Chapter 299

Promoting Connies
While I was working on Young lady Shami’s dress, preparations for importing Connies were steadily progressing.
A magic freezer for rapid freezing was brought in, and trials of freezing and thawing the fruit were conducted.
The results showed that while the taste slightly diminished after freezing, it remained within an acceptable range.

With that settled, the next step was marketing!
About a week after Young lady Shami departed, we decided to import fresh Connies and frozen Connies by bird courier for a side-by-side comparison.
After discussing it with Alizée, we targeted high-end inns, luxury restaurants, and other establishments frequented by affluent clientele.

Fresh Connies requires bird courier delivery, while transporting frozen Connies over long distances incurs high costs.
Considering this, we concluded that selling Connies as a daily offering in general eateries would be challenging.
For regular restaurants, the focus would be on frozen Connies to see if they could offer it as a single dish.
That’s the basic strategy.

When the shipment of Connies arrived from Galette County, even Young lady Conniette herself showed up.
She wanted to witness the reactions during the tasting event.
I didn’t mind her being here, as long as it was discreet.

On the day of the Connies tasting, thanks to the Trade Guild’s publicity, many chefs and business owners came to attend. A good start!
Now, the real test would be their impressions after tasting the Connies.

“Lady Lily, the feedback on the Connies tasting is quite positive.”

“Really? That’s wonderful, Alizée.”

“Yes, it seems to be well-received as a fruit with a texture that’s unlike anything previously available in Vardmoi. We’ve also discussed the suggested pricing, and the response to that has been favorable as well.”

It looks promising.
However, there’s one issue: even among luxury restaurants, the most exclusive ones are demanding fresh Connies.
They insist on purchasing it fresh, even when informed of the estimated cost.
What should we do about this?

“Young lady Conniette, fresh Connies don’t last very long, even with refrigeration, does they?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Even when stored using magic refrigeration devices, it only stays fresh for about a week. Naturally, transporting it via bird courier with refrigeration magic requires large birds, and the quantity we can transport is limited. What shall we do?”

Young lady Conniette looked troubled.
It’s a business opportunity, but there’s a cap on how much can be transported.
According to her, it takes about two days by bird courier from Galette County to Vardmoi.
However, bird couriers can’t fly in bad weather, making them less reliable for fresh produce.
What should we do?

“Lady Lily, may I suggest something?”

“What is it, Alizée?”

“We should only procure fresh Connies upon receiving specific orders. Furthermore, the ordered amount should be entirely specified by the clients. This way, there’s no need to maintain a constant supply of fresh Connies, and the burden of procurement is reduced. What do you think? I believe this approach could mitigate the risks.”

I see, only sourcing it upon receiving an order.
That doesn’t sound bad.
Let’s go with that plan.

I asked Alizée to explain this method to the restaurant stakeholders.
Honestly, frozen Connies are more advantageous for me because they can be stored for a longer period.
Even if some stock accumulates, it remains viable as long as it stays frozen.
They’ll have to compromise on that point.

The tasting event was a great success.
Many restaurants expressed interest in purchasing frozen Connies as soon as it became available.
Looks like everything’s on track.

“Um, Lady Lily, may I make a request?”

As the tasting event wrapped up and Alizée was giving her report, Young lady Conniette, with a somewhat somber expression, approached me.

“What kind of request?”

“Would you consider purchasing all of our Connies trees? Every last one of them.”

Buying all the Connies trees?
What’s going on?

What do you think about this chapter?