After spending a bit more time under the fountain's calming yet culturally shocking presence, Jacob eventually found it in him to deal with the upper class again. 'Three days. Three days' worth of breaks before I got to deal with them again.' Jacob resisted a groan as he got up and dusted himself off. Before the... accident, he had been talking to people not so dissimilar to the mayor who invited him, why? Well, it's simple, he was the heir to an Energy Corporation Conglomerate or whatever going out on his own and doing his own ventures.
And so, he had to make deals with those who can potentially want his services and more or less make his own connections- or, in other words, get connections through osmosis via his father, who already got their trust a decade before Jacob.
After that old woman had come to him, the stares had gotten worse and even if he did everything he could to ignore them, the fact is, he doesn't know any of these people, and somehow, that makes the feeling that comes from knowing they're staring at him that much worse. He didn't have to like it obviously, just deal with it. But doing so is hard, especially when they don't even try to hide it.
'Well, whatever.' It wouldn't be so bad if they tone it down a bit. In fact- Jacob smiled at a teenage boy waving his sword at him, the boy smiled and nodded in turn, as if giving his status as a [Mage] respect. Jacob can only assume that the kid is either a guard or some form of the class [Knight] maybe [Squire].
A little while later and Jacob stood in front of what he assumes is the major's office- which, he guessed makes this place a town instead of a village, - and although it looked more like a court, Jacob can definitely see the little bit of resemblance that the building has with its modern counterpart: The wide plot of flat stone at the front, walls two giant square windows on either side of the double doors, little stuff like that is what reminds Jacob that the people here knew to mix aesthetic and function as well as if not better than modern people.
The double doors opened and out came the old woman who talked to him earlier, "Hello," she bowed, "I can escort you to the mayor's office if that's fine with you?"
Thinking that the old lady has done enough for him by walking over to the fountain earlier, Jacob shook his head and refused her offer, "No thanks, I don't want to waste your time even more than I already did. Just give me directions?"
For some reason, her smile turned stiff, but she nodded regardless, "Ah, of course. Just walk down the hallway and you can reach the office in the quickest way possible." Jacob nodded at that and started walking towards the doors, she stepped aside for him and then quietly followed him. Jacob looked at her to say that he can take care of himself but she was quicker to speak, "We can have a tour of the place if you like?" She recommended.
"No, no, it's fine." Jacob waved her off, he wasn't planning on dealing with a long ass brag about the mayor's accomplishments disguised as a "tour" again. Really, he'd seen everything, from newspaper clippings of politicians "going to charity," or the "time when they helped a flooded village from Africa" during their campaign run which got them their "Votes". It was all the same, in the end.
"Oh, okay." Replies the woman, "Then we should get to the office post haste."
Jacob nodded in appreciation, "Come on."
Because she was wearing heels, the woman had to keep up with his long strides with quick steps that left her gasping for breath. Jacob told her to take it easy a lot of times as well as telling her that he was fine on his own but she insisted on going with him, after the fifth time, Jacob decided to let her do her job and made his way to the mayor's office with the same speed. Some people can be stubborn, after all. And who was he to judge them if they wanted to do their job?
Jacob stopped in front of a black oaken door that had been tarnished to the point of shininess, when he was about to knock, the woman walked ahead of him and did it for him, she did it once, then a few seconds later, twice. Jacob observed it and took note that the people at the tavern did the same whenever they knocked on his room.
'Come in!' A voice came from the inside and with permission, the woman twisted the handle and with a click, the door opened to reveal a typical study with full bookshelves on either side of the wall, mounted heads, trinkets, and a desk at the center of it all, placed directly in front of a massive square window who's curtains are partially drawn to only let a bit of light. Doing so gave the study an odd atmosphere that Jacob can only describe as "A little Summer" and "Orange".
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Sitting behind the desk was the mayor himself, a portly man with a straight stature that Jacob commonly found amongst the wealthy businessmen he finds his father talking to during "important parties". His clean, brown suit was straight laced golden threads while a mustache that was nothing more than a little sprinkle on the man's upper lip stood unmoving even as the man breathed hard- a peculiar mystery that Jacob found he is rather interested in digging deeper to.
