No monsters interrupted them on their walk back, though he noticed a set of prints as they passed a half-collapsed building.

After he pointed them out, Sully moved to the front of their group. She bent down, examining them to see if she could figure out what might lurk inside. Sam moved up beside her, hand on the trigger of his gun, on the off chance something jumped out at her.

To Arthur’s relief, nothing did. From what she could gather, the unknown creature had stumbled inside and then back out again. Now long gone, though, she couldn’t say where it headed.

The fact that she claimed it was limping caught his interest. He remembered Sally’s group when mentioning their fight with the Multipup and how it appeared drunk. With a shake of his head, he got everyone moving on. If the monsters were acting weird, then being out here in the open was probably a mistake.

He parted ways with Sully and Sam when they reached the store. Both gave salutes that reminded him of Billy’s earliest attempts before they went off to find Mike.

Augustus squeaked, and at his chief of security’s insistence, he moved inside without dawdling further.

Much to Arthur’s dismay, he found out that his plan to relax had turned into a plan to look after the store. He started by going over the place with a rag and an old broom someone had found. The last thing he wanted was to let the mess accumulate like Derrik had.

Once the floor was clean and the shelves were free of dust, he moved over to chat with Adam about how things were going. The news wasn’t good. Chris, once again, hadn’t turned up for his shift. With Carly not due until the evening, Adam needed someone to help him stock the shelves.

"At least they’re clean," Arthur thought as he grabbed a handful of stock from the box on the counter.

As he worked folding shirts and checking weapons, he tried to figure out when the last time he’d seen Chris was. He felt like it was this morning when he left, but he couldn’t be sure.

"I’ll need to check in on him soon if this keeps up. It’s not like he’s far away."

The last thing he put up for sale was the small amount of drugs he kept. These were basic things: aspirin, ointment tubes, and stomach medications. They sat along the counter, where the clerk on duty could keep an eye on them.

He didn’t need a vast selection. For anything bigger, he had the box. If someone ended up needing surgery? Well, they were out of luck.

With the shelves now stocked, he turned his attention to making sure the store had enough on hand. A smile crossed his face. Arthur couldn’t help but enjoy this part.

His office chair creaked beneath him as he sat in front of his computer. A click of his mouse later, he was looking through what his few trade networks offered.

He started with medical supplies. They were cheap enough that he didn’t want to clone them with his stock loop power. After a moment’s thought, he also grabbed a few more expensive medicines.

Arthur didn’t expect to need them, but he was earning enough that he felt comfortable about the expense.

Double Sight Pest Control was next, and he picked up new cuts of meat from the beasts Jessib dealt with. She was more than happy to offload most of her kills onto him, and his customers enjoyed the variety.

Plus, if he could find someone who was interested in becoming a butcher, they’d have plenty to practice on.

The more he thought about the idea, the more it intrigued him. He couldn’t help but grin as he switched over to his last network, his thoughts racing.

"Maybe I should get a book on that and set that up somewhere? If I own one business, why not others?"

In his mind’s eye, he pictured a row of little boutique shops that offered specialized items, all purchased from The Multiverse Mall. All of them would be subsidiaries of Apocalypse Assortments, of course.

He’d give people the illusion of choice while all the money flowed back into his horde. The fact that the goddess did the same thing told him it was a somewhat viable plan. Especially if he could upgrade the stores to all have orchards of their own.

The last network was with Fae Lit, and it was by far his favorite. After all, he couldn’t help but love an interdimensional book store. He scrolled through their listing, enjoying the sheer number of books available to buy.

His last few Slagsoul jars, he knew, would get him a fair amount of the stock displayed, so he went a little nuts. When he was done, he was grateful for the magical box the goddess gave him because there was no way he had room in the store for them.

They ranged from topics such as DIY construction, butchering, and guides to weeding to fantasy and science fiction that he knew he’d be reading first.

"If I keep buying like this, I’m going to need that skyscraper."

That thought bounced around his brain as he closed down the trading section of the computer. On impulse, he switched to watching the camera that showed him the room. The elementals fluttered about The Orchard playing chase or poking at the trees.

