Kit's mind was lost in a haze as he strolled along, replaying the events of his first day running a stall at the market. He already had ideas for how to make things better next time.
It was seemed like it was going to be crucial for him to have a stall in every town they passed through on their journey to the forsaken state. That way it would make saving money for his restaurant faster than just collecting plants and selling them.
Next time he logged out of CAL, Kit made a note to check the current conversion rates. With that thought, he suddenly realised that he hadn't been keeping track of how many days he had spent in game. He began to count back from when he first entered and realised it was now his 11th day. Mars had started a day earlier, so this would be his 12th day overall.
If they were going to travel together and keep their schedules aligned, Kit would need to log out one day early. He knew he would have to discuss this with Mars tonight. Preoccupied with these thoughts, Kit nearly walked right past the Large Fuzzy Chicken until he caught himself and turned towards the door.
Taking a deep breath, he entered the bright and lively restaurant. He wasn't looking forward to signing a contract with Snickers - someone who had been alive for over 500 years. He felt completely out of his depth around her.
Pushing aside his nerves, Kit made his way towards the back kitchen where he could hear people cleaning up. Not wanting to barge in unannounced, he called out to let them know he was there. A familiar melody responded, "Come on in Kit, we're almost done here."
Kit stepped into the kitchen and spotted the source of the voice: Arnold, perched on a stool chatting with Morrigan. "Hey Kit, I was expecting you earlier. Snickers has been worried sick all day thinking you ran off," greeted Arnold.
"Sorry, Arnold. I went to the markets this morning and set up a stall," Kit explained.
"Ah, so you're the one everyone's been talking about today. I overheard some gossip about a vendor selling stat dishes in the market," chuckled Arnold.
Kit shifted nervously. He hadn't considered how other restaurant owners might feel about him selling meals at the market.
Morrigan patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry about it, Kit. Competition is normal in business; it pushes us to improve ourselves."
Kit relaxed at his words and looked over at Arnold, relieved to see him smiling. "This is great news for me, Kit. It means you have a good chance of opening your own restaurant soon and I can finally get rid of my lovely niece," said Arnold jokingly, his dazzling smile leaving Kit momentarily stunned.
Once he recovered from Arnold's charm, Kit realised what he had actually said. His stomach dropped as dread replaced the happy mood he had been in all day. Panic started to set in as he tried to grasp the implications of those words.
The cause of his distress entered the room. "KIT! Finally, you're here! I was just about to come and find you. Let's go!" A small hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards another room.
Kit heard Morrigan chuckle as he was dragged away. "Good luck, Kit." Kit turned to him with a look of fear, but Morrigan just laughed even harder. He tried to pull his arm out of Snickers' grip, but it didn't budge. Before he knew it, he was in an office with a large wooden desk and three chairs in the centre.
Arnold followed them into the room and took a seat in the big leather chair behind the desk, leaving two wooden chairs for Kit and Snickers. "Uncle, I wanted to sit there," Snickers pouted.
Kit knew from his father that the chair Arnold sat in was known as the seat of power. He could already see Snickers trying to take control of the situation through her words. He knew this negotiation was going to be difficult. Kit sat down before his legs gave out.
He had no idea what kind of conditions Snickers would demand, but he knew he wouldn't like the outcome. He let out a deep breath to calm himself down; he needed to stay composed, or this would end badly.
"Let's get started," Arnold said eagerly. He opened his desk drawer and took out a large parchment and quill, placing them on the desk. Snickers reached for the paper, but Kit quickly grabbed the quill and paper, not wanting her to write anything sneaky in the contract. Snickers shrugged, unbothered by Kit's forceful move.
He looked at the blank paper in front of him, feeling overwhelmed with how to write a contract. He hoped Arnold would help since he wanted to get rid of Snickers and knew he would want to help create the document.
Arnold began dictating the first part of the contract: "Kit, as owner of the restaurant, will enter a binding employee contract with Snickers. She will hold the position of restaurant manager at Kit's establishment." He then turned to Snickers and paused, signalling for her to input her terms.
Kit remembered from his previous binding contract with Morrigan that contracts in CAL were different from real-life ones, so he made sure to pay close attention to every word in the document.
Kit took his time writing, determined not to miss any important details. Snickers, on the other hand, was growing impatient and began tapping her finger on the table. "Hurry up, Kit," she urged.
