"Hm? What idea?" Ron asked curiously.
Mia pulled over a nearby chair, straddled it backward, rested her arms on the backrest, and tilted her head, saying:
"If we follow your line of thinking, even if that guy named Lyle manages to keep his barbecue shop running, there's no way he can expand it."
"After all, Count Walton's chain of barbecue restaurants is already opening in large numbers. The customer base in the City of Chaos will definitely be slowly drawn away."
"Even though it was his shop that started the trend and gained popularity with its special seasonings, in the end, someone else is reaping the rewards. Don't you think that's a shame?"
Ron listened silently and didn't feel too strongly about it. "Lyle's the type who's content with what he has. He doesn't mind that sort of thing. As long as he can live well, that's enough for him."
"Really?" Mia smiled sweetly. "Ron, do you really think someone would just sit there and watch the fruit of their labor being snatched away by someone else—especially when it was a fruit they cultivated themselves?"
Ron was at a loss for words, because he wasn't sure either—was Lyle truly content, or just comforting himself with an excuse?
It's like playing Snake—your little snake is gradually growing into a giant python, and suddenly it gets KO'd by someone else's tiny snake. You're forced to watch helplessly as the opponent gobbles up the long body you painstakingly built up.
Then you respawn as a tiny snake again and tell yourself to be content—at least you can respawn.
But deep down, you've probably already cursed that player who killed you a hundred times.
"So what are you trying to say?" Ron asked. "Are you planning to help him take back the City of Chaos's barbecue market?"
"Of course not." Mia shook her little head, leaned forward slightly, and asked with her pure, bright eyes, "Ron, what do you think about me inviting Lyle to the Royal Capital to help me open a hotpot restaurant?"
Ron was stunned. "He runs a barbecue shop. What does that have to do with hotpot?"
"Hotpot places can also serve barbecue~ Combine the two for double the fun!" Mia looked proud of her idea. "Well? Well? He can't beat the Count here anyway. Might as well follow me. In the capital, I'll have his back—no one will dare mess with him!"
Ron couldn't help but laugh. But on second thought, Mia kind of had a point—and the plan actually sounded feasible.
If Ron really wanted to help Lyle reclaim the barbecue market, he could. All it would take was money.
But then, Lyle wouldn't be the true owner of the shop anymore—Ron would hold the reins.
After all, he wasn't doing charity work. Just because he was friends with Lyle didn't mean he would give without limits.
So, unless Lyle actively came to him for help, at most, Ron would just say a word to the people behind the knock-off barbecue chain to stop causing trouble.
As for Mia's proposal—combining hotpot and barbecue—it wasn't a bad idea.
Maybe they could even turn the barbecue into a self-service model. Guests could choose hotpot or grill their food themselves.
Considering that the Royal Capital was up north and colder than the City of Chaos, this cozy style of eating around a fire might actually become a surprise hit.
Ron imagined it in his mind, then said, "I support you in principle. But whether or not Lyle's willing to go to the capital is up to him. You'll have to convince him yourself. I won't interfere with his decision."
"Got it! It's settled then~" Mia bounced out of the study happily. "I'm going to talk to Lyle!"
"No pressuring him!"
"I knowww~ I won't~"
Ron shook his head, not bothering to think about whether Lyle would agree or not. He checked on the three major tasks he currently had:
First was the flower shop's main quest—sell 5,000 Scalevines. So far, only about 1,000 had been sold. Still a long way to go.
The quest reward was the Emerald Cypress, but its function was still unclear.
Second was a daily task—find a way to increase flower shop sales. Completing it would grant a Puppet Tree, whose use was also unknown.
The third was the side quest that had just been triggered: help Mia set up her hotpot restaurant. The reward was Spice Pine, which likely had something to do with seasoning.
Tasks one and two could be done together. As long as the promotional event before the sacrificial ceremony went well, there was a good chance of completing them.
After all, with the Archbishop personally endorsing the shop and the powerful effects of the plants themselves, those bigwigs wouldn't be stingy with their gold.
As for the third quest, with Princess Mia charging ahead, things probably wouldn't be too difficult.
The only worry was whether hotpot and barbecue would be well-received in the capital. If only the seasonings became popular while the hotpot and barbecue themselves didn't catch on, that would be missing the point.
Just in case, Ron started jotting down some possible promotional strategies to pass on to Mia later.
After all, this world was very different from his previous one. He didn't assume any marketing trick he thought of would cause a huge stir.
Always plan for the worst, and prepare multiple backup plans. That's the way to get things done right.
"Boss!"
Nora's cheerful voice rang from outside the study, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.
"I've finished writing my book reports!"
Ron, who had been sitting at his desk writing, paused his pen and turned his head in surprise. "Each one had to be a thousand words. You finished one already?"
Nora beamed as she held a small booklet and four books in her arms.
She handed the booklet to Ron first, then returned Dwarven Fairy Tales, The Beastfolk Chronicles, How Magic is Made, and The Countess's Diary to the bookshelf before standing cheerfully in front of Ron.
"Boss, I've written all four reports! Each one is 1,000 words, for a total of 4,000 words. It's all in there."
Ron flipped open the little booklet—page after page, two to three dozen in total, filled with words. It did seem to be around 4,000 words.
Looking at the satisfied smile on Nora's face, Ron fell into silence.
What's wrong with this world?
Can people actually get joy from writing book reports?
Four. Thousand. Words.
Is that something normal people can crank out?
Even full-time authors aren't this hardcore, are they?
"…Very good," Ron finally said, setting the booklet aside and nodding. "I'll take a look when I have time."
"Mhm!" Nora nodded eagerly, then asked with anticipation, "Boss, I finished all the books you gave me before. Can I borrow some more today?"
"Go ahead. Feel free to read anything in the study." Ron waved his hand. Having already hidden all the illustration books in his bedroom, he was feeling quite secure.
"Thanks, Boss!"
Nora stood in front of the bookshelf, scanning the spines one by one while stealing glances at Ron's profile. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
After lingering for a few minutes, she finally, and very reluctantly, picked out the books she had already selected earlier and left the study.