"Building a new room, huh..."
Riveria's words struck a chord with Alice, who began pondering the idea seriously. The notion of constructing a small shop right next to her home seemed truly wonderful.
"Miss Alice! Having a shop built nearby would be fantastic," Lili chimed in, fully supportive of Riveria's suggestion to set up a new storefront there.
Earlier, when Lili had proposed renting a space in Babel, she hadn't considered Alice's daily production capacity for dolls. Now, reminded by Lefiya, it dawned on her that Alice's dolls never really lacked for customers—after all, the three visitors before them were essentially the largest clients in all of Orario.
Lili was now completely on board with the idea of building a small shop next door to sell the dolls.
But after a moment of thoughtful silence, Alice gently shook her head.
"There's no need to build one."
"Huh?" Lili looked puzzled.
Seeing her confusion, Alice smiled softly and reached out to pat Lili's head. "We're taking custom orders and crafting personalized dolls, after all. Given my daily routine, I can handle at most two orders a day. For more complicated dolls, it might take two or three days just for one."
"So, having a shop isn't really necessary. We can just put up a signboard outside. If customers come, we can always receive them in the living room."
Hearing this, it clicked for Lili.
Each doll could sell for hundreds of thousands, even millions of valis. With that kind of profit, even taking just two orders a week would be more than enough. There really was no need for a physical shop.
"But what about display cases for the dolls?" Lili asked.
Even if a shop wasn't necessary, Alice's dolls still needed to be showcased.
"Simple," Alice replied with a light laugh. "We'll move the materials from downstairs upstairs, and set up my workshop on the ground floor. After that, we can install a gorgeous glass wall in the new workspace—I think it'll look quite beautiful."
"Oh!!" Lili's eyes lit up with understanding, and she cheerfully dashed out of the living room. "Then leave the moving to me!"
Watching Lili's energetic departure, Alice smiled warmly.
"What a spirited child," Loki remarked, nodding in approval at Lili's enthusiasm.
Then, Loki rose to her feet.
"Well, we've discussed what needed discussing, and settled what needed settling. It's about time we headed back, Lefiya, Riveria."
Loki had sought out Alice hoping to recruit her into her familia. Even if Alice didn't join her but chose another god, Loki wouldn't have held it against her. Her main concern was simply ensuring that Alice didn't develop any ill feelings toward the Loki Familia because of Bete's behavior.
Knowing Alice's true nature, Loki held her in high regard. Having this friendly chat was already a significant gain in her books.
"So, Alice, I hope you'll visit the Loki Familia often. And about your dolls—as we discussed, we'd appreciate it if you could prioritize selling to us."
Seeing their goddess preparing to leave, Lefiya and Riveria also stood up to say their goodbyes.
"Wait!" Alice called out just as the three were about to depart.
"Hmm? What is it, Alice-chan?" Loki's face brightened at being stopped. "Are you thinking of inviting us to stay for dinner?"
When they'd arrived earlier, Alice and Lili had just finished eating, and the lingering aroma of food still hung in the air. Loki was incredibly curious about what Alice had cooked.
"No..." A faint blush spread across Alice's cheeks. "My shop probably won't be ready until tomorrow or the day after."
"So, would the Loki Familia be interested in purchasing some dolls?" Alice asked, looking at Loki. "I have three basic types available, and custom orders are also open. For the Loki Familia, if you provide the materials, I can offer each doll for two hundred thousand valis."
As she spoke, the blush on Alice's face deepened.
This was her first time playing the shrewd merchant, and with zero experience, she couldn't help but feel thoroughly embarrassed.
"Hey now, Alice-chan? Lefiya's Ais doll didn't even cost two hundred thousand, did it? Are you trying to rip us off?" Loki asked, inwardly delighted by Alice's flushed expression.
But business was business. Even if she had high hopes for Alice, she couldn't let her familia's interests be compromised, especially since Alice wasn't a member.
Hearing Loki's question, however, Alice grew more confident.
"Don't worry. Even my basic dolls now are far superior to the previous Ais and Finn dolls, I assure you. And I've come to realize that my earlier prices were far too low."
"So, from now on, my dolls will be priced higher across the board. You can rest assured that this isn't me trying to take advantage of the Loki Familia."
"This is simply the market rate."
A captivating smile spread across Alice's face.
Seeing that smile, Loki's lips curved upward, and she gave Alice a thumbs-up. "Alice-chan, that's brilliant! You're already well on your way to becoming an excellent shrewd merchant."
"No, no..." Alice lowered her head modestly.
With a gap in the market and high demand for a product that offered exceptional value, how could anyone call her a shrewd merchant? Alice had absolute confidence in her dolls.
"For custom orders, Alice, you can discuss the details with Finn. Most of our familia's transactions are handled by him, since he's the most skilled when it comes to business matters," Riveria told her.
Hearing this, Alice's eyes sparkled with interest.
"In that case, could I go with you to the Loki Familia to discuss it now?" she asked eagerly.
"We can, but..." Loki looked at her curiously. "Why the hurry, Alice-chan?"
"Well..." Alice's gaze drifted slightly.
"Her goal is Loki's book collection, isn't it?" Riveria said with a laugh. She recognized that thirst for knowledge in Alice's expression all too well.
"Hehe." Alice smiled innocently.
"Then let's go! Alice-chan, make sure to let Lili-chan know," Loki said, also smiling.
"Okay, I will." Alice stepped out of the living room and called up to Lili, who was busy upstairs and downstairs. "Lili! I'm heading to the Loki Familia. Can you look after the house?"
"With the Little Legion here, security won't be an issue, so don't worry."
"Hestia and her child are coming over tonight—could you entertain them for me? And please let Hestia know that today's lesson is canceled."
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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