Chapter Summaries

Sylvie nearly joined the nuns’ War of the Gods game before Ron summoned her away, and she went with him to buy ingredients for hotpot. At the Flower Shop, Ron reunited with Priest Gweil and invited him and Edith to dinner, where Nora prepared a hotpot with unusual seasonings.

• Sylvie’s advice caused the nun she coached to lose repeatedly, and she regretted leaving just as Ron called her away.
• Ron noticed it was snowing and asked Sylvie what she wanted in the hotpot; Guy declined dinner and got off near his home.
• Ron and Sylvie bought dinner ingredients and went to the Flower Shop, where they found Edith with Priest Gweil.
• Ron invited Edith and Gweil to dinner, and Nora prepared the hotpot broth and dipping sauces.

Ron and Gweil negotiated a contract for the Elf Race to buy Scale Vine, Nether Orchids, and Golden Red Chrysanthemums, with priority supply for the elves. After the deal, Yuna continued testing drinks on Sylvie and Nora, and Nora fled to Ron for help.

• Gweil forgot his planned talking points while eating hot pot with Ron and was impressed by the food.
• Ron and Gweil discussed Scale Vine in the study with Edith and Sylvie present, then signed a contract for the Elf Race to buy at least three thousand Scale Vines monthly and prepay half the cost for priority supply.
• Ron realized the elves cared more about securing large quantities of Scale Vine than obtaining discounts, while he wanted to limit sales and protect the plants' value.
• Sylvie returned to the bar, where Yuna made her try drinks until her taste buds went numb.
• Yuna chased Nora with more cocktails, and Nora ran into Ron's study to beg him for help.

After selling 5,000 Scale Vines, Ron planted an Emerald Cypress and completed the quest that upgraded his system to Level 5. The new main quest sent him to the Imperial Capital to open a Flower Shop branch, and he decided he would make the trip despite his reluctance.

• Ron received the Scale Vine delivery from the Elf Race and completed the quest to sell 5,000 Scale Vines.
• Ron examined the Emerald Cypress’s parasitic growth and healing properties, then planted its seed in the Dimensional Plane.
• Ron grew the Emerald Cypress to maturity, completing the upgrade quest and raising the system to Level 5.
• The system unlocked panel skins, expanded Ron’s control over plant sales, and assigned a quest to open a branch in the Imperial Capital.
• Ron considered the danger and political attention tied to the capital, then decided to go and pursue the reward of Spatial Transmission permission.

Ron paired the Parasitic Wood with the Puppet Tree, causing the tree to evolve into a Doll Emerald Cypress and grow a lifelike human-shaped puppet. When Ron touched it, the puppet transformed to resemble him exactly, leaving him staring at a copy of his own body.

• Ron tested the Parasitic Wood in the Cultivation Spaces of several plants, but it rejected the Nether Orchid, Golden Red Chrysanthemum, Scale Vine, Heart-Connecting Vine, and Spice Fir.
• Ron placed the Parasitic Wood in the Puppet Tree's Cultivation Space, where it immediately attached itself to the tree and sent nutrients into its trunk.
• Ron accelerated time, and the Puppet Tree grew to thirty meters tall, developed cypress-like leaves, and produced large, realistic Puppet Fruits.
• Ron let a ripe Puppet Fruit float before him and touched its head, forming a mental bridge with it.
• The puppet grew joints, muscles, facial features, hair, and a body that matched Ron's appearance.

Ron tested the new Puppet Fruit and expanded his cultivation space before exploring the system’s new skin feature. After wasting Wealth Points on random skins, he customized his panel with an image of Heveste, the Goddess of Harvest.

• Ron discovered that his realistic puppet was durable and self-repairing but lacked his real body's strength and could not seriously injure opponents.
• Ron harvested leaves from the Puppet Emerald Cypress for Harper to study, expanded his Cultivation Space to 15 square meters, and planted another Puppet Tree.
• Ron explored the system’s skin feature, rejected several random skins, and stopped after spending more than twenty Wealth Points.
• Ron spent 5 Wealth Points to customize his panel and selected his old character card depicting Heveste, the Goddess of Harvest.

