第１６７５堀：港町の商店街について (Part2)
"Hahaha, I’m only joking, only joking. Though, I do think the idea of the administration opening a shop in the shopping district isn't half bad."
"But aren't there already offices for guidance?"
"Those aren't businesses; they’re just administrative branches. And while they call them 'instructors,' hardly anyone in the administration has actual commercial experience. As for pulling people from Ratz’s company..."
"Ratz is already stretching her personnel thin with the resort project, so that’s a hard sell."
"Exactly, she turned me down flat. Still, having amateurs giving advice to struggling businesses is a recipe for disaster. At best, they can provide extra hands for shops on the brink, but the rest of the operation has to be handled by the office staff themselves."
"Yeah, that’s a tough spot to be in."
It’s true—having amateurs lecture people who run shops for a living is problematic, yet I understand that relying on Ratz’s staff indefinitely is equally unsustainable. Above all, commerce, like everything else, is fluid. There is no such thing as a static value. The further one drifts from the front lines, the more out of touch one becomes. It feels wrong for the members of the Commerce Division to distance themselves from the field, relegated to nothing more than advisors for when things go south.
"Yuki-sama, wouldn't it be necessary for the sake of surveying the port town's shopping district? If you pressed Ratz-sama on that point, I’m sure she would provide the personnel."
"It’s not impossible, I suppose, but we’re already tracking sales data and the like through the resort hotels. It’s not as if we can’t gather information elsewhere."
"That’s true. I made the same suggestion as Yayui, but if we open a shop under the radar, the customers might flock to it just because it’s a 'resort' brand. And if we hide our involvement, we’re back to the question of what kind of shop to even open."
"Ratz wouldn't want to open a shop that’s destined to fail, either."
"Mmm, you’re quite right."
Yayui seemed to realize her own proposal had its complications.
"In that case, why don't you, Sisua, and Sona try opening a shop yourselves?"
"Hah?"
The three of them stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. I am their superior, after all.
"I don't mean you three have to run it yourselves. I mean you should listen to the opinions of people like Prol, Orelia, or Hovis, hire someone capable, and run the shop. You’d be the owners."
"Ah, I see. If we are the ones who desire the information, we should hire a manager who will follow our instructions."
"Is that how it works? Well, I suppose that’s not impossible."
"But what kind of shop would we open? And we would need to be very careful with confidentiality; if we aren't, people might suspect the government of corruption."
Sisua is right. If the leaders of the port town—Sisua and Sona—are pulling the strings and providing financial backing, it certainly reeks of impropriety. However...
"It only becomes a problem if you try to hide it. Just use the fact that there are vacant storefronts and say you’re paying out of pocket to bring some life back to the shopping district."
"Hahaha, that’s a good one! Though, it does sound like you’re admitting the district isn't popular, doesn't it?"
"On the contrary, one could say it shows how deeply you care about the development of the shopping district. It’s better than being secretive."
"I agree with Sisua-sama. Still, that brings us back to the question of what kind of shop to build and who to staff it with..."
"Well, I’ll cover the costs. It’s the same as the bento shop Canary runs. You and Sona just need to handle the selection process."
"You make it sound so simple, but if things go poorly, it will be a loss for you, Yuki-sama."
"If it meant leaving my wives destitute, I’d stop, but that’s not the case here. It’s just a necessary expense. Anyway, let’s table the shopping district discussion for later. Let’s get back to the main topic: the fishing port."
"Ah!"
Seeing the look on their faces, it was clear they had completely forgotten. Well, it just goes to show how many things we have on our plates. Just building something doesn't mean people will come. The real challenge is whether or not we can make it a success. If people can’t make a living there, there’s no point in them being there at all.