The Curse of Being Hated Has Been Lifted

32 – Business Expansion

The technology for a properly functioning vehicle wasn’t perfected yet.

What Logan had developed was merely the power to move the carriage; he hadn’t prepared for anything else.

He needed to make the wheels roll smoothly and control the trembling and wobbling. While it wouldn’t be difficult to create something that moves by imitating existing carriages, the movement of a carriage powered by a horse’s spirit and a carriage driven by a magical engine couldn’t be the same. It seemed like there was still a long time until the official release.

“What are you up to?”

“Well, considering the business is thriving these days, perhaps he’s thinking about expanding the business?”

Even without considering the carriage business, Logan’s ventures were flourishing. The incident that happened to him every day had turned into a form of viral marketing, making his various businesses more widely known.

At this point, the business had expanded to the extent that Logan felt he might not need to keep attending the academy.

The Mana Condition Discriminator had become so popular that they were asked to supply it to other places, and the machine that used to only produce badges had now become capable of producing everything, albeit a little more complex and fully automated.

As long as there was enough supply of materials and mana, they could make even the strangest shapes, so there was a subtle demand for it.

Of course, there was a high possibility that this side of the business would soon be obsolete once they could properly utilize mana engines.

“Just drop out altogether?”

The academy was the only remaining hope for Logan before the curse was lifted.

To obtain that faint hope, Logan had to prove his worth even in a family where he was persecuted. But now, apart from the teachings of a few professors, the academy had become almost irrelevant to him.

“It’s a bit early for dropping out.”

As time passed and the business expanded, when the time came for Logan’s technology to emerge, he would hire people with knowledge equivalent to that of professors as researchers and create new machines, but there was still much to hide.

However, he couldn’t afford to stop the development, so ultimately, it meant that he had to solve everything with his own knowledge. Since there was no suitable place like the academy to fill his knowledge, staying at the academy for the time being was the right choice.

“I didn’t expect a student to be interested in this field. Your enthusiasm is remarkable.”

“Well, it’s because of the business.”

“It’s a technology that won’t make much money.”

The professor who taught machinery was a person who had been hit directly by the storms of time, with white hair and starting to have holes in his hair from the top. Most of the academy’s professors were exceptional magicians or knights, so it was almost pitiful to think that they were flying around despite their age.

However, lacking mana didn’t diminish his skills, and Logan didn’t do anything different from when he was learning magic and machinery.

“I hope I can recruit you as a researcher in the future.”

Logan had considerable talent in machinery, but catching up to Professor No, who had spent decades studying machinery, was quite a challenge.

Moreover, the professor in front of him had spoken to Logan a few times even when he was cursed, so his character was as good as proven.

Since Logan was the only one who focused properly on the class among the students studying machinery, he could ask whatever he was curious about.

“When the carriage turns, how can the two wheels turn without separation?”

“Well, isn’t it that the wheel on the outside of the turn travels a longer distance? I’ve learned that cheap carriages often clunk for that very reason.”

“Most of the time, it’s resolved by magic.”

Of course, the desired answers weren’t always available.

“But it’s not a problem that can’t be solved mechanically.”

“Pardon?”

“Since it’s come to this, shall I give the assignment a try as well? If you, Logan Asrian, can solve the mechanical conundrum, I’ll grant you an A.”

Most attendees in mechanical studies were there just to pass the time if they weren’t as adept as Logan. More precisely, if they were anywhere between a B and a C, they’d heard rumors that they could attain those grades without much effort. Consequently, this assignment seemed to be exclusively given to Logan.

“Understood. I’ll contemplate it.”

Perhaps it was an obvious solution, but Logan couldn’t find the answer.

He’d thought maybe splitting the axle in the middle rather than making it a single unit would work, but his thoughts halted right there. He couldn’t follow through with the idea.

“Yes, this should roughly do it.”

Logan failed to solve the problem, but surprisingly, another student among them did.

“Did you say Ashu? You’ve done exceptionally well.”

After listening to the explanation, Logan could grasp it somewhat, but no matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like a level where someone would struggle silently.

“Must’ve learned it somewhere.”

Or perhaps, they were a mechanical genius.

Regardless, they were undeniably a promising talent.

******

“An assignment came in from the Imperial Knights?”

“Yeah, they’re asking for it. They want us to install a Mana Condition Analyzer. They’re willing to buy the whole thing because they’ll manage it themselves. I can’t put someone I hired inside the Imperial Knights, after all.”

I had expected someone like this to show up sooner or later.

No matter how cheap it is, there are people who prefer to invest a lump sum to secure ownership rather than periodically pay money.

Of course, I didn’t intend to give up the steady stream of income, but the other party offered a sum of money too significant to simply refuse.

‘The Imperial Knights won’t be dissecting machines like that.’

“How much did you agree to sell it for?”

“100 gold.”

“Pfft!”

Redrick spat out the wine he had in his mouth.

The sight of the red liquid spraying mid-air was dizzying, like he had spit out blood, but aside from the alcohol lingering in the air, there was no major issue.

“Wait, you’re selling this for 100 gold? Considering the materials, it’s not even worth 1 gold!”

“Well, there’s something called the value of an idea.”

Logan was planning to sell the Mana Condition Analyzer.

Certainly, there was a significant amount of money involved, but he also had something he wanted to ask them.

“Did you sign a contract?”

“No, we’re planning to draft the contract today. It seems like someone quite high up on your side will be coming.”

In times like this, having a reputation helped a lot.

If Logan were just an ordinary entrepreneur, someone closer to a low-ranking employee would have come from the Imperial Knights. But because he had built up a name for himself, a talent at the level of a deputy commander or higher was interested in joining.

“By the way, can you stay here? It seems we still have plenty of time before the appointment.”

“The appointed time is nothing to worry about; we agreed to meet here, remember?”

“Pffft!”

The wine that had entered Redlica’s mouth once again spurted out.

“Are you there? I knocked, but there was no response…”

The first encounter with the vice-commander of the Imperial Knights began in a place reeking of alcohol, with a woman spewing blood.

*****

“Oh, it was just wine.”

“Yes, no need to worry.”

Selena Ashit sighed alternately at Logan and Redlica with a troubled expression.

“The person next to me is a technician.”

“Yes, I know.”

Redlica was an exceptional blacksmith. While it wasn’t easy to find a sword made by her, as she didn’t craft mundane weapons, Selena often relied on her when in need of money and commissioned a sword.

“Did Redlica join Asrian?”

This was a matter not easily overlooked.

If Redlica, who was no pushover, had not only joined Asrian but gone under him, it meant Logan Asrian was a remarkable person.

“As expected of Logan Asrian!”

While it was a matter that deserved serious consideration, Selena couldn’t help but be inwardly amazed.

Originally, she became a fan of Logan, known as the suppressed dragon, because she personally sought him out, defying the opposition of the subordinates who wanted to go. Seeing his impressive appearance only made her feel even better.

“So, you want to purchase a Mana Condition Analyzer?”

“Yes, if possible, I’d like to make some modifications.”

“Our technicians will take care of that.”

Logan casually brushed off Redrika’s gaze and continued the conversation.

“If you meet a few conditions, we could offer a further discount or even an additional unit.”

“What conditions are those?”

Logan Asrian’s conditions.

‘Is he trying to exploit us for greater profit?’

What kind of conditions would the genius entrepreneur Logan propose?

Selena, full of anticipation, was taken aback by the unexpected request that reached her ears.

“I’d like to see the gate that Seong went into.”