Kays Translations

Chapter 34: Magic Stove for Sale

The day after the bath incident, Isamu was thinking about the specifications for the magic stove for sale with Eto.

Willem was busy organizing the magic circles being brought over.

"As for the first target customers, they should be the nobles, right? They have an eye for novel things, and many of them don't skimp on money. Plus, when they hear about a completely new magic tool, I think they'll all want to get one to investigate."

"Yes, you're right. Initially, we won't be able to mass-produce, and the price will be high. Until we get more experienced, should we go with the luxury route?"

Magic tools inherently have high costs. The difficulty of exploring ruins to excavate artifacts, which serve as the basis for magic tools, is exceedingly high.

A few hundred years ago, it was possible to find them even on the shallower levels of ruins. However, given that nearly all safe artifacts have been excavated, the only option now is to take risks and delve deeper. This requires paying a high fee to capable adventurers or artifact hunters with specialized skills, which results in a high production cost.

In contrast, the magic stove developed by Isamu this time was incredibly cheap to produce. He had bought the magic circles for just around 1,000 ruins. Such an amount would barely cover the cost of hiring an adventurer for a day.

Nevertheless, pricing it based on this right away wouldn't be a good idea. Such a drastic difference in price compared to existing magic tools would raise suspicion about its quality rather than its cost-effectiveness. If you were told that a car previously sold for 3 million yen could now be bought brand new for 100,000 yen, most people would have doubts like, "Is it really okay?"

Moreover, with such a noticeable price, nobles who questioned the reasons would undoubtedly emerge. If the secret of the low production cost were to be revealed, they could continue selling at the usual price and make a huge profit, so that was something they wanted to avoid.

Taking these risks and production capacity in his territory into consideration, they decided to start by producing a small quantity at the standard market price.

"For nobles, it's common to have multiple stoves, right? Guido, do you think you'll buy multiple units right from the start?"

Once they decided on the target market, they started to discuss it with the intended target, Guido.

"I wonder... If they understand how useful it is, the cooks will definitely want to replace all the stoves. But whether the master thinks it's a good idea is another matter. And, I wasn't confused because I received instructions and learned how to use it, but if someone uses it without any explanation, they might get confused about various things."

"Ah, I see. Indeed, the matter of the master is a problem for that house. As for how to use and the precautions, it's better to inform them. Hmm, I think perhaps doing live demonstrations might be quicker... Oh, Eto-san, how are magic tools typically sold?"

"Hmm? You mean magic tools? Basically, they are sold by placing them in magic tool shops. Well, the scale of magic tool shops varies, so not all of them have everything. Some people take orders and make items, and there are also magic tools that are sold exclusively at certain shops in their territories."

"I see... How should we sell the magic stove then? We could distribute them to magic tool shops since they are not expensive to make, but we can't produce them in larger quantities even if there is an increase in demand. In the future, considering the possibilities, it seems like a good idea to enter into an exclusive sales contract with a trustworthy magic tool shop, particularly one that doesn't have strong connections with other nobles. What do you think?"

"I understand. Let's discuss this further with Annemarie later. Now, returning to the main topic, it seems difficult to sell them all together at once, so let's proceed as planned with three different models varying in firepower."

"Yes, that should be safe."

"All right, in that direction. Let's decide on the size and appearance with Annemarie. It's about time for tea, so we can do that afterward."

The nobles of Ethersia also have tea time between lunch and dinner, which is common in many places. The Klaufeldt family is no exception, and they have tea in the lounge at around 3 PM.

However, Isamu, who often ends up engrossed in his research and stays in the laboratory until he's called for dinner, rarely participates.

When he went to the lounge, Nicolette and Annemarie were having tea.

"Oh, it's unusual for Isamu-san to come for tea."

"Please have a seat. Was straight tea to your liking?"

Both Nicolette and Annemarie seemed surprised by Isamu’s rare appearance.

"Yes, thank you."

After hearing this, Karina gracefully made tea.

"Yes, it's delicious."

While enjoying the aroma of the served tea, Isamu began to discuss.

“Eto-san and Guidd-san and I were talking about how to market the magic stove a little while ago. We plan to sell it to nobles at first, and as initially planned, we'll offer three models with different power levels. Regarding the sales channel, how do you feel about entering into an exclusive contract with a reputable magic tool shop that has little to do with other nobles? What are your thoughts on this?"

To Isamu’s question, Nicolette, who had set down her cup, answered first.

"I agree with selling to the nobles. It's best if it gradually becomes popular at first. Separating them by firepower seems natural, and it's more flexible if they can try it first and then buy additional ones."

"I also agree. I don't see any issues."

Annemarie expressed her agreement with Nicolette's words.

"Then the matter of the sales channel. May I hear your true intentions?"

"Yes. First of all, there won't be many units available initially. Expanding the sales channels would only complicate things because we won't have enough products to meet the demand. Furthermore, I think it's a product that will be difficult to convey the advantages of without a proper explanation, so I'm considering doing live demonstrations a few times. In that case, I think it would be easier if we entered into an exclusive sales contract because we could be more flexible. Additionally, there's the risk of confidential information leaking. If a noble is involved, they will naturally prioritize the interests of their own noble house, which could lead to information leaking. Since we're going to be expanding the range of magic tools in the future, it would be good to enter into an exclusive sales contract with a place that can work together with us on that, don't you think?"

"... Haha, hahaha."

Nicolette, after hearing Isamu’s explanation, burst into laughter.

"Sorry, it was just too perfect... Not only about productivity but the biggest concern is how much of Isamu-san's secret we can keep hidden, so that's why. There's no issue with that direction. If there's no convenient guild, we were even thinking about setting up our own."

"If it's possible, starting our own would be fine. Well, in that case, since there's no existing sales channel, it means we'll have to create everything from scratch..."

"That's where the concern lies. Well, I'll start by checking around for leads. We should handle this kind of work, and Isamu-san and the others can take care of finishing the product."

"Thank you. I have absolutely no connections of that sort, so I appreciate it."

"Of course, leave it to us. Anne, it's also a good opportunity for you to learn, so help out."

"Yes, certainly!"

"Then, I'd also like to discuss the size and appearance... When it comes to nobles, do you think it's better to have a luxurious appearance? I think it's something that would primarily be placed in a kitchen, so I don't feel there's much need to show it to others, but what do you think?"

"Nobles are the kind of people who flaunt anything they can brag about... If it looks impressive, there's a possibility they might place it in their dining or living rooms."

"I see. In that case, it might be a good idea to decorate it in various ways, right?"

As Isamu was contemplating, Annemarie made a modest suggestion.

"This time, it's an entirely new magic tool, right? Both in terms of functionality and, of course, it's the world's first magic tool made with an original magic circle, not a copy. It may not be publicly exposed for a while, but since it's a unique opportunity, can we also make the appearance unlike anything we've seen before? I don't have a specific idea... but..."

As she proceeded, her voice tone dropped, as if she felt awkward for not having a concrete proposal. However, in Isamu view, Annemarie's words made him feel like his created magic tool was something distinct from others, and he couldn't help but feel his spirits rise.

"Yes! That's a great idea!! We can think about the design from now on! Let's make it a magic tool with a unique appearance! Nicolette-san, that's fine with you, right??"

"N-No, no problem at all."

In response to Isamu’s unusually forceful words, Nicolette replied with a bit of hesitation.

"Well then, I'd like to discuss the design right after tea. Are you both available for that?"

"Mother, we're talking about the guild tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, coming over at this time is possible."

"Thank you. In that case, it's no problem, so please help us out."

After confirming that there were no issues with the schedule, Annemarie, Isamu, and Eto headed to the workshop.

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