The Curse of Being Hated Has Been Lifted

14 – Business

As Logan paraded through the academy with a paper containing unbelievable content, Anna was genuinely shocked by the message in the texts.

“How could someone even conceive such an idea?”

Despite actually putting these audacious ideas into action, Logan’s face showed no hint of fear. It seemed as if he was saying it was just a matter of course, as if that’s what he had to do to survive.

“How on earth did he survive…”

Anna felt her heart ache at that attitude, disregarding wounds on his own lips as if they were nothing.

Logan felt that what had happened was his fault, so it hurt even more in his chest.

Because of that, she approached Logan.

Although 1 gold was by no means a small amount to her, she willingly paid.

Perhaps if she had more cash on hand, she would have paid him even more.

And then, she hugged him once.

With a bit of selfishness.

And then regretted.

“I wish I hadn’t known…”

Anna, hugging Logan tightly once, felt his body was truly thin.

It was a natural outcome.

After being cursed for ten years, Logan had grown up without proper nutrition.

His height was a miracle.

Her body, felt through the loose Academy uniform, was too slender.

Thin to the bone, and there was no strength in her body.

It was almost like starvation.

Anna’s body, hastily leaving the place, trembled.

Only after feeling Logan’s thin body with her own did Anna and others realize how terrible the sins committed against Logan were.

While Anna was shocked and shivering at Logan’s body, he was rolling the money in his hands much more easily than expected.

“It seems to be a more profitable business than I thought.”

However, he had no intention of continuing this business.

Logan had succeeded in earning the money he initially set as his goal. Moreover, being no fool himself, he knew that the two women approached him not just because of his success but also because they wanted to give him money.

‘For some reason, other students never approached at all.’

He didn’t realize there was such a strong aversion to hitting people until now.

So, perhaps, the reluctance to approach and beat up Logan, whom everyone disliked, was also due to this aversion.

There was no need to further analyze the reasons for the business failure.

After all, it was something he would never do again.

Without capital, he filled the gap with labor. Once he had capital, there were plenty of ways to make money in the noble class.

******

“After not talking to me for a while and wandering around… you prepared something like this?”

“I had to study hard and make money. There was no other choice.”

Though he spoke in an apologetic tone, Logan was confident.

It was a fact that to survive, he had to live so busy that he couldn’t spare a moment to talk to his juniors.

“Do you know that 33% of this belongs to me?”

“Why should it be your share? It’s money earned through a legitimate deal.”

At Logan’s confident statement, Shohel sighed heavily.

‘He easily gave away 50 silver, telling other students not to hit me for nothing. A legitimate deal?’

“Do you really want me to hit you for 50 silver worth?”

Feeling a chill in Shohel’s voice, Logan immediately raised his head.

“It seems I misunderstood. Let’s acknowledge your 20% share.”

As always, Logan found a way to survive brilliantly.

“Shares are shares… Why did you bring this?”

What Logan brought was an object that looked like a huge metal plate.

Attached underneath was a magical device, but as a Shohelo with little knowledge of magic, she couldn’t tell what kind of machine it was.

“I’m going to sell food.”

“… Food?”

It would be faster to let her experience it once than to explain it a hundred times.

Opening a drawer under the machine, he took out dough and something lumpy.

Then, he placed the lumpy thing in the dough and placed it directly on the metal plate.

“Is this a griddle?”

The dough on the metal plate began to cook.

Although a rather delicious smell wafted through, her appetite was not enticed because of the strange things inside.

After poking the dough a few times with a strangely shaped stick, Logan soon furrowed his brow.

“I need to find a suitable tool.”

Thinking it would easily come off if he poked it around like using chopsticks, it wasn’t easy as it stuck to the floor bit by bit.

“Try eating this.”

“… This?”

The dough was cooking nicely, emitting a pleasant smell, but the problem was what was inside.

“If you tell me what I put in earlier, I’ll eat it.”

Shohelo looked at Logan with a wary look.

She didn’t think Logan would give her food he couldn’t eat, but then again, it was Logan.

Living a life without any remarkable achievements compared to others, Logan’s tastes found it palatable, yet Showel’s eyes deemed it unworthy.