Ron invested in the Magic Academy’s Meditation Potion production and returned to the Flower Shop, where he used a True Person Doll to spare himself from tasting Yuna’s strange drink. He left Nora suspicious of the doll’s changed clothes and regretted encouraging Yuna to make more.

• Ron gave Harper Emerald Cypress scale leaves to research at the Magic Academy.
• Professor Hicks offered Ron priority investment rights in the Meditation Potion project, and Ron committed two hundred thousand gold coins.
• Ron asked Guy to handle negotiations with the Magic Academy and returned to the Flower Shop.
• When Yuna chased Nora upstairs with another strange drink, Ron transferred his consciousness into a True Person Doll and volunteered to taste it.
• Ron severed the doll’s sense of taste, then let it drink both his glass and Nora’s; Yuna left promising to make more, while Nora noticed the doll wore different clothes.

Ron announced that he planned to return to the Imperial Capital to open a Flower Shop branch, but those around him suspected he had political motives. After Yuna teased him over an illustrated booklet, she asked whether he was truly going back.

• Ron told Nora, Yuna, and Sylvie that he planned to return to the Imperial Capital to open a Flower Shop branch.
• Sylvie offered to notify the Church and arrange protection for Ron, then recorded his plans to visit Mia’s hotpot restaurant and meet Gil about selling Elemental Cards.
• Ron invited Sylvie and Mason’s group to play War of the Gods, and Sylvie won back her lost copper coins before going to bed.
• Yuna visited Ron’s bedroom, teased him about the Ilya special edition illustrated booklet, and returned it to her storage space.
• Yuna asked Ron whether he was really going back to the Imperial Capital.

Ron tried to reassure Yuna that he was not going to the Imperial Capital to fight for the throne, but she warned him about the princes and insisted he let her accompany him. As Yuna hid in Ron’s shadow, Nora knocked and timidly asked to come into his bedroom.

• Yuna outlined the First Prince’s, Second Prince’s, and Fourth Prince’s strengths and warned Ron that the Church of the Goddess of Harvest could not protect him from their powerful alliances.
• Ron said he was going to the Imperial Capital to open a branch and had no interest in fighting for the throne, then teased Yuna until she begged him to stop tickling her foot.
• Yuna insisted on accompanying Ron, but he told her to stay behind to watch the shop and Flower Shop while Sylvie made arrangements for his safety.
• Nora knocked on the bedroom door and asked whether Ron was asleep, then timidly asked if she could come in.
• Yuna turned into shadow and hid in Ron’s shadow as he pulled up the blanket and answered Nora.

Nora visited Ron’s bedroom to ask if she could accompany him to the Imperial Capital, fearing his departure meant she would never see him again. Ron clarified that he would return to Chaos City after opening a branch, and Nora left relieved after wishing him good night.

• Nora nervously entered Ron’s bedroom and asked when he would return to the Imperial Capital.
• Nora asked to travel with Ron, offering to help at the shop, do chores, and cook according to his tastes.
• Ron asked why Nora wanted to follow him, and she tearfully explained that she thought she would never see him again.
• Ron clarified that he planned to return to Chaos City after opening the branch, and Nora brightened with relief.
• Nora apologized for disturbing Ron, wished him good night, and left his room.
• A hidden person pinched Ron beneath the blanket and scolded him for slapping their shadow.

Ron secretly attached a Parasitic Wood to the Divine Tree while claiming he had received a divine decree to bless it. He left the tree and parasite to grow together, hoping to see changes after his trip to the Imperial Capital.

• Ron told Sylvie he was going to the Divine Tree in the eastern part of the city.
• Ron asked a missionary to keep followers away from the tree, claiming the Goddess had ordered him to bless it.
• Ron entered the fenced area and attached a Parasitic Wood to the Divine Tree.
• Ron used Plant Growth Technique to make the Parasitic Wood's bark blend into the tree's bark.
• Ron left the Divine Tree to slowly transform, expecting its healing properties to improve over the coming months.

