Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 205

While I have obtained permission from the church, I am establishing a department that has never existed before, so there is no established know-how for its creation and operation within the church. Naturally, as the discussions progress, I find myself overseeing the entire establishment of the organization. The problem is that I have no knowledge of the church’s rules and customs. Therefore, I decided to borrow some personnel from Father Nicolo for the department’s launch.

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“So that’s me. Father Nicolo certainly knows how to use people,” Deacon Michelino remarks, stroking his youthful face with his palm. “Still, I must admit I am somewhat surprised. You certainly have some unusual people with you.”

It is no wonder Deacon Michelino feels that way. A few days after my meeting with Father Nicolo, I brought Sara, Anne, Kiriku, and Gorgoro to a room in the church located in the third-class district, where we sat noisily around a round table. None of them are the type that Deacon Michelino, who entered the church at a young age and steadily climbs through the ranks, would have encountered before.

Anne, in particular, shows a strong interest in the young and ambitious Michelino, seemingly eager to impress him with her attire. For some reason, her outfit seems more revealing than usual. As a craftsman, Gorgoro is reluctant to attend these meetings but is required to because the discussions focus on what kinds of seals should be placed on which parts of the shoes and what materials should be used, from a technical and manufacturing perspective.

Kiriku, as a bodyguard, doesn’t need to attend the meeting itself, but he is likely interested in the seal business and will probably report back to Jilboa later.

In defense of Deacon Michelino, it should be noted that he is not particularly naive; rather, the people in this world typically live within very narrow communities, and it’s normal for them to socialize only with others of the same class or profession. The organization I found for the first time in this world is a function-first entity, which might simply be outside the common sense of a world where status and occupation-centered organizations are the norm.

“I think I understand part of the secret behind why you have such flexible opinions,” Deacon Michelino says, though I feel he slightly overestimates the situation.

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After we finish introducing ourselves, I explain again to Deacon Michelino the circumstances that lead to this joint venture with the church and the launch of this department. Of course, I have already explained things internally before Deacon Michelino arrives, but I think it is necessary to provide the same explanation to ensure that our knowledge and understanding align for our discussions.

“So, today I would like to discuss the challenges of establishing and operating the department that will manage the church’s seal.”

As I summarize, Deacon Michelino adds, “Since you will be the ones paying for the church’s seal, I would like to hear your opinions as users.”

With that said, everyone except me nods in agreement.

“For the pioneer shoes we plan, we will report the quantity to the department that manages the church seal. Then, we will place the church’s seal on the shoes and pay donations based on the number sold; that will be the flow.”

“Can I ask something?” Sara raises her hand to ask a question, and I nod.

“Is putting the Church Seal on the pioneers’ shoes different from the workshop mark? We also put the patterns of the Sword Fangs Legion on our guardian boots, right? Is it different from that too?”

“Yes. Anor and Kwan’s workshops have their workshop seals engraved on their products. It seems similar,” Gorgoro chimes in.

“That’s a good question. There are two major differences. First, the church manages the seal but does not produce items. Second, the seal indicates support for the pioneering efforts rather than serving as a quality guarantee.”

I think I have explained it concisely, but it seems my explanation is too vague, and since this is a novel concept for this world, it is not understood. Doubt is evident on everyone’s faces, so I need to clarify further. However, I struggle to find a way to explain this to people in a world without the concept of brand management. 

I lick my slightly dry lips while desperately trying to come up with an explanation.