“He’s called ‘Pat.'”

“Pat?”

“Yeah, a guy our family used to cultivate in our youth, but it was deemed non-commercial, so we abandoned it. Instead of dedicating time to martial arts training, I invested some time during other hours and tried cultivating it once. I found processing methods in Eastern books, so I made it exactly as described.”

“… You worked hard on it?”

“It was originally an item I planned to create after graduating from the academy. I pulled it out now because the situation improved.”

“But if it’s a crop to cultivate, where were you cultivating it?”

“That’s a secret. I guarantee the taste, so just take a bite.”

Logan roughly wrapped the food in paper-like material and handed it to Showel.

Showel swallowed the still-warm food as is.

‘Tastes like Deil.’

“Oh, this is delicious?”

If she were an ordinary person, her palate might have been scorched, but Showel was a seasoned inspector.

The heat of the food couldn’t harm Showel’s mouth.

“It’s somewhat uniquely moist and sweet.”

Logan’s food wasn’t remarkably tastier than the desserts she usually ate.

In terms of taste, desserts were undoubtedly more delicious.

However, his food had a flavor she had never experienced before.

“How much are you willing to pay for this?”

“This is quite tricky. It’s a taste worth trying at least once, even if it costs a bit more. But it’s not something I would buy twice if it’s too expensive… I can’t sell something expensive from the start if people don’t even know what it tastes like.”

“That’s because everything has a purpose, so don’t worry. What do you think would be a reasonable amount for the first taste?”

“For the nobles, I think they might be willing to pay up to 2 silver. But where are we going to sell this?”

“We’ll sell it at the academy?”

Upon Logan’s confident words, a question lingered in Shohel’s mind.

‘Can you sell food at the academy?’

“There’s no rule against it.”

“… But wouldn’t they stop us?”

“If they want to stop us, let them try. I have my reasons for everything.”

******

“What’s he up to again?”

“Lately, he’s been doing a lot of strange things…”

After Logan introduced Shohel to a food called “팥빵” (Red Bean Bread) on Monday, Logan, carrying a peculiar-looking machine, headed to the central square of the academy as soon as the morning lecture ended.

From its appearance, it seemed like a commercially sold item, but it looked like it cost more than just 1 gold in terms of ingredients.

[Selling Red Bean Bread. Price: 3 silver]

What’s Red Bean Bread?

There was no explanation.

It was just mixing dough and a mushy substance on a griddle.

Even for a noble, easily throwing 3 silver at an unknown food was not a common behavior.

Unless one grew up in a household where money was spent like water, the thought of spending that much on such food wouldn’t even cross their minds.

That’s why there were onlookers.

“Are you finally selling them?”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll take one!”

“You’ve already had it. I don’t sell to those who have bought it before.”

“Aw.”

It was a dish that caught the eye of Shohel, the darling of the Shohel family.

Already gaining attention as a somewhat famous figure at the academy, Logan’s food was being spotlighted. With Shohel expressing interest like that, some people turned towards Logan with expressions suggesting, ‘Could it be?’

For someone with around three silvers, it was enough money to spend on satisfying their curiosity.

“Shohel? Can I ask what it tastes like?”

“It’s hard to explain. Even I’ve only recently experienced this taste.”

Unable to resist Shohel’s vague words, some went to Logan to purchase red bean buns.

“This taste!”

“It’s definitely a flavor I’ve never had before!”

Although it was just that, aristocrats were beings who were thrilled by such things.

As a few people showed reactions, Logan’s stand was instantly crowded with people.

“That’s it for today.”

Logan sold only 15 and closed up shop.

As soon as he disappeared with his stand, Shohel came looking for Logan with a shocked expression.

“Senior… You’re really good at business.”

“I don’t like it much, but I have Asrian blood flowing in my veins, you know.”

Adding to the aggro that the name Logan carries, coupled with the exotic flavor unseen in this vicinity, Logan was able to earn a considerable amount thanks to the power of Shohel, a Tier 1 windseeker.

And the next day, Logan opened his stall again.

[Red Bean Bread for sale. Price: 4 silver]