In Korea, the service provided after a sale was known as "A/S Service." It extended beyond the sale of automobiles, refrigerators, TVs, etc., and included financing, insurance, cafés, and neighborhood establishments. In short, it included almost all transactions.
The goal of sales is to satisfy consumers and do all in its power to entice them to purchase products. So, the purpose of after-sales service is to ensure that customers will not make purchases from competitors.
The after-sales service was the bait to keep consumers loyal to the firm. It was meant to trap them in and suck them dry. That was the basis of after-sales service. The two went together like salt and light, alpha and omega, or pasta and marinara.
That is why it's popular for even local cafés to offer discounts like a coupon for a free drink after purchasing ten drinks or restaurants to provide complimentary candy and coffee after a meal. In a nutshell, this is also a similar kind of after-sales service.
Lloyd thought that to himself and turned to see King Benettogna's somewhat balded forehead. He was enjoying the excitement of the ride. The king's white beard danced in the wind, and his eyes gleamed even more brightly than his glossy, bald forehead. The king no longer trembled in worry or dread.
Well. It looks like he's happy with the first part of my service.
They had resolved their misunderstanding over the railroad earlier, and the king's animosity had lessened now in response to Lloyd's sincere apologies. So Lloyd was offering this ride to him as a service.
I still have a lot to exploit out of him. It'd be a waste to stop here after clarifying a few misunderstandings and dispelling his hostility toward me.
Since they were now on good terms, Lloyd wanted to take things one step further and gain the king's favor, which is why he was offering the "Yong Yong Ride" service to him. Lloyd stood to lose nothing from the arrangement since he needed to bring the king back to the kingdom in any case. However, he presented the service as a gesture of sincere kindness and made sure the king thought it was something special. That was the truth behind Lloyd's service to the king. But he didn't stop there.
"Your Majesty, are you enjoying the flight experience?"
"Hahaha. It's nice, very nice. I never expected I would get this sort of experience in my final leg of life. This is my first time getting a full view of my land and people like this."
"Then, may I ask for a favor?"
"A favor?"
"It is nothing major, but I was wondering if you could directly tell your people about the trade route in the range once we return to the capital."
"Hahaha. Are you sure about it?" asked the king with a smile, which seemed to say, "You cheeky bastard."
"As you are the legitimate ruler of the Benetto Kingdom," Lloyd shrugged as though there was no other choice. "The trade route in the range will be a turning point of the future of your kingdom. It's not appropriate for an outsider like me to make such an important announcement. It is only right for you, the kingdom's legitimate ruler, to do the job."
"I see. Do you mind if I also relay the message from your queen to my people?" asked the king.
"It would be an honor." Lloyd grinned.
King Benettogna cast a meaningful gaze at Lloyd. "You are quite a cunning person."
"I will not deny that, sire."
"Truly, I appreciate your frankness with me. I also noticed you are making an effort to uphold my dignity as a king and hold me to my word. Am I right?"
"You saw right through me."
"Yes, but I understand why you are doing this. Nothing is free in this world."
"Regardless, you will be satisfied in the end. I am sure," said Lloyd.
"I wish I will." A similar wry smile appeared on both of their faces.
Lloyd clicked his tongue inwardly. Haah. The monarch here is also astute. Thinking the man was truly fit to be king, Lloyd stole a quick glance at him.
I planned to give the king a grand entrance to the kingdom on top of Yong Yong and make his presence appear more powerful. Then he would be persuaded to immediately declare the opening of the Pantara Range's trade route and the start of a partnership with the House of Magentano. That would have allowed me to service him by strengthening his dignity as the king while holding him accountable for his words. He saw through my plan.
King Benettogna's statements to his people were bound to carry a lot of weight, forcing him to make decisions that were steadfast to his promises. If he didn't...
His words would lose credibility, trust, and power, which could mean he loses political impact on the global stage.
After that, he would be bound by his own words and obligated to continue working with the Magentano Kingdom as a trade partner.
Well, this kind of relationship will be beneficial for both of us.
This was undoubtedly not a loss for the Benetto Kingdom. When they got close to the capital, Lloyd securely gripped the king's shoulder and said, "We will descend now. Please be careful of the wind."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Yong Yong went into descent mode and began fluttering his wings with a loud stirring noise. As his massive body slowed and made its way downward, the view of the capital began to change from the size of a ping-pong ball, a watermelon, a road intersection, to a baseball field. At last, Yong Yong landed on the plaza like how Bill Gates sings in Karaoke. Micro-softly.
Boom! The tremendous roar echoed across the square, and the vases crushed at the very first landing pulverized to dust. But Lloyd did not care in the slightest for the blood, sweat, and tears that someone put into them.
