All in Charisma (A LitRPG/Isekai Adventure)

Within the hour, Justin found himself standing inside Master Corvain's cartography shop.

"Ah, Mr. Talemaker! Back again?"

"You remembered me," Justin said, pleased.

"How could I forget? Your last visit was quite memorable—not every day someone haggles over a world map with such determination." Corvain's eyes twinkled with amusement. "What brings you here today? Please tell me you're not looking to return that map."

"Quite the opposite. I have a situation I believe you can help me with." Justin produced both a silver and bronze summoning charm from his pack. "Can you read the magical properties of these?"

Corvain's expression seemed curious. "Certainly. I can already discern some basic information, but let me retrieve my scryer's lens for a fuller analysis."

The cartographer moved to a side table where an elaborate device sat—part microscope, part arcane instrument. Ethereal energy gathered around its crystalline components as he activated it. An aether crystal glowed softly at its base, presumably powering the enchantments.

"Fascinating," Corvain murmured, examining the bronze charm first under the lens. "This is quite a neat piece of work. My assessment suggests it was crafted by an Enchanter between levels six and nine—competent work, but not ostentatious. These charms have been calibrated purely for utility."

He adjusted the lens focus slightly. "The bronze version operates on a proximity-based activation system. It lights up when its matching pair is held firmly for about three seconds or touched with deliberate intent to send a signal. By signal, I don't mean telepathy—that level of communication magic would require far more sophisticated enchantments. Rather, it simply makes the paired charm glow, effective within roughly a ten-mile radius."

"Exactly as designed," Justin confirmed. "And the silver one?"

Corvain switched his attention to the more complex charm. "This retains all the bronze functionalities, but there's an additional ethereal link binding it to another device—something with dynamic magical properties. It could be advanced equipment, perhaps specialized armor or weaponry, though more likely..." He paused, considering. "A map?"

"Precisely. Your dynamic map, actually."

"Ah!" Corvain's face lit up with professional pride. "Now I see the full picture. When someone activates the silver charm, your map displays their exact location. Quite ingenious, really. I'm always fascinated by novel applications of enchanting principles. Your staff Enchanter must be remarkably talented."

"She certainly is," Justin agreed. "But we've encountered some growing pains. I was hoping you might help us solve a logistical challenge."

"I'm listening."

"Currently, our couriers must return to headquarters to check the main map for new delivery requests. I'd like each courier to carry their own dynamic map—nothing as comprehensive as the world map I purchased, just Belmora and its immediate surroundings. The question is: can we link both the silver and bronze charms to multiple maps simultaneously?"

Corvain stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Technically, yes. If your Enchanter achieved what I've seen here, expanding the network shouldn't present insurmountable challenges. However, you'll face escalating cost issues. Each additional map connection requires exponentially more aether per charm."

Justin's heart sank slightly. "I was afraid of something like that."

"However," Corvain continued, raising a finger, "if you brought your Enchanter here, I might suggest a more elegant solution."

"Such as?"

"Mirror enchantments. Rather than connecting each charm to multiple maps individually, you could enchant the secondary maps to mirror your primary map. Think of them as magical reflections rather than independent systems. My dynamic maps already contain sufficient ethereal capacity for such enchantments, and you'd only need to enchant them once rather than modifying every individual charm."

Justin considered this approach. "That sounds much more practical. I could discuss this with my Enchanter and see what she thinks."

"Excellent. And how many of these maps might you require?"

"We're still quite small—just a handful of couriers at present. But assuming our business succeeds, I could envision us developing an ongoing business relationship. Your work quality has been impressive."

Corvain's chest swelled with professional satisfaction. "Music to a craftsman's ears, Mr. Talemaker. As it happens, I have approximately ten Belmoran dynamic maps in stock—coverage extends about five miles beyond the city limits in all directions."

That should easily include the Corrin Estate and most noble residences, Justin calculated. "What would one cost?"

"These are my standard city maps, accessible to any well-to-do citizen who truly needs one. The price reflects that accessibility rather than exclusivity. For a Belmoran dynamic, I charge ten silvers each."

Justin recalled purchasing his Mistwatch dynamic map for two silvers, which covered a much larger area with far less detail. The complexity of accurately mapping Belmora's dense urban landscape likely justified the higher price.

"Would you consider a small discount in exchange for the promise of future business?"

Corvain chuckled knowingly. "I should have expected this. It wouldn't be a proper transaction with you without some negotiation!"

"Actually," Justin clarified, "I'm happy to pay full price for this map. I'm more interested in establishing our relationship for potential future purchases."

"And how many maps do you anticipate needing with only four couriers?"

Justin shrugged diplomatically. "Perhaps such discussions are premature. For now, I'll take one map at your standard price."

