Chapter 8: The Sweet Taste of Success and Cola

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Marine looked at me with extreme suspicion.

It was undeniably my mistake, so I just offered an awkward laugh.

“It’s been a while since I last cooked, so I made a little mistake. I won’t make the same mistake again, so you don’t have to worry.”

“…I don’t trust you, so I’ll be watching.”

Since it involved working with fire, I would have preferred her to stay away, but she didn’t seem like she’d listen to me, so I didn’t try to stop her.

Sizzle, sizzle.

The eggs and bacon cooked to a golden brown.

Marine’s eyes were fixed on them, a small sound of anticipation escaping her.

They looked quite appetizing, and she couldn’t take her eyes off them.

Ding!

Just then, the toaster oven chimed, signaling that the bread was toasted.

I took out the perfectly toasted bread from the toaster and placed one slice on each plate.

No longer worried about my cooking skills, Marine’s eyes were sparkling.

I picked up the sugar jar and glanced at Marine.

“Would you like to sprinkle some sugar?”

“Yes!”

It was a simple task of just sprinkling sugar, but Marine excitedly took the sugar jar.

“Sprinkle a moderate amount, please.”

“Okay.”

With her small hands, she gripped the sugar jar tightly and gently sprinkled sugar on the bread.

I smiled contentedly and placed the egg and bacon on top of the sugar-sprinkled bread Marine had prepared.

“There, it’s ready.”

“Ooh!”

Marine immediately snatched up the finished toast.

‘Ah, that’s probably still hot.’

“Ouch.”

As expected, Marine yelped in surprise and put the toast down.

“Let it cool a bit before you eat. I’ll get some milk first.”

“I want strawberry milk.”

Such a picky young lady.

I got a bottle of plain milk and strawberry milk each from the refrigerator.

Munch, munch.

Unable to wait even for that short moment, Marine was already eating the toast.

It must still have been hot, as she kept switching the hand holding the toast but didn’t put it down.

She must have been very hungry.

“Eat slowly. No one’s going to snatch it from you.”

“Okay.”

I opened the strawberry milk bottle, placed it in front of Marine, and picked up my share of the toast.

The toast had cooled down a bit and wasn’t hot.

Crunch.

The crispy bacon and soft-boiled egg blended perfectly, delighting my palate.

‘No wonder Marine is devouring it.’

It’s unlikely to happen, but if the family went bankrupt, running a toast business wouldn’t be too bad.

---

Marine still occasionally tormented the servants, but the frequency of her bullying had significantly decreased, and in front of me, she acted like an ordinary young lady her age.

Today, Kani visited my room as usual.

I boasted to her with a proud face.

“The servants must have noticed how much gentler the young lady has become recently, right? It’s all my doing.”

I expected Kani’s enthusiastic praise, but for some reason, Kani just made a reluctant face and didn’t show the reaction I anticipated.

“I haven’t really noticed?”

“Huh? Isn’t it because you’ve been avoiding the young lady that you haven’t noticed?”

I couldn’t agree with Kani’s opinion that she hadn’t noticed Marine changing.

Just by looking at the expression Marine usually wore, you could tell she had changed a lot.

Recently, Marine had been wearing a bright smile, to the point where it was hard to imagine the early days when she always had a blank expression.

She even greeted me first in the morning sometimes.

When I expressed these opinions, Kani reacted as if she couldn’t believe it.

“The young lady I see is still expressionless and always ignores greetings?”

“Really?”

Kani didn’t seem to be joking, which confused me.

She, despite not having a beard, stroked her chin thoughtfully and then nodded.

“It certainly seems she only showed her gentle side in front of you, young master.”

It seemed like important information, so I tried to hear more about it.

“Tell me more about that story in detail…”

Knock, knock.

At that moment, a knock on the door buried my question.

“Hiek.”

Startled, Kani hid under the bed without even hearing my full question.

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, I opened the door.

As expected, the Head Maid was standing in front of the door again.

“Is it about Father again?”

“No, sir. The Magic Tower has contacted us to say they’ve finished reviewing your notes, young master, and request you visit them at your convenience. I came to inform you.”

“Oh!”

Finally!

I had been worried that it might have fizzled out since there was no news for a month, but thankfully, it seemed to be progressing smoothly.

I quickly took out an overcoat from the wardrobe and put it on.

