Chapter 126 Business Discussion
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Well then, I would now like to begin the exchange of opinions regarding our new products.”
After finishing handing over the pair(?) rings, I moved to the house next door where the laboratory is located, accompanied by Aerith from the Garou Merchant Guild¹ and Satsuki, the Court Mage. Today, I’ve invited Aerith to hear her thoughts on the new products, for which the general direction has finally been solidified.
”Master, may I say one thing before that?” Aerith asked.
Aerith, whose eyes had been sparkling as she gazed at the ring finger of her left hand for a while now, raised her hand with a snap. Incidentally, her grey wolf ears and tail, which stood up along with her, were quite lovely.
”Hmm, what is it, Aerith?” I asked.
”Regarding these pair rings… I was wondering if I might be allowed to run a campaign for them at our shop?” Aerith replied.
”Ah, I see… Yeah, of course, I don’t mind.”
I nodded in agreement with Aerith’s proposal. I recall that even in my previous world, corporate advertising played a major role in the spread of wedding rings—the so-called ‘three months’ salary’ rule and all that.
Since Aerith’s family at the Garou Merchant Guild deals in accessories for upper-class clients, it should lead to profits if it goes well. It’s a rather unromantic conversation, though…
”A campaign…?” Satsuki muttered, tilting her head alone, being unfamiliar with business.
No, it would be more accurate to say that Aerith is impressive for thinking of a campaign the moment she heard about the custom of pair rings. I only understood because I had knowledge from my previous world. Aerith, who doesn’t have that, must constantly have her antennae up for business opportunities.
”In short, thanks to our shop’s products, the Garou Merchant Guild is at the leading edge of fashion right now. With so many customers gathering, someone will likely notice Aerith’s ring. And once the custom of pair rings is mentioned, the rumor will spread in no time,” I explained.
”Yes, and if we sell them as a set of two to match that, don’t you think many customers would buy them?” Aerith added.
”T-That might be true, but weren’t pair rings supposed to be a proof of love…?” Satsuki asked.
It seems Satsuki, who has a pure side, feels a sense of aversion toward using pair rings—meant as a proof of love—as a seed for business. She looked back and forth between us with her brows furrowed. I understand the feeling, but this is a separate matter… or rather, it’s precisely because they are a proof of love that they work.
”Yeah, that’s exactly why they’ll sell. The wives, who are the primary customers, want to confirm their husbands’ love, and the husbands, being begged for love by their wives, won’t feel too bad about it either. Furthermore, the amazing thing about this campaign is that the more people around them buy them, the more they’ll feel forced to buy them as well…” I said.
”W-What do you mean…?” Satsuki asked.
”Ah, I see… I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Satsuki-san, in other words, the wives will likely say this to their husbands: ‘Honey, don’t you love me? If you love me, you’d buy me at least one ring, wouldn’t you?’” Aerith explained.
”T-That’s wicked…!” Satsuki replied.
They were perfectly in sync. Satsuki was completely put off by Aerith’s explanation, which immediately grasped my assumptions. Well, it might be wicked, but it’s not like there’s any malice involved. It’s normal to hope for word-of-mouth when selling things.
In fact, my shop’s adult magic tools have made it this far supported by booms in the Beast-person Association², the Wives Association³, the Adventurer’s Guild, and even the Monastery. Besides, there should be more people who are happy to purchase the product.
”Hmm, well, you could also think of it like this, right? The wife who gets a ring is happy feeling her husband’s love, and the husband is happy being loved by his wife. There are only happy couples there. And as a bonus, we’re happy because we make a profit,” I said.
”Well, I understand what you’re saying, but…” Satsuki muttered.
”Hehe, and besides, for me, I’d be happiest if the custom of pair rings spreads. Because if that happens, one look at this ring will let everyone know whose I am at a glance… ♡” Aerith said.
Apparently, Aerith was thinking about things other than business. She sent a languid look my way with an ecstatic expression. For her, who hadn’t been able to find a mate for a long time due to her ‘heat,’ that must be a very sweet thought. And Satsuki, who apparently imagined the Royal Capital where pair rings had similarly become common, realized a certain concern.
”H-Hey, wait a minute? I get what you’re saying, but doesn’t that mean, conversely, people like me who don’t have a partner will also be obvious at a glance…?” Satsuki asked.
”Nah, you’re overthinking it. Overthinking,” I said flatly.
