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The news from the easternmost edge of the empire announced the dawn of a new era. The grand opening of the Far East Maritime Province Tourism Special Zone, ambitiously prepared by the Seventh Prince, Grand Duke Mikhail, had recently concluded with resounding success, drawing the attention of the entire empire.

The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the illustrious list of guests. The Duke of Benevolence himself, Second Prince Clement, had personally visited to grace the occasion. Even more notably, the Saintess Liliana—known as the empire’s living miracle—had accompanied him, elevating the event’s prestige to new heights. It was said that Saintess Liliana had personally bestowed her blessing upon the future of the Tourism Special Zone during the grand opening, leaving a profound impression on everyone present.

(Omitted)

The unconventional events also drew considerable interest. The competition known as Human Racing was a unique track-and-field event in which robust laborers from the Far East Maritime Province voluntarily competed against one another, racing to complete a variety of obstacle courses in the shortest time. The participants’ burning passion combined with the crowd’s fervent cheers created an atmosphere of nonstop excitement throughout the event.

A land blessed by the Saintess. A place where the empire’s cutting-edge architectural techniques and Grand Duke Mikhail’s creative vision came together in perfect harmony. If you’re tired of the same old vacation spots this coming holiday season, why not surrender yourself to this fresh breeze blowing from the eastern edge of the empire? The Far East Maritime Province is well worth watching as it emerges as the empire’s newest resort destination.

The Clover Club inside Club Land was a space where black sandalwood tables and supple leather sofas glowed with subdued light beneath soft magical lamps. It was a social salon for those who called themselves “gentlemen.” The club was never overly crowded, yet no matter when one visited, there was always someone to share a glass of whiskey and pleasant conversation with.

William had come to the club today simply to pass the time. It was an unusually quiet day. He spotted Gilbert and John chatting at a corner table. William approached the bar and placed his usual order.

“One whiskey highball.”

The bartender slid the glass over with practiced efficiency. William picked it up and walked to the table where the other two sat, offering a light nod as he spoke.

“Looks like you two were already here.”

“Oh, William. You came too, huh?” John raised a hand in greeting.

William settled naturally into the empty chair.

“It’s especially quiet today. Where is everyone?”

“Who knows? Guess they’re all busy,” Gilbert replied with a shrug.

For a while, trivial small talk flowed back and forth—complaints about the quality of the newly imported Gallian wine, gossip about some opera singer’s scandal. After a lengthy silence, William suddenly spoke as if the thought had just occurred to him.

“Now that I think about it, the Far East Maritime Province Tourism Special Zone. I hear it’s officially opened. What do you say we go check it out?”

At his words, John clapped his hands as if he’d been waiting for exactly that.

“Ah! That place! Henry went there on vacation not long ago and wouldn’t stop raving about it. Said it was truly astonishing.”

John continued with genuine excitement, as if he had been there himself.

“Apparently it’s not just about gambling at the casino. They’ve got billiards and darts too, but the rules are completely different from what we’re used to, so it’s way more fun. And there’s this thing called ‘air hockey’ that he said is absolutely incredible.”

John’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Right now that friend of ours is going absolutely nuts. He’s been tracking down mages and dwarf engineers, saying he wants to install one in our club too.”

“Air hockey? What is that?” William asked, intrigued.

“I don’t know the details, but apparently it’s a game played on a special table where wind magic keeps a disc called a puck floating in the air. You know how Henry loses his mind over anything hockey-related.”

“If it’s him, he’ll definitely make one,” William said with a chuckle and a nod.

Gilbert, who had been listening quietly until then, finally joined the conversation.

“Oh, that reminds me. I heard a rumor that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even nobles can’t throw their weight around over there. Supposedly treatment and benefits are determined solely by membership tier. So if we buy a high-tier membership, does that mean we could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the noble lords?”

His voice carried unmistakable anticipation.

John immediately poured cold water on Gilbert’s excitement.

“Just don’t get too cocky and end up on the bad side of high-ranking nobles. You could disappear or die without a trace. It’s still part of the empire, so we have to be careful.”

At John’s realistic warning, Gilbert burst into loud laughter.

“Hahaha! What kind of insane idiot would go all the way there just to pick a fight with a noble?”

He paused for a moment in thought, then tilted his head and continued.

“But honestly, isn’t that membership thing kind of meaningless? Those people aren’t just high status—they’re loaded with money too. Unless we’re talking about fallen nobles, I suppose.”

Dmitri’s office was filled with mountains of paper and the glow of magic. It was the top floor of the Magic Tower that stood tall at the empire’s heart. Stacked precariously on his desk were documents with dry, rigid titles like “Magic Research Achievement Report,” “Next Year’s Budget Allocation Plan,” and “New Mage Personnel Evaluation Materials,” threatening to collapse at any moment.

Dmitri was handling every single one of them with flawless precision. The only sound in the room was the soft scratch of his fountain pen gliding across paper.

