"... And that's that." I dropped the last file that needed to be finished. Thank God Vincent has fountain pens. Don't know if I can handle writing with a pen and an inkwell.

"Good work, my boy. It's a good thing you came here looking for a job or I'll be spending the night finishing these documents."

"Yeah... there's quite a lot of them. Why do you have this big of a backlog? Don't you have assistants for this?"

"Normally I could handle the paperwork. I don't need an assistant for this. But because of that rotten Hardin, the paperwork just arrived this morning. And I know that this is his doing. Forcing the others to withhold their papers until the last second."

"Hardin? Who's that?"

"Right, I forgot you're new here." Vincent scratches his bearded chin. "William Hardin, one of the biggest scumbags in this side of the Thames. Protection rackets, prostitution, smuggling, gunrunning, opium, slave labor... if it's illegal, he's at least dipped his fingers on it. And he's one of the most influential persons in this part of Londinium. He's got the money, the muscle, and the clout to make himself the de facto ruler here. Unfortunately, he doesn't have control or even influence on the three vital parts on this area. The munitions factory, the constabulary, and the docks we are standing on."

"The factory belongs to one of the richest and powerful lords in Albion, Lord Huntington. No one would want to tangle with him, especially Hardin."

"Constabulary's been taken over by the Queen herself. After the bombing incident that killed half of the bobbies and the attack on Westminster Abbey while the Queen and her family was attending mass, there has been a massive sweep in their ranks."

"The only vulnerable one is the Docks. Caleb might be a great boss and a good businessman, but he doesn't have the clout that would deter Hardin from trying to get his hands on the business. That's why we're having these problems. Workers quitting for no reason, random roadblocks and detours, theft... even a direct assault on the docks and arson. Hardin would do anything to make this place his. Only stopping him from just shooting us and be done with it is that the constabulary will be looking very hard at him until he spill his guts."

"But Hardin is a sneaky bastard. He knows who to pander to and keeps his nose clean. He's quite close to the Lord Mayor, has connections with the commissioners and constabulary officials, and is the secret leader of the biggest gang in this area of Londinium, the Rooks."

"That's quite bad."

"Indeed my boy, indeed.... But we can't do it anything about it. Only thing we can do is make sure the docks don't fall on his grubby paws. Be careful and make sure to stay low and out of Hardin's sights. He's a very dangerous man. We lost many of us because of his schemes."

"Enough with this talk! We're already finished here. Now, help pack those up and close the office, so we can something to eat. I know a pub that serves great shepherd's pie and beef stew with freshly baked bread. My treat."

"Thanks. That'd be great!"

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Vincent took me a took a pub named 'The River Mermaid', just a block away from the docks. The place is really nice; clean floors and tables, well-lit interior, and great waitresses sporting modest and neat dresses.

And the smell? Oh man, the smell... absolutely gorgeous. The scents that wafts from the kitchen are mouth-watering and appetite-whetting.

Then they brought out the food. By God it was glorious. The roasted lamb is studded with rosemary and thyme. The shepherd's pie? You can smell that it is fresh out of the oven. And the rye bread's really soft and has a nice nutty scent.

And then I took a bite of the lamb.

"See! Told you it's good. Best place in Londinium for meat dishes. I bet even those hoighty-toighty fancy restaurants can't match this fare. Taste the pie too. And don't fill yourself up with those. The stew's still coming. Bet you can really finish that bread with just the broth."

The lamb is really soft and juicy. Medium rare then finished off with a butter baste. Magnificent.

Then I had an idea. Slice the bread into finger-thick slices. Slice the roast lamb into strips. Stack the lamb strips on the bread slice. Scoop some of those lovely juices onto the meat. Cover it with another slice of bread. Then take a bite.

Perfection.

"Nice one there, lad. Didn't think of that. Roast lamb sandwiches. You're a genius, my boy!"

"Here's your soup. Enjoy your dinner, gentlemen."

