Volume 3 Chapter 22 Promotion
"I thought about how Roezé helped me grow, and I really think Roezé's Nurturer power is amazing. Support magic was useful, but more than that, the ability to 'speed up someone else's growth' is something else entirely."
"Is that so...?"
I do think it's a rare power, but it doesn't feel like an ability that's that extraordinary.
I mean, if you look around, there are probably others with similar powers.
"I've lived in this town for a long time, and since I've mostly been working at the weapon shop, I've seen a lot of novice adventurers struggling to grow. They all come to the shop relying on powerful weapons because they can't get stronger as they hoped."
There are many adventurers whose growth has stagnated.
It's understandable that those who can't overcome that wall on their own would turn to strong weapons.
Fran, who has been doing menial tasks and customer service at that shop, must have seen countless people like that.
That's probably why he sees my power as something truly incredible.
"Sometimes, they get so frustrated that they blame their weakness on the weapons or the blacksmith and go rampaging in the Industrial District. In a town with so many novice adventurers struggling like this, it makes sense that Roezé's power wouldn't go unappreciated, right?"
"Well, I think it's mainly due to my low awareness of promotion..."
I was worried that getting too much attention might have a negative impact, so I avoided making big announcements.
I wanted to take my time with being a Nurturer.
So, the specific thing I've done is...
"What kind of promotion have you done so far?"
"I just stuck a flyer introducing the Nurturer on the adventurer guild's bulletin board. I haven't asked Rose and Cosmos to promote it widely either, so there are probably a lot of people who don't even know about the existence of the Nurturer."
Normally, to get the word out widely, you would promote it by handing out flyers or something like that.
But since we're not really doing anything like that, I think most people don't even know about Nurturer.
It seems like Rose is subtly spreading the word about Nurturer in Pailight's town, but judging by the results up to today, it doesn't seem to be very well known.
Just as I was thinking that, Cosmos, while munching on some veggie sticks, mumbled,
"There are actually quite a few adventurers who know about Nurturer."
"Really? Is that so?"
"There's been a promotional flyer posted on the adventurer guild's bulletin board for a while, so it naturally catches people's eyes. I found out about Nurturer from seeing that flyer myself. I think there are a lot of adventurers who know about Nurturer in the same way."
"Then, why is it that hardly any customers come to my Nurturer?"
Aren't there a lot of novice adventurers struggling?
When I think about it, the only adventurers who have visited Nurturer so far are Rose and Cosmos.
Ms. Nemophila isn't an adventurer; she came to request training as a princess on the brink of the Succession War.
Fran is just a rookie blacksmith who even offered to help us.
I haven't received many requests from the adventurers who should be my main clientele.
Why don't the adventurers turn to Nurturer for help?
"Don't you think the recent newcomers aren't really struggling, though? Or do they want to get stronger on their own without relying on anyone else?"
"Well, that does seem possible. A lot of novice adventurers are working hard with dreams of becoming heroes, so they might not be able to accept getting stronger with someone's help."
It might be that pride is getting in the way.
Adventurers are already full of pride, so even if they're struggling, they probably don't want to rely on others.
Rose and Cosmos were struggling not to succeed as adventurers, but for a different purpose, so I think they didn't mind depending on me that much.
"Ah, speaking of which..."
"...?"
"I feel like I heard a 'weird rumor' about the Nurturer a little while ago."
"Huh, a rumor...?"
As I tilted my head, wondering what she meant, Cosmos furrowed her brow as if recalling something.
"'They tried to get stronger with the Nurturer, but they barely got any help and just lost money,' right? I think I heard somewhere that there was someone trying to spread that rumor in the adventurer guild in Hyamars town. I meant to tell you but completely forgot."
"W-What is that...?"
They took money without providing any help?
I don't remember doing anything like that.
Since the Nurturer should only refer to me, it's clear that the rumor is about this place.
Who would try to spread such a malicious rumor...?
"Well, in the end, it's just baseless gossip with no evidence, and the rumor itself isn't really spreading, so I don't think you need to worry too much. But, it might be causing a bad impression and keeping customers away, you know? Did you make someone angry?"
"I-I hope not..."
I don't think I've done anything to make people resent me.
It's possible that someone might resent me without me realizing it.
As I pondered my past, suddenly Rose let out a trembling voice beside me.
"S-Sorry..."
"Huh...? W-Why is Rose apologizing?"
"Maybe it's the work of 'Ms. Freesia'..."
"Huh? Oh..."
I tilted my head for just a moment, but then I quickly remembered.
Freesia was the leader of the adventurer party that Rose used to belong to.
By the way, that girl is still in Hyamars' town.
'Still being in this town is really persistent of you. You should just give up on being an adventurer and go back to the countryside already.'
The cold-hearted blonde girl adventurer who quickly gave up on the immature Rose and kicked her out of the party.
