The next morning Evan woke earlier than usual because he needed to create something critical something no one in this world had ever imagined a franchise contract The magical legal system here was powerful With the right runes he could lock down brand rules more strictly than any Earth company

He sat at a wooden table outside the stall watching the town awaken The sky grew bright orange while merchants opened their shops and mages lit lanterns with small sparks Mila arrived carrying a bundle of rune etched parchment She seemed excited She said she stayed up late talking with a rune craftsman who explained how binding magic worked on agreements

Evan spread the parchments across the table and began outlining the franchise contract He drew sections just like the agreements he used in his world Brand rights training supply obligations quality standards ownership rules renewal conditions termination triggers

Mila read the framework and asked about royalty fees Evan explained the idea yearly payments or monthly fees based on profit Mila squinted and asked why the owner of the brand received money even when not cooking Evan smiled and said because the brand created value and the system created stability Mila nodded slowly then said the contract needed a rune for value exchange Evan agreed

They decided to visit a contract mage Mila led the way through winding alleys until they reached a tall cylindrical building glowing faint blue A sign hung above the door
Bureau of Binding Contracts

Inside mages wrote runes on floating scrolls Customers waited nervously because magic bonds were serious The contract mage assigned to them was an elderly woman named Sorelia Her hair shimmered like silver dust She studied Evan’s draft and asked if this was a business covenant Evan nodded

Sorelia said business covenants required four kinds of runes Identity Performance Quality Penalty

She began explaining each concept The Identity rune linked both parties The Performance rune forced them to follow their promises The Quality rune monitored output and alerted if standards dropped The Penalty rune activated consequences Mila listened carefully Evan took notes faster than he could think

When Sorelia asked what they wanted the contract to enforce Evan explained everything He wanted identical flavor He wanted stable magic output He wanted training compliance He wanted standardized equipment runes

The mage raised her eyebrows because no one had ever attempted a contract so detailed She said such a contract required triple layered runes something used for national treaties Evan said it was necessary for franchising Sorelia asked what franchising meant Mila explained and the mage laughed softly in disbelief saying such a system would change the economy

They spent hours drafting clauses Sorelia carved tiny runes into the parchment each glowing faintly The magical air grew denser as the contract took form Evan felt as if he was constructing the foundation of a kingdom

When they finally finished the first version Sorelia warned them that anyone signing this contract would be magically forced to maintain quality She asked if Evan truly wanted such strict enforcement Evan said yes because without consistency there was no franchise

Sorelia stamped the scroll with a final rune The parchment glowed gold then faded

They now held the world’s first enchanted franchise contract

On the way back to the stall Mila asked who would sign the first one Evan said they needed someone ambitious but teachable Someone who would not try to break the system Mila thought for a moment then suggested a merchant she knew A young man named Loras known for honesty and terrible business luck Evan said terrible luck was fine as long as he followed rules

When they returned to the stall customers were already waiting They worked through another busy lunch service and as they finished the merchant Loras finally walked in He was tall thin and carried a hopeful expression He tasted the Arcane Burger and his eyes widened He said he had never experienced such stable magic flavor in his life

Evan invited him to sit and explained franchising step by step Loras listened with growing amazement He asked if he could truly open another shop in a different town using the same system the same menu the same taste Evan nodded and showed him the contract

Loras read the glowing parchment His hands trembled slightly Mila explained the runes One enforced training One enforced flavor One enforced supply quality One enforced brand image Loras asked what happened if he failed to follow any rule Mila explained the penalty rune would activate Loras gulped then said that was fair

Without hesitation Loras signed The runes lit up surrounding him with a faint ring of light The contract closed itself and floated into Evan’s hands Evan stared at it in awe He had expected difficulty persuasion resistance Instead he received trust

The first franchisee had been born

News spread almost instantly Customers cheered Mila jumped in excitement Evan exhaled in deep relief Yet outside the stall another figure appeared Varos from the Merchant Guild He watched the celebration with unreadable eyes

He approached and asked if rumors were true That someone had bought permission to open a second enchanted fast food shop Evan answered calmly saying they had indeed entered a franchise agreement Varos’ eyes sharpened He asked if the Guild would be allowed to purchase franchises too Evan said eventually but only after training was complete

Varos nodded but the expression on his face suggested calculations wheels turning somewhere deeper The Guild would not sit still They would want control influence leverage

When Varos left Mila whispered that he felt dangerous Evan agreed Franchise systems attracted both opportunity seekers and predators They needed to move faster than their rivals

That evening Evan sat alone in the stall staring at the glowing contract He thought of fast food empires back home chains with thousands of branches systems refined over decades

Here in this world he was building everything from zero But he sensed the same pattern forming Interest Demand Competition Regulation Pressure Expansion

He felt excitement but also responsibility This world had never seen a franchise system Before long every kingdom might want one Every merchant might chase one Every rival might attempt to copy one

And if he failed the entire concept could collapse in chaos

He folded the contract placed it safely inside a carved wooden box then locked the stall door

Tomorrow he would need to train Loras
Tomorrow he would need to expand supply
Tomorrow he would need to prepare for Guild intervention

The franchise age had begun
And the war for its future was already forming in the shadows