All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

When Justin and Ilsa returned to the store, he was surprised to see Tammy behind the counter, beaming with a wide smile.

"Mr. Talemaker! We just sold our first membership!"

Justin smiled. "That's wonderful news, Tammy! Who is it for?"

"A young man named Arenzo Martinale. He lives a couple of blocks away, but it's for his mother; he works early and doesn't always have time to shop for her daily joint remedy, so a service like ours is a lifesaver. We might have a good opportunity in delivering elderly patients their daily medicines."

Justin nodded. "Well done, Tammy. Does Ardabel know about their needs?"

"He does. The medicine is easy for him to prepare. We'll have to do daily deliveries at around six in the morning; this one doesn't keep well."

"It's a great start, Tammy. I'll deliver it myself if necessary."

"And you two?" she asked. "How did things go?"

Justin explained the day's progress, and Tammy's eyes widened. Rita, standing beside her, was similarly surprised; her Aranthian had clearly progressed enough to follow the conversation, even if she couldn't participate yet.

"Remarkable! These memberships are a clever idea, Mr. Talemaker. They give us money right from the start. That's a big help."

"It is," Ilsa agreed. "At first, I thought the concept was a bit... unconventional, but I see the logic now: front-loading the cash flow."

"And now, we just need to deliver on our promises," Justin said. "Any word from Lila or Rinna?"

Tammy shook her head. "Still out, I imagine. Hopefully, their news is as good as yours."

"And Alistair?"

"Right here," Alistair said, emerging from the back hall. "I take it we now have five members? Well done!"

"Yes, people were quite responsive. If they're willing to get a membership just for potions, imagine how much value they'll find when we start offering other items."

"We need to log the customers' information," Alistair said. "I kept an eye on the charms, and as soon as one lit up, I placed it in the correct slot."

"Perfect," Justin said. "Ilsa, let's take care of it."

They followed Alistair to the back, where four bronze charms and one silver now occupied their own dedicated places.

"This first one is the customer Tammy signed up this morning," Alistair explained. "We already have the name and address here, so every courier knows where to go when they want something."

"Excellent," Justin said. "Ilsa should have the information we gathered today."

Within minutes, every charm had a name and address attached to a note, along with relevant details. The orcish merchant, who wrote her name down as Murgha Silverwrist, occupied the second slot, while Ravenna Alindra, the harried mother, occupied the third. The names and addresses of the other two were recorded as well.

The three of them examined their work.

"Now we wait," Alistair said with a slight frown. "Having someone constantly watching for one of the bronze ones to light up seems like a waste of manpower..."

Justin shared the same thought. "I wonder if Rinna could modify the bronze charms to interact with our map, like the silver ones do."

"It would certainly cost more," Ilsa said. "But perhaps not as much as a silver if the address remains the same."

"And hopefully it won't be too expensive to have other maps mirror the main one here at headquarters," Justin mused. "Every courier will definitely need their own navigation system."

The map, even now, stood framed on the opposite wall. For the moment, it was completely dark.

"Oh!" Alistair said.

Justin turned to see one of the charms already glowing—the bronze one belonging to the mother with the toddler. He shouldn't have been surprised; the woman had seemed quite desperate.

"I can handle it," Ilsa said. "I'll make sure Ardabel stocks my pack with plenty of pediatric medicine."

"Our first delivery," Justin said. "It's all happening faster than I expected."

"Thankfully, she isn't too far," Ilsa said, studying the map. "I know Belmora like the back of my hand. I should be back in twenty minutes."

"Good luck," Justin said.

As she left, Justin turned to Alistair. "So... what happens when we run out of couriers but orders are coming in?"

"You're asking me? I thought you knew what you were doing, Justin."

"I'm making this up as I go along," Justin admitted.

"Well, it's a promising start for day one. But this delivery mechanism seems a bit unwieldy at present." Alistair gestured at the charm slots. "We have room for two hundred of these, but they will be a huge pain to manage. We need to invest in that enchanted ledger book."

"And Ilsa's Scholar class, I suppose. I still have the core. It feels too soon, but she has proven herself."

"She has," Alistair agreed. "No pressure, but if we grow by even five members a day, we'll eventually need it by the end of the month."

Justin recalled his initial impressions of Ilsa. She had been mistrusting, and he sensed she was looking for ways to exploit what she perceived as his ignorance.

Now that they had worked together, that had shifted. Working with her one-on-one made him feel more confident about relying on her expertise.

"Let's give it another week," he said. "At the very least, the bronze charms need to communicate with the map too. And every courier needs the same copy of the map we have here at headquarters. Ideally, they load their packs completely in the morning and stay within their zone, constantly delivering as new signals appear, and only returning to resupply. That would be most efficient."

