Ishmael, Owner of the Woodworking Shop
A woodworking shop stood in the noble district. Its cream-colored walls and dark brown roof caught the eye.
The carvings framing the doors and glass windows were exquisite. Since it dealt in wood, its products covered a wide range.
Elaborate picture frames used by nobles to display family portraits. Decorated tables, chairs, and all kinds of wooden goods necessary for daily life were lined up. There weren’t too many items, and the aisles between them were wide enough for about two people to walk side by side comfortably.
The owner of that shop was named Ishmael.
He had started from a small store, and thanks to his earnest nature and good character, he had finally managed to acquire this shop. The woodworking trade had begun in his grandfather’s generation, his father had established the company, and Ishmael had grown it to what it was now.
The reason I, Ishmael, was granted patronage from the nobility was thanks to that person, the Lord of the Marsh territory.
The grandfather of Lord Downey.
Since my grandfather’s time, our family had been favored by the margraves of Marsh.
Apparently, long ago, when my grandfather was young, he used to go into the forest himself to procure timber. At that time, he came across the Lord of Marsh, who had fallen from his horse during a hunt and broken his leg, and helped him. That was how the connection began.
We had been running a modest business, but we were given an opportunity.
We were entrusted with selling the Kai Chairs. The finished Kai Chairs that came from Montreux were sold by us. They were in demand among households with small children.
At first, they became extremely popular among the nobility, and gradually they spread to commoners as well. Nobles from all over purchased them. Reservations were filled up two years in advance. And it wasn’t just one per person, there were outdoor ones, indoor ones, and more.
Moreover, they weren’t only for children. They were also sold for adults, as they could be used by the elderly. In no time, sales expanded all the way to the royal capital. The momentum showed no signs of stopping, and I had trembled with joy. Riding that wave, I finally obtained this long-awaited shop.
However, a shadow was cast over it.
A defective Kai Chair appeared among the products we had confidently been selling. That day turned into a bit of a commotion.
A well-dressed man came into the shop, along with what seemed to be his child, a little girl about two or three years old, and another man who appeared to be an attendant.
“We bought a Kai Chair, but when our child sat on it, it tipped forward and she got hurt,” they said.
The child was nibbling on bread, and I found myself wondering, “A well-dressed child eating while standing?” But right now, I had to deal with the adults.
First, I had them show me the chair. One of the front legs, the right one, was just slightly shorter. If you set it down normally, there was no problem, but when a child sat on it, it tilted forward to the right. The child nearly got hurt again, but just in time, I picked her up, preventing a second injury.
At the moment the child was about to get hurt, the father, I assume, and the other man, likely his attendant, did not panic at all… Instead, they said, “See? A chair like this is unusable. So hand over compensation.”
Demanding compensation instead of worrying about the child… I felt anger welling up inside. But the fact remained that an injury had occurred right in front of me due to our product.
I offered my apology and, as compensation, handed over one gold coin, ten percent of the purchase price.
I told them I would take back the defective Kai Chair and replace it with a new one, but they said, “This Kai Chair was bought by the mother for her son, so we don’t want to hand it over. We’d like to keep it at home as a display.” They took only the compensation and left.
After that, a certain rumor began to spread throughout the town.
What do you think about this chapter?
