On a sunny day, near the lodging in Luke Forest, the forest keepers, as usual, discovered a structure that had not been there before.
A sign made from cut cardboard with the elegant phrase “Home-made Energy Drink” written on it.
A makeshift table covered with a cloth.
And on top of it were a basket labeled “1000 Gils,” disposable paper cups, flowers decorating the area, a large glass jar filled with brown liquid, and cookies on a plate.
Judging by appearances, it seemed to be a stall selling drinks.
And the person looking at the stall was none other than Luke.
The apron and tied-back hair suited him quite well.
“Hello! It’s Luke,” he greeted cheerfully.
“Yes, hello there!”
Luke returned the greeting with a bright smile, just like the mascot of Luke Forest.
Unlike when he was first discovered, he seemed to have grown much healthier and more beautiful recently.
Just looking at him made the forest keepers smile and say, “So, what are you doing? Selling drinks? Do you need some pocket money?”
“That’s right. I recently needed some money, you see…”
Luke nodded with an awkward smile.
———-
“…….”
Luke was tapping his fingers on the table, deeply contemplating something.
The reason was that while it was good to have more research to do, the lack of funds was quite unsatisfactory.
Even the glasses he had started researching required more funding than he had.
With his magic sight and household items like knives, scissors, and needles, he could no longer continue his analysis.
To proceed with his research, he absolutely needed proper facilities.
No matter how skilled a 5-circle mage he was, he couldn’t create what he didn’t know.
Moreover, it was questionable whether similar constructs made through magic would function correctly. The world of magic doesn’t operate the same just because it looks similar on the surface.
If it did, there would have been no need for “enlightenment” among past mages.
Luke began listing off what he needed one by one.
“A research-specific cane, a high-performance computer, a precision machining device, a mana dust cultivator, a fine microscope, a precision scale, a telescope, a natural quartz crystal sphere, and 23 types of magical ore…”
When he entered all of this into his computer, the prices were astonishingly high.
Even the lowest prices he found online were outrageous enough that he couldn’t even ask Yerna for help.
Even excluding items that couldn’t be purchased online.
He needed about 28 million Gils.
If he were to buy them as completed products, it would be much more expensive.
However, this was just the cost needed for the research to adjust the glasses for mana performance.
So, when he factored in the cost to repair Arinseia’s Hourglass of Reversal, the research expenses for the lich’s body confined to a pocket dimension, and the costs of creating various special potions, the total amount became truly staggering.
The total target amount to solve all of that was ‘1,344,398,000 Gils.’
That was the estimate made after narrowing down all the items strictly necessary for his research plan.
A figure unattainable through simple labor.
Even playing music on the busy streets for a whole day wouldn’t easily yield that kind of money.
While it was profitable in the short term, Luke was well aware that there were limits to the money he could earn through his performances.
Some days he would earn more than usual with less performance, and sometimes he would earn very little despite playing a long time.
Furthermore, the problem was that during his playing, he couldn’t engage in any research activities at all.
Of course, he had valuable items in his own pocket dimension, the warehouse of that castle.
Perhaps those jewels, holding the passage of 5000 years, would possess extraordinary value.
However, he could not simply sell off the treasures that had emerged from Arinseia to be forgotten.
The moment items sealed with history from Arinseia emerged into the world, that seal would undoubtedly weaken.
This could potentially lead to a catastrophic event wherein the goddess, previously sealed away in obscurity, descends.
Would she once again try to oppress the world with ‘laziness’?
Even beyond that, for him, the mere descent of the goddess was a problem.
As just the vessel for the goddess, he couldn’t withstand the true descent of the goddess.
Moreover, he didn’t want to sell items tied to his memories with Renie.
“……Hoo.”
Luke sighed.
There seemed to be a mountain of issues to consider beyond research.
The goddess, Sigarmata, and the unknown mage using dark magic to create artifacts…
To resolve all of this, he needed money.
“But how on earth do I earn money…”
Returning to his tap on the table, Luke soon recalled a conversation he had with Gerard Collson back at the ‘Sephiro-02’ mana power plant.
“Luke, how do you make this? Can you share the recipe?”
