“Alright, sales start today.”
“Yes!”
The slaves respond spiritedly to my words. It’s been a full day since I finished teaching the cooking team how to make cookies. What did we do during that time? We were improving cookie quality.
As someone originally Japanese, I tend to think providing halfway decent products is inferior to making high-quality ones if possible, so I had the cooking team refine their cookie-making skill further.
Thanks to that, most of the cooking team can now make cookies of consistent quality, so there’s no issue even without me there.
For the serving and guard teams, I likewise had Machad continue giving lessons in customer service and mock battles. The guard team requested sparring with me, but I refused since the difference in our strength wouldn’t be good practice.
In any case, preparations are finally complete to start selling cookies, so now we’re heading to the area lined with food stalls.
“Oh, a new face?”
“Can we set up a stall anywhere here?”
“Basically, yeah, but some have their usual spots, so there’s an understanding to choose places no one’s using.”
I call out to a stall owner I notice and ask about the rules for setting up stalls, having them point out an unused spot.
“Thanks for telling me. This is something we sell called cookies. Please take some as thanks.”
“Why thank you, don’t mind if I do.”
I give the man commoner cookies made by the slaves as thanks, then choose the busiest spot I can find with no stalls in the vacant stall area.
Finding a good location, I immediately head there, followed by the line of slaves. Arriving at the spot, I take the stall out of my storage and call to the slaves.
“I’ll have you start work now. At first, all twenty will work so you can get a feel for it, but once you get the hang of it, I want you to work in three shifts for the different time periods, so keep that in mind.”
“Understood.”
“Yes sir.”
“Got it.”
Meranda, Shifan, and Carifa respond to my words in order, with the other slaves following suit.
After that, we decided to choose representatives for the cooking, serving, and guard teams, as well as one head slave representing the cookie sellers and two deputies. We named the team reps “team leader”, and the overall slave representative “head slave” and “deputy head slaves”.
The aforementioned three took the team leader roles which they already held, and concurrently, I assigned Meranda as the head slave, and Shifan and Carifa as the deputy head slaves. I figured only Meranda could handle Shifan and Carifa, but also the choices were pretty good in my own opinion.
Since it’s not particularly difficult work, they’re not major positions, but I can add to their wages to compensate. I haven’t mentioned wages to them yet by the way.
As for cookie pricing, to make it easily affordable for commoners, I priced them very reasonably at one copper coin per cookie. In exchange, thin margins mean high volume is required for profit, so whether they’re profitable depends on the slaves’ hard work.
For their wages, to avoid overpaying them initially, I set normal slaves without a position at five copper coins, with two coins subtracted to offset the slave purchase price, so they actually get three copper coins’ wages.
Additionally, for the three with positions, I did five large copper coins for Meranda, subtracting three to net two large copper coins, and three large copper coins for Shifan and Carifa, subtracting two to net one large copper coin each.
Compared to the slaves working for the company, the wages are a little lower, but getting any wages at all as slaves is rare in the first place, so even one copper is greatly appreciated.
“Oh, they’re selling some rare thing.”
“Welcome. We’re selling sweet cookies. Would you like to try one free of charge?”
“How generous. I’ll take one then.”
A woman of marriageable age takes the bait right as we start selling. The first to serve her is Shifan, the serving team representative. She first explains what product we’re selling, then provides a broken cookie unfit for sale but with unchanged taste as a free sample.
This conveys what kind of food cookies are, and while its shape is poor, the taste is the same, communicating how delicious it is.
“Thank you. nom nom. Th-this is! Miss, how much are these?”
The woman tries the sample cookie and opens her eyes wide in surprise. Then with a gaze like a predator hunting prey, she presses Shifan, who calmly responds.
“Our standard cookies are here, one coin per cookie this size, so one copper coin each.”
“Wh-what!? Something this delicious for just one copper coin!”
As a fellow woman who understands the value of these cookies, Shifan explains clearly. Hearing her, the woman raises her voice. Her shout draws the attention of passersby.
“Ma’am, I recommend buying in bulk.”
“Bulk buy?”
“Yes. As you can see on this price list, the pricing for these cookies is – one copper coin each normally, but ten cookies is nine copper coins, thirty is two large copper and eight copper coins, and fifty is four large copper and seven copper coins. So the more you buy, the better value it is.”
“Oh, you’re right. Okay, give me fifty then.”
Persuaded by Shifan’s explanation, the woman orders fifty without hesitation. Receiving the payment, Shifan promptly hands her a paper bag with fifty cookies.
“Here is your order.”
“Fast service, thank you. By the way, is this stall always in this spot?”
“Today’s our first day.”
“I see. I’ll come again.”
“Thank you for your business.”
After that brief exchange, the satisfied woman left. While observing, I glance around at the area and instruct Meranda.
“Meranda, we should bake more cookies.”
“Huh? But don’t we still have plenty left?”
“Let’s hope so…”
I reply while looking at the passersby. And my prediction proves precisely accurate.
“I-I’ll take twenty!”
“Thirty for me!”
“Fifty for me please.”
“R-right away! Please wait a moment!”
Seeing the woman leave happily with cookies, the onlookers seem motivated to buy and start placing orders one after another. It seems decisive that as the woman was leaving, she immediately took one cookie from the bag and started munching it deliciously.
From there, interested in the novelty stall, customers stopping by are given samples, understand the deliciousness, and buy them, establishing a flow of sales, with cookies selling rapidly in no time.
“It’s about time… Meranda, start baking more cookies.”
“Y-yes!”
Witnessing the cookies fly off the shelves, this time Meranda finally started baking more cookies as I instructed. And at that moment, a line of customers seeking cookies starts to form.
