Mitsugoshi Company

Mitsugoshi Company (ミツゴシ商会) is a relatively new but highly successful, well-famed trading company known for its innovative products. Unbeknownst to the populace, this company is operated by Shadow Garden as their front who were inspired by the knowledge given to them by Shadow. The Director of the company is Luna, who founded it with the help of Alpha, and used this company as an important asset funding Shadow Garden's missions as well as their employees, the Numbers.

Background
As Gamma was not capable in combat abilities nor adept in defensive arts, she compensated with her intelligence and administration. When she asked Shadow for his "wisdom" shortly after joining, he would recount unique and interesting ideas to which Gamma would then reverse-engineer out of inspiration-- not knowing that he was regaling her with anecdotes of commodities from his previous life.

After the "Seven Shadows" left Cid and scattered all over the world, Gamma would used some parts of his wisdom to create various products and trade goods that had never existed in another world, which would lead to the founding of the Mitsugoshi Company and made a huge fortune by selling all the goods product. The Mitsugoshi Company run by Gamma has grown rapidly and has developed to the point where it can compete with existing conglomerates, so it has a mighty scale in both front and back society.

Once the company had expanded well enough, it was setting trends and establishing itself as an economic powerhouse in Midgar Kingdom before expanding into opening company branches in prime locations both in neighboring and abroad nations, such as Lindwurm, the Velgalta Empire, and the Oriana Kingdom. At the same time, the company was branding a sense of luxury in addition to developing food chain stores to be offered to the general public at low prices, securing high-quality materials through contracts with specialized farmers, delivering services to remote areas, and so on. Mitsugoshi caused a distribution revolution and became one of the world's largest trading companies within a few years of starting a business.

From this rapid success, Mitsugoshi Company would apply the wealth that is generated from the company's business success to helps funding the Shadow Garden's operations as they finance the organization and administration of its membership. While Shadow Garden exists as a covert organization, they use the company not only to amass vast wealth and power, but also as a front for their war against the Cult of Diablos.

While Gamma continued to be the public face of the company, Alpha was the covert leader aligning Mitsugoshi's success with Shadow Garden's missions, while Eta would contribute to Research and Development of their public innovations and covertly developing other insights of "Shadow's Wisdom". By reverse-engineering more "revelations," Mitsugoshi produced new trade goods from commodities, garments and cosmetics to developing technologies, such as The Rolapoid instant camera and the automobile.

Midgar Academy Terrorist Attack
Before the incident of the Cult of Diablos's terrorist attack on Midgar Academy happened, Cid Kagenō visited the Mitsugoshi Company store with with his friends, Skel Etal and Po Tato, to see what kinds of things they sold. He later found out that everything was created and directed by Gamma, one of his "Seven Shadows" from the Shadow Garden, who was waiting for him with a throne made for her lord, Cid. As he seated, Gamma would update him of their financial gains and discuss the serial killings used to defame Shadow Garden. When his business concluded, Gamma introduced Nu to Cid, a new member but was validated by Alpha herself to which she earned her position and can be vouched for by Gamma personally.

After the Midgar Academy incident, Gamma discuss with Alpha about Shadow and his organization being wanted by the kingdom. Even so, Shadow Garden are swear to continue with their leaders' resolve. Alpha tells Gamma to assemble the available Seven Shadows to discuss their next move.

Bushin Festival Tournament
During the Bushin Tournament, Cid went to the Mitsugoshi Company and asks them to help him disguise himself so he can participate in the tournament. Gamma agreed to her master's request and with the Nu's help, they made Cid a disguise as "Mundane Mann", someone already dead and gone, but also his death was never confirmed, thus allowing him to enter without issue.

Great Trading Company Conflict
Due to resentment from their competitors, especially Garter along with the Great Commerce Alliance, their economic trade rivals, the Mitsugoshi Company found itself involved in a secret internal war against the company alliance. Fighting over product secrets and superiority in commercial reliance, they fought to see whose side would be the last one standing.

The prevalence of trade and the support of the people in profit, neither knew that another company called the Snow Fox Corporation was taking advantage of their commercial war, waiting for them to clash from the shadows until both sides were weakened to crush them at the same time and keep all the commercial benefit, aiming to be the only one remaining.

Shadow learned of this covert commercial war thanks to Yukime, the Monarch of the White Tower and the legitimate business leader of Snow Fox Corp. outside of the Lawless City. Shadow decided to help Yukime under the pretext of helping with her revenge, without telling Yukime that Shadow Garden ran Mitsugoshi Company and Shadow was only helping to make Mitsugoshi win the economic dispute.

In the end, with the help of Cid disguised as "John Smith", the Mitsugoshi Company emerged triumphant from the secret commercial war by saving them from the collapse of credit trust, and Shadow also saved Yukime from assassination from her ex-fiancée, Gettan, the de-facto leader of the Great Commerce Alliance. With victory secured, the Snow Fox Corporation became an ally of the Mitsugoshi Company, after Alpha revealed Shadow's plan and their connection to Shadow Garden.

Oriana's "Black Rose" Civil War Wedding Incident
During the civil war of the Oriana Kingdom, the Mitsugoshi Company had a branch store operating per normal and concurrently served as a recuperation base for Shadow Garden members. During 666's supposed betrayal, Cid went there with Epsilon and 559, who discuss Rose Oriana's announced wedding and both offered him a body massage.

