Best Business Ideas

Karan sat deep in thought, contemplating the quest at hand.
("Sages, huh? Even in this world, there are sages. But that's not the real issue here. The bigger question is—why is a little girl asking for something like this? This quest is supposed to be a child’s wish, but bringing a sage along? That’s no small feat. Sages are legends, far beyond the reach of ordinary people. The amount of dedication and sacrifice it takes to become a sage is unimaginable. A sage holds more power than a king, and here I am, expected to simply find one and bring them back? Might as well have asked me to fetch a bag of silver and buy a license instead!")
Karan was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Luke calling him.
"Nara… Nara! Where are you lost?" Luke nudged him.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Karan responded, "Yeah… I was just wondering, what exactly is a sage?"
Ella looked at him in surprise. "You don’t know about sages? Every species has a creature called a sage. They are the most powerful and intelligent beings of their kind. For example, the Sage Dragon, Amphaross, is the strongest among all dragons. There’s also a Sage Toad, and many others. But sages are incredibly rare, and very few people have actually met one."
Karan raised an eyebrow. "And where would I find this Sage Toad?"
Ella shrugged. "I’m not sure. But if it's a toad, then maybe somewhere near a river or a pond?"
("This girl is cute, but she’s kind of clueless," Karan thought. "A toad isn’t a frog, after all.")
Luke stretched his arms. "Forget it for now. We’re starving. Let’s think about it tomorrow."

Back at the restaurant, Karan and Luke were served the chef’s special dish—fresh boar meat. The meal was delicious, and after they finished eating, the chef approached them, handing over a pouch of silver coins.
"The boar you brought in has taken our restaurant to another level," the chef said with a grin. "We made it today’s special dish, and our profits skyrocketed! Here, take these 150 silver coins. And as a token of appreciation, an extra 10 silver as a gift."
Karan smirked. "A gift, huh? Or is this a bribe to make sure we keep doing business with you?"
The chef laughed. "You two aren’t just adventurers, you’ve got a knack for business as well."
Luke raised his hands. "Not me! If you had given me 70 silvers, I would’ve taken it without a second thought."
Karan leaned back. "Survival comes first. If making money helps me get my license, I’ll do what I have to do."
The chef nodded. "In that case, I’ll tell you a way to earn even more silver tomorrow. I haven’t shared this with anyone before, but since you two helped my business so much, I think it’s only fair."
Luke’s eyes narrowed. "If it’s gambling, we’re not interested."
The chef waved his hand. "No, no, nothing like that. It’s something much better. Meet me tomorrow, and I’ll tell you."
Karan stood up. "Alright, but for now, we need a place to stay for the night. Something cheap, but decent. Any recommendations?"
The chef thought for a moment. "Why don’t you stay here? The second floor is empty, and I won’t charge you anything."
Karan glanced at Luke. "Could today get any better? We accept."

The second floor was simple, with just a mat to sleep on and a sheet to cover themselves. Luke lay down and was asleep within minutes, exhausted from the day’s events. But Karan couldn’t sleep. His mind raced with questions.
("In ‘World Slasher,’ we had different weapons to defeat opponents. If this is a game, then there must be weapons here too. Does that mean I have to fight other players? If so, I haven’t prepared for that at all. I spent the entire day doing business, exploring, and talking to people. But if fighting isn’t the main goal, then what is the real purpose of this game? What happens at the end?")
His thoughts were interrupted by noise from downstairs.

Karan made his way down to see the restaurant packed with adventurers, all shouting and arguing over seats. The once-calm atmosphere had turned into chaos. He approached the chef.
"What’s going on?"
The chef shook his head. "I told you, your boar meat was a hit. Everyone wants more, but we’re running low. We only have about 12 kg left, and I don’t know what to do."
Karan quickly assessed the situation. "How many tables are in the restaurant?"
"Fifteen," the chef replied, confused.
Karan smirked. "Alright. Don’t ask questions. Just send two people to help me."
Following his orders, two staff members joined Karan as he walked to the first occupied table.
"Get up. We’re moving this table," Karan said to the adventurer sitting there.
The man frowned. "What? I was first in line!"
Karan crossed his arms. "Tell me, do you want to eat the boar or the table?"
The adventurer hesitated, then backed away without argument.
Karan had the staff move the table aside and then stood on top of it, addressing the crowd.
"Listen up! If you all keep crowding around the chef like this, the food won’t be cooked properly. If that happens, you’d be better off drinking water and going to sleep instead of eating half-cooked meat. So here’s the deal—orders will be taken one by one. No one rushes to the counter. If anyone tries to cut the line, it’s your job to stop them. The chef only has enough meat left for 20 dishes. If someone jumps ahead of you, consider your meal gone."
The room fell silent. Slowly, everyone formed a proper line, murmuring among themselves but no longer shoving for space.
The chef sighed in relief. "If you hadn’t stepped in, there would’ve been a fight."
Karan nodded. "There still might be. Just keep the food coming. Now, got anything to drink?"
The chef handed him a wooden mug. "Here, try this. It’s made from the most famous berry of the Uthol Kingdom."
Karan took a sip and his eyes widened. "This is amazing!"
The chef chuckled. "It’s Yellow Aragus juice. Strengthens aura and helps with healing. But eating the actual berry gives better results."
Karan took another sip. "What’s in it?"
"Crushed ice, fire flower, and Mow milk. Mow milk makes everything taste better. Mix it in anything, and it’ll be the best thing you’ve ever had."
Karan leaned forward. "And how much does this berry sell for?"
The chef smirked. "The villagers in the forest of Uthol sell them for 1 silver per kg. Merchants buy them and sell them in ‘Nayava City’ or ‘Castle Post City’ for 2 silvers per kg. But once they reach the Royal City, the price jumps to 5 silvers per kg."
Karan ran the numbers in his head. Buy cheap, sell high… that's a massive profit margin.
For the first time since entering this world, he saw a real opportunity.