Volume 2 Chapter 11 Souvenirs Are Important
Randy, who came to the office with his father Alan and the steward Keith, let out a sigh of relief. He was actually worried about whether his mother and sister would accept Liz and Ellie.
"Grace and Clarice will be happy, right?"
Alan's words seemed to see right through Randy's mind, and he pouted, saying, "I know, I know."
"Well then, you're back. Let's talk about work."
Alan clapped his hands to change the subject, and Randy nodded silently.
"First, about the materials you asked for, the procurement, processing, and shipping──."
The discussion that started was quite detailed.
First, regarding material procurement, it seems that adventurers, starting with the [Iron Lion], are slowly increasing in the town. Especially with the application from [Iron Lion], an adventurer's guild is being established in the town, which is a big turning point.
There are still some beasts that are difficult for the adventurers, but the knights from Victor Territory are also involved, so there's no immediate worry.
Next, for processing and shipping the materials, the engineers sent by Marquis Lucian are doing a great job. Even though they only showed a rough introduction, their skills in creating things are impressive, as expected from the dwarf race.
The shipping of materials is also progressing well. The fishing village facing the great river, where mother Grace had returned, is starting to have a port designed to accommodate large galleons.
This is likely the result of significant investment and resources from the Marquis family. Even if the Marquis sees it as an easy investment to recover, Randy is too scared to ask how much it is.
"Right now, we're still using small boats, but soon we should be able to dock at the port."
At Alan's explanation, Randy could only smile wryly and think, "That rundown fishing village, huh?"
His father mentioned that Grace had returned home, but technically, it wasn't a homecoming. Grace is originally the daughter of Victor, and this mansion is her family home.
So why do they call it a homecoming? It's because Grace's father, the former Viscount, was an avid fisherman. After retiring, he moved to the fishing village by the great river. He had already lost his partner, and there's no way she would worry about her father, a widower who only cares about fishing. To keep him from just fishing all the time, Grace occasionally visits under the pretense of a homecoming.
The only saving grace is that the distance to the fishing village isn't too far.
"It seems father-in-law is actively cooperating with the reforms."
"He's (old geezer) just eager to get out to sea on a big boat for deep-sea fishing."
Randy, looking exasperated, made Alan chuckle in agreement.
"Anyway, his Excellency has already completed the promotional carriage and is starting to sell it."
"Just like His Excellency the Marquis. Quick work."
Randy shrugged, but his comment was a genuine compliment from the bottom of his heart. The fact that they could start selling at this timing means they must have completed the first carriage from the sample model and some of the materials he provided.
Using Carriage No. 1 for promotion, they are ready to launch an all-out attack with the materials that have already been shipped.
First, a revolution in carriages will happen on this continent. It's clear that the prepared Marquis will take away market share.
"So? Can you tell me about the joint project of the 3 families that started without my permission?"
Alan has a playful smile, but Randy honestly bowed his head about the fact that it was reported after the event.
"Well, we have a prototype ready──."
While talking, Randy rummaged through his bag, remembering that some of the prototypes were in Liz's item box. When he turned to Keith, just then, there was a knock on the office door.
"Sir Randolph, if we're talking about prototypes, we should join you──."
Randy welcomed Liz and Cecilia, who showed up at just the right time, saying, "Perfect timing."
In front of Liz, who pulled cosmetics out of thin air, Alan and Keith widened their eyes but didn't say anything. They might have mistaken it for Ellie's power or something, but Randy was grateful for the lack of unnecessary explanations.
Looking at the lined-up bottles, Alan shrugged and said, "I don't really understand this."
"We've already done some testing and confirmed the effects. But I'd like more data if possible."
Randy smiled and turned to Keith, who opened the door with enthusiasm. There stood Rita and the other maids.
"You guys, here's the promised items──."
Randy tossed the bag filled with cosmetics and hand cream to the maids.
"Young master, is this for us──."
"Of course not. You're the test subjects."
Randy grinned mischievously, and the maids puffed their cheeks but held onto the cosmetics tightly.
"Apply the cream to your face. It's best after a bath or washing your face. The small containers are for your hands──."
Even while calling them test subjects, Randy explained how to use the products and instructed them to share with the cooks and gardeners who weren't here. Liz watched him with a sense of pride, while Cecilia looked on with interest.
After finishing the explanations, Randy told the maids to disperse, saying, "Share how it feels with the Old man."
As the noisy office quieted down, Alan chuckled and lifted one of the bottles in front of him, saying, "That's some serious energy."
"...You can really kick them out, right?"
"Of course! Do you know how many prototypes we've made and how many comparisons we've done?"
Randy laughed off Alan's words confidently as he leaned back on the sofa.
When Alan mentioned "kick them out," he meant if they could overshadow existing beauty products.