For a while, he simply enjoyed watching them play until voices filtered into the room. People speaking of their time in the sewers or debating what they could sell their finds for. Arthur couldn’t help but sigh as he got up and headed to go look over things. The dinner rush remained one of his busiest times, and so Adam would need the help.

Unless, of course, Chris and Carly turned up together. He really hoped that Chris’s issue was simply poor time management. That would make any conversation they had about it rather simple.

With a shake of his head, he moved outside to see how much he’d need to help.

***

Chris had not turned up and explained why he’d missed his shift.

Carly had arrived, though. She stood next to Adam, dealing with customers as though she were born for the job. Upon seeing him, Adam gave him a hopeful look.

"Go home," Arthur said. "Take a break. I’ll try to get some new hires to cover you if this keeps happening."

Adam looked grateful and grabbed a bite to eat before he left the store. Customers moved in, and his mind turned to swapping gossip, coins, and stock.

The word on the street was that Jemima was still in the sewers with a small group. People also mentioned seeing small bands of rats scurrying about on the first and second levels.

Arthur impressed on them the importance of leaving them alone. The last thing he wanted to do was have his people kill them. Dr. Kunibert wouldn’t appreciate it if his scouts got slaughtered because people got greedy for coins.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

No one mentioned seeing any of the Slagsoul Chimera on the upper levels, which Arthur took as a good sign. Though those who braved the third floor during their trip brought a few back. He paid for them gladly.

As he gossiped, he checked on Lucy waiting tables and Thomas watching the cameras. Billy remained by Theobold’s side and seemed happy to keep up his security training. Arthur noticed pigeons hanging around as well. He half hoped Lady Pigonette would come to speak with him. However, the onyx-colored bird never made an appearance.

It was near time for most people to leave when he saw Chris rock up with a group of well-dressed scavengers. Everyone but Chris was laughing, and they crashed at a table that had recently emptied.

He couldn’t help but frown as he watched them barrage Lucy with demands. The girl scribbled their orders down in a small notebook he’d picked up for her. She didn’t look happy. When she arrived at the counter, Arthur leaned over.

"Everything alright?"

Lucy shook her head. "They’re loud."

"That they are," Arthur said. "Tell you what. I’ll take their order. It’s about time you got home anyway. Have you eaten yet?"

"No." Her eyes flicked towards the box as she spoke.

He smiled and waved. "Grab something for your brother as well. Jemima may not be home until late. Do you have someone who can watch you?"

"Yes," Lucy said.

"Alright. You grab your dinner and let me worry about this."

Arthur watched as she piled two plates with food before moving into the backroom. He suspected they would sit and watch The Elementals. Not that he blamed them; they had little else to do.

Plus, with his security forces, he wasn’t overly worried about needing the security cameras.

Once she was gone, he filled out the order and carried it out. The group was laughing and chatting so intently that they barely noticed the food hitting the table. It wasn’t a large group, though they’d ordered a fair amount.

Dust covered their clothes, and it appeared they’d been working hard. Though it was impossible to tell where. The smell of them reminded Arthur of his bathhouse idea. That would be something he’d talk to Pydes about soon.

Tomorrow. He’d make sure of it.

"That everything, Chris?" Arthur asked, doing his best to sound cheery as he finally got their attention.

He couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw the worried expression on the man’s face. A contrast to the rest of the group. They weren’t anyone he recognized. Not that unfamiliar faces were a new thing anymore.

"Hey boss. Didn’t know you were waiting tables tonight?"

Arthur shrugged. "Lucy was on the way out, anyway. Hey, may I speak to you after you’ve finished your meal? My office."

"Umm, sure?" Chris said. He sounded beyond hesitant as he flicked a glance towards his tablemates. "Sounds good."

"Great."

He meant it, too. Lucy and Thomas wouldn’t take long to eat, and then the room should be free. Arthur figured whatever was causing the man to skip shifts was better discussed in private. If there was a legitimate issue, there was no point in making Cris announce it publicly.

"Theobold will show you the way."

That got him another worried look, but he simply turned and walked back inside. He could hear the whispers spring up behind him, even if he couldn’t make out the words.

