Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 79

The next morning, while drinking tea at the new inn in the Second District, I reflect on yesterday’s meeting and what lies ahead.

The inn is quite luxurious, and the difference is immediately apparent in the walls. Unlike the shabby, uneven bricks and hastily repaired wooden fences of the Third District inn I had been staying at, which looked like they might collapse with a single quake, the walls here are elegantly covered with thick, white plaster. The high, wide ceiling enhances the spacious and comfortable atmosphere.

Hot water for tea is readily available without needing to be ordered, and there are dedicated female attendants to serve.

“Ah… I’ve only had white bread on special occasions,” Sara says while eating the white bread, having woken up unusually early to join me for breakfast.

I’m not exactly sure about the type of wheat used around here, but since it is available in the Second District, it must be local wheat. Usually, the bread is mixed with other grains, so I hadn’t noticed the difference before.

Grinding wheat is labor-intensive. Only the lord or nobility have the rights to use the water mills for milling, so one has to go out of their way to bring the wheat to be ground, incurring taxes in the form of milling fees.

The grinding process isn’t done just once. Each additional milling refines the grains further, removing impurities and improving the quality, somewhat akin to the meticulous process of brewing ginjo sake.

Having grown up in a rice-eating culture, I don’t fully appreciate this refinement. I had once been served a coarse, grainy bread with pebbles mixed in and had a dispute with the innkeeper over it.

I watch Sara munching on the chewy white bread, savoring it. I remind her, “This inn caters to a refined clientele. Don’t ask for ale first thing in the morning.”

“I won’t!” she replies.

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After breakfast, while Sara heads to the Adventurer’s Guild to guide novice adventurers, I stay behind at the inn to think.

Despite the inn’s high quality, the events of the other day weigh heavily on me. I set my sword nearby, sip on more tea, and jot down notes on a wooden tablet.

Frankly speaking, the newly established “Adventurers’ Shoe Sales and Manufacturing Team” is a disjointed mess, almost like a ragtag bunch. Using future profits from shoe manufacturing as leverage, I’m barely managing to control two unruly elements. There’s no real loyalty to the team itself, and this situation won’t last long before it falls apart.

Organizations and teams need reasons and goals to strive for. A leader must be adept at setting goals.

The mismanagement and subsequent unrest in the Sword Fangs Legion stem from Captain Jilboa losing sight of their goals. However, thanks to our discussions, Jilboa realizes the need to aim for greatness beyond this city. This recognition revitalizes the Sword Fangs Legion, and they are now preparing to leave the city.

Ironically, this very focus on becoming great heroes poses a risk to the future operation of the “Adventurers’ Shoe Sales and Manufacturing Team.”

So, I need to set a strong goal for the “Adventurers’ Shoe Sales and Manufacturing Team.” If I were a hero, I might declare, “I’ll conquer the country!” or “I’ll end all wars!” or “I’ll defeat the Demon King!” But as an ordinary person, I must find a more practical goal.

After some thought, I decided that we need to launch a major campaign for the release of the adventurers’ shoes, involving the entire team.

I begin to devise the plan.