Two days had passed since Ron's discussions with the principal of Royal Capital First Military Academy and the dean of Royal Capital Magic Academy.
That afternoon, Ron once again visited both institutions. In the principals' offices, he was formally granted the status of honorary cadet of Royal Capital First Military Academy and appointed as Professor Simmons' specially appointed assistant at Royal Capital Magic Academy.
Everything was done merely to ensure that subsequent actions would be justified and legitimate, so the conferment ceremonies were neither grand nor particularly formal. In any case, they were honorary titles in name only.
Even so, obtaining honorary identities from the Empire's two most prestigious academies left Ron feeling as though he were dreaming.
This was something the original Ron would never have dared to imagine in his lifetime.
Yet through a series of fortunate coincidences, Ron had achieved it.
And that very evening—just hours after receiving those two titles—three shop transfer contracts were delivered to the convent of Stan City, in the eastern region of the Human Empire, eventually landing in Ron's hands.
On each contract, a striking number was written: "0."
In other words, the century-old shop on Monlis Street, the storefront on Central Street of Peace Square, and the shop on Moonview Street by Lake Impash had all been transferred to Ron free of charge.
The words Ron had spoken earlier had now become reality.
He truly didn't need to pay even 1,000 gold coins.
"They're quite well-informed," Ron muttered. After reviewing the three contracts and confirming there were no issues, he signed his name.
Although opening a flower shop required only one storefront, having two extra properties for free wasn't bad at all. Who knew when they might come in handy?
The only question now was—which one should he choose for the flower shop?
For that, Ron connected with Nora.
"If we're opening a flower shop, would you prefer somewhere particularly quiet, somewhere with an open view, or somewhere with heavy foot traffic?"
"Mm…" Nora tilted her head in thought. "For any shop, isn't foot traffic the most important thing?"
"Don't worry about profitability," Ron corrected gently. "That's not your concern. I'm asking what kind of environment you'd like."
"M-me?" Nora lifted her small face and frowned in concentration. After a moment of hesitation, she said softly, "Then… somewhere quieter would be better. The view doesn't matter much."
"Mm-hmm, just what I was thinking. Looks like we really are in sync," Ron said with satisfaction.
Nora lowered her head shyly and smiled.
In truth, no matter which one she had chosen, Ron would have said the same thing.
That wasn't deception—he genuinely liked all three properties.
But since Nora preferred somewhere quiet, that meant the century-old shop on Monlis Street.
The next morning, the keys, deeds, and all related documents for the three properties were delivered to Ron after being fully processed on his behalf.
Ron stored everything in his [Backpack], then took the key to the Monlis Street shop and headed toward Queen's Street.
The carriage stopped at the entrance to Queen's Street. Ron stepped down and strolled into the district—only to nearly lose his way.
The area had gradually expanded from the original Queen's Street—formerly Monlis Street—into a broader district. Over time, surrounding streets were incorporated into what was now collectively known as "Queen's Street," eventually developing into a noble luxury district.
High-end jewelry, clothing, cosmetics, watches, and similar goods dominated the area.
Occasionally, one could see noble clubs—tea clubs, coffee clubs, hunting clubs, reading clubs, magic clubs—each representing gathering places for different social circles.
These clubs functioned as multi-purpose establishments for socializing, banquets, dining, and networking. Only in the Royal Capital—where barons were everywhere and viscounts as common as stray dogs—could such places thrive.
Ron wandered through the winding streets for quite some time before giving up and simply strolling at random. Whether he found the shop or not would be left to fate. It wasn't urgent anyway.
Just then, a head suddenly popped out from a second-floor window nearby.
"Ron?"
Ron turned at the sound and saw Soren André's flushed face. Beside him came Miss Penny's soft, syrupy voice.
"Your Highness Soren~ it's your turn to play."
"Don't rush, little Penny. Ron's downstairs—I'll invite him up to join us," Soren said with a grin.
Judging by the sudden burst of giggles and a shy "Oh, stop it~" drifting from the window, Soren's wandering hand had clearly found somewhere sensitive. Ron's eyelids twitched.
Soren hurried downstairs and dragged Ron up to the second floor of the club.
"This is the hunting club?"
"No, this is the magic club."
"What? You're not even a mage. How did you end up here?"
"Who says you have to be a mage? As long as you can pay the membership fee and answer a few basic magic questions, anyone can join."
"But what are you doing here? I thought you only hunted or chased women."
"That's where you're wrong." Soren chuckled with a knowing expression. "The hunting club is basically full of smelly men. Even when there are women, they're usually wild horses that are hard to tame."
"The magic club is different."
"There are plenty of soft and adorable noble ladies here. Even if their magical talent is lacking, they're full of curiosity about the magical world, so they gather in this club."
"Those girls—that's the real value of the magic club!"
After hearing his crooked logic, Ron rolled his eyes and followed him into the private room on the second floor.
There had originally been three men and three women in the room. Aside from Soren and Penny, Ron didn't recognize the other four—and frankly had little interest in doing so.
After all, anyone who mixed around with Soren probably wasn't exactly exemplary company. It wouldn't do to be led astray.
After brief introductions, Ron sat beside Soren, ordered a cup of fruit wine, and declined the club's offer of female companionship.
After exchanging a few casual remarks with the four newcomers, Ron turned to Soren and Penny with a teasing tone.
"It's only been a few days, and you're already inseparable?"
"Haha." Soren smugly wrapped an arm around Penny's slender waist. She cooperated by nestling into his embrace, her face flushed red.
Although Penny still looked at Ron with a trace of admiration for his appearance, the earlier hint of infatuation in her gaze was gone.
All things considered, her temperament wasn't bad.
"You're playing Element Cards?" Ron glanced at the scattered cards on the table and spotted a very familiar design.
"Oh, right, weren't you the one who invented this?" Soren held up a card. "This is way more interesting than just rolling dice."
"As long as you're enjoying it." Ron shrugged, then asked curiously, "So—are many nobles playing this lately?"