The note sat on Kaito's nightstand like a coiled snake, simple and silent.
"We know what you're doing. Stop it."
— A concerned magician
Garon snored in the cot nearby, completely unfazed. Meanwhile, Kaito couldn't sleep. Not because he was scared—but because someone finally noticed.
He picked up the note again. "Concerned magician, huh? Not angry. Not jealous. Just… concerned."
That meant one thing: someone out there didn't want a scene. Which meant they were watching, probably closely, and likely powerful enough to avoid confronting him directly.
Kaito didn't feel threatened. But he did feel something worse: challenged.
The next morning, he walked through the town square toward the Adventurer's Guild, pulling up his Modern Mart app.
"Search: Surveillance Cameras – Small"
"Search: Voice Recorder – Disguised"
"Search: Pepper Spray – Compact"
He wasn't just going to defend his business. He was going to monitor everything.
Inside the guild, Liera looked up and sighed. "Don't tell me. More mystery orders?"
"Nope," Kaito said. "This time, I'm putting out the request."
He handed her a flyer.
Request: Delivery Assistant Needed – Good legs, better attitude. Must not faint at strange objects.
Pay: 5 copper per job + bonuses
Apply with: The Glowing Box Merchant
Liera raised a brow. "You're hiring?"
"I'm growing. Can't handle every delivery myself."
"I'll put it on the board. Though you might attract a few lunatics."
"Perfect," Kaito said. "Lunatics are just loyal customers who haven't bought anything yet."
By midday, three applicants had shown up. One was a halfling with a lisp who wanted to deliver goods on a goat. Declined.
The second was a teenage noble's son who "wanted to see what poor people did." Also declined.
The third, though, was a girl about seventeen with messy auburn hair, leather gloves, and a long knife strapped to her thigh. She introduced herself as Mina.
"You afraid of tech?" Kaito asked.
She tilted her head. "I grew up around tinkerers. Stuff flashes and explodes all the time."
"You good with people?"
"I sell stolen apples when I'm broke. People like apples."
Kaito nodded. "Welcome to Modern Mart."
With Mina now assisting, he launched a same-day delivery promo.
They got three orders by nightfall: a waterproof cloak, a heated stone (he swapped it with an electric hand warmer), and ten bags of jerky. Kaito even threw in a coupon scroll that gave 10% off your next order—really just a receipt with a smiley face drawn in pen.
People loved it.
That night, while reviewing orders at the inn, Kaito noticed Mina eyeing his phone from across the table.
"You want to ask. Go ahead."
She hesitated. "What is that thing? Really."
"It's my store."
She frowned. "No, I mean… is it magic?"
Kaito leaned back. "Where I come from, everyone has one. They're not magic. Just machines that do what you tell them to."
"Machines," she repeated, as if tasting the word.
Kaito nodded. "You don't need mana to make the world better. Just wires, timing, and a lot of stubbornness."
Mina looked thoughtful. "No wonder the old mages are scared."
"They should be."
Outside the inn, Kaito stepped into the alley behind the building where he had installed a small wireless camera (cleverly disguised as a rock with googly eyes).
He tapped his phone.
Camera Online – No intrusions detected
Audio Recording: Passive
Still quiet.
Still watching.
He looked up at the moonlight above Draymoor and smiled.
"They're coming. Time to scale up."
To be continued…