Chapter 70 The Princess Thinks Through a Republic Business Strategy
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I continued to show Liliarette the items I had purchased in Japan.
I even demonstrated how to use some of them, but what really drew her keen interest was the selection of detergents.
”This… this might actually draw interest from a few people, perhaps,” Liliarette mused, holding a bottle.
”Is that so?” I inquired.
”Yes. There are several types of soap for washing the body here in this world. However, the detergents available for washing clothes are quite limited.”
As she explained it, the soap currently used for laundry was soft, and its scent was rather unique. My haul consisted entirely of liquid detergents, and she gave them high praise for their ability to instantly cut through grease on dishes.
”Even so, whether it’s detergent or anything else, we aren’t here to produce and sell it. The idea is strictly to resell things we purchased in the other world. We can’t spread them to everyone, so we’ll only sell a small amount to anyone who expresses interest when we bring up the topic… something along those lines.”
I see. Well, we want to use the detergents ourselves, too. I suppose there’s no need to actively push sales.
”However, sugar is different,” Liliarette declared. “If they are a merchant of the Republic, they will undoubtedly show interest in that.”
”Even so, we can’t mass-produce the sugar either. The amount we can bring in is also limited…” I noted.
”That cannot be helped,” she replied. “But our goal is not to become excessively wealthy in the first place. Our purpose is merely to reinvest the money we earn back into the development of the domain. There is no need for us to operate on the same stage as the merchants.”
That’s right… now that she mentioned it, she was absolutely correct. I had fallen into the trap of thinking like a merchant, feeling that I absolutely had to earn a massive fortune.
But the reason I needed to earn money was to purchase daily necessities and clothing that couldn’t be created in the domain. Bringing large amounts of money back to the domain would be meaningless, since a currency-based economy doesn’t operate there yet.
”There is no need to be recognized by the masses as a great merchant or to become a universally acknowledged rich person. Since the volume of trade we can manage is severely limited to begin with, I believe it would be best to narrow down your trading partners to a very small number.”
”So that’s where the merchant Liliarette will introduce me to comes in handy, as an entry point…” I said.
”Precisely. And almost certainly, the conversation will turn to where you acquired the sugar.”
I figured as much. Not just the sugar, but everything I brought from Japan would raise that question.
”I mentioned this before, but the method for producing white sugar is only known in the Holy Capital Ragnarond¹. However, this sugar is of a higher quality than even that, so any perceptive individual will see through it immediately.”
”So… they’ll think that someone outside the Holy Capital has succeeded in making white sugar?” I asked.
”Yes. They will definitely investigate where it is being produced, including the manufacturing methods.”
Liliarette’s overall vision was to use the sugar as the initial hook, and then transition the main business to selling the vegetables and fruits harvested in the domain.
”Wouldn’t it lower Shimizu’s burden if we made that the main trade instead? After all, the farm area will be greatly expanded, and we can expect a stable harvest regardless of the weather. If we’re going to convert things into money, crops are much more efficient.”
”I see…” I mused.
”Offer sugar only occasionally when requested. The main focus must remain on the agricultural products. Moving toward this structure is the ideal path.”
And then… Liliarette declared, raising her index finger, “Returning to the matter at hand. Regarding the sugar and the agricultural products, let us tell everyone that we are growing them here in the Demon Forest.”
”Wait… what!?”
In the Demon Forest, a land known for keeping people away…!?
”It does not matter if the other party believes it or not. The rumor we want to start is this: There is a man who grows mysterious crops in the Demon Forest, and he occasionally comes to sell the leftover fruits. That is all.”
”…? Why start a rumor? And if they don’t believe it, won’t the business fall apart?”
”Ah… forgive me. My words were insufficient. The ‘other party’ I just mentioned is not the Councillor merchant. It is the people of the nearby town.”
I was even more confused. But Liliarette clearly had a bigger picture in mind.
”Actually, I have been thinking things over repeatedly since Shimizu went to the other world. Using my letter of introduction will certainly allow you to contact a representative merchant of the Republic. However, that puts us in a fundamentally weaker position. To maintain a relationship on equal footing, we must present a Weapon that they do not possess.”
I had simply intended to go to a Republic town and sell goods, but Liliarette had put considerable thought into this. I listened in silence to the rest of her story.
”My sister mentioned that she found a town in the Republic, did she not? When I heard the name of that town, several things occurred to me.”
”Oh?” I said, surprised.
”The headquarters of the merchant guild that the Councillor is managing is located in that very town.”
The Councillor himself resides in the capital of the Republic. So I had initially thought I would have to travel to the capital to meet him.
However, the merchants who are now Councillors were once great magnates representing their respective smaller nations. Therefore, the place where they originally started their business—the location of their merchant guild headquarters—is not necessarily the Republic’s capital for all of them.
”The party we are dealing with is a merchant guild that has produced a merchant who represents a nation. Since it is a foreign country, perpetual equal trade will be difficult with just my letter of introduction. Negotiations are all about the initial move. We must make them travel to us first.”
”Them? You mean, instead of us going to them?” I asked.
”Yes. If it goes well, excellent. Even if it fails, there is no disadvantage to us.”
Liliarette proceeded to explain the detailed procedure.
First, I should go to that town and sell the fruits regularly. I can sell to anyone—passersby or other merchants, whomever I please.
”Those fruits will definitely attract attention, even if you just sell them casually. They are all very sweet and unlike anything found in this world.”
