The next morning Evan stepped into the abandoned stall carrying a notebook he had improvised from scrap parchment He had spent most of the night sketching workflows assembly lines menu structure and training sequences It was not perfect but it was enough to begin

Mila arrived with a small crate of magic stones each glowing with a different hue She apologized for being late because one stone refused to wake up Evan now understood that magic in this world behaved like unruly employees who needed contracts

He placed the stones beside the central stove and studied the structure The furnace was ancient but solid The magic inside slumbered like a lazy dragon He touched the side and felt a pulse responding to his presence

He asked Mila if magic stoves could be calibrated She said in theory yes but no one did because most cooks preferred to improvise Evan almost clenched his teeth Improvisation was the enemy of franchising

He asked her to cast a steady fire spell into the stove The flames awakened then shifted colors several times before settling Mila frowned She said she had never seen the stove stabilize that quickly Evan grinned because this was what standardization looked like

They worked through the morning Evan teaching Mila the concept of batch timing two minute fry cycles precise heat placement and standardized seasoning Mila teaching Evan how magic interacted with emotion how a spell could be forced to obey a recipe if a binding rune was carved into the cookware

He listened carefully If a rune could lock spell behavior then he could lock flavor system wide A binding rune was a magical quality control mechanism His mind raced with possibilities He asked Mila to create experimental runes and she practiced by carving small marks into the countertop The runes glowed then faded as if testing the air

They planned the first menu Evan kept it simple the same way successful chains always began A signature enchanted burger a crispy mana fried patty and a glowing flavored drink They picked names that would be easy to remember

Arcane Burger
Mana Crisp
Glow Soda

Mila asked if the menu was too small Evan smiled and explained menu discipline was crucial They needed to perfect a few items before expanding Mila repeated menu discipline like she was learning a sacred rule

They cleaned the stall repaired cracks and rearranged space until it resembled a fast food counter Evan set up stations a prep station a grill station a drink station a package station He drew small arrows on the floor to guide workflow Mila stared as if the arrows were prophecy

By late afternoon they had their first test run Mila cast fire onto the stove Evan placed the patty on top and watched as the heat remained stable The magic flame did not wobble or flare It simply held steady Mila whispered that she did not know magic could behave this politely

Evan chopped vegetables assembled the patty added sauce and placed the burger on a wooden tray He inspected it from every angle It looked the same as the mockups he drew Mila tasted it The flavor burst then settled into a steady warm aftertaste She nodded with wide eyes

They tried again this time repeating the steps exactly Mila cast the same flame Evan followed the sequence They compared both burgers Evan felt pride They were nearly identical

He knew then that franchising was possible

They opened the stall door and placed a small sign outside
First enchanted fast food shop now open

At first no one cared People walked by assuming it was another odd shop Then a group of adventurers smelling the air approached The first adventurer asked what arcane burger meant Evan explained that it meant tasty reliable and fast The man did not seem to understand reliable but he understood fast

They ordered three burgers Mila cast the flame Evan cooked and soon the customers dug in After the first bite all three froze then grinned one shouted that it tasted the same in every bite That comment hit Evan with satisfaction because that was the core of the entire system

Word spread quickly More customers arrived A noblewoman demanded to know how they controlled the stove A merchant asked if Evan could teach him to open another shop Evan’s eyebrows lifted This was the first spark of franchising

He told the merchant maybe in the future but only with rules Training Manuals Contracts Supply chain

The word contract caused half the customers to gasp because magical contracts in this world were serious They were bound by runes and spirit witnesses If someone violated a contract the runes would expose them Evan realized contract law here was stronger than in his own world Perfect for franchise protection

By sunset they had sold out Their tiny stall was crowded Mila collapsed onto a crate smiling with pure disbelief Evan felt the same but beneath the excitement a larger vision burned

He could create a chain
A real chain
A brand stretching across cities kingdoms maybe the entire continent

To make that possible he needed a consistent supply of ingredients He needed magical contract templates He needed staff training

He also needed to survive the attention they were attracting Because a man in dark robes stood outside watching the stall as if calculating its value Evan noticed him and felt a shiver

In franchising success always attracted competition sometimes dangerous competition

He closed the stall door and whispered that tomorrow they had to secure their systems before someone else tried to copy them Mila nodded understanding the weight of his voice

The first enchanted fast food shop had opened