“Then please commercialize that drink. Let people buy it.”
It was a casual conversation exchanged before Luke glanced at Gerard’s computer mail.
“Right, commercialization…”
With a sudden flash of inspiration, Luke snapped his fingers and smiled.
Unlike the valuables he couldn’t bring outside Arinseia, he could certainly farm tea leaves, using only the expansive farmland.
The labor required could easily be handled by repairing and using broken living armors, and adjusting the recipe for mass production could yield adequate product value!
The finished products would just need to be nicely packaged and sold.
Ultimately, Luke’s goal was to establish a system where he could earn money continuously without working.
Once established, this beverage could generate more income, allowing him to simply sit and focus on his research.
But while making the tea is one thing, how can he generate significant income from it?
Luke was a mage who explored knowledge and came up with ideas, not a merchant accustomed to sales or business.
“Wait.”
Then perhaps, what about the grand store operated by Serena, the mother of Shirud?
If he could display it there, he wouldn’t need to exert himself to earn money.
In such an environment, people would buy without him having to go out and sell, and he wouldn’t need to watch the store.
He was confident in the quality of the tea.
“Maybe I can do this.”
Luke promptly set aside his glasses and began refining the tea recipe.
Doing his best with what he had was the essence of who Luke Irushi was.
That night, Luke approached Dayton after work and asked, “Dayton, will you take me to Luke Forest tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? Well, I don’t mind, but didn’t you say you had studying or research to do?”
“This is more important.”
“What… Well?”
Luke seemed to have something quite serious on his mind that was more important than studying.
——-
Having finished his recollection, Luke looked back at the forest keeper and spoke.
“So, will you buy a cup? If you do, it will energize you greatly for the rest of the day. I’m selling it for 1000 Gils a cup.”
This was to confirm the product value.
The forest keepers had known him already, and given there were quite a few of them, many of them were likely thirsty and tired, which would ensure they provide a wide range of opinions.
So, even if it was just a small stall for now, this was all the first step in a grand plan.
“Hmm.”
And naturally, the forest keeper became interested in the tea Luke mentioned.
Indeed, a cup to energize for the day at 1000 Gils!
While the drink being sold had changed, it felt much like children selling lemonade in front of their house.
Moreover, he couldn’t refuse that expectant look in Luke’s eyes.
The forest keeper’s deliberation was not lengthy.
“Can you give me one for myself and one for this friend?”
He pulled out 2000 Gils from his pocket and placed it on the basket.
Instantly, Luke beamed with a bright smile and poured tea into a paper cup.
“Got it! Here, be careful as it’s hot and sip slowly. Oh, and if possible, I’d love to hear your thoughts after you’ve tried it.”
Asking for feedback was quite an adorable request, wasn’t it?
While Luke’s intent was to gather precise consumer opinions, it seemed to the forest keepers just like a charming way to ask for compliments.
The two forest keepers nodded as they accepted the paper cups.
“This is delicious, even if it’s not tasty, I should say it is.”
“Thanks! I’ll enjoy it!”
As the forest keeper took Luke’s tea and prepared to give his impressions, he gulped it down.
His eyes widened, astonished.
“Wow! This is really good! The aroma is wonderful…”
“Right? It feels like warm energy is spreading throughout my body. I was just so tired not long ago…”
“Oh, did you feel that too?”
As the forest keepers admired each other, Luke subtly suggested, “If you enjoyed the tea, I also have cookies that go well with it. What do you think?”
It was somewhat of a hobby for him, but having some experience operating a general store, Luke knew that while he wasn’t skilled at doing business, he understood how to earn a little extra money on the side.
Drinking tea naturally invokes the craving for cookies.
That was a simple truth.
“Great! I’ll have one of those too!”
“I’ll take one too! How much is it?”
Luke handed them each a cookie while smiling.
“Here you go. I won’t take any money for it, but please let other forest keepers know that I’m selling drinks here.”
The more samples he could gather, the better reference he could have.
“Really?”
“Of course, you should spread the word!”
And they agreed to Luke’s request.
That day, Luke was taken aback by how quickly his stock sold out.
Everyone only commented on how delicious it was, so it didn’t help much for further improvements.