"We will, my dear."

"Ah, beef stew..." Vincent takes a slurp form his own bowl of stew. "Uhmmm... Excellent as always. You should try it, Henry. It's a good meal to relieve the tiredness from the work we did."

"Wow... that's good stew! All these dishes are really nice. Bet's it a bit costly here."

"Not that much. This meal we have now only costs us a pound. On other places, these may cost a pound and a half or more."

"Well, it's still really not cheap at all. Wait... I forgot to ask... how much I'm getting paid for?"

"Caleb didn't tell you? Maybe he forgot. Standard for an assistant is 6 shillings a day. But for someone like you that's quite skilled in letters and numbers? I'll tell Caleb to pay you half a pound a day, plus an extra pound a month for some decent clothing. Your clothing is decent enough, but for meeting clients you will need more fashionable clothes."

"My clothes not good enough?"

"They're good quality, especially your boots. But since you now work as my assistant, you will need fancier clothes when accompanying me to conduct business with other clients. Even Caleb own a few suits and a tuxedo for formal occasions."

"Really? Our big brawny boss in a three-piece suit? That's a sight to see."

"Don't be fooled by his brawny disposition and rough looks. He's one of the best negotiators in the business. Another reason why Hardin's having a hard time taking the docks from him. Plus he pays his employees well."

"Anyway... you got a place to stay? Methinks you are a stray that just got into Londinium. If you want, I can rent you a spare bedroom in my house. I'll even give it to you for cheap."

"Thanks. That will be great. I was planning to get a room in one of the inns around here."

"Bahhh... don't do that. Those places are not safe, especially the ones around here. Hardin own half of them. Th others pay him for 'protection'."

"Besides... I don't have any people in my house. Except for the housekeeper and me, the place is empty. So... you'll take my offer?"

"Yes. And thank you."

"You're welcome, Henry my boy."

==================================================

I should really thank Vincent a lot for letting me rent this room.

It's a good-sized room situated on the top floor of his three-floor house. Gas lamps illuminate the entire house, including the room. It even has its own bathroom with toilet. And running water, let's not forget running water. How the heck does he have running water? As far as I know, the wealthy in this time period don't have that luxury. Best thing they can have is a faucet in the kitchen. Washbasins should be the norm, even for the very wealthy.

The room's furnished with a plain but solid dressing on the east wall, a bed in the opposite corner, and a low drawer cabinet between them. Also a small table next to the door that holds a jug of water and a glass for drinking.

And the bed's really nice. Down-feather-filled silk mattress, pillows and comforter. The blanket is silk too.

I'm getting spoiled with this.

"Mister Henry, Master Vincent is waiting for you in the dining room. Breakfast is served."

"Thanks, Miss Levinson. I'll just wash up and get changed. And please call me Henry. No need for 'mister', I'm not that old."

"Very well... Henry. Call me Margaret or Aunt Marge."

"Okay, Aunt Marge. And thank you for telling me. I'll be right down."

"It's my pleasure."

==================================================

"How's the sleep, Henry? Is it a bit difficult for you?"

"No... it feels really great. It's quite luxurious, even for me. And even running water on the bathroom, that's very rare. The 5 pounds per month rent is just too cheap."

"If I had my way, I'll let you have the room for free. Only stopping me is my pride on teaching people the value of good work. And I don't want Miss Margaret short-changed here for her hard work."

"Still... thank you. If not for then I don't where to stay for the night."

"It's a pleasure, Henry my boy. Now, we don't want Margaret to be frowning at us for not eating the she prepared."

"Yes, it's an insult to good food."

"That it is. Let's dig in. We'll talk later."

==================================================

"Henry, you don't have any clothes other than that, am I right?"

"Yes... circumstances forced me to come to Londinium with just the clothes on my back."

"That's a shame. Coming here to the center of the civilized world with nothing to your name? Don't worry, Londinium will take of its own."

