The Queen of Scrolls never admits defeat

Chapter 49 GuluGulu
The target little witches were all seated at the dining table at home. Moran first poured each of them a glass of freshly made bread and juice.

Try it and see how it differs from the previous one.
Lilith, who desperately needed to restore her magic, grumbled, "Glug glug... It tastes about the same... Glug glug... The effect of restoring magic is about the same too."

“That’s right, exactly the same! With an automatic juicer, this full pot can make five medium-sized breadfruits!” Moran said.

Previously, when juiced manually, it took five large breadfruits or six medium-sized breadfruits to make a pot of juice with the right acidity.

"Are cards more efficient?" Sylph asked.

This is great! We won't have to pick breadfruit so often anymore.

One breadfruit is quite heavy, and it's not easy to bring it back to the dormitory.

"Hmm!" Moran nodded and said, "The juicer can extract 99% of the juice from the breadfruit, and I've discovered that the breadfruit pulp after juicing can be used directly to make fruit cakes or even cook dishes. When heated, it only makes a light 'bang,' and you don't even need to press the lid down hard."

The things they make, like bread and fruit cakes, are very filling.

Moran also showed them the materialized and card-like automatic juicer.

{Automatic Juicer}
[Version: Card Storage & Charging 2 Mana Energy Accumulation Edition]

[Function: Conjures an automatic juicer to separate juice and pulp. After use, it can be placed back into the card to recharge. It can also be stored in the card when not in use. The card can store a maximum of 2 Mana or the equivalent of 2 Mana in other forms of energy.]

"Alright! Tell me! How much do you want?" Lilith was already tempted.

Moran coughed lightly: "The version I have is the more deluxe one, priced at 2.5 Mana for a single use."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Lilith sensed something was wrong: "Wasn't it supposed to be a super low price of 0.05 Mana?"

“It starts at 0.05 mana!” Moran said. “It’s a hand-cranked juicer that doesn’t need to be charged. Once the card is removed, it can’t be put back in. It only costs 0.05 mana.”

Lilith: "..."

Damn it! This is definitely a trick by the junior!

"Moran! What versions are available? What are the differences, and what are the prices?" Vasita asked curiously.

Moran took out a piece of parchment, and it was all on this:
1. Hand-cranked juicer:
(1) Basic version: 0.05 Mana for one-time use;
(2) Card storage version: 0.55 Mana one-time magic.

2. Automatic juicer:
(1) Direct charging without energy storage version: 0.75 Mana one-time magic power.

(2) Direct charging 1 Mana storage version: 1.25 Mana one-time magic power.

(3) Card storage and charging version without energy storage: 1.5 Mana one-time magic power.

(4) Card storage and charging 1 Mana storage version: 2 Mana one-time magic.

For every 1 Mana increase in energy storage, the price increases by 0.5 Mana per use, up to a maximum energy storage of 5 Mana.

The pricing is simple; like the {Character Cards}, the production cost is five times higher.

"Give me the card storage and charging version with 5 Mana." Vasita waved her hand and chose the most expensive one.

She has plenty of magic power, and replenishing it is just a matter of picking a few breadfruits; she doesn't feel bad about spending it.

Moreover, the most expensive one only costs 4 mana, which is nothing to her.

“Okay!” Moran quickly wrote the contract using his golden pen technique.

The card crafting and delivery were completed in one smooth motion. Sylph quickly made her decision: "I want the card storage version with 2 Mana Charge!"

"Okay!" Moran had this card ready, so he gave it to her directly, and she earned another 2.5 Mana.

Now only Lilith-senpai hasn't made a decision yet.

"Make it cheaper, or I won't buy it. Once I've mastered the method of juicing breadfruit, I can use cooking magic instead, so I won't need it anymore."

For Lilith, buying things without haggling is worse than killing her, especially when buying things from the cunning junior schoolgirl.

Based on her understanding of Moran, this thing has at least five times the magical profit!

She ransacked our place this morning, and after another day of classes, the lord's household is almost out of food!
"Don't say that, senior! Juicers are energy-efficient!"
One mana can be extracted dozens of times! It also has an energy storage function; any unused mana can be stored in it and used for a long time.

Isn't this more economical than using ready-made cooking magic every time?

Besides, senior, you're still a ways off from being a pro at making bread and juice! The time saved in the process is the magic!
"Early and efficient juicing means a faster supply of juice for bread and juice, restoring its magic!"

After Moran finished explaining his reasoning, seeing that Senior Lilith still wouldn't budge, he added:

"It's not that I don't want to sell them cheaper, it's just that designing and making cards consumes magic every time! Not to mention the production cost, just designing these cards cost me 27 mana! If I sell them to you, I won't even break even."

This is not something she made up; every time she adjusts a card design, it consumes 1 Mana.

She made the juicer mainly for her own convenience, but every penny she could earn back was a penny earned!

These words truly resonated with Lilith; developing a manifestation of one's talent requires a significant investment of magical power.

Otherwise, how could she be so stingy?
It's because her magic power is simply not enough!

If her Bloodthirsty Needles could be shared with others without being converted into magic, just like Moran's Book of Cards, then she would sell for a much higher price than her junior!

With that thought, she softened: "Fine, fine! I want the 1 Mana-charged version, the one that gives a total of 2 Mana for a single use!"

"Okay!" Moran signed another contract with her senior.

Knowing that her junior's card was still at a loss, Lilith comforted her:
"The academy will not allow you to sell this card to little witches below the fourth grade."

If you think about it, you can only sell these cards to fourth or fifth graders.

Although the fourth and fifth graders are mostly not in the core area and it's difficult to run into them, you can still recoup your investment if you take your time.

"Why wouldn't the dean let Moran sell automatic juicer cards? Making bread and juice isn't a skill you have to learn. And juice isn't something you absolutely have to drink."

Vasida was puzzled.

Her stomach was so big that it made her most interested in culinary magic.

While copying books in the library today, she briefly flipped through "Cooking Magic from Scratch," one of the required reading books.

The things it taught her turned out to be extremely disappointing.

In summary, this book only teaches little witches how to eat their fill, not how to become great chefs.

Clearly, the academy didn't intend to turn them all into all-around master chefs; they just wanted to teach them how to cook using cooking magic.

(End of this chapter)