Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 243

“263 pairs, huh…” I contemplate the provisional reservation list that Sara prepares. “Weren’t there supposed to be fewer than a hundred people?”

When I ask Anne, she replies, “Those kinds of wealthy people wouldn’t just order one pair, right? They might need them for going out, for evening parties, for indoor use, or as gifts—there are plenty of purposes. Oh, and there’s even the option for display purposes.”

“Display purposes? What are they going to do, just admire the shoes?” I express my doubt.

Anne sighs in exasperation.

“I’m astonished. You know, your shoes are precious shoes that are used by cardinals! If they’re devout, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to display them in their home chapels.”

I am more shocked by the idea of a home chapel than by the act of displaying the shoes. “What do you mean, a home chapel…?”

“That means they’re that rich!”

Honestly, this is a far cry from the initial customer base I envision. The Pioneers’ Shoes are designed for those engaged in development, as the name suggests.

As investment in development projects increases among the church and nobles, the shoes are made as a tool to support that.

To put it in terms of my original world, it would be like selling jeans to the workers who flock to the Gold Rush.

However, the Pioneers’ Shoes are now straying from that practical brand and moving into the realm of luxury goods. I can’t shake the feeling that we mismanage our promotional strategy. Though it’s probably too late to lament that now.

“I certainly put my heart and soul into making these, but they don’t even cost a large copper coin. Money can be found where you want it.” I pick up a pair of the Pioneers’ Shoes in front of me. Of course, the boots made for cardinals take time to craft, so they’re worth several times that, but still, they should be priced low enough that a silver coin would suffice.

“Right now, if we say we’re selling them for a gold coin, buyers will be clamoring for them.” That is Anne’s assessment.

Given her reputation for discerning the financial states of the nobility, I have no doubt about that figure.

“Besides, I don’t know much about it, but the cardinal will also be showcasing them to church officials, right? If that’s the case, we could receive a large number of orders from the church as well,” Anne presses on.

“Ah, you’re right about that.” I nod, half in resignation. “It’ll be a luxury item, won’t it? It’s worth that much even now. When that happens, it’ll be a real scramble, won’t it?”

“That seems likely.”

It’s really giving me a headache. As for the orders from church officials, we’re merely stalling for time by holding a presentation for the large orders. It would turn into a scenario where additional large orders come in on top of that.

My headaches aren’t just about manufacturing.

If it were solely about making shoes, I could probably meet the demand with a little extra effort. We’ve built a production line for that and trained accordingly, plus we have a track record in producing protective shoes for adventurers.

The real issue lies in the vastly different values that buyers seek between practical and luxury goods.

For example, if the buyer is an adventurer, they could just arrive in a carriage and drop off an order for multiple pairs of shoes. That’s how we do it for The Sword Fangs Legion and other adventurer clans. For aftercare, we just take in worn-out shoes for repairs and sell maintenance oil, keeping it pretty straightforward. It’s essentially a sell-and-forget product, as adventurers seek practical value in their shoes.

In contrast, the buyers of luxury goods are clergymen, nobles, and wealthy merchants. With them, I can’t just drop off the shoes and leave it at that. I have to visit them properly, engage in conversation, flatter them a bit, and then deliver the goods.

The current packaging likely is inadequate as it is now. I may have to include the family crest or seasonal decorations from the recipient’s home, along with lines or poems related to sacred texts.

Delivering the shoes with such effort, plus any additional requests that arise, means I must respond when called upon and do it promptly with a smile.

Because what they are looking for is the experience and prestige that the brand symbolizes.

That is what selling luxury goods entails.

On top of that, the demand for luxury items can fluctuate greatly. Even if we establish a system capable of handling that, interest may wane once the demand has run its course. If that happens, the investment could go to waste, and it could negatively impact the sale of the Pioneers’ Shoes.

“This is complicated…”

Managing our in-house products, which have now become luxury goods, is a real challenge.