Chapter 156

I lifted the blinds of the stationery store and watched the merchants standing outside. A bitter thought ran through my mind: 'Those stubborn bastards!' For the past month, I had been racking my brain trying to figure out how to deal with them.

"First, I started my research by studying the eccentric nature of wizards," I mused. Wizards are known for being unique and having unusual tendencies. They love being different, and for people who believe they are exceptionally special, a unique marketing approach would be a powerful attraction.

'One hundred units sold,' I thought, my plan coming together.

I peered through the blinds again, watching the parents and children lined up outside, sipping hot cocoa. At this moment, all eyes were on my stationery store. Even if people didn't come inside, they were now well aware of the items we offered. This kind of marketing could only work at a time like this.

My initial curiosity about the word "original" led me directly to the magic school where the wizarding children attended. Of course, I had already thoroughly researched the entire wizard community's market. Every wizard wants to be special and to own something unique that helps them express their individuality. So, I decided to try two marketing strategies at once: creating original products while also making "copy products" seem undesirable.

I put on my sunglasses with a sense of satisfaction. The concept of copyright was not yet firmly established in the Magic Kingdom. However, children were like sponges, soaking up all the knowledge they could. Through my friend Isaac, I met with the head of the magic school and made a deal. The children would receive free stationery items, but in return, I would give a special lecture once a week. It was a series of four lectures on the importance of copyright.

The lectures were designed to be interesting, and they worked. The children were now raising their awareness of copyright, and I couldn't be more pleased.

'It was a pretty good special lecture,' I thought with a sly grin, remembering a moment from just the day before. I had secretly followed the children home from school and overheard a conversation.

'Mom, I will never buy a copycat product!' a little voice declared.

'A copycat product? What does that mean?' the panicked parent asked.

'It's when someone copies and sells things that other people worked hard to create!' the child explained, driving a wedge into their parents' perception. 'Our professor said it was stealing!'

A sinister giggle escaped my lips. Copyright infringement is not a good thing, you guys. I'm so proud of you!

I looked inside the stationery store. The Autumn Devil, my assistant, was arranging the stalls with a satisfied expression. The shelves were filled with items we had made overnight.

"Did you prepare the original items well?" I asked.

"Yes, I made exactly one hundred!" he replied.

"Good."

The second strategy was limited edition marketing. I planned to combine the idea of originality with the appeal of scarcity. We developed special limited-edition items that would fit the characteristics of each country and academy. Because the people of the Magic Kingdom knew how to use magic, I had created a unique item that most of the kingdom's citizens would love.

"A hundred," I muttered. "Just right."

I turned my attention to the Autumn Devil. "Will the jukeboxes work?"

"I don't know," he replied nervously.

In front of the stall stood a jukebox with a limited-edition concept. The jukebox was a magical artifact that contained music of various themes. There were four concepts in total: thirty jukeboxes with sleep-friendly music, thirty with party music, thirty with soothing music for meditation, and a special ten with terrifying horror music!

I looked down at the jukebox, my arms crossed. I tapped the product one last time to check it. The Autumn Devil's voice trembled as he asked, "It will sell well, right?"

"That's up to the will of heaven," I replied.

We had completed our market research, created cool products, and developed a solid marketing plan. If it failed now, I decided, it wouldn't be my fault—it would be society's fault. With that thought, I opened the door wide without hesitation.

"Alright, let's get ready for our customers," I announced.

With a loud creak, the door of my stationery store in front of the Magic Kingdom swung open. Before I could say another word, the Autumn Devil rushed forward, his wings flapping in a grand display, and shouted, "Oh, welcome, our little guests!"

A long line of children and their parents had formed outside. The leader of the group was a chubby-cheeked boy with straw-hat-colored hair and bright black eyes, who had been standing there eagerly since morning. He strode into the store and announced politely, "I'm here to buy the limited-edition, original number one item!"

I stepped forward to give my sales pitch. "There are many versions. For sleep, for parties, for meditation, and for horror."

"Horror?!" the boy exclaimed, his eyes wide.

I raised an eyebrow at his unexpected reaction. 'I thought the horror version would be the least popular,' I mused.

The Autumn Devil smiled a serious, yet eerie, grin. "It's very useful when you want to tell scary stories, especially about demons coming to get them."

I watched him giggle grimly. If you laugh that scarily, the child will run away. Is that really okay?

Just as I was frowning at the Devil's behavior, the boy's jaw dropped. "Whoa..." he breathed. "That's so cool!"

I really don't understand the feelings of children. I can't believe they like scary things so much.

"How much is it?" the boy asked.

The Devil, with a smug look, tapped quickly on his calculator. "It's fifty thousand tinen."

A "tinen" was the currency of the Magic Kingdom. Fifty thousand tinen was a reasonable price. The Devil Kingdom was a relatively egalitarian country, and the monthly allowance for a wizard child was about one hundred thousand tinen.

'The pricing was also perfect,' I thought. If the product was too cheap, it would seem worthless, but if it were too expensive, no one would be able to afford it.

"Fifty thousand tinen, just as I expected!" the boy said. It seemed we had secretly advertised the price in advance, as the child already knew. However, he hesitated, slowly reaching for the coin purse in his arms as if it were a huge expense.

The Devil took advantage of the moment. "There's no other place where you can buy a devilish jukebox at such a low price," he whispered, his voice full of charm. "And, to commemorate our very first customer, I even put a special doll inside!"

This is the first I've heard of this! I poked the Devil's side and muttered under my breath, "What in the world are you putting inside? I told you not to do anything strange."

"It's not strange at all!" the Devil insisted, tapping the jukebox. A small, cute doll popped out. "It's a hamster plushie that I made myself! It's adorable!"

This guy is definitely not a demon... And a hamster doll in a horror-themed jukebox? That's a strange combination!

But the little boy in front of us didn't have a single doubt. "Whoa!" he gasped, his pink nose and chubby, sausage-like fingers twitching with excitement. "It's so cute!"

The Devil quickly seized the opportunity. "It's cheap, it's cheap! And I feel like giving you a 30% discount if you buy it now!" he announced, elegant and gentlemanly.

"A discount, too?!" The child's eyes sparkled.

Having worked in business, I recognized that look. It was the expression of a customer on the verge of making an impulsive purchase.

'This Devil... is he a natural at customer service?'

As I predicted, the boy quickly pulled money from his wallet and handed it over. "Here, I'll buy it! Hurry, please!"

The Devil, reminded of the child's plump cheeks, chuckled with a triumphant snort. He carefully handed the package to the boy.

"Hehe, I can't wait to tell lots of scary stories! Thank you!" The boy quickly ran out.

After the door closed with a rattle, the Devil sat down at the counter, crossed his arms, and declared with an air of superiority, "Hah! You stupid little human! Be happy!"

Is that a curse, or is it a blessing?

Starting with the first customer, a hundred more people poured in. It was the first sold-out event in the history of the Magic Kingdom. After we ran out of jukeboxes, I gave free candy to the children who couldn't buy one. My business philosophy is that children must be happy, no matter what! The last little wizard, excitedly returning home, faded into the distance.

"It's a huge success!" I high-fived the Autumn Devil, my mind already busily calculating our profits.

'I must remember that this marketing is all for the future of our cute children.'

Ten percent of the money earned from this limited-edition marketing would be used to support the children of the Magic School in the Magic Kingdom. I whistled with pleasure. It increased the influence of my stationery store and helped adorable children. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

'You're a genius, me,' I thought, patting myself on the back. A good friend from childhood can be a wonderful source of strength for the little friends of the Magic Kingdom. My heart swelled with pride.

Great. I'll start planning the next limited-edition marketing strategy!