Should he really make some cosmetics, as the AI Xiao Feng had suggested?
Honestly, those things would not make money nearly as quickly as he had imagined. The average standard of living in this world was low, so almost the only people who could afford cosmetics were nobles. Besides, people only used a little each time, so the market would easily become saturated.
How to manufacture them was another problem. Scanning herbs, materials, and such took a lot of energy, and using energy meant spending money. Where would Jiang Jie get that much money? He would also have to spend time manufacturing them, finding partners, and figuring out how to sell them. It really was a hassle.
What else would make money relatively easily?
Jiang Jie could not think of anything for the moment. This really was not his strong suit.
"Little brother, Princess Calia has invited you over. Remember to dress nicely!" That afternoon, the young maid came over and dragged Jiang Jie out to buy several outfits, spending a whole gold coin!
Clothes made the man, just as gold leaf adorned a Buddha. Dressed in this world's designer clothes, Jiang Jie looked much sharper, with quite the air of a young nobleman.
It was a very ordinary meeting. Princess Calia had invited no one besides Jiang Jie.
Jiang Jie suddenly remembered that Princess Calia was the most distinguished young woman in Lordaeron. Hadn't the AI Xiao Feng said women's money was the easiest to earn? Then wouldn't he just need to ask Princess Calia what she liked?
"Me? Chivalric literature has been quite popular in Lordaeron these past few years. Bards and some young nobles with an interest in it consult historical materials and write biographies of famous heroes, such as Emperor Thoradin and General Lothane. Of course, the most popular ones at present are still biographies of the five heroes of the Dark Portal, such as Master Trouvere's 'Turalyon: Glory of the Holy Light' and 'Khadgar: Youthful Trust.'"
Princess Calia carried herself elegantly, spoke gently and mildly, and had a pleasing voice. She was a woman people could easily like. Add her status as a princess and her very beautiful looks, and Jiang Jie had to admit that she really did make his heart stir.
"Master Trouvere is a bard from the Darkmoon Faire, a truly remarkable literary master. His biographies are very popular. They say people in Stormwind City, Dalaran, and even Stromgarde love them, as do the dwarves of Aerie Peak. You can imagine how captivating those biographies must be to get hot-tempered dwarves to pick up books and sit on benches to read," Princess Calia explained.
Chivalric literature?
Biographies of the five heroes of the Dark Portal?
They had drawn an audience?
That made sense. This was a world that needed heroes and worshipped them. Stormwind City had even commissioned stone statues of the five heroes of the Dark Portal, at least a dozen to twenty meters tall! Everyone entering or leaving Stormwind City could see them!
"Can they make money?" Jiang Jie asked instinctively.
Princess Calia smiled. "Rumor has it that each book costs one silver coin, and the most popular ones, 'Turalyon: Glory of the Holy Light' and 'Khadgar: Youthful Trust,' have each sold over ten thousand copies. Fine editions made with parchment cost at least ten times as much."
Ten thousand copies!
What did that mean?
That was a hundred gold coins!
A hundred gold coins per book. If there was one for each of the five heroes, that would be roughly five hundred gold coins.
That was no small sum!
Gold coins were not actually the most common currency in this world, because ordinary people used copper and silver coins. An ordinary craftsman with a specialized skill could earn only around ten gold coins after a year of hard work, twenty or thirty at most. Ordinary people earned even less.
Five hundred gold coins was an enormous sum. An ordinary family could not earn that much in a lifetime. It was enough to buy several fishing boats, or a few properties in Andorhal or Darrowshire, leaving one's children and grandchildren free from worry!
In fact, even fallen nobles could not produce that much money. Even for a powerful noble like Baron Soroson,
five hundred gold coins was no small sum. That was about all the liquid funds he had on hand. Jiang Jie felt as though he could see a mountain of gold!
"Princess Calia, do you have those biographies here? Could you let me have a look?" Jiang Jie hurriedly asked.
"You like reading chivalric biographies too? Unfortunately, there are no rogues among the five heroes of Stormwind. Perhaps you should read 'Biography of Garona' and 'Ravenholdt Adventures.' They aren't as popular as Master Trouvere's works, but they sell quite well too. I hear Onias has them."
Princess Calia smiled, then had the young maid find several books. "Take them back to read. I must go see my royal father. These past few days, he's been unable to sleep or eat properly because of the Undead."
That was his cue to leave, and Jiang Jie quickly rose and said goodbye.
"Little brother, you like reading chivalric biographies too? Which of the five heroes of Stormwind do you like best? I like Turalyon! He's a friend of Lord Uther the Lightbringer, and the deputy of Lord Lothar, supreme commander of the Alliance of Lordaeron! His biography sells best, better than all the others combined!" Stars sparkled in the young maid's eyes.
Jiang Jie shook his head with a wry smile.
This was, after all, a kingdom that believed in the Holy Light. It was hardly difficult to understand why people preferred Turalyon, an exemplar among paladins.
For all the respect mage lords enjoyed, priests and paladins were hardly lacking in status either!
"Alleria Windrunner, I suppose. I'm very curious about high elves." Jiang Jie smiled, then shook his head. "Actually, I like Chen Stormstout better. He's a Pandaren you've never heard of, and very interesting."
After returning to his lodgings, Jiang Jie read carefully.
Yet before he was even a third of the way through the first book, he could no longer bear to read it! In the end, he only barely managed to finish by forcing himself to be patient.
What was all this nonsense?!
The beginning was all right. It covered Turalyon first studying the ways of the Holy Light under Archbishop Alonsus Faol and founding the Order of the Silver Hand. The author had probably consulted some of the Silver Hand's early paladins, and it was reasonably well written.
But later, when it reached the decisive battle at Blackrock Mountain, it portrayed Turalyon as far too glorious, righteous, and magnificent, making it seem somewhat untrue to life.
As for the subsequent expedition to the planet Draenor, that part was complete nonsense!
Turalyon slaughtering thirty thousand orcs single-handedly, communing with the Holy Light to purify an entire planet, challenging the demon king Sargeras alone... it was even more ridiculous than webnovels!
As for the prose, although it was fairly good, it felt fake no matter how he looked at it. It was simply shoddy work!
"A biography like this... well, I couldn't write one, but there are plenty of better ones in my memory!" The corners of Jiang Jie's mouth lifted slightly.
"Xiao Feng, pull up all the official World of Warcraft novels and webnovels. I'm going to start making money!"