“Alright, sales start today.”
“Yes!”
The slaves respond spiritedly to my words. It’s been a full day since I finished teaching the cooking team how to make cookies. What did we do during that time? We were improving cookie quality.
As someone originally Japanese, I tend to think providing halfway decent products is inferior to making high-quality ones if possible, so I had the cooking team refine their cookie-making skill further.
Thanks to that, most of the cooking team can now make cookies of consistent quality, so there’s no issue even without me there.
For the serving and guard teams, I likewise had Machad continue giving lessons in customer service and mock battles. The guard team requested sparring with me, but I refused since the difference in our strength wouldn’t be good practice.
In any case, preparations are finally complete to start selling cookies, so now we’re heading to the area lined with food stalls.
“Oh, a new face?”
“Can we set up a stall anywhere here?”
“Basically, yeah, but some have their usual spots, so there’s an understanding to choose places no one’s using.”
I call out to a stall owner I notice and ask about the rules for setting up stalls, having them point out an unused spot.
“Thanks for telling me. This is something we sell called cookies. Please take some as thanks.”
“Why thank you, don’t mind if I do.”
I give the man commoner cookies made by the slaves as thanks, then choose the busiest spot I can find with no stalls in the vacant stall area.
Finding a good location, I immediately head there, followed by the line of slaves. Arriving at the spot, I take the stall out of my storage and call to the slaves.
“I’ll have you start work now. At first, all twenty will work so you can get a feel for it, but once you get the hang of it, I want you to work in three shifts for the different time periods, so keep that in mind.”
“Understood.”
“Yes sir.”
“Got it.”
Meranda, Shifan, and Carifa respond to my words in order, with the other slaves following suit.
After that, we decided to choose representatives for the cooking, serving, and guard teams, as well as one head slave representing the cookie sellers and two deputies. We named the team reps “team leader”, and the overall slave representative “head slave” and “deputy head slaves”.
The aforementioned three took the team leader roles which they already held, and concurrently, I assigned Meranda as the head slave, and Shifan and Carifa as the deputy head slaves. I figured only Meranda could handle Shifan and Carifa, but also the choices were pretty good in my own opinion.
Since it’s not particularly difficult work, they’re not major positions, but I can add to their wages to compensate. I haven’t mentioned wages to them yet by the way.
As for cookie pricing, to make it easily affordable for commoners, I priced them very reasonably at one copper coin per cookie. In exchange, thin margins mean high volume is required for profit, so whether they’re profitable depends on the slaves’ hard work.
For their wages, to avoid overpaying them initially, I set normal slaves without a position at five copper coins, with two coins subtracted to offset the slave purchase price, so they actually get three copper coins’ wages.
Additionally, for the three with positions, I did five large copper coins for Meranda, subtracting three to net two large copper coins, and three large copper coins for Shifan and Carifa, subtracting two to net one large copper coin each.
Compared to the slaves working for the company, the wages are a little lower, but getting any wages at all as slaves is rare in the first place, so even one copper is greatly appreciated.
“Oh, they’re selling some rare thing.”
“Welcome. We’re selling sweet cookies. Would you like to try one free of charge?”
“How generous. I’ll take one then.”
A woman of marriageable age takes the bait right as we start selling. The first to serve her is Shifan, the serving team representative. She first explains what product we’re selling, then provides a broken cookie unfit for sale but with unchanged taste as a free sample.
This conveys what kind of food cookies are, and while its shape is poor, the taste is the same, communicating how delicious it is.
“Thank you. nom nom. Th-this is! Miss, how much are these?”
The woman tries the sample cookie and opens her eyes wide in surprise. Then with a gaze like a predator hunting prey, she presses Shifan, who calmly responds.
“Our standard cookies are here, one coin per cookie this size, so one copper coin each.”
“Wh-what!? Something this delicious for just one copper coin!”
As a fellow woman who understands the value of these cookies, Shifan explains clearly. Hearing her, the woman raises her voice. Her shout draws the attention of passersby.
“Ma’am, I recommend buying in bulk.”
“Bulk buy?”
“Yes. As you can see on this price list, the pricing for these cookies is – one copper coin each normally, but ten cookies is nine copper coins, thirty is two large copper and eight copper coins, and fifty is four large copper and seven copper coins. So the more you buy, the better value it is.”
“Oh, you’re right. Okay, give me fifty then.”
Persuaded by Shifan’s explanation, the woman orders fifty without hesitation. Receiving the payment, Shifan promptly hands her a paper bag with fifty cookies.
“Here is your order.”
“Fast service, thank you. By the way, is this stall always in this spot?”
“Today’s our first day.”
“I see. I’ll come again.”
“Thank you for your business.”
After that brief exchange, the satisfied woman left. While observing, I glance around at the area and instruct Meranda.
“Meranda, we should bake more cookies.”
“Huh? But don’t we still have plenty left?”
“Let’s hope so…”
I reply while looking at the passersby. And my prediction proves precisely accurate.
“I-I’ll take twenty!”
“Thirty for me!”
“Fifty for me please.”
“R-right away! Please wait a moment!”
Seeing the woman leave happily with cookies, the onlookers seem motivated to buy and start placing orders one after another. It seems decisive that as the woman was leaving, she immediately took one cookie from the bag and started munching it deliciously.
From there, interested in the novelty stall, customers stopping by are given samples, understand the deliciousness, and buy them, establishing a flow of sales, with cookies selling rapidly in no time.
“It’s about time… Meranda, start baking more cookies.”
“Y-yes!”
Witnessing the cookies fly off the shelves, this time Meranda finally started baking more cookies as I instructed. And at that moment, a line of customers seeking cookies starts to form.
