Chapter 46: Price of Comfort

Chapter 46: Price of Comfort Cluma then walked into the next room. This room held different kinds of furniture. All of it was designed with many carving patterns: flowers, geometric shapes, and figures of animals and people. Cluma’s eyes moved slowly around the room, filled with awe. He thought, Master Bjorn specializes in carving furniture, but this... this is spectacular. His hooves ran over the smooth wood of a dining set on display. The table was large, polished, and had intricate carvings along its edges. The chairs looked strange, almost artistic in their curves. He turned to the skeleton staff behind him. "Can I try?" he asked, pointing at a chair. The staff nodded. Cluma carefully sat down on one of the dining chairs. He thought to himself, Even sitting down doesn’t hurt. It perfectly forms to my back as I sat down. Is this the reason why they have these weirdly formed seats? It’s not just for art, but also functional. It’s actually comfortable. He shifted slightly, testing the support, and found it surprisingly ergonomic. The wood felt smooth and warm under his fur. He then turned to the staff, a guess forming in his mind. He remembered the weapons. "I bet this costs also 1 gold?" he asked, trying to sound casual. The staff’s masked face remained still, but his voice was calm. "You’re not far off the mark, dear customer. This entire dining set, including the table and all six chairs, costs 19 gold." Cluma’s eyes widened again. "Damn," he muttered under his breath. Nineteen gold! That was an enormous sum, more than he made in half a year. He thought to himself, Darek already left, meaning, it’s no use to continue thinking about retailing these expensive products, save for the toys and puzzle sets. The figurines and these furnitures are just too expensive to begin spending our capital on. It’s too risky. He knew Master Bjorn. Master Bjorn does not carelessly spend money on something he knows for sure he will lose. Unless the production of these products is high, our company can’t make the money back quickly enough to justify the risk. He sighed, feeling the weight of their mission. He stood up from the comfortable chair. Let’s just hope senior brother Griz can figure out a way to secure a deal, a very good deal. Otherwise, Master Bjorn will take all these expenses off our salaries. He sighed again, a heavy, resigned sound. He turned to the staff. "Thank you for entertaining us. Your establishment is truly... unique." He forced a polite smile. "We’ll be sure to spread the word of this fine establishment." The staff nodded politely, his masked head inclining slightly. "The honor is mine, dear customer. We appreciate your visit and your kind words." As Cluma walked away, he shook his head. The beauty and comfort of the furniture were undeniable, but the prices made them almost impossible to sell through their usual channels. He needed to find the others and see what they had discovered. He hoped their findings were more promising. As Cluma walked back to the canteen, a heavy feeling settled in his gut. He spotted Borin, Brum, and Skall at their table, their shoulders slumped, faces etched with disappointment. They had clearly been to the weapons and armor section. Meanwhile, Darek and Flin sat at a nearby table with Griz, Flin still looking a bit dazed from his earlier excitement and Darek’s sucker punch. Cluma’s own thoughts echoed his companions’ expressions: So we’re definitely screwed, huh? he thought to himself. He approached them, pulling up a chair. As he sat down, Griz looked up, his brow furrowed. "So, Cluma, how’s things on your side?" Cluma sighed, running a hoof over his face. "Save for the toys, puzzles and chess sets, the furnitures and the figurines have slow production and are very expensive to even begin for our company to retail. It’s too much risk for too little immediate return." Griz nodded slowly, a grim understanding in his eyes. "As I thought. After that single market sale on Stonehorn, they realized their product’s true value and raised them. They’re playing the long game, building prestige. A very smart move on their end, it’s what Master Bjorn would’ve done too." Borin leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "So what should we do, Griz? We can’t go back to Master Bjorn with just a few expensive trinkets and a story about good burgers. He’ll skin us alive." Everyone looked at Griz, hoping for a positive sign, a glimmer of hope in the face of their collective disappointment. Griz took a deep breath, then a slow smile spread across his face. It wasn’t his usual shrewd grin, but something more genuine, almost excited. "I asked that manager’s assistant, that kobold we saw with the manager," he gestured subtly towards Orkesh, who was standing nearby, observing the market with a keen eye. "They said we can most definitely what they call ’franchise’ the food chain. Meaning, we can make a food business using their brand name, and their food, and how they sell it, without complaints." The Goatfolk’s faces, moments ago filled with gloom, now lit up with renewed hope. "Oohh... that’s amazing!" Skall exclaimed, his eyes wide. "A food business! Everyone needs food!" Griz continued, "But we need to follow the suggested retail price, as well as rules for the restaurant chain employees when engaging with the customers. They’re very strict about maintaining their brand image." Skall nodded, understanding. "That makes sense. After all, if we use their company name and something goes wrong with it, it might be bad for their reputation. But it doesn’t matter what name we use to sell our product as long as we make money from it. And that food... that food sells itself." Brum, ever the pragmatist, raised a hoof. "Question is, if we sell them at suggested retail price, how much do we actually earn? Aren’t we gonna lose a lot from that? We need to make a profit, not just break even." Griz chuckled. "That’s just the mark. We can raise our prices a bit, not far off from the suggested retail price, but enough for a healthy profit. They said that’s acceptable, as long as we maintain quality and don’t overprice to the point of driving away customers. It’s about balance." Darek, who had been sitting back quietly, his gaze distant, suddenly spoke. "Do they teach us how they cook the food and such? The recipes, the seasoning?" Griz shook his head, a triumphant glint in his eye. "No, that’s the genius part. We don’t cook it. We buy pre-cooked and pre-seasoned food in bulk from them, for a heavily discounted price. All we do is reheat and serve." Cluma’s jaw dropped. "They’re really being smart about it, huh? I would wonder how they do this franchise thing, but us buying pre-cooked food is ten steps ahead. I would’ve thought they would assign a chef to cook or teach us the recipes for a price, or demand a cut of our profits on every single burger sold." Griz scoffed. "Yeah, that’s what I thought too. But this method is not only so smart but also effective in the long run. It simplifies everything for us. We don’t need skilled chefs or complex kitchens. Without them supplying us, we wouldn’t be able to continue our business. It binds us to them, but in a way that makes us both rich." Flin, who had finally regained his composure, asked, "What about others? What if those sly Foxkins do the same thing and steal our customers? They’re always trying to get ahead." Griz smiled, a wide, confident grin. "This is what amazed me. I asked the same thing. And he said that franchise owners have territorial rights, to specific areas, without direct competition. Meaning, if we establish our company at the center of Stonehorn, other franchise owners can’t establish around our territory. We have the monopoly on their brand within our designated area." The Goatfolk were even more renewed, their faces beaming with excitement. The sheer amount of profits they would gain just from franchising the delicious burger they had tasted was staggering. They saw a clear path to wealth, a guaranteed income stream. Meanwhile, Darek thought to himself, his earlier calm replaced by a chilling realization. This is actually sinister on another level. He watched his companions celebrate, their eyes gleaming with visions of gold. Not only is our company bound to this establishment by our reliance on their pre-cooked food, but they are also using us to spread their reputation, to expand their reach without lifting a hoof. Us Ramaris, we don’t care about anything if it makes us money, but this... this is another level of control and monopoly. It’s like slavery through mutual profit. For the first time, Darek, the calm, analytical Goatfolk, saw the dark, intricate side of capitalism, a web woven by an unseen, brilliant mind.