Chapter 36: A Weapon Called Entertainment
Upon arriving at the Merchants’ Guild, Adam immediately noticed the different atmosphere.
More tense.
More agitated.
Employees moved quickly between the counters.
Messengers came and went constantly.
Several merchants spoke in hushed tones, some with worried expressions, others clearly irritated.
Adam didn’t even need to listen for long to understand that something was wrong.
But this time, he didn’t stop.
He went straight through the hall and up to Shiora’s office.
The guards posted at the door recognized him immediately and let him through without asking any questions.
When he entered, he found Shiora sitting behind her desk, surrounded by a mountain of documents.
Trade maps.
Caravan reports.
Lists of lost goods.
Broken contracts.
Merchant complaints.
Compensation demands.
Even her usual smile seemed thinner than usual.
She looked up when she heard the door open.
"Adam."
"Bad timing?"
Shiora sighed softly.
"On the contrary. You might be arriving at the right time."
Adam closed the door behind him.
"What’s going on? The guild seems even more agitated than yesterday."
Shiora placed a document on the table.
"The Empire is escalating its tactics."
Adam approached.
"More provocations?"
"Not just that."
She pushed several reports toward him.
"They’ve started disguising themselves as bandits to attack some caravans." In other cases, they deliberately lure monsters to the trade routes, then claim that the routes protected by our guilds are no longer safe."
Adam felt his expression harden.
"So they create the problem, then use that problem to blame others."
"Exactly."
Shiora tapped another document with her finger.
"And that’s not all. Some essential goods have been seized or diverted. Mana crystals, remedies, rare metals, even certain agricultural seeds. Then their agents approach the affected merchants and offer them a solution."
Adam understood before she could even finish.
"Change banks."
Shiora nodded.
"’Entrust your funds to a safer institution.’ ’Work with partners of the Empire.’ ’Stay away from non-human banks.’ Always the same phrases."
Adam remained silent.
It was no longer just provocation.
It was economic warfare.
Slow.
Dirty.
Organized.
Shiora leaned back in her chair.
"I can counter some of their actions. Reinforce the escorts. Change the routes. Compensate certain merchants. Use my own intelligence networks. But they’re trying to wear down the market. To create an impression of instability."
She placed a hand on her forehead.
"What I need is something new. A product capable of reviving activity, diverting attention, getting money flowing, and restoring the merchants’ confidence."
Adam studied the maps.
The routes.
The goods.
The affected areas.
Then an idea crossed his mind.
He slowly raised his head.
"Shiora."
"Yes?" "This world lacks entertainment."
She blinked.
"Excuse me?"
Adam turned to face her.
"I mean, there are a few. Bards, drinking in taverns, street performances, arena fights perhaps... but there aren’t many simple, portable, and accessible forms of entertainment."
Shiora sat up slowly.
Her expression shifted.
"Go on."
Adam sensed he had her attention.
"In my old world, there were very popular board games. Some were easy to learn, difficult to master, easy to make, and could be sold to almost anyone."
Shiora immediately put down all her papers.
"Give me some examples."
Adam thought for a moment.
"Reversi. A board, two-colored pieces, simple rules. Chess, more strategic, with different pieces and precise moves. Go, very ancient, based on territory and encirclement. Card games too. With a single deck, you can create dozens of different games."
Shiora’s eyes began to light up.
"Portable games..."
"Yes."
"Easy to produce..."
"With the craftsmanship and magic of this world, yes."
"Adaptable to several ranges..."
Adam nodded.
"Exactly. You can create a standard version in simple wood for the common people, inns, families, adventurers, soldiers, and schools. And a high-end version for nobles and wealthy merchants. Precious woods, polished stones, engraved metals, subtle enchantments, luxurious boxes."
Shiora stood up abruptly.
Adam barely had time to react.
The next moment, she walked around the desk and kissed him enthusiastically on the cheek.
"Adam, you may have just saved me part of the market."
He froze.
"I... am happy to help?"
Shiora stepped back, her eyes shining.
"You don’t understand yet. It’s not just a product. It’s a whole new category."