Corvain retrieved a carefully rolled map from his inventory, allowing Justin to inspect the detailed craftsmanship before finalizing the purchase. Satisfied with the quality, Justin counted out the silver coins.

"Will that complete your business today?"

"Yes, thank you, Master Corvain. I'll send my Enchanter by if she has technical questions about the mirror enchantments."

"I'd be delighted to discuss the finer points with a fellow professional. Good day, Mr. Talemaker."

The bell chimed as Justin departed, the new map secured in his pack, already planning how to present the mirror enchantment concept to Rinna.

When Justin returned to headquarters, he found Lila and Rinna had already arrived. Before he could finish explaining the map situation, Rinna interrupted with characteristic enthusiasm.

"Mirror enchantments! I can absolutely do that. I know exactly what needs to be done."

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She practically snatched the map and charms from his hands before trotting off to the workshop with obvious excitement.

"Well," Justin said, watching her disappear, "that's what I like to see. Enthusiasm for a challenge."

Lila managed a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Didn't go well today, I take it?" Justin asked gently.

She shook her head in frustration. "We were laughed out of nearly every establishment we visited."

"Laughed out?" Justin couldn't hide his surprise. "That seems unnecessarily harsh."

"Perhaps we should have anticipated it," Lila said, leaning against the counter. "Most established businesses already have their suppliers locked in with contracts. The only real success we had was with individuals. We found an Archer who immediately understood the value of my Coordination and Rhythmic Barrage potions. He could see how they'd improve his accuracy."

"That sounds promising! Did he become a member?"

"No, but I gave him our information. He said he'd visit if the sample potion proved effective." She sighed. "We approached five adventurers' guilds, four mercenary companies, and at least six general stores. All rejected us, some without even hearing our complete pitch."

Justin wondered if his own success had been boosted by his Charisma attribute. While Lila had strong social skills as a Songbrewer, her development was more balanced across different areas.

"Lila, listen," he said thoughtfully. "You're focusing entirely on what went wrong. But consider this: if even one of those guilds had said yes, could we realistically supply all the potions they'd need? Maybe rejection saved us from overcommitting."

"Maybe," she conceded. "It's just... rejection stings, you know? I used to manage my own shop, but this street-level marketing is completely new territory. I never imagined I'd be doing door-to-door sales. When my father passed, I inherited his customers, and people found me by word of mouth." She sighed. "But you're right about the bigger picture. I can craft unique potions specifically valuable to Charisma and Coordination classes. Perhaps that's where I should focus my efforts."

"Exactly," Justin encouraged. "We had remarkable success at Saint Muriel's Plaza. We signed up four new members just by talking to people. Plus, we completed our first delivery."

"I heard about that from Ilsa. Sixty coppers' worth of medicine, delivered without any problems."

"That's significant progress for day one. And your potion sale to the Archer provides valuable market intelligence. That's exactly what we were seeking."

Lila's expression brightened. "You're absolutely right. I was wallowing instead of analyzing what we learned."

"The day's nearly finished," Alistair said, emerging from the back hallway. "I have Ilsa monitoring the charms. Did you resolve the map situation with Corvain? I saw Rinna practically sprint to the workshop."

"We may have found our solution. The technical details are complex, but Rinna grasped the concept immediately. If her mirror enchantments work as planned, our bronze charms will connect to multiple maps simultaneously."

"Let's hope her confidence proves justified."

Lila glanced at the wall clock. "Half an hour until closing time."

"Which raises something we never discussed," Alistair said. "What happens when customers try to place orders outside business hours?"

The question caught Justin completely off guard. "I... honestly hadn't considered that scenario."

In his world, customers could order items in their pajamas at two a.m. and trust they would arrive within two days, if not sooner. Here, an actual courier needed to be dispatched first.

"We definitely won't handle nighttime deliveries initially," Justin decided. "The charms stay lit until touched, so any overnight requests will be visible in the morning. We'll fulfill them first thing. Once Rinna's new system is operational, managing such requests should become much simpler, especially when we move to a zoned delivery system."

"Speaking of new systems," Lila said, "can you explain the zoned delivery concept again? I'm out of the loop."

Justin updated her on his discussions about assigning couriers to specific geographical areas, all connected through the enhanced map network, with each zone close enough to headquarters for easy resupply.

"Smart approach," she agreed, "but it's entirely dependent on Rinna's success with those enchantments."

"I have faith in her abilities," Justin said. "Still, we should prepare contingency plans. We currently have capacity for two hundred members using our manual tracking system. That should cover us for the first month or two, at least."

"Though management becomes exponentially more difficult," Alistair pointed out. "We'll have to trust Rinna's expertise."

"Szara visited earlier," Justin said, changing the subject. "She's interested in scale-shine elixir. I asked Ardabel to prepare some."

