Subscriber of the Gods

“Everyone rejected it. It seems like they are hesitant because it’s a business involving enchanting weight reduction magic.”

“Hmm.”

Count Whiskers let out a sigh.

“Should I have gone myself?”

“No, I also sent letters and met them in person, but even if you had met with the count, they would have likely refused.”

“Mages are all like that.”

“But Count, it’s quite chaotic outside. What’s happening all of a sudden?”

“Chaotic? I’ve been overwhelmed with my recent work and haven’t received any reports. I was planning to handle them all at once when you returned, Steward.”

Due to busy tasks, the count hadn’t been receiving daily work reports. It was because the intermediate filter, the steward, had just gone on a business trip.

Knock, knock.

“Count.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve come to report. Young Master Ethan has brought the mages and started the business.”

“Where did he bring them from?”

“He brought them from the Magic Tower.”

“Hmm, the Magic Tower.”

Count Whiskers put on a pensive expression.

If they were mages from the Magic Tower, they were originally there for magical research. Such individuals usually didn’t come out of the Magic Tower.

“Then there won’t be any proper mages among them.”

“If they were high-ranking mages, they would have already declined. Even if they were skilled mages, they wouldn’t have accepted mediocre offers.”

Even the magicians whom the steward had approached had all rejected the proposal, so it would be even more likely for the mages from the Magic Tower to do so.

Ethan was an excellent swordsman, but he wasn’t a skilled administrator or merchant.

Moreover, he had been isolated for a long time, so he wouldn’t be well aware of the realities outside.

Both the steward and the count considered Ethan to be exceptional in swordsmanship, but they thought it was limited to that field and accepted his limitations in other areas.

“Perhaps he’s disappointed because he doesn’t have a single customer.”

“That’s likely. Swordsmanship has been flourishing so far, but it’s different when it comes to business.”

Unfortunately, through this incident, his son would learn many lessons. There was much to be gained from failures as well as successes.

“That’s how we learn.”

Count Whiskers prepared to go to the market with the steward, both to comfort his son and address the issues caused by the business Ethan had started.

“There… there is still something to report.”

“Something else?”

“Well, there’s a problem that has arisen due to the business initiated by Young Master Ethan.”

“A problem?”

Of course, there were bound to be problems.

“For now, it would be better for us to go out together. I will take the lead, Count.”

* * *

The Market on the Whisker County.

This market was exclusively used by the residents of the territory.

Count Whiskers’ territory had very few external visitors.

The only place where they could encounter people from other towns was the magic item shop run with the support of Count Huntar.

The reason the market was not thriving was that Count Whiskers did not have any unique products to offer.

It was much better to go to nearby territories to purchase common goods. The prices and variety were not competitive enough.

“Is this the right place?”

“It seems to be. Look over there! Isn’t that him?”

“Yes, and I think that’s a mage.”

The count and the steward, upon arriving at the market, were astonished.

There were so many people.

It was unbelievable. They couldn’t fathom such a large crowd in the market.

“So many people here? Why?”

“That’s the problem I mentioned earlier. All the people here are customers who have come to Young Master Ethan’s Weight Reduction Enchantment Workshop. There are too many people, and it’s difficult to control the situation. They’ve requested assistance from the knights to maintain control…”

“Wait a moment.”

Count Whiskers interrupted the subordinate who was giving the report with a hand gesture.

“So… is the problem that the business is doing too well? Are all those people here customers of Ethan’s Weight Reduction Enchantment Workshop?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Count.”

The people coming out of the workshop were looking satisfied with their enchanted equipment.

But that wasn’t all.

After undergoing the weight reduction enchantment, they roamed the market, having meals and purchasing necessary items from the shops in the market.

The merchants in the market, who had never experienced such a large number of customers before, were beaming with joy and waving their hands.

Of course, it wasn’t all positive. With so many people gathered at once, there were occasional disputes among the customers.

But that was a luxurious concern.

“My Lord.”

“Are all these people really the customers of our territory that Ethan brought in?”

“It seems so. They appear to be customers who have come specifically for Young Master Ethan’s Weight Reduction Enchantment Workshop.”

Count Whiskers was taken aback.

The mages brought in from the Magic Tower were not expected to possess genuine skills.

No, even before that, was the Weight Reduction Enchantment so popular?

“Steward!”

“Yes!”

“Let’s go to the Weight Reduction Enchantment Workshop. We need to talk to Ethan.”

Count Whiskers and the steward quickly moved with urgency.

* * *

Ethan’s Weight Reduction Enchantment Workshop was much larger in scale than during the time when they were in Pirenne.

Since the demand had been confirmed in Pirenne, there was no reason to create a small workshop like before, and there were many more mages available.

At first, the mages seemed unfamiliar with the concept of weight reduction enchantment, but as time passed, they gradually became more accustomed to it.

“Weight reduction enchantment complete!”

“It’s done. Give it a try!”

“It’s finished!”

“Ohhh!”

The customers who received the items after the weight reduction enchantment were extremely satisfied.

“It’s so light. The weight reduction enchantment was done exceptionally well.”

“This will last for a month, right? I’ll definitely come back in a month!”

The praise from the customers made the mages proud.

