Serving Time(((Complete)))

Cloud Cotton Co.

--- 32 Days AD ---

I yawned, stretching, and looked around. The small room I was staying in was functional, and clean, the way I liked it.

The innkeeper was convinced I was slumming it up, after hearing my name, and had referred me to several brothels nearby. I had happily taken his advice on the best ones, and planned on visiting one soon.

It seems the College started term in a month, so I was free until then to do whatever I liked, other than break the law, obviously.

This, basically, meant that I couldn't kill anyone, steal anything, or rape anyone, and I wasn't allowed to use magic to attack someone, lethal intentions or not. That was the basic limitations of the laws I was tutored in during my first few days. Punishment for breaking those laws was... Extreme. Extremely Extreme. Magical torture was as methodical as it was precise, I was told.

I had bought a large plot of land, directly on the river yesterday, which was finished with a three story warehouse, and then talked with people around the city. Clothing was often highly expensive, because they were all woven individually and hand-stitched. I planned on making a Textile Mill to alleviate this issue, and make a fortune doing so, without harming anyone.

I walked out of the inn, and made my way to the docks, (after a quick stop in the bank for 1 Platinum Koi and 22 Golden Frei.)

I found the harbor master, and smiled. "Hello, sir, I'm Lord Caleb Johnson, I'm new in the Capitol, I was wondering if you'd point me towards your biggest metal importer and also your biggest cotton importer?" I asked cordially.

He hummed, and wordlessly pointed at two ships, one unloading Metal expeditiously, and the other unloading giant bales of Cotton. I grinned and approached the Metal Ship. "Hello! May I speak to your captain?" I asked.

They pointed at a man who was talking to another, seemingly arguing price. The man wanted to pay only 10 Frei, and I grinned. "I'll give you Twenty for this shipment, and also the opportunity to work together in the future." I said suddenly, and they froze. "Oh, my apologies. I'm Lord Caleb Johnson, and you?" I held out a hand to the Captain.

He gripped my hand, and looked down at the roughness of my palm, then up at my smooth grin, chuckling. "I'm Captain Java (Hava). 20 Frei, you say?"

"Indeed." I handed him the pouch, taking two out. At his raised eyebrow, I smiled. "There were 22." I explained.

He nodded and counted quickly. "Well then. Done, milord." He grinned. He turned to his crew, ignoring the spluttering merchant, and whistled sharply. "Alright, Boys! Looks like we've got a new Client!"

---

I had the metal taken to my plot of land, and then the Cotton, which I'd gotten for the remaining two Frei in my pocket.

I went to the Palace, then found and borrowed a Mage, promising him the Koi if he helped me with cutting many metal slabs into very specific shapes. He replied that that specific job was one he was called upon for often, and he was something of an expert.

I showed him the exactly specified drawings I'd made for the parts of the Mechanical Loom, and his eyes went like saucers, at the sheer size of whatever I was building.

I snapped my fingers and looked him in the eyes. "This is for our eyes only. Word gets out, I'll know it was you, and I'll hunt you down and tear you limb from limb, burn your body, and throw your ashes into the ocean. Is that understood?" I said gently, my hand gripping the back of his neck.