Goji the Goat Gets a Job
Min Jae had never been more exhausted in his life—and that included the time he accidentally mixed cold medicine and energy drinks during finals week.
The floating city of Ardyn Spire was now behind him. He was back in his modest Korean apartment, still wearing a tunic he hadn't meant to bring home. His hair smelled faintly of enchanted pancake batter. The glitter hadn't washed off.
He slumped into his desk chair and opened his laptop.
72 unread emails.
16 new orders.
3 requests for "magical culinary consulting."
And one interview offer from a paranormal podcast called "Hex and the City."
He clicked away from it all and opened his delivery tracker.
> Item delivered: Glowing Chill Stones – Busan
Item delivered: Enchanted Kimchi Waffle Kit – Gyeonggi
Item stalled: 'Pet Goat Familiar Bundle' – Returned to Sender
He paused.
"...Wait. What?"
Goji bleated from behind him, chewing on the welcome mat.
---
The Goat Job Scandal
Apparently, Goji had wandered into a neighborhood daycare earlier that day—through the back door, where one of Min Jae's packages had been delivered—and had become an immediate sensation.
One toddler called him "Magic Puppy."
Another tried to ride him like a broomstick.
The parents were not thrilled.
Min Jae read the complaint email.
> Dear Wizard Min,
While your pet is charming, he knocked over a LEGO castle, ate a crayon, and pooped in a slipper.
He has been banned from Little Acorns Preschool. Also, thank you for the glowing stickers. The kids love them.
Min Jae stared at Goji.
"You're not allowed near children anymore."
Goji burped and headbutted the recycling bin.
---
Back to Business
Min Jae needed to regroup.
He had momentum—sales, buzz, bizarre fame—but no real infrastructure. Right now, his supply chain was "wander into the other world and trade jokes for goods." That wouldn't last.
He scribbled a list on a notepad:
Build consistent trade route
Find better packaging
Hire part-time help (not a goat)
Avoid wizard tax season
His phone buzzed. A message from Kaldo.
> Need you back in Rivertown. A buyer from the Obsidian Coast is visiting. Big money. Big hat. Bring snacks.
Min Jae sighed.
"Back we go."
---
Return to Rivertown
The portal shimmered in his closet. Stepping through it, he emerged on the edge of Rivertown's bustling square.
Right away, he noticed two things:
1. Someone had started selling bootleg versions of his light wands labeled "Glow Bats."
2. A large carriage shaped like a sea urchin sat parked in front of Kaldo's stall.
Min Jae walked up with Goji in tow.
Kaldo waved him over. "You're late. The guy's been waiting. And he's dramatic."
The buyer stood with his arms folded, wearing a high-collared coat and dark goggles despite it being cloudy.
"You," he said, voice gravelly. "You are the Stove Wizard?"
Min Jae blinked. "...Sure."
The man leaned in. "Your wares made my mother smile. That hasn't happened since the Red Flood."
"That sounds ominous," Min Jae said.
"She likes your banana chips."
"Oh."
---
The Obsidian Deal
The buyer introduced himself as Lord Taven, a noble merchant from the Obsidian Coast—a region known for dark stone, grim poetry, and brooding sunsets.
"I wish to place a bulk order," he said, "for your calming snacks, glow crystals, and portable fire devices."
Min Jae nodded, doing the math in his head.
That was a lot of crystal, even more banana chips, and all of his butane stoves.
He hesitated. "The stoves are... limited supply."
"Then name your price."
Min Jae scribbled a number on a slate board.
Taven didn't blink.
"Accepted," he said.
Min Jae nearly passed out.
---
Supply Woes
The joy of sealing a massive trade deal didn't last long.
Back in the basement, Min Jae faced a reality he had been avoiding: he was running out of Earth-side inventory.
No more stoves. Only two packs of banana chips. His last roll of duct tape was mostly goat hair.
He sat on the floor with his laptop and chewed on a dried squid strip, thinking.
He needed more goods. He needed help.
And he needed to fix the cracked screen on his rice cooker.
But before anything else, he needed something far more urgent: storage.
---
Building the Warehouse
The next day, Min Jae visited the old storage room behind his family's chicken shop.
His uncle once used it for potatoes. Now it was dusty, filled with spiderwebs, and had a distinct smell of forgotten kimchi.
Perfect.
He spent the entire afternoon hauling boxes, cleaning shelves, and setting up a whiteboard labeled "Fantasy Inventory Control Center."
He wrote down SKUs like:
CRY-01: Chill Glow Crystals
SNK-04: Banana Chip Packets (Mystical Calm)
FIR-07: Mini Stove of Eternal Flame (Butane)
GOJ-99: "Do Not Sell This Goat"
By nightfall, his "warehouse" was ready.
Goji stood in the middle, wearing a homemade necktie and looking confused.
"You're head of security now," Min Jae said.
Goji pooped in the corner.
---
Email from a Stranger
At midnight, while updating his shop listing, Min Jae received a strange email.
> To: Wizard Min Jae
From: ArcaneArchives@unknown.net
I represent a group of curious individuals impressed by your… unorthodox rise in the trade world.
We wish to invite you to something... different.
No guilds. No politics. Just business.
If interested, reply with the word: "Possum."
Min Jae read it three times.
He leaned back, banana milk in hand, and said, "What in the SEO-optimized scam is this?"
He didn't reply.
Yet.