The Entrepreneur Girl International Network
“Oh my…” gasped a young storeowner as she stared at a letter in her hand. She was one of the members of the Entrepreneur Girl International Network, and the letter was from Mitsuha who was currently staying in the neighboring Kingdom of Voftress.
In the letter was the full story of how Larusia Trading─a member of the Entrepreneur Girl International Network in Voftress─was attacked. Larusia and several employees were injured, and one guard was killed. The viscountess claimed that the culprit was a merchant who was enraged that an inexperienced little girl had a monopoly over Yamano County goods and that he wanted to seize the distribution rights from her.
That could happen to any girl in the network… she thought. Any one of us could’ve suffered an attack like that.
I remember during one of our network girls’ meetings, Larusia was so excited to tell us about her dreams and aspirations. Her eyes were sparkling. Someone attacked and hurt her?
This is unforgivable!
The letter from Viscountess Yamano was not an order, but simply an invitation to join her in waging total war. Despite that, there was absolutely no way any girl from the network would’ve turned it down. Letting this incident slide was definitely going to lead to similar attacks in other countries. Any one of their companies could be next.
The only way to prevent further acts of aggression is to make an example of that idiot merchant by crushing him underfoot and ruining his business!
“Attention everyone!” she announced to her shop. “I want all employees to gather in the yard for an emergency meeting! Put up the ‘closed’ sign, so we won’t be interrupted!”
If anyone picks a fight with me, I’m happy to accept. And if anyone picks a fight with one of my girls, we’re all happy to accept…but not without putting on our toughest gauntlets first. That’s the Entrepreneur Girl International Network way!
There was something odd about Viscountess Mitsuha’s letter. The mail arrived way too soon after the date of the attack. It should’ve taken over a week for news to reach Lephilia Trading in Vanel and then be relayed to the viscountess. And even longer for the viscountess to travel to Voftress, identify the suspect and gather evidence, and longer still for the letter to reach this store.
Did the viscountess launch multiple high-speed boats to send this single letter? She took the incident very seriously, that much was evident.
That reminds me, the new employee who received the letter said he got it from a young girl with exotic features… She must’ve been Lady Mitsuha’s right-hand girl from her home country. That’s a sign of how much she values the owners of her partner stores regardless of our lowly social status. The only way to show our loyalty is to live up to the faith she has placed in us…
The briefing was coming to an end.
“…And that’s the story. This company, everyone who works here, and others in the same position as us across the land owe everything to Lady Mitsuha. Please, I ask for your help! This is a fight to ensure our own safety!” the young owner preached.
Her employees cheered.
The store primarily hired women and girls from merchant families. They all had a knack for business management but were only ever allowed to help with chores and manning the sales floor. The sole reason for that was because of their gender. The owner was a girl, and she vowed never to discriminate against an employee when it came to assigning work, evaluating performance, or giving promotions and raises because she wasn’t a man. Her employees loved the company dearly for that reason and were willing to do anything to protect it.
This was the one place that would judge them fairly, and the one place they could exercise their skills to the fullest.
“The operation begins now!”
The employees split into groups and got to work. They made a list of all the companies in their country’s capital that did business in Voftress and checked each one to see if they had dealings with Enoba Company. Next, they mailed out letters to the largest companies, focusing on the ones that fit into the latter category.
The letter read, “A group of people sent brigands to attack one of our partner stores in the Entrepreneur Girl International Network. The store owner and multiple employees were injured, and one guard was killed. We are declaring total war on the offenders.” The letter also read, “Our company will no longer do business with anyone who has dealings with Enoba Company in Voftress or anyone who associates with them.”
The two statements were completely unrelated. Nowhere in the letter did they claim that Enoba was behind the attack. It simply conveyed two different messages in one note.
No one has any right to complain. My company can do business with whoever we want.
Witness the wrath of the Entrepreneur Girl International Network!
“We’ve confirmed two companies that are still associating with Enoba Company after receiving our letter: Veruk Company and Eacht Commerce. We will terminate trading with them immediately. They continued dealing with Enoba after receiving our notice, so any complaints from them will be ignored. They’ll get no more of our alcohol, food, seasonings, or cosmetics!” stated the owner.
“Yes, ma’am!─oh, we received a letter from Enoba Company asking us why we are pressuring merchants in our country to stop doing business with them,” one of the employee reported.
“Ignore that─actually… Send them a response that simply says, ‘Look inward.’”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Hehehe, our plan is working…
“Now, notify all companies in the capital that we are ceasing business with Veruk Company and Eacht Commerce. Make it clear we will do the same to anyone who continues to work with those two,” she ordered.
Cutting off clients like this would be death for most small new businesses. But most start-up companies didn’t have the killer advantage of being an exclusive distributor for Yamano County goods. The products were limited in quantity, but as long as demand for them existed among the nobility and royalty, no merchant could afford to cease trade with them. Anyone who was a supplier for a noble or royal would lose their position immediately if they couldn’t procure Yamano County goods.
Such a blunder would ruin their company’s credibility. They’d tumble from their position as a first-class supplier. That wasn’t something any merchant could allow.
It’s time to start playing offense in this game, the owner thought.
All of the partner stores in the Entrepreneur Girl International Network were small (for now). But while each store only had the firepower of one small cannon, together they packed the force of a warship’s broadside. They’d just launched from one side of the ship, meaning the other was ready for a volley. And of course, the side that had just fired was already rushing to reload.
Even the most savage of tigers can lose to a dog or a pig after growing fat and lazy in its old age.
And this pack of young she-wolves can take down anyone.
It was a full moon tonight.
Hear me, fellow comrades throughout the continent. Look up at the sky and howl your fiercest battle cry!