Chapter 68: The Secretary
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The photography and artful depictions of the rulers of the city hung on the surrounding walls of the office space, enhancing its official government-like look.
It wasn't long before he got bored and shifted on to other things. He flitted through the pile of books on the shelves, the ran his fingers over the intricately crafted marble statues and figurines. Still, he was not satisfied. The demand on his body was compelling. As Xzavier deliberated on his next source of entertainment, he eyed the open space between the door the desk, and an idea immediately began to form in his mind.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner?"
Xzavier beamed to himself as he began to take off his shirt. He was going to do the one thing he actually enjoyed doing; working out!
In addition to the stimulating effect of the coffee, a new dose of adrenaline rushed through him, filling him with an animal like energy. Within a couple of seconds, Xzavier took off his shirt and flung it on the nearby chair. With the office space to himself, and with all the time in the world, Xzavier dropped down to the ground, placed himself in a push up position and began the rigorous process of doing his push ups.
"One, two, three…"
With his face locked in a tight grimace, Xzavier began his push ups with renewed vigor.
"…seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two… three"
By this time, great beads of sweat began to form on his face and on his muscle bound back. His mind a total blank, Xzavier focused one hundred percent on the task he had set out to do. Bursting with energy, he pushed on determinedly till he completed a hundred. Without even stopping for a break, he started a fresh round of sit ups.
Xzavier dove right in, and finessed his way through ninety sit-ups. Just as he was about to complete his hundredth sit-up, the door behind him suddenly jerked open. Xzavier had been so focused on his work out regiment that for a moment, he forgot where he was. The stranger that emerged from the other side brought him back to reality.
Xzavier stopped abruptly at the interruption. Bathed in a blanket of his own sweat, Xzavier jumped to his feet and turned around sharply to see who the intruder was. Xzavier was quite surprised at the figure that met his eyes. On a subconscious level, Xzavier had been low key expecting the same official from earlier on. This made more sense. But instead, he saw a short, pretty woman in transparent glasses standing at the door frame.
Despite the awkward and very unconventional sight that greeted her, Xzavier observed that she kept a straight face. She was dressed like a secretary. But it wasn't just her dress, it was the way she clutched the neat pile of documents to her chest, holding them like her life depended on them. Her strong, uncompromising look told Xzavier that she was one of those particularly strong women.
The cold way she regarded him, in addition to her overall serious vibe reminded Xzavier of one of those book smart, ambitious, academically serious girls in high school who used to run for the office of class president, and garner favors from teachers and authority figures. Xzavier was certain that she was the type.
Just as Xzavier observed her, the mean looking woman stared him down with an intensity that far outmatched Xzavier's. Her eyes drilled into his opponent with the intensity of a high energy laser beam. Xzavier felt increasingly uncomfortable with each second. The excruciating torture that came with the indignation of her gaze was unexpected. Xzavier began to get the feeling that she certainly didn't like him. Her insidious glare suggested that she in fact didn't want him here. Never in a million years would Xzavier have expected this level of vitriol from a woman of her stature.
The awkwardness was further augmented by the fact that Xzavier was shirtless in a government office! His muscled frame in fact did not impress her. In fact, she made no attempt to hide her repulsion. Much later, Xzavier would realize in retrospect that in the sight of a stranger who was only just seeing him for the first time, he must have indeed appeared to be a dim-witted, delinquent. Based on the whole setting, he actually deserved whatever she had thought of and concluded about him in that moment.
After a few seconds of the awkward silence and the intense staring, Xzavier reached for his shirt and put it on in two brief movements. Unlike the aggressively ominous black garments that Xzavier usually wore, this time, he was clad in something more local and more peculiar to his environment. But that wasn't enough to cut him some slack in the eyes of the intense woman.
Her eyes followed his every movement with cat-like precision. Doubtful suspicion already clouded her eyes. It was safe to assume that the secretary looking woman was a deeply mistrusting person. Without even as much as talking, Xzavier had already established himself on her bad side. At this point, if Xzavier was to ever find himself in her good graces, it would take a divine intervention.
With the unsettling air that hung between them, the secretary opened her documents in a bid to find even the smallest damning detail that would automatically discredit Xzavier as the hero who had killed the orc chief. But it seemed like the sinister figure who stood before her was actually who he claimed to be. When she saw that all the evidence pointed to that, she reluctantantly accepted that Xzavier was clean.
Now the secretary was a low level mage. And because of her mage status, she used her magical side to scan people, in order for her to ascertain their levels. Therein lay her problem with Xzavier.