"You're also quite educated for someone your age. I'm almost ashamed to admit you're better at almost anything I do."

"Well... I was always sick and bedridden. Reading and studying are the only things I can do in my condition."

"Really my boy... you look healthier than most people around here. Almost like a scion of a wealthy noble family."

"Not really. My... 'father' is rich but that's it. I do not know if he's a nobleman. He's American, you see."

"A colonial? You're very far away from home. How did you get here? Can you tell me more about your family?"

"How I got is something I really want to keep to myself for. My mother's been dead for five years now. I do not have any living relations on my mother's side. As for my 'father'? Let's just say I don't want to have any connection with him. It's better this way."

"If that is what you wish, my boy."

"Sorry about that. That... man evokes a lot of bad memories for me."

"I... see. Well then... on to better topics. I know a place where you can get new clothes for yourself. It's not cheap, but they are very good tailors. I can lend you some money if you want."

"Thank you. I got a few pounds here and some more at a stash somewhere. Let's take a look then."

==================================================

"You look fabulous, sir. Quite elegant, if I do say so."

"Smashing, my dear boy. You really look like nobility with those clothes."

I'm wearing a white, button down wrist-sleeved dress shirt, matched with a dark wine-red silk neckstock. Then a rich black-and-gold brocade vest topped with a light grey frock coat. Black trouser with suspender and dark brown dress shoes finished the outfit.

I also 2 more different clothing sets with it. The cost? Seven pounds.

Good thing I used my yesterday's remaining Essence to change pennies to pounds. Two Essence Points is used to convert a penny to a pound. I also spent 7 more Essence points today to make up the difference. I'm down to 6 Essence Points today. At least I avoided borrowing money from Vincent. Don't want to owe him more gratitude.

"Thanks. It really looks good, and fits quite nicely. I'm quite amazed you finished this sets in just 4 hours."

"I pride myself in high quality yet affordable clothing. And I always make exact measurement. Never needed to do a second fitting in my career. Plus my seamstress is very good at her work."

"You can get the remaining articles of clothing later this afternoon."

"That fast? That's great. I get them later before your shop closes. You close at 5:30PM, right?"

"We do normally close at that time, but you can take the clothes until 7:00PM."

"Thank you then. See you later then."

"Farewell then, gentlemen, and have a pleasant day."

==================================================

"You going somewhere, kid."

"Gonna do a bit of walking about. See the sights, make myself familiar with the area."

"Be careful then kid. This part of Londinium is quite safe, but you never know what kind of trouble is there just around the corner. Don't get yourself into one, you hear?"

"Yes, dad. I'll be careful."

"Cheeky boy. I want you home before seven'o'clock or I'll lock you out."

"Okay. Be back before seven, got it."

==================================================

I'm down to 6 Essence Points for today.

Plus I didn't earn any bonus points because I spent the Essence of frivolous 'non-upgrades'.

Wasted opportunities.

Now, where should I spend the remaining points?

I can upgrade my +5 Scrap items to higher-tier Common ones. Or upgrade my remaining items, like my clothes.

Hmm... what to do?

'Scritch! Scritch!'

The hell? Is the fucking shadow beast back again?

'Crash! Bam!'

Are those giant rats?

And then three pairs of beady black eyes looked at me.

Of course... random encounters. The staple of many RPGs. Plus giant rats, the familiar starter monster in those same games.

Those rats are about 2 and a half feet long from snout to boot, with another foot for their long, whip-like tail. Their paws sporting claws and their upper front incisors three inches long, both wickedly sharp.

And those eyes convey pure hate to me. What the fuck did I do to deserve such hatred? Did I interrupt their menage-a-trois?

Oh fuck it! They're charging me!

Trusty stick don't fail me now!

Oh Dear Lord that's sooooo goooooooooood...

Even better!

Pump those remaining points into the stick!

Sweet!

Come at me you overgrown vermin! I'm the fucking pest exterminator!