第１６４１堀：グッズと言えばまずこれかな (Part1)
Chapter 1641: When It Comes to Merchandise, This Is the First Thing That Comes to Mind
Side: Aslin
"Oh, how cute!"
"Right? What do you think of this one?"
"I think it's great."
It’s not particularly unusual for me to be here, but I’m visiting Mikos-oneechan on my own today. Labyris-chan, Firia-chan, and Shera-chan are all busy with work, and since Mikos-oneechan had invited me over to discuss merchandise, there wasn't any issue with me coming by myself.
Right now, I’m holding one of the harbor town’s new items: a plushie modeled after the likes of Sheera-chan. They’ve been incredibly active in the military as amphibious units, so when I brought up the idea with Onii-chan during the planning phase, Mikos-oneechan promised to give it a try.
"Though, I’m not sure if they’ll actually sell."
I know the quality is top-notch. After all, they were made by the plushie shop run by Difes-oneechan and the others. It’s one of the toy stores managed by Ratz-oneechan, specializing in stuffed toys. The Holy Sword users use it as their base of operations, but they run the shop properly, too. Their craftsmanship is truly impressive. Svia-oneechan, Kishua-oneechan—well, all of them are incredibly skilled.
But I’m aware that Sheera-chan is, to be honest, a bit of an oddity—or perhaps "cute in a weird way," as Onii-chan puts it. Whether that will appeal to the people of Weed or the tourists is another matter entirely.
"Well, that depends on how we promote them. We’ve already lined up the Sea Dragon dolls, as well as dolphins, jellyfish, and the rest of the monster units."
"Even if you have a wide variety, will you be able to keep up with production?"
They are certainly adorable, but if they make too many, it’ll just be a burden on the creators...
"Don't worry about that. Difes-san and the others are providing guidance at a separate factory we’ve set up. Other merchandise is scheduled to be produced there as well, so we’ll be fine even if the plushies don't take off."
"You’ve gone that far?"
"Well, the scale is massive. And, while it might sound a bit ulterior, we want to make the monster units more familiar to the townspeople and tourists. You know how the monsters in the harbor town can be a bit scary, right?"
"Yeah, ordinary people wouldn't stand a chance against them."
"Exactly. So, we need to help people distinguish between the 'safe' monsters here and the truly dangerous ones. I was thinking, could we hold lectures or perhaps some kind of theatrical performance in town?"
I see. So the goal is to inform the townspeople that these monsters are safe while warning them about the dangerous ones. That’s the same approach we’ve been taking with the international exchange students currently visiting Weed.
"Yeah. I think... that’s possible."
I thought it was a great proposal, but I hesitated slightly.
"Is there a problem?"
"Well, it’s the monsters in the harbor town. We’re short on numbers."
I explained the situation regarding the coastal defense to a puzzled Mikos-oneechan. There are many monsters invading our territorial waters, and the units available to respond are far too few for the size of the area they need to patrol.
"Ah, so it’s tough to spare a unit for public relations activities in town, then?"
"Yeah. But Dressa-chan said she’d think about it, and I’m sure if we explain the situation, she’ll find a way... though, it’s not like we’re in a position to reduce our current combat strength."
I was lost in thought, absentmindedly fiddling with the Sheera-chan plushie, when—
"Excuse me. Editor-in-chief Mikos, Yuki-sama and the others are here. How would you like to proceed?"
"Eh? Yuki-sensei is here? Of course, show them in. Aslin-chan, that’s alright with you, right?"
"Yeah, that’s fine."
It seems Onii-chan and the others have arrived. I didn't have any reason to refuse, and I thought it might be a good opportunity to discuss what we were just talking about, so I agreed. Moments later, they walked in.
"Sorry to interrupt your work, you two."
It was the usual group with Onii-chan. Fiora-oneechan, Prof-oneechan, Rushi-oneechan, Orelia-oneechan, Hovis-oneechan, and Yayui-oneechan were all with him. Oh, and Lia-oneechan wasn't there, but that’s because she’s busy preparing lunch at Canaria-oneechan’s shop.
"Not at all! Mikos-chan always welcomes a visit from Yuki-sensei. And of course, Aslin-chan feels the same, right?"
"Yeah, I’m always happy to see you, Onii-chan. But what brings you here?"
It’s rare for Onii-chan to visit other workplaces. He’s usually busy working in his office.
"Ah, I have something to discuss with both of you."
"Eh? Not just Mikos-chan...?"
"With me, too?"
"That’s right. It helps that I found you two together."
I see. They didn't just happen to stop by; they knew we were together.
"I’ll be brief. For Mikos, it’s about the quality of the merchandise. For Aslin, it’s about increasing the number of monsters defending the harbor town."
He’s certainly straightforward. It was exactly what we were just discussing.
"And to lead into that, I went to inspect the harbor town today."
"Ah, I heard about that."
"Yeah, me too. So, you have some questions, then?"
"Exactly. Glad we’re on the same page. Let’s start with the merchandise right in front of us—Mikos, your turn."
"Okay."
"Yeah, aren't they cute?"
I held out the Sheera-chan plushie toward Onii-chan.
"Thanks. It’s well-made. How is the overall progress? Ratz was saying that the merchandise and seafood haven't arrived yet, and she wasn't sure what to do. Oh, and the same goes for Svia and Sona. The town’s 'twins' aren't out yet."
Yeah, that wouldn't make much sense for a harbor town. I glanced at Mikos-oneechan, wondering if she hadn't reported it properly.
"Ahaha! I actually had Aslin-chan look at them today, and there don't seem to be any issues. In fact, mass production has already begun."
"That’s bold. I thought you’d wait for everyone’s feedback first..."
Even I was surprised. I couldn't believe they were already in production.
"At the end of the day, you never know what will be popular and what won't. If there’s source material, we can turn it into plushies or postcards. We can make anything, so it’s better to just produce a wide variety."
"I see. Well, even from our perspective, it’s hard to imagine what will catch on with the people of Weed."