Having received little praise since entering the Magic Tower, the mages found great encouragement in the compliments from the customers.

Their newfound confidence marked the beginning of the actual business operations.

“Please line up in order! Everyone can be served quickly, so just make sure to line up properly!”

“Come this way!”

“This way!”

Those waiting in line behind watched with delight as the ones who had entered earlier came out with smiles on their faces.

“You seem extremely satisfied!”

“You’ve come to the right place!! The line was so long, I was thinking of coming back another time.”

Of course, this flow of customers was part of Ethan’s plan.

“But what’s this about a subscription?”

“A subscription? I’ve never heard of it before, but it seems like it’s for regular maintenance of the weight reduction enchantment.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing. But the results are certainly impressive. If it lasts for about a month, it’s quite excellent.”

Ethan had conceptualized the weight reduction enchantment business as a subscription service.

Although people were initially unfamiliar with and surprised by this new concept of time-limited magic, they followed along without much protest because the quality of the weight reduction enchantment itself was top-notch.

They were willing to pay any amount for a month’s worth of such results.

Some even opted for longer contracts, as the longer the contract, the more affordable the price became.

“This is truly satisfying.”

The customers who came to the county for the weight reduction enchantment were pleased with the results, and word of mouth spread once again.

People who had heard that the weight reduction enchantment workshop had relocated from Pirenne to Whiskers County kept coming to Whiskers County.

As these customers visited various shops in the market, the economy started to change, and merchants who had stopped visiting Whiskers County began returning.

A positive cycle was established, and the county regained its vitality.

“Selling potions for experiencing the full effects of weight reduction enchantment!”

“I also have small daggers specifically enchanted for weight reduction use!”

“Accessories for sale! Rings, necklaces! Get accessories with various effects! They can also be weight reduction enchanted!”

“This can be weight reduction enchanted, right?”

“Yes, sir! Do you know this necklace? It’s quite heavy. The effect is great, but it’s not preferred because of its weight. But with weight reduction enchantment? You get a weight reduction necklace with the same great effect!”

“I’ll take one!”

“Me too!”

“Yes, yes! Thank you!”

The weight reduction enchantment worked exceptionally well on heavy objects, and these effects were highly sought after.

“Please come this way!”

“Please line up here!”

“If you stand in front of the mages, we’ll perform the weight reduction enchantment on your items immediately!”

The weight reduction enchantment workshop was bustling with people. However, despite the apparent chaos, there was a certain order to it.

Customers lined up in front of each mage, and the mages quickly enchanted the items brought by the customers.

The duration of the process varied depending on the type of item, but generally, the speed was impressive.

Armor took the longest, but smaller items were weight reduction enchanted in the blink of an eye.

That was why even with such a large crowd, they were able to handle it smoothly.

“Are you saying that all of the customers are really here for the weight reduction enchantment workshop?”

“Yes, Count. Thanks to Young Master Ethan’s workshop, the market has become incredibly active. According to the merchants, they are selling several times more than before.”

“Hmm.”

Count Whiskers couldn’t believe the situation.

The signboard of the weight reduction enchantment workshop bore Count Whiskers’ seal.

It meant that the workshop was officially operated by Count Whiskers himself.

So people trusted it even more and flocked to the weight reduction enchantment workshop.

This grand establishment itself served as a certificate for the workshop.

“Is it really my son who established this workshop?”

Count Whiskers kept asking the question repeatedly.

It was hard to believe that his son had built such a workshop.

In his recent outing, Count had paid a hefty sum to purchase medicine that was said to be good for his health.

Count’s goal was for his eldest son, Ethan, to regain his health enough to wield a sword like before, even if he couldn’t use Whiskers’ swordsmanship.

He simply hoped for Ethan’s recovery to the point where he could swing a sword.

But that was just a recent event.

“My lord, I hope I’m not dreaming.”

Smack!

The lord slapped Steward’s face.

“That’s hurt.”

“It’s not a dream, Steward. My son’s business is changing our territory.”

Count Whiskers laughed heartily, his mouth splitting wide.

“Father, you’ve come?”

Ethan, who happened to be nearby, greeted Count Whiskers and Steward.

“Some people have left, so it’s more relaxed now.”

“People have left just now?”

“Yes, today is relatively slow.”

“How many people usually come here? It hasn’t been long since the workshop opened!”

The count couldn’t contain his excitement.

“More people will likely come. I request your permission, as the Lord, to use the surrounding buildings.”

“More people will come? Are you saying that there will be even more customers here?”

“Yes, the mages I brought are currently only using the weight reduction enchantment. But I didn’t bring them here just for that purpose. There will be customers who come to our territory for other reasons.”

The count didn’t fully grasp Ethan’s words, but he could at least understand that the mages Ethan brought were far more exceptional than the count had anticipated.

Therefore, he made a bold decision.

“From now on, I entrust all the authority of this market to you, Ethan. Do as you please. You’ve reached an age where you can handle it.”

Count Whiskers spoke with a sobbed voice.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t trust you.”

“You didn’t trust me?”

“…To some extent.”

Ethan looked at Steward. Steward avoided his gaze.

“Steward said you would fail. But truth be told, I believed in you, Ethan.”

The count chuckled ambiguously and sold the Steward.