Chapter 397: Concerning Calculations [2] Valeria leaned forward to examine his calculations. "That’s already an impressive production volume. Most alchemists would be thrilled to produce even a tenth of that output monthly." "True," Noah acknowledged. "But here’s the problem—my production capacity is about to increase significantly. Within days, my supply will get much larger as my suppliers become more efficient. We’re talking about potentially doubling or even tripling current output." He met each person’s eyes seriously. "When I run the full calculations on potential revenue if I could somehow sell everything at current prices, the numbers become... astronomical. We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of golden coins daily, potentially millions as production scales up." The room fell completely silent as everyone processed those figures. Kipp’s mouth had fallen open in shock, his tail frozen mid-swish. "Master Noah, did you just say... millions of golden coins?" "Potentially, yes," Noah confirmed. "If I could find enough buyers at the right price points and sell out my entire inventory daily. But that’s the core problem—I don’t think the market here in Esta can actually absorb that volume, especially for the premium items." King Aldric’s expression showed both amazement and thoughtful calculation. "How can you even produce such enormous quantities of miraculous items? The alchemical resources alone should be impossible to source at that scale, not to mention the time and expertise required for creation." Everyone nodded in agreement, their expressions showing genuine wonder at Noah’s capabilities. The shopkeeper was truly a phenomenon, unlike anything their world had ever seen—able to mass-produce transformative magical items that most practitioners couldn’t create even individually with a lifetime of effort. Elara spoke up with practical concern. "You’re right that Esta’s economy probably can’t support purchases at that volume, especially for tier 2 items. We have maybe a dozen noble houses and wealthy merchant families who could afford premium products regularly, but even they have budget limitations." "Exactly my worry," Noah agreed. "The common people can buy bread and iced tea without issue—those will always move quickly. But the tier 1 and especially tier 2 items? I’m going to have massive inventory sitting unsold if I can’t find larger markets or alternative distribution methods." Lola had been listening quietly, but now she stepped forward with a thoughtful expression. "I have some ideas that might help with your distribution challenges, if you’re interested in hearing them." Noah gestured encouragingly. "Please, I’m open to any suggestions. You have more experience with multi-kingdom commerce than anyone else here." "First," Lola began, organising her thoughts, "you should consider partnering directly with King Aldric and Esta’s royal treasury. Rather than trying to sell items individually to scattered customers, you could supply the kingdom itself wholesale. The king’s administration would then handle distribution to practitioners who can afford these items, both within Esta and to neighboring countries through official trade channels." King Aldric’s eyebrows rose with interest at the proposal. "That would certainly streamline logistics and provide guaranteed revenue. The kingdom could act as intermediary between your production and the broader market." "Exactly," Lola confirmed. "The royal seal would also add legitimacy and prestige to the products, potentially allowing you to charge premium prices in foreign markets where your reputation isn’t yet established." She continued with growing confidence. "Second, you need to address the affordability issue for local practitioners who genuinely need these items but can’t pay full price upfront. I’d suggest implementing a two-installment payment plan specifically for tier 1 and tier 2 products." "How would that work?" Valeria asked, her background making her immediately interested in the financial mechanics. "The customer pays fifty percent of the item’s total price at the time of purchase," Lola explained. "Then they have an agreed-upon period to pay the remaining fifty percent." Alissa nodded slowly. "That would make tier 1 items accessible to mid-level adventurers and minor nobility who have income but not large liquid savings. Paying five hundred gold coins immediately and another five hundred later is much more manageable than finding a thousand coins at once." "Precisely," Lola agreed. "It expands your customer base significantly without requiring you to lower prices and devalue the products. You maintain profit margins while increasing volume through improved accessibility." She moved to her third point. "As for other kingdoms and regions beyond Esta—that’s where the real growth opportunity exists. Neighboring countries, particularly those with stronger economies and larger populations of high-rank practitioners, will find your items much easier to afford and more appealing to purchase regularly." Lola’s eyes gleamed with strategic thinking. "But simply showing up in a new market isn’t enough. You need proper marketing and brand development. People need to understand what makes your items special, why they’re worth premium prices, and how they differ from conventional alchemical products." "How would we accomplish that marketing?" Elara asked. "Most merchants just rely on word of mouth and reputation building over time." "We’d need to be more proactive and sophisticated," Lola explained. "Sponsor successful adventurers and have them publicly attribute their achievements to your items. Offer free samples to influential nobles and let them experience the effects firsthand. Create demonstration events where people can witness the transformative power of premium consumables." She gestured expansively. "Most importantly, we establish Noah’s shop not just as a store but as a destination—a place where warriors from across the world come to acquire power they can’t find anywhere else. Build mystique and exclusivity around the brand while still maintaining enough accessibility to drive volume sales." King Aldric stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You’re essentially proposing we turn Noah’s shop into a recognised institution across multiple kingdoms, similar to how the Mages’ Guild or Adventurers’ Association operates internationally." "Exactly that," Lola confirmed with satisfaction. "Once the brand is established, you can potentially open locations in major cities, franchise the distribution while maintaining production centrally, or even create exclusive partnerships with regional powers who want to secure preferential access to your inventory." Noah listened to all of this with growing excitement. Lola’s suggestions addressed nearly every concern he’d been wrestling with—distribution challenges, affordability issues, market expansion, and long-term growth strategy.