With the help of the diligent staff, Nora finished cleaning up the kitchen and living room before heading to the study.
After being pulled into Ron's arms and thoroughly "searched" for a while, Nora—her lips slightly swollen—blushed as she slipped free. She took his coat from the rack, helped him put it on, and carefully smoothed out the wrinkles on his collar.
Her faintly black cat ears trembled slightly as she held onto Ron's arm. Together, they passed through the storage room's spatial passage and exited the flower shop in the Royal Capital, arriving on Queen's Street.
There was still some time before the 8 PM ring match, so Ron brought Nora to the magic club to relax.
Entering their usual private room, Ron immediately spotted Soren André lounging on the sofa with Penny in his arms, kissing her without restraint. Completely unfazed, Ron led Nora over and sat down nearby.
Penny struggled a little in Soren André's embrace, only to have him press down on the back of her head. In the end, she could only squirm shyly in protest.
Ron ordered two fruit wines. Not caring much about the scene, he turned and tried to imitate Soren André—only for Nora to press against his chest and refuse with a smile.
Everyone else in the room knew that His Highness Ron disliked being disturbed. Most simply greeted him with a nod before continuing their own activities.
This was a public-private room—spacious and open to all club members.
Men and women gathered in small groups everywhere. While not as bold as Soren André, occasional kisses were commonplace.
Feeling bored, Ron took out two sets of Element Cards and played a few rounds of magic dueling with Nora. From time to time, he glanced around, observing others.
He noticed that Element Cards were gradually becoming as commonplace as dice—an everyday form of entertainment.
Though many weren't playing magic duels, other games like landlord-style card games or Old Maid were quite popular.
The true strength of Element Cards lies in their versatility.
Even if you got bored with one game, there was always another way to play.
The more variations, the easier it was to stay fresh.
That principle applied to many things.
"Haa… haa…"
Penny's soft breathing could be heard nearby.
Ron glanced over—Soren André was taking a sip of wine.
"Haven't seen you around much lately. Busy?" he asked casually.
"Sort of. Got a lot going on," Ron replied while playing. "I'll be leaving soon anyway—there's a ring match at the magic battle arena tonight."
"Ring match?" Soren André raised a brow. "What new trick are you up to now?"
Ron briefly explained. Soren André's interest was immediately piqued.
"Call me when you leave. I'll come take a look."
Ron nodded. "What about Penny? Coming along?"
"She's going shopping with her mother tonight. Otherwise, you think I'd go?" Soren André said, decisively speaking for her.
…
Half an hour later, after parting ways with Penny at the entrance of Queen's Street, the three boarded a carriage.
Soren André immediately revealed his true intentions:
"I heard there are quite a few noble ladies on the second floor of your magic battle arena?"
Ron eyed him suspiciously. "And?"
"I need to inspect it," Soren André said matter-of-factly. "Places like the magic club are compromised—too many staff bribed by Penny. No room to operate."
"That seriously hinders my hunting activities."
"If the 'prey quality' on your second floor is good, I might rank it as a first-tier hunting ground."
Ron looked at him, half amused, half tempted to smack him.
"You think I actually care about your ring match?" Soren André scoffed. "If Penny asks later, I'll just say I was at your arena. Back me up."
Nora's eyes widened slightly—her worldview visibly shaken.
Only now did she understand why Princess Mia had warned her during the Winter Food Festival to keep Ron away from Soren André.
Noticing her concern, Ron immediately wrapped an arm around her waist and said righteously:
"We should keep our distance from people like him—don't let him corrupt you."
"If Penny asks, just expose him directly. No hesitation."
Soren André cried out in protest:
"Ron! When we went hunting in the Royal Forest with six beauties, you weren't like this!"
"Shut up! I was just your wingman!" Ron rolled his eyes. "Penny was there too—ask her if you want. I behaved perfectly!"
Nora leaned against Ron, giggling softly.
The three soon arrived at the magic battle arena on Central Street of Peace Square.
It was close to 8 PM.
A surge of people crowded the entrance.
As Soren André stepped down from the carriage, he overheard discussions:
"The ring match is about to start—if we don't hurry, there won't be seats!"
"Andy went insane yesterday—over thirty matches in an hour!"
"The rules are brutal—five seconds per move, or you forfeit. Most people can't keep up."
"That's why he's a monster. Same rules, yet he still tracks cards and uses strategy."
Soren André looked surprised.
He knew Ron's arena was popular—but not this popular.
Watching the constant stream of people entering, he finally grasped the scale.
"It's just a card game—why is everyone so obsessed?" he muttered. "Old Maid seems more fun."
"You'll understand once you go in," Ron said, leading him through the staff entrance.
Since there were preparations to check, Nora headed ahead.
Ron took Soren André around the dueling area.
"Nothing special," Soren André said, unimpressed by the crowded space.
They then went up to the second-floor booths.
This time, he was more satisfied.
"Not bad—except the lighting is too bright. Harder to lower a girl's guard."
"Don't try anything here," Ron warned. "Princess Mia comes often."
"Then this place is only second-tier," Soren André clicked his tongue.
Ron laughed. "You really have a lot of 'battle locations.' Can't Penny satisfy you?"
Soren André began listing:
"Magic club, palace washrooms, abandoned pavilion, Royal Forest, Lake Impash boats, observatory tower, grand training hall rooms…"
"I've practically run out of ideas."
"Your 'infinite variations of one dish' theory is nonsense. Even I can't pull it off."
Ron rubbed his forehead.
"…I don't even know what to say to you."
Deciding not to continue that topic, they returned to the first floor.
The main hall was already packed.
"Please remain calm. Tonight's ring match will begin in ten minutes."
Betty's clear, slightly soft voice echoed throughout the hall.
"Miss Betty's voice—so good!"
"I could listen to this all night!"
"Stop pushing!"
Ron and Soren André stood at the edge, looking toward the stage.
"That's Betty? The viscount's daughter?" Soren André asked. "How did you convince her?"
"She volunteered."
"…Using charm, huh?"
Ron shot him an annoyed look.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
The arena had been upgraded.
Players still handled cards manually, but dealers now used Heartvine to assist.
Staff displayed oversized Element Cards using Heartvine's suction ability—no more whiteboards.
The stage floor was engraved with intricate patterns, with four golden Element Potatoes embedded at the corners.
A soundproof array—powered by Light-element Element Potatoes.
This prevented outside noise from interfering and allowed commentary without delay.
No more cheating spectators shouting cards.
A single array solved multiple problems.
Additionally, Ron had Illya create special red lights with sound effects—like elimination buzzers.
Combined with flash and sound arrays, the stage felt far more immersive.
The ring match began.
Andy, dressed in worn clothes, stepped onto the stage, bowed, and took his seat.
Betty held a microphone inscribed with an amplification array.
"Today's first challenger—Oliver, with a 67% win rate over the past three days. Please welcome him!"
Amid thunderous applause, Oliver stepped onto the stage.
The duel began.