During the construction of the Helmarte Soap Works, Ernest and Hollen were busy managing the forge as that was their original job.

Ernest handled paperworks, ledgers, and work orders, while Hollen simply stamped and approved them.

It will go on until the construction of the manufacturing plant is completed. Though occasionally, they would visit the site and inspect and observe how things are going.

For now, things are going smoothly as the progress was within schedule.

Meanwhile, inside the Merchant Guild headquarters, preparations for the future launch of the soap had already begun.

Actually, Laurent moved surprisingly fast once the permits were finalized.

The Guildmaster clearly understood the potential of the product.

And more importantly?

He understood the value of controlling the early narrative around it.

Inside the Adventurer’s Guild and Merchant Guild bulletin areas across Helmarte, official parchments slowly began appearing on the walls.

Not direct sales advertisements yet.

That would come later once production stabilized.

Instead, the parchments were written more carefully.

A public announcement.

A teaser.

Something meant to create curiosity.

One parchment displayed near the Merchant Guild entrance read:

A NEW HYGIENE PRODUCT APPROVED BY THE MERCHANT GUILD OF HELMARTE.

COMING SOON.

A REVOLUTIONARY SOAP DESIGNED FOR CLEANLINESS, COMFORT, AND DAILY USE.

Meanwhile another version placed inside wealthier commercial districts targeted nobles and merchants more directly.

PREMIUM SCENTED SOAP.

CRAFTED THROUGH ADVANCED MANUFACTURING METHODS.

OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED.

The wording itself came from Ernest.

Back on Earth, he already understood something important about marketing.

Anticipation generated demand before products even launched.

If people became curious early, word spread naturally.

And based on reports from guild workers, the strategy already worked.

Merchants discussed it.

Households discussed it.

Even bathhouse owners reportedly started asking questions regarding supply contracts.

One noblewoman apparently demanded to know why the Merchant Guild suddenly advertised cleaning products publicly.

Another merchant supposedly spent nearly thirty minutes questioning guild clerks about the "advanced manufacturing methods" written on the parchment.

Honestly, that part almost made Ernest laugh internally when he first heard it.

Because "advanced manufacturing methods" basically meant giant boiling kettles and waterwheel-powered paddles.

Still...

Perception mattered.

And Laurent clearly understood that too.

The Guildmaster coordinated directly with Hollen regarding early product distribution.

Not mass selling yet.

That would be dangerous before production fully stabilized.

Instead, Laurent proposed something smarter.

Targeted product placement.

Selected nobles.

Merchant families.

Influential households.

Bathhouse owners.

Guild officials.

People with influence.

People whose opinions spread naturally across Helmarte’s upper circles.

From a modern business perspective, it resembled luxury product seeding strategies.

Get important people using the product first.

Then let status and reputation spread demand organically afterward.

Inside Hollen’s office, several finished soap bars currently rested atop cloth packaging while Ernest reviewed another distribution list.

Twenty bars for the Guildmaster’s extended household.

Ten bars reserved for bathhouse testing.

Fifteen bars prepared for merchant council members.

Five premium lavender variants specifically requested by one noble family already.

And technically?

The soap was not even officially available yet.

That was the impressive part.

Demand already existed before launch.

***

Three months prior before the construction of the Helmarte Soap Works is completed.

Ernest and Hollen conducted meetings with the suppliers of the raw materials needed for large-scale soap manufacturing.

And honestly? 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

That process alone made Ernest realize how complicated industrial production actually was even in a medieval world.

Because making several bars of soap inside a kitchen was one thing.

Supplying an entire factory continuously was another problem entirely.

Inside Hollen’s office, parchment contracts and supplier records now occupied almost half the desk daily.

Animal fat suppliers.

Ash suppliers.

Oil merchants.

Clay mold craftsmen.

Timber contractors.

Barrel makers.

Transport workers.

Ernest quietly noticed something important during these negotiations.

Every industry depended on other industries.

Soap manufacturing itself sounded simple.

But behind it existed entire supply chains.

And supply chains meant logistics.

One afternoon, Ernest sat beside Hollen while meeting with three different animal fat suppliers from Helmarte’s slaughter districts.

The room itself smelled faintly unpleasant because one of the merchants apparently arrived directly from his processing warehouses.

A large man wearing stained leather gloves leaned forward afterward.

"You’re asking for too much rendered fat monthly," the merchant complained.

"How much can you supply currently?" Ernest immediately asked.

The merchant frowned slightly while calculating internally.

"Maybe forty barrels monthly consistently."

Too low.

Way too low.

Based on Ernest’s projections, the factory would require nearly triple that amount once full production began.

Hollen crossed his arms afterward.

"We’re willing to sign long-term contracts."

That immediately changed the atmosphere slightly.

Because long-term contracts meant stable income.

Predictable demand.

Ernest already understood something from modern manufacturing systems.

Factories loved supply stability.

Suppliers loved guaranteed buyers.

Long-term agreements reduced uncertainty for both sides.

The merchant rubbed his beard afterward while thinking.

"If demand is guaranteed..."

Then he slowly nodded.

"...I can probably negotiate additional sourcing from nearby towns."

There it was.

Expansion pressure already beginning before the factory even opened.

Another supplier meeting focused entirely on wood ash procurement.

Actually, primitive soap production consumed enormous amounts of ash because ash-derived lye remained the primary alkaline source.

Without stable ash supply?

Production stopped.

One older merchant even looked confused during negotiations.

"You people are buying ash now?"

"Yes," Ernest answered calmly.

"Large quantities."

The old merchant laughed initially.

Until Hollen placed the projected monthly purchase numbers onto the table.

Then suddenly the man stopped laughing.

"...You’re serious."

At one point, Ernest even created projected inventory consumption charts manually using parchment.

Monthly fat consumption.

Ash usage.

Oil reserves.

Packaging material estimates.

Actually, Hollen still occasionally stared at those documents like they were magical artifacts.

Because compared to ordinary medieval bookkeeping, Ernest’s planning systems looked absurdly advanced.

Then came transportation discussions.

The factory site near the river solved waterwheel power problems.

But distribution still required roads and wagons.

Meaning soap bars needed proper storage and transport systems preventing moisture damage.

One carriage contractor even asked bluntly during negotiations.

"How many wagons exactly are you planning to move monthly?"

Ernest answered immediately.

"At minimum? Fifteen to twenty initially."

He was silent. The reason? Because that volume already sounded closer to grain trade logistics rather than ordinary handcrafted goods.

But in the end, Ernests and Hollen struck a deal with the suppliers, securing themselves a steady supply of raw materials needed for the soap production.

Now, they just have to wait for the construction to finish.