Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Karl and Torsso
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Pet rocks are novelty items, fad products.
In other words, they're a one-season business.
The "Pet Rock" product that once swept America, even landing TV appearances, gradually lost its buzz and stopped being anything particularly special.
Humor gets stale if you hear it too often, doesn't it?
Of course, some people genuinely shower their pet rocks with affection and care,
but objectively speaking,
such emotionally rich individuals are few and far between.
But what this venture demonstrated wasn't the potential of the "pet rock" product itself.
"We are ready to use the slaves as billboards. We've established a separate company to handle 'promotion and publicity,' and through it, we'll take commissions from various merchant houses and individuals. From small-scale local ads to targeted campaigns for specific groups or genders, and even event-based ads commissioned by individuals—we've prepared a range of options depending on the scale and type of advertisement."
"Perfect."
"Thank you."
The various marketing techniques used to promote the pet rocks.
Instead of an internet network, full-spectrum exposure using a human network of slaves to advertise the product.
Even a random rock rolling around on the street
becomes an item everyone wants to buy at least once—that's the power of "marketing."
Not the item itself,
but the potential embedded in the "process" of selling it.
That was exactly what the possessed soul aimed to showcase through this venture.
Pet rocks are a one-season business,
but marketing is a business that lasts forever as long as markets exist, isn't it?
"If there's anything else that needs refining or adjusting, we'll make the changes."
"No. There's nothing more to tweak. It's far more sophisticated and efficient than I even imagined. I was right to entrust it to you, Torsso."
"I merely fleshed out Your Excellency's vision."
To achieve this, he had taught Torsso various marketing techniques from his past life.
In truth, even calling it "teaching" marketing techniques from his previous life wasn't accurate—he hadn't imparted any specialized knowledge.
He wasn't a marketing major, after all.
He had simply explained a few marketing case studies he'd encountered on Earth in his past life.
Fleshing those out into concrete plans was entirely the work of Torsso and the con artist.
"And that con artist turned out to be more capable than expected. When it comes to handling people's psychology, no one can match him."
"Well, he's the main villain, after all..."
"What's a main villain?"
"A top-tier antagonist."
"Ah."
"His skills are the real deal."
"Indeed. Still, I believe the most impressive part is Your Excellency pioneering and creating the very concept of this new business. We are merely tools to assist in your work."
"...Haha."
In truth, he wasn't all that remarkable.
He was just an naive, spineless ordinary citizen from 21st-century South Korea who spent most of his time online and had never deeply studied anything.
Frankly, he lacked talent.
In the fantasy novels from his past life, protagonists who possessed bodies in another world would whip up steam engines, antibiotics, and all sorts of inventions effortlessly—but he knew nothing about that.
If not for the "Winter's Blessing" in this body,
even adapting to this world would have been a monumental hurdle from the start.
On the other hand, the natives of this world were barbaric, uncivilized, poorly educated, lacking common sense, and backward,
yet wise and capable in their respective fields.
Torsso and the con artist might see him as a "brilliant businessman,"
but in reality, they were the truly impressive ones.
They took his half-baked plans, dredged up from vague memories of his past life,
and transformed them into viable, polished proposals.
"...Yeah. I suppose it could look that way."
If anything he had accomplished in this world was truly great,
it wasn't due to his own greatness,
but the greatness of the civilization and history humanity on Earth had built up over millennia by the 21st century.
It allowed even an ordinary person like him to play the pioneer in another world.
"And it's not just about talent, either."
"Hm?"
"My vision is narrow, fixated solely on gold... but Your Excellency sees farther, taking in more. That's why you've looked upon so many of us in various ways."
"Well, that's because I have the power of 'Winter's Blessing.'"
"You've never used that blessing on me, not once."
"..."
Even before he possessed this body,
"Karl Riddle" had never used the blessing on "Torsso Gont."
"Because you're from House Gont."
"Yes. I am from House Gont."
House Gont served as Karl's "gloves"—the ones who got their hands dirty so he didn't have to.
Things Karl shouldn't see.
Things Karl shouldn't touch.
Things Karl shouldn't know.
House Gont handled seeing, touching, remembering, and burying those secrets in the grave instead.
