The potions workshop, and even Weasley's Joke Shop, would ultimately have to solve whatever problems arose on their own. Tver could not act like a nanny and handle every little detail for them.
So after realizing that Mrs. Primpernelle's idea was exceptionally good, Tver merely nodded in approval and pushed the door open firmly.
There seemed to be no dedicated meeting room, or perhaps none large enough to hold so many people, so what appeared before him was actually a bright, spotless sitting room.
It did not look luxurious. On the contrary, it had the plain, clean feel of a researcher's space.
Even the plants by the window were simple, elegant herbs, swaying gently in the sunlight in a particularly harmonious scene.
He had almost forgotten that Mrs. Primpernelle was in fact a famous Potions Master in the wizarding world.
At that moment, however, the plain sitting room was filled with people, all of them well-known merchants in Diagon Alley, and even throughout the British wizarding world.
The short, plump Mrs. Muggins was chatting with the owner of Twilfitt and Tattings, but Tiffet, the owner of Gladrags Wizardwear, the strongest clothing brand, was not taking part in their conversation. Instead, he was staring absently out the window along with Ambrosius Flume, the owner of Honeydukes, who also had a shop in Hogsmeade.
Only the former was truly distracted, while the latter seemed more lost in thought.
By contrast, the future competitors of the Weasley brothers, the owners of Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop and Zonko's Joke Shop, looked rather anxious and kept glancing toward the door.
Griphook, the goblin from Gringotts, sat alone on a separate sofa, calmly studying the expressions of everyone present. He did not seem interested in speaking to anyone, but none of the merchants there dared to underestimate him because of that.
Griphook represented Gringotts. Because Tver's business, whether Gringotts took a share or not, would involve the exchange between muggle currency and Galleons, Gringotts' presence was necessary.
Mr. Patche of Patche's Cauldron Shop seemed to have already received a preliminary order from Mrs. Primpernelle, so the moment he saw Tver and Mrs. Primpernelle appear, he was the first to stand.
And he gave Mrs. Primpernelle a somewhat ingratiating smile.
That movement also woke the others from their various states of mind. One after another, they followed suit and stood up, looking toward the door with such solemnity that it was as if Tver had already become a figure of Dumbledore's prestige.
"There's really no need to be so formal."
Tver waved his hand, somewhat flattered, indicating that they should sit. Then he sat opposite them with Mrs. Primpernelle, a smile on his face.
"From the looks of it, nearly every famous merchant in Britain has attended this… meeting." His tone was slightly exaggerated, which also counted as a response to the compliments in their eyes.
"I imagine no one would be willing to miss the chance to meet and speak with someone of your standing," Zonko said flatteringly.
This was also within Tver's expectations.
In the past, the Weasley twins' products had been sold on consignment in these two joke shops.
Their low prices, excellent quality, and even the strictly standardized basic materials had made both shops deeply envious.
But after this month, their consignment agreement would come to an end. With a foreseeable drop in income, whether it was extending the agreement or obtaining cheap industrial products directly like the Weasley twins, both had become especially urgent for them.
Tver did not refuse. Instead, he returned a friendly smile.
"I'm actually looking forward to speaking with all of you as well. After all, everyone here holds a vital position in the British wizarding commercial market."
That friendly signal finally eased some of the tension in Zonko and the other merchants who needed muggle products.
Yes, Tver did not mind letting them compete with the Weasley twins from the same starting line.
First, he had confidence in the Weasley twins' talent. Second, the three joke shops each had different focuses.
Zonko, for example, was better at intricate little gadgets, while the various fireworks from Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop were highly praised even by the Weasley twins.
At first glance, those things were all toys. But with a little modification, fireworks became magical cannons.
And cannons not limited to wizard use, at that.
So maintaining their existence was still very important to Tver.
Of course, there were always people who did not appreciate it.
"I'll be direct," Tiffet, the owner of Gladrags Wizardwear, said with obvious impatience on his face. "As a well-known clothing chain across all of Europe, Gladrags Wizardwear…"
"Although it is indeed strong, it actually only has three branches, London, Hogsmeade, and Paris," Mrs. Primpernelle reminded Tver by his ear without giving him any face.
"…What I care about more is whether you can provide high-quality fabrics at a less expensive price."
Afraid Tver would not understand, Tiffet added, "I don't mean the rough things used by other clothing shops. I mean soft, refined fabrics. If there is silk from the East, that would be even better."
Gringotts had always been responsible for procuring supplies for wizards. After all, with so few wizards, they could hardly spend all day weaving cloth, even with magic.
But those were all very basic supplies, far from refined. That was also why, even though the materials sold by Gringotts were becoming cheaper and cheaper, these merchants still wanted to do business with Tver.
They did not want those rough things either.
Only Tiffet's attitude was somewhat irritating.
"Of course we can. Mr. Tiffet's request is perfectly normal."
Tver patted Mrs. Primpernelle, who was about to speak up for him, and continued maintaining a friendly attitude.
"I know that the reason all of you came here is that you want to obtain fine primary products at low prices…"
Before he could finish speaking, Ambrosius Flume could not wait to say, "You're right. Actually, whether they're fine or not doesn't matter that much. What we want most is a stable procurement channel and stable quantities."
His confectionery products were the most suitable to be replaced with muggle sweets. Once they could all be substituted, saying the shop's profits would double was already a conservative estimate.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Even Tiffet, who had not seemed to care much, could no longer maintain his arrogant attitude. Otherwise, he would not have appeared here in the first place.
"There's no need to rush." Tver was very satisfied with their attitude. But to him, this small business was still not worth making a special trip for.
"Your business is insignificant compared with Britain's overall industrial capacity. The few products you need could be supplied by any random factory."
"Then have you ever considered using more materials, producing more products, and then…"
He licked his lips, and everyone immediately sensed the playful feeling of a dagger finally being revealed.
"Selling them to more people?"