Working Hard

Carole hit Vy lightly on the back and said in an annoyed tone of voice, "This poor boy thought you abandoned him! He was ready to burst into tears."

"No I wasn't!" Lycster rebutted as he blushed.

Vy chuckled as she shook her head, "Sorry to scare you like that, Lycster. I just went out for a morning walk, that's all."

"I was just afraid something happened to you. If you left, who was going to pay me," Lycster said with his face still all red.

Vy and Carole looked at each other and let out a laugh. The boy was simply too adorable.

Business at Vy's stall was growing day by day, as more people came with their requests. Most of them were asking for letters to be written, to be sent to distant relatives, lovers, and family. Some merchants also came to Vy to draw up contracts but she did not have a typewriter.

She could only direct them back to their guild houses and hope that they had a scribe and a typewriter available for them to get their contracts written. In their spare time, Vy taught Lycster how to read and write.

The boy was a fast learner and he quickly got the hang of being able to read documents. A week after the Harvest Festival ended, Rodrick sent word to Vyrena, informing her that the new item he ordered had arrived. She left the stall in Lycster's care and made her way to his shop.

The shop was not busy at this time of day so Vy simply walked in and found Rodrick in the backroom on his typewriter. When he saw her, he smiled and took out a huge box to show her.

"Is this it," Vy asked curiously.

Rodrick nodded as he opened the box to show her the new portable typewriter. The new machine was lighter and more compact then the typewriter Rodrick had been using. Vy admired its black lacquered shiny finish and rustic keys, the device looked ready to use!

"There's a set of instructions that came with the device, which I will leave in your capable hands. But I will show you the basics," Rodrick explained. He went on to show Vy how to add in the paper and the ink.

"How much do I owe you for the device," Vy asked politely.

Rodrick simply smiled and shook his head, "Consider it a gift from me to you, for all the help you have helped me with and the future work to come."

Vy offered to pay for part of the device but Rodrick outright refused. Without much of any other options, Vy thanked him and collected her new assignments and left the shop. She headed back to her stall and set up the typewriter on the table.

Some of the other stall owners, including Carole, came over to have a look at the device. They were interested to see how it worked.

Since it was a slower day, Vy decided to teach Lycster how to use the typewriter. He was afraid of it at first, but when Vyrena showed him what it could do, his fear faded away. His curiosity overtook him as he practised typing word for word.

When a customer came in with a request, Vy would take over and typed speedily to fulfil the request. With her typing skills she was able to complete the work at a much quicker pace, enabling Vy to get more done.

The portable typewriter also attracted the attention of a few travellers from the neighbouring towns. They had been handwriting all their documents and had no idea such a device existed. Vy saw the business opportunity and grabbed onto it, taking orders for the device and sent Lycster to Rodrick.

"She wants to know how much I bought it for and if there was a bulk discount," Rodrick asked

Lycster nodded his head enthusiastically, "Yes! Apparently quite a number of customers came by to inquire how much it would cost. There are already 10 orders!"

Rodrick went into the back room and pulled out a catalogue with the various models of typewriters and prices printed on the paper. He handed it to Lycster and told him to bring it to Vy.

When Lycster brought the catalogue to Vy, her eyes gleamed with joy. She did not expect it but she was more than happy to have it. Flipping through it, Dotty captured the information in it swiftly. A price list matching the devices was generated in her mind and Vy could easily tell which model was more efficient and affordable.

With that information, she typed out a new price list and used a copy spell to create more duplicates with ink and paper. Then, she turned to Lycster and handed him the freshly printed price lists.

"Do you remember the 8 people who wanted to purchase the typewriter? Their details are written down on this paper. I need you to deliver this price list to them and tell them to get back to me with their orders and deposits by tomorrow before we close for the day."

Lycster listened carefully and even repeated the information to Vy to ensure that he got it right. After he left to deliver the price lists, Vy sat back down at her desk and continued typing out the requests of the day. Something about it felt nostalgic.

-I wonder if the world I came from had such devices.-