If I keep doing this, eventually I’ll gain fans who look forward to the fruit I bring. I will also be asked repeatedly where I grow these unseen fruits.
That’s when I answer, “The Demon Forest,” and say that I also live there. Even if the recipient doesn’t believe me, the fact that I am selling unheard-of fruits is undeniable. Regardless of the truth of the story, people will buy.
”If it goes well… or rather, it will definitely become a rumor in the town.”
”The rumor you mentioned earlier… the one about the man who grows crops in the Demon Forest and occasionally comes to town to sell them,” I confirmed.
”Yes. The goods are actually circulating. We have proof of the mysterious fruits. And once such a rumor spreads in the town…”
”The most famous merchant in that town will try to make contact,” I finished, a realization dawning.
Liliarette nodded, affirming, “That is correct.”
”The fruits will undoubtedly gain a high reputation. When that happens, the top merchant in the town will want to procure them for themselves. They have sales channels to the capital, after all. They will want to use them to conduct business with the wealthy there.”
So, they would buy from me and then resell to the wealthy in the capital.
”At that point, if we cleverly use my letter of introduction and the sugar, negotiations will become much easier. If we can make them believe that we are the only source of a valuable commodity—something two of a kind cannot exist in this world—I believe we can maintain an excellent relationship.”
Liliarette wore an incredibly proud expression. The idea of using the fruits as the initial business hook came to her while she was formulating the plan for leveling the farm area.
”A word of caution: the fruits we offer contain seeds. It is possible that some will try to grow them themselves. They may ask for cultivation know-how, and in that case, it would be best to skillfully evade the question.”
I suppose it’s natural for them to try to grow them here. If that’s the case, I might want to limit the selection to crops that have a slow growth rate. …Well, with the climate conditions, I doubt all of them will be easy to cultivate anyway.
”If they succeed in cultivation, then the business might no longer be viable…” I pointed out.
”That’s what the sugar is for,” Liliarette responded instantly. “Besides, even if they succeed in cultivation, it will probably not put us at a disadvantage.”
”Huh? Why is that?”
”They will have spent a great deal of time cultivating them. To sell them for a high price, they will limit the harvest yield. Also, to monopolize distribution, they might even propose a negotiation to buy everything we bring in at an even higher price.”
I was astonished. It seemed Liliarette had even accounted for the possibility of them successfully growing the crops.
”Moreover, no matter how hard they try, our yield will be superior. If necessary, we can even threaten to flood the market with more fruit than they can harvest, causing a price collapse.”
…I was completely taken aback. It appeared Liliarette had considered far more possibilities than I had.
”What I have just discussed is merely a wish built upon layers of theoretical speculation. The results will also take time. If you seek immediate results, using my letter of introduction from the start would be the surer path, but…”
She looked at me, asking what I wished to do. My mind was already made up.
”I’d love to go with that plan. I’ll make regular trips to the town and sell the fruits casually.”
There’s no pain in failure. Although, I should probably set a deadline, such as: if we don’t see results by X date, we’ll use Liliarette’s letter of introduction.
Besides, Liliarette put so much thought into this. I feel like she wants to see if her plan unfolds as she theorized.
The business talk concluded with the agreement that we would begin as soon as the farm area was operational.
”Oh, and another thing… how do people in Shimizu’s world manage contraception?”
”…Huh?”
—
Author:
Liliarette decided that agricultural products cultivated in the domain would be the main commodity, as they are easier to manage than the limited supply of seasonings. Given the effect of Land of Blessing², which allows for harvests every five days, she plans to use the sugar only as an accent in the trade.
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Summary:
””Shimizu and Liliarette finalize a daring business plan for the Republic. Liliarette’s genius is on full display as she outlines a strategy to leverage the unique Domain-grown fruits and the rare Japanese sugar to put Shimizu on equal footing with a powerful Councillor merchant. The plan involves creating a buzz in a local town by claiming the mysterious produce comes from the Demon Forest, which is a brilliant tactic to attract the Merchant Guild’s attention without them realizing Shimizu’s true power. The chapter concludes on a sudden, intimate question from the princess about contraception. Intrigue, Strategy, and a cliffhanger!””
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Character Insight:
””Liliarette operates with cold, hard logic, yet her ultimate motivation is Shimizu’s safety and power. She is willing to use rumors and market manipulation (the price collapse threat) to protect her brother’s position. Shimizu is learning to move past his ‘salaryman’ merchant thinking, realizing their objective is development, not pure profit. He is increasingly trusting Liliarette’s ruthless strategic mind.””
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Behind the Scene:
””The strategy is a classic example of leveraging scarcity and mystery (the Demon Forest rumor) to force a powerful counterparty to negotiate on your turf. The final question about contraception is a classic light novel trope used to suddenly shift the tone from business to the characters’ personal, intimate lives, reminding the reader of the romantic/personal subplot.””
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T/L:
¹ Holy Capital Ragnarond (聖都ラグナロンド): This is likely the major religious and political center where advanced alchemy/technology (like refined sugar production) is concentrated and controlled, giving it a powerful trade monopoly. ↩
² Land of Blessing (ランド・オブ・ブレッシング): This is the skill or effect of Shimizu’s domain that grants supernaturally fast growth and harvest cycles, the key to Liliarette’s long-term strategy. ↩
Notes:
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Gin – A friend of Kiraurumi who craves excitement and is secretly a ‘lolita enthusiast’ complexed about her own tall stature. She sees the world-saving mission as a ‘plane ride over a river’ of boredom.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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