Adrian returned to the workshop with mixed feelings.
He had managed to sell twenty pieces of soap, but the profit wasn’t enough to complete the system’s quest.
He placed the remaining money on the wooden table and began calculating.
Three silver coins and forty copper coins.
His initial investment had consumed a considerable portion of his savings. He still needed to pay Gareth for the storage room, purchase additional materials and cover his daily expenses.
If he wanted to make a living from this business, he needed to increase his profit margins.
More importantly, he needed customers who would purchase his products regularly.
The woman named Elena Voss had mentioned a potential business opportunity.
He wasn’t sure what to expect, but he intended to investigate.
The following morning, Adrian visited the Voss family’s commercial establishment.
It was considerably larger than the ordinary shops surrounding it.
Several employees moved between the storage buildings, carrying wooden crates and recording transactions.
A sign bearing the Voss family crest hung above the entrance.
Adrian approached the receptionist.
“I’m here to see Miss Elena Voss.”
The young man examined him.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No. Tell her Adrian Vale is here.”
The receptionist looked unimpressed.
“Miss Voss is a busy person.”
“I understand.”
Adrian placed a small piece of soap on the counter.
“Give her this. She’ll understand.”
The receptionist examined the product before reluctantly accepting it.
“Wait here.”
Approximately fifteen minutes later, a servant returned.
“Miss Voss will see you.”
Adrian followed him upstairs.
Elena was seated behind a large wooden desk.
Several documents were spread across it.
“You’re early,” she remarked.
“I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”
She smiled.
“Sit.”
Adrian took the offered chair.
Elena picked up the soap he had left with the receptionist.
“I’ve examined your product.”
“And?”
“It’s interesting. The fragrance is pleasant, and the texture is better than most locally manufactured varieties.”
Adrian remained silent.
“How many can you produce?”
“Currently, I can produce around twenty to thirty pieces in a batch.”
“That’s too little.”
“I know.”
Elena leaned back.
“My family supplies household products to several establishments in Westbrook and neighbouring settlements. If your product is consistent, I could purchase larger quantities.”
Adrian immediately recognized the opportunity.
However, he wasn’t going to accept an agreement without understanding the terms.
“How much are you willing to pay?”
“Two copper coins per piece.”
“Three.”
Elena raised an eyebrow.
“You’re negotiating with a merchant family, young man.”
“And you’re negotiating with the person who makes the product.”
She laughed.
“Fair enough. Two and a half copper coins.”
Adrian considered it.
He could accept the offer, but the price would significantly reduce his profit.
Instead, he proposed something different.
“Three copper coins for individual purchases. For orders above one hundred pieces, I can offer a discount.”
Elena examined him.
“You’re confident.”
“I know what my product is worth.”
After several minutes of negotiation, they reached an agreement.
The Voss family would purchase fifty pieces for an initial trial.
If customers responded positively, they would discuss larger orders.
Elena also offered to introduce Adrian to several suppliers.
Before he left, she asked an unexpected question.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“You’re a blacksmith apprentice. You could spend your life producing horseshoes and farming tools. Why start a business?”
Adrian considered the question.
“Because I don’t want to spend my entire life working for someone else.”
Elena smiled faintly.
“An ambitious answer.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not necessarily.”
Adrian stood.
“I’ll deliver the fifty pieces when they’re ready.”
As he left the establishment, Elena watched him through the window.
She had met many merchants and aspiring businessmen.
Most were interested in quick profits.
Adrian was different.
He seemed to understand the value of his product, and he wasn’t desperate enough to accept every offer.
She made a mental note to investigate him further.
Meanwhile, Adrian returned to his workshop with a new problem.
He had secured an order for fifty pieces.
But he didn’t have enough production capacity.
He needed more workers.
And he needed them quickly.
Chapter 7: A Product That Sells Itself
The next three days were exhausting.
Adrian spent most of his time improving the production arrangement.
He couldn’t continue manufacturing everything alone.
If he wanted to fulfil larger orders, he needed assistance.
He approached Thomas first.
“How would you feel about earning extra money?”
Thomas looked suspicious.
“I need someone to help with production.”
“Your soap?”
“Yes.”
Thomas scratched his head.
“How much?”
“Four copper coins daily.”
Thomas immediately became interested.
“Four?”
“Provided you follow instructions.”
The young apprentice considered the offer.
His current earnings were barely enough to cover his expenses.
Four additional copper coins would make a difference.
“When do I start?”
“Tomorrow.”
Adrian also approached another young worker named Peter.
Peter was slightly older than Thomas and had experience handling basic workshop equipment.
Unlike Thomas, he was cautious.
“What exactly will I be doing?”
“Preparing materials, arranging containers and assisting with production.”
“Will I be handling chemicals?”
“Under supervision. I’ll provide instructions and suitable protection.”
Peter nodded.
He accepted the offer.
With two additional workers, Adrian’s production capacity improved.
However, he quickly discovered that hiring people introduced new challenges.
Thomas was careless.
Peter worked slowly.
And both needed constant supervision.
Adrian decided to divide their responsibilities.
Thomas would handle packaging and inventory.
Peter would assist with preparation and equipment.
Adrian would supervise production and quality control.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was considerably better than doing everything himself.
By the end of the fourth day, they had produced fifty pieces.
Adrian inspected every batch.
He rejected several pieces that failed his quality requirements.