“I’m going to the Magic Tower for a bit.”

“Yes, please be careful. Make sure to take an escort knight with you.”

“Okay. Don’t worry.”

The story I hadn’t finished hearing from Kani bothered me, but I figured I could ask her when I returned.

---

The Karde Magic Tower, the only one located in Count Edgar’s domain.

It was a magic tower established 500 years ago by the legendary 8th-circle magician Karde, and because it was an organization that greatly influenced the economy and security of the Edgar territory, it had maintained a close relationship with the Edgar family for generations.

The height of this magic tower was a staggering 20 stories.

“Woah…”

When I was on Earth, buildings were everywhere, so it wasn’t a big deal, but in this world where most buildings didn’t exceed two stories, seeing a 20-story building felt overwhelming.

“Haha, it’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, young master. I am Matado, the Head of the Karde Magic Tower.”

Surprisingly, the Head of the Karde Magic Tower was a young man with a friendly smile.

The Karde Magic Tower was not a small one, so to have become its head at such a young age, he must be quite skilled.

“Hello.”

I bowed my head deeply.

I am eight years old.

If an eight-year-old child acts like an adult unnecessarily, it only causes discomfort.

I gave a polite bow, befitting my appearance as a child.

A polite child is looked upon favorably in any world.

The Magic Tower Head also seemed pleased by my polite greeting and smiled.

This was the person who would make my cola; offering this much service was nothing.

“Then, shall we go inside and talk?”

“Yes!”

The Magic Tower lobby was plastered with gold, showing just how overflowing with money they were.

The gold was one thing, but what surprised me most was that the Karde Magic Tower had a device similar to an elevator installed.

If they could make elevators, couldn’t they make cola? My trust in the Magic Tower grew rapidly.

The facility I arrived at, following the Magic Tower Head, was configured similarly to a modern laboratory.

As if it had been pre-arranged, magicians in white coats were lined up in front of the laboratory.

“These are the folks who specialize in research and development at the Magic Tower. I’m not very familiar with this field, so I’ll be heading back first.”

“Thank you.”

After the Magic Tower Head left, a magician with disheveled hair and deep dark circles under her eyes bowed her head.

“I am Betty, the Team Leader of the Food Development Department. I look forward to working with you on the development.”

“Yes!”

The nerds who would make my cola.

They looked so beautiful to me.

---

A magician with greasy, matted hair walked over like a zombie.

Thud.

With trembling hands, he placed down the 232nd cola prototype.

“Hmm.”

Channeling a picky critic, I closed my eyes gently and drank the prototype.

The sharp fizz of carbonation and a strong surge of sweetness.

It was the taste I had missed so much.

Tears streamed down my face as I stood up from my seat and hugged the magician.

“Ah… Ah…”

Due to the height difference, it looked more like I was being hugged, but the magician, deeply moved by my embrace, shed tears.

“Finally, freedom!”

He let out a cheer and ran out of the laboratory.

Yes, after enduring such hardship, he deserved to seek freedom for a day.

Though he’d be assigned to air conditioner development starting tomorrow.

Carefully tucking the cola recipe into my bosom, I immediately went to find the Team Leader.

I hadn’t developed it for money, but I didn’t want to sit idly by with an idea that could make money.

“This… definitely looks like it will make money…”

The prototype was already consumed by me, so the Team Leader’s eyes widened after tasting the cola newly made based on the recipe.

“Right?”

The Team Leader seemed completely captivated by the intense flavor of the cola, repeatedly sipping it and exclaiming in admiration.

“Amazing. It completely wakes you up; it seems to have an awakening effect too.”

The cola developed in this world included kola nuts, like the traditional method.

Kola nuts contain a significant amount of caffeine, so it could also be highlighted as a coffee substitute.

The Team Leader took out a contract from a drawer.

“Young master, please join us. Our Magic Tower will handle all sales, promotion, and production. You just need to authorize the sale of the cola.”

“What’s the ratio?”

“We will give you 20 percent of the revenue.”

“Great!”

Having concluded a good deal, the Team Leader and I shook hands.

Being in a child’s body, it was realistically difficult for me to be involved in production and sales alone. There was no reason not to agree when the Magic Tower would handle everything and give me a 20 percent cut.

A world where money multiplies just by breathing.

This world was truly beautiful.