Ron had to admit—Rosgell was far too idealistic. And more importantly, entirely selfless. If their roles were reversed, Ron didn't believe he could reach Rosgell's level of dedication. But even as he thought that, something within him shifted. He was beginning to admire Rosgell—not just for his power, but for the unwavering clarity of his convictions.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons Rosgell had been able to reach Sequence One during the previous era. He was an existence with an unshakable spirit and remarkably high ideals—something most people could never achieve. Now, Ron could understand why others had once called him a true hero.
More than talent, more than strength, it might be this single, unwavering drive that determined who could truly reach that level.
But he also understood that such people were rare. And he wasn't one of them.
Even if he respected it, Ron didn't believe in those things—not really. His world had never operated on belief or ideals. He had been raised in the Zoldyck family, a place that, while not devoid of affection, measured everything in terms of strength, usefulness, and control.
There was love, yes—but it was a kind of love shaped by necessity and survival, not dreams of saving the world. They looked after each other, but no one wasted time on abstract morality.
Ron didn't pursue justice or peace.
He pursued results.
He didn't think the world could be changed by conviction alone. Power mattered. Position mattered. Strategy mattered. That was what decided the outcome—not dreams or faith.
So even as he stood there, watching Rosgell prepare to rewrite the laws of an entire nation, Ron knew he could never walk the same path. He wasn't the kind of person who believed in heroes.
And he wasn't trying to become one.
"There's no such thing as a perfectly ideal system," Ron said. "If even you, Rosgell-senpai, don't fully believe in your own rules, then I have a suggestion."
Rosgell turned to look at him. "What kind of suggestion?"
"For the current age, and within the current conceptual framework, create a set of relatively sound rules. But… outside those rules, build in a form of hope," Ron said. "If, as time goes on, those rules stop aligning with fairness and justice—if people find loopholes in them to gain private benefit—then the people of Mingbo can still rely on that hope to change Mingbo."
Rosgell fell into thought, his eyes gradually lighting up. "That… actually sounds like a good idea." He paused for a moment, then added, "And add one more thing. After the rules are created, seal my consciousness as well. When that hope is activated, reboot my consciousness. That way, I won't be eroded by time. My awareness could reset, too."
Ron stared at Rosgell in shock. What Rosgell had already done was surprising enough—but now, he was proposing to reboot even his own consciousness? That level of selflessness, just for Mingbo? Baishi could only feel admiration.
"To call him a hero of Mingbo is no exaggeration."
"No—he's the only true hero of Mingbo. Past, present, or future… no one could do what he's done, or ever will."
Rosgell looked at Ron, a subtle pleading in his gaze. "Ron, could you give me some input? Right now, I'm only a fragment of consciousness."
"You're not afraid I'll sabotage Mingbo?"
"I'm not," Rosgell said, shaking his head. "I can see it clearly—you have no interest in controlling Mingbo. What you're aiming for lies far beyond Mingbo."
He smiled. "Even if my thinking isn't what it once was, I can still tell when a rule is flawed."
Ron nodded. "Alright. If you trust me, then I'll help."
He glanced at the crystal sphere before him—progress at ninety-five percent. He still needed to remain in Mingbo for a while anyway.
Opening his laptop, Ron asked, "Rosgell-senpai, is it possible for the Nen-inscribed formation beneath Mingbo to mark everyone in the city?"
"No, there are too many people," Rosgell replied. "Even if we borrow their own aura to fuel it, the cost is too high."
"In that case, we'll have to manage by region."
Rosgell nodded.
Ron continued, "Your original model divided Mingbo into villages, towns, and cities, based on mountain ranges and river paths. That structure still works."
"Villages manage themselves. Towns oversee multiple villages. Cities govern multiple towns."
"To build an effective bureaucracy, we can divide administrators into three roles: executors, supervisors, and adjudicators. Each checks and balances the others. That should ensure the system remains fair, just, and transparent."
"Next is succession. Previously, you used the Grand Martial Trials to rotate part of the administration every three years."
"But is three years too short? Some policies take longer to show results."
"I think the term should vary by administrative level. The Grand Martial Trials can be split into smaller-scale trials and held in phases."
"In addition to administrators, we can designate alternate candidates—test them not only in combat, but in governance. Or better yet, establish two tracks: one for civil administration, one for martial responsibility."
"A dual-track system, tested independently but coordinated."
Ron went on at length. In his previous life, he and others had often discussed this sort of thing on forums—imagining what kind of system they'd create if they had the chance. After coming to this world, he'd stopped caring much about such topics. But now that he had the opportunity, it felt like the right time to share those ideas.
Rosgell took notes seriously, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "That actually sounds promising. It's incredibly bare-boned, of course, but I can work with it."
His gaze grew brighter as he continued jotting things down.
Of course, Ron only offered suggestions. Whether to revise or implement them would ultimately be Rosgell's decision. Rosgell trusted Ron, but he would never hand over final authority.
Outside the sealed space, members of Alex's team were celebrating their victory.
"Where's Ron?"
Everyone was caught up in the excitement—only Alex noticed that Ron had suddenly disappeared.
"Rondo, Melissa, did you see where Ron went?"
"No," Rondo replied, shaking his head. "But Ron really is strong. He took down so many enemies by himself and killed two of their captains. Today's victory, most of the credit goes to him."
Melissa glanced around. "He probably left already. Ron's not one of us from Mingbo. Now that the Grand Martial Trials are over, maybe he didn't see any reason to stay."
George sighed with regret. "It's a shame he didn't finish that manga."
"That series was really good. We were the main characters, but he added so many extra elements. I even used ideas from it to develop my Nen."
"Alex, forget about Ron. We've already won. From now on, Mingbo enters our era. You're the new king, and we can all pursue what we want."
Excitement spread through the group.
"I want food—tons of food."
"I want to open a casino!"
"I just want to build a harem all for myself."
Power, ambition, and desire all collided in their voices.
And suddenly, Alex felt… distant from his old companions. A strange emptiness welled up inside him.
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