"Ah, sorry, sorry." Mia turned her head and playfully stuck out her tongue at Eileen, then waved at Ron and the others. "I'm busy, I won't chat with you guys anymore."
"Go on, go on—might as well hurry up and find someone to marry," Soren said, waving her off dismissively.
Ron swallowed the meatball in his mouth and laughed. "Just don't pick someone like Soren."
"Hmph! You two should worry about yourselves first!"
Mia pouted in dissatisfaction, then turned and followed Eileen back.
As the Empire's only princess, Mia was naturally one of the most popular figures at the banquet.
Many young nobles gathered around her, with people frequently stepping forward to strike up conversations.
However, everyone knew Princess Mia's personality—she didn't like being constantly surrounded—so most people simply chatted among themselves, boasting here and there, hoping to catch her attention.
And as a princess, she couldn't just ignore everyone or have Eileen block them all off. She still had to engage a bit.
So, adopting a "less trouble is better" approach, she steered the conversation toward Element Cards, saying she enjoyed watching Elemental Magic duels.
As a result, quite a few people immediately took out their decks, selecting opponents and starting matches under Mia's eager gaze.
Soon, a rather peculiar scene unfolded.
At the center and front of the hall, well-dressed middle-aged men clinked glasses and exchanged resources on a scale unimaginable to ordinary people.
A single sentence, a nod, even a smile from them could affect the lives of thousands.
Meanwhile, near the entrance and in the corners, the younger crowd gathered.
At first, they still tried to maintain noble decorum, awkwardly imitating the adults.
But when a shout of "My turn—draw!" echoed from the corner, things began to change subtly.
Those already interested in Elemental Magic immediately gathered to watch.
Even those who had only heard of it cast curious glances in that direction.
Leticia stood nearby, holding Rowell's arm as she watched, occasionally applauding impressive plays.
Eager to show off in front of her, Rowell soon took a seat at one of the dueling spots, bringing out his deck—which already included four of the new version Element Cards—and began facing different opponents.
After eating his fill, Ron patted his full stomach and took a satisfied sip of fruit wine.
Nora thoughtfully picked up a napkin and leaned in to wipe the corner of his mouth.
Ron wrapped an arm around Nora's slender waist, their heads close together as they whispered.
Beside them, Soren picked his teeth with a toothpick while skillfully teasing Penny, making the noble lady tremble with laughter.
Noticing the commotion nearby, he tapped Ron's shoulder. "Hey, Ron, looks like a bunch of people over there are playing your Element Cards?"
Ron turned to look and saw several "battles" underway.
The players were so engrossed that, whereas they had earlier paid attention to their attire, now they didn't even notice the wrinkles forming in their formal wear.
Ron smiled, stood up, and took Nora with him. "Come on, let's go do some market research."
The two stood at the edge of the crowd. Seeing that Mia and Eileen were in the middle of it, they didn't push forward—there were simply too many people around them.
Most people were focused on the duels. Only a few nearby noticed Ron's arrival and greeted him politely.
Ron nodded in response and placed a finger to his lips, signaling them not to draw attention.
Although he wasn't among the most sought-after figures at the banquet, Ron's reputation in the Royal Capital had already surpassed that of many major nobles.
Especially after the turmoil when he first arrived in the capital—many had learned the details from their elders—so no one dared to treat him lightly.
"Blazing Sky Inferno—you lose."
Rowell smiled as he played his hidden trump card, maintaining a gentle demeanor and polite conduct throughout, making Leticia's eyes shine with admiration.
On the other side, Wardson had also stepped in.
During his confinement at home, he had quietly studied Elemental Magic, developing various tactics. Now, he finally had the chance to put them to use.
Compared to the Wardson who had previously known nothing about Elemental Magic, the current Wardson could only be described as completely transformed.
After several consecutive matches, no one could defeat him.
And unlike Rowell, he only had a single new-version Element Card—a Level 3 earth element—while the rest of his deck consisted of older cards.
Yet through sheer skill, he perfectly compensated for that small disadvantage.
Rowell and Wardson dominated from opposite sides, as if competing to see who could claim more victories.
The surrounding crowd buzzed with amazement.
From their discussions, Ron gradually learned who the two were, and a smile crept onto his face.
So it's these two rivals?
Wasn't that Wardson pretty bad before? How did he become this strong in less than half a month?
Only then did Ron realize that Wardson had likely trained hard just to challenge Rowell again.
He had even formally issued another challenge earlier, just before the banquet began.
Now this was interesting.
Rubbing his chin, Ron felt that such a naturally attention-grabbing event shouldn't go to waste.
"I can't beat you, I can't beat you!" Another young noble, defeated by Wardson, stepped down.
As he made room for others, he suggested, "Wardson, didn't you say you wanted to challenge Rowell? Since you're both here, why not just settle it now?"
Wardson paused while organizing his cards, his gaze shifting toward Rowell, who looked completely at ease. His eyes burned with eagerness.
At that moment, Ron stepped forward with a smile, inserting himself into the situation.
"Hold on a moment."
As soon as Ron spoke, everyone nearby noticed him and greeted him respectfully.
Mia and Eileen moved over to Nora, whispering and asking what Ron was planning.
Nora just smiled and shook her head, signaling them to keep watching.
"I've heard about you two. It seems there's an Elemental Magic duel between you that hasn't been settled yet?"
"Yes."
"According to the rules of Elemental Magic, luck plays a significant role. So your previous best-of-three wasn't entirely ideal."
"In my opinion, a best-of-five would be more reasonable."
"But the award ceremony will begin soon. If your match gets interrupted halfway, it would be a shame not to finish it."
"So, I have a suggestion."