When Ron left the Magic Academy, it was already around four or five in the afternoon.
Kiel coming to him to propose a partnership and act as the distributor for the Elemental Cards—that had been completely within Ron's expectations.
As for the internal power struggles within Kiel's family, Ron had zero interest.
So when Kiel started explaining all that in the beginning, Ron didn't really bother to verify whether it was true or not.
He had spent most of their meeting probing Kiel's thoughts on the Elemental Cards.
As long as Kiel had truly thought it through, Ron didn't care much about the rest.
Ron knew full well that once the Elemental Cards caught on, knock-offs were bound to follow.
Which was exactly why he had never considered the cards as a long-term money-making tool.
All that impressive talk from Kiel, his willingness to give up profit shares—it didn't matter much to Ron.
What mattered was securing a reliable sales channel.
Kiel's family caravans regularly traveled across the eastern regions of the Human Empire, including the Royal Capital—easily the most economically developed area in the empire.
That alone was enough.
Ron walked back toward his shop, mentally going over his plans.
The sales channel problem? Consider it resolved.
Next up: production.
He wondered how Guy was doing. Would he be willing to resign and join Ron's team?
If Ron wanted to cultivate large amounts of Chameleon Radish externally, he'd need plenty of land, which meant purchasing property and navigating the red tape.
Ron wasn't familiar with those kinds of procedures. He needed someone experienced to help.
On top of that, for the day-to-day cultivation and harvesting of Chameleon Radish Leaves, he'd need help from the adorable sisters at the convent.
With all that, the general roadmap for producing and distributing the Elemental Cards was starting to come together.
When Ron returned to the shop, he saw Nora walking a well-dressed middle-aged man out the front door.
"Boss!" Nora beamed, her face glowing with excitement. "That man just now was the butler of Viscount Herbert. He bought twenty Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemums in one go!"
"Well done. Nice work," Ron patted Nora on the shoulder as he stepped inside.
"Oh, right, Boss, someone came by earlier asking to see you. He's waiting inside," Nora added as she followed him in.
Ron had already spotted the man seated by the tea table. "Alright, you go handle your things. I'll take our guest upstairs for a chat."
"Your Highness," greeted Guy, the manager of the Gold Reserve Bank, as he stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Guy! Let's talk upstairs," Ron said happily, walking over to him and gesturing toward the stairs.
He had just been thinking about Guy on his way back, wondering whether the man would accept his invitation.
And now, here he was. The guy had come to him.
When the "talent" comes knocking... things are looking good.
Guy followed Ron to the second floor. As they passed the dining table in the living room, he gave the gaping hole in the middle of the table a puzzled glance.
Not something you see every day…
They both sat on the sofa. Guy had a pleasant smile on his face.
"I'd heard rumors that you, Your Highness, had opened a flower shop. Honestly, I didn't quite believe it. But after seeing it for myself today, I realize—this is no ordinary flower shop."
Ron's regular deposits at the Gold Reserve Bank had always been in the thousands or even tens of thousands of gold coins, which had left Guy extremely curious.
He still remembered asking Ron about his business once, and the prince casually said he just ran a small flower shop—nothing fancy.
Back then, Guy had almost rolled his eyes.
But today, having seen those exotic plants in person—and witnessing a noble house butler pay 600 gold for 20 Crimson-Gold Chrysanthemums—Guy finally understood where all those gold coins came from.
This only made him more certain of the decision he had been debating for a while.
Ron chuckled politely and personally brewed a pot of tea, pouring a cup for Guy.
Guy accepted the cup, flattered. His favorability toward Ron grew significantly.
"So… about what we discussed yesterday evening—have you made up your mind?" Ron asked after a bit of small talk.
"Yes." Guy set the teacup down and sat up straighter. "I have to say, Your Highness, the offer you made was very tempting. But before making a final decision, I wanted to ask—if I become your business manager, what exactly would you need me to do?"
Ron had expected this and didn't mind explaining in advance.
"The flower shop is already running smoothly and doesn't require much attention anymore. Plus, it's turning a nice profit, and leaving that money idle feels like a waste. So I've been looking for something new to work on."
Ron took out a deck of Elemental Cards from his inventory and handed them to Guy.
"These are Elemental Cards, something I invented. A multiplayer card game that's become quite popular in the Magic Academy."
"I'm planning to mass-produce them and promote them throughout the Human Empire—and eventually to other races, if possible."
Guy flipped through the deck briefly. "So you want me to find people to produce the cards and then help sell them?"
"More or less," Ron said. "But you won't need to handle every step yourself. Other people will take care of some parts. You'll mainly be responsible for coordinating and managing the different parties."
"I need a plot of land for cultivating Chameleon Radish, preferably near a water source. I also need to find a factory on the outskirts of the city for assembling the cards."
"As for the sales, I've already secured help from someone in the Gemstone Trade Alliance. You'll need to oversee that partnership and make sure they don't cut corners."
"That's the gist of it for now. Once the Elemental Card project is up and running, I'll have you take on other similar ventures."
"What do you think?"
Guy took a moment to think it over.
Everything Ron was asking for—buying land, securing a factory, handling trade partnerships—was well within his skillset.
As long as Ron had the money, none of it would be difficult.
And it sure beat smiling at high-maintenance clients every day at the Gold Reserve Bank.
Plus, the salary was double!
Guy nodded firmly. "Your Highness, I'd be honored to serve you."
Ron gave a satisfied smile and signed an employment contract with him on the spot.
When Guy saw the bold words "Base Salary: 20 Gold Coins; Profit Share: 1%," his eyes lit up.
Technically, the profit share was lower than what he got at the Gold Reserve Bank.
But even with bonuses, his total monthly salary there only reached around fifteen or sixteen gold coins—less than the base salary Ron was offering.
So Guy was more than happy with this job and didn't make any extra demands.
"It's almost dinner time. If you're free, how about heading next door for some grilled meat? We can talk more about the job while we eat."
"I'm at Your Highness's service."