Thomas looked disappointed.
“Those aren’t bad.”
“They’re inconsistent.”
“Nobody will notice.”
“I will.”
Adrian placed the rejected pieces aside.
“Would you buy something that doesn’t meet the quality you were promised?”
Thomas shook his head.
“Then don’t expect customers to do so.”
The following morning, Adrian delivered the order to the Voss establishment.
Elena personally inspected the products.
She examined their appearance, fragrance and packaging.
“Fifty pieces?”
“Exactly.”
She called one of her assistants.
“Take these to the household section. I want them displayed separately.”
Adrian watched as the products were arranged.
“What happens now?”
“We wait.”
Adrian frowned.
“That’s it?”
Elena laughed.
“What did you expect? A royal announcement?”
“No. I expected you to tell me whether you liked them.”
“I already told you I did.”
She handed him a small pouch.
“Payment.”
Adrian counted the coins.
One hundred and fifty copper coins.
One silver coin and fifty copper coins.
He nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. If customers don’t like them, I won’t order again.”
“Fair enough.”
Adrian returned to the workshop.
He had fulfilled the order, but his attention was already shifting towards expansion.
He needed better packaging.
He needed more reliable equipment.
And he needed to reduce production costs.
That evening, Thomas entered the storage room carrying a piece of paper.
“Adrian.”
“What?”
“Someone came asking about the soap.”
Adrian looked up.
“Who?”
“A merchant. He wanted to know who manufactures it and where we buy the materials.”
Adrian stopped writing.
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing important.”
“Good.”
He took the paper from Thomas.
A name had been written on it.
Lucien Blackthorn.
Adrian had never heard of the man.
But something about the inquiry made him uncomfortable.
His business was beginning to attract attention.
And not all attention would be friendly.
Chapter 8: Five Silver Coins
The following morning, Adrian visited the marketplace.
He wanted to understand how quickly the products were selling.
When he arrived at the Voss family’s household section, he found several customers examining his soap.
“Do you have more of the lavender variety?”
“Unfortunately, madam, the current stock is limited.”
“Then reserve three for me.”
Adrian smiled.
The product was selling.
He approached Elena, who was inspecting the sales records.
“How are things?”
She looked up.
“Better than expected.”
“How many have been sold?”
“Thirty-seven.”
Adrian raised his eyebrows.
“Already?”
“Customers seem to like the fragrance.”
She handed him the sales record.
“Several people have also requested larger quantities.”
Adrian examined the document.
This was exactly what he needed.
However, Elena wasn’t finished.
“There’s one problem.”
“What?”
“Your supply.”
Adrian understood immediately.
He couldn’t produce enough to meet the growing demand.
“How many would you need?”
“At least one hundred and fifty pieces weekly.”
Adrian considered the figure.
It was possible, but it would require additional workers and equipment.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Elena nodded.
“Good. But don’t promise what you cannot deliver.”
“I won’t.”
As Adrian prepared to leave, Elena stopped him.
“One more thing.”
He turned.
“My father would like to meet you.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because he believes there’s money to be made from your business.”
“That sounds promising.”
Elena smiled.
“Or dangerous. Depending on how you look at it.”
Adrian chuckled.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He returned to the workshop and immediately began calculating the cost of expansion.
The first thing he needed was more storage space.
The second was additional workers.
The third was a better production arrangement.
He also needed to establish a reliable supply chain.
Relying on random merchants for raw materials would become increasingly difficult as production expanded.
He spent the afternoon visiting suppliers.
By evening, he had secured several agreements.
His expenses increased, but so did his expected production capacity.
Then the system finally responded.
[DING!]
[Quest Objective Completed.]
[Units Sold: 20/20.]
[Profit Requirement: 5 Silver Coins.]
[Current Verified Profit: 5 Silver Coins and 12 Copper Coins.]
[BEGINNER QUEST COMPLETED.]
Adrian stopped walking.
He opened the interface.
[Congratulations, Host.]
[Rewards Unlocked:]
Basic Chemical Engineering.
Basic Industrial Production.
10 Knowledge Points.
[New Knowledge Successfully Integrated.]
An overwhelming amount of information entered his mind.
Chemical reactions.
Material properties.
Production processes.
Industrial safety.
Quality control.
Basic equipment design.
He staggered slightly.
The knowledge wasn’t completely unfamiliar, but it was considerably more detailed than what he had previously understood.
He could now recognize several mistakes in his earlier production process.
He also understood how to improve his manufacturing efficiency.
After several minutes, the sensation disappeared.
Adrian exhaled.
“That was unexpected.”
He opened the system again.
[Current Knowledge Points: 10.]
[Available Tasks: None.]
[Hint: Complete additional achievements to unlock advanced knowledge.]
Adrian smiled.
He had finally completed his first quest.
But he wasn’t satisfied.
Five silver coins was only the beginning.
He wanted factories.
Machines.
Railways.
And eventually, an entire industrial civilization.
He looked towards the distant royal capital.
Somewhere beyond those walls, powerful nobles controlled enormous amounts of wealth.
They probably believed that the world would remain unchanged forever.
Adrian intended to prove them wrong.
However, he had yet to understand one important truth.
In a world where power determined ownership, creating something valuable was sometimes more dangerous than possessing nothing.
And there were already people interested in taking what belonged to him.
End of Chapter 8.