Adrian quickly discovered that producing a good product was only half the battle.
Selling it was another matter entirely.
His first batch contained only a few pieces of soap, and although Thomas had purchased one, that didn’t guarantee that other people would be interested.
He needed to understand his potential customers.
That afternoon, he visited the marketplace again.
This time, he didn’t approach the merchants selling finished soap.
Instead, he observed them.
One merchant had attracted several customers.
His soap was relatively expensive, yet people continued purchasing it.
Adrian approached a woman who had just bought two pieces.
“Excuse me.”
She turned.
“Yes?”
“May I ask why you prefer buying from this merchant?”
The woman looked confused.
“Because his soap is better.”
“Better in what way?”
“It smells less unpleasant, and it doesn’t leave my hands feeling as rough.”
Adrian nodded.
That was useful information.
He approached another customer.
This time, an elderly man.
“Why don’t you purchase the cheaper soap from the other stall?”
The man shrugged.
“That stuff is terrible. I’d rather spend an extra copper coin than use something that makes my skin itch.”
Adrian smiled.
He had just identified an important market opportunity.
People weren’t simply purchasing soap.
They were purchasing comfort, cleanliness and fragrance.
His next challenge was improving his product.
He returned to his room and began writing down everything he remembered about soap manufacturing.
The system remained quiet.
He didn’t expect it to solve every problem.
After reviewing his notes, he identified three areas requiring improvement.
First, the raw materials needed better preparation.
Second, the production process needed consistency.
Third, he needed a reliable method of adding fragrance without compromising the product.
The following morning, Adrian visited a herbal merchant.
He purchased lavender, rosemary and several locally available aromatic herbs.
The merchant was surprised by the quantity.
“Are you opening a perfume shop?”
“Something like that.”
Adrian also purchased a small quantity of suitable oils.
He spent the afternoon experimenting with different combinations.
His early attempts were disappointing.
One batch had an unpleasant smell.
Another was too soft.
A third failed to produce the consistency he wanted.
However, he was learning.
By evening, he had produced a small collection of improved samples.
He wrapped each piece separately and labelled them.
Then he approached Thomas.
“I need your opinion.”
Thomas examined the samples.
“More soap?”
“Three different varieties. Tell me which one you prefer.”
Thomas tried them.
The first was ordinary.
The second had a pleasant herbal fragrance.
The third had a stronger scent.
He immediately selected the second.
“This one.”
“Why?”
“It smells good. Not too strong.”
Adrian nodded.
He had his first product preference.
But he still needed more opinions.
He approached two workers and a woman who sold vegetables nearby.
Their responses were similar.
The second variety was the most popular.
Adrian decided to focus on it.
That evening, he calculated the estimated production costs.
The raw materials were affordable, and he believed he could sell each piece for three copper coins while maintaining a reasonable profit.
However, he needed to produce at least twenty pieces.
He returned to the workshop.
Gareth was inspecting a newly completed horseshoe.
“You’re still wasting time with that experiment?”
“It’s starting to work.”
“Good for you.”
“I need to use the unused storage room.”
Gareth looked at him.
“Why?”
“I want to increase production.”
The blacksmith laughed.
“You’re serious?”
“Very.”
Gareth studied him for several seconds.
“Pay me two silver coins monthly, and you can use it.”
Adrian considered the offer.
Two silver coins was a significant expense.
But the room would provide enough space to manufacture and store his products.
“One silver coin.”
“Two.”
“One silver and five copper coins.”
Gareth smiled.
“Done.”
Adrian shook his hand.
He had secured his first production space.
As he walked away, he noticed Thomas watching him.
“What’s wrong?”
Thomas scratched his head.
“Nothing. I just didn’t expect you to take that soap business seriously.”
Adrian smiled.
“Neither did I.”
But he was serious now.
Very serious.
A small business was taking shape.
And although he didn’t know it yet, the recipe he was developing would eventually become the foundation of something much larger.
[System Notification]
[Production Improvement Detected.]
[Hidden Achievement Progress: Establishing a Commercial Manufacturing Process.]
[Current Progress: 15%.]
Adrian stared at the notification.
A hidden achievement?
Interesting.
He returned to his room with a satisfied expression.
Tomorrow, he would begin producing his first commercial batch.