She's also a poor novice adventurer who couldn't see Rose's talent and let go of a valuable asset.
In the end, all that happened was that Rose showcased her talent and made them realize their foolishness.
I wonder if she was trying to spread bad rumors about my Nurturer as revenge for that time.
That also ended up failing, but it's undeniable that the little waves caused a bad impression.
"Ms. Freesia, since she has a wide network,she often spread bad rumors to put others down. The last time I saw her, she didn't seem to think much of Mr. Roezé either... S-sorry. Because of me, the Nurturer is being seen in a bad light."
"No, no, those rumors didn't really spread in the end, and I don't think that's the direct cause. Besides, it's not something Rose should apologize for, so don't make that face."
It's not unreasonable to think it's completely unrelated, but I don't believe that the lack of customers is solely because of Freesia's rumors.
There are many other reasons, and they all contribute to the decline in customers.
"I know it's strange for me to say this, but whether those rumors exist or not, there's no doubt that the Nurturer seems suspicious from the start. Cosmos even said that at first, the Nurturer looked suspicious, and she didn't think to rely on it."
"Yeah. I mean, a Nurturer that helps with growth seems super suspicious. You didn't even write about what kind of person of you are as a Nurturer or how exactly you help."
You're right; the promotional material for the Nurturer definitely feels half-hearted.
Then Cosmos took out some paper and a pen from the cupboard and handed them to me.
"Well, that's why, to help people understand more about Nurturer, you should properly write down your background and abilities. I mean, I told you the same thing before, and you still haven't fixed it. It's definitely more reassuring to know what kind of person is going to help you."
"Y-You're right about that..."
I was handed the pen as if to say, "Do it right away," so I hesitated but started writing.
Keeping my past as a former member of the hero party a secret, I wrote down as much of my background and abilities as I could.
Since not much is known about Trainer Aroze's abilities, I figured it wouldn't be a problem to write about them in detail.
While I was moving the pen, lost in thought, Cosmos continued to make suggestions.
"After that, we, who have actually received help, should spread good rumors in the guild to wipe away any bad impressions. I think that would make things a bit better. Rose is a bit of a celebrity since she passed the promotion exam with the highest score in history."
"B-But, is Mr. Roezé really okay with that? You said you didn't want to stand out too much..."
"Well, I do think being too much in the spotlight is questionable, but I'm not looking for a quiet life like before."
I recalled my conversation with Ms. Nemophila.
She had asked me about what I really wanted to do, and it made me realize again.
"Through interacting with everyone, I've come to understand that I really like 'nurturing people.' I want to continue helping those who are struggling and witness their growth. So, could you please help spread the word about Nurturer?"
"...Y-Yes!"
Rose nodded enthusiastically, clenching her fists.
This should solve the problem of insufficient promotion.
I believe I can gradually wipe away the bad impressions too.
I'll add detailed information about Nurturer to the promotional materials, and with that, we should be able to expect a decent number of customers.
I was thinking it was about time to seriously advance my activities as a Nurturer, so I decided to see this as a great opportunity.
While I was thinking positively, Fran was mumbling beside me, looking troubled.
"Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Nurturer...?"
"..."
Rose and Cosmos can contribute to promoting the Nurturer as adventurers, but Fran is strictly a Blacksmith.
She doesn't have as much influence as the other 2.
I was thinking about that when I suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, by the way, I had something I wanted to ask you, Fran."
"...?"
"Before I ask for your help, do you remember when I said, 'Once this is settled, could you do me a favor?'"
"U-um, I remember."
Since I was doing the Nurturer thing, Fran asked if he should pay a fee for the help.
But this is something I enjoy doing, so I asked if he could just do me one favor in return.
"So, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"
Fran tilted his head, looking at me with his big eyes, and I raised my thumb to point towards the entrance.
"Could you make my sign?"
"A, a sign?"
"Yeah. I heard you're good with your hands and skilled at making things. If I tried to make it myself, it would just turn out all messy. It might be a bit much to ask a master blacksmith who forges weapons worth millions, but..."
"..."
I found it a bit funny saying that, and a smile slipped out.
To reiterate, Fran is now a legendary blacksmith who forges weapons worth millions.
I couldn't help but think there might be more important things to ask of someone like that.
Maybe Fran was thinking the same thing, as he covered his mouth and chuckled softly.
"If that's all you need, I'd be happy to do it. And if there's anything else I can help with regarding the Nurturer, feel free to ask. I want to help spread the word about the Nurturer to more people."
"I'm sorry to bother you while you're busy, but I appreciate it, Fran."
Instead of as Blacksmith Flax Ran, I asked my friend Fran to make a sign for the Nurturer.
This will surely help more customers find this Nurturer.
Fran seemed a bit complicated about becoming busy as a Blacksmith, but I might end up feeling the same way soon.
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