“Sol, I heard you’re interested in doing business?”
“Yes, Mother. I found myself capable of improving many of the items in town. There’s not much I can do with this body now, so I figured why not entertain myself.”
“You’re aware that daughters of noble households shouldn’t interfere in politics or commerce? Why are you rushing headfirst into this?”
“Mother… Thank you for your concern, however I doubt I’ll live long enough to reap the rewards of a good reputation in the noble circle. If I’ve guessed well, any marriage plans anyone had with me have already been canceled or well on the way to being canceled… After all, no one would want to become a widower at such a young age. There’d be rumors around them for years following the death of someone like me.”
Though she said it with a straight face, there was a slight disappointment that leaked from Sol’s words. Despite her thoughts on the matter, nor the truth of the reality, it was still hard for the young girl to put down a common dream of girls everywhere.
If pressed, Sol would have to admit she was somewhat jealous of women with healthy bodies. Duchess Reviarra remained silent at her daughter’s words. She and her husband had already discussed the matter and chose to support their daughter as well as they could.
“Sol… Your father and I give permission for you to do as you please. Just as the doctor said, push forward at your own pace and work towards whatever it is that keeps you motivated. Let me or your father know if you need any help. Christopher will help you as well if you ask him nicely…”
“Thank you mother…”
Duchess Reviarra rested her forehead against her daughter’s, reveling in the close contact. Her silence made Sol somewhat nervous, however Duke Reviarra appeared through the doors a moment later.
“I imagine Iris already told you we’ll allow you to do business?”
“Yes, father. Thank you.”
“There’s nothing else we can do for you for now. I plan to keep searching for medicines to keep your body strong, but for now… Try to keep your activities minimal. I’ll assign you assistants to act as your arms and legs. Use them well.”
“Yes. Thank you again.”
“It’s what a father should do.”
Duke Reviarra scrubbed his daughter’s head once again, ruffling the neat hair into a twisted mass. As Sol started complaining and fighting back, Duke Reviarra let out a boisterous laugh.
----------------------------------------
Sir Dirk stood outside Sol’s door with an awkward expression. He never expected to be pulled out from his general guarding duties to assist a young lady in running a business. Needless to say, he specialized in combat, not business.
He released a low sigh before resigning to his fate and knocking on the door.
“Lady Reviarra, this servant has arrived by Duke Reviarra’s order to assist the Lady.”
“Enter!”
Sol’s eyes glowed as the final member of her team entered. She gestured to an empty chair for Sir Dirk before kicking off the meeting.
“This lady is certain the Duke already gave a rough explanation to everyone here. To start with, let’s dismiss the formalities. Feel free to refer to this Lady as young Lady, Miss Sol or even Miss. In return, I will offer the same treatment back. The goal of our group is to make the territory better in whatever way we can. To do that,we need to start a business!”
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Sol jumped straight into the topic while easing the bonds of respect and hierarchy. By the time she finished, Sol was no longer referring to herself as ‘this Lady’. Her intent was obvious, though the group remained stunned.
“To start with, I suggest we begin with the local region. The population consists of nearly 70% farmers and so we should target those farmers as our first customer base. Many of their tools can be improved. There’s also some structural additions and farming style changes that can boost their revenue. For the time being, our group will focus on these 3 main points… Bring them in.”
Sol’s outer doors swung open and 6 carts covered with heavy cloth rolled in. She gestured once and the young servant who pushed the first cart extended his arm to pull the covering. Metal glistened from the sunlight off its hooked shape. As she picked it off the table, Sol explained.
“Currently, farmers dealing with grain utilize a bisected twin saw to shear the crop. The method works, however it requires three people to use and tends to damage the roots and seed of the crop. The damage apparently causes issues, hindering the next planting cycle. This tool is called a sickle. It performs a similar action to the bisected twin saw, however it only requires a single person to use it. I suggest we distribute one or two for the larger farms depending on their yield and ask them to try it out. I’m certain they will spread the news after enjoying the benefits. In similar fashion to this sickle, there are other tools here used for tasks such as aerating soil, planting seeds evenly, mixing fertilizer, and thrashing seed from the husk. Are there any questions?”
“Who produced these products? Is the creation method secure?”
“Good question! Not at all. I expect this product to be mirrored soon after release which is why I’ve already created the bulk of the tools we will sell. These items are just too simple for us to maintain control over their production means. If one were desperate enough, they could even create a sickle from polished wood or stone. These tools are only going to be used as a bait to draw in customers. Once they realize the tools sold in our shop are useful and reliable, we can settle our brand image as trustworthy before moving onto more complicated products.”
Sol couldn’t hear any dissent from the members surrounding her,however she couldn’t be sure if they were remaining silent as they were ordered to assist her by her father, or if they simply agreed with her business idea and stance.
She watched as the members picked up each tool and discussed it amongst themselves. Her voice was somewhat parched from all the talking and so she remained seated drinking tea until the members came back to their senses and returned to their seats.
“I know each of you specialized in a certain aspect whereas I’m lacking in almost all. The most I have is product ideas and a general idea of how to push it into the public. There’s a high degree that many of you thought this to either be an easy job after being ordered into it and didn’t expect a 6 year old to actually put something usable forward. Let us drop all pretenses and start over once more. My name is Sol, it’s a pleasure to work together with you. Now then, let’s discuss the way forward...”
----------------------------------------
Duke Reviarra remained engaged in his daughter’s activities. He tried not to interfere when possible, however after a few weeks, he started to notice that his daughter’s business was expanding at an unusual rate.
The products sold from her stores gained reputation rapidly as it gave a direct and measurable boost to the farmers. All stores managed by Sol fell under the brand name ‘Iridescent’. As it was at the end of harvest season, the tools were sold in bulk.
Although the results couldn’t be measured just yet, Duke Reviarra made sure to follow up with farmers who purchased the tools and get their opinion on them. To his surprise, many of the farms managed to harvest up to 2 weeks ahead of time after they started using the new tools.
The results were far beyond his expectations and as expected of a functional product, Duke Reviarra and the rest of the territory started to see competing brands on the market. Despite the competition however, there were few competitors capable of constructing the tools as durable as the ones Iridescent created.
News of the competition reached Sol as well who called a new mass meeting. She had already prepared the next product to be sold. With the brand Iridescent known as a trusted source, Sol planned to introduce a structure to the public this time rather than a tool.
There were many ways to improve the general quality of life for the average person living in Arcgate. Many of the ways though, were beyond Sol’s ability to recreate.She held memories of many mysterious things, however the details behind those things were largely unknown.
Left with few options, Sol utilized the ‘limbs’ her father gave her to create many prototypes by describing how something should look at work. Luckily, her father didn’t skimp on the help and she had a few expert worksman under her control who enjoyed creating new things.
Sol remained seated with Duke Reviarra beside her and the two observed the final touches on Sol’s latest creation. The last bolt was hammered in place and Sol’s smile drew into a large grin.