The black invitation still sat on the counter the next morning like it was mocking me.
Mandatory.
Consequences.
I'd barely slept.
Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured some dark dungeon courtroom with eldritch judges staring me down while the Goblin Coupon Gang tried to use my sentence as a discount voucher.
And, speaking of the devils...
"Manager!" shouted the leader as he came tumbling through the door, followed by four more goblins in bright, hand-sewn sashes.
I blinked. "...What are you wearing?"
"Official uniforms!" he declared proudly, spreading his stubby arms.
Each goblin was dressed in mismatched scraps of velvet, lace, and sparkly thread. They looked like someone had robbed a bargain-bin fabric store and then gotten dressed in the dark.
One of them twirled dramatically.
"We are now the Coupon Brigade Deluxe Edition!"
Another added, "For special occasions only!"
"...What occasion?" I asked, already regretting it.
"The invitation!" they chorused.
They pointed at the letter on my counter.
"You guys weren't even invited" I muttered.
"That's what you think" their leader said with a smirk.
"If Manager goes... we ALL go."
I nearly choked on my own spit.
"No. Absolutely not. You're not following me into..."
"Mandatory!" they screamed, before scattering into the aisles, replacing normal price tags with coupons scrawled in crayon.
Mirae stepped out of the restaurant side, wiping her hands on her apron. She took one look at the goblins wreaking havoc and sighed.
"Again?"
"They say they're coming with me" I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.
Her eyes flicked to the invitation still lying on the counter.
"...So you really are going."
I tried to sound casual, like my soul wasn't shriveling at the thought.
"It's mandatory."
Her lips tightened.
"I know. But I don't like it. You've been... I don't know. Different since the letter showed up. Quiet."
I laughed weakly.
"That's just because I'm imagining all the horrible ways I'm going to die."
She didn't laugh. She just stared at me with those serious brown eyes and suddenly I was very aware of how close she was standing.
"...You don't have to do it alone, you know" she said softly.
For one reckless second, I thought she meant something else. But then Spicy chose that exact moment to climb onto the counter, puffing smoke.
"Papa's dramatic" he chirped. "Mirae should kiss him, that'll fix it."
I slammed my hand over his tiny flaming mouth before he could say another word. My face burned hotter than his embers. Mirae, of course, turned bright red and stormed back to the kitchen without another word.
"Manager! Manager!" one goblin shouted from the freezer aisle.
"We replaced all the ice cream prices with coupons!"
Another added.
"Buy one fish cake, get three curses free!"
A third yelled "The urinal is now a VIP coupon redemption center!"
I froze.
"You did what?"
By the time I sprinted to the restroom, it was too late. They'd hung up a glittery sign that said:
"COUPON REDEMPTION - NO REFUNDS."
And some poor adventurer was standing there, pants halfway down, looking deeply confused.
"Manager" he said in a trembling voice, "why does it cost three coupons to pee now?"
"OUT!" I shouted, dragging the goblins away by their velvet collars.
They fought like cats, hissing and shouting "IT'S MANDATORY!"
And then, of course, the Dungeon appeared again, stepping out of the shadows like some smug roommate who never pays rent.
"Chaos as always" it drawled. "But you'll need them, you know."
I narrowed my eyes. "Need who?"
"The goblins. The girl. Even the little flame hazard."
"Spicy!" the fireball squeaked proudly.
"You won't survive the Annual Meet without allies." The Dungeon smirked. "And you won't survive it at all if you keep pretending this store is just... a store."
I wanted to argue, but Mirae stepped out from the kitchen just then, her face still a little red. She didn't say anything. Just looked at me, then at the letter.
And for once, I didn't have some sarcastic comeback ready.
That night, after I finally wrangled the goblins into cleaning up their "deluxe uniforms" glitter trail, I sat alone at the counter with the invitation again.
Mandatory.
Consequences.
And now, Mirae's words echoing in my head.
"You don't have to do it alone."
...Maybe for once, I wouldn't.