Within half an hour, Rinna and Ilsa had gone off to get food from a street vendor, and the group was now eating on the floor of the new establishment. Strangely, the food resembled pizza, the universal symbol of "we just got a new home/apartment/retail space." However, Rinna simply referred to it as "sauced flatbread," even though it was a bit more than that. It was topped with crushed tomatoes, cured meat reminiscent of salami, and scattered herbs and roasted garlic, which gave it a surprisingly pleasant aroma.

Justin took a bite and was momentarily transported back to Earth. The similarities were uncanny, though this version was missing something crucial.

"You know," he said thoughtfully, "this would be even better with cheese."

Rinna looked puzzled. "Cheese?"

"Yes," Justin replied. "Melted cheese over the tomatoes and meat creates a wonderful combination of flavors and textures."

"Hmmm," Tamsin mused, warming to the idea immediately. "I've worked in enough kitchens to know that cheese improves most things. What kind were you thinking?"

"Something mild and melty. Maybe a white cheese."

Alistair raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm. Sounds good. A business idea?"

Justin chuckled, but his mind was already racing. "Actually, that's not the worst idea. But I was thinking bigger than just food." He gestured toward the expansive space around them. "Lila and I saw that overturned mail cart yesterday morning. I think there may be an opportunity there. From what I understand, people have nothing but bad things to say about the Royal Mail."

"That's the truth," Rinna said. "In enchanting, you need a constant influx of materials. Our old enchantry had certain couriers on retainer, but for larger orders, we had to rely on the Royal Mail. And you're lucky if you get everything in one piece."

Justin nodded. "Exactly. If we can offer something more efficient and reliable, then the whole industry is ripe for disruption."

Alistair paused reflectively. "Yes. There's the Runners' Guild, which does something similar. They charge a premium compared to the Royal Mail, but they are more reliable. Are you thinking of something like that?"

"Partly. Let me see..."

An idea was beginning to take shape. Not just delivering items, but warehousing them, becoming a market for them, and not only that, becoming a marketplace that sold other businesses' items and took a cut of the profits—controlling the process from beginning to end.

Would it be possible to start a sort of proto-Amazon in this world?

Justin smiled. It was a bit too ambitious, maybe, but there was no reason why they couldn't take at least part of Bezos's playbook.

"My point is this: the whole system is inefficient, unreliable, and expensive for anything beyond basic letters. I had a short stint as a courier myself. The package I delivered cost five silvers for fifty miles."

"A silver per ten miles is kind of the standard for express packages, from what I understand," Tamsin said. "Common folk can't afford that."

"Yes, but what if we could do it better?"

"A competing mail service?" Lila asked, intrigued despite herself. "Sounds tough."

"Well, it wouldn't be overnight. Imagine this: fast, reliable delivery of anything people need—food, packages, messages, supplies. Think about it: in a city this size, how many people waste hours walking across town just to buy something they need? How many businesses lose customers because they can't get their goods to market efficiently?"

Rinna frowned in confusion. "So you want fancy couriers that the nobles use... but for everyone?"

"Exactly. And we can achieve that by being better organized and more reliable."

Alistair looked skeptical. "The Royal Mail has royal backing. You'd be competing with the Crown itself."

"Would we?" Justin asked. "Or would we be filling a gap they've clearly failed to address? Look at yesterday. Packages scattered everywhere, guards overwhelmed, people stealing mail. The Crown's system is a disaster waiting to happen daily. Look where we are situated. This space is not ideal for retail. We're in an alley, in a part of town a lot of people are scared to go to. But we have plenty of space and are centrally located."

"A warehouse, then," Lila said. "I like the idea, but we need to figure out what we're carrying, at least to start. And how will people know to order from us if we're just a warehouse? The business of a warehouse is to make money storing other people's goods, not to control every stage of the process."

Tamsin nodded thoughtfully. "I'm not saying it's a bad idea, Mr. Talemaker. I've certainly seen plenty of folks in taverns complaining about lost packages and delayed letters. That said, I don't quite understand your angle. For someone to buy something, they need to walk through that front door, find something they like, and leave with a lighter coin purse. Alternatively, you could establish a steady supply of deliveries to local bakeries or other businesses. But being so new in the game and new in town... how can we convince folks to give us a chance?"

Justin considered Tamsin's practical concerns. She was right; he was getting ahead of himself, thinking about revolutionizing commerce when they hadn't even sold their first item.

"You make a fair point," he admitted. "We need to start smaller, prove ourselves locally before we can think about competing with established systems."

"What about a hybrid approach?" Rinna suggested. "We could start by offering delivery for existing businesses. Partner with shops that want to reach customers but can't afford their own couriers. We just take a cut of the profits."