She started pacing around her office, already deep in her calculations.
"Taverns will buy them to attract customers. Nobles will want the deluxe versions. Families will buy them for their children. Guilds will be able to organize tournaments. Soldiers will be able to play during their rest periods. Merchants will be able to transport them easily."
Adam smiled.
"And the rules can be printed or engraved on small plaques."
"Yes."
"We can also create local variations." Pieces inspired by the continent’s races, boards in the colors of the duchies, limited editions.
Shiora stopped dead in her tracks.
Her smile became almost dangerous.
"Limited editions."
Adam immediately regretted saying those words.
"I’ve just created a monster, haven’t I?"
"Yes."
She went back to her desk and took out a blank sheet of paper.
"Sit down. We have two hours."
Adam sat down.
The planned lesson had vanished again.
Instead, they began to develop a business plan.
Adam sketched out the basics of Reversi.
A gridded board.
Ties with two sides.
Simple rules.
Shiora immediately understood the appeal.
"Easy to explain. Quick to play. Good for taverns."
Then, Adam explained chess.
At that point, Shiora became much more attentive.
"Does each piece have a different role?"
"Yes. The king, the queen, the rooks, the bishops, the knights, the pawns. The goal is to trap the opponent’s king."
Shiora smiled.
"The nobles will love it. They’ll see it as a miniature representation of war and politics."
"That’s also why we need a high-end version."
"Obviously."
Then came Go.
Adam explained the black and white stones, the territory, the encirclement, the patience.
Shiora remained silent for longer.
"That one is dangerous."
Adam raised an eyebrow.
"Dangerous?"
"Yes. The rules are simple, but the depth is immense." This kind of game could become very popular among strategists, administrators, and old political monsters who like to pretend they think better than everyone else."
Adam immediately thought of Isadora and Vespera.
"I see exactly the target audience."
Finally, he spoke about the cards.
This idea interested Shiora in a different way.
"Can a single deck be used for several games?"
"Yes. Depending on the rules, you can play alone, with two people, in groups, with chance, strategy, bluffing, or memory."
Shiora slowly put down her pen.
"That’s perfect for taverns and travelers."
"And easy to mass-produce."
"Especially with engraved plates and enchanted presses."
Adam looked at her.
"Do you already have the equivalent of presses?"
"Not exactly like in your world, probably."
"But Elaria can adapt something."
"Then yes, it’s doable."
The two hours passed unnoticed.
Shiora quickly established several categories.
Popular version.
Simple wood, standard pieces, lightweight box.
Affordable price.
Distribution in taverns, inns, guilds, and markets.
Merchant version.
Better materials, reinforced box, engraved rules, more elegant design.
For wealthy families and affluent travelers.
Noble version.
Precious woods, polished stones, carved pieces, decorative enchantments.
For nobles, wealthy merchants, and collectors.
Prestige version.
Limited edition, unique pieces, signature of a renowned craftsman, perhaps even a personalized enchantment.
For those who want to prove they are superior to others.
Adam looked at that last line.
"You’re really going to sell a version that changes almost nothing about the game for a very high price?"
Shiora looked up at him.
"Adam."
"Yes?"
"The rich don’t just buy the object. They buy the idea that they own something others can’t have."
Adam remained silent.
Then he nodded.
"So we’re selling them the illusion of superiority."
Shiora smiled proudly.
"Exactly."
"It’s morally questionable."
"It’s commercially brilliant."
Adam couldn’t think of a reply.
They continued discussing raw materials.
Local wood for the standard versions.
Polished common stone for certain pieces.
Bones of low-ranking monsters for special series.
Engraved metal for the noble editions.
Very weak mana crystals to produce a faint decorative glow on the deluxe versions.
Shiora took notes.
"We’ll need Elaria for production."
"And Vespera to make sure the decorative enchantments don’t cost too much mana."
"Mira Forgecœur could supply some of the metals and dwarven artisans for the prestige pieces."
Adam smiled.
"We’ve just involved almost everyone."
"That’s how good projects are born."
Then Shiora paused.