Come to think of it... Jacob looked around, the two maids on either side of the mayor, as well as the butler behind him were breathing rather... hard aren't they?
Jacob's mind started assuming things and his face distorted in disgust. 'Oh god. The mayor isn't one of those kinky politicians isn't he?' You know the kind, the ones who say they're against gay people but are secretly getting fucked by men. That kind of kinky politician.
The mayor cleared his throat and Jacob did his best to school his expression while forcing a neutral smile, "Hello." The man started, "I heard you are a [Mage]?"
Jacob nodded, "Yes. Actually."
The mayor's expression twisted into a barely hidden scowl, "Before we can... discuss things, can I get a demonstration? Perhaps to sate my curiousity, is all."
What? "What?" Jacob repeated his thoughts aggressively. The mayor shrugged, seemingly unconcerned about Jacob's aggression towards his confusing word of choice.
"Demonstrate your magic for us." He said.
"Uh, yeah. Sure. Where?" Jacob answered as his body went into autopilot. The mayor smiled and stood up and it was at that moment that Jacob's mind caught up, "Excuse me, can you tell me what you meant by- "Perhaps to sate my curiosity, is all?", I just... I don't know?" Jacob asked with a confused shrug.
"I won't." Replies the man, "Now come on, this room has a door that leads to the backyard, there you can shoot out a simple [Bolt] maybe?"
Jacob nodded, "Uh. Sure."
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'Just because I said things in panic he thinks he can dare to mock my wording eh?' Mayor Heas Yarya thought while hiding a sneer as he stared at the back of the so called mage that came to his village- personally, he didn't even believe that such a young man is an Acolyte of magic, let alone a full on [Mage]! He has seen practitioners of the art before, and they're all in their mid twenties, not some young upstart! And if he was one, then he would only know one basic spell at most!
Just who is this conman and why did he dare to frown at his maid and butler even after preparing his study as fast as they could?! They were sweaty from the effort, too!
"What do you want me to do again?" Said mage asked as he stared at his personal target dummy, the thing had held the scars of his own [Bolt] shots, and it was clear as day through the black scorch marks on the humanoid's clothes, as an [Fire Mage] himself, Heas knew what it means to study as one, and it is hard.
'And not something a young upstart like him can understand.' He thought, holding back a nod. Heas threw gestured forward, "Just shoot a simple [Bolt] spell, nothing damaging." He explained, not at all concerned that the man can damage his target dummy. "Go on." He encouraged, more than impatient to get this farce of a con done and over with.
He can just kick the man out of his office and say that he offended him or something. That was a good cover up for him thinking that an old mage had gone inside his village of over 300 people- which will one day be a town when it reaches 1000.
"Okay, just a simple spell?" Heas nodded and watched with a raised eyebrow as the mage threw his hand out and cast [Bolt] without a chant. He and his entourage of helpers watched as the small yet quick [Bolt] flew through the air like a bird of prey finding a target- which in this case is the turtle of a dummy that didn't move as the spell neared and struck, shattering it apart from the midsection and causing the upper half to fall down in a dust of hay.
"Is that good enough?" Did the mage sound offended?
Heas wiped the sweat off of his brow and smiled, "Ah yes! Yes!" he said, clapping two times all the while- he hoped that the mage wouldn't catch his sign to his secretary, Froan, to prepare the food.
"Oh, okay. Cool." The mage nodded at him and started walking back to his office.
Heas sat down on his chair and did his best no resist the temptation of wiping his sweaty back, "Can- that spell just now." He eyed the mage, "what was that?"
"A [Sharp-Bolt] spell." He answered and Heas can only nod, "From the scorch marks, is there someone else using that dummy?"
"Oh! Yes!" He answered happily, which somehow made the mage frown, so he decided to backtrack. Him answering that those pathetic scorch marks are his must look bad to the mage, "But that man is basically a pathetic old man who can't get pass the 2nd circle. Ha. Ha. Ha."
"I see..." The mage answered with a confused face and Heas resisted the urge to scoff at his arrogance. 'Young geniuses and their pride!' Just because he can't cast a stronger [Bolt] spell doesn't mean he's confusing! It's magic that's confusing, damnit!