"Good idea," Justin said. "It's always important to have as many sources of revenue as possible."

Ilsa, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up. "The gambling dens I worked with always had trouble getting supplies without drawing attention. Discreet delivery could command premium pricing from the right clientele."

"Now that's practical thinking," Tamsin said. "Build relationships first, then expand. Though I don't like the idea of working with criminals... it's immoral, and practically speaking, it brings the wrong types to your door."

Ilsa gave a small, rare smile. "It's Mudside. I have a feeling that's coming whether we want it or not."

It was a valid point, but they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

"Okay, here's the plan," Justin said. "Right now, we don't have much inventory—basically whatever we have in our packs here. Maybe we can focus on selling those first to build a bit of a bankroll. Then we can assess which items sell the best and work to acquire more like them. But until then, we should establish ourselves as reliable local couriers, build a customer base, and gradually expand our services. When it comes time to stock our own items..."

Once again, he recalled Bezos. He had started with books: small, easily deliverable, always in demand. Of course, books existed in this world too, but literacy was not a guarantee like it was in Justin's own world.

"We need something that's small, easily deliverable, has good margins, and is in high demand..."

"Potions," Lila said instantly.

Justin's eyes widened. "Yes! But more than that... we need a way to make it automatic. Anyone can open a potions shop, but not everyone can guarantee delivery in a timely manner for a nominal fee." His thoughts raced. "Rinna, I'm not familiar with what's possible with enchanting, but is it possible to create a 'summoning item'? A chit, perhaps, that can be easily worn around the neck, paired with another one we own? With a touch or directed thought, can a sort of message be sent through it?"

He hoped she understood what he meant, and thankfully, she seemed to, though her frown was a bit telling.

"What kind of message? If you mean actual written words, yes, it's doable, but not through a chit like you're imagining. The infrastructure required is quite significant. There are pens and scrolls that can be enchanted to write remotely, a sort of artifice. It's a way to bypass typical letters, but again, it's expensive. And the greater the distance, the more ether units and crystals you'll need to power the artifice. And of course, the more complicated the message, the higher the cost. Palaces and wealthy households will have them, but often they'll still opt to send a letter unless it's truly urgent."

This was useful information. "Okay. What about an extremely simple message and implement? It need not be words. Just touch this stone, for example, and the person on the other end can recognize that it has been touched? And at a distance of no more than, say, five miles?"

She brightened. "Oh, that's much easier. Not cheap, mind you, but doable. I can craft something like that. Two chits, let's say. If one is touched, the other glows—just enough to be recognized by the recipient to save on costs."

"Yes, that would be perfect. What's the cost estimate for one of these?"

She shrugged. "Very hard to say. I'll need crystals and a nice piece of material. Bronze or copper works well. I could probably make two interconnected chits for about fifty coppers each in a simple state like that. It may cost less once my process is refined and my level increases, assuming we can buy in bulk."

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Justin nodded. It was doable. "Here's my idea: our focus, at least initially, will be on potions. They have good margins, are always in demand, and are small and easy to transport. We become potion runners, with each person armed with an enchanted pack stocked full of essentials—the items that sell well: basic healing potions, antidotes, hangover cures, counters for common diseases, and specialty items with high margins. Instead of having a potions shop, we become mobile potion shops. We take note of what sells well, what customers are asking for, and expand from there."

"Not bad," Ilsa said. "But what's the point of the chits?"

"That's the beauty of it," Justin said with a smile. "When we make a sale to a first-time customer, they receive one of these chits for free. When they need to reorder, they simply activate the chit, and we'll deliver right to them with our mobile potions shop. No need to go to the store. The store will come to them."

Lila's green eyes widened. "Justin, that's brilliant. If we can just figure out the logistics, we could have something big here. Potentially, our store could encompass all of Belmora, while this warehouse stocks everything for our potion hawkers."

"Exactly," Justin said.

"An interesting idea," Rinna said, "but there is one major problem. A location-tracking glyph would be an expensive enchantment for me to create on these chits. That would easily quadruple or quintuple the cost. I'm not saying it's not useful, but it's not something we can give away for free."

"The location glyph isn't strictly necessary," Justin replied. "We can take down their address when we give it away and ensure their chit is properly organized here at the warehouse. When the chit glows, we simply need to reference the address before delivery. The free thing is just temporary to get used to the idea. Eventually, when word gets out, they'll have to pay for the convenience. Or better yet, they get a discount for referrals. We could also sell the chits right here in the store. That's the real product: time and convenience."

"The idea is elegant, even if there are a few kinks," Rinna said. "Still, it may be enough to start with."

Justin was impressed with Rinna's acumen. Despite her youth, she had a good sense of how things might work in the field.

