第１７６８堀：グラス港町の評価 (Part2)
After all, the resort hotel’s operations begin there.
"Well then, I suppose I should check out the shops inside the hotel and the beach next."
"I agree. We’ve already confirmed the pool, the baths, and the food, so the shops and the main attraction—the sea—are all that’s left."
Since Seraria and I were of the same mind, we headed toward the shops located within the hotel. They were situated on the opposite side of the buffet, and to call them a mere souvenir corner at the front desk would be an understatement; the setup was quite grand. Incidentally, there was also a café attached that served coffee and light snacks, not just the buffet. But setting that aside, my focus was on the souvenir shop.
It sold the daily necessities one might need, giving it the feel of a convenience store or a general retailer combined with a gift shop. It wasn't quite a full-scale supermarket, but it was certainly well-stocked.
"It’s surprisingly impressive. It’s a step above the individual shops in Weed, but a bit below Super Ratz. It feels like one of the larger Weemall storefronts, doesn't it?"
"I’d say so. What do you think, Ratz?"
"You’re spot on. We referenced the store design of Weemall to ensure it felt neither too cramped nor too expansive, aiming for a sense of luxury."
It seemed my intuition had been correct. Well, that level of quality was appropriate. In any case, the expected route for guests would be to travel from the Glass resort hotel to Weed for their shopping. With the Gate and the path through the dungeon, the trip takes only about ten minutes, so there’s no reason they wouldn't go. Seraria seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"So, the idea is to get them accustomed to this place, then guide them toward Weemall and the shopping district in Weed?"
"Exactly. Well, the shopping district in the port town of Glass would work too, but the storefronts there aren't fully established yet. For those who want to enjoy a proper shopping spree, we plan to direct them to Weed."
I see. It’s true that the port town of Glass can’t exactly be called complete yet. We held the completion party early to move forward with the matters of the New Continent—where the Oae Kingdom lies—and the ongoing negotiations with the Usano and Ae Kingdoms regarding their impoverished villages. Right now, we are in the process of recruiting not just residents, but also the people who will work in the businesses there.
"Sisia, Sona. How is the occupancy rate for the shopping district looking? We made it so that new entrants would have an easier time, didn't we?"
That was the plan—to avoid having powerful merchants monopolize the entire district by setting conditions that favored newcomers. I wondered how that had turned out.
"Regarding that, we are currently in the middle of recruitment and selection. Lady Ratz has been assisting with the vetting process, but..."
"The background checks are quite a headache. Sisia handles the interviews while Sona verifies the details, but surprisingly, many of the major merchant guilds are sending their own people in."
"That’s exactly it. When we dig a little deeper, we find that many of the applicants are dispatched by those major guilds. It’s become difficult to tell if they are truly 'new' or just puppets for the guilds."
"I see. Well, it is a new business hub, so it’s only natural for the major guilds to think they can secure a storefront by sending their own people. It’s a standard tactic, really."
It’s safer for a newcomer to have the backing of a major guild, after all. However, that also means they won't be able to refuse the demands of those guilds. It becomes a question of how we define a "newcomer" or a "new business."
"And the promise that 'Weed will provide support' can, in a sense, be interpreted as 'come under the umbrella of the Weed merchant guild.' The major guilds are likely salivating at the chance to connect with Weed’s commercial district. Plus, we are offering a certain amount of capital loans, so..."
"Ah, I suppose that could be interpreted that way, too. Since they can borrow money with almost no collateral, there’s no reason for them not to bite."
"But we did set aside a specific quota for the major guilds, didn't we?"
"Even so, they want more. The more subordinates they have on the ground, the more they can expand their influence. So, yes, things are hitting a snag regarding the storefronts."
It seems the Glass shopping district will take some time. Still, I’ve confirmed that we can hold the Glass port town completion party without any major issues.
Now, things are about to get busy. Not that they haven't been busy until now, of course. For welcoming dignitaries, the lack of commoners actually makes it ideal. That said, looking at it as a town, the migration is far from finished—it’s probably only at about fifty to seventy percent capacity.