Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 94

“…I still don’t quite understand the purpose of this,” I say, pondering over the blueprints for the shoes recently ordered by nobles.

“What’s wrong? Are you dissatisfied with something?” Gorgoro asks, observing me with crossed arms.

It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with Gorgoro’s skills. Gorgoro makes and customizes the protective shoes according to the blueprints as I request. However, I’m frustrated because I can’t understand the purpose or intention behind the frilly leather ribbons, the pointless silver decorations, and the pointed protrusions on the heels of the shoes.

Generally, orders from nobles come with no explanations. A servant arrives, hands over the blueprints, and we make the shoes according to those blueprints. If they’re wrong, we redo them. We then add a profit margin to the costs and bill them. That’s all there is to it.

While the process is labor-intensive, the profit margins are significant, so I have no complaints in that regard. My concern is the lack of information flow. Gorgoro is a craftsman at heart and doesn’t seem to mind the lack of details. He makes what he’s told and adds his own refinements within those limits. That’s his creed and strength, so I don’t intend to demand more from him. Instead, gathering information is my responsibility.

That said, my connections with the upper class are limited. For now, I’ll go in the merchant-style outfit I recently purchased and meet with Anor, the sales representative at Kwan Workshop.

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“Good morning. What can I do for you today?” Anor greets me with his usual flawless smile. Since I probably won’t get a straight answer if I ask directly, I pretend to have business with the craftsmen and bring up some casual conversation.

“I’m here to confirm and discuss a few things. Is Galahad the craftsman here?”

“Unfortunately, Galahad is out at the moment…”

I already know that Galahad won’t be here today because I’ve been informed in advance. He is out ordering tools.

“I see. If you know, could you let me know…?” I bring up the topic. Since this might seem like an issue with his workshop to Anor, he would likely feel compelled to respond.

It’s a small tactic, but this kind of exchange is necessary to extract information. As expected, Anor replies, “If it’s something I know, I’ll be happy to help.”

I show him the blueprints and inquire about the meanings of various decorations and the functions of the protrusions. After compiling this information, I realize that the shoes ordered are likely not for a high-level noble’s evening party but rather for a lower-ranking noble or a knight’s ceremonial use.

Frilly and unnecessary leather decorations represent social rank, and the seemingly pointless silver embellishments have ceremonial significance. The protrusions on the heels are probably intended for sudden mounting of a horse.

Products for aristocrats are a complex market. For higher-ranking nobles, orders often include decorations representing seasons, patterns symbolizing their territories, or designs based on their family crests, with numerous ceremonial officials or heraldic officers placing elaborate orders.

Anor, leveraging his noble background, is skilled at handling such orders. He proudly shares this information. For high-ranking nobles, functionality in shoes is not required; they seek symbols of social status. While there might be an appeal in trends for evening parties, it is likely a transient phenomenon.

I am increasingly convinced that catering to this demand could be risky. Nobles tend to be fickle, and even if the profits are large, their preferences can change quickly. The Guardian Shoes are meant to be practical, designed for those who walk and fight outside. In this sense, lower-ranking nobles and knights are potential long-term customers.

When determining a market target, it is common practice to set a lower limit for target customers. For lower-ranking nobles and knights, who are still active on the ground, they manage small territories that require active management. They ride out to arbitrate territorial disputes and maintain security by battling monsters.

Higher-ranking nobles, on the other hand, rarely engage in such fieldwork and are primarily involved in paperwork. This sets the upper limit for the market. It is essential to gather more information on the scale of the territories of the nobles placing orders and the destinations of gifts from wealthy merchants.

Recording information is a task, but using and managing it requires intention. By scrutinizing the piled-up orders, I might be able to differentiate between continuous customers and transient ones. This will allow for precise calculation of profit margins for each market domain.

As I thank Anor and return to the office, my mind is absorbed in recalling the details of the orders.