To him, none of this was tiresome work. It was closer to pleasure. Imposing order upon chaos, eliminating inefficiency, and building a perfect system—that was the very reason for his existence as both a mage and the empire’s Third Prince.

Just as he was about to stamp his approval on a document, the crystal orb on one side ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the desk emitted a faint light and began to vibrate gently.

Wiiiing—

Dmitri’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. Being interrupted while focused on work was always unpleasant. However, this emergency communication crystal orb could only be used by an extremely small number of individuals who had received his explicit permission.

With a flick of his finger, light burst from the orb and the upper body of a man materialized in the air. It was Alexei, a sixth-rank official from the Ministry of Justice. A man belonging to his faction whose loyalty, at least, was useful.

“State your business only.”

Dmitri’s voice was as cold as ice.

Alliance?

The thought flashed through Dmitri’s mind. That Mikhail had offered Clement some kind of deal and received a promise to amend the legislation in return. It was an entirely rational inference.

But he soon shook his head.

No.

When the other party was Clement, the story changed. That idiot who was so kind it bordered on stupidity. Mikhail had probably just casually dropped the suggestion without any pressure. And Clement would have simply smiled and nodded. That would be the end of it. No compensation, no calculation. Simply because he could. Pure, simple goodwill.

It was an area Dmitri could not understand no matter how hard he tried. Goodwill, to him, was a kind of asset accumulated with the expectation of future repayment. He knew intellectually that building reputation and favor would eventually bring greater benefit to himself. But… he simply could not act like Clement. It went against his nature.

However…

Dmitri’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“Alexei.”

“Lend our support to the abolition of that law as well.”

Confusion flashed across Alexei’s face.

“Even if it’s abolished, there’s no loss for us, nor any particular gain. Since things have come to this, it’s better to sell Mikhail a small favor while we can.”

Alexei’s figure vanished, and the crystal orb returned to being an ordinary sphere. Dmitri set down his quill for a moment and leaned back deeply in his chair.

Mikhail. That guy really was capable. He had shaken the empire with liquor called Mikhail, driven the public into a frenzy with that bizarre sales tactic called gacha, and upended high society with creations like Texas Hold’em and all sorts of other amusements. And now, finally, the Tourism Special Zone.

Everyone said it was because his subordinates—Laura Valeriano and Josepina Jugashvili—were so competent. But Dmitri thought differently. It was true that those women were capable. However, what they had done was limited to the realm of “execution.” The bizarre ideas that formed the foundation of all this—the kind of thinking that completely transcended the empire’s common sense—were beyond their abilities.

It was… almost as if the knowledge came from another world.

Unless he’s the same guy who pulled that stunt at the church back then…

As he recalled Mikhail’s past outrageous behavior, Dmitri’s lips twitched.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what that guy will show us next.”

The first regular briefing after the official opening of the Far East Maritime Province Tourism Special Zone. Mikhail’s office was filled with a pleasant tension and the anticipation of success.

Laura was the first to begin her report. She elegantly opened a ledger and clearly outlined the commercial sector’s performance.

“The casino’s initial return rate has exceeded expectations. In particular, the spending ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by nobles and newly rich visitors from the capital has been exceptionally high. Sales of Mikhail liquor continue to show a steady upward curve, and restaurant revenue within the resort remains stable.”

Next was Josepina. As always, she presented a concise report that cut straight to the core. Various figures were neatly organized into clean graphs and charts.

“The administrative system has entered a stabilization phase. Staff proficiency has improved, and the number of visitor complaints is remarkably low. All overall operational indicators are positive.”

After turning the final page of the report, Josepina delivered her conclusion. A faint note of confidence colored her voice.

“Everything is proceeding exactly according to Your Highness’s plan.”

She added, “The resort reservation rate has not yet reached full occupancy, but considering the price range, this too falls within expected parameters. After all, our goal was never full occupancy in the first place.”

The reports concluded. Mikhail ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠looked at the two women with a satisfied smile.

“Excellent. I’ll say it again—you two are truly outstanding.”

He spoke sincerely, then added with a grin, “Of course, it’s mostly thanks to how amazing I am.”

Mikhail paused for a moment before continuing in a more serious tone than usual.

“Thank you. Truly.”

For a brief moment, a warm atmosphere filled the office.

“You flatter us, Your Highness.” Josepina bowed her head. The very faint blush on her cheeks was probably just Mikhail’s imagination.

Laura answered with a relaxed smile.

“It is all thanks to Your Highness’s exceptional eye for choosing us.”

Behind her, her golden tail swayed gently back and forth, clearly pleased.

In the warm atmosphere, the two women spoke at the exact same time, as if they had rehearsed it.

“So, what kind of next project are you planning?”

Their eyes sparkled with anticipation. These competent and passionate subordinates were already craving the next challenge.

Mikhail smiled brightly at them and answered.

“Nothing.”

“……Pardon?”

“……What?”

Laura and Josepina’s mouths fell open simultaneously.

“It’s time to play. Why would I need to do anything more?”