"Okay. It's time for you to speak."
"I see," said the king.
Lloyd helped the king stand up on Yong Yong's palm and took a step back. At the same time, he gestured to Yong Yong. "Lift him up."
Clack! Understanding the message, Yong Yong smoothly raised his hand, making it into a podium at the center of the plaza. King Benetto stood in the middle of the dragon's palm. There was more to Lloyd's service.
"Hey, it's your turn now." Lloyd gestured to Javier, who immediately understood and took a step forward before placing his hand on the king's shoulder.
Seeing the king flinch, Javier reassured him, "If you speak, I will amplify your voice, Your Majesty."
"Is that doable?"
"Yes, to some degree."
It was a simple process, made easier by the Asrahan Core Technique. Nodding, Javier injected a tiny quantity of mana into the king's body, wrapping it around his voice chord.
"Ehem."
Ehem...! Ehem! Ehem!
The sound of him innocently clearing his throat echoed across the surroundings of the square. Even the king was surprised by the magnified sound of his cough.
"It is all right. Please continue."
Gaining comfort and confidence from Javier's words, the king's eyes became calmer as he ran them across the plaza.
Everyone, even the people frightened by the re-emergence of the Bone Dragon and the troops that raced to rescue the king, gazed at the king with unease.
The king spoke as if he was comforting them. "As you can see right now, I am safe, and the Bone Dragon respects me. I assure you. You have nothing to worry about."
About..! About.. About...
His words echoed as he calmly continued his speech. The Bone Dragon had not come here to invade them. The Magentano Kingdom was a strong ally of theirs. He also shared how the Pantara Range trade route was built in secret before anyone took notice. All information about the project was kept confidential and restricted to him and the queen of Magentano as they were both concerned about interference from outside kingdoms if there was a leak. His speech was a mix of lies and truths.
"Therefore, from this day onward, the House of Benetto and the House of Magentano will become trade partners. I do not doubt that our partnership will bring greater prosperity to both houses."
Houses! Houses... Houses...
As soon as the people understood what King Benettogna's self-assured declaration meant, they let out an explosive shout of admiration and went down on their knees, expressing their subordination, respect, and gratitude to their ruler proudly standing on top of the domineering Bone Dragon. The sight also caused the king's own heart to pound.
Whew.
Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that his day would be so versatile and that he would get the opportunity to deliver a speech on Bone Dragon's hand.
I am becoming more and more jealous of the Bone Dragon. During my 19-year rule, I never once got them to obey me like this.
One Bone Dragon seemed to be more effective than a massive military display involving thousands of troops, and he was pleased with the responses of his people, as did Lloyd.
Hmm... Perfect. Just perfect.
Lloyd examined the crowd, pleased that he got his desired outcome from lending the Bone Dragon to King Benettogna.
And now, I'll squeeze him dry with the power of customer satisfaction.
Now that the king was content with Lloyd's service and bound by his own words, Lloyd wasted no time seizing this chance. He switched places with Javier and smiled like he was the salesman of the year.
Lloyd spoke in a voice dripping with integrity, honesty, and admiration, "That was excellent, sire. Your speech touched me."
The king cleared his throat. "Ehem! Hmm! Did it?"
"Yes, look at how my hands are shivering."
"Hahaha. All I did was walk on the carpet you set down."
"No, it takes real skill to make use of the carpet that's been set down."
"Hmm... I smell flattery."
"Was I too obvious?"
"You were. I imagine you have a favor to ask?" asked King Benettogna.
"Was I that obvious, Your Majesty?"
"Do not beat around the bush. I am in the palm of your hands in any case," the king said bitterly, knowing full well of his position. That trade route in the range could be turned into an enemy invasion route, so the decisionmaker here was the House of Magentano, particularly Lloyd Frontera, its messenger. "We should be thankful to you and the House of Magentano because you first offered your hand in friendship. I am not naive. I know that your kindness does not come for free. So, please tell me how much I owe you for today."
The king knew. There were no free lunches in this world.
Thinking the same, Lloyd replied, "Since you ask, sire, I will give you an answer."
Fwip!
Lloyd drew a couple of pieces of paper from his jacket. These were the contracts he had written before coming here. "The details of my requests are listed here. Please take a look," he said.
King Benettogna was too astonished to respond, realizing what those documents were at first sight. Thanks to that, he also realized Lloyd had come with the determination to suck him dry.
Tsk.
King Benettogna opened the contracts, feeling like a honeybee trapped in a spider's web. He was both outraged and relieved a few seconds later.