Ignoring her, Kit focused on carefully crafting the contract. But Snickers sat up straight in her chair, fixating her gaze on him without blinking. He could feel the weight of her stare and couldn't help but glance up at her nervously every now and then. It was like being a rabbit facing a hungry lion.
But Kit knew he couldn't let her rush him. He desperately hoped he could get through this process without losing his integrity.
"Kit, don't take all day. We have work to do," Snickers tapped impatiently on the table.
"Snickers, please give me some time. I've never written a contract before and I don't want to make any mistakes," Kit replied with shaking hands, trying to calm his nerves under her intense scrutiny.
Suddenly, Snickers made a demand: "I want one gold crown per day."
Kit's jaw almost dropped at the outrageous request. He stopped writing and shook his head without even realising it. "No, that's impossible. I won't be making much money to begin with. How could I afford to pay you so much?"
"Since I know your business is new, I'll accept a very low wage. But make no mistake, young man: my worth is one platinum per day." Snickers looked insulted but also held herself with pride as she sat up straight and adjusted her hair.
Kit's heart skipped a beat when he heard the amount of one platinum. He glanced at Arnold, who nodded in agreement. Kit's eyes widened with the realisation that this girl must have some extraordinary ability to be worth such an amount.
All his worries about hiring Snickers faded away in that moment, replaced by anticipation and excitement. He was determined to sign a contract with her at any cost. He should have known from the start that she was special, being over 500 years old.
His initial hesitation was due to her strange behaviour, but now he saw how lucky he was to have this opportunity. As he thought about the one gold crown she wanted as salary, he heart sank. There was no way he could afford the price.
Kit placed the quill back on the paper with a sigh. He was disappointed that he would be letting this chance slip away. He regretted not realising sooner the benefits she could bring. He had come into this negotiation unprepared, thinking he would be content if the contract fell through.
But CAL is full of rare opportunities and benefits; he should have known better. He felt devastated at never knowing what he could have gained from employing Snickers, but perhaps it was for the best.
Kit lowered his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Snickers. I regret promising you a job without considering the consequences of such a large offer."
His heart raced as Snickers slammed her hand on the table. "You gave me your word. You will fulfil it!" she bellowed.
A sense of dread washed over Kit as he saw the fierce determination in Snickers' eyes. He could almost feel her intent to harm him radiating off her. He was at a loss for what to do in this intense situation.
"Snickers, I truly wanted to give you a job. But I can't afford it," Kit pleaded, trying to calm down the enraged elf.
Both Kit and Snickers were disappointed, but Kit knew there was no way out of this situation. He was worried he had ruined any chance of returning to this restaurant ever again.
Snickers confirmed his fears with her next words. "This was your only opportunity, Kit. So … Pick. Up. That. Quill. Now."
Without thinking, Kit instinctively reached for the quill as Snickers' anger filled the room. In that moment, he feared for his life. But amidst his panic, he also realised something important: Snickers was desperate to find a job.
What was driving her desperation? With each passing moment of their contract negotiations, Kit could feel the urgency in Snickers' voice growing. Curiosity and concern led him to ask why she was so desperate to work with him specifically. After all, she came from a wealthy family who owned a restaurant. Why couldn't she just stay here?
Snickers gave him a look as if he were missing something obvious before letting out a deep sigh. "I can't get a job anywhere else. Every time I try, my fiancé intervenes and sabotages my chances. The only reason I've been able to keep our contract a secret is because it's with you."
"Why would your fiancé not want you to work?" Kit questioned, now genuinely perplexed. From the way Snickers had exuded powerful aura earlier, he felt she was powerful being. Was she being controlled or threatened by her fiancé?
Snickers' face flushed red, she glanced over at Arnold. "We made a bet," she explained to Kit. "If I could land a job with a human within a year, we would call off the marriage. But if not, I would have to go through with it."
Kit was taken aback by this revelation. He had never considered this as one of the potential reasons for Snickers' desperation. He felt sympathy for the young girl - who would want to marry someone they didn't love? It was clear that Snickers only wanted to avoid the arranged marriage.
