Chapter 320 - Making most out of the new labor force (Part 2)
He gave me a pained look and smiled at me helplessly. Afterwards, he honestly told me that they are currently out of ideas. He admitted that none of them have ever went out of their sanctuary due to fear of being kidnapped to be turned into slaves or being killed after being experimented on. Because of this, they also have never had trades with other races and do not know what products will currently available and have demands in the market.
Peony said that fairies don't have that many things that they can do. They can only proudly say that they have innate talent for growing plants specifically flowers. It must be a racial trait since fairy children are also born from flowers.
He also said that there are also unique instances where a fairy can also use other types of mana like wind and water but it wasn't for combat purposes and is instead useful to grow plants better. Overall, this just proves that their race was kind of weak just like what Void reported on. They also have very few options to make a living.
I did not comment on the things that he said immediately but my mind immediately churned on my previous ideas and how I can share it with him. I just hope that he will be open to suggestions and not too rigid on old customs. I also hope he has no bias with having businesses that has to do with humans and other races after being autonomous for several centuries.
He ignored my silence then suddenly laughed as if reminded about a very funny joke. I looked up at him as I stopped thinking about business a bit. When I asked him why he suddenly laughed, he simply said that he had some good news though he thinks it is bad news to those who chose to stay behind in the old Zanahavre.
What he said next was surprising and I also found it very funny. I know it was bad to be happy for the suffering of others but it is not like it was done on purpose. He told me that his five sons made sure to "steal" though he said they called it "safekeep", all the necessary items from their previous "workplaces" to rebuild the new sanctuary.
He indeed previously told me about it and his eldest son also mentioned how all his sons were purposely assigned important jobs in the sanctuary. His in-laws used the excuse as them being "princes" and heirs to their own families even if they do not become king so they have to learn some type of responsibility. The idea of assigning them to these important posts was a suggestion, no, rather a coercion, from his wives' demanding families, wanting to keep their control over Peony and everyone else living in the sanctuary.
This greedy move they did several decades ago has now backfired when all five of his children decided to leave the old sanctuary behind and go with their father. They even brought all important books, documents, historical records from the Tree of Knowledge. They also brought with them a ton of seedlings from the Bountiful Fields, enchanted fairy water from the Sacred Lake as well as ritual items and magical tools that are highly available in the Prosperity Trading Area. Last but not the least, they all sneaked out the fairy life orbs and flowers from the garden of life with them.
His sons simply thought that it was their duty to keep these items safe since they have been assigned to their posts for several decades now. Peony sarcastically chuckled as he said that his sons were so good at their jobs that they unknowingly crippled the old Zanahavre sanctuary. He then laughed out loud as he said that he can imagine how livid his in-laws might be once they discovered a lot of items missing. He seems to be celebrating how his own wives that chose to stay behind must also been angered to death.
Based on the talents of fairies that Peony have discussed with me, our conversation eventually veered to business ideas that I have thought of will be best for his race. They are sure connected with growing different types of flowers and herbs which he said was their specialty. I simply told Peony that I can hire everyone who is willing to work in the fairy sanctuary to farm and produce certain materials as well as manufacture certain items for me. Afterwards, I will help them sell it and we can then share in the profits.
Since Peony have no first hand experience in trading items or even shopping in the human realm, I informed him that alchemy materials from plants are a big thing in the human realm since it is used to make medicines and many daily use items. In short, it was an industry that produces a lot of money to merchants.
I gave him more specific examples such as using flowers and others types of plants as a source of alchemy material such as scented oils and flower scents which can be used for hair, skin and daily hygiene products. I assured him that the same materials can also be used as medicinal materials for potions, pills and even antidotes. I also mentioned that even fresh flowers can be sold in flower shops and even if they weren't sold, they can be dried to become tea or raw materials for scented sachets or potpourri.
Peony loved the ideas I gave him as I have also promised to give him continuous support to sell the products and make them well-known. While talking, he asked for more information about other types of flowers and plants that humans commonly grow. This reminded me that the fairies were only able to save very few varieties of plants when they left the destroyed world tree realm. I told him that I can bring some books with plant names and their uses for him to study then he can just give me a list of the ones he liked the most so I can procure them the soonest.
I also told him that we can build "factories" to manufacture ready-to-sell items and I can train his people with all the skills they needed to create those items. He started to profusely thank me as he appreciated how I am giving his people hope and a renewed purpose to continue living.
I don't know how to react with what he just said since I never thought of those things to be honest. I only wanted them to be able to support themselves as soon as possible and at the same time, help me earn more money too. I am not as noble as he thinks I am since I am not helping them for free but I do not want to break his poor heart.
It turns out that this has been an issue that him and his elders have been trying to resolve even before they left the old Zanahavre, It has caused him a lot of stress which is why he looked gaunt when I saw him after two weeks. He said that most of his people were previously slaves working for his in-laws and they have been like that for more than half of their lives. Now that they were suddenly freed, they felt lost and useless. They do not know how to live and earn their own means to survive without a master to tell them how to do so.
He said that with the business ideas I shared with him, it will give his people hope that they can be still useful in this new sanctuary and they do not have to be slaves anymore just so that they can contribute to the sanctuary's growth. He said that his people already have some basics when it comes to farming. There are also ones with agile hands who can surely absorb skills I will be teaching them more easily than others. These people will be helpful with training others and producing the items that I want to sell efficiently.
It was just a small business idea and only an alternative source of income for me but unknowingly, this won't be considered small at all in the future. With this seemingly short two-hour talk, a brand that will be known as "FEY" was born. It will be one of the biggest sources of income for the Halcyon Corporation. This is a story for the future though.
The rest of the talk was about the planting process and other plans that they have in the future. For now, he said that they were busy building the essential areas of Zanahavre with everything that they were able bring when they migrated. He said this with a naughty smirk on his face. He told me that once everything was settled, he'll help me find other fairy settlements since some fairies hated being with the five powerful fairy families.
After saying that, he cackled loudly like a crazy scientist. Sure, he brought almost everything useful with him when he left. Together with the things that his sons took with them, I laugh like an evil witch together with this cunning (indirect) father-in-law of mine.