Kaori prepared refills of tea for us and took a seat, leaning in to listen as Akane began her explanation.
"To start with, my company has sourced goods from the area around the Rich Baron’s territory in the western reaches of the Arclesia Empire a few times. The land has high potential—the soil is good, and the climate is remarkably stable for that region. They harvest top-tier crops. Honestly, in terms of quality, they're among the best in the Empire."
"Heh, but the Rich Baron’s family is poor, right? I mean, relatively speaking. They’re probably still loaded compared to a commoner, but for nobles, I heard they were struggling."
"High quality doesn't automatically mean high sales," Akane countered. "At the end of the day, you need hype, a solid brand image, and a sales strategy that balances supply and demand. Without those, nothing moves in a big way. Besides, while their quality is high, it’s not like they're the only ones. When you look at agricultural powerhouses like the Kingdom of Sinfonia, you can find the same quality for a lower price, or even better produce altogether."
It was true that Raz-san and the others had praised the Riple fruit from the Rich estate, so the flavor and quality were definitely there. However, selling a product on taste alone was an uphill battle. Fame and marketing were just as vital, and as a minor noble house, the Rich family simply didn't have the capital for a global campaign.
Furthermore, with their logistics being as poor as they were, they faced a mountain of hurdles before they could ever hope to sell on a large scale.
"The logistics are that bad?" I asked.
"Yeah, that’s a massive problem. For starters, the Rich territory doesn't have its own teleportation gate. On top of that, the area is a wyvern habitat, so the Wyvern Service won’t fly there. Since it's a mountainous region, the roads are narrow and poorly maintained, with steep inclines everywhere. It’s basically the worst possible terrain for transporting large volumes of goods."
Unless you were like Akane and could move freight with teleportation magic, the costs were prohibitive. Teleportation magic tools were expensive, making them far too costly for regular agricultural transport.
"I don't know much about business," Kaori chimed in, "but doesn't anyone try to develop the area to improve the logistics?"
"Sure, if there’s a guaranteed profit. But maintaining highways through monster-infested lands or building teleportation gates costs a fortune. If you can't expect a return that justifies the investment, no one’s going to cough up the gold. Even the government has plenty of other regions they’d rather prioritize. They aren't going to sink a massive budget into a remote frontier just because the crops are 'fairly good.' So, the general evaluation of the Rich territory was... a place with decent potential, but not enough to justify the cost of development."
I noted Akane’s use of the past tense. It meant the status quo had shifted.
As if reading my thoughts, Akane pointed a finger at me with an exasperated look.
"And then this 'Bomber' here dropped a massive load of hype and demand right into the middle of it. To you, Kaito, you probably thought you were just sharing some snacks with friends, but the people you know have world-class fame. In our world, if a celebrity uses a brand or favors a shop, it creates instant buzz and ignites a trend, right?"
"Yeah, that’s why TV commercials and advertisements use famous people," Kaori agreed.
"Exactly. And companies pay through the nose for that. Normally, you can’t even get a meeting with someone of that stature unless you have incredible connections. Yet this idiot here went and scattered samples to the Death King and Count-class demons. The Death King is already in the mood to buy them, and then you went and light-heartedly asked Raz-sama—the most famous figure in the entire agricultural world—to recommend them to her friends? It's because you don't understand how terrifyingly wide her network is that things have turned into this mess."
"Is Raz-sama really that influential? My impression of her was just a kind, cute person..."
"She’s at the absolute top of the agricultural industry, and she knows everyone. The mere fact that she’s paying attention to something is enough to make the market go wild. Add in the stories about the Death King, plus the fame of the other people you and Raz-sama recommended it to, and a global boom is practically guaranteed to ignite any day now."
Just as Akane said, I knew Raz-san was well-connected, but I hadn't realized she was such a powerhouse in her field.
I had only suggested the fruit to the people I gave samples to because I hoped it might help Marie-san’s family business a little. It seemed I had accidentally triggered something far more explosive than I intended.
"Like I said, the potential of that land is high," Akane continued. "With this much hype and demand, it has everything it needs to skyrocket. Once that demand heats up, the region will start developing at a breakneck pace... and that’s why the Lord Trading Company is moving. I’d bet anything Nia plans to build a teleportation gate in the Rich territory. If you control the logistical heart of a region that’s about to boom, you’re looking at a literal gold mine. Of course, only a giant like the Lord Trading Company has the liquid capital to move that fast on a gate project."
"Oh, I think I see now," Kaori said, nodding. "The demand creates attention, which leads to other trading companies opening shops or bases there, and the territory develops. Then, once the Lord Trading Company fixes the logistical bottleneck, everything explodes into a massive boom."
"Bingo. Normally, creating that kind of buzz would cost a king's ransom... but this freak of nature managed it just by handing out a few Riples as party favors."
"...As I thought, Kaito-kun is... Kaito-kun," Kaori muttered.
I met their exasperated stares with an awkward wince and looked away.
Serious-senpai: It wasn't mentioned in the talk, but with this much attention, the Arclesia Empire is definitely going to start pouring money into infrastructure too. The development of the Rich Baron’s territory is an almost certain state at this point... and on top of that, you’ve got the God of Fertility lurking in the background, ready to make a move...