A few days after the confrontation with the first prince, rumors began to spread throughout the empire at a terrifying speed. It seemed that most beasts were aware of the kingdom's plans and had started fleeing the capital toward the border. Several secret revolts also erupted, promoted by the first princess Eleanor, aimed at opposing the decree spoken of in the rumors.
— Courtenay Mansion's Garden.
Ai would be practicing magic when suddenly a bat released a letter above her head, which landed on the table where a tea set and a small plate of snacks were arranged.
A letter?
Ai glanced at the sender.
Clara? She thought, opening the envelope sealed with an Aristocrat Heaven emblem.
"Dear Ai,
Allow me to extend my greetings to you on this day. I hope you are in good health and spirits.
I want to inform you that in recent days, we have successfully sold most of the sugar jars. Currently, only two units of white sugar remain, and no sugar for commoners is available, despite doubling the price to more than twice its initial value. Surprisingly, the last two jars were sold at a price of 40,000 imperials each."
Hee... The price inflated at a terrifying speed...
"When I inquired about the reasons why our customers are willing to pay such a high price, the response has been consistent: the purity of our product. They claim it is notably superior in quality to any other sugar they have tasted before, so they don't mind investing more to obtain it."
I haven't tried the sugar circulating in the empire, so I couldn't confirm this, but what I'm sure of is that the principle of reciprocity worked.
The principle of reciprocity, a completely new technique in this world. Typically, giving a free sample can be seen as unnecessary spending, but one couldn't be more wrong. Sampling has many advantages. The first and most important is the reciprocity effect. Receiving something makes us want to give something in return, or else we will feel embarrassed. This is much more intense in the case of the aristocracy in this world.
The second is that, in case the customer doesn't buy, rumors about the sugar will spread, serving as extremely cheap advertising to potential new customers. This is because you can't talk to a farmer about swords, nor can you talk to a swordsman about seeds. Following this concept, rumors about sugar would spread to branches of customers interested in the product.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"Furthermore, I am pleased to inform you that I have proceeded to deposit the profits obtained in Beauchamp Bank, into the account registered in your name. It is worth noting that the bank employees were astonished by this transaction, which may be due to your young age. I have no doubt that your renown in our feudal society will increase with each passing day.
With great interest, I eagerly await the arrival of the new batches of our product. Attached to this letter, you will find a detailed report of the purchases made, providing an accurate view of our customers and their preferences. Additionally, I have taken the initiative to hire multiple mercenaries to ensure the security of our business, as I have observed an increase in rodent presence in the nearby alleys, which could endanger our merchandise.
I am at your disposal for any further inquiries or instructions you may wish to provide. I thank you once again for the opportunity to be part of this prosperous business and look forward to your next letter. One more thing: more and more people are interested in meeting the owner of the business.
Sincerely,
Carla.
Director of Aristocrat Heaven."
Ai closed the letter and set it aside, then retrieved a report that was attached to the envelope. The report detailed characteristics such as the time, date, selling price, among others. It also provided a final result before and after taxes of the total profits.
"Impressive..." She said as she took a cookie.
The fact that someone has this level of accounting skill within the empire means they should be considered a prodigy... But as an elf, she gets quite the opposite. Discrimination, off-the-books work, and minimum wages.
"Bleh... These snacks are tasteless, even with sugar. This is sacrilege to innovation."
It's time to take the next step.
Ai headed to her room, closed the door, and placed a piece of paper on the table.
I will generate an extremely thin layer of a simple material, like charcoal. I will do it on the paper's surface, so after generating it, it will adhere to the paper in that specific shape.
I must envision it in my mind... A blueprint for a simple grinder, capable of crushing beets and extracting their juice for cooking... I imagine each of the plan's facets, all arranged in a way that they can fit on the paper. Then, the measurements...
[Atomic Property: Redefining hydrogen atom properties to generate carbon...]
[Redefining: Atomic structure, orbitals, number of protons, number of neutrons...]
"Ufhh..." If I don't faint, I'll be fine.
[...number of electrons, atomic mass... Success.]
"Fuahhh... Hah..." She collapsed into her seat as she caught her breath. Her face was covered in sweat.
"I'm finished... Eh?"
Ai's attempt at a blueprint had the bottom part correct, but the top was blurry.
Am I... an inkless printer? Damn it...
It must have happened because I stopped concentrating...
Ai blew on the paper, causing the charcoal to fly off. Then, she proceeded to attempt the feat once more, this time maintaining her focus on the process.
This time, the blueprint took shape.
"Haaah... Hah... Hah..." I must have used up a third of all of Envy's mana...
The design I create through magic is unachievable by hand drawing. There are many details that couldn't be accomplished without a computer from my old world.
I must wet the sheet; otherwise, the charcoal powder won't adhere to the paper...
As she said this, drops began to fall onto the paper.
Eh?
Ai's sweat had soaked the sheet.
"What level of efficiency is this?"
Well, I'll leave it until it dries, then give it to Dorothea. She thought as she placed several books on top of the sheet.