Regarding the New Store
"…… You used it without consulting me, didn't you? The Frost Spider Silk."
"…… I'm sorry, Alizée."
"No, it's fine to use it for a commission since it's your personal property... but did you get permission from Marquis Vardmoi, the client?"
"No, I didn't..."
"That's definitely a problem, isn't it?"
The day after the party, I'm having a meeting with Alizée in a room at the Trade Guild in the Royal Capital.
Alizée moved to the Guild members' quarters as soon as she arrived in the Capital, so we're having our discussion here.
The main topics are the bill for the dress made from Frost Spider Silk that I used without permission, the handling of the Frost Spider Silk that has been decided to be sold to Princess Rodenlight, and the new store proposal that was suggested last night.
These are all issues I caused, so I need to face them properly.
"For now, let's bill the dress as if it was a Mana Spider Silk dress, as it also served as a promotion for Frost Spider Silk. We can't simply add the cost of the material, which is worth more than ten times, to the bill."
"Thank you, Alizée."
"As for the Frost Spider Silk to be sold to Princess Rodenlight, it can't be helped. It's best not to go against Royalty without reason. Moreover, since Princess Rodenlight has already set a price, there is no need to negotiate for anything less. She is a perfect client for our business records."
"I'm relieved to hear that."
"And lastly, about your new store..."
Oh, Alizée seems to be struggling with this as well.
I couldn't come up with a good idea either.
But if we don't figure it out, my shop, Spider’s Silken Cloud, will be in trouble.
What should we do?
"First, if it's going to be a specialty tailor shop, let's focus solely on dresses from the start. If you also take on men's tailored clothing, the pressure from other shops will increase, and more importantly, you won't be able to manage it all."
Yes, I think so too.
Making dresses is already quite difficult, and I have no idea how to make men's clothing either.
Normally, it takes several months to make a single outfit, and since I'm the only tailor, it's impossible.
Men's clothing has to be cut out.
"Next, about the location. If we build in the Capital, you will need to move your base to the Capital. It's a problem if the head tailor is not usually present at the shop, or even in the same city."
"That's true..."
"However, if Lady Lily, if you leave Vardmoi, it will be very unfavorable for the Vardmoi Trade Guild as well. It would also be troublesome for you not to receive the protection of Marquis Vardmoi. The new store should be built in Vardmoi."
Hmm, it's because I'm under the protection of Marquis Vardmoi that I can do things to a certain extent as I please.
If I leave that protection, there will be no safety net for me to fall back on.
In that sense, leaving Vardmoi is not a good idea. Besides, I quite like the city of Vardmoi and don't really want to leave.
"Is everything up to here alright? Then, let's move on to narrowing down specific locations. It was helpful to carry around a map of Vardmoi city."
Alizée even carried something like that around.
Apparently, she uses it sometimes when negotiations come up while she's out.
This time, it was useful for deciding where my new store should be.
As expected, she's very efficient.
"Your current shop is here. It's a small shop just off the main street. We can't expand it here."
"Why not?"
"When welcoming noble customers, we must assume they will arrive by carriage. Considering that, a shop along the main street is desirable."
"Hmm, but are there any good properties available?"
"Honestly, I can't say without investigating after returning to Vardmoi. However, with your financial resources, you should be able to buy a shop smoothly."
Buying an existing shop... It feels a bit like a takeover, which I don't like, but with a recommendation from the Trade Guild and sufficient funds, some shops might be willing to sell.
With over 100 million in funds, there shouldn't be any problems.
Anyway, we'll continue this discussion after returning to Vardmoi.
What do you think about this chapter?
