Grounded

28

"Damn the Sakoku Decree! Damn the Tenryou Commission!"

Este winced, his father's voice echoing in the office building. He sighed and continued sorting through the papers over the next arranged shipment to Liyue.

The rage of his father is justified though.

The Kruger's glass is very good quality.

They have almost the entire monopoly on glass related items in all of Teyvat. Of course a big part of the reason why is because their biggest competitors in Sumeru sell wares to the Fatui almost exclusively and as such not that many others are keen on buying from them.

But that is only part of it. The reason his family's glass monopoly continues is because of the longevity, the good quality and how spread out they are. This is a very old family business, almost ancient.

Before wine glasses and bottles became mass produced, everyone used to get the Krugers handmade ones.

His father employs a lot of people, in lots of differents places. Differnet branches of the same glass empire. He works closely with the likes of the Feiyun commerce guild, and makes sure all his customers are satisfied.

The shipments he sends out are all very well packaged, yet still, occasionally stuff like this will happen.

Veera had never seen Inazuma, and what Este had learned of the country was limited to what his father had told him along with the teachers at the church.

And occasionally Este will get to see his father storm home, enraged at yet another lost shipment.

Lost at sea when getting to the island nation, lost to bandits, lost in general. Broken from the harsh conditions on board, getting smashed.

Glass products are needed everywhere, and from what his father has told him, they have a stable branch in Inazuma. However the problem there is that the branch is small, and needs constant help from mainland.

Simple mass producable wares can be sent via boat, so the glass makers in Inazuma can focus on more complicated stuff. That eases the burden on them.

But getting glass to Inazuma can be costly, and everytime an accident happens and the products are lost, his father gets enraged.

Este knows he'll feel that rage personally when he gets older. Yet for now, as a teen, all he does is sigh as his father kicks at the chairs, walls and the table. Ransacking their little office.

He still is rather relucant to take over, however, he knows how important the Krueger's glass empire is in Teyvat.

It would be a massive economical meldown if the Krueger's stopped operating.

"Deemed defective!? Bullshit!"

His father's shout echoes in the building. Este feels a wry smile come to his lips.

This time, the Tenryou commission had quote on quote inspected a shipment, deemed it to be under quality or otherwise falling short and smashed it to pieces.

Just like that, a shipment worth thousands of mora is gone.

Este just thinks it's odd how they've started to favor the glassmakers from Sumeru, actively sabotaging the Kruegers.

"Like anyone would believe that! Bullshit commission! I oughto- Estchel! Estchel you brat come here!"

He winced and quickly stood up, leaving the papers he had been sorting on the desk.

"Yes father?" He asked, once he entered his father's messed up office.

He winced looking around the destroyed room. Estchel will likely be the one to replace the furniture.

"The next shipment that goes to Inazuma needs to be guarded! And the next 4 after that too! You'll be the one going- I'm not hiring any useless Millelith guards when you have a vision to use!"

Estchel felt a little like wanting to smash his head into the door.

His little catalyst Geo healing hands are going to be put to work because of his father's stingyness again.

Why hire extra hands when he can take advantage of his 17-year old son?

"Yes father. When will this be?"

"Next week!"

He can visualize all his plans turning to ash.

Seriously fuck his father.