53. Impulse Buying
Bustling with activity—
The Salt Field Management Office was in a frenzy right now.
Today was the day they'd finally start supplying the accumulated salt stock to the Shelter.
"The first batch of salt posted to the market sold out in one minute."
"As expected. We stocked up plenty for the initial sale. Post the second batch."
This was all according to plan. They'd divide the stock into multiple waves, just as scheduled.
He planned to keep the gallery buzzing with content all the way to the Variant Conquest Tournament awards ceremony.
The Dungeon Master probably intended to push nonstop today without a break.
In that case, it was only right to match that pace and deliver the best results.
"Second batch sold out. Posting the third batch."
"Good, keep it coming. Their buying frenzy should start slowing soon."
"Third batch sold out! Posting the fourth!"
Hm... the pace felt a bit fast, but still within expectations.
However...
"...The fourth batch sold out in one minute too..."
"...The fourth? Well, the Shelter's situation has improved a lot lately... everyone must have some spare coins. Still within projections—post up to the seventh batch. If stock remains, we'll drop the price a bit each day."
Even at this dirt-cheap price compared to before, it was still a burden for the middle class.
Not impossible to buy, but enough to make you hesitate a moment before purchasing?
Not too cheap, but not outrageously expensive either—an ambiguous sweet spot.
This was the highest price Yeomje could set while staying within what the Dungeon Master would tolerate, all to maximize profits.
Yeomje knew the Dungeon Master's goal wasn't money, but normalizing Shelter cuisine to gourmet levels.
Still, prices would drop over time anyway, so better to grab max profit upfront.
'Sorry to the low-income folks. But they'll know their turn's coming soon enough...'
The Salt Field rumors had spread through the gallery—everyone knew the daily production was massive.
Thus, it was obvious prices would plummet soon.
Just a little time, and even low-income folks could afford it.
'Hm... faster supply pace than expected, but they should start slowing now.'
The upper class and impulsive middle class were tapped out. Only patient smart consumers and low-income remained.
"...Yeomje-nim."
"What? The seventh batch not moving fast? Makes sense—the upper and middle class should be saturated by now. By my calculations, it'll take at least a week for prices low enough for low-income to buy."
"...Yeomje-nim... the seventh batch sold out too."
"Of course... wait, what? The one-purchase-per-person limit was set right?"
"Checked it multiple times. 100g salt, one purchase per person..."
"Then how the hell!?"
To secure initial stock, Yeomje had wrung his ability to the limit, producing salt 4-5 times a day in the Salt Field.
His transmigrator power enabled ultra-wide, ultra-precise magic casting, letting the field churn out salt multiple times daily—dozens to hundreds of times more than a normal field of that size.
His talent was practically made for salt production; one large field could supply the entire Shelter given time.
Yet... all that stock he'd piled up was vanishing...
"Uh... seems most of the Shelter's impulse-buying. And from the quantities, some low-income folks are stretching too."
"Middle class impulse ok, but low-income? How do they pay taxes...? Insane. There's a limit to impulse buys..."
Sure, salt selling well was great for them, but...
"Raiding life savings for salt? Madness... jobs are scarce enough as is, how'll they manage...?"
Dungeon Master's Salt Field jobs? Barely under a thousand spots.
Dungeon explorers' incomes had boomed, enriching many, but non-explorers were legion.
"Haa... Dungeon Master tried doing good, but fools leap into the fire themselves."
As Yeomje lamented the pointless sacrifices like forced conscripts, a staffer approached.
"Uh... Yeomje-nim? I'm on gallery monitoring... the low-income folks should be fine, I think?"
"...What do you mean?"
↳OP) Nice fellow new hire~
"Whoa, Joodak-hyung handles stuff crazy fast..."
I'd asked yesterday to recruit some manpower for dungeon building, and they'd already hired?
Maybe... anticipated and prepped ahead?
"Eh, faster the better."
...But 3,000 is way too many, right?
"Nah... places to put 'em are overflowing anyway..."
From park managers to street/stage performers, material processors for dungeon builds, construction workers for grunt labor instead of the dwarf brothers—tons of diverse talent needed.
"Gotta make hot springs, beaches, valleys in the park for resorts... hmm... orchard managers too?"
Whatever, future problems.
Check the immediate stuff first.
"Next up, announcing the conquest tournament winners?"
Gurgle—
Lunch first tho.