Chapter 2: A World of Steam

William opened the door of his house. His late grandfather had bought it a long time ago, and since then, it had served as the home for the Hastur Family.

He was wearing a formal suit and had a cane in his hand. He had the day off from his studies, but he decided that he would go out to try to find a job. He knew that he would not be able to last until the end of his studies only with the money left by his grandmother.

William was worried, at first, because Debris couldn't seem to get away from him, even with both of them trying. They later concluded that because of this strange connection they had formed, William would have to carry Debris with him until they figured out a way to change this.

It was a relief to see later that Debris was able to turn invisible. It would have been impossible for the transmigrator not to attract attention if he moved with a sword on him.

He had decided to go see his teacher, Mr. Isiah Staff. Isiah was a renowned professor of theoretical mechanics, highly appreciated by most of his students and colleagues. The man had many connections and got along well with William, so William hoped that he would help him find a part-time job that would allow him to continue his studies.

The physics of this world was far behind that of his previous world. William was sure that, in the future, he would be able to make technological advances and even lead the world into the age of electricity. This was because the previous William was a genius, so he could perfectly understand what he had learned in his other life.

Soon, he arrived at Khoy University. The campus was quite large. There were many departments specialized in different subjects. The Physics Department was quite close to the entrance, so he didn't have to walk far.

He arrived at Professor Staff's office. He knew the man liked to spend time there, doing whatever he wanted. He knocked on the door and, indeed, it did not take long for him to be invited to enter.

"Good Day, professor." William saluted, remembering Victorian etiquette.

The teacher smiled at him as he was writing down some things.

"Mr. Hastur, it's good to see you this morning." William could see the mass of papers around the room and thought it was a little funny, although he admired the man's perseverance. "Strange, though, seeing him on a day off around here. Take a sit. Do you need anything?"

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

The question was not strange. William studied a lot during the week and usually used the weekends to stay home and relax or go for a walk.

"I don't want to bother you any longer than necessary, sir, so I'll get right to the point." William searched for the right words. He didn't want to show that he thought of his teacher as a friend because it wouldn't be appropriate. "Sir, lately I've been worried that my money is running out too fast..."

He didn't continue the sentence on purpose, hoping that Mr. Staff would understand. Isiah leaned his shoulders on the table and watched William curiously.

"So, do you want to get a job while you're studying?"

William nodded calmly, he knew that the man had many connections and he only hoped that his good impression of him would pay off.

To the young student's relief, the professor smiled reassuringly.

"You're in luck today, Mr. Hastur. Just the other day a friend told me he needs a clerk for his herb shop. He mentioned it would only be four hours in the evenings and he would pay a pound a week."

This was a pleasant surprise for William. A pound a week was quite a lot of money for just being a part-time job, many people who worked double or even more earned less.

"I guess this is the good part of getting along with important people. It seems that I will be able to live without problems until I manage to finish my studies."

He was quick to agree to this offer.

"That's good to hear, sir. I appreciate it."

Isiah Staff waved his hand to dismiss it. "As a future professor at Khoy University, you must show a decent standard of living. This is just a help I give to a future colleague." As he spoke, he wrote an address on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

William nodded gratefully before getting up from his chair.

"I appreciate it very much, sir. I promise to repay the favor properly in the future."

Mr. Staff laughed heartily, which would have been seen as a lack of gentlemanly behavior, but he didn't care. The man was just like this, honest and carefree, although he was a genius of traditional mechanics.

William would have raised his hat to say goodbye, but he realized that he wasn't wearing one and thought that he should buy it as soon as he was balanced financially.

"Have a nice day then, Professor." With these words and a final nod from Isiah, William walked out the door and headed outside the campus.

"It's still early, I should go to the address he gave me to talk to the owner about the contract."

As he walked at a calm pace, he was observing the city. It was an industrial town and it reminded William of the Victorian era in his old world. He remembered that there were quite a few religions in this world. Among them, the most popular were the so-called Seven Orthodox Gods. Ancient William believed in the Evernight Goddess. He wondered if these Gods really existed, after all, it was a world of supernatural entities and powers.

After no less than half an hour of walking, he arrived at a novel-looking herb shop. There was a sign at the entrance that said the name of the store: Lawson's Folk Herb Store. He took a deep breath before preparing to enter.