Her gaze became more strategic.
"We can also use these games against the Empire."
Adam looked at her.
"How?"
"By distributing them everywhere except in their own homes at first. Merchants will talk about the new Valorian games. Taverns will organize them. Nobles will want their own versions. Children will learn the rules. And when the Empire tries to ban them because they come from a non-human network, people will want them even more."
Adam blinked.
"You want to turn board games into a cultural weapon."
"Exactly."
"You’re terrifying."
Shiora smiled.
"Thank you."
A notification then appeared in front of Adam.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Learning Complete
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Area: Business and Innovation
Duration: 2 hours
Ideas Developed:
*Board Games
*Strategy Games
*Card Games
*Popular and Luxury Product Lines
*Multi-channel Retail Distribution
Results:
*Improved Market Understanding
*Enhanced Strategic Business Analysis
*Product Creation: Foundations Acquired
*Cultural Influence: Initial Concept Unlocked
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Adam read the last line in surprise.
"Cultural Influence..."
Shiora noticed his expression.
"Did your power react again?"
"Yes. It considers that we’ve just unlocked a concept related to cultural influence."
Shiora’s smile widened even further.
"Excellent. This confirms that your idea has merit."
Adam lightly massaged the back of his neck.
"I was just thinking of suggesting a few games to help people relax."
"And that’s precisely why the idea is so powerful. The best marketing tools are those that people want to use without being forced."
She gathered the notes and carefully filed them in a folder marked with a red seal.
"I’ll prepare a first draft. Tonight, I’ll discuss it with Isadora. Tomorrow, I want Elaria in the conversation. The day after, probably Vespera. And if the dwarves are available, Mira too."
Adam smiled.
"All of this with just a game board and a few tokens."
"Empires are sometimes shaken by smaller things."
Shiora’s tone was light.
But Adam sensed that she wasn’t entirely joking.
When the hour was finally over, he stood up.
"Thank you for today. Although, once again, I’m not sure if it was a lesson or a strategy meeting."
Shiora approached him.
"With me, the two often become one."
"I’m starting to understand."
She placed a hand on his arm.
"You really helped me today, Adam."
Her smile was less playful.
More sincere.
"The Empire is trying to trap us in a war of attrition. But with this kind of idea, we can regain the initiative."
Adam met her gaze.
"Then use it as you see fit."
"Oh, I certainly intend to."
Then his smile became more teasing again.
"And I’ll make sure you get a fair share of the profits."
Adam blinked.
"Profits?"
"That’s your idea. Do you really think I’m going to exploit the concept without giving you a cut?"
"I hadn’t even thought of that."
Shiora stared at him.
"That’s why you need me."
Adam sighed.
"I can’t deny it."
She laughed softly.
Then she walked him to the door of his office.
"Go see Vespera. She’s probably waiting for you."
Adam looked toward the exit.
"Last stop for today."
Shiora smiled.
"See you later, Adam."
He paused for a second.
This time, he wasn’t embarrassed.
He simply replied:
"See you later, Shiora."
His smile seemed to soften for a moment.
Then Adam left his office.
As he descended the stairs of the Merchants’ Guild, he cast one last glance at the bustling hall.
The activity that had initially seemed chaotic was now taking on a different form in his mind.
A market wasn’t just a place where goods were sold.
It was a living organism.
It could feel fear.
Get excited.
Grow tired.
Get back up.
And sometimes, a simple idea could reignite its energy.
Adam finally stepped out onto the street.
The sun was already beginning to set.
His legs still ached from Selene.
His hands smelled faintly of alchemical herbs.
His mind involuntarily calculated production costs, game rules, and distribution strategies.
He looked up at the Mage Tower, standing in the distance.
"Very well..."
He took a deep breath.
"Last lesson of the day."
A low rumble then echoed from the direction of the tower.
A faint red light rose briefly into the sky before vanishing.
Adam remained motionless.
Then he sighed.
"Why do I have the feeling Vespera has something worse in store for me than yesterday?"
Without waiting for an answer, he headed towards the Tower of the Magi.
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