In the bustling field, filled with vibrant tents and stalls, children darted around, their playful antics riling up their parents and the traders alike. Nero skillfully weaved through the thronging crowd, evading the persistent vendors who desperately tried to lure him towards their wares.
His clothes clung to him from his sweat, and a slight odor gained from working with different beasts wafted off of him. His one hand was tightly gripping the bag of coins inside his pocket.
Damn it, I hope I can buy it without waiting too much.
Despite going full speed ahead all day, the workload during the Blessings stood him up more than he expected. He had rushed in here after everything was over, but he was sure the Tavern would be packed with people now.
Since Granny discovered what he did and forced him to leave the village, he had no other options. He decided to get the most points he could get out of Sharron today itself.
After a brief stroll, he halted before a grand tent with a fancy board titled 'Brewmore emporium', positioned not too far from the public eye.
"Come, taste the finest refreshments gathered from the most esteemed brewers. We have more than ten types of wine here, like the Meadowgrass Wine, the Vinara Wine with a strong aftertaste, the light and elegant Pinotella, the sweet and sour Rosehip Wine, the mouth-watering Golden Honeydew wine, the rich, fragrant Intoxication of Jangoberry..." Standing outside the tent, a shop assistant was hawking at the top of his lungs.
Huh, this is it?
He squinted at its entrance, not stepping inside as if lost in deep thought.
What had happened to the usual traders? Had they died on the road? The chances seemed low. He remembered their base of operations was in Craft Woods village. Surely, they couldn't be that unlucky to be unable to make it to their neighboring village. And I didn't hear anyone mentioning a monster attack on the road. Could it be that no one had let them in?
That couldn't be right. The usual traders had a good relationship with the village head, and he had heard that their boss was close friends with him.
He looked at the tent, which was dark-colored and enclosed on all sides.
A newcomer? The tavern was built not far from the best spots, so it had to be someone who could offer something valuable to the village head. I wonder whether it's Defiant who goes against the tide or someone who has ties with the top traders.
As Nero stood outside, staring at the tent, the shop assistant immediately approached him and started rambling about their products. Annoyed, he quickly nodded and asked the assistant to lead him inside, to shut him up.
The assistant lifted the curtain blocking the entrance, and Nero walked in. Inside, a well-lit, fancy hatchway that appeared to lead underground greeted him. Perplexed, he looked at the assistant, who politely instructed him to descend the stairs.
As he reached the bottom, his eyes scanned the room he had stumbled into.
The room was a dimly lit sanctuary with warm, golden lighting that gave an intimate feel to the space. The cool air was scented with the pleasant earthy aroma of damp soil and the subtle fragrance of wooden barrels.
The floor had no carpet but was made of polished stone. Elegant stone structures with intricate carvings protruded as if they grew from the floor, resembling tables and seats. They were evenly dispersed throughout the room, with larger stone tables surrounded by shorter stone seats.
Only two customers occupied the tables, while the rest were empty.
One guy was passed out on his table and was unrecognizable. As for the other, Nero recognized him as the unlucky lad who had not gained a path in the Ascension ceremony. He was desperately trying to drink from a wooden glass, with red and swollen eyes and tear stains on his face. He wobbled in his seat, on the verge of falling, while a table attendant stood nearby to make sure he didn't hurt himself.
In the innermost part of the room, an old man and a young guy were stationed behind a long counter. The old man was quietly cleaning off a wine glass with a white cloth while the well-groomed young man was seated, looking over the tables with a slight frown. Behind them, meticulously organized wooden racks stretched into the distance, cradling bottles of wine.
Out of all things, they made a fancy wine cellar. Are these guys that stupid or did no one tell them how things run around here?
Unsurprisingly, the place was deserted. Wait, maybe I could use this.
All three of them, still sober, turned their eyes to the Nero.
He walked towards the counter under the stares, the cool stone floor muffling the sound of his footsteps, protecting the quiet atmosphere.
Pulling the chair back, he sat beside the counter facing the well-groomed young man.
He watched as the guy's face lit up like a dog seeing its owner, only missing a wagging tail to complete the scene.
"Good day to you, sir. If you are interested in drinking, the best refreshments gathered from the finest brewers, you have come to the right place. Will you allow me to serve you a glass of our wine? Don't worry about the price, as the first one is fully on the house." The young man said smoothly in a single breath with a smile on your face.
Nero, seeing no reason to refuse, blankly nodded his face.
"Here's your wine!" He said as he quickly brought him a glass of wine.
Nero grabbed the glass and took a light sip of the wine.
"Wonderful wine!" He commended with a laugh.
"Thank you, sir, it is Pinotella. Do you want me to get one more glass of it, or would you like to place a different order from the catalog?" the young man asked as he handed him a catalog, not losing his smile.
"No, just give me a bottle of strong liquor. Preferably one that can make me like him." Nero said placing down the catalogue after skipping through it, his fingers pointing towards the guy passed out cold on his table.
"Him?" he questioned with a small crack in his smile, then continued, "We do offer strong premium drinks, but unfortunately they are on the higher end of the price scale, sir."
Is it because of my shabby appearance? Well, I can't blame them for that. Besides, I don't have much on me either, Nero thought as his hand inside his pocket gripped the bag of coins.
"Eh, I've seen that you're already doing so badly compared to the usual guys from Craft Woods, so I was hoping you would offer me a special price." He said as he ran his eyes over the empty tables.
"Well, I understand we don't seem that popular now. But I am sure the Agroville residents have a good eye for recognizing a better option, eventually. To tell you the truth, the Pedgai family are merely distributors for my family who sell our product overpriced. We offer cheaper pricing on all products than them while providing more variety."
"Haha, you are joking, right? This is the second day of the harvest festival and if you were better, as you claim you are, then people would be flocking here to make a reservation for the tables. If you can't sell me a bottle for an affordable price, then say so," Nero said as he disappointedly shook his head and started to stand up from his seat.
"Wait a minute, sir," the man said, immediately ushering the old man to the wooden racks with his eyes.
Putting down the wineglass he was cleaning, the old man turned and retrieved a bottle from the wooden rack. He then placed it on the counter, right between Nero and the well-groomed young man. All his movement was silent, minimal, and with grace to it.
A seasoned professional with a compatible path for this job, seeing his demeanor he said in his mind.
"This is dragon's breath, a premium drink that packs a punch," he said as he glanced at the bottle. "It costs 120 Silvas."
Nero hissed in his heart upon hearing the price. Damn, I don't even have a hundred on me.
"How about this? If you, sir, help me spread the word about our shop and bring in a few more customers, I'll give you a discount on the premium alcohol based on the number of sales I make." the young man immediately followed up with a proposal.
Nero sat back down, appearing to consider the offer, but ultimately shook his head. "Nope, that's not going to work. Your situation is hopeless, it's like trying to fill a bucket with a hole."
"Trying to fill a bucket with a hole, huh? Isn't that a bit extreme?" He asked, losing the smile and a frown crawling over his face.
Before he knew it Nero found himself in a stare-down match with the well-groomed young man.
"Young master, why don't you hear what this young gentleman has to say? Perhaps he can help us see elsewhere we went wrong." the elderly man spoke for the first time, his clear voice breaking the ice.
"Alfred?" the guy looked at the old man in surprise before falling into deep thought.
"Okay, my friend, my assistant here believes your words may hold merit. Why don't we change the offer? I will give you a twenty percent discount regardless of whether you are right or wrong if you can clearly explain why you think we are hopeless. But I will give you an additional discount if you can pinpoint our faults and help us improve them."
"And why should I trust you? Even if I make valid points, you could simply dismiss them. Why should I waste my time and energy?" Nero asked skeptically.
The young master raised his eyebrows, listening to Nero's concerns before solemnly declaring, with a hand over his chest, "I, Allen Brewmore, swear on my name, my family, and the Goddess of Life and Nurture, Ruler of spirits, Aphaia, who watches over us, that I shall truthfully keep my word and reward this gentleman justly, impartially, without deceit or ill intentions… is that enough for you"
Hmm, Should I say yes? It is not like I will lose anything.
"All right, it would be unacceptable to distrust you after you swore on the Goddess. Your situation is caused by you messing up on the customer you are dealing with and the product you are trying to sell. Fixing the two, I believe, will improve your situation."
"I will kindly ask you to reconsider if you think our products are responsible for our situation. When we say the finest refreshments gathered from the most esteemed brewers, we mean every word of it and there is nothing to fix." Allen said in discontent.
"Which one is it? You want me to state my opinion or hear you bragging about your family business?" Nero questioned, arching his eyebrows.
Allen showed displeasure but asked him to continue.
"Your customers are villagers who are holed up in Agroville and toil all day in the fields till their back breaks for the entire year. It's only in the time of harvest festivals that these people for once have money bulging in their pockets. The opportunity for singles to show their suitors their pockets are deep and mingle with each other. Any family who cannot afford to attend the tavern usually implies they are knee-deep in trouble and are bracing for the awful months ahead. The folks who attend will care a lot about face. They will starve inside their home rather than come across as poor in other's eyes."
Nero paused to catch his breath before continuing, "What you need to sell is an avenue for them to shove their newfound wealth down their neighbors' throats. They don't care about your family name or the fancy way you brew your drinks. They may pretend to care, but they don't. This tavern was meant to be a stage for them to maintain and establish their status in the village. The usual traders didn't sell overpriced products because they were stupid. They knew exactly that they could do it and get away with it. Plus, it is what the villagers wanted. The Tavern was supposed to be lively and energetic, with winners of the harvest festival throwing money away. Those who suffered losses would be too ashamed to stay long and would flee as soon as they could get their hands on alcohol to numb themselves from reality. Congratulations, you've completely reversed the whole concept."
Allen closed his eyes to mull over his words before speaking up. "How do you recommend we turn around the situation?"
"Let's start with the presentation of your shop. Get rid of the dim and mysterious ambiance. It is stupid and edgy," Nero noticed Allen's face twitching at the remark but he continued regardless, "Instead, make it a place for large social gatherings where families would choose to go for an outing. The more extravagant and high profile you can come off, the better. You have someone with good Earth affinity on your side, right? So that won't be a problem. Hire a skilled cook and any type of performer to liven up the mood, both are not that hard to find among people in trading caravans. Hike up the price but not enough to scare off the customers. Hmm… What else?" pondering the new ideas Nero rapped on the counter.
"Oh, since you start on the wrong foot, you could invite someone over and endorse for you. You could bring the village head and his family to dine for free. That will give good credibility and publicity. You can pay people to fill in a few tables and pretend they are customers. That should be effective, too." He wondered whether he could have come up with anything more before admitting, "Yeah, that is all I got."
Nero noticed the already quiet wine cellar becoming dead silent after his rambling.
"So, did you hire this guy, Alfred?" Allen turned to his old assistant, looking as if he played dirty.
"I will now if you want me to. Even if I am meeting this young gentleman for the first time, I have a hunch we will find so much common ground between us and it will be a pleasant experience to work with," the old assistant said with a small smile.
When Nero looked at the interaction with confusion, Allen explained with a sigh.
"You said the same thing as he and other traders have been stuffing in my ears, albeit you were the person who spelled it out the best."
Of course. The strategies I mentioned were probably employed by the previous traders who managed the tavern. If this guy has connections with top traders who do regular business in Agroville, those would likely advise him the same. The usual guys should be credited for accurately figuring out how Agroville's residents' minds work and pushing the tavern business to be a money-printing machine.
"I just thought with my family name the villagers might come to appreciate our top-of-the-line products regardless of how things used to work around here. I admit my lack of understanding and dismissal of other people's opinions caused our situation." Allen said, looking at him with an exasperated sigh, "Thank you for helping me realize it. Now please allow me to keep my word."
Nero tried to take the bottle between them for a better look but Allen quickly snatched it away. He gave the bottle to Alfred and signaled him to the wooden racks with his eyes.
Nero arched his eyebrows, looking at him in confusion, but Allen only smiled.
Within a minute, Alfred returned with an elegant-looking bottle and gave it to Allen.
"This is Ambrosia made from fruits of Ambrosia believed to be served on the tables of the Divine. It is a powerful drink that has tenderness in taste. In Noble circles, it is rumored to make even the saddest men forget their pain and fall to slumber full of sweet dreams. My friend, you can't ask for the cost as this is one of the prized possessions in my shop and you have to pay me with everything in your pocket." he said taking it from Alfred, offering it to him.
Nero took it in his hands to examine it further.
The drink bottle's sleek, elegant design exuded extravagance. Running his fingers over the cold, smooth glass, he could feel the quality and craftsmanship that went into creating it. He didn't think twice and placed the bag of coins on the counter.
Nero wondered whether they would count the coins individually, but Alfred merely opened the bag to check inside and weighed them in his hand before disclosing in a crisp voice. "Eighty eighty silvas coins."
"I don't know what loss you made at the Harvest festival, but I hope the drink eases the pain. If you are looking for a job, our doors are always open," Allen said warmly.
"Oh, I think there was a misunderstanding. This is a farewell present for my friend as I'm moving away from the village."
"Aha, of course, you wouldn't confine yourself to the outskirts of the kingdom. Want us to wrap this up for you, then?"
"Yes please"
Nero watched Alfred put in a fancy box before skillfully wrapping it with fancy paper.
"So what happened to the usual guys?" He asked as he waited for Alfred to finish his work.
"The Pedgai family? We don't know. They said they were tight on funds and bought only half the usual stock. When they let us know they were not coming to Agroville this time, we just took the chance." Allen said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Here, young man, your friend would love it. And it is luck to have a guy who would get a fine drink as a gift." Alfred praised him as he handed over the gift box.
Allen smoothly grabbed his handkerchief and wiped his right hand clean before extending it to Nero. He could tell the gesture was a deeply ingrained habit for Allen rather than just removing dust.
"Nero Orias," He said as he clasped the man's hand.
"Allen Brewmore. The Brewmore family is never stinky for keeping talents who know their way around the business. If Nero is looking for a job, our doors are always open. And just so you know, the shop's vibe aligns with what's popular in the cities, and I have only adopted the same thing." Allen said, adding weight to the last part.
Nero politely returned both their pleasantries before rushing back home.
After getting back home, he jumped straight into the bathroom. He wore the best dress in his wardrobe, ensuring he was presentable for the dinner. He left his room pocketing a packet of sedatives in his pants and holding the wrapped gift box.
"What's with the present?" He heard Granny say as he fastened his footwear.
"Oh, it is just a goodbye gift for Uncle Carlos."
"You are finished with packing, right?"
"Yeah, I'm done. Eat early and go to bed. I might be home late." He said before leaving in a hurry.
Granny stood at the doorway, watching him run away in the darkness, before closing the door with a sigh.