"Did you all see the same thing I did?"
Breathing.
No one moved to look again.
I had seen a shadow, and its appearance was terrifying.
"I warned you to keep your voice down."
The man was out of breath. He hid beneath the table.
"Baron Lettuce. . . didn't explain it to you? How does that old man hire people without taking the slightest precaution?"
He gripped the sides of the table and scratched them.
"We saw the notice at the guild and came for the job. Baron Lettuce explained what we have to do."
Was there something we needed to know?
"I understand the situation."
As he crawled out from beneath the table, he wiped his hands.
"Hey, what was that thing at the window?"
I picked up an apple to eat.
"Chomp!"
Mmm, delicious.
"Tell the old man who owns this shop that everyone is waiting for the new shipment."
Bastard, explain it to me. Don't just leave.
"Hey, Donkey, get back to work. Why are you just standing there?"
We need a more effective way to attract customers. This animal scares them away.
"Are you listening to me?"
I waved a hand in front of him.
No response.
What happened?
"If you don't move, I'll ask Lyra to use her whip on you."
"Chirp, chirp!"
Ah!
"Warning: Donkey has stalled."
"Whoa! You scared me, Scroll! Why do you suddenly start talking out of nowhere?"
Donkey has stalled?
Now I'll have to advertise the shop and attract the customers myself.
I'll call Dorian or Seraphine. Maybe they can solve this problem.
". . ."
I went to the storeroom to call them.
"Creeeeak!"
I opened the rusty door.
"Have you finished the work?"
"Thud!"
The apple fell from my hand.
"You know, Dorian, sometimes women need more affection. You mistreat Mortar every day."
"I know, Seraphine!"
I entered quietly and erased my entire presence.
"If you want Mortar to love you, you need to stop thinking about other women."
I checked the counter to see whether it was clean.
The potatoes were still in the same place.
I'll leave them alone.
"Creeeeak!"
I left the same way I had entered. . .
"Scroll, what was that thing at the window?"
I straightened my clothes, picked up the apple, and threw it in the trash.
"Warning: I saw nothing."
"How could you not see it? You knew Donkey had stalled."
"Warning: Details!"
Breathe, Kaela. You're doing this job for the money.
After leaving those lunatics in the other room, I returned to the front. I can't leave the shop open without anyone watching it. . .
Wait, I'm an idiot.
No one is going to rob the shop because I have a customer-repelling donkey stalled out front.
If no one buys anything, no one will steal anything either.
"March, soldiers! Today, we will kill the Demon King!"
That voice?
"Marching!"
Dirt.
Fertilizer.
"I know the demons want to eat you, but I won't let them."
"Wait right here."
"Ow, Kaela! I need to return to the war."
I grabbed Lyra by the hair.
"Did you see what you've done to the floor?"
Mud. . .
"Hahaha! Kaela, those are the marks of war."
"You idiot! I'm not cleaning this."
Why do I have to do everything by myself?
"Can I return to the war now? My soldiers are waiting for me."
"No!"
There's still one more thing. . .
"Give me back the hoe."
"Kaela!"
She wiped away a tear.
"Thank goodness you asked for the hoe."
She handed it to me.
"Why are you crying?"
"Come with me!"
"Stop pulling me."
". . ."
"Hey, Lyra, we're not allowed to come in here."
What the hell is this?
"Kaela, you asked me to touch and smell them."
"Yes. Why?"
"Thud!"
She dropped to her knees and pounded the soil.
"You didn't tell me they were all dead."
I walked across the plot. Several holes had been dug into the ground.
"Rest in peace, Potato."
She buried another one. . .
"Lyra!!!"
"Ow! Don't hit me! I didn't do anything wrong."
How are we going to explain this mess?
Baron Lettuce is about to arrive.
There are holes everywhere.
"I'll fill them in."
"You'd better. Don't come back inside until you're finished."
Goodbye, paycheck.
This was supposed to be such an easy job, and now it has become. . .
I can't let things end this way.
I'll fix everything, even if I have to do it all by myself.
And when we leave, I will. . . I will kill every last one of them.
". . ."
I quickly returned to the counter and replaced all the old stock.
There was a lot of spoiled produce. How could an elegant shop that supplied the entire kingdom be in such a run-down state?
Once I finished, I grabbed the squeegee and started cleaning the floor.
Look at all this dirt and fertilizer scattered everywhere.
Lyra, you idiot.
I washed every barrel and cleaned the windows.
"Ahhh! Job done!"
"Donkey is still in the same place. Well, at least no one robbed the shop."
I need to use the bathroom. I can't hold it any longer.
"Why is it locked?"
Dorian was in the bathroom earlier.
That idiot locked it.
"Clack!"
"I'm back!"
He's here already. . .