Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 92

So, I establish the world’s first corporation in another world, develop groundbreaking products, become wealthy, and live happily ever after. Or at least, that’s what I’d like to say, but things don’t always go smoothly.

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There’s no doubt that my living conditions have changed. Since the launch of the “Guardian’s Shoes,” my life has completely transformed.

I left the bright and clean inn in the Second District and set up a room littered with garbage and documents at the back of Gorgoro’s dingy workshop on Leather Street, which smells of chemicals and all sorts of things, and use it as my office and residence.

The main reason for this ultimate work-and-home proximity is not just the busy work at the workshop but also security concerns. Staying here makes me less likely to be targeted. Leather Street is an isolated area in the city with restricted access for those who have no business being here, making it safer.

I told Sara that she could stay in the comfortable inn in the Second District, but she naturally follows me and ends up living with me. Well, she was originally an adventurer and had shared a large room with her family in her rural village, so she might have some tolerance for this kind of arrangement.

Currently, Gorgoro’s workshop isn’t very active. The orders from nobles, wealthy merchants, and top adventurers who gathered for the event are so highly customized that the semi-skilled artisans I’ve hired can’t handle them. 

TThey are being drilled in basic tasks until they can meet my required standards. Meanwhile, I handle the parts, inspection, and logistics of the shoes provided by the artisans on Leather Street.

Here’s how the main workflow goes: Almost all order information now comes through the Sword Fangs Legion. Most of it is via Jilboa. Jilboa, having connections with wealthy merchants and nobility, often receives requests directly at banquets or through sealed letters from their attendants. All of this information eventually reaches me.

To be precise, I go to the Sword Fangs Legion’s office on Leather Street every morning to check the order status. Since no one at the Legion can classify requests and decide whether they should be outsourced or produced in-house, I handle it. I review the requests and, depending on the required skills and deadlines, sometimes delegate to Gorgoro or outsource to the Kwan Workshop, which previously handled the initial mass production of 100 pairs.

I once suspected that the Kwan Workshop might have leaked information, but I have no complaints about their skills. They are adept at adjusting designs to suit noble tastes and have high proficiency in adding unusual decorations and jewels. There’s been no particular issue with them since then, despite my concerns.

However, my day isn’t over yet. I personally inspect all finished products. Since we’re not even producing ten pairs a day, it’s manageable, but maintaining the final quality is solely my responsibility. I check for any scratches on the leather, ensure the laces are secure, make sure the glue for the soles hasn’t overflowed, and confirm that the stitching on the leather is even and not crooked.

While I trust the artisans’ skills, I’m the only one who truly understands the high standards required for the shoes, so it’s necessary for me to be thorough. Once the inspection is done, I move on to packaging. I brand the shoes with a design on a high-quality standardized box, insert the shoes into a cavity lined with red fabric and soft straw inside the box, and provide each pair with a unique number. I also include premium maintenance oil and soft socks.

Sometimes Sara looks at me incredulously and asks, “Do you really need to go this far?”

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Amidst the whirlwind of tasks, a few days ago, I check with the Adventurers’ Guild to track the reservation forms I distributed previously, cross-referencing the list to confirm their current status. Some might have quit being adventurers or gone missing. It has been nearly six months since the foot measurements were taken, so I don’t expect all of them to still be adventurers.

However, I am left speechless when I hear the results. A full 30% of the adventurers are either deceased or missing. Those who are missing might have retired due to injuries or returned to their rural villages. I hope it is the latter.

Sara, who happens to be present, is also stunned when she sees the results. The list of missing persons includes Kimberly, with whom I previously discussed bows.

I close my eyes for a while, pray for my unfortunate friend, and then resume my work in silence.

I close my eyes for a moment, pray for my unfortunate friends, and then silently resume my work. As Sara watches me negotiate with big shots, deal with craftsmen smeared in oil, and stare at ledgers late into the night, she stops asking, “Have you stopped selling shoes to rookie adventurers for just one large copper coin?”

Selling shoes to rookie adventurers, reducing injuries, and minimizing disabilities—this goal hasn’t changed. But to achieve it, money is needed. Connections are needed. Power is needed.

First, I must thoroughly promote the “Guardian’s Shoes” as a high-end brand. I earn initial capital through this. I use that money to operate the workshop and increase production numbers. I increase production numbers until the market is saturated. That should naturally lower the prices.

There is a saying: a brand is not about what it does but about what it doesn’t do. Hence, high-end brands usually limit production numbers to create a sense of scarcity in the market.

Moreover, products made with craftsmanship lose quality when produced in large quantities. Skilled artisans are not easily trained. Therefore, limiting production numbers to maintain price and quality is a rational approach.

However, I intend to break this norm. By thoroughly implementing business processes that decompose skilled artisans’ actions, I will flood the market with high-quality branded products. In this way, I aim to disrupt and expand the market, creating products accessible to rookie adventurers.

For now, I hide this intention and focus solely on bowing to nobles and wealthy merchants to earn the money in front of me.