I came in the next morning feeling…surprisingly fresh.

  Vaarg had given me a new set of clothes.

  Ugly’s snot, it turns out, was slightly acidic. Who knew?

  I wondered if it was naturally that way, or part of the sneeze magic. Idle thought for later.

  Anyway, a loose white shirt, dark pants and boots that fit.

  Like actually fit. I’ve never had boots that fit. They were so comfortable, it felt like I was walking on a cloud. I had a sneaking suspicion they cost way more than I realized.

  Maybe I would get that haircut I had been thinking about.

  Maybe. Still wasn’t sold on the idea of spending money for it.

  I had been de-snotified. The wall had been de-snotified - which made the whole section cleaner than anything around it. Vaarg was probably having a fit.

  And the counter was back to normal.

  Honestly, I would have been more surprised if it wasn’t. Not sure what that said about my life choices.

  Vaarg didn’t even look up from his clipboard when I walked in.

  “Backroom,” he said. “Need the receipt from the woman who tried to return the potion. Guildmaster of Annoying Creatures Who Exist just to Annoy Me. Or whatever her guild was called. Still missing. So sad. Anyway, the Guild for Guildmasters is asking.”

  Right. Evernod. Still a problem.

  I nodded and made my way to the back.

  As I turned the corner at the end of Aisle Three, I heard a gasp next to me.

  “Oh Beeg!”

  Stupid had both hands on her cheeks, staring up at me.

  “Beeg! You is so Handsome!” She whispered. “Your clothes! They is so nice - and not stinky! Oh Beeg, you is not stinky!”

  The flush in my neck was creeping higher and higher. I… I had washed the clothes. And myself. At some point.

  …Before starting the job.

  My ears were on fire now.

  The sad truth was, I hadn’t had a reason to care before.

  But now? Now I did.

  I smiled at Stupid, patting her head.

  She giggled happily and sprinted away, her ears flailing behind her.

  I’d do better.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  —-

  The storeroom was a maze.

  Which was saying something, in a store that felt like a maze to begin with.

  Crates, shelves, and boxes — some of which may or may not have been alive — stacked haphazardly. There was a barrel in the corner labeled Regret.

  If I was still a new employee, I would have thought it was a joke.

  I gulped.

  And it had a purple label.

  The anti-gravity cursed orb was still there, with repaired locks and hinges.

  I still gave it a wide berth.

  Just in case a wild Stupid appeared.

  Muttering under my breath, I started digging through the pile of paperwork.

  Ten feet high.

  The pile was ten feet high.

  And shaped like a mountain. There was literally no method of organization at all.

  At this point I was pretty sure the store just ate any auditors. There was just no other way it hadn’t been shut down yet.

  I had no proof. But the store was still open - which was close enough.

  I lasted several hours before I started losing my mind.

  Most of the paperwork looked like it had been filled out by Stupid.

  Judging by the pink crayon, the gibberish, the stars and the smiley faces.

  Just a hunch.

  I wouldn’t be surprised if Vaarg had her do the paperwork deliberately.

  Actually, that is probably exactly what happened. Just to prevent “Lying Billy Hazards.”

  Ancients, he probably knew I wasn’t going to find anything down here anyway.

  “Probably hoping I’ll drop a candle on the paperwork or something,” I muttered.

  Should’ve sent Stupid if that was what he was looking for.

  I just wish I had the faintest idea of what’s going on. I sighed, spotting a chair.

  I took a moment to make sure it wasn’t cursed.

  Once I was reasonably satisfied -

  …I sat on the floor instead.

  —-

  I reached for another sheet from the pile, tilting it toward what faint light the lone candle bravely provided.

  It was a stick figure of Stupid in pink crayon — arms raised, eyes wide.

  She was either playing catch… or firing magical cannonballs.

  Could go either way.

  Knowing Stupid, it was most likely both.

  I leaned back and stared up toward the shadows clinging to the ceiling.

  I’ve got to talk to Vaarg. I don’t want to keep waiting for things to happen anymore.

  But I also didn’t want things to change. And that was the part that scared me the most.

  Even with the chaos, the insanity, the absolute nonsense I put up with here — I liked my life right now.

  I liked the store. I liked Stupid and It and Ugly.

  I wanted to get to know Matilda and Tink more.

  What if it all goes away once I talk to him?

  Even worse, what if not doing anything is exactly what ruins it?

  What if it goes away just because I was too scared to grab hold of it?

  I gently added the paper back to the pile and stood, brushing dust from my pants.

  I wasn’t going to find that receipt. Maybe Evernod would let up. Maybe not.

  One thing I did know.

  Vaarg and I needed to talk.