Keeping the Ship Afloat: The Unsung Heroes of LRMD   While the interns and key franchise members were out in the field tackling questionable animal procurement deals and hosting a wildly successful charity fundraiser, four of Less Risky Message Delivery’s newest sub-employees were left to manage the franchise's day-to-day operations back at headquarters.   These unsung heroes—Elenara Dewstride (operations), Thornwick Gearshift (maintenance), Mallory Brightbuck (accounting), and Vethan Shadewhisper (logistics)—spent 28 days ensuring the franchise not only stayed afloat but thrived during the month.   ---   The Daily Grind   1. Elenara Dewstride – The Organizer Elenara brought her meticulous nature to bear, streamlining work schedules and delivery routes. She restructured the assignment system to prioritize high-profit contracts while cutting out unnecessary overtime. Her keen eye for inefficiencies kept operations humming smoothly.   2. Thornwick Gearshift – The Fixer Thornwick spent his days repairing and upgrading equipment. He overhauled the franchise's magical sending devices and even improved the efficiency of the message storage system. His tweaks reduced wear and tear, saving the franchise a small fortune in repair costs.   3. Mallory Brightbuck – The Numbers Wiz Mallory dove into the franchise's books with gusto. She renegotiated supplier contracts, cutting down costs on essential materials like enchanted parchment and ink. Her knack for finding "hidden coins" in the budget significantly reduced overall expenses.   4. Vethan Shadewhisper – The Smooth Talker Vethan, with his silver tongue, charmed clients new and old into securing high-value contracts for the franchise. His efforts brought in a surge of sales, with several merchants and nobles now looking to LRMD for their sensitive deliveries.   ---   The Results   Thanks to their tireless efforts, the franchise saw strong sales for the month, with a notable influx of gold from lucrative delivery contracts. Thornwick and Mallory’s cost-cutting measures reduced monthly expenses by 50%, trimming the usual 45 gold coins down to a lean 23 gold coins. Elenara and Vethan ensured that the increased workload didn’t burn anyone out, keeping morale high among the remaining staff.   ---   The Final Word   While their work may not have the glamour of a flashy fundraiser or the adrenaline rush of adventuring, Elenara, Thornwick, Mallory, and Vethan proved that the foundation of any great franchise is a well-oiled team behind the scenes. Thanks to their diligence, LRMD has never been in a better position to tackle future challenges—or make future profits.   With expenses down, morale up, and a steady influx of revenue, the Less Risky Message Delivery franchise is flying high. Here’s to the backbone of the business!