Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 159: Business Negotiations over Magic Tools
The decision regarding Aeris’s guardian would be formally announced at a later date. The turmoil surrounding House Van Dyne had already become a major topic in noble society, so the royal family intended to make the announcement publicly and decisively.
Tauro was deeply relieved.
Every noble he and Aeris had met possessed both merits and flaws, but nearly all of them hoped to turn the favor of becoming Aeris’s guardian into influence over House Van Dyne. Tauro had been unable to choose anyone without risking Aeris’s future.
He had initially hoped to find help within Prime Minister Duke Barriera’s faction. He even tried to arrange a meeting through his existing connections, but the prime minister remained silent.
Unknown to Tauro, Duke Barriera had deliberately avoided meeting him. A public association with the prime minister would have drawn attention to Tauro and placed him in the middle of the kingdom’s factional conflict. Instead, the prime minister raised Aeris’s situation with the King during a game of Reversi, which was how the matter reached the royal family.
Tauro wouldn’t learn that part of the story until later.
The Queen’s decision immediately reversed the situation. The Marchioness of Van Dyne could no longer act openly against Aeris. Even before the formal announcement, rumors that a member of the royal family might become her guardian were already restraining the Marchioness’s allies.
For the first time since arriving in the Royal Capital, Tauro could believe that Aeris would soon be safe.
His finances, however, were far less secure.
Arranging meetings with influential nobles had consumed an astonishing amount of money. Tauro had entered the Royal Capital wealthy by an adventurer’s standards, but the dispute had swallowed most of his savings and brought him alarmingly close to poverty.
While calculating his remaining expenses at the inn, he received a request for a meeting from the Garfish Company.
Mardai wanted to discuss commercial production of Tauro’s magic lantern and the water-repellent cloth treated with slime bodily fluid.
“Calling me in just when I’m nearly broke… Did he calculate the timing?”
Tauro pictured Mardai Garfish’s smiling face and suspected that the merchant’s instincts had detected the perfect moment.
****
“That concludes the proposed pricing for the magic lantern. We’ve already secured several major workshops. Once you approve the plan, production can begin immediately.”
Tauro sat in a reception room at the Garfish Company while Mardai personally delivered an energetic explanation of the project.
Aeris had remained at the inn. She wanted to accompany Tauro as usual, but they had agreed that she should avoid unnecessary public appearances until the Queen’s guardianship was formally announced. Knowing how much trouble Tauro had endured for her sake, she accepted the restriction despite her reluctance.
Mardai proposed keeping the lantern’s selling price low enough for ordinary households. The narrow profit margin meant Tauro wouldn’t become wealthy again immediately, although the contract fee would provide some much-needed cash.
Even that money might disappear quickly while he remained in the Royal Capital and continued dealing with nobles.
“Let me confirm the production plan,” Tauro said. “The workshop under the special contract will manufacture the proprietary components, while the other workshops produce the ordinary parts. Final assembly will be handled by a workshop affiliated with the Garfish Company. Is that correct?”
“Exactly. Each workshop will specialize in particular parts, and our affiliated workshop will assemble the finished lanterns. Productivity will be far higher than if every workshop tried to manufacture each lantern from beginning to end. I’d never considered organizing production this way. It’s revolutionary.”
“It also means we don’t have to teach every worker the entire process. We can increase production without exposing all of the important techniques.”
“Then we begin at once. Someone, come here!”
Mardai summoned an employee and ordered messages sent to the participating workshops.
Once the instructions were underway, he resumed praising the new product.
“Tauro, I believe this magic lantern will become an even greater success than Reversi. The Garfish Company is fortunate to share the exclusive rights with Marches Trading Company.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“There’s no need to hope. It’ll sell. Every household needs light. Oil lamps will gradually disappear, and the magic lantern will take their place. This product will change everyday life.”
Mardai’s prediction sounded exaggerated, but he was one of the kingdom’s greatest merchants. After hearing such confidence from him, Tauro began to wonder whether the lantern truly might become that important.