[ Chapter V (5): "PUNISHMENT, FORMULATION OF PLANS, DEALINGS" ]
[ "Yeah, this is pretty boring." ]
Lloyd finds himself blowing raspberries as he stares outside his room's open window, the wind hitting his face excessively as the clouds outside threatens to rain.
Usually to him who once lived in a tropical country, where the weather can cause heat stroke to students, that is a great sign. But living in Westeros where the tropical part of the country is on the other side of the map, he instead loathes it.
The Common People too, even though the smell of watered soil is great, he still hates it. As people usually don't have a proper housing here and there, causing houses to be easily destroyed whenever a pretty heavy rain goes by. Hope this case isn't that.
[ "I deserved this." ]
He remembers what he did hours back, killing someone, getting rid of the body, learning how to bake, and also finding the blueprints to change the game of Westeros. And also sneak outside first thing in the morning, that last part being the reason why he is at the moment, grounded.
For a full moon at that, as outside his door are heavily equipped guards ready to tackle him and stop him from sneaking out. No matter how small his height is, he wouldn't be able to sneak past loyal servants that values his mother's words more than his.
So with nothing to do, he instead sits at his table. Multiple mechanism, parts of a whole, and scattered paper mostly scribbled in English— encrypted unintentionally due to the way he quickly wrote things down, causing his penmanship to look a tad bit shit like that. Which he ignores.
As at the moment he instead glances out the window, to the forest, looking down at the things that is happening below. Which is mostly nothing, which further increase the boredom that he is feeling inside.
[ "Where's my pen?" ] Sighing inside in frustration, he instead turned his head to his table. As he searches for his heavily beaten and used up, first-gen ballpoint pen, which he loves dearly to the point that it is the only pen he uses when writing.
After some time, Lloyd was finally able to find his ballpoint pen. Something of which that has a basic, crude design in it; as it is the prototype of the ballpoint pen that his House sells to neighbouring Houses and lands. Not that it matters though, as to him it is thousands of times better than a quill pen— something difficult to use.
Clearing his mind, he glanced out the window again and could see raindrops falling from the sky. It started small and little, before then multiplying in quantity in rapid succession, catching him off guard.
[ "Oh dear." ]
The weather outside already soured, that he even needed to quickly move and close the windows. In which he did in fear of his manuscripts, drawings, and materials getting wet to the point of unusable.
After finally making sure that the weather outside wouldn't be a threat to him, he then opened up and used his magical System to open up the latest book that he bought. And also the second most expensive book that he bought since birth.
[ "LETTERPRESS NOW: A DIY GUIDE TO NEW & OLD PRINTING METHODS" by JESSICA C. WHITE ] [ PAGE 1 ]
He glanced besides him at the floating book that isn't tangible, but visible to him. Then at the stack of paper lying about within reach, he grabbed one, before then scribbling in it the title and goal he has for the Letterpress i.e. to dominate Westeros.
"How to create?", "How to implement?", "How to convince Mother?" To him those big 3 questions are the only thing he needs to find answers to. First thing is how to create, what materials does he have to use, which alternative does he have within reach, etc.
The second of which seems to be the second most hardest, that'll be how to implement his plans, goals, to create the machine and hire hands that he needs for his conquering plans. Which will be difficult with him being in captivity, for a month.
That is a problem, but to him that problem is lesser compared to the third problem he has on his hands. And that'll be, how to convince Mother? He could easily convince his doting Father, but it'll be overturned easily if his Lady Mother disagrees once. So that's a problem which he wants solved.
[ "This is a headache." ]
[ "I need to... start, damn my head." ]
He already felt a tinge bit of the incoming headache that is about to befall him. As he starts flipping from page-to-page, the digitalized book floating in front of him quickly being stripped of worth as Lloyd, the lazy man he is, summarizes as many as he could while reading.
In essence, he could easily understand. He does after all, read books 24/7 for the past 8 years that he has been born. More so compared to the 18 years of life he had before. So he was able to understand the book he is reading easily.
In comparison to the other books within his possession, this one is actually a light read. The English is pretty modernized, the tone is easy to understand, friendly to beginners, and simplified to the extreme. Which is a far cry compared to most books within his possession— which are mostly ramblings.
Hours passed like that without Lloyd even noticing, the only thing that pulled him out of his study, writing, and thought session, was the knock on the door. Which he didn't notice the first time. But after some time, he was finally able to notice it.
[ KNOCK ] x4
[ "Coming...!" ]
Stopping his writing session reluctantly, he became annoyed as he was nearly finished formulating the most basic design he'll have for the said Letterpress. Grumbling under his breath, he was ready to have a verbal sparring with whoever person pulled him out of his studious state:
[ "What do you wan-!!" ]
[ "What!?!" ]
[ "N-nothing, Calissa." ]
Opening the door, he was ready to have a fight. But he paused when he noticed who it was outside, the guards nearby could be seen looking at him with pity. Before then making rounds and moving away, definitely to not get scolded as well by the maid.
The said maid which is but a head and a half taller than him, could be seen looking down at him with fury in her small round eyes. In her hand is a tray of food that she is trying to balance with difficulty, plausibly the reason why she is so cranky. [ "G-get in." ]
About to help her and take away the tray from her hands, he wasn't able to do so. As Calissa raised the said plate so that he wouldn't be able to reach it due to his height, entering the room she looked around; her pupils landing on the desk which has papers scattered left-and-right.
[ "What the... hadn't I just cleaned this?!" ]
Explains why Lloyd's usually messy desk was cleaned, so she did organized it. And at the moment she could be seen slowly turning around with a dark aura around her, ready to criticize and scold the young Lord for not cleaning his room properly.