Beauty products do exist in this world. However, just like how Liz's mother, Marchioness Flora, reacted to Randy's words, it doesn't mean they come with good usability and effects.
But what Randy developed is also a beauty product.
It won't show effects immediately. At least, he wants them to use it for a few days... ideally a few weeks.
But it's the consumer who makes that choice. If they don't see results right away, they might think, “This is no different from before,” and stop using it. If that happens, they'll never know the changes that could come later.
If things go poorly, that could lead to them never having a connection with it for life.
To prevent that, Randy focused not only on effectiveness but also on the overall experience of using the product. He repeated prototypes to make sure users would think, “I want to use this, and I'd be happy to keep using it.”
From that brief exchange between Alan and Randy, Liz and Cecilia finally realized why Randy was so particular about his prototypes.
──Well, it's unavoidable due to the nature of the product.
That sentiment was summed up in their conversation.
"I thought you were just dragging things out because you wanted Liza to hold your hand..."
"Am I pervert?"
Cecilia blurted out, causing Randy to raise his eyebrows in surprise.
In response to Cecilia's bombshell, Ellie chimed in, saying, "I thought the same thing," and the four of them, including Randy, started to bicker loudly.
Alan smiled at their lively interaction, but just for a moment, as he and Randy sensed a familiar presence beyond the door and shivered at the same time.
The two of them, looking pale, exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
"Randy, I think you know what's coming──"
"Yeah, I know. This is for Mom and Clarice."
Randy scratched his head and pulled out a different bottle from his magic bag. There were four in total, two of each color, and Alan looked puzzled.
"This one's for nobles. By splitting it into two, each effect is made stronger."
It was like a moisturizing lotion and a milk that locks in moisture.
"I'll make it a bit pricier to give it a sense of luxury and exclusivity. For nobles, this shouldn't be a problem."
Randy smiled as he lined up the bottles, but Alan, not fully grasping it, could only respond with a vague, "Hmm." He stared at the bottles for a while and lifted one up...
"Grace, Clarice. Right?"
...He called out toward the door. As if waiting for those words, the door opened, and his mother Grace and sister Clarice sparkled with excitement as they received the gifts from Alan.
"Randy, thank you too, Elizabeth. I'll use it right away──"
"Ah, I'll ask about that later, so please go outside for now."
Randy gently pushed Grace out, and both she and Clarice looked a bit dissatisfied, saying, "Can't I join in too?"
"I'll ask you two about it later..."
Randy managed to push his mother and sister out of the room and let out a big sigh. It wasn't that he wanted to treat them poorly, but he felt that the conversation would get sidetracked.
Like, how does it feel to use it, or what does it smell like...
He felt bad for them, but right now, there were still important things to discuss beyond just how the product felt to use.
Randy and Alan exchanged glances and sighed again after the storm passed quickly.
"By the way, it's for nobles... then what about what you gave everyone──"
"Yeah. The all-in-one is planned to be for commoners, at least."
Randy lifted the leftover samples, saying, "It was tough..." as he held up the fruits of his labor to the light.
Randy looked up at the light through the bottle, unable to hide his smile. Liz finally understood another reason why Randy was so focused on his prototype: "For commoners... could it be──"
"What do you mean?"
Liz smiled at Cecilia's question, who tilted her head, and began to explain why Randy was so dedicated.
For Randy, developing cosmetics wasn't just because his mother told him to.
Of course, he thought about the development of the territory, but even more, it was about giving back to the servants who had supported him all this time.
"Cecily, do you know how busy commoners, especially maids, are?"
Cecilia shook her head silently at Liz's words.
"I only learned this after living this life. They are extremely busy."
Liz looked at Randy and said, "Right?"
"Yeah, so I want people who don't have much time to enjoy beauty easily. That's part of the reason I was so particular about it."
Cecilia looked surprised, and Randy smiled meaningfully and looked away.
But it was true, just as they said.
Randy was particular about the all-in-one products and hand cream solely for the people who supported his territory.
To meet their expectations, he worked hard on the prototypes so they could use them even with their limited time. While it was necessary for sales strategy, half of it was still Randy's personal reason.
"Sir Randolph... you're quite the dutiful person, aren't you?"
"I told you, I'm just a test subject."
Randy snorted, but Liz and Cecilia just smiled and didn't respond.
Realizing he was at a disadvantage, Randy decided to stay quiet. Denying it too much would only dig him a deeper hole.
Seeing Randy like this, Alan opened his mouth with a wry smile.
"Anyway, what should we do? Should we check out the port?"
"No, there's nothing to see there, old man. This time, I'll just visit the engineers working in town."
With that, Randy stood up and headed down to the bustling town with Liz and Cecilia.
In the town, they exchanged ideas with the engineers, played with Cecilia, hunted beasts for materials, and had a fulfilling break. By the next evening, they returned to the academy.
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