Despite his desire to help her, Kit couldn't think of a way out of her dilemma. "I'm sorry, Snickers, but I can't afford that much money. I wish there was some way I could hire you, if only you could be hired for a meal a day."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
As he spoke, a loud bang echoed through the restaurant. All three pairs of eyes turned towards the source - the door. "SNICKERS, COME OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! DON'T YOU DARE SIGN ANY CONTRACT!"
Snickers' eyes widened with excitement. "Deal." She quickly grabbed the parchment and quill, scribbling something on the paper, then shoving it towards Kit. "Sign now," she ordered forcefully, pushing the quill back into his hands.
Kit didn't hesitate to comply with her request, the menacing pressure Snickers was exuding right now was frightening. Just as he finished signing, a large man burst into the room. The man’s blazing eyes fell upon the newly signed document.
Curiosity piqued, Kit followed his line of sight to see two golden threads emerging from the parchment and connecting Snickers and himself together.
Chapter They are your problem now
Kit's gaze followed the shimmering thread, which led to his wrist and began to coil into a bracelet. He turned to Snickers and saw that she too had the same stylish accessory on her own wrist.
Ding!
[CAL]
Contract bind. Player Snickers will be unable to break the contract with Kit without his permission.
Employee gained: [Special Employee] Snickers.
Role: Restaurant manager.
Special ability: Calm a crowd.
Snickers can sing a sweet song to calm the masses, or she can threaten them into submission.
Rewards: Uniforms made by Snickers will have a special enhancement. Restaurant will have an additional unlockable feature on completion.
Extra rewards for management: Attracts high level employees. High chance to receive extra restaurant fittings or upgrade to appliances upon restaurant completion/reconstructions.
Kit was taken aback by the notification he received. "Fighting fish!" he exclaimed in disbelief. Snickers, his new employee, had astonishing bonuses to her employment that he was still trying to wrap his head around.
He couldn't believe his luck in gaining such a valuable member of his team. Not only could she handle difficult customers with ease, but she also had the ability to design special uniforms for their company. And as if that wasn't enough, there was an additional feature that could be unlocked upon his restaurants construction!
Kit felt a rush of relief wash over him; if he hadn't successfully recruited Snickers, he would have missed out on this amazing opportunity. He couldn't contain the excitement coursing through him, and glanced at his wrist to see the golden thread fading away.
However, his joy was quickly replaced with fear as he noticed the large man staring at him like a predator eyeing its prey. Kit's heart began to race, and he gulped nervously, feeling a sense of dread wash over him as he stared back at the intimidating figure before him.
The large man's gaze shifted to Snickers. "My beloved. Why would you betray me like this?" His voice had a hint of desperation as he struggled to hold back tears. He looked at Snickers as if she were his whole world, and Kit couldn't help but feel uncomfortable witnessing his distress.
This was not the reaction Kit had anticipated. He had expected the man to be domineering and aggressive, but instead, he seemed like a heartbroken puppy. "You don't love me anymore," the man continued in a sorrowful tone. "How will I go on without my little Snoo Snoo?" He clutched at his chest and pouted.
Kit felt like he was watching a poorly scripted TV drama. "My little Snoo Snoo, I refuse to let you go. I will do everything in my power to make you my wife." The man turned to Kit, his adoring expression now replaced with a menacing glare. "Arnold, give him another contract."
Kit could sense the pressure mounting as the man demanded that he sign another contract. He knew hiring this man would only bring headaches every day.
"Leonard, if you work for Kit, I will never speak to you again," Snickers stood up to face the large man. Despite being much shorter than him, she placed her hands on her hips and glared at him fiercely. "Kit is mine, not yours."
“Snoo Snoo. You would choose this little human over me? My heart,” Leonard exclaimed, dramatically swooning. The attention-seeking man was putting on a performance. Kit could feel a headache coming on.
Snickers kicked his leg in irritation and glared at Leonard before storming out of the room. Leonard, who stood at over 6'5" and was built like a mountain, followed Snickers begging to work with her. Kit couldn't believe this giant man was acting like a tantrum-throwing child.
Kit had no idea what he had gotten himself into by agreeing to work with Snickers. He turned to Arnold, who had a huge grin on his face. "They are your problem now." Arnold seemed ecstatic about Kit's predicament. Kit was at a loss for words.
Now he understood why there was no rebuttal from Arnold when he signed the contract with Snickers - she came with an added bonus of a man-mountain baby. He had originally thought it Snickers was in a desperate situation, but from the pair’s interaction right now it didn’t seem like the case. Snickers had even kicked the large man and ordered him about.