"Yes, something like that. Sounds like you need to talk to Rinna."

Justin sighed. "By the time she's through with my requests, she'll be Level 20."

At that moment, Tammy entered the hall. "Mr. Talemaker? Szara's here to see you."

Justin wondered what this could be about. "We'll talk later, Alistair."

He headed to the front, where their landlord awaited him, examining the potions on display. "Quite the transformation," she said approvingly. "To think that just a week ago, we were negotiating the rent for this place."

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"It's been a whirlwind," Justin agreed. "What can I do for you, Szara?"

"Nothing urgent, really. I noticed customers coming and going, along with the new sign, which piqued my curiosity."

"New sign?"

Szara nodded toward the doorway. "There."

Justin was surprised to see a placard now hung above the doorway, spelling "Summon & Supply" in flowing runes. Below it was the tagline: "You Summon, We Supply."

"Oh," Justin said. "It looks wonderful."

"Yes, quite professional," Szara said. "Curious name for a potions shop, which brings me to my main point. Did you manage to source a warmth regulation draught or scale-shine elixir? I'm still having trouble finding a reputable Alchemist who sells both for a reasonable price."

"Of course!" Justin said. "I'll need to ask our resident Alchemist if he knows how to brew them. If not, I'm sure he can learn. Perhaps you could return tomorrow when I have more information?"

"Certainly. And... another delicate matter. I've been informed that Kethril, a distant cousin of mine, visited you. I want to apologize; I cannot control his associations. I just wanted you to know that I had nothing to do with it and have already intervened on your behalf as my tenant."

"You didn't have to do that," Justin said.

"Nonetheless, I felt it necessary to mention. We are not close to Scaleback Row here, thank the Waters, and it's particularly bold for the Crimson Scales to be inquiring so close to the church. When the neighborhood stands together, it makes us a much harder target."

"I agree," Justin said. "If you need my help in any way, just let me know."

"I hope that is not just courtesy, Mr. Talemaker. Family he may be, but Kethril has always been... troubled. Our neighborhood has a poor reputation, yet you are doing what needs to be done—choosing to operate your business here, which will hopefully benefit the entire community. At least half the storefronts are vacant, but it wasn't always like this, if the old ones are to be believed. In short, I'll fight before I see grimroot pushers on the corner, violence in the streets, and people afraid to go out after sundown."

"That is my hope as well, Szara. Everyone deserves a chance at prosperity."

"On that, we agree, Mr. Talemaker. It was good catching up with you. I shall return tomorrow, hopefully with good news about those concoctions that have vexed me of late. Good day."

After she left, Justin entered the workshop to find Ardabel busy at work. He was reluctant to interrupt, so he waited until Ardabel reached a stopping point. The Alchemist looked up curiously, thick spectacles perched on his nose that Justin hadn't seen him wear before.

"Szara, our landlord, was asking about scale-shine elixir and warming draughts," he said. "Do you happen to know how to make those?"

"Warming draughts, yes. Scale-shine, I'm afraid not."

His tone suggested that might be the end of the conversation, but Justin cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you could learn to make it. We have quite a few varkiss in the neighborhood, and from what I hear, the closest Alchemist who deals in their potions is J'zarra, who has her shop thirty minutes away. This presents a prime opportunity to carve out a niche with real demand."

Ardabel looked at him blankly, but Justin's Insightful Gaze revealed more. The Alchemist understood exactly what Justin was asking; he simply didn't want to do it.

The reason was clear: Ardabel harbored prejudice against varkiss.

"Are you certain you want to do business with the varkiss?" Ardabel said carefully. "Not all of them are problematic, but where one gathers, others of a questionable sort start to appear like flies. If varkiss are seen frequenting your business, you'll drive away the humans who make up the majority of your customer base. We risk becoming a varkiss shop and scaring off more respectable and reliable customers."

"I respectfully disagree," Justin said. "There's no reason we can't serve a diverse clientele."

Ardabel chuckled dryly. "If you try to please everyone, you please no one."

Justin chose his words carefully, aware of the delicate situation. "Ardabel, I understand your concerns about market positioning. But consider this: specialized potions for varkiss physiology can command premium prices precisely because so few Alchemists offer them. We're talking about an underserved market with genuine need and the means to pay well for quality products."

Ardabel remained silent, listening but withholding agreement.

Justin continued. "I'm not asking you to change your views. I'm asking you to consider the business opportunity. Szara alone represents steady income, and if we can serve the varkiss community well, word will spread. That's additional revenue without competing directly with every other Alchemist in Belmora."

Ardabel removed his spectacles and cleaned them slowly. "I... suppose I could research the formulations. Purely from a professional standpoint, of course. Expanding one's knowledge is never wasted effort."