”W-What’s with that monotone reading?! You definitely don’t think I’m overthinking it, do you?!” Satsuki replied, leaning forward to complain.
In my view, she isn’t at an age where she needs to worry that much, and as a high-earning, capable Court Mage, I’d think she’d be in high demand, but it seems to be a dire issue for her. Well, she did just witness the joyful faces of all our shop’s employees earlier…
”I mean, really! In this country, none other than Her Majesty⁴ herself is single! If Her Majesty notices women wearing rings, what do you plan to do?!” Satsuki asked.
Satsuki had realized an even more significant fact. I do feel a bit bad for the Queen, who remains single for the sake of the country and her younger brother, but I wonder if that lady would really be so fussy about such things. She supports our shop semi-publicly, after all, and to me, she looks like she’s completely moved past such concerns.
Or perhaps the wives will be considerate enough to remove their rings in front of the Queen. I might be expecting too much from people’s goodwill, but considering how much the Queen is adored by her vassals and the common folk, it might not be entirely wrong.
”Ah, that’s exactly why we have to work hard on developing new products!” I said.
”So you’re saying single people should just stay lonely and use these?! You aren’t thinking that Harvest⁵ sales will increase that way, are you?! That’s a total protection racket!” Satsuki shouted.
”Nobody said that much, did they? The Garou Merchant Guild will just sell pair rings, and our shop will just sell adult magic tools. Well, there’s a chance that a synergistic effect might happen to occur by coincidence…” I replied.
”You demon! Devil! Womanizer! When the time comes, who do you think is going to explain this to Her Majesty?!” Satsuki yelled.
Well, neither Aerith nor I had thought that far ahead from the start, but it does seem highly likely to turn out that way. A two-stage setup with no openings—I’m the only one who could pull that off. Well, Satsuki didn’t miss it either.
”Hmm, but even so. Like I said before, it’s almost certain that this custom will spread, you know? Even if we don’t do anything extra, someone will notice that we are wearing matching rings. The only difference is whether it’s sooner or later. Or does Satsuki plan to take the pair rings away from us?” I asked.
”Ugh, th-that’s…” Satsuki stammered.
Satsuki hesitated, while Aerith and I quickly hid our rings. Of course, I don’t think Satsuki would actually do such a thing, but looking at Aerith, who was staring at her with the expression of a discarded puppy, Satsuki’s conscience seemed to ache quite a bit.
”Gnuuu… F-Fine, I get it… In exchange! If I get called to Her Majesty’s office regarding this matter, I’m taking you down with me!” Satsuki yelled.
”Roger that. Then we’d better work even harder on developing magic tools to keep Her Majesty in a good mood,” I replied.
And so, after a bit of a detour, we began our discussion about the new products.
—
Summary:
After gifting pair rings, the protagonist discusses a new marketing campaign with Aerith from the Garou Merchant Guild. Aerith suggests using the rings to spark a trend among the upper class to boost sales. Satsuki, the Court Mage, worries about the social pressure this puts on husbands and the plight of single people. They eventually realize the trend might even affect the single Queen, leading to a ‘protection racket’ scenario where the shop’s adult goods see increased demand. Satsuki reluctantly agrees to let the trend proceed provided the protagonist takes responsibility if the Queen gets upset.
—
Character Insight:
Aerith demonstrates her keen merchant instincts by immediately seeing the romantic custom as a massive business opportunity, while also relishing the ‘territorial’ aspect of the ring which marks her as the protagonist’s. Satsuki serves as the moral compass and ‘relatable single person’ whose reactions highlight the potential social ‘damage’ caused by the protagonist’s modern marketing tactics. The protagonist remains pragmatically opportunistic, balancing his romantic gestures with cold, calculated business synergy.
—
Behind the Scene:
The ‘three months’ salary’ (kyuuryou sangetsubun) reference is a famous marketing slogan used by De Beers in Japan during the 1970s to establish the diamond engagement ring tradition.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Satsuki – A talented Court Mage who was forced to analyze the shop’s adult magic tools. Miranda’s granddaughter. Now she’s the new worker at Harvest, a development she finds both humiliating and surprisingly fulfilling due to the rapid progress in her research under Kento’s guidance. Has long black hair, palace mage robe, and staff.
• Aerith – A wolf beast-person and Ouka’s daughter. She is intensely attracted to Kento’s creative genius and is not shy about showing her interest. Have gray fur hair and tail, wearing elegant dress.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply