Chapter 69
By the time Al and the others reached the Linefelt Duchy,
In the Imperial Capital, Fine had become incredibly busy.
"Hwahh!!?? W-what should we do!? What should I do, Yulia-san!?"
"Stay right there. That's all you need to do."
"We're open!"
As soon as the Imperial Capital branch of the Demi-Human Trading Company opened, the customers who had formed a long line streamed inside.
They had come for the new product launched by the Demi-Human Trading Company: Skin-Beautifying Water.
The product itself was quite excellent, but the Demi-Human Trading Company had given it a catchy slogan.
"All right! This Skin-Beautifying Water is also used by the Azure Gull Princess! Only three hundred bottles of 'Seagull Water' are available!"
A beast demi-human employee, looking adorable, touted the featured product.
The bottles contained clear water.
Though it contained all sorts of ingredients, the customers' eyes were fixed on Fine.
"The real Fine-sama is here! Give me one!"
"It's the real thing!! Give me three!"
"Five for me!"
"I'll take ten!!"
Skin-Beautifying Water used by the Empire's most beautiful woman.
For the women of the Imperial Capital, those were magic words. The customers who had rushed into the store eagerly reached for the Skin-Beautifying Water, and all three hundred bottles sold out in no time.
It might not have sold so well if it had been merely a catchy slogan, but Fine had been waving from the branch's second floor.
Having her there in person had an astonishing effect, and within a few days of its release, Seagull Water had become the best-selling lotion in the Imperial Capital.
"Good work, Fine."
"I-I was so surprised..."
Yulia had been smiling from start to finish because the strategy she had devised had worked perfectly.
Meanwhile, Fine was on edge because she had to watch women charge at her every time with the force of knights storming an enemy army.
"Everyone keeps looking at me until the store opens... I was afraid they might come charging straight at me..."
"Sorry, but you'll have to get used to it. I'll make it worth your while."
"Yes! I'll do my best!"
Fine's tiny clenched fist looked charming even to Yulia, who was a woman herself.
At first, male customers had swarmed the store just to catch a glimpse of her, but Yulia had refused entry to anyone except women, so most of the men had no choice but to give up.
Some had tried to force their way in, but the demi-human bodyguards the Demi-Human Trading Company prided itself on had thrown every one of them out.
As a result, word had begun to spread throughout the Imperial Capital that disorderly conduct would not be tolerated at that store.
Seeing this, Yulia decided to make her next move.
"Fine. Let's move on to the next operation."
"The next operation? What should I do?"
"Same as this time. Just wave and smile for now. I'll double the guards."
"Double...?"
Fine looked around her.
There were already three burly demi-human guards surrounding her. Doubling that meant there would be six.
Imagining herself surrounded by six guards, Fine began to panic.
"I-I'll be completely hidden...!"
"That's fine. A glimpse is enough. Once they know the Azure Gull Princess is there, the men will come running."
"I-Is that so?"
"That's right. We'll wring money from those foolish men. Heh heh heh, you can't catch a gull flying through the sky."
"P-Please don't overdo it..."
"I know. I'll keep it reasonable. Reasonable."
Saying that, Yulia flashed a wicked grin.
Seeing it, Fine thought Yulia looked just like Al when he was plotting something, but she kept that thought to herself.
Then, the next day, Fine came to think that Yulia's schemes might be even more devious than Al's.
"All right! The Imperial Capital branch of the Demi-Human Trading Company is opening!"
When the demi-human employees in adorable outfits opened the entrance, male customers streamed into the fairly spacious store.
Fine gave them an awkward smile and waved.
"Woooooah!!!! It's Fine-sama!! The real Fine-sama! She's even cuter than in her portraits and on illusion sheets!!"
"She's beautiful! She's dazzling! She looks like she's shining!"
"I have to burn her image into my eyes! This is a once-in-a-lifetime sight!"
The Demi-Human Trading Company had pulled out all the stops beforehand, advertising throughout the Imperial Capital with posters bearing Fine's portrait and mass-produced magic items called illusion sheets that made an image appear for a limited time.
The chance to meet the Azure Gull Princess in person drove male customers racing to the Imperial Capital branch.
However, some people did not read the posters carefully.
"Fine-sama! Please look this way! Fine-sama!"
"You bastard! If you're not here to buy anything, then get out!"
"Shut up! I have no intention of buying anything!"
The young man who shouted that was firmly restrained by a large demi-human bodyguard who strode into the store.
"W-What the hell!?"
"Sir, are you familiar with the notice on our store's posters?"
"Huh!? The notice!?"
Seeing the customer's reaction, the bodyguard let out an exasperated sigh and pointed beneath the poster.
There, in fairly large letters, was written: "Customers who do not purchase a product will be refused service. Anyone who violates this rule will be required to pay a fine."
The young man, who had not read it carefully, turned pale, but it was already too late.
The bodyguard marched him all the way to the back of the store.
"Y-Yulia-san..."
"It's all right. We won't use force. We'll just make him buy something. If he doesn't have any money, we'll make him work off the cost."
"I-I see..."
Fine let out a relieved sigh.
Seeing her like that, Yulia gave a quiet chuckle.
"W-What is it?"
"Nothing. I just thought you were kind. Normally, no one would worry about someone like that."
"I-Is that so?"
"Normally, yes. But I think it's fine for you to be that way. There are people as ruthless as me around, so it's all right to have a kind girl like you too, isn't it?"
"Yulia-san, you're plenty kind!"
"Really? All I can think about is squeezing money out of the men here."
"You can't hide it! It's no use! I know that you prioritize putting posters up in places where the wealthy live, and that you provide free meals for people in the Outer District, among other things!"
It was not as though it was acceptable to fleece anyone simply because they had money, but Yulia's basic policy was still never to target people who had none.
Many demi-humans who could not fit into human society and had become isolated had gathered at the Demi-Human Trading Company. Many of them had suffered extreme poverty.
Having seen people like that, Yulia regularly provided free meals for the poor living in the Outer District.
She had been doing so even before the Imperial Capital branch opened.
Yulia funded the unprofitable endeavor out of her own personal fortune.
"How do you know that?"
Yulia muttered awkwardly, but Fine smiled sweetly and looked toward the bodyguards.
Since the branch could not be called safer than the castle, the bodyguards were constantly kept close to Fine.
Fine had chatted cheerfully with them and drawn all sorts of information out of them.
"You all talk too much."
"Our apologies... We couldn't help ourselves."
"Haaah..."
"Everyone was praising Yulia-san! They said you were a wonderful person! The continent is home to all kinds of demi-humans, and humans hate them because of all the bad rumors about them. That's why you founded the Demi-Human Trading Company, right? So it could be a place for lonely demi-humans to belong. So you could improve the reputation of demi-humans, even a little. I was so moved!"
"Honestly... You had to go and tell a naive young lady exactly the kind of story she'd like, didn't you?"
"It is the truth, after all."
Yulia lightly kicked the bodyguards in the legs.
And that was the end of it.
Yulia said she was going to check the sales and went downstairs.
"Do you think I made her angry?"
"I believe she was embarrassed."
"I see. How cute, Yulia-san."
While saying something Yulia would probably have been angry to hear, Fine waved to the customers below.
This continued for a while, until the customers had finished shopping.
Fine also withdrew to the back of the store. As long as Fine was there, the customers would linger indefinitely.
"Phew, I'm tired."
"Good work."
Yulia offered Fine a word of encouragement and handed her some tea.
She was holding a sheet of paper with the day's sales written on it.
The amount written there was one that even Yulia, despite having been in business for so long, had rarely seen.
"I underestimated the effect the Azure Gull Princess would have in the Imperial Capital. We need to reevaluate this."
"Wasn't it very effective!?"
"The opposite. It's too effective. If we don't restock the product, we'll run out of inventory immediately."
"Oh, is that so!? That's great!"
Fine sipped her tea with a satisfied smile, pleased that she had been useful.
But just then, Sebas suddenly appeared in the room.
The bodyguards reacted instantly, but Yulia stopped them.
"Stop! He's Prince Arnold's butler."
"Sebas-san? Is something wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"This is terrible! Please return to the castle immediately!"
"Huh...?"
"Princess Krista has been kidnapped. Erna-sama is pursuing them now, but Fine-sama may also be targeted. Hurry!"