After blessing the divine tree, Ron arranged for the convent to monitor its growth and learned that the Archbishop had been waiting for him to return to the Imperial Capital. Ron chose to travel there by carriage, while Sylvie agreed to handle the arrangements and quietly leaned a little toward his side.

• Ron instructed the missionary to collect fallen divine-tree leaves and record any changes, and asked Sylvie to oversee the reports.
• Ron asked Sylvie to have Bishop Maurice cast Towering Tree Supports Heaven on the divine tree and explain the blessing to him.
• Ron learned that the Archbishop had been waiting for him to come to the Imperial Capital and that the Church’s leaders had their own ideals.
• Sylvie explained that a spatial teleportation array could take Ron safely to the Imperial Capital, but Ron decided to travel north by carriage instead.
• Ron told Sylvie he was glad she had spoken candidly, and she promised to handle the journey to the Imperial Capital responsibly.

Ron prepared for his trip to the Imperial Capital after arranging new Elemental Card production and a Nether Orchid contract with the Magic Academy. Before leaving, he gave Nora a talking Doll so they could stay in touch, and the carriage departed with Ron still answering her through it.

• Ron oversaw the second Elemental Card production run and changed the magic designs on four noble cards.
• Guy finalized an agreement for Ron to contribute 200,000 gold coins to the Magic Academy, and Ron signed a one-year contract to supply 5,000 Nether Orchids each month.
• Ron reached the Intermediate Mage rank and received the title Fresh Magic Novice.
• Before leaving for the Imperial Capital, Ron gave Nora a Doll that let him speak to her from afar and promised to check in on the Flower Shop and bar.
• Ron embraced Nora goodbye and departed by carriage, while Nora watched him leave and heard his voice reply through the Doll.

Ron and his convoy continued toward the Imperial Capital while assassins repeatedly attacked a Doll impersonating him. After another attack was dealt with, Ron reflected on how the journey had hardened him, and the convoy remained on guard as it neared its destination.

• Ron played War of the Gods with Sylvie and two nuns at the convent in Stan City while his real body posed as the guard Buffett outside.
• An assassin attacked Doll Ron, but Wood Magic killed the attacker, and Ron and the guards cleared the courtyard.
• Ron recognized that the repeated attacks had made him less disturbed by corpses and the smell of blood.
• Sylvie distributed scale leaves to the guards so the convoy could guard against poison.
• Ron stood watch in the snow, longing for his comfortable life at the Flower Shop as the convoy prepared to continue toward the Imperial Capital.

Rumors about Ron’s return to the Imperial Capital spread widely, but the threats against him remained limited. While traveling, Ron checked in with Nora and Mia, who updated him on life in Chaos City and preparations for his new shops.

• Rumors portraying Ron as a threat to the throne and a notorious villain spread through the Imperial Capital and beyond.
• Ron concluded that the people behind the smear campaign were trying to provoke him, while avoiding stronger attacks because he was a Favored One.
• Ron used Doll to call Nora in Chaos City, chatted with her, and then watched her reunite with Yuna after the call.
• Ron contacted Mia, who reported that she had selected locations for more than a dozen shops and helped Elemental Cards sell by playing Magic Duel with young nobles.
• Ron promised Mia she could choose plants from his hidden collection when the branch shop opened.

Ron’s convoy reached the Imperial Capital after news of the northern battles and another fabricated wife scandal spread through the Empire. At the city gates, a guard publicly welcomed Ron, drawing a curious crowd whose comments greeted him with suspicion and ridicule.

• The orcs launched a night assault at Dusk Snow Pass, suffered heavy losses, and retreated after the human defenders repelled them.
• At North Guard Pass, the First Prince killed the Tiger Howl Tribe’s young chieftain and claimed his head, while a general forced a Red Fang to withdraw.
• Doll Ron read a report linking him romantically to Betty, a viscount’s daughter, and learned she had bought a set of commoner-version Elemental Cards.
• Ron’s convoy approached the Imperial Capital while the real Ron, traveling under the alias Buffett among the guards, walked alongside it.
• A city guard recognized Ron at the gates and loudly welcomed him, prompting bystanders to question his character and his claim to the throne.

