Damian and Carolla were standing in front of the grain warehouse, checking the quantity of grain sacks being delivered by the elves of the Taurus Tribe.
As he counted, Carolla glanced around and noticed the large number of villagers gathered nearby, prompting her to speak to Damian.
"There are quite a lot of people here. I guess it's not every day they get to see elves in person carrying in sacks of grain—it must be a rare and fascinating sight for everyone."
Damian nodded slightly and replied,
"This alone is a huge advertising opportunity. I'm sure some of the elder, more experienced villagers have already recognized that these elves are from the Taurus Tribe—the best agricultural elf tribe on the continent. Word will spread fast. Before long, everyone in Lunemire village—and even across the empire—will know that I'm sourcing grain from the Taurus Tribe."
"That'll make the Kingsman Bakery look like a ghost town in no time. Even with our regular operations, Handsome Guys Bread has been competing pretty evenly with them. Sure, our sales dropped a little, but…"
"Even without the Taurus grain, we've been holding our ground. Now that we have it? Beating Kingsman Bakery is just a matter of time!"
Despite her massive frame, Carolla smiled like an excited child and practically jumped for joy. But Damian didn't share the same level of enthusiasm.
"Getting Taurus Tribe grain alone won't be enough to drive out Kingsman Bakery. They've got real power and strategy. If we want to beat them, we'll need to move very carefully.
Also, even if our bakery does well, other bakeries in the village might still struggle. That's not good. As the head of the village bakery union, I have a responsibility to make sure we all thrive together.
I've already made a deal with Ain to receive regular deliveries of quality grain, so no worries on that front… Once the deliveries are complete, I'll gather all the other bakery owners in town to discuss our next steps."
"Lord Damian, all the grain you ordered has been delivered."
Just then, the elves from the Taurus Tribe approached Damian to inform him that the deliveries were complete. Damian nodded to them in thanks and replied,
"Thank you. You must be tired—how about having a meal before you go? There's a nearby place that serves excellent vegetable salads."
"Vegetable salads… that sounds fine, but we're worried it might be inconvenient for you or Lady Carolla to eat there."
The elves had realized that Damian was accommodating their vegetarian diets, but as humans and a demonkin, Damian and Carolla might not enjoy such a meal. Concerned, the elves looked at them.
Damian laughed heartily.
"Don't worry about that. Lately, both Carolla and I have been drinking and smoking too much, and our bodies have taken a bit of a hit. We're switching to a healthier diet, so we actually wanted to eat salad anyway. Come on, my treat. Let's all eat together."
"Then we'll gratefully accept your hospitality."
Damian, Carolla, and the elves of the Taurus Tribe made their way to the salad restaurant for breakfast.
After finishing their meal and seeing the elves off, Damian called together all the village bakery owners to the second-floor café of Handsome Guys Bread.
Once everyone had gathered, Damian stood and addressed them.
"I'm sure many of you saw the Taurus Tribe delivering grain to our warehouse earlier.
Yes, we're the first bakery in the industry to officially source grain from the Taurus Tribe. I'd like to share that grain with all of you—at 50% of its original price."
"Fifty percent?! Will you even make a profit at that rate?"
"You're really going to share such premium grain at half the cost? That's unbelievable."
Hearing their surprise, Damian continued,
"The chieftain of the Taurus Tribe, Ain, is a close friend and sworn brother of mine. His wife, Lady Nerian, is someone I personally rescued from the clutches of the Black Dragon Kaideman. Thanks to that relationship, I was able to purchase the grain at half price.
And I have no intention of charging you more than what I paid. Just breaking even is enough for me.
As union head, I didn't do this just to benefit myself. If I had, I'd have hoarded the Taurus Tribe grain and lived luxuriously on my own. But I believe we all need to thrive together."
After finishing, Damian scanned the room and looked each bakery owner in the eye.
Moved, the owners began speaking up.
"You really are amazing, Damian."
"This is exactly why we had to elect you as our union leader."
"With your abilities and leadership, defeating Kingsman Bakery should be no problem."
Seeing their admiration, Damian resumed speaking.
"Thank you for your kind words. But I don't think just sourcing Taurus Tribe grain is enough to beat Kingsman Bakery.
We need to combine their grain with your decades of baking expertise and other strategic business approaches to stand a real chance.
Now, please listen to what I have to say. I've prepared a few marketing strategies that I believe can compete with Kingsman Bakery. I'd be grateful if you'd join me in this."
At this point, the village bakery owners were so devoted to Damian that they would have believed him even if he said pumpkins were watermelons. They leaned in, hanging on his every word, eager to hear his strategy.