For example, like when he ordered the overseer who extorted talants from the slaves to be removed from his sight.
Absorbing that overseer into his eyes, grasping him with his hands,
and shoving him out of Karl's view—that was entirely Torsso's role.
Once entrusted to Torsso,
Karl no longer had to lay eyes on that overseer.
That was the essence of House Gont.
Torsso had been born into that role in this world.
"Even without the blessing, Your Excellency has looked upon me with favor. You've trusted me, entrusted me with everything, praised my efforts without surveilling me through the blessing, and taught me that truly winning people's hearts 'makes money.' From Your Excellency, I learned that management isn't just about making better products or selling them at higher prices."
"..."
"Even with mere slaves, Your Excellency has sincerely strived to win their hearts. Who else could do such a thing, even knowing it truly pays off?"
"..."
"Even without Winter's Blessing, Your Excellency would have opened the slaves' hearts and turned them into better tools. Winning people's hearts and finding their proper use—that, I believe, is Your Excellency's true greatness. It's not something achievable through mere blessings or birthright. Only Your Excellency could accomplish this."
"...Who knows. Maybe."
He had simply treated them humanely.
The people of this world might view treating slaves as humans as something revolutionary and innovative,
but in the 21st century, it was plain "common sense."
So, ultimately, wasn't this just the "greatness of 21st-century moral education"?
"Truly, no one else but Your Excellency could have done this."
"..."
"It's not because others don't realize slaves are people. Even a devout priest who truly believes slaves have souls couldn't achieve what Your Excellency has."
"Why?"
"Because people are all greedy."
"Greedy?"
"Yes. People often see others gaining as their own loss. If you truly view a slave as a 'person,' you'd exploit them even more harshly because they are human. A tool's responsibility lies with its owner, but if a slave is a person, isn't the responsibility for their life on the slave themselves? Enduring short-term losses for long-term gains, yielding small victories for greater triumphs together—these require not just ability, but generosity.
"..."
"Your Excellency is generous. That generosity allows you to look upon all of us."
Admittedly, Torsso might have a point here.
Seeing others as people
doesn't automatically breed tolerance toward them.
He didn't consider himself particularly virtuous... but at least he had some basic discernment.
That's why he struggled to hold onto his identity as a 21st-century Earthling.
Yeah.
If someone else had possessed this body, they might have chosen a slightly different path in life.
Instead of flailing to "remain an Earthling" like he did,
they might have actively adapted to this world, reveling in its power and privileges.
Visiting the Academy to gain the hero's favor using novel knowledge,
adventuring as the protagonist's ally,
and since they'd possessed this body anyway, building a harem and enjoying a new life as "Karl Riddle."
That might have been the wiser way to live.
He simply wasn't the type who could survive that way.
"...Torsso."
"Yes."
"Thank you. That's helpful."
"I merely stated facts."
Then perhaps this very yearning for survival was his greatness, his uniqueness.
It felt a bit pathetic,
but not a bad feeling.
"Right. I should just do what I can."
He had said this who-knows-how-many times.
How many times did he need to steel himself before the discomfort of inhabiting another's body faded?
He didn't know.
But his mood was steadily improving, at least.
It wasn't as wretched or miserable as at the beginning.
Partly because he had adapted to this world that much,
and partly because this world had adapted to him that much.
"First off, we can stop the pet rock promotions soon. Everyone knows about them now anyway—more ads would just cause fatigue."
"Understood."
He gazed at the pet rock on his desk.
He didn't particularly feel affection for this rock. Honestly, he just thought it was a ridiculous product.
Even so,
he rather liked having it there on his desk.
Because this rock was proof, for him.
"I still don't get why it sells so well... but yeah. Not every purchase has to be rational. Humans are emotional creatures."
With enough persuasion, people can see emotional connection even in a mere "object."
This applied to other targets as well.
In fact, on Earth, all sorts of knockoffs appeared after the pet rock fad took off.
So.
This was really what it all meant.
"I hope the 'human rights' product sells as well as you do."
With enough persuasion,
people can view even a mere "slave" as an object of emotional connection.
Unlike the rock, which only needed humor, marketing this properly would take some time...
But time was plentiful.
No need to rush.