Kit groaned and rubbed his tired face. He could already feel himself getting caught in the middle of their relationship, and he wasn't looking forward to dealing with a pouting 500-year-old and a muscular baby.
But at least he wouldn't have to deal with them until he opened his own restaurant. As he shook his head, Kit's eyes fell on the contract sitting on the table. He pulled it towards himself and finally took a moment to read the terms he had blindly signed earlier.
As he scanned the document, Kit couldn't believe his luck. There was only one condition: providing his new employee with one meal a day. And in exchange, he got to hire this special employee without any ridiculous demands or restrictions. He even thought the "man mountain" wasn't a bad trade-off for such an advantageous contract.
Overjoyed, Kit rolled up the parchment and stashed it in his pouch. When he looked up, his gaze met Arnold's. "Looks like you got pretty lucky there, Kit," Arnold remarked. "That was some smooth negotiating. So, what are your plans now?"
Kit paused before answering; he couldn't mention the map to Arnold. "I'll focus on saving money to start my restaurant," he said. "And I've had some success with my street stall today, so I'll continue selling my meals while traveling between towns."
“You're not planning to stay in Flower Field town?” Arnold asked curiously.
“No, I want to travel around Fornax and see all it has to offer before settling down.” Kit replied with a determined tone.
Arnold's face took on a thoughtful expression as he gazed at Kit. His eyes seemed to light up with an idea. “It’s much safer to travel with friends. Why don't you take Snickers with you?” Kit was beginning to see that Arnold was delighted to be getting rid of his niece.
Kit's on the other hand felt his heart sink at the thought. He didn't want to deal with the drama-filled pair until he had something else to distract them with. He had no intention of traveling with Snickers; he would wait until he opened his own restaurant before allowing her to join him.
“It's fine, Arnold. I already have a travel companion. But thank you for the offer.” Kit gave Arnold a tight smile.
Arnold rolled his eyes. “Well, when you do open your restaurant, she'll be all yours. Just make sure it doesn't take too long, or I might come looking for you.”
The elf gave Kit a stern look that sent shivers down his spine. He couldn't wait to leave this town and these intimidating people behind. Thanking Arnold for his help, Kit quickly made his exit from the building.
Returning to the Inn, Kit found his room empty as Mars had not yet returned from delivering the letter to Iris' cousin. Deciding to grab a meal while he waited, Kit headed downstairs.
Midway through his meal, Mars plopped down beside Kit. "Kit, this letter is a never-ending chain quest. I've been trying to finish it all day and I still have more to do. We'll have to stay in town for another day. Is that alright with you?"
Kit nodded, secretly pleased. He had been wanting to make some improvements to his street stall and an extra day would give him the chance to implement his ideas, like adding beer with the Apelop salad.
Now, he just needed to figure out how to get his hands on some cups at a reasonable price. Kit also remembered he needed to buy a few more things before they left town anyway, so having an extra day was convenient.
Mars updated Kit on the tasks he had completed and the ones he still had left to do from the letter. He complained about the tedious fetch quests that were part of it.
"Cheer up, Mars," Kit consoled him. "The chain quests can't go on forever. Hopefully tomorrow you'll finish and get something good at the end, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Mars replied reluctantly. "It's just not as fun doing it alone. But at least tomorrow you'll join me." He looked hopefully at Kit.
Kit hesitated at this mention of joining Mars tomorrow. He didn't know how to tell his friend that he already had other plans for the next day.
"What's with that look? No way! You have to join me tomorrow!" Mars pleaded with Kit in a desperate tone.
Kit explained everything that had happened today, including his successful business dealings while Mars was busy with quests. Mars was stunned by all that Kit had accomplished in one day. "That's not fair, Kit! You had an amazing day and all I did was chase after some quests!" he pouted at his friend.
Despite feeling sorry for Mars, Kit couldn't help but laugh at his sulky demeanour. "Don't worry, once I'm tied down to my restaurant, the roles will be reversed and you'll have all the adventures," he reassured Mars. But even though Mars nodded in agreement, Kit could see that he couldn't quite shake off his disappointed mood.