[ "Young Lord...?" ] in which she did. Very quick, throughout, and repetitive to the point that Lloyd's mind instinctively cancels it all out. Smiling, looking guilty, and nodding his head trying to de-escalate the said anger of her.
...
[ "I'm not doing that." ]
Sitting by the bed of her master, Calissa couldn't help but instinctively disagree to the request of the noble scribbling down things on the paper by his desk.
She glanced at it, but no matter what she does. She still couldn't understand it, even though she had already known her letters thanks to the help of the said young master. Thankfully she could understand the pictures, which is decent and detailed at least, compared to the writings it is day.
[ "Do you truly not remember what happened previously?! My Lord, I had my pay deducted. Deducted by 2/3rds!" ]
Every half a moon she gets paid. To every servants it varies, but to low-level servants depending on what they do, they'll be paid 1.5-4 silver stags. But due to the unique position she holds, as the personalized maid of the sole Heir of House Boggs.
We'll, she gets paid higher compared to the others, less than the maids handling the Lord or Lady of the House. But still high, as she gets paid 5 silver stags every 15 days or so, which is high. Which explains why she so loves the work she does, aside from of course learning her letters from her master.
But due to the previous escapades in which she helped the young Lord in, she got her pay deducted by 2/3rds for 3 moons. That is 6 salaries, which is 6 more than she wants to be deducted. This made her an unhappy girl, who could blame her?
...
After being scolded for a long time, Lloyd was finally free enough to continue his work. Besides him, in his bed is a young lady, still yapping about how her pay had been deducted due to him.
Yes that fact is true, he did got caught sneaking out of the said small keep of his family. But thanks to that, he was able to gather enough data to formulate his plan for plant fertilizer— about ammonia.
At the moment his focus is elsewhere, on the Letterpress as he continues scribbling. Somewhat unintelligible, somewhat not. Still, to him and some, maybe, it would be understandable. So nodding in satisfaction, he then placed his pen down, as he turns.
[ "Need I remind you, my salary is still being cut by the Lady due to your foolis-" ]
[ "Will this amount..." ] Opening his second drawer to the left, he flashes her with gold dragons, enough to make her pause in-between her words. [ "Be enough?" ]
He could see the greed in her eyes, which he understands somewhat due to him living previously as a poor ghost. He doesn't blame her for her greedy actions, especially because it doesn't crosses the line which he has, or did she hurt anyone, never.
Lloyd knows she has a good soul, if she didn't then she wouldn't have been his friend since he first met her. She wouldn't have put up with his antics, or even search for him whenever he goes out. She is truly, a nice person, inside. [ "Not enough?" ]
Feigning surprise, Lloyd slowly took one gold dragon away from the pile of 11 gold dragon, which caused the other to quickly rush to stop him from doing so. The subtle tactic of his, yeah, it worked.
Her soft hands quickly touches his, noticing sweat forming in her palm, he then quickly glanced at her face. Which looks constipated to some extent, seeing the desires results, he let go of the coin; which was then quickly scooped away by her.
[ "N-no, no! M-my Lord, it is enough!" ]
[ "M-more than enough. Please, I'll do it. I-I'll gladly deliver the things you want." ]
In no time, the said maid who oh-so loves money quickly snatched up the gold dragons that Lloyd stored up from the income he received from some of his stores. Sweating. He definitely shouldn't tell her how the other drawers all have money in them, in fear of suddenly being pennyless.
[ "That is... great." ] Coughing into his hand, he gathered all the necessary materials that Ser Alexander his new business partner would need. The blueprints, the instructions he'll need to do outside, the contract he signed and would get back after some time.
And lastly of course, arguably the most important piece of it all, the letter of which Ser Alexander will need to give to the most famous blacksmith of the land. To that guy, Pertur- whatever, he forgot.
[ "Simple delivery, dear." ] He let white wax drip to the letter in his hand, which was done thanks to the candle he lit up previously burning in his desk. He stamped it with the custom seal of his, which is simply the letter LB chained together.
And voila, the letter is finished. Turning beside him, at the girl who's counting her earnings in her hand, before then placing it in a small sack. He gave the letter to her, plus the blueprints, before then finally giving instructions.
Seeing that the usually headstrong, never waver woman who's 5 years his senior, suddenly turned into an obedient cat in mere seconds. Lloyd couldn't get used to this scene, even though he knows of her since the week he was born.
Instead, he shakes his head, trying to wake himself up from the seemingly unreal scenery that he is seeing. But no matter what, he couldn't. He could only watch as 1/10th of his earnings was taken, just like that with practical ease— like robbery.
He didn't let the small sum of money disappearing like that get to him, as he knows that anything monetary is limited in comparison to knowledge. About to read up on the new book he bought, he instead paused when he noticed something.
[ "Huh... milk and bread, my favorite." ]
[ "I guess that 10 gold dragon was actually worth it. Who would have thought." ]
The tray which was left by his personal maid includes foods and drinks of which he loves. A simpleton like him absolutely adores milk and bread, simple, quick, efficient. About to put it on hold, he couldn't, as he hears his stomach grumble. [ "Absolutely worth it." ]
[ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ]
[ 07/12/2025 ]
[ 07/13/2025 ]
[ AN: Lloyd doesn't value materialistic things that much in comparison to things which couldn't be touched, or see, or feel. He loves knowledge, loyalty, nostalgia, loves love, and most absolutely of them all... He loves older women, which goes against the idea, but still... Older women. ]