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#210 A Competent Woman
🕑 Added 2021-08-31 12:01:02 +0000 UTCThe two new members of the Heavenly Four, Aeshma and Leviasa, are temporarily staying at our farm.
Aeshma has gotten enough spotlight lately, so it’s time we talk about Leviasa and her capableness next.
* * *
Mrs. Glasya is being hounded by the elves upon her visit to our farm.
I didn’t know what was going on at first, but as I listened to their exchange, I gradually began to understand.
“Demon Queen!”
“When are you going to start selling our work?”
The elves are in a storm of protest against Glasya, the second Demon Queen, led by Aileron the pottery group leader, and Mieral the woodwork group leader.
Our elven artisans are divided into such a fashion.
Why are these two are flaring up at a queen so discourteously, you ask?
Months ago, they said they wanted to sell their works to the outside world after being inspired by Batemy’s clothes selling like mad in the Demon Capital.
In fact, the leather goods made by Maelga’s team and the glasswork made by Poel’s team were sold by Mrs. Astres through Shax and are now recording steady sales.
And yet.
The pottery made by Aileron’s group and the woodwork made by Mieral’s group hasn’t been sold at all despite being fellow artisans.
Why is that?
Mrs. Glasya, another queen like Mrs. Astres, interrupted, “It’s not fair that only Astres is doing this! Let me do it too!”
By distributing superior farm articles under Mrs. Astres’ name, her reputation from the entire demon race will also rise.
Worried about being outclassed as a queen, Mrs. Glasya interjected.
After several discussions, it was decided that the four types of products produced by the elves would be split-released to the market.
Mrs. Astres is in charge of Maelga’s leather goods and Poel’s glass goods.
Similarly, Mrs. Glasya is in charge of Aileron’s pottery and Mieral’s woodworks.
That should be enough to explain the gist of things.
This is where light and darkness split for the elves.
“Maelga and Poel’s works are already out in the market! But what about ours?!”
“They’re piling from your side, aren’t they? Why aren’t you selling them? Sell them right this instant!!!”
There you have it.
Both Mieral and Aileron have no modesty even though they’re talking to a queen, as expected of former, anti-authority bandits.
“...Now, now. Calm down and listen.”
Mrs. Glasya also seems to have become more composed than when she was a Heavenly One.
She continues to talk with befitting solemnity.
“Your colleagues’ works under Astres’ intermediary are selling like hotcakes, but the works you entrusted to me are not appearing on the market at all, so I can understand why you’re angry. But I have a reason for that.”
“We weren’t expecting you to say that... It’s not like we blame you alone for it...”
“Well, it’s actually because I haven’t been doing anything that nothing’s ever happening.”
“So it’s YOUR fault after all!!!”
They’re so energetic.
“Listen. I’ll tell you the reason why so you’ll understand!”
“Fine! Let’s hear it!”
They’re feeling desperate now.
“It rings true that this intermediary business has a rivalry aspect between me and Astres with our title as queen on the line.”
“I-I see...”
“The world will think of the one who sells more as the better Demon Queen! I’m not going to let her beat me! She’s my destined enemy since our times as Heavenly Ones!!!”
Hence, Mrs. Glasya must use a different method to win against Mrs. Astres.
In other words, she won’t be using Shax’s intermediary services.
If she imitated her, it’s only natural that Mrs. Astres, who already had actual results, would make a more lasting impression.
The only way for Mrs. Glasya to achieve a surprising victory is to use another route and create a bigger boom than her rival.
“...I tried fumbling around for a new route, but I couldn’t find any.”
“Whatever! Give back our works! We’ll have Miss Astres sell them for us instead!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! If you do that, I’ll lose miserably! My pride cannot allow thaaaat!!!”
And now they start scuffling.
Why can’t she just put her stubbornness aside and sell them normally?
Watching their behavior, I let out a sigh.
“You’re a completely useless woman as always, Queen Glasya,” says Leviasa, Mrs. Glasya’s successor as a Heavenly One.
“I’ll find you a route to sell their crafts if you’d like.”
“You will?!”
“I can’t say for sure until I see the actual products, though. Well, it should be fine if it’s nothing too extreme. Elven handicrafts are luxury items, anyway.”
“All right! Everything’s in your hands now, Leviasa!”
She leaves all the hard work to her subordinate without any second thoughts.
“I don’t care anymore as long as it’s not Glasya!”
“Please! We leave our works to you!”
The elves also agreed immediately, putting everything into Leviasa’s custody.
* * *
“Queen Glasya has risen to the rank of a Heavenly One almost entirely on her merits in combat,” says Leviasa calmly.
“Even though the Malicious-Holy Sword is a family heirloom, she’s just from a branch family with a low ranking. Nonetheless, she has had a staggering career fighting her way through the infantry, defeating countless heroes, rising through the ranks, and finally being promoted as one of the Heavenly Four.”
Though her voice is calm, you can somewhat feel an underlying bragging tone to it.
She must respect and admire her superior a lot.
“Hence, she lacks the skills to handle such practical matters outside the battlefield. That’s where I come in as her aide.”
In other words, she’s good at this kind of negotiation.
I’d feel sorry for Aileron and Mieral if they don’t get what they rightfully deserve soon, so please do something about this.
“So, the items are...tableware and wooden statues?”
The two leaders went into the warehouse where they store their works.
“Most of the samples we gave to Glasya are roughly like these.”
“I can’t really tell what’s good or bad about these items, but I feel like they have a certain overwhelming air to them!” says Leviasa, looking at the wooden statue made by Mieral.
“This is a statue of Hades, yes?”
“Yep.”
“I knew it. I could tell for some reason!”
...Well, I suppose so.
After all, that wooden statue was based on the real Hades, the God of the Underworld who was summoned some time ago!
Of course, it’s going to look like him!
“The mysterious air that emanates from this statue makes you think that if the real Hades were to descend, he’d look exactly like this.”
“Right? Haha...”
I couldn’t help let out an awkward laugh.
“Okay. I know someone who would be willing to pay a fortune for something like this. I’ll visit them tomorrow.”
“You’re going to sell these directly?!”
“The fewer intermediaries, the better.”
And so, she went back to the capital to do her negotiations.
* * *
The next day.
“Sold. All in stock. Over the target price.”
“That was way too fast!”
She really is competent.
Comments
Thai
I like her character.
