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C150: THE ELVEN ARTISAN SOUL
The reduced silk thread quality is about the same quality as regular silk back in my world.
However, silk itself has always been a luxury item, so it still has high commercial value.
Batemy made clothes out of the silk and sold them through Mrs. Astres, selling out immediately once again even when her buyers were informed of the reduced quality.
She is working diligently to meet extra orders.
The mechanical sound from the sewing machine could be heard non-stop from her room.
Well, she’s free to do what she wants as long as it doesn’t interfere with the production of the clothes here.
And just when I thought this episode was coming to a close, something followed.
“We would like to sell our work as well,” appeals the elves.
It seems they were jealous of Batemy’s clothes being well-received by the public.
“
Well, aren’t you guys former bandits? What’s the use of seeking social approval and self-esteem to outlaws like you?”
“That is already a thing of the past. We are now full-fledged workers on the farm devoting our lives to crafting items. It’s only natural for artisans like us to make our creations more available to the public.”
Aileron, leader of the pottery group.
Maelga, leader of the leatherwork group.
Mieral, leader of the woodwork group.
And Poel, leader of the glasswork group.
I find it hard to disregard their plea as it came from all four leaders of the small elven groups divided according to their field of expertise.
“
 We’re trying to be self-sufficient and prioritize items for ourselves,” they say, choosing their words carefully.
“We have no problems there. Everyone else on the farm already has their own crockery and daily necessities as well. At the pace we’re going, we’ll start losing work.”
Seriously?
“That’s why we would like you to sell our work to plug this gap!”
“Please take a look at these artistic masterpieces I spent much labor on!” interrupts Mieral.
Her group makes wooden bowls, bows and arrows, and other wooden furniture such as chairs, tables, drawers, etc.
But what she presents to us is

“These wooden idols I made as a pastime!”
Mm-hm.
I can tell by looking.
She probably carved a human-like figure out of wood using a chisel or a carving knife

And since it’s an idol, it’s meant to imitate a deity’s figure.
They look so real; it’s as if the almighty beings are right before us.
Then again, it’s no surprise.
With that many gods descending to our farm recently, one can make idols that look exactly like them!
“It looks pretty good if I dare say so myself, but there’s no need for idols on this farm! No way there is!”
She probably has a point.
“Hence, I would like to request you bring these with you to the Demon Kingdom and give them to those who need them! Please!”
I understand what she’s trying to get at.
I don’t want to start some kind of weird cult on the farm with all these idols, either.
“Belena.”
“Yes, what is it?”
I ask Belena, who is standing beside me.
“How are idols such as these treated in the demon society?”
“Fundamentally, they’re regarded as profitable works of art. Of course, we demons believe in Hades, the god of the underworld, and his family gods, but we follow no particular custom of idolatry.”
I see.
“Depending on the motif, statues of the sea and heaven deities are also made and sold, but most of them end up in private collections or art museums.”
Thanks, Belena.
For someone who suffers from an identity crisis, she sure can be reliable as an advisor at times like this.
I would like to point that out to her now, but I should probably talk to the elves first.
“Lord Saint, I also have a request to make,” says Maelga, leader of the leatherwork group, as she steps up.
She used to be the second-in-command of the elven bandits.
“After you complied with our request for having a sewing machine, our productivity has increased dramatically. For us to take the next step, we need your permission to sell some of our products on the market!”
“Wait, Maelga!” interrupts Aileron this time around.
She used to be the leader during their bandit days, so it’s like the former No. 1 confronting No. 2.
“
Maelga. Your wish of getting a sewing machine has already been granted, isn’t asking for one more on top of that too greedy of you? Wherever did your pride as the Thunderstorm Stonecutter’s second-in-command go?!”
“I’m the leader of the team in charge of making leather goods at Lord Saint’s farm, and my responsibilities take precedence. I will only do what I think is best for the farm, not what I want for myself. Whether it’s making work more efficiently through the use of a sewing machine or selling our works to the outside world for profit, either will benefit the farm.”
“Ugh! You still are the cool-headed second-in-command I know! So eloquent!”
Is that the case, though, I wonder?
I could’ve sworn Maelga kept pressing me to make more sewing machines for their group before

“Anyway, our ceramics will be sold first! Their leather goods can go last!”
“No, leather goods are more useful and in-demand than ceramics. And since our creations offer more benefits, we must go first.”
“Say what now?!”
Did the strong bond between the leader and second-in-command just form a crack?!
Must they fight over this with their personal relations on the line?!
“P-Please calm down, you two!” shouts Poel, leader of the glasswork group.
She was an underling who didn’t have any particular role to play during her time as a bandit, but now, she’s a leader of her small group and is a promising young lady full of talents.
“You can’t just impose your ideas and wishes all at once. Lord Saint remains the head of this farm. Everything on this farm belongs to him! It’s only natural that his ideas take precedence over our own!”
Well said, Poel!
First, they need to hear my say on this!
“That is why my group will be prioritized first! The group that Lord Saint loves the most!!!”
H-Huh?
My body froze at her claim I have no recollection of ever saying.
As soon as Poel said that, she turns around and gives me a sultry look as if trying to win me over.
Heart shapes are showing in her eyes.
She scares me.
Wait

Come to think of it, Poel comes to me more often than the other team leaders to let me inspect their products.
Whenever she does, she’s awfully close and makes a lot of physical contact. On top of that, she’s always too revealing with her get-up


Huh?!
Smack! goes the sound of something grabbing something else.
When I was brought back to my senses, I saw someone grabbing Poel by her head.
And that someone was none other than my wife, Platy.
She was nowhere near this entire time. When did she get here?!
“
 M-M-M-Ma’am?!”
“I heard you prattle about something interesting. Who’s being loved by who again?”
Platy is even scarier.
She’s smiling right now, but it still scares me.
“Dear, could I have a moment with this girl? I need to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.”
“N-No problem!” I reply.
It seemed nothing but problems for Poel, on the other hand, though.
Anyway, after Poel was dragged away by Platy, no one dared negotiate any further.
We go back to discussing the idols from before.
Mieral made quite a few wooden idols, and I thought they were all the gods and goddesses that visited us last time.
Alas, there were more than that.
“There’s even a statue of Sensei?!”
Sensei, as in the Lifeless King.
It blended in so naturally with the rest of the statues that I didn’t notice it.
Now it’s starting to feel out-of-place for me

“Well, he’s got one foot in the realm of the deities, anyway.”
Mieral sure is bold

“
Are you also planning to sell this?”
“Yes, it’s one of my prized works.”
I think this might invade Sensei’s privacy. I’ll have to ask for his approval later.
“
Why is there a statue of me as well?!”
“Is there a problem with it?”