"That's all I ask," Justin said diplomatically. "And if you find the work distasteful, we can reassess. But I believe there's real profit potential here."

"Very well," Ardabel replied with obvious reluctance. "I'll look into it. But I make no promises about timelines or... enthusiasm for such work."

"Understood. Thank you for considering it. Szara was going to return tomorrow; having a scale-shine ready would set the right tone."

Ardabel grunted. Justin understood that sound: I don't work for you, and as soon as my contract is up, I'm gone.

Justin held back a sigh. Another issue to deal with. He'd have to discuss this with Lila.

Ardabel still had several weeks left on his contract with Lila, so perhaps there was enough time to find a good solution.

Justin left Ardabel to his work and headed to the front of the shop, where he was pleased to see a couple of customers browsing. One of them, a woman of about fifty, smiled as he walked by.

"Let me know if you need anything," Justin said.

"Actually, I do. Do you have anything for my husband's energy levels? He's been quite tired lately, especially in the evenings."

"Tired in the evenings? How curious. I can ask my Alchemist about..."

Justin felt his cheeks warm as he realized what she was likely asking about. It wasn't about his energy levels, but far more likely about his performance in the bedroom, given as a polite euphemism.

Justin cleared his throat and glanced around awkwardly. "I'm not entirely certain what we have in stock for that particular..."

"Madam?" Tammy stepped forward smoothly from behind the counter with a practiced smile. "Are you looking for a vigor tonic? We carry several formulations depending on your husband's specific needs."

Justin blinked in surprise. They did?

The woman turned to Tammy with visible relief. "Yes, exactly. Something to help with stamina."

"Our thornbark and ginseng mixture is quite good," Tammy said matter-of-factly. "Very high quality. Fifteen coppers per dose."

"Perfect. I'll take three, please."

As Tammy retrieved the blue bottles and handled the transaction, Justin watched in admiration. She treated it like any other business request—no embarrassment, no awkward glances, just professional customer service. He had a lot to learn from her.

After the woman left, Justin approached Tammy. "Thank you for stepping in. I was a bit unprepared for that kind of request."

Tammy smiled. "It's just another customer need, Mr. Talemaker. People have all sorts of requirements, and there's nothing shameful about any of them. The sooner we treat every customer with respect and professionalism, the more they'll trust us with their business."

Justin nodded, feeling slightly humbled. "You're absolutely right. I suppose I need to grow into this role a bit more."

"We all do," Tammy said kindly. "But you're learning quickly."

With the customer taken care of and checked out, Justin decided to change subjects. "The new sign looks great! Except I didn't know a thing about it."

"My apologies, Mr. Talemaker, but it was supposed to be a surprise," Tammy admitted. "What do you think?"

"Very eye-catching and professional. It must have cost ten silvers at least."

Tammy smiled. "All Rita's work."

Justin's eyes widened as he turned to Rita. "You did this?"

She nodded, looking down.

"Rita, it's amazing. It's just missing one thing: a logo."

"A logo?" Tammy asked. "What do you mean, Mr. Talemaker?"

"Like a crest for a noble house. For branding."

"Ah, I see. A brand, like on cattle. So people recognize us at a glance."

"Yes. Exactly."

Tammy touched Rita's arm. "I'm sure Rita can handle that. Can't you, Rita?"

Rita's dark eyes widened, and she shook her head vigorously.

Justin knelt to meet Rita's gaze. "Rita, I've seen how carefully you arrange things in the shop. The way you fold the cleaning cloths, how you organize the bottles—there's an artist's eye in everything you do. A logo doesn't have to be complicated. Just something simple that represents us. A small drawing, nothing more."

Rita glanced nervously between Justin and Tammy, her hands fidgeting with her apron. Justin could tell she understood him.

"Tell you what," he continued, "why don't you try sketching a few ideas? If you don't like any of them, we'll figure something else out. No pressure."

The tension in Rita's shoulders began to ease. She looked at Tammy, who nodded encouragingly.

"And if you need help with anything," Justin added, "Tammy will be right here. You're part of this team, Rita. We believe in you."

For the first time since he'd known her, a small, tentative smile touched Rita's lips. She gave a slight nod.

"Well, I need to head to Master Corvain's shop to check on some maps. I should be back in a couple of hours."

"All right," Tammy said. "We'll hold down the fort."

Justin left the shop and examined the placard again. The sign was elegantly crafted from polished oak with brass corners, painted in deep forest green with gold lettering. "Summon & Supply" flowed across the top in graceful runic script, while "You Summon, We Supply" appeared beneath in smaller, practical block runes. A subtle border of intertwined vines added a touch of refinement without being ostentatious—exactly the sort of sign that would catch the eye without seeming desperate for attention.

He summoned Atlas, mounted up, and headed toward the Golden District.