Konbini Ossan Volume 2 Chapter 15 – Contract with the Orphans
It seemed Isabella was genuinely delighted by the proposal I had made.
For the children at the orphanage, sewing — which they were learning as a life skill — could now become a source of income.
That alone was more than enough reason to celebrate. Moreover, the promise of regular purchases meant stable income.
From the perspective of managing the orphanage, this was certainly a welcome development.
“Well then, shall we move on to discuss the finer details?”
“Yes!”
At my suggestion, Isabella beamed and nodded enthusiastically.
Thus began our discussion of the specifics of the agreement.
First, the matter of volume.
We decided that I would buy the robes gradually as they were completed. After all, expecting a large batch at once was unrealistic.
These are children doing the sewing, after all. I also intended to prioritize quality over speed.
As for the purchase price, I offered to pay about half the price of a standard robe per piece.
This was actually quite a high rate for procurement, to the point that Isabella was visibly taken aback—and even a little hesitant.
But I had my reasons for this pricing.
Based on my evaluation, the children of this orphanage would eventually become extremely valuable as human resources.
In that sense, this was an early investment.
Furthermore, I wasn’t selling them as mere robes — I would be turning them into magic tools.
Compared to the final price I planned to sell them for, my procurement cost wouldn’t even reach 10%.
In short, I was making a massive profit. Even considering the cost of supplying the fabric myself, the profit margin would remain exorbitantly high.
Of course, I couldn’t very well explain that part.
Instead, I told her that the higher-than-average purchase price was meant as a form of donation to support the orphanage, which would help her view me more favorably.
“Thank you so very much, truly!” Isabella bowed deeply, expressing her heartfelt gratitude.
Being thanked so earnestly did make me feel a bit guilty about the actual markup, but… I had to suppress that.
After all, the orphanage gets to sell its robes at a higher price, and I get to resell them for an even higher margin.
It's a win-win situation for both parties — no harm done.
We agreed on a few more minor details, and the day’s negotiations came to a close.
“So then, is everything here acceptable for the terms of our agreement?”
I handed over a sheet of paper with the contract terms I had prepared.
“Yes, this all looks good to me.”
“Then let’s make it official.”
With the agreement in place, I copied the same terms onto another sheet.
We both signed and stamped the two copies — my own seal was a handmade stamp I had carved from wood over the past few days.
That concluded the contract. We each kept a copy for our records.
“Now that we’ve finished the paperwork — if it’s not too much trouble — may I meet the children?
…
Since I’ll be giving them work, I’d like to know who they are.”
“Of course! Please do. They’re all good kids — full of energy.”
Her smile made it clear just how much she loved the children. Given how warmly they were being raised, I had no doubt they were indeed good kids.
That was promising.
After all, I had big plans for the children of this orphanage in the future.
While it was still just an idea, I intended to educate and train them, shaping them into the ideal workforce for my own needs.
It might sound a bit sinister to say it like that. But really, all I meant was that I’d provide them with basic education and hire them later as workers.
If anything, that could be considered a noble deed — securing their future.
...Though, perhaps it’s not my place to make that claim, since I’d be the one benefiting.
In any case, I planned to make full use of these children. So the fact that they were ‘good kids’ worked entirely in my favor.
Now then — time to meet them.
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