The storage room was small, dusty and poorly ventilated.
However, Adrian considered it a considerable improvement over the corner of the blacksmith workshop.
He spent the early morning cleaning it.
Thomas occasionally helped him move wooden containers, although he insisted that he was only doing so because he wanted to see whether Adrian’s business would succeed.
By midday, the room had become usable.
Adrian arranged his equipment and separated the raw materials.
He had also written down the production procedure.
He wasn’t interested in relying entirely on memory.
Consistency was important.
If he wanted to manufacture hundreds or eventually thousands of products, he needed a repeatable process.
The first commercial batch began that afternoon.
He carefully prepared the materials and followed the procedure he had developed during his previous experiments.
The process was slower than he wanted.
Some equipment was unsuitable, and he lacked proper measuring instruments.
Still, he managed.
Thomas watched him work.
“Why are you measuring everything?”
“Because guessing is expensive.”
“People have been making soap for generations.”
“And that’s why most of them produce soap that looks like mud.”
Thomas laughed.
“You’re strange.”
“Perhaps.”
Several hours later, the first batch was ready for curing.
Adrian inspected the products.
Twenty-four pieces.
Six were smaller than the others, but the remaining eighteen were relatively uniform.
He frowned.
He had wanted twenty-four identical pieces.
“Not bad for a first commercial batch,” he muttered.
Thomas picked one up.
“Can I have this?”
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because I haven’t finished testing them.”
Thomas returned the piece reluctantly.
Adrian had learned enough chemistry to understand that soap wasn’t necessarily safe simply because it looked finished.
He needed to ensure that the process had completed properly and that the final product wasn’t excessively alkaline.
He refused to sell an unsafe product just to complete the system’s quest.
That would be foolish.
Several days passed.
Adrian continued refining his process, checking the batches and improving the consistency.
Eventually, he was satisfied.
He arranged twenty pieces for sale.
The next challenge was finding customers.
He returned to the marketplace.
This time, he carried a small wooden box.
A few merchants recognized him.
One laughed.
“Back again, boy?”
Adrian ignored him.
He approached a woman selling household products.
“Would you be interested in purchasing something?”
“What?”
“Soap.”
She looked at the box.
“I already sell soap.”
“Then perhaps you should examine mine.”
He opened the box.
The woman picked up one of the pieces.
Its appearance was considerably better than the crude products commonly sold.
She examined its texture and smelled it.
“What is this fragrance?”
“Lavender.”
“How much?”
“Three copper coins.”
She frowned.
“Three? I can purchase ordinary soap for two.”
“Then purchase ordinary soap.”
The woman looked at him.
Adrian remained calm.
He wasn’t going to beg.
After a moment, she placed the soap back in the box.
“I’ll take two.”
Adrian nodded.
Six copper coins.
He continued approaching potential customers.
Some refused.
Others showed interest.
By the end of the afternoon, he had sold eight pieces.
Not bad.
However, he still needed twelve.
The following morning, he returned to the marketplace.
This time, he found a different strategy.
Instead of approaching random customers, he offered samples.
People were initially suspicious.
But after trying the product, several became interested.
By noon, he had sold another seven.
Fifteen.
Adrian smiled.
He was getting closer.
Then something unexpected happened.
A well-dressed woman stopped in front of his stall.
She wore an expensive blue dress, and two attendants followed behind her.
She examined the remaining products.
“Who made these?”
“I did.”
The woman raised an eyebrow.
“You?”
“Yes.”
She picked up a piece and smelled it.
“Interesting.”
She looked at Adrian.
“Can you produce fifty of these?”
Adrian hesitated.
Fifty?
That was more than twice his initial production.
“Yes, provided I have enough time and materials.”
“How much?”
“Three copper coins each.”
The woman considered the offer.
Then she smiled.
“I’ll take the remaining pieces.”
Adrian handed over the products.
The woman paid him.
As she turned to leave, she paused.
“My name is Elena Voss.”
Adrian nodded.
“Adrian Vale.”
“I may have business for you, Adrian.”
She walked away.
Adrian watched her disappear into the crowd.
He counted the money in his hand.
Twenty sales completed.
He had achieved his first objective.
A blue notification appeared.
[QUEST OBJECTIVE COMPLETED.]
[Units Sold: 20/20.]
[Remaining Objective: Generate 5 Silver Coins in Profit.]
[Estimated Profit: 3 Silver Coins, 40 Copper Coins.]
Adrian’s smile disappeared.
Three silver coins and forty copper.
He was still short.
He looked at the marketplace.
Then at the empty wooden box.
He sighed.
“Looks like I need to sell more.”
But for the first time since arriving in this world, he had something he hadn’t possessed before.
A business.
And perhaps a valuable connection.
End of Chapter 5.