"Welcome back, sir! How was your trip to the market? Fruitful, I hope! Would you like to have your dinner? We have a very fine selection of dinner prepared. As you have not paid the rent in combination with the meal, the food will cost you a small sum. We have a restaurant just behind that door. Please proceed there for your meal. If you don't want to eat, we also have a good selection of wine and alcohol for you to enjoy."
I can't believe she remembered me with that brief meeting we had earlier today. I guess it is a useful skill for someone who works in the customer service industry. Remembering who you are will make your guest feel valued. I still think she is too chatty though.
"Thanks, I'll head there now and see what's available."
"You are very welcome, sir. Please don't hesitate to come here to the front desk and ask me or any other staff stationed at the time you need help. Please enjoy your meal."
I guess she could tell that I was growing tired of her long speeches, so she shortened it. Well that or she may have thought that I was hungry and couldn't wait to eat.
I am a bit hungry. I have some meals stored in my physical storage bag but I do admit that I am curious at what they have cooked up. Staying out of town does give you the feeling that your wallet and stomach are greased a bit. You can't help but indulge yourself with food.
*Chatter* *Chatter* *Laughter*
It seems lively here. Perfect for listening in on the daily happenings of the town. However, I am not here for that. I'm here to eat, and I am going to eat a lot today.
Why? It is because I am frustrated with how the business went today. Except for the lady that first came to visit and bought a cheap knife, and the little gift exchange with the neighbouring local soap seller, no one has passed by the store since.
"Welcome, What would you like to order?"
"I want to try this jade bear stew. Ah, please choose a suitable alcohol for me too."
"Very well, I will return with your food and drink shortly. Please wait a moment."
The most infuriating ones were the bargain hunters. They were really persistent in trying to bring my prices down. It made me think about pricing my wares high, so they can wiggle it down to normal prices but that might turn away people because of the high prices. I don't know, I am not that familiar with merchant work.
As a maker, it is frustrating trying to deal with bargain hunters who try and bring down your prizes by trivializing your own work.
What do you mean the knife looks 'easy to break' when it cuts through the firewood without problems!?!?
Are you really asking me to cut the price in half because it isn't designed with your favourite colour!?!?
Like I would give you a discount because there is a piece of dust on the knife!!
Are those kinds of tactics normal for bargaining, or is it the kind of attitude they normally have for stalls in the low traffic areas?
"...I saw that you have new goods from the central island. I'm surprised you are still doing business there considering the current situation."
"...I'm doing business there exactly because of the current situation. Goods from the central island just climbed up because there are less merchants doing that route."
"...Hmmp, you are only focusing on the immediate gains. If something were to happen then you would suffer a huge loss."
"...It will happen when it happens. It can't be helped but fortune does like danger. However, I understand the risk and I am prepared for it. I have a good mercenary group protecting me. I'm not that reckless after all."
Anyway I made a single sale and gave away a single knife. It isn't that much but I guess this is fine for a start.
"Hey there laddie, you ordered this?"
"I'm not sure."
"Hmm? You ordered it yet you don't know what it is? Hey!! Did this guy order this?"
"Yes!"
"Looks like you did order this. Here ya go!"
"Thanks."
*Slice* *Chew* *Swallow*
I'm not sure about customer service but the food is certainly good. Well, I'm still not sure about customer service since that kind of personality is the norm here. I guess it counts as a pass.
Anyway, I will try setting up the stall early in the morning to late in the night for tomorrow. I really hope I get a few people to actually buy something.
I know that I don't really need to sell anything but it would be odd for me to keep smithing without any profits, plus it would help boost my ego a bit which isn't entirely bad.
*Chew* *Chew* *Chew*
It's not like I am saying that I want to die but I hope the next life will bring me somewhere where the meat isn't this tough. I could go for some seafood but only freshwater fishes are available for consumption in this world.
I guess I could make that into another goal of mine. 'Become strong enough to take down the sea monsters.'
The only problem is that the sea monsters, leviathans, dragons, and other kind of creatures the past hero tamed might start a worldwide hunt for the murderer of their comrades, which is me. If I start attacking one of them, then I need to have the power to either survive repeated attacks from all of them or hide in a way that they can never find me, or die.
I have the option for another life. If those monsters did rage, they should be satisfied when I die. I really don't know about the cause of that death though. I will die because I wanted to eat seafood? I guess if I get bored enough to do it then I just might.
