Simple and easy to remember

On the lawn in front of the hotel, the evening breeze gently carried the fragrance of fresh grass.

All kinds of flowers grew around them, swaying gently in the breeze as though they, too, were marveling in admiration.

The nearby night market bustled with noise and activity, faint echoes of human merriment drifting over. Far above, the sky was clear and the stars serene, silently looking down as Roland delivered his speech before the others.

Suddenly, the magical searchlight shining on Roland flared brighter.

Several hotel night watchmen waved their alchemical flashlights and called out from a distance, "Ladies and gentlemen, that turf was just transplanted. Please don't walk on it."

The air seemed to freeze.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to!"

Everyone hurried off the grass.

In the night sky, the stars blinked, and a few meteors streaked past.

Despite that little interruption, once everyone returned to the hotel lobby, they remained immersed in the grand atmosphere Roland's speech had created and fell somewhat silent.

This Roland...

Was he the destroyer of the Runes School, or its savior?

Sophia found him increasingly hard to read as well. "You certainly know how to talk big!" she said glumly.

Roland gave a faint smile. "I'm not talking big. I'm setting a lofty goal for myself.

"Everyone has their own life, and everyone must take responsibility for it. But different starting points, different positions, different directions and speeds all lead to different outcomes. How could a few simple judgments of right and wrong explain all that?

"Ms. Sophia, you and Senior Froya are close friends, after all. There's no need to fall out just because your paths have diverged for a while. Otherwise, once an irreparable rift truly opens between you, making up will be difficult.

"Why not both give a little and respect each other's choices?"

"Hmph, I've never interfered with Froya's choices. She's the one who lectures me every time we meet. It's annoying as hell," Sophia said. "You should be telling your Senior Froya all this. What good does telling me do?"

This time, Froya said little. She merely adjusted her glasses in silence. "I'm going back to bed."

Yvonne hurried after her.

Roland tugged at Skord, who was standing there blankly, and said to Sophia and Polina, "We'll head back too, ladies."

"Wait." Sophia stopped Roland and said with a grin, "I have a favor to ask. Could you help me out, junior?"

Roland had no good way of dealing with this worldly woman who acted so familiar with him. "Tell me what it is first," he said cautiously.

"I honestly want to make up with Froya, but I can never find an opportunity. How about this? Find a way to get her to stay here a few more days. Say you want to watch us film the advertisements."

"Sure, sure!" Skord said, his eyes shining with pure, unclouded stupidity. "I was just wondering how those commercials are filmed. It'd be great to get a chance to see up close."

Roland was speechless. Could this goof really not see that this woman had an ulterior motive?

Still, he could not quite bring himself to refuse, because he also hoped Froya and Sophia could make up.

Although he did not yet know much about their history, Froya's tone and demeanor made it clear that she treasured their friendship.

And even if Sophia was using it as an excuse, that did not mean she had no intention of mending their relationship along the way.

"All right. We're here already, after all..."

Life at the Mage Tower was fairly relaxed, so taking a few extra days off would not be a problem.

The next day, Roland, Skord, and Yvonne went to see Froya and told her they wanted to stay and look around some more.

"You three..." Froya had a vague suspicion that Sophia was behind this.

But she said little beyond, "Your senior is just a poor teaching assistant with a fixed income of thirty-five silver coins a month. I can't afford your room and board, and the tower won't reimburse such a long stay for a certification exam."

"How could we make you pay, Senior? Isn't the Hilt Company here?" Roland said.

"Great! Let's go check out the Hilt Company," Skord said with a guileless smile.

"..." Yvonne held her book, planning to read whenever she had a spare moment, but she did not mind spending some time experiencing these new things either.

So they had breakfast at the hotel, then headed to the Hilt Company.

Sophia had already sent two carriages to pick them up, and before long, they arrived at the entrance to the Hilt Building.

She came down to greet them in person, with Rick, who had hurried over upon hearing the news, standing beside her.

"A very warm welcome back. Miss Polina is nearly done with her makeup, and the actual filming should begin around nine. Is there anywhere else you'd like to see? I can show you around."

Though he ostensibly addressed the whole group, he was really looking at Roland, waiting for him to decide.

"It's nearly nine already. Let's go straight to see Miss Polina. Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Rick."

"Of course. This way, please."

Rick led them to the floor occupied by the marketing department. Soft music drifted out, and they found Polina moving through dance steps like a swan gliding gracefully across the water.

During their previous meetings, Polina had not shown off her lovely figure. Only now did everyone realize that, while she was not as voluptuous as Sophia, her proportions were ideal for dancing.

Her movements were light and graceful. In time with the music, she shifted her feet and extended her arms, looking as though she were flying through the air.

She was so focused and absorbed that even their arrival failed to draw her attention.

"Miss Polina is warming up. Would you like to take a look at the advertising script?"

Rick had someone bring over the script and explained it to them in a low voice. Only then did they learn that the advertising concept involved capturing suitable poses from her dancing to use in giant promotional advertisements.

They would also film scenes of her using Spell Scrolls to deal with various situations.

For example, she would use "Light" in the darkness, accompanied by the slogan: "Oracle 'Light': long-lasting and easy to use. I love it."

During an adventure, chased by three kobolds, she would cast "Flare," with the slogan: "Oracle 'Flare': blind those mangy eyes of yours."

Then there was a dance scene at a grand court ball, using "Ghost Sound," with the slogan: "For dance music, I choose Oracle 'Ghost Sound.'"

Another had her dressed as a female scholar deciphering ancient documents with "Read Magic," accompanied by the slogan: "Academic research goes better with Oracle."

During a celebration, everyone would cast "Prestidigitation" together, with the slogan: "Oracle 'Prestidigitation': bringing you festive joy."

All of them were simple and easy to remember, designed for a marketing blitz.