As he moved back into the store and into the backroom, he almost bumped into Lucy and Thomas holding plates.

"Good meal?" he asked.

"Yes," they both chorused and grinned.

Arthur smiled back and let them pass before he settled into his seat. With a click, he shut down the feed to the cameras and leaned back, waiting for Chris to finish and join him.

***

Arthur leaned back in his chair as he watched Chris squirm across the table from him.

The room was near silent; the slight sound of the computer fan was all the background noise they had. Even the sounds of the dinner service being put away had finally ceased.

"So," Arthur started as he fiddled with the coin in his fingers. "What have you been doing that has made you miss so many shifts?"

After spending some time debating what to say, he decided on the direct route. He didn’t want to beat around the bush. If the man didn’t want the job, he knew others would.

Thus, he’d give him a fair chance to explain before deciding what to do with him.

"I’ve been busy," Chris hedged, his eyes trained directly on the floor.

Arthur nodded. "Doing what? And why didn’t you think to tell me? Adam has been covering your shifts, but it’s not great. I needed you. That’s why you were chosen for the job. Do you still want it?"

"No."

"Ahh." He couldn’t think of anything else to say to that as he looked at the man. With a mental twinge, he pulled up his list of store powers and read over one of his options.

Customer Empathy

Everyone claims they're an empath. Most are liars. You can be an exception.

Emotion can make or break an impulse buy, and you can read any customer’s feelings like one of those trashy fantasy stories you enjoyed.

He activated it on Chris and got hit with a burst of raw emotion. This differed from the management course perk. Here he got a burst of the man’s direct emotional state: fear.

It was intense, and it caused Arthur’s skin to crawl. He switched the power off and looked over the table. Chris’s eyes were still on the ground, and his shoulder sat slumped. Those combined let him know the answer was anything but legitimate.

"And why not? You seemed happy to get the job. What are you planning on doing instead?"

It doesn't matter," Chris said. "Not this."

"It does. I’d like to know what makes someone quit. Besides, I don’t think you really want to. So. Why are you leaving?"

When Arthur didn’t get an answer, he shook his head and tapped the desk with a coin, one he didn’t remember picking up. It warmed his palm as he looked across the table.

"What happened? Did someone threaten you? I need to know if I need to guard the others."

Upon mentioning a threat, Chris’s emotions spiked—relief, fear, and anger.

"Alright. Who? Your friends who ate here tonight?"

Chris shook his head. There wasn’t another spike.

"Davey?" Arthur guessed, remembering how angry the man had acted about the housing.

Another shake of his head.

"Demons?"

A fear spike, but not a big one. Not in the same way the mention of someone threatening him had.

"The cultists?"

The fear spike surged, and Arthur couldn’t help but shake his head.

"There is it. Carina, what are your people getting up to?"

With a cough, he cleared his throat and looked over at Chris.

"Alright. The cultists then. Strange, but okay. Did they ask you to do anything in particular?"

"No. They just. Well. They wanted me to skip work? Sent some people to check up on me. They paid alright."

"They paid you to skip work?"

"Yeah." Chris nodded.

"With what?"

Arthur took the coin that Chris handed him, and he flipped it in the air. It landed dragon-head side up. Another two flips did the same thing. A counterfeit.

Anger surged as he looked at the man across the table. While he looked sheepish, Arthur couldn’t believe this. He’d thought he’d dealt with this issue. Now he’d have to crack down on the ex-cultists to see whose bright idea this was.

"Have you spent any of these?"

Chris nodded, and Arthur sighed. He’d need to check if Pydes had caught them.

"Why? Why do this?"

"It was easy money," Chris said, clearly trying to defend himself. "And it’s not like you're busy most of the time. I figured it would be fine."

"Did you now?"

An ember churned in his gut, and he shook his head.

"I’m glad you don’t want the job. You’re fired. Get out."

Chris looked ashen-faced as he got up and left the office. Arthur stared down at the coin in his hand. The counterfeit.

"I’m going to cool off by talking to Pydes tomorrow," he decided as he tossed the coin into the drawer. "Then I’m going to go to Diaboli Theatrum. This is ending before it begins."