Ron returned to the Imperial Capital amid hostile rumors and traveled to the Goddess of Harvest Cathedral, where he learned which churches and officials were working against him. After agreeing to lead prayers, he was invited to the palace for dinner with His Majesty Andre.

• A city guard publicly announced Ron's return while allowing his convoy into the Imperial Capital, and the surrounding crowd spread rumors about him.
• Ron chose to stay at the convent rather than the palace, prompting a nun to remind him that nuns could not marry.
• Ron arrived at the Goddess of Harvest Cathedral in Doll Ron's body and told the Archbishop he had come to open a flower shop.
• Ron asked who was behind the assassination attempts and rumors, and the Archbishop identified the Church of the God of War, the Church of the God of Healing, and certain nobles and officials.
• Ron agreed to lead prayers at the cathedral, then a missionary announced that His Majesty Andre had invited him to dinner at the palace.

Ron went to the palace to meet Andre III, who welcomed him with a private hotpot meal. Their conversation remained cordial as they ate together, with Andre III explaining how the pot was heated.

• Ron traveled to the palace with Sylvie and asked her what she thought of Andre III.
• Ron told Sylvie he had only entered the palace dining hall during the annual Winter Food Festival, where he watched others dance because nobles discouraged their daughters from associating with him.
• A maid led Sylvie away, and Ron entered the dining hall alone to find Andre III waiting with hotpot.
• Andre III invited Ron to sit beside him and personally cooked ingredients and served him while gently checking in on him.
• Ron asked how the hotpot was heated, and Andre III explained that fire-element Elemental Stones powered a heating magic array.

Ron met with Andre III, who used a game night to probe Ron’s attitude toward power and the imperial succession. Ron insisted that he had returned to the Imperial Capital only to open businesses and spread the goddess’s plants, but Sylvie remained unsure of his true motives.

• Ron and Andre III ate hotpot and discussed Ron’s Elemental Cards and War of the Gods, then invited Sylvie and Mia to play.
• Ron explained War of the Gods to Andre III and Mia, and the four played a round that Andre III won.
• Andre III hinted that people’s attitudes could change, and Ron replied that time would prove his intentions.
• After Ron and Sylvie left the palace, Sylvie asked whether Ron was interested in the imperial position.
• Ron claimed he had returned to open a Flower Shop, establish his businesses, and bring the goddess’s plants to the people, while Sylvie remained unconvinced.

Ron returned to the convent, arranged a shop tour with Mia and Irene for the next day, and went to sleep comforted by Nora’s sleep-talking. The next morning, he joined Mia and Irene to inspect potential locations for his flower shop branch.

• Ron projected his consciousness into the palace Doll and agreed to let Mia arrange a tour of shops, with Irene joining them.
• Ron connected to the Chaos City Doll and heard Nora sleep-talk about her day while hugging it.
• Ron completed his morning training at the convent as young nuns watched and gossiped about him.
• Mia’s carriage arrived, and Ron greeted Irene and thanked her and Mia for choosing potential shop locations.
• Mia showed Ron a map of the candidate shops and explained that he had promised her plants as a reward.

Ron accompanied Mia and Irene to inspect shops in the Imperial Capital, but the shop they favored on Meng Lisi Street had just been bought by someone who paid above the asking price. Ron suspected the purchase was meant to obstruct him, and the three headed to Peace Square to look at other locations.

• Mia, Irene, and Ron arrived at Queen Street and walked through its luxury shopping district to Meng Lisi Street.
• Irene explained that a shop on Meng Lisi Street was for sale because its owners needed cash, and she and Mia had arranged to inspect it.
• Ron approved of the location, but the shop owner told them it had just been sold for 7,000 gold coins.
• Ron recalled seeing a middle-aged man in a dark crimson robe leaving the shop and suspected the sale was intended to interfere with his plans.
• Mia suggested they visit shops near Peace Square, and Ron agreed to continue their search.