Products
The company has branches in every major city also the capital, within and outside of Midgar Kingdom, as Mitsugoshi produces to sell various kinds of products which are all based on the "Shadow Wisdom" from their leader, Cid Kagenō. Using his wisdom as the basis, they were able to recreate various products with novel and fascinating qualities, which include chocolate, one of their most popular products. Another popular product is the business suit, a trend for nobility which was more stylish than the traditional noble garb.

Their lines of products include:

 * Candy
 * Chocolate
 * Clothing/Accessories
 * Coffee
 * Cosmetics
 * Daily goods
 * Gourmet/Preserved foods
 * Lingerie
 * Liquor
 * Soap
 * Shoes
 * Suits
 * Tea
 * Whiskey

Aside from commercial products, Mitsugoshi also established the "Mitsugoshi Bank", issuing "banknotes" for the first time in a different world where there were only coins until then, and causing a revolution in monetary value, which was used as promissory vouchers for the world's coin-based system of money based on the bank and credit creation that Cid once talked about. The main reason they produce the banknotes were to stimulate the economy and sell more products, while also incentivizing patrons due to the ease of using the bills compared to hefting large purses of coins. Mitsugoshi then created a revolving loan service with an interest rate on loans of around 2% per month, that is 24% per annum which is the lowest rate among money lenders in the capital.

Business Enterprise Development Opportunity
The Mitsugoshi Company has made several types of businesses that they have developed into popular tourism traps. Based in part on Shadow's Wisdom, these are types of businesses that appeal to commoners as well as nobility, with eateries for delicious cuisine to public lodgings for travelers, as well as relaxation locales for decompressing stress and improving beauty hygiene.
 * Beauty salons
 * Cafes
 * Hotels
 * Massage parlors
 * Restaurants
 * Saunas
 * Spa resorts

McRonald / Tuna King Food Restaurant
The McRonald (まぐろなるど) (Tuna King in the Light Novel) is a burger shop that has chain stores all over the world, and like Mitsugoshi Company, this is also a front company of Shadow Garden. When Mitsugoshi Company was Luna, Ltd., it was developed as a street shop to obtain funds for its activities.

Prior to the founding of the Mitsugoshi Company, Gamma was worried that her business was not growing and confused about finding a solution because Shadow Garden lacked reserve funds due to Eta's continued excessive use of funds which caused the financial process of Luna, Ltd. which was managed by Gamma to experience a drastic decline. However, Gamma was able to overcome his company's financial problems thanks to Zeta's help, who invited her and Eta to a beach near the capital city of Midgar to take a break and at that time, they created a food made from the sea, called "Tuna Sandwich" which describe like a fried tuna sandwich with tartar sauce made based on "Shadow Wisdom", and later improved the tuna burger, which became a big hit.

After getting the idea of a business opportunity to increase Shadow Garden's financial funding and the company it manages using food that Gamma knows, she set up a tuna sandwich stall in the capital as a side business that functions as a food stall and eventually opened a permanent store which provides different food menu items other than tuna like sea bream, squid rings, beef, and onion rings with the sauce additions like mayonnaise, tartar sauce, and malt vinegar. By the conclusion of her venture setup, the sandwich shops were named McRonald / Tuna King by Cid.

When Gamma acquired shares of an existing business in Midgar Kingdom, in addition with the opening a new venture of McRonald / Tuna King stalls across the capital as a new side business branch, Shadow Garden's income rate had continue to increase with the net profit of 25 million Zeni per month, compared to the 4 million Zeni on the fashion side. Until eventually, Gamma expanded the venture side business into a developed food chain stores and gained a huge amount of wealth.

Currently, it is being developed separately from Mitsugoshi Company, but Gamma's personal ultimate goal is to make burgers using beef.

Layout
The Mitsugoshi branches, despite being in different cities, follow a similar layout for easier navigation and inventory. At the top of the Midgar Branch building, and every other store, a mansion is set up on the roof as a Shadow Garden operation room, and in addition to setting up a throne for Shadow. The rooftop mansions also serve as residential quarters for the Seven Shadows and their immediate attendants.

Leader

 * Luna: Public Founder/Owner

Employees

 * Nu: Gamma's Personal Aid & Bodyguard.
 * Staff: Shadow Garden Numbers operating as store employees.

Trivia

 * The store interiors of Mitsugoshi branches closely mirror the real world supermarkets and shopping malls of Shadow's past life. This is due to Cid having taught the Seven Shadows about architecture and construction of his old life as well, especially Eta.
 * 1 billion Zeni is always available as Shadow Garden's activity funds.
 * During the conflict between the Mitsugoshi Company and the Great Commerce Alliance, the McRonald / Tuna King doesn't got involved, probably because the field is different from the Mitsugoshi Company.
 * In Other World, Tuna is a fish that can be easily eaten by common people because of its large quantities and easy to catch and "Sea Bream" is more valuable as a high-class fish. Also, Beef is treated as a luxury ingredient and livestock technology is not yet available which is still immature, even it seems that there is still no stable supply and not possible to provide it stably.