Archie and Liz look over the "Arsenal of Spirits" pamphlet that Aina has offered them.


    What?　Wait. What is this? It''s so good!


    Liz marveled at the status of the equipment in the pamphlet.


    If this is true, it certainly meets the requirements for Class B equipment. No, rather, even Class A. ......"


    Archie also looked at the brochure with interest.


    Liz. How does it compare to the equipment in Fires of the Dragon?


    It''s definitely better than "Dragon''s Fires. Hey," he said, "it''s much better than ''Dragon''s Fires. Can you really make this?


    Yes. Some adventurers have achieved A-class status with the equipment I made.


    Class A?


    That''s great."


    Aina thought this might work, as the response was more positive than she had expected.


    (She had planned to just get people to remember her name and face, but this could lead to a deal right away.)


    What do you think?　If you would like, you can come to our workshop (atelier) and actually hold the product in your hands to see for yourself. ......"


    Don''t be fooled!


    Suddenly, a man interrupted.


    It was a sales representative from "Dragon''s Fires.


    They are a new guild that has only recently been established. They are a guild with a poor track record. The equipment listed in their pamphlet must have exaggerated the status.


    I''m not sure what you mean by that. That''s not true. Please don''t say such a thing. We have equipped A-class adventurers before.


    Even those A-class adventurers only borrowed the power of the "Guardians of the Magic Tree.


    "Keeper of the Magic Tree?"


    Yes, it is. They have only made their mark by successfully persuading an outside guild, the "Guardians of the Magic Tree," to produce A-class adventurers, not because of their ability, but because of the ability of the "Guardians of the Magic Tree. If you sign a contract with them, you can be sure that they will push their hype product on you and use it for advertising purposes.


    I''m not sure what you mean. That''s not true. We''re raising local adventurers to A-levels, too.


    Local adventurers?"


    Simon, who had been listening silently up to that point, raised his eyebrows in a stinky manner.


    Archie, Liz, let''s go.


    What?　Oh, hey."


    I''m sorry, lady. We have decided to go to the "Dragon''s Fireside" first. If you''ll excuse me."


    The "Knights of the Black Wall" quickly left the scene.


    What the hell is wrong with our captain?


    Archie asked Liz in a whisper.


    The word "local adventurers" really got on my nerves," Archie replied. The captain was upset that the local adventurers had dragged him down last year. I think he still holds a grudge.


    Aina, who had missed the "Knight of the Black Wall," met up with Dylan, who had also missed the "Archer of the Fortress," in the plaza.


    Aina," Dylan said. How did it go?　How about "Knights of the Black Wall?"


    It didn''t work.


    I see." I thought that if the alchemist himself were in business, or ......"


    I had a pretty good feeling about it until about halfway through."


    Is that so?"


    Yes, sir." As soon as I brought up the subject of local adventurers, the captain suddenly hardened his attitude."


    Local adventurer. I see. That could be the reason.


    What do you mean?


    A lot of outside adventurers don''t have a good feeling about local adventurers.


    Is that so?"


    Oh. The more adventurers who have been to the island many times, the more displeased they have been with the local adventurers.


    I''m not sure I''m going to be able to do that. I see. I see.


    Aina nodded dejectedly, realizing that she had said something inadvertent.


    What? Don''t be so downcast. There are still plenty of opportunities for you to make a sale to them.


    I agree. Let''s continue our steady sales efforts.


    Ray, the captain of "The Red Sands Players," was puzzled by the reaction of the residents as he made his speech in the plaza.


    Normally, simply assigning jobs to local adventurers would generate excitement and a flurry of questions, but no matter how much he insinuated an alliance with the local guilds, the audience remained cold.


    Conversely, the local guilds asked a series of questions about the "Spirit Alliance.


    Are you planning to join the "Spirit League?"


    Why haven''t you joined the Alliance of Spirits?"


    How do you plan to counter the skills and equipment of the League of Spirits?"


    Ray was completely perplexed by the changes that had taken place on "Fafnir Island.


    (I mean, what is the "Spirit Alliance"? I don''t know what that is.)


    On the side of the hall, Wayne and Pato were conducting business with the bards of the "Red Sands Players.


    The bard was in the audience, and Wayne and Pato were selling to the "Red Sands Players. This is a wonderful harp.


    The bard played a little and fell in love with the lyre (harp)''s magnificent "dragon sound.


    I''d love to have one of these made.


    Really?"


