Evan stood inside the stall before sunrise again because training could not wait He knew from years of consulting that the first franchisee determined everything A good first franchisee became a model A bad one ruined the entire brand before it took shape Today he would train Loras the first enchanted fast food operator in the world

Mila washed the counter with a soft spell that lifted dust into glowing particles Evan rolled out the parchment for the operations manual and placed it neatly on the table Loras entered wearing a nervous grin He looked around as if stepping into a sacred workshop

Evan asked if he slept well Loras said yes but admitted he dreamed of runes chasing him Mila laughed and told him that meant the contract had accepted him Evan assured him it only meant he took the agreement seriously

Training began with the basics Evan explained the workflow The customer orders the Arcane Burger They step aside Mila or the assigned mage casts a stable flame Evan or the trained cook assembles the patty and condiments The drink is prepared in a precise rhythm The tray is sent out with identical plating every time

Loras watched every movement with intense focus Evan realized he was taking notes in his head The traits of a good trainee were clear He asked Loras to repeat the steps Loras hesitated but managed to follow the sequence albeit clumsily Mila corrected his flame timing but encouraged him every step Evan saw the importance of positive reinforcement

They moved to customer interaction Evan explained tone wording and the importance of simple phrases such as Welcome How can I help you and Please wait a moment Loras practiced them repeatedly His first attempts were awkward His voice shook Mila taught him to infuse calm magic into his words making the air soften around him Evan wrote that technique into the training manual

Next came product consistency Evan cooked a burger step by step then asked Loras to repeat the process Loras tried but placed the patty slightly off center Evan corrected him and showed why placement mattered Magic heat flowed differently across the surface If the patty sat off balance it cooked unevenly

Loras tried again and produced something closer but still not perfect Evan remained patient explaining that consistency was not talent but discipline He had trained hundreds of store managers and knew that repetition shaped competence Mila cast a tiny monitoring spell above the stove which glowed whenever the flame deviated Loras learned to watch the glow respond to his movements

Hours passed They stopped only to drink water and wipe sweat from their foreheads Evan admired Loras’ persistence The man had no natural skill but he had a strong will Mila whispered that the runes in the contract might be helping him stay focused Evan admitted that was possible but told her the drive looked real not magically forced

By midday Evan introduced supply management He showed Loras the ingredient list and the quality requirements Loras asked how he would secure identical vegetables and meat in another town Mila explained they would create enchanted supply bundles that kept freshness constant Evan took notes because that idea could later become a continent wide supply chain

He asked Loras to perform the full sequence again from greeting to cooking to assembly to delivery Loras inhaled deeply then moved with careful precision His actions were not fast but they were steady His burger came out nearly identical Evan approved Mila clapped and said he had grown rapidly for a beginner

As they cleaned the station a new figure approached the door A middle aged woman with tools strapped around her waist She introduced herself as Rinna a rune carpenter Mila recognized her and bowed respectfully Rinna said she heard rumors about a stall experimenting with stable magic cooking She wanted to see their equipment

Evan allowed her inside cautiously He watched as she examined the stove the rune carved pan and the sequence marks on the counter She frowned then sighed She said the world had used magic for generations but no one had ever forced it into predictable form She said it felt strange unnatural but impressive

Rinna asked if she could help build equipment for future branches Evan almost hugged her Crafting standardized tools was critical He asked if she could create identical stoves and rune etched pans Rinna nodded but said materials would cost gold Evan told her the brand would pay

When Rinna left Mila whispered that their system had hit the artisan network Evan said that was good because standardized equipment was the backbone of any chain

They practiced until sunset Loras had improved steadily and his body moved more fluidly He still made small mistakes but none fatal Evan said he passed day one Loras nearly cried with relief

As they closed the stall Mila looked outside and said the Merchant Guild spies were increasing Evan nodded There were more eyes than yesterday Some curious some calculating

He thought of Earth where competition was predictable here rivals used spells illusions political influence He felt pressure but also excitement

Tomorrow Loras would learn speed
Tomorrow the brand would take another step forward
Tomorrow the kingdom would feel the rumbling of a franchise revolution