"Another thing," she added, "I highly recommend getting a location glyph on at least some chits for customers who want that option. Getting delivery at home is one thing, but delivering anywhere within range of our warehouse? Now that's something other businesses will struggle to match, and by the time they catch on, it may be too late. If we do this right..."

"A premium membership," Justin said. "That's perfect. We make the first sale, then pitch the offer: free home delivery with a free, limited-time chit offer for one year. Alternatively, they can become premium members of the service and receive free delivery anywhere in Belmora for, say, five silvers annually. This way, they cover the cost of the chit and pay a little extra."

"Now you're thinking," Rinna replied.

"This is scalable, potentially," Lila said.

"I can already foresee many problems," Ilsa said. "Thievery will be one of them. You barely know us, yet you want us to run expensive potions in costly enchanted packs? Even if we are honorable, we are mostly women without classes. We will be ambushed for sure—maybe not at first, but once people catch on to our game. What's to stop someone from buying one of these location chits, luring us into an alley, and murdering us for our goods? It's too easily exploitable."

Justin nodded, acknowledging the concern. "Yes, you make a very good point." He turned to Rinna. "How expensive would it be to enchant a specific order within the chit? That way, we don't have to carry an entire shop of goods in an expensive pack."

"As in, a voiced order?" she asked. "That's simply not possible. There's the enchanted stylus artifice, which I explained earlier, but it's not really practical. The summon charm, let's call it, is far more practical."

"So, it becomes a matter of security," Alistair said. "Every mobile shop would need classified security. That would deter all but the most determined attackers. It would still be a rich prize, but for now, I think that will suffice."

"Yes," Justin agreed. "Armed security for each mobile shop. Just one person to start with. We can establish protocols, such as never entering a customer's home and meeting customers in public places in dangerous areas… this can be managed." He looked at Rinna. "Now, practically speaking, how can we make these chits work?"

"I would need to place a condition in these chits to prevent them from activating at every touch. It needs to be a simple condition that's easy for the customer to understand, but not so broad that it goes off nonstop. Unfortunately, I can't provide a specific cost at the moment. We will also need a steady supply of crystals for me to process, as well as equipment."

"How much for all that?" Justin asked.

Rinna whistled. "For the enchanting gear we need, twenty gold at the least. Thirty if you want something of quality that can scale."

It was more than Justin had expected.

"A hefty investment," Alistair said. "That said, the possibility of repeat business, should the concept prove viable, could make the risk worth it."

"We'll need crystals, too," Lila added. "To enchant all these chits."

She looked at Alistair, and Justin understood why. High Priest Kaive had forbidden the use of the gates, but if they ever found a new gate in the vicinity of Belmora, it would ensure a steady supply from either the Aurora Caverns or Drakendir without cutting into their profits. It would provide a significant competitive edge.

"We'll figure it out," Justin said. "But I think we have a working concept."

"As long as we have a supply of potions," Lila replied.

"Eldrin," Justin said. "But you mentioned he had some personal business to take care of. Do you know what kind of business?"

Lila shook her head. "He only mentioned it was personal, which suggests he was attending to something at home, wherever that might be."

"The Thornwood," Alistair said. Justin watched him, impressed. "He mentioned it to me once."

"And how far is that from here?" Justin asked.

"About two hundred miles due west," Alistair answered.

"We need him for this idea to work," Justin said. "Do you think he can be convinced to join us?"

"I'm not sure," Lila replied. "He might, but it was clear he wanted to take care of something first."

Well, the potions idea might not be the best option then. They could hire an alchemist, he supposed, but he preferred someone he already knew, and Eldrin made the practical potions that people were most likely to need.

"We could start by selling enchanted goods," Rinna suggested. "Things that are cheap and quickly expendable. The problem is, people expect most enchanted items to last a long time. The potions idea is better."

Lila nodded. "I keep thinking about what Eldrin told us. Remember when he mentioned that alchemist who took the Songbrewer advanced class? I still haven't taken my advanced class, but maybe this is a sign to go all in."

"Are you sure?" Justin asked. "I mean, it would certainly help us out a lot and give us a leg up on potential competition. Not to mention..."

He hesitated to bring up Solanis and the prospect of sourcing ingredients cheaply from distant places in general. They needed employees for this idea to work, but these employees could never learn about a competitive edge like this.

"I'm not entirely sure if it's the right idea, to be honest," Lila replied. "But I've always wanted to have the Merchant class. Since I can't combine Merchant with Bard, I have to create a crafting class if I want to make money. Songbrewer is a strong option for me, and if this business idea works out, it will provide a steady source of experience, especially if my goods sell. I'll be starting from scratch. It would have been better if I had begun as an Alchemist rather than a Bard, but I can still craft and progress in this area starting as a Bard instead." She nodded decisively. "We don't really need Eldrin. He'll be useful, don't get me wrong, and he can keep the potions flowing. But as for me... maybe I can focus on creating something truly unique that will help us stand out."