"He mentioned that," Lila replied cautiously. "I sense he doesn't appreciate being given assignments."

"Transitioning from shop owner to employee creates natural tensions," Alistair observed diplomatically.

"Actually, he's not technically an employee," Lila corrected. "He's been remarkably generous, volunteering to build our inventory when he only agreed to mentor me. I hope he'll consider joining permanently once his current commitment expires."

Justin nodded, setting aside his earlier tension with Ardabel for a private discussion later. "Lord Corrin also mentioned wanting an effective hair tonic. Any progress there?"

"We've researched formulations," Lila said, "but the required ingredients are extraordinarily difficult to source. They're not just expensive; they're genuinely rare. For anything truly effective, rather than temporary fixes with side effects, we'd need Phoenix Down, Ember Moss, and Crystallized Moonbeam."

"Crystallized Moonbeam?" Justin asked. "What on Eyrth is that?"

"Apparently, they're aether crystals that form above ground over thousands of years, collecting moonlight in their formations. They are incredibly rare because any aether crystal that exists above ground is snatched up immediately. Thus, they can only be found in truly isolated locations."

"I see. And Ember Moss?"

"It only grows deep underground in the Fire Range in Calidon," she said. "Even greatly diluted mixtures sell for a lot, but they have limited effectiveness. However, if you can create something truly pure..."

Justin clicked his tongue. "All that just to restore hair? If we could source those ingredients, we'd dominate the wealthy balding nobleman market."

Lila's expression grew wistful. "Ardabel dismissed the idea as impractical, but we know where such ingredients could be found. It's somewhat frustrating..."

She trailed off as Alistair cleared his throat meaningfully. The unspoken implication hung in the air—access to the gate network would solve many sourcing problems, but that remained off-limits for now. Maybe Justin could convince Alistair it was worth it if it meant growing the business faster and targeting Valdrik monetarily.

"Nearly closing time," Lila said, checking the clock again. "I should return to the workshop."

As she left, Alistair went back to monitor the charms while Justin remained in the showroom. A few potential customers browsed briefly before leaving without purchasing anything. Then, predictably, five minutes before closing, two charms activated simultaneously. Ilsa was dispatched to handle both deliveries since they were geographically close, with Alistair providing security.

Rita took over charm monitoring while Justin and Tammy prepared to close.

When the clock struck five, Justin locked the front door and flipped the sign to "Closed."

"And so concludes our very first day of business."

Once Ilsa returned, with seventy additional coppers deposited in their "income" purse, everyone gathered in the front area except Rinna, who remained absorbed in her workshop projects.

"Someone fetch Rinna, please," Justin requested. "I'd like to share some thoughts with everyone."

Ilsa retrieved the Enchanter, who looked mildly annoyed at the interruption.

"I know your work is crucial, Rinna," Justin said apologetically. "This will only take a moment." He turned to Ilsa. "Have you calculated our total receipts for the day?"

She consulted her ledger with satisfaction, cross-checking the money collected in Justin's income purse. "Yes. Total receipts: nine silvers from memberships, plus eight silvers and sixty coppers from direct potion sales. Grand total: seventeen silvers and sixty coppers exactly."

Spontaneous applause erupted from the group, with several people laughing in delighted surprise. Justin smiled, but he knew this was just the beginning. To grow and scale, their daily intake would need to increase significantly.

"Be proud of yourselves," Justin said warmly. "This first day exceeded our expectations. But remember—this is merely our first step. Rinna is developing a system to provide everyone with personal navigation maps linked to our bronze charms. Under this new system, our efficiency should improve dramatically."

Rinna nodded, her expression determined.

He paused, meeting each person's gaze. "Not every day will be like this. We'll face setbacks, difficult customers, and unexpected challenges. But if we persist, day after day, supporting each other and improving our service, we'll all benefit tremendously."

"What happens to all this money?" Tammy asked curiously.

"Excellent question," Justin replied. "All income is deposited in the income wallet, held by me. From there, all our material costs are deducted. The remainder is split: wages, operating costs, whatever taxes we might need to pay, plus the profit sharing fund."

"Such financial matters are beyond me," Tammy admitted, "but I trust both you and Lila completely."

"We can adjust as needed," Lila said. "And that's why we have Ilsa. Financial management is her specialty. And yes, everyone here qualifies for profit-sharing as founding team members, in addition to your regular wages."

Justin looked around at their faces—tired but energized, proud but determined.

"We're building something unprecedented here," he said. "Not just a business, but a completely new way of serving our community. Every successful delivery, every satisfied customer, every problem we solve together—it all brings us closer to changing how commerce works in Belmora. You're not just employees; you're pioneers. What we accomplish here could transform how people live their daily lives."

He smiled at the group. "Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, we prove that today wasn't just beginner's luck."