Opening Day
Anoteros, unfortunately, didn’t find any dual cultivation techniques that piqued his interest at Red Mansion. They were very traditional in how they practised dual cultivation there, so none of the techniques was a good fit for Edrick’s wide-reaching interests.
He did get a new battle art, however, and got to make friends with Siludis–Which had been the main goal of the visit anyway…
Now, the scion would have normally either returned to his residence or directly gone to another vassal sect, but there was an event he needed to be present for today. The market in which the prototype of his very first shop would appear was taking place soon.
Jania and Tylia had worked hard to crank up the promotion of this market, and the eldest of the two Alrinirs had put the connections and influence she had built for when she would become city lord to work. There would be a lot of influential customers around, and a whole slew of more regular people who had been lured over.
It was perfect.
Many of the ingredients Edrick would sell would be at an affordable price, and Jania had made sure to inform the important guests to bring their own alchemists and the like to directly appraise the quality of the products.
Not everyone could just look at a herb and instantly know if it was better or worse than average. Most people didn’t even have a single clue what ‘average’ even meant in regard to the quality of such products.
…And since the price would be unusually low, it was best that they could verify the high quality. Otherwise, any rational customer would suspect that something was off about what they were being sold.
The Oie Alrinirs had even wanted to hire actors to really sell the quality of the products, but Edrick had told them not to do this. It wasn’t that he was too honest to pull something like this, but he was, in fact, trying to become a genuine seller, and to metaphorically hit the competitors in the ribs with his elbows.
This was proper capitalism that he would display. What would the other sellers of the sector do when faced with a high-noble adversary that sold large quantities of popular herbs and materials at a lower price and higher quality? Since Edrick’s identity alone was enough to make them all forget about the under-the-table means, they would have no other choice but to play the game in the intended manner and also improve.
If Anoteros could do this, then it was without question that he would be considered an entrepreneur that the crown should pay attention to. He didn’t intend to completely rob the competitors. He was trying to elevate the market as a whole.
Those who only thought about profit might try things differently were they in the scion’s position, but anyone with a working brain would realise that it was best to do as he did instead of suffocating the rival sellers. The attention and respect of the crown were worth way more than coins.
Here was all the splendour of Leynlornd in the young noble’s eyes. With how things worked due to the royal family’s intense focus on constantly pushing the economy to higher levels, everyone was directly encouraged to play the game by the rules instead of trying to find loopholes in them for higher income.
It was a respectable art to find every little exploitable thing in a rule or law, but it simply wasn’t the optimal method in Leynlornd.
Anoteros arrived early to watch over how the shop was set up. He had left it to Jania and Tylia, and they had clearly taken it very seriously. It wasn’t fully optimised, but that was to add a nicer atmosphere to the shop.
Today was meant to be a first impression, after all. As such, both appearances and utility need to be present to provide the best possible experience.
Herbs like Full-Moon Bloom were present, ores like Tarkin White Iron, and of course, parts of certain beasts, or in certain cases… Even the full carcass, which was sold for a price slightly inferior to if one were to purchase all of the interesting parts separately.
Naturally, when the cost of getting these things was pretty much zero, even these low prices were actually providing ample benefits. However, the customers didn’t need to know about that part.
The place that had been rented out to hold the shop had a small upstairs, so Edrick stayed there. For now, no one knew that this shop had any ties to the Elt clan, or any major power for that matter. Some would probably assume so by seeing the products, but no one would be able to know for sure.
As for the employees, they were loyal servants of the Oie family, so there were no issues on that front. They had even been promised a bonus for doing this task.
In any case, the satellite city of Oie soon began bursting with life and animation as the market officially began. The streets rapidly filled with people and the voices of stall owners trying to hook buyers in.
Edrick listened and watched from a small window as he sat in an armchair…
It didn’t take long for someone to walk through the front door of the shop, and judging by the attire and entourage, it wasn’t just a random schmoe.
It was an old man who didn’t seem to belong to a great clan in any way, shape or form. He was likely from a small family of cultivators, neither weak enough to be utter trash, but not powerful enough to be on the radar of the great clans.
He coughed into a handkerchief. Edrick–Although unable to see the man now that he had stepped inside–Knew that he had coughed blood. He could smell it.
‘Definitely here for some herbs’
“Oh my… They weren’t lying to me. This place has some nice stocks! What do you say?”
The old man turned to a middle-aged man who–Judging by the similarities in their faces–Was either the old man’s Allino or Grand-Allino.
“This… Everything is actually of exquisite quality, and very nicely collected–I don’t know who owns this shop, but they not only know what they are doing, but also have access to some impressive resources. This all appears very fresh, so it isn’t a mere stockpile”
The middle-aged man could recognise the quality of the herbs in the shop, though he appeared clueless about the rest.
Though it didn’t matter. They came here for something precise… As such, they left with a large quantity of both Saint-Alexandria Blossom and Full-Moon Bloom. Most likely intending on brewing a potent healing concoction.
‘The first customers were nice, but it seems like a whole lot more are coming…’