"What kind of person is Prince Ron?"
As Professor Hicks walked alongside Mason down Aikley Street, he suddenly asked the question.
"Hmm…" Mason pondered for a moment, then answered cautiously,
"Prince Ron… is very easygoing. He doesn't have the air of a noble at all. Honestly, he just seems like an ordinary young man… except he's, uh, incredibly… incredibly handsome."
Mason's first instinct had been to say "pretty," but he quickly switched the word.
Professor Hicks raised an eyebrow, surprised by that description.
"Easygoing personality and good looks?" he repeated, summarizing. "Anything else?"
"Other than that…" Mason furrowed his brows, thinking hard.
He considered mentioning Elemental Cards, which Prince Ron had invented and introduced at the barbecue restaurant. After playing it once, he'd been itching to play again for days.
But that didn't seem worth bringing up in front of Professor Hicks. Elemental Cards were just a small novelty—not something relevant to today's business.
Besides that… he couldn't think of much.
After all, he'd only met Prince Ron a few times and couldn't say they were particularly close.
Yet for some reason, he had the nagging feeling he was forgetting something important.
Mason racked his brain, mentally reviewing every encounter with Ron. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead and let out a wry chuckle.
"I can't believe I forgot something this important!"
"Hm? What is it?" Professor Hicks asked while walking, "Did you remember something significant?"
"Magic. Prince Ron is a mage." Mason said, flustered as he recalled the moment. He took a breath to organize his thoughts before continuing,
"I was so focused on the Nether Orchid when I saw him, I completely forgot to mention it."
"A few days ago, before I even bought the Nether Orchid, I noticed a crowd gathered outside his shop. Out of curiosity, I went over to look."
"And that's when I saw Prince Ron sitting in front of his shop, with a Nether Orchid placed before him, condensing his Mana Seed—he was advancing to a Tier-1 Mage right then and there."
"Oh?" Hicks's interest immediately piqued. "What kind of magic surge did he cause?"
After all, one of the most reliable ways to measure a mage's innate talent was to observe the mana tides stirred when they condensed their Mana Seed.
Take Mason, for example—his natural talent barely allowed him to reach Tier 3. When he formed his Mana Seed, he'd only managed to raise a small ripple in the Elemental Sea.
In contrast, Hicks himself—a recognized genius who had reached Tier 6 in his forties—had stirred up seven massive elemental surges, practically creating an elemental tide.
That was what made the Academy Headmaster break tradition and accept Hicks as a personal student back in the day.
"An Elemental Ocean Whirlpool!" Mason gulped, mentally kicking himself for forgetting.
"When Prince Ron advanced, he triggered a massive whirlpool in the Elemental Ocean. The surrounding water and earth elements were drawn to him like they were being pulled into a bottomless black hole—it was overwhelming!"
Professor Hicks froze in place, staring at Mason in shock.
"What did you say? An Elemental Ocean Whirlpool!?"
"Yes." Mason nodded seriously.
"A huge whirlpool. I've never heard of anything like it. But I was feeling pretty disheartened at the time, and I was too focused on the Nether Orchid to really process it."
"Elemental Ocean Whirlpool…" Professor Hicks muttered, eyes narrowed as he fell deep into thought.
He recalled something the Headmaster once said:
"The mana tide I caused back then? If I remember right, it was a Whirlpool. The fire elements swarmed me like they were starved—couldn't get rid of them even if I tried."
At the time, the Headmaster had said it jokingly.
And the younger Hicks had laughed it off, thinking it was just another one of the old man's tall tales.
But now…
Could there really be someone in the world capable of triggering a true Elemental Ocean Whirlpool?
If so, then one thing suddenly made perfect sense.
Why would André III entrust the rare and powerful Nether Orchid to Prince Ron, his seemingly insignificant seventh son?
It wasn't because of status—it was because Ron himself possessed extraordinary magical talent.
Even though the mana tide test was the clearest way to gauge a mage's potential, the Empire had many alternative methods for assessing magic aptitude.
Clearly, the Empire had long since discovered Ron's potential and decided to give him control over the Nether Orchid's supply—to nurture his growth.
Was André III grooming him as an heir?
Perhaps not for the throne, but likely as a successor for positions like Head of the Royal Academy or Minister of Magic.
A future high-ranking powerhouse.
Professor Hicks suddenly felt as if he had glimpsed the larger picture.
His expression grew more serious.
It seemed he would need to approach this meeting with far greater caution.
Prince Ron, sent by André III himself, was planted in Chaos City, the largest trading hub on the continent, to oversee the distribution of Nether Orchids…
This wasn't just a side project—Ron had likely been entrusted with a strategic mission to build experience and polish his credentials.
Hicks drew in a deep breath, then gestured for Mason to continue leading the way.
He also reminded him:
"When we meet Prince Ron, try to be respectful. He may seem casual, but we must observe proper decorum."
Mason blinked in surprise.
Was that really necessary?
From the two times he'd met Ron, the prince had treated him like a friend, even pulled out Elemental Cards to play with them. He never acted like a stuck-up noble.
Still, since the professor had said so, Mason nodded and said,
"Understood, Professor. I'll be mindful."
A few minutes later, they arrived in the Ruby District of Aikley Street.
Following Mason's pointing finger, Professor Hicks spotted the flower shop from a distance:
Ron's Wonderful Flower Shop.
A strange name for the average person.
But for those in the know—especially mages—"Wonderful" was a perfectly fitting word.
For someone like Mason, a mage stuck at a bottleneck and unable to advance for years, "Miracle" might have been more appropriate.
As Hicks and Mason approached the storefront, they heard someone inside shouting.
"What kind of lousy shop is this?! 20 gold coins for one flower? You robbing people blind?!"
"And you only sell one kind of flower? At least try to put some effort into your scam!"
Inside, Ron sat lazily on a lounge chair, a book in hand, completely ignoring the man's rants.
Eventually, the man stormed out, cursing under his breath.
Professor Hicks raised an eyebrow and muttered,
"This isn't just easygoing… this is next-level unbothered."