Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 58

Alone in the captain’s room, Jilboa broached the subject. “You’ve made excellent shoes. They’re really shoes for adventurers.”

“That’s right. They’re designed for those who walk long distances outdoors and fight. They’re sturdy, deflect snake fangs in the bush, provide traction even in mud, and won’t cause blisters even after walking all night,” I explained.

“So you want me to introduce you to craftsmen who can make those?” Jilboa asked.

“That’s right. The materials are already arranged. All that’s left is the production. I need craftsmen who can keep secrets,” I replied.

“How much do you plan to sell them for?” Jilboa inquired.

“For small-scale production, two large copper coins each. Ideally, I’d like to reduce it to one,” I said.

Jilboa sighed softly, thinking it was too cheap, and leaned back in his chair.

“Kenji, I’ve said this before, but who are you, really? I’ve never seen shoes like that. You said they’re shoes for adventurers, but that’s not enough. I’ll bet you this: every adventurer in this city will end up wearing those shoes. Even those from the top clans. Not just us, the Sword Fangs Legion. Even the Dawn of Swift will wear them. Adventurer merchants too. For those who travel from city to city, shoes are their lifeline. Even soldiers and knights won’t go back to their old shoes once they’ve worn those. Do you really think you can just create something like that out of nowhere and get away with it as if it were nothing?”

It was both the highest praise and a warning.

Under Jilboa’s serious gaze, I couldn’t help but realize how naive my expectations had been. Initially, I had only planned to sell shoes to the fledgling, impoverished adventurers in this city and produce around a hundred pairs a year at most. That’s why I had been so relaxed about what to do with the office.

But Jilboa pointed out that this shoemaking venture would become a big business. Half of the city’s small shoemakers will be eliminated. It would be a big business, on the level of the city’s specialty products. If it’s incorporated into the military, it could become a military industry. Shoe production will need to increase from 100 pairs annually to 100 pairs per day.

Come to think of it, Salvatore Ferragamo, who first scientifically made shoes, has remained a high-end brand even after 100 years.

“That shoe seemed to have a lot of new innovations,” Jilboa continued.

“Yes, it did. But just a few major innovations won’t suffice.”

These shoes, assembled with such rare parts, will become a brand that exceeds mere reputation. Do I have the determination to keep making and protecting them?

Jilboa continued, “After all, let’s assume the shoes from earlier cost one large copper coin each. For me, I’d order a hundred pairs right away, cash in hand. They’re worth that much. For my personal shoes, it’s said to be three silver coins. I’d even provide the materials. The same goes for the Dawn of Swift group. They’d immediately order another hundred pairs, plus special shoes for the captain. If we buy them, adventurers and mid-level folks will compete to get them. Orders will quickly surpass a thousand pairs. The same goes for traveling merchants and peddlers moving between towns—they’ll soon order over two thousand pairs. It’s only a matter of time before the neighboring towns hear about it. Shoes are easily transportable goods. By February, orders will exceed three thousand pairs. By the following month, orders will exceed five thousand pairs. Once that happens, it’ll be known among nobles and the military. Special orders that can’t be refused will exceed a hundred pairs. Then there will be orders for two thousand pairs of military shoes.”

Jilboa’s future predictions were starting to give me a headache.