Justin watched her closely as the decision settled in her green eyes. He offered a smile. "Songbrewer. It suits you."

She nodded. "I think so too. I'll have to go out and buy an Alchemist core, but that shouldn't be an issue."

Justin realized he needed a notebook to keep track of everything. "All right, let's get Lila as a Songbrewer on board, pick up some enchanting equipment, secure a supply of crystals, and make sure our potion runners have decent packs. And of course, the summoning charms, as Rinna calls them. Maybe we can think of a specific name for them, something tied to our business. Various tiers. Bronze-tier chits for the basic membership, silver-tier for delivery anywhere in Belmora, and gold-tier... well, we'll think of something for that. And of course, the quality of the metal will reflect the level of membership. Good for branding. I think that covers a lot of the basic questions."

Between them, Justin and Lila had about 250 gold crowns. He estimated that at least one hundred crowns would be necessary just to establish themselves.

"But we also have practical matters to consider," Tamsin interjected. "Like cleaning this place up and furnishing it. The sun's down, so it seems we'll be sleeping on the floor at least for tonight."

"Just for one night," Justin said. "We need to figure out the business arrangement, too. Lila and I are equal partners; we both signed on the dotted line, assuming the risks of this venture. However, we need to discuss compensation for the rest of you."

The other women straightened at that.

"I want to be clear—this is an investment in all of us, not just Lila and me. If this works out, everyone gets a share of the profits. That way, everyone is invested in the business and its success."

"Even me?" Ilsa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Even you," Justin confirmed. "Everyone contributes, and everyone benefits. As for specifics, I propose that each person be entitled to a quarterly bonus. Let's say 5 percent of our cash flow is set aside as profit from the top line, after we account for the cost of goods sold. The remainder will be divided into various categories: compensation for Lila and me as the owners, operational expenses, which include rent, employee pay, and any other foreseeable costs. To start, when revenue is low, this will come from Lila's and my own funds, but as we become profitable, it will come from the business itself. And, of course, we will have necessary taxes to pay to certain authorities here in Belmora. It's something we need to look into, but if we pay our taxes properly, it will help us if the guilds take notice of our operation."

"We may also have to join a guild ourselves, which comes with its own dues," Alistair said. "The Crown can be inefficient in these matters, I'm afraid, though it varies."

It was worth noting. Somehow, all of this was coming to Justin naturally, perhaps a product of his new Entrepreneur class.

"Well, I'm all in," Tamsin said.

"Same," Rinna added. "I'm excited to get started. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Talemaker."

Ilsa remained silent, watching Justin closely. He did his best to read her dark eyes, realizing for the first time there was no ill intent or desire to take advantage.

He hadn't won her over exactly—not yet. But if he demonstrated success, she would likely become more amenable.

"I'm in, too," Ilsa said. "I think I might even be good at this. I've always been good at selling things. But maybe we can work on commission? It ensures we work hard."

"It's something to consider," Justin said. "You are encouraged to sell as much as possible, of course, but for now, it's one silver a day, as discussed. We can revisit this in the future."

"Fair enough."

"No arguments from me," Lila replied. "The cash flow split seems sound. We can always adjust as needed. I've been wondering about Atlas, though. We were discussing security, and I think he could be perfect for deliveries."

"Assuming we can get him properly registered," Justin said, grimacing at the memory of their encounter with the city guards. "But yes, that's a good point. A construct guard service would definitely set us apart from the competition. It would also allow us to scale without needing to hire more people."

"Expensive to own and operate," Rinna noted. "Those things are hungry for crystals. But yes, it could be a good idea."

Justin nodded. Atlas had consumed a fair number of aether crystals, but the cost was worth it for the protection.

"So we have a plan," Alistair summarized. "Start with what we have in stock, have Lila become a Songbrewer, and get some potions going. Build a delivery network using the chit system and expand as we grow. And... anything else that arises."

Justin nodded, catching his meaning. Remember the real mission and try not to let this prove to be too much of a distraction.

Justin felt that familiar thrill of a plan coming together. It wasn't perfect, and there were still dozens of details to work out, but it felt right. A legitimate business that could grow into something significant while providing cover for their true purpose.

"All right, everyone," he said, standing up and dusting off his hands. "Let's get to work. We have a company to build."

"And what will we call ourselves?" Rinna asked. "That's the most important question of all."

The group fell silent, deep in thought.

"Well," Justin said, "names are important, so Lila and I will figure that out as the owners. I think we have enough to get a good start. Tomorrow, we'll focus on preparing the space. Until then... meeting adjourned."

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