Kit spoke up, breaking the silence between them. "I'll be setting up my street stall tomorrow, and I still need to go to the market for some things." He glanced at his despondent friend before sighing. "But if you want me to join you on your chain quests, I can come along."
Mars wore a resigned expression. "It's fine, Kit. I know we can't always do everything together. Your stall will gain valuable experience for your restaurant. I'll manage on my own; it's just these quests are a bit of a pain."
Kit laughed at the pained look on Mars' face. "Before we make any plans, there's something I wanted to discuss with you, but maybe we should wait until we're back in our room."
Mars looked at Kit curiously. "Sure, let me grab some dinner first, then we can talk in our room."
As they prepared to order their food, Kit's eyes fell upon the sling around Mars' shoulder. He missed seeing the little fluff ball peeking out for food. However, he knew the tiny creature was probably exhausted from following Mars around all day. He couldn't take Snowball with him tomorrow as he would be busy with his stall, so he looked forward to cuddling with it tonight.
Kit reassured himself that he could sneak in some cuddles once they were upstairs in their small room. After satisfying their hunger, they made their way back up to their room. Kit sat down on the edge of his bed in the virtual world while Mars mirrored his movements on his own bed. Kit wasted no time and went straight to the topic he wanted to discuss.
"I think we should talk about logging out," Kit said. "It'd be best to do it away from any NPCs."
Mars looked surprised at first, but then started counting on his fingers. "Damn, I lost track of time. It's been 12 days inside CAL for me." He lifted his gaze from his fingers to meet Kit's eyes.
"I was thinking we should synchronise our entry into the game so that our in-game days will match up. That way, when one of us leaves, we can log back in together the next day. What do you think?" Kit had considered this carefully.
Sacrificing one day in the game would affect his earning potential, and each day was valuable to him as he had limited time to achieve all his goals. But if they didn't synchronise now, they would always miss two days of playing together - one when Mars left and one when he logged in before Kit.
To Kit, it made more sense to be on the same schedule so that they wouldn't waste time waiting for each other. He explained his reasoning to Mars, who nodded in agreement. "You're right. As we get closer to finding the location on the map, it will become crucial for us to be in sync. The forsaken state is dangerous, and if one of us is alone there's a higher chance of getting killed."
"I'm glad you're on board with the plan," Kit said, relieved. "After thinking it over, I believe we should stay in town for our first logout. We don't know what will happen when we log back in, so it's best to play it safe and do it within the safety of a town."
Mars didn't seem opposed to the idea, so Kit continued to explain. "If that pesky shapeshifter wasn't lurking around here, I wouldn't mind moving forward. But I don't want to risk anything if we don't have to. Plus, I'm already at level 10 and dying now would result in a penalty."
There was still no disagreement from Mars, which reassured Kit. He enjoyed adventuring with his teammate. "I see your point. We'll need to find a safe place before each logout, and a town is our best option for now. But as we progress, we won't always be near one."
Suddenly, Kit thought about their companions. "Hey, what will happen with Pint and Snowball while we're out of the game?" he asked.
"Mars had an answer ready. "Pint is staying at the stables; I already paid for him to stay another night today. I'll go in tomorrow and extend his stay if needed. And Snowball wanted to explore outside the village today, so I let him be. He's quite clever and should come back as long as we tell him how long we'll be gone."
"Where is he? And what do you mean 'should'? What will happen if he doesn't come back? Why did you leave him outside, don't you remember the adorable shrewd shifter that's been lurking around?" Kit's panic grew as Snowball was nowhere to be found. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to his beloved pet.
"Kit, he'll be fine. Remember, he survived in the forest for who knows how long before we found him. He might just come back needing a bath again." Mars reassured him, patting the sling across his body where Snowball usually rested.
But Kit wasn't convinced. Snowball was so small, and this wasn't the same safe forest they had found him in. Kit frowned, knowing there was nothing he could do at the moment. Even going outside to search for Snowball would be futile. He could only hope that their little furry friend would find them, just like he had done before when they were travelling.
Deciding it was best to get some rest, Kit suggested they both go to sleep. "We have a full day ahead of us tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Kit," Mars replied, and they both took off their boots and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Kit woke up to find Mars missing. He assumed his friend must have gone off early to complete some chain quests. Kit chuckled at the thought of Mars running around all day trying to finish everything as soon as possible. He could only hope that Snowball had found his way back to Mars.