Roland, of course, had no way of knowing about the secret discussion between Derek and Nelson.

At the moment, he was being urged on by Galvis. After buying a large pile of ingredients and drinks, he dove headfirst into the kitchen.

Drawing on the skills from his past life, enhanced by his current Culinary Skill, it wasn’t long before an array of perfectly cooked, aromatic dishes filled the dining table.

"Ha!"

The Minstrel took a deep breath in heartfelt admiration. Ignoring the steam rising from the food, he eagerly stuffed a delicious morsel into his mouth.

The savory flavor exploded on his tongue, and he couldn’t help but give Roland a thumbs-up.

"Roland, your cooking is out of this world!"

"Slow down..."

Roland pushed a specially prepared portion of food into the small bowl next to Qiao, then looked to the scholar beside him, who was still eating while reading a book.

"What do you think, Bronson? Is it to your liking?"

"Mm... It’s very good..."

The scholar praised it verbally, but his expression remained unchanged.

A moment later, he finished his meal.

But unlike the past few days, Bronson didn’t immediately get up to return to his room.

He put down his book, looked up, and his expression held a trace of unusual focus.

"Roland, do you remember when I mentioned that the concentration of Magic Elements varies between different regions?"

"Of course."

Roland nodded, taking a large bite of food.

"Have you made progress in your research?"

"That’s right."

Seemingly unconcerned with the grease on the table, Bronson placed the open book flat on the surface and pointed at the pages.

"Look, I was consulting ancient texts and discovered that differences in the concentration of Magic Elements significantly affect local topography and certain natural phenomena. This means..."

The scholar’s voice rose slightly with excitement.

"Even without specific Spell Runes to guide them, when the concentration of Magic Elements reaches a certain level, they can spontaneously trigger a phenomenon of intermingling between Elements! This further proves that your earlier idea was correct. Perhaps..."

His fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the table, a glint in his eyes.

"I could use the Spell Patterns I’ve been researching to first draw a single type of Elemental Magic Power from the air, release it, and then abruptly introduce a completely different Element."

"By doing so... it might be theoretically possible to simulate the effects that only certain High Tier Spells can achieve..."

Hearing this, Roland abruptly put down his utensils. His eyes were locked on Bronson, as if trying to see through every detail of his words.

’If the scholar’s line of thinking is correct...’

’Then even if I only know a Basic Magic like Flaming Arrow right now, by forcibly fusing different Elemental Magic Powers, I could unleash destructive force far beyond imagination and create unpredictable chain reactions!’

This could definitely become a trump card capable of turning the tide of battle.

More importantly, the conjecture about fusing Magic Elements was initially just a tentative hypothesis he had thrown out based on memories from his past life.

He never imagined that Bronson would actually follow this line of thought and find a seemingly viable, concrete method!

At this thought, the profound admiration in Roland’s eyes as he looked at Bronson was impossible to hide.

"Ahem... Of course..."

Made uncomfortable by Roland’s overly intense gaze, which felt like he was appraising a rare treasure, Bronson cleared his throat awkwardly.

"This is just... a very preliminary concept."

"And even if it could be achieved..."

His tone grew cautious.

"The Energy produced by such a fusion would be extremely difficult to control. The biggest risk is..."

"The Caster themself would likely bear the brunt of it, suffering backlash from the uncontrollable turbulence of Energy... It would be far less precise, stable, and safe than a true High Tier Spell."

"Don’t feel any pressure, Mr. Bronson..."

Roland gently patted the scholar’s shoulder.

"You can advance your research at your own pace; there’s plenty of time. As for the necessary funding..."

He paused, his tone firm.

"You don’t need to worry about that at all."

As he spoke, Roland took a card from his breast pocket.

The card was made of a peculiar material, neither gold nor wood, and its surface shimmered with a faint azure glow.

It was a gift from the Merchant, Colin, when they had parted ways in Distant Harbor.

With this card, one could deposit and withdraw money at any branch of the Merchant Guild in the River Domain. Its convenience was similar to the banks of Roland’s previous life.

Although Roland had yet to visit the guild to check the exact amount on the card, given Colin’s usual generosity, he was confident the Merchant would not disappoint him.

"The money stored on here should be enough to support your research expenses."

Roland offered the card to Bronson.

"This... Roland... I..."

Bronson clearly recognized the card.

He had been there when Colin gave it to Roland and knew full well the value it represented.

Gazing at the card so close at hand, the scholar’s face was a mixture of complex emotions.

There was excitement at obtaining sufficient funding, but even more, he was deeply moved by the weight of Roland’s trust.

Roland simply pressed the card directly into Bronson’s slightly hesitant hand.

"Of course..."

He smiled faintly, trying to soothe the other’s turbulent emotions.

"Just like in our original contract, the fruits of the research..."

"Ha!"

Bronson naturally understood Roland’s unspoken words.

He chuckled, shaking his head with a hint of resignation and relief. Then, without further hesitation, he gripped the faintly glowing card tightly in his palm.

Just as Roland was about to say something more, a melodious song accompanied by the strumming of a Harp drifted over.

"Oh! What a moving scene! Long live friendship!"

Galvis strummed his strings, his face bearing the slightly exaggerated, emotional expression unique to a Minstrel.

Roland and Bronson exchanged a look of exasperation and tacitly shut their mouths.

The two of them quickly wolfed down the remaining food on their plates, then rose in unison and returned to their respective rooms without a word.

"How... utterly rude..."

Gazing at the empty dining table and closed doors, Galvis sighed in dismay, and the music from his Harp came to an abrupt halt.

Back in his own room, Roland closed the door, shutting out the faint sound of the Harp and the salty tang of the sea breeze.

He lay down on his bed and focused his Spirit. The familiar Professional Panel immediately appeared before his eyes.

After hastily taking up the Fisherman Profession, he hadn’t had a chance to carefully examine the specific benefits from the Professional Resonance due to the evening banquet.

Now, he finally had a moment of leisure.

He directed his attention to the text on the panel.

[Blacksmith Apprentice Profession detected, Professional Resonance can be triggered]

[Professional Resonance]

[Fisherman + Blacksmith Apprentice]

[Extra Benefit Gained: Impervious Craft]

[The structural integrity of all fishing gear used is significantly increased. Durability loss is permanently reduced, and the possibility of rust is completely eliminated. When in any aquatic environment (rivers, lakes, seas), all equipment degradation, aging, and other problems caused by water corrosion are completely nullified.]