Justin woke up to an almost maddeningly cheerful voice in his head.

[Good moooooorning! Jester's Roulette has activated for today!]

Justin shot up from his sleeping mat, his eyes wide. "What the actual…"

Then, he heard a click-click-click in his head, starting fast and then slowing down, as if a roulette ball were finding its place. It finally clicked into position.

[Jester's Gamble activated! You have gained +6 to your Endurance attribute for the day.]

[Random Enchantment: Aqua Lung. You may now breathe underwater. Isn't that swell? There is a side effect, though. You… smell like a fish.]

Justin tentatively sniffed his clothing. "Dear gods. Does this damn sticky enchantment mean I'm stuck with this for the rest of my life?"

He was shocked when he received a response.

[Yes! Well, probably. Maybe. Who knows? Life's full of surprises!]

He frowned. "Wait. You're actually talking to me?"

[Have a spectacular day! Au revoir!]

It even said it in French, which made no sense, as the thing shouldn't have knowledge of that language unless it was parsing Justin's mind for it.

The Jester's laugh echoed as it faded into nothingness.

He let out a breath. "Fuck."

"Everything all right?" Lila asked, walking by the room Justin had appropriated. She gave a small sniff. "Something smells… fishy."

Justin shook his head. "It's this damn cane! I can breathe underwater now, but I smell like I just crawled out of the river."

Her eyes widened. To Justin's surprise, she wasn't even laughing. "Err… seriously? That's beyond random. But you can actually breathe underwater? That could be useful in the right situation."

It would be useful, except it was totally useless for Justin's goals for the day. "Is there a way to un-core something?"

"Most items can be unbound by a skilled enough Enchanter, but something with a hidden Sticky enchantment doesn't sound promising…"

Justin shook his head. This was a complication he did not need right now. And yet, it wasn't killing him. At least, not yet.

He could still focus on the business of the day. He just had to do so while smelling less than pleasant. He could try his Essence of the Hoard cologne, but he suspected that would only make matters worse.

He attempted to use his Ring of Hygiene, emerging with his Founders' Regalia immaculately clean and his hair and face perfectly groomed. The smell lingered.

"No good," he said.

"Come on," Lila said. "I think some of the ladies got us breakfast."

Justin found everyone in the front room with breakfast wraps—flatbread stuffed with eggs and sausage. Most had already finished eating, while Tamsin and Rita tidied up. Ilsa and Rinna seemed to be making a shopping list.

"Good morning, Mr. Talemaker!" Rinna said brightly. "Ilsa and I were making a list, and—"

As Justin approached, her face went pale, then a bit green.

"Yes?" Justin asked, manifesting the Jester's Roulette cane in his hand. "It's this damn thing. It has a weird enchantment that's making me stink."

"Oh," Rinna said, somewhat diplomatically. "That's... unfortunate. Sometimes, items can be... fixed, if you catch my meaning. But at my level, I'm not certain—"

"The list, Rinna, if you please."

"Right. Well, besides actual warehousing materials like shelves, crates, barrels, sorting tables, storage bins, rope, canvas tarps, et cetera, we need the basics too. We already picked up some cleaning supplies, but we also need bedding for everyone, not to mention furniture: tables, chairs, a proper desk for your office and record-keeping. And a way to divide the business end from the living quarters. There's plenty of space and room, but there's no logical partition. A lot of this is nitty-gritty, so to speak, but we're already working on it."

"I trust you to take care of it. Err... how much do you think all this will cost?"

"Hard to say. I can shop around for some quotes and bring a few people over. We need to catalog needed repairs, too. Some of the floorboards creak terribly, some have water damage, and I noticed a few loose shutters..."

"I'm comfortable doing that sort of thing," Ilsa said. Unlike Rinna, she didn't seem to mind the smell. During her gambling den days, Justin was sure she had experienced far worse. "Anything involving numbers, ledgers, keeping track of things, dealing with suppliers. We'll need an enchanted ledger book, too—something that can connect to the interface." She cleared her throat awkwardly. "And... if you want me to interface with it and learn to do some more advanced stuff, I'll need a class."

"A class," Justin said seriously. "They're quite expensive from what I hear."

"A Scholar class, specifically," Ilsa said. "I'm an Intellect core, and Scholars can specialize in the management of larger enterprises. Accounting, inventory, taxes, pay, that sort of thing. It'll scale well if we get a larger operation."

Justin thought it over briefly. A class would be a good investment for most, if not all, of his employees, but only when funds allowed and it had been properly accounted for.

