Ultimately, we settled on a contract where I would receive ten percent of the profits. Akane seemed a bit dissatisfied, almost as if she wanted to give me a larger cut, but she understood that I wasn't really looking for more money. She was well aware that I already had more funds than I knew what to do with, so she eventually accepted the terms.
"Sign here... Should I include my seal as well?"
"I’d appreciate it if you did. Do you have a seal like the one Anima uses for transactions, Kaito?"
"Yes, Anima had one made for me."
Since Anima handled my investments and funding, a formal seal for my household did indeed exist. The one Anima used was for the Acting Head of the House, while the one I carried was a more extravagant version reserved exclusively for the head of the house.
Apparently, this was standard practice among the nobility; Lilia-san also had a personal seal for her exclusive use alongside the official seal of the Ducal House of Albert.
In any case, I pressed the seal next to my signature, and the Letter of Introduction was complete.
"Thanks a lot. I’m planning on making a killing with this, so look forward to your share, Kaito."
"Good luck... By the way, Akane."
"Yeah?"
"You mentioned you weren't planning on getting involved with the Sharon Count House, but I’m curious to hear your predictions for them."
"Oh, I want to hear that too," Kaori chimed in. "Right now, I can only imagine the brushes becoming a bit of a fad among the Dragon King's Subordinates you recommended them to."
Akane’s insight regarding the Rich Baron House had been incredibly sharp—exactly what I’d expect from a top-tier merchant. Since I hadn't anticipated those developments at all, her perspective was extremely helpful.
It made me worry that Marie and her family were in for a stressful time. I wondered if I should step in to help somehow, but when it came to land development and large-scale commerce, an amateur like me meddling would probably just make things worse. It was a difficult situation.
Leaving the matter of the Rich Baron House aside for a moment, I waited to hear her thoughts on the Sharon family.
"Hmm, there are a lot of uncertain factors there right now. It’s like Kaori said—it all hinges on whether Kaito likes the finished product. If Nizbel and the others hear your review and decide to buy them, that’s when the trend starts. If you try it and find it lacking, it won't go anywhere. So, for now, I’ll talk based on the assumption that you like the brush and tell Nizbel it’s a great product, okay?"
"Please."
"The first thing that comes to mind is a massive surge in demand. The Dragon King's Subordinates are incredibly numerous. I don't know exactly how many would be interested, but even if only ten percent of them took a liking to it, it would trigger a massive boom. The real question is... well, I honestly can't guess what percentage of dragons actually want a specialized brush. Some probably just use magic to clean themselves. Is it really something they care enough about to want a custom-made tool? I have no idea how a dragon's scales actually feel, after all."
"I guess the human equivalent would be asking if we want a specialized, high-end comb or something like that?" Kaori added. "I’m perfectly fine with whatever’s available at the store. I wouldn't even notice the subtle differences."
Akane and Kaori made a fair point. It was a mystery how many dragons would actually desire a custom brush. For humans, this would probably fall under the category of luxury beauty goods. If someone asked me if I wanted a bespoke grooming kit... I can't say I’d be that interested. If that was the case, maybe the demand wouldn't be as explosive as we feared.
"If it turns out that dragons are actually really sensitive about the fit of their brushes, it could become a huge hit. But if that happens, the Victor Trading Company won't be able to handle the volume at their current size. That’s where the Sharon Trading Company will step in. They’ll either buy out the rights from Victor or establish a dedicated Monster-related Department within their own company to handle the orders. Either way, I don't think there’s any room for outsiders to squeeze in."
"But isn't the Sharon Trading Company focused on magic tools?" I asked.
"Exactly. That’s why the Sharon Count House might just start an entirely new business. They could bring the Victor Trading Company under their wing, give them a massive budget, and turn them into a specialized Monster-related Trading Company. But as I said, it all depends on your review. I don't know if they’ll move that far just yet."
It sounded like Cornelia was also going to have her hands full. I wanted to be of help if I could, but according to Akane, there were too many variables to say for sure.
"By the way... if I do like the brush, should I be active about recommending it to others?"
"Well, if it stays solely with the Victor Trading Company, I think they’ll hit their capacity almost immediately. But if the Sharon family gets involved and sets up a proper company, they’ll be prepared for large-scale orders. In that case, I think you should definitely promote it. Unlike Ripples, the target audience is very specific, so even if you spread the word far and wide, it shouldn't spiral out of control."
"I see. Thanks, that’s good to know. I’ll keep that in mind."
I tucked Akane’s advice away. For now, it seemed everything would have to wait until I could test the specialized brush for myself.
Serious-senpai: "I see. So even if the Dragon King's Subordinates are numerous, the niche nature of the product means the boom will be contained within a specific circle... And yet, I can't shake the feeling that there's a trap waiting somewhere. It's a mystery."