Mage a few days ago—thanks to your Nether Orchid."
"I'll leave you two to chat. I won't get in the way."
With that, Mason left the office and gave them some privacy.
Kiel sat there a bit dazed, staring blankly at Ron, unsure of what to say.
…Seventh Prince?
That's what Mason just said, right?
Kiel twitched his mouth slightly. The thought that this Seventh Prince had previously bought an Illya Special Edition from him made him want to roll his eyes.
Ron was also looking a little helpless. He waved Kiel over. "Come sit. Let's have a chat."
Kiel plopped onto the couch, temporarily forgetting everything he had prepared to say.
He had planned out what to say… but he hadn't counted on his audience being this high up the ladder.
The Elemental Cards had become super popular within the Magic Academy, but he'd assumed the inventor was just some assistant professor. He never imagined it'd be a prince of the empire.
What kind of prince even had this much free time?
Once Mason left, Ron relaxed a bit and wasn't quite as awkward anymore.
"Your father's part of the Gemstone Trade Alliance, right? You're probably not hurting for money. So why sell those kinds of things?" Ron started casually, not diving into the main topic just yet.
"Well, I'm half-goblin, half-human. I don't get much allowance, so I just wanted to make a little side income," Kiel shrugged. Ron had clearly left a very unimpressive first impression on him, so he adjusted quickly and answered without hesitation.
That's when Ron finally realized—the Gemstone Trade Alliance was a goblin-led faction, and Kiel's appearance leaned far more human.
Especially that baby face—it was downright misleading.
If Kiel hadn't mentioned it himself, Ron never would've guessed he had goblin blood in him.
"Alright, we don't have to talk about that," Ron leaned back into the couch, getting comfortable. "You came to talk about the Elemental Cards, right? So, what's your plan?"
Now that he knew Kiel was another poor mixed-blood kid, Ron didn't want to pick at old wounds and decided to get to the point.
Kiel straightened his posture, cleared his throat, and said, "Starting a while ago, some of the assistant professors at the academy began gathering together frequently, doing who-knows-what. Later, some students discovered they were playing with a certain type of card."
"Soon after, one of the assistant professors began using these cards in class—teaching with what they called Elemental Cards."
"From there, the different ways to play with them started spreading through the assistant professors. Some curious students tried making their own sets—and to everyone's surprise, they became really popular among students."
"That's when I realized—this might be a huge business opportunity."
"If we can mass-produce the Elemental Cards and expand into a broader market, I think we can generate massive profits."
"So, Prince Ron, would you be interested in working with me on this?"
Ron took a sip of tea without answering directly. Instead, he asked, "Since students are already making bootleg versions for themselves, why not just start your own production? Why come to me, the original inventor?"
After all, this world didn't have strong intellectual property laws. Piracy and knock-offs were pretty normal.
But Kiel shook his head and gave a wry smile. "There's more to it than that, Your Highness."
"First of all, students only made the cards for personal use with their friends—they weren't selling them. And those cards were crude and didn't feel good to use."
"Second, the Elemental Cards originated from the assistant professors. That means the creator had to be someone with a decent amount of authority. If I can avoid getting on a powerful mage's bad side, I'd rather not take that risk."
"And lastly… I'm not particularly favored in my family. I don't have the funds to start mass production."
"Even if I did use my family's resources to produce them, if the Elemental Cards became hugely popular, someone else could easily snatch the success out from under me."
"That's why I'd much rather find a reliable partner—someone who can help make sure the business remains in my hands."
Ron stroked his chin, eyeing him with amusement. "That's honest, huh? By that logic, wouldn't it make more sense for me to go straight to your father or to one of your more favored siblings?"
Kiel nodded calmly. "Yes, Your Highness certainly could do that. But I can promise this—if you choose to work with me, I'm willing to give up my share of the profits."
"Our family has multiple trade caravans that travel between the Manchester Mountains and the Royal Capital. When it comes to using those caravans to sell goods, my brothers and I have equal rights."
"This is actually my father's way of testing us."
"Whoever finds the best-selling product gets more say in the future of the trade business."
"My open and honest proposal is my way of showing sincerity. Even if you approached the others, the best deal you'd get would likely be the same as mine—if not worse."
"So why waste the time?"
Ron set down his teacup on the table, still withholding his final decision.
He proceeded to ask Kiel several follow-up questions:
What were his views on the Elemental Cards?
What was their future potential?
How would he go about promoting them?
Kiel had clearly thought through all of this thoroughly and answered each question smoothly. It wasn't some heat-of-the-moment plan.
Ron was honestly surprised.
The baby-faced guy in front of him felt completely different from the shady illustration-seller he remembered.
"You've got real sincerity. I'm impressed," Ron stood up and said. "But I can't give you an answer just yet. I need to verify everything you said."
"Also, the Elemental Card production plans are still being finalized. We're not starting immediately."
"If you're truly serious about this, then take some time to observe and analyze the Elemental Cards' future potential. We'll talk again in a few days."
With that, Ron said his goodbyes and left.