"Forgive what is probably a very stupid question," Justin asked, "but why would we need to connect to the interface for… well, anything?"

Now they all looked at him as if he were dense. He felt that this was something a nobleman of his apparent means was expected to know. Alternatively, perhaps they were looking at him because it was very much like a noble person to dismiss something so basic.

"You don't have to," Lila said carefully, "but it makes everything a lot easier. You probably don't need it for a small store. I didn't have one back in Eribar. But if you want to scale, it makes keeping track of everything much simpler. You can tag your items with enchanting magic so it's all centralized, and that information feeds into your enchanted ledger book."

It was basically rudimentary programming, Justin realized.

"As importantly," Rinna added, "you're discussing enchanting these customer chits. We could implement your original idea—creating little pigeonholes for each customer, where their chit glows when they want something, prompting the mobile store to come to them. However, that won't scale. If we integrate a ledger system, it will update the interface, allowing for proper enchantments. We can store accurate information: names, addresses, special instructions, repeat orders, and so on."

"I see," Justin said. "More scalable. And to power all this, I'm sure we need crystals?"

"Yes, and an Aether Distillery," Rinna said. "I was about to go out and get some quotes."

"Yes, do that for sure," Justin said. "But first, I want to focus everything on actually getting the business running. While we're small, we don't need to invest in an interface to keep things straight. We can get into that later. Besides, we need our first crystals for creating a chit prototype."

"Sensible," Lila said. "Establishing some clients first makes more sense. Creating our own interface terminal is further down the list."

Justin noted the proper term. "Yes. First, we need to see about getting your Songbrewer class going, Lila. Are you still certain about that?"

"Even more certain. I planned to leave once this meeting was over."

"I can make sure everything here is tidied up," Tamsin said. "Rita, too. I've been teaching her Aranthian, and the girl is making good progress."

The older woman nodded, and Rita gave a shy smile. "Hello. Good morning, Mr. Talemaker."

Justin returned the greeting, encouraging her. "Keep up the good work. And Alistair… what can you do?"

"I'll familiarize myself with the area," the Paladin said. "Take note of the shops, introduce ourselves to our neighbors, and see if any… issues… may arise."

Justin nodded. "A solid plan. Always good to know the terrain."

"If Ilsa and I have time," Rinna added, "we might do something similar, but for a different reason."

"Potential clients," Justin said, nodding. "Yes. We don't need to rush into that, though. We should ensure we're set up for success first."

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"Speaking of setting up for success," Ilsa said, "how many of these enchanted packs do you think we'll need? They vary significantly in cost, and I'd rather not waste money on equipment we won't use."

Justin considered this. "Well, we're going to start small, so we probably don't need to stock too many different items initially. Potions store well, and we can focus on the essentials—healing draughts, antidotes, energy restoratives. We can visit local neighborhoods in nicer parts of town to see if they need restocking. Adventurers' guilds, certainly—by the gates or just outside them—where people are likely to need something before heading out on a job."

"I'm not sure how this is any different from being a street vendor," Ilsa said bluntly. "That's a rough living, and the margins are terrible."

"Making a single sale isn't the actual service," Justin reminded her. "It's the prospect of repeat business. This idea has the potential to be revolutionary. It's our competitive advantage."

"Competitive advantage," Tamsin said thoughtfully. "I quite like that term. It sounds… professional."

Justin nodded. "Regarding packs, we can start by purchasing a silver-tier one for everyone. At first, this will feel like cold sales—going door to door, introducing ourselves. However, once we establish our customer base, you won't be selling much in the traditional sense. Instead, you'll primarily be handling deliveries. Trust me, once they've used our services and realize they're out of something, they'll order from us out of convenience rather than trekking to the nearest potions shop."

"Ideally speaking," Ilsa said with a skeptical frown. "But they have no reason to trust us. We're unknowns in a bad part of town."

"Yet," Justin agreed, "but word will spread. It's about consistency and unreasonable hospitality. I've done a lot of shopping. Most store owners take their customers for granted and survive simply because there's no competition. I want you all to keep one thing in mind: Customer First."

"Customer First?" Rinna asked, frowning. "Is that... a saying where you're from, Mr. Talemaker?"

"It's more than a saying—it's a philosophy. The customer is always right. Our product isn't just the potion itself; it's the service and convenience that accompany it. Retaining a customer is the most challenging and valuable aspect of any business, so we must stand out in our commitment to service." He paused, noticing their confused expressions. "For example, we offer a money-back guarantee. If customers return the product unused within thirty days, they receive a full refund. If it arrives damaged or broken, they get their money back. And if it arrives later than the next business day after they place their order, they receive a refund as well."