This is also why I am not that averse with helping the human continent royalty siblings. Discounting the fact that I am still unsure if I can make a weapon good enough to even harm those monsters, even if they do succeed in taking one down, I am sure they can't escape retribution brought by the other dragons.
"Oh, if it isn't the travelling smith. Mind if I join you?"
"Go ahead."
My first proper customer? The lady that seemed like an expert but only bought the cheapest knife? Isn't this a coincidence? However, I never introduced myself as the 'travelling smith'.
The question of who made the knives was never brought up. Did she look into my background? Did that guy that was inspecting everyone going into the town told her about me? Seriously!! What a serious leak of private information.
Wait, wait, wait, let's calm down. I'm not sure if he really did give up any info about me. I'm still not sure that he was bribed by this knowledgeable customer of mine.
"Nice to meet you, Brill Smith. I'm the manager in charge of the branch stationed here by the Orange Shield Merchant Guild."
"I didn't realize I introduced myself."
The manager of that merchant guild?
*sigh*
This will be troublesome for me. She better not have sold my knife how many folds higher than my selling price!!
"You didn't, I got the info from the staff of the commerce centre they have at this market."
Right assumption, wrong branch of the city worker. That corrupt greedy little idiot!! I'll get back at you one day, just you wait!
"Hmmmm."
"Don't act that surprised. You did come from a fairly popular town, so you must know things like information leak are very common to happen."
"I know, I'm just curious what kind of proposal you have for me."
Don't hide it. I know that you want me to work for your branch. It is true that it's the best way to gain my exposure. I can probably sell things for more if I go through their connection channels. The only problem is that it would feel like I am working for a factory.
I will have to make several copies of the same design with a few 'special' pieces that would be sent to the auction house.
That is not how I want to spend my way to build my legend.
"You already know what it is I am after. I'll get straight to the point. I want you to work for us. We only want 30% of the profit. Two special requests every month and we will supply you with the materials. We can advertise your knife to a wider range of people, you earn money, we earn money. I think this is a very fair deal."
I told you so!! 30% sounds high at first but if they are the ones supplying the materials then it is a very generous offer. The final price for my crafted works will also get a huge markup thanks to their fame, so they don't need to worry that the 30% they are getting would make a loss.
She already accessed my skill level and bought my cheapest, and supposedly an example of my weakest skill level, knife. The reason that she is here is probably because she already consulted and deliberated the specifics of the deal with me with the others in her merchant guild.
The only problem is the request. I am not complaining about making requests. I am complaining that I don't have enough of them.
I don't know how many requests I can finish in a month but the reason that I wanted to start alone, other than the fact that I suddenly came into contact with a lot of money, is that I can work with different kinds of people.
Especially the people with a limited budget. Those are going to be the brain scratchers that I need to be able to improve.
If I only get requests from medium to rich people, then they wouldn't care as much on how much they need to spend. The constraints aren't enough if I could brute force the finished product with some expensive materials.
"I'm sorry but I don't really think that working with a merchant guild is the right choice for me at this moment."
"I understand. I did read that you are undergoing your family traditions of making yourself known with your own effort. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that building your renown from the ground up without help from others. We can help you get your name from here to the other side of the continent. We can help you grow with some guidance from the array of smiths under our employ."
"Although it is tempting. I just started. I don't want to jump to another mountain just as I started piling up the foundation for my own."
"That is very admirable of you. However, it is not enough to make us give up. I understand that you want to experiment to see what works for you. I will take a step back and let you have your fill but I will come back once you have gotten bored. The offer will still stand, so please don't hesitate to come to us whenever you change your mind."
"Thank you."
"Well, I'll leave you to eat your meal. I hope to hear from you soon. Oh, this is an I.D. for the Orange Shield Merchant Guild of this branch. Use this if you want to reach me. The doors are always open."
She finally left. I guess such persistence is needed if you are a merchant, or work in sales.
I did suspect that their guild is in the midst of an internal struggle. My skills aren't that high class but maybe she needed as many assets as she could get for that internal struggle.
Their business is their business, and I don't want any part of the trouble that is happening within their guild. I'm not seeing myself changing my mind about working for them.
It's weird though. She left to give me some space but somehow I feel like a fish that has been given slack to let me breathe before trying to pull me in for the catch.