    Wayne and Pato looked at each other.


    This could work.


    However, as they proceeded with the negotiations, the bard''s tone became less and less clear.


    We have to agree to a clause before we can make a contract with Fires of the Dragon.


    The bard man said apologetically.


    The bard apologized and said, "The clause is that if you sign a contract with ''Dragon''s Fires'', you will not sign with any other guilds. So I''m sorry, but as long as I''m on this island, I can''t sign a contract with you guys."


    This lyre (harp) is fascinating, but we have to get other equipment ......


    We can make other equipment for you.


    I''m not sure I''m going to be able to do that. That said..."


    How about ''Earthcraft''?"


    Wayne pulled an "Earthcraft" out of his pocket and tossed it in the bard''s direction.


    Wayne pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it in the bard''s direction. This is ......."


    It''s a magnificent piece of ''earthcraft. Did you guys refine this too?


    That''s right. Our warehouse is full of earthcraft. Don''t you want to have enough Earthcraft to gain an advantage over the other two guilds?


    I''m not sure I''d like that. But the corps has its own intentions.


    In the end, the adventurers of the "Red Sands Players" headed for the "Dragon''s Fires" as soon as the speech was over.


    "d*mn. It didn''t work.


    I''m going to get close," he said. "It''s not easy to close the deal.


    (I guess no matter how good your product is, if you don''t have a good sales force, you won''t get any customers.)


    Well, at least they now understand our technical capabilities and we have achieved our minimum objective. Now let''s support the guys from the "Spirit League" and let them do their best.


    I''m not sure I''d like that. Yes.


    While the alchemists in the "Arsenal of Spirits" were hard at work on their sales activities, a sales meeting was being held at the "Dragon''s Fireside" as well.


    Ted, a new member of the quartet, was sitting in the chair where Lisetta should have been.


    Raul looked at Ted''s face and couldn''t help but feel a bit uncomfortable.


    (It is true that Ted is an excellent alchemist, but his "silversmithing" skills are not as good as Lizetta''s.) I don''t know if he''s okay. (It''s not enough to just appoint someone just to make up the numbers.)


    All right. Let''s start the meeting then. The theme for this term is how to win over the "Spirit Arsenal" in terms of sales. Does anyone have any ideas?


    Yes, sir.


    Ted, a newcomer, is quick to offer his opinion.


    (This is their first job as a quartet. We need to make a strong showing here.)


    Fortunately, he had a plan that Edgar had given him earlier.


    (Edgar also said this would work, so it should.)


    I say, in contracting with the three guilds, how about having them form an alliance, so that the combined strength of the three guilds and the White Wolf will counter the League of Spirits and regain our dominance in the dungeon?"


    Medes'' eyebrows twitched uncomfortably.


    Not noticing this, Ted continued.


    We already have a promise from the ''White Wolf'' that they are willing to cooperate with us. ......


    You idiot. Ted, how long have you been working for this guild?


    Edgar suddenly started yelling.


    What?"


    We''re driving up prices by having outside guilds compete with alchemists for warehouse slots," he said. And if we don''t have the three guilds and the White Wolf to fight each other and wear out their equipment, we''ll have to do less maintenance, which will reduce our profits.


    What?　But during the "Wise Man''s Crown", I made an alliance with the "White Wolf" ......"


    At that time, I knew that the "Wise Man''s Crown" was too weak to squeeze any more money out of them, so I gave them my support. We knew we couldn''t squeeze any more money out of them, so we supported them. What if they join forces and try to bargain with us?


    I''m not sure I''m going to be able to do it. Edgar is right.


    Medes nodded gravely.


    Ted. You still haven''t learned enough as a quartet. If you don''t study harder, your status as a quartet will not be secure.


    Ugh. Yes.


    Ted nodded, realizing that he had lost Medes'' appreciation.


    But was he really that crazy?


    (For now, anyway, the first priority is to reduce the power of the "Spirit Alliance. ...... I mean, wasn''t it Edgar who said to go with this plan? It''s terrible that he betrayed us.)


    Ted looked at Edgar, but Edgar pretended not to know.


    (Whew. (Whew...that was close. Oh, no, no, no, no. So the guild leader is against the alliance of the three guilds after all. (I''m glad I let Ted say that.)


    In the end, it was decided at the meeting to adopt a policy of having the three guilds compete against each other to raise their fees and keep the three guilds as much at odds as possible.


    Later that day, Ted was demoted.


    <>