The room fell silent. Even Lila stared at him as if he'd suggested they give away free gold.

"You're joking," Ilsa said flatly.

"Absolutely not."

"That's... that's financial suicide," Tamsin sputtered. "What's to stop someone from buying a healing potion, using half of it, then claiming it was damaged?"

"Or buying something they need immediately and then returning it the next day for a full refund?" Rinna added, looking alarmed.

Alistair shook his head slowly. "Justin, I admire your generous spirit, but that's not how business works. People will take advantage."

"Some will," Justin acknowledged. "But most won't. And the few who do will cost us far less than the customers we'll gain through our reputation. Think about it. When has any merchant ever offered you a guarantee like that?"

"Never," Lila said quietly. "Because it would bankrupt them in a week."

"Or," Justin countered, "because they've never tried it. Look, I understand your concerns. But consider this: if someone knows they can return a product with no questions asked, they're more likely to buy it in the first place. And if they're confident in our reliability, they'll order more frequently."

"But the losses—" Rinna started.

"Will be minimal," Justin insisted. "This is a bet on the general honesty and goodness of people. And those who aren't honest? They'll be a tiny fraction of our customer base. And repeat offenders will be blacklisted and blocked from using our services. Meanwhile, every satisfied customer becomes a walking advertisement. They'll tell their friends, family, and neighbors."

Tamsin crossed her arms. "It still sounds like charity, not business."

"It's investment," Justin replied firmly. "Short-term costs for long-term gain. Besides, we'll quickly learn which products are most likely to be returned and can adjust our inventory accordingly."

Ilsa studied him with calculating eyes. "You're either brilliant or completely mad."

"Probably both," Lila said with a reluctant smile. "But it would certainly set us apart from every other merchant in Belmora. By the Nether, every merchant on Eyrth."

"Exactly!" Justin said. "We're not just another potions shop. We're a revolution in customer service. And once we realize our product is customer service, guess what?" His smile broadened. "We can sell anything we want: books, groceries, furniture, weapons. Anything you can imagine."

Some of them looked as if their minds were going to explode. Businesses like Amazon were commonplace to Justin, but there was no such equivalent in this world.

"At first, it'll be rough going," he admitted. "But once we have the system in place, and a process by which people can mail us their orders or summon one of our mobile shops, then word will spread."

"The guilds will notice," Alistair warned. "They won't appreciate newcomers disrupting established practices."

"Let them notice," Justin said confidently. "By then, we'll have proven the concept works. And who knows? We aren't in the business of selling our own products. Soon enough, we will be in the business of selling others' products while they borrow our customer trust and loyalty. We will control every point from beginning to end."

Rinna bit her lip nervously. "I suppose… we could try the guarantee thing for a month? See how it goes?"

"That's all I'm asking," Justin said. "One month. If the losses are too high, we can adjust. But I'm betting we'll be too busy handling orders to worry about returns."

The group exchanged uncertain glances, but Justin could see the spark of possibility in their eyes. It was a risk—a big one—but sometimes big risks led to bigger rewards.

"All right," Lila said finally. "Customer First it is. But if we go bankrupt, I'm blaming you."

Justin grinned. "Fair enough."

Tamsin raised her hand tentatively. "A practical concern. What about food? I mean, for us to eat, not to sell. We can't keep buying from street vendors indefinitely."

"Good point," Justin said. "Maybe we can set up a small kitchen area upstairs? Nothing fancy, but enough to keep us fed."

"Mark my words," Tamsin vowed, "no one's going hungry while they work here. I'll make sure of that."

"And what about security?" Alistair asked. "I know we discussed it yesterday, but with valuable inventory coming in, we'll need proper locks."

Rinna perked up. "I can handle simple security enchantments. Nothing that'll stop a determined Rogue, but enough to deter casual thieves."

"Speaking of which," Ilsa added, "what's our policy on credit? Some customers will want to pay later, especially if we're delivering to their homes."

Justin considered this. "Coin on delivery to start. We can revisit credit once we know who we can trust."

"One more thing," Lila said. "What do we do if someone tries to order something we don't have? Do we try to source it, or just say no?"

"We source it as long as we don't lose money on it," Justin replied. "It's about winning the customer for life, not any particular sale. If we can get it reliably within a day, why not? But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"What about our name?" Rinna asked suddenly. "We still haven't settled on what to call ourselves."

The group fell silent as they pondered this crucial question.

