The Curse of Being Hated Has Been Lifted

43 – Logan Faces the Monster

“Sometimes drop by the house too!”

“Sure thing~”

Herman heard Herun’s words with one ear and let them pass with the other.

Her family wasn’t as strict as the Asrian family, so he could always expect a warm welcome whenever he visited. However, the typical naivety of magicians always bothered him.

“Siblings’ affection seems strong.”

“Probably because she’s the youngest sister.”

Is it because she was nestled in Herman’s embrace?

There was a definite warmth in Herun’s voice, which had always felt cold until now.

“This engine, Herman designed it, right?”

“In broad strokes, it was Asrian’s design.”

“I thought so. Our cute youngest sister may have talent in hammering and magic, but she lacks creativity, you know.”

After tapping Herman’s head, Herun detached from his embrace.

“Logan Asrian, I acknowledge your exceptional genius. I also know that the Black Star Guardian stands behind you.”

Herun, now separated from Herman’s embrace, left the same impression as when Logan first saw him.

“However, the main reason I accepted a contract with you is not because of you, but because I trust my sister. Even if she’s independent, she won’t sell an imperfect item to her own family. So please take good care of my sister.”

“No need to ask. Utilizing the talent at the right moment is a natural thing for a businessman.”

“I feel relieved.”

Passing by Logan, Herun lightly tapped his shoulder.

His stature resembled that of a child, and despite his appearance not showing much aging, there was an inexplicable weight to his demeanor.

“I entrust my younger sister to you.”

“It seems you value your sister, but you’re quite cool about entrusting her compared to what I expected.”

“I believe Hermann could shine brighter under your guidance than within our family. Isn’t supporting your younger sibling’s dream something an elder brother should do as an heir?”

With those words, Herun left Hermann’s forge behind.

“You’re a good brother.”

“I might think the same if it weren’t so fanatic.”

And thus, the contract between Logan and the Redrika lineage was finalized.

“But why specifically Redrika?”

Ashuhiht inquired.

“There are many other reputable lineages. There’s Shoheil and Belokia. I understand the selling point even to the Redrika lineage, but was it necessary to be the first to contract with Redrika?”

It was a matter of political units.

Even though the appearance would be further embellished through custom orders, the actual specifications would be quite similar. But acknowledging the fact that they were the first to contract had an unwanted political impact.

“Shoheil wields nothing but brute force, and Belokia is closely tied to the Asrian lineage, not easy to meddle with.”

“We’re not uneducated in our lineage!”

Ignoring Shoheil’s protest, Logan continued.

“Reasonably affluent, skilled in magic, with substantial resources, a considerable workforce, and strong connections—Redrika is simply the most suitable place for those reasons.”

“…Why does that matter? Weren’t we just selling a carriage?”

Carriages yield high profits. They could potentially generate several times the invested money. But due to their nature, they were too small-scale. Selling dozens in a year would be considered a high number.

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Enough to live until an ordinary person dies, I suppose. But from my perspective, aiming to ruin a duke a day, it’s not that much money.”

And I have to give an allowance to my mentor, too.

“So, I need to undertake a big business.”

“What in the world are you trying to do…”

Unease flickered in Ashihito’s eyes.

Even if failing after undertaking a big business meant only Logan suffered losses, ultimately, it was his responsibility to research the skills necessary to start a business.

“I’ll tell you about that later. For now, it’s just a flight of fancy for me.”

“…But is it really okay? Logan may not be doing anything illegal, but scrutiny might start coming in…”

“Don’t worry about that.”

******

“What regulation? What frozen-to-death regulation!”

Arnna’s outcry shattered the table in half.

The luxurious table, the heart of Mana Wood nurtured for 267 years, was not only expensive but also incredibly rare. However, it was smashed into pieces by Arnna’s outcry.

“Wait, Logan cheated? Used black magic? It was made legitimately, legitimately!”

“Well… the damages to the surrounding businesses are not insignificant…”

A sympathetic glance emerged from the young noble who barely managed to speak amidst Arnna’s fervor.

“It’s because you all are foolish!”

The young noble fainted upon hearing Arnna’s outcry.

“Anyway, if you mention regulations or anything like that again, I’ll personally visit the Emperor to tell him.”

No one dared to challenge Arnna’s fury.

Stella’s neck was slit, making Arna the most influential person in the current empire.

The Emperor was clever; if Stella complained about her deputies, he would likely try to weaken the nobles’ power under that pretext.

“It’s not that significant yet.”

It would be wise to accept this level of loss.

****

“What’s wrong? You’ve been calling me endlessly.”

“I just wanted to have a date with my mentor.”

Logan’s casual remark struck Arna like a fatal blow.

Even the last strike from the dragon he had slain a few years ago didn’t feel as powerful as Logan’s words just now.

‘Calm down, calm down.’

Arna barely managed to calm her heart from causing a commotion.

If she tore the ground apart again, Logan might be in danger.

From Noble mtl dot com

“Phew, reveal the truth. The Logan you know doesn’t merely waste time on dates.”

“The Logan you know, Master, is the one from ten years ago.”

Logan grinned uniquely and pushed Stella’s back from behind Arna.

“And the time I spend with Master holds great value for me too.”

Where did this person learn such beautiful words?

“Ugh… Still a monster.”

Her chest ached enough to make her heart throb.

Logan had always been like this since he was young.

Instinctively, she knew how to captivate people’s hearts.

“It’s probably most terrifying when they don’t intend to do so.”

It was more frightening to think that they weren’t saying it to taunt themselves but were sincere.

“And even now, her ability to captivate men is remarkable…”

While Redrika seemed to have no interest in Logan romantically, Arua and Anna were different. Despite Anna’s guilt keeping her at a distance, Arua always wanted to be close to Logan.

Lea, who resembled Harue so much, was also a problem.

“Where should I confine her…”

“Master, they’re selling ice cream over there.”

“Do you mean to buy some?”

“Do you want me to buy some?”

Arna shook her head.

“It’s been a while.”

“Isn’t milk used in ice cream these days?”

Even Arna, who seemed flawless, had a few weaknesses. Among them, the biggest one was milk. Just accidentally getting some in her mouth would confine her to the bathroom for hours.

“No matter how long it’s been, Logan must know that I can’t have milk, right?”

“Don’t worry. There’s no milk in that ice cream.”

“So you made it without checking first?”

“I didn’t check, I made it.”

In the sight of Logan, who was smiling, Arna finally understood the reason why Logan had brought her out.

“I can’t give you any decent allowance to give to your teacher right now. I need to develop something like this to give.”

Arna hugged Logan as she was.

She had endured it so far, but she couldn’t endure it any longer.

“This admirable thing.”

After suffering from a curse for a long time, she could have become a child who only knew herself, but she had grown up so gracefully.

“I’m suffocating, Master.”

“Since you can speak, it seems like there’s no problem with your breathing.”

Arna hugged Logan and went to the ice cream stand.

The stand, made in the form of the first cart Logan had made, had a fairly long line, and the fact that there were so many people despite the high prices meant that it was that delicious.

“You don’t have to line up. I’m the owner.”

Logan bypassed the people in line and directly received the ice cream from the staff.

“Hmm, it’s sweet.”

Even when she licked the ice cream, her stomach didn’t feel uncomfortable.

Yet it was sweet and smooth enough to be more delicious than any ice cream Arna had ever eaten.

“How on earth is this made?”

“It’s a trade secret.”

Arna found herself tightly hugging Logan’s arms as he smiled and chuckled while eating the ice cream.

Otherwise, she might not have known if she would cover Logan without realizing it…