"The Wandering Vial?" Tamsin suggested tentatively.

"Swift Current Couriers?" Alistair offered.

"I like something with 'reach' in it," Lila mused. "The Merchant's Reach, maybe?"

Justin smiled despite his fish-scented predicament. "All good options. Let's think about it while we're out today and decide tonight. For now, let's focus on the basics—getting Lila her new class, sourcing materials, and making this place livable."

He looked around, meeting everyone's eyes; they listened with rapt attention.

"This isn't just about surviving in Belmora," he continued, his tone gaining strength and conviction. "We're going to build something that matters. Something that changes how business is done in this city. Each of you brings something unique to this venture: Rinna's enchanting brilliance, Tamsin's practical wisdom, Ilsa's sharp mind for numbers, Rita's quiet determination, Lila's business acument, and Alistair's unshakeable integrity."

The Paladin straightened unconsciously, drawn in by Justin's words despite himself. The very air had become charged with possibility.

"Six months from now, when people in the Golden District are talking about the revolutionary delivery service that started in a Mudside alley; when nobles are competing to get on our customer list; when the guilds are scrambling to copy what we've built—remember this moment. Remember that we didn't just stumble into success. We earned it, together."

Rinna's eyes practically glowed with excitement, while Tamsin nodded with the fierce pride of someone who had finally found a cause worth fighting for. Even Ilsa, typically so guarded and calculating, leaned forward with obvious interest. Rita might not have understood every word, but the passion in Justin's voice transcended language barriers.

"So let's go out there and show Belmora what we're made of," Justin concluded, spreading his arms wide. "Let's build something extraordinary."

The spell was somewhat broken by a sharp knock on the door. Their first customer already?

Lila answered, revealing Szara standing in the doorway, her jade-green scales catching the morning light. The varkiss landlord stepped inside uninvited, her yellow eyes surveying their makeshift breakfast setup with apparent approval.

"Good morning," she said, her sibilant voice laced with curiosity. "Just checking on my newest tenants. How is everything progressing?"

"Very well," Lila replied diplomatically. "Just doing a bit of planning for our business venture."

Szara's nostrils flared delicately, and her forked tongue briefly flicked out. "And cooking as well, I see. It smells… quite appetizing." Her reptilian gaze shifted toward Justin, and she tilted her head in a distinctly lizard-like manner.

All eyes turned to Justin, watching for his reaction. He spread his arms with theatrical resignation. "Well, Szara, they say the customer can smell quality from a mile away. I just didn't expect it to be quite so literal."

The varkiss blinked slowly—which Justin was beginning to recognize as her version of amusement. "Ah, yes. I… see, Mr. Talemaker. An occupational hazard, perhaps?" She didn't wait for an answer, instead surveying the space with a practiced eye. "Well, if you need anything, I'm just three doors down. However, as we agreed, you are responsible for any and all repairs. Any large modifications to the structure must be approved by me as the landlord."

"Of course," Justin said. "We'll be model tenants. And if you ever need a potion delivered, well, you know who to call."

"A potion?" Her scaled brow ridge rose with genuine interest. "In fact, I could use some warmth regulation draughts and scale-shine elixir, but they are rather specialized. Most human alchemists don't cater to varkiss physiology, and J'zarra's store is halfway across town, and I'd rather… not deal with her." She blinked as she studied their group more carefully. "I am somewhat puzzled, however. None of you particularly strike me as Alchemists."

"We're still working out the operational details," Rinna said brightly, though Justin caught the slight flush in her cheeks. "But we'll certainly see if we can source those potions for you."

Szara's neck frill rippled, what Justin was learning to interpret as pleased surprise. "I would be considerably in your debt, young human. Such items are difficult to acquire in this city." She moved toward the door but paused. "I suspect your venture will prove quite… interesting. Best of luck with your enterprise."

The door closed behind her with a soft click, leaving them in contemplative silence.

"Well," Ilsa said dryly, "our first potential customer wants products we can't make for a species most of us have never dealt with."

"Actually," Rinna said thoughtfully, "specialized potions command premium prices. If we could figure out how to source varkiss-specific alchemicals…"

"One step at a time," Justin interrupted, though he was already filing away the idea. A niche market was still a market, and Szara seemed like she'd be a reliable customer if they could deliver.

"Right then," Rinna said, gathering her notes with renewed purpose. "Let's get to work. We have a business to build and a reputation to establish."

"And a fish smell to explain," Tamsin added with a grin. "Though I have to say, Mr. Talemaker, if that's the worst side effect of your... condition... we'll manage just fine."

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