As the secretary scanned him, hoping to detect even the slightest trace of mana, she came up short with each attempt. The stranger before her hadn't even an atom of mana in his being.
"This can't be…." She pondered to herself as she contemplated the Xzavier issue.
"….even if he was a skilled mage who was adept at hiding his mana, (and. I doubt that this is the case) I should be able to detect at least a trace."
She eyed Xzavier warily as she continued her own internal monologue.
"No! This can't is a the one! He must be a fraud. Yes, that's right! This must be another one of those opportunistic scammers who are up to no good!"
The secretary thought she had Xzavier all figured out.
"If it were up to me, I'd have him thrown out before he wastes anyone's time with his web of untruths…"
But alas, it wasn't up to her. She had to stick to the rules which guided the way business was conducted, or risk getting sanctioned. Aloud, she addressed Xzavier in a professional manner:
"Mr. Xzavier, I have been sent by the higher ups to retrieve you. Please follow me. If you have any reservations whatsoever, kindly inform me of them and I will do my best to ensure that they are taken into consideration."
She spoke smartly, making sure to enunciate her words to lessen the likelihood of being misunderstood.
Also, the secretary refrained from using any profane language or degrading terms. In fact she used terminologies and office slangs, hoping that in a way, she could throw him off his game by simply being professional.
Of course, there was a way she could have known that the man who stood before her was the farthest thing from an illiterate.
Xzavier on the other hand wasn't in the least bothered. He simply wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. So, he shrugged and grunted his agreement. The secretary read this as a confirmation of her initial suspicions- he definitely was an illiterate! The presumptuous woman assumed that he was only avoiding having an actual conversation because he had neither the words nor intellect to keep up with her.
This was the worst possible case of misjudgment!
Satisfied with her investigations, the secretary spoke again, this time around, she deliberately chose to use ambiguous words and extravagant terminologies;
"Superb! If you will be so kind as to follow me, a distinguished dignitary awaits us!"
Without the warmth that was typical of tour guides, the secretary turned around sharply and stormed off. Xzavier wasted no time in dashing after her. The secretary walked briskly, trotting along the white washed marble floors of the corridors. Gliding down the passageways with the same emergency mentality that Xzavier had observed was typical of this place.
Eventually, after taking a few twists and a few turns through the never ending series of intertwining corridors, they finally arrived at their destination. A very impressive looking door hung magnificently on the door frame, hinting at the fact that a very important personality was concealed behind those very doors.
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The photography and artful depictions of the rulers of the city hung on the surrounding walls of the office space, enhancing its official government-like look.
It wasn't long before he got bored and shifted on to other things. He flitted through the pile of books on the shelves, the ran his fingers over the intricately crafted marble statues and figurines. Still, he was not satisfied. The demand on his body was compelling. As Xzavier deliberated on his next source of entertainment, he eyed the open space between the door the desk, and an idea immediately began to form in his mind.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner?"
Xzavier beamed to himself as he began to take off his shirt. He was going to do the one thing he actually enjoyed doing; working out!
In addition to the stimulating effect of the coffee, a new dose of adrenaline rushed through him, filling him with an animal like energy. Within a couple of seconds, Xzavier took off his shirt and flung it on the nearby chair. With the office space to himself, and with all the time in the world, Xzavier dropped down to the ground, placed himself in a push up position and began the rigorous process of doing his push ups.
"One, two, three…"
With his face locked in a tight grimace, Xzavier began his push ups with renewed vigor.
"…seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two… three"
By this time, great beads of sweat began to form on his face and on his muscle bound back. His mind a total blank, Xzavier focused one hundred percent on the task he had set out to do. Bursting with energy, he pushed on determinedly till he completed a hundred. Without even stopping for a break, he started a fresh round of sit ups.
Xzavier dove right in, and finessed his way through ninety sit-ups. Just as he was about to complete his hundredth sit-up, the door behind him suddenly jerked open. Xzavier had been so focused on his work out regiment that for a moment, he forgot where he was. The stranger that emerged from the other side brought him back to reality.
Xzavier stopped abruptly at the interruption. Bathed in a blanket of his own sweat, Xzavier jumped to his feet and turned around sharply to see who the intruder was. Xzavier was quite surprised at the figure that met his eyes. On a subconscious level, Xzavier had been low key expecting the same official from earlier on. This made more sense. But instead, he saw a short, pretty woman in transparent glasses standing at the door frame.
Despite the awkward and very unconventional sight that greeted her, Xzavier observed that she kept a straight face. She was dressed like a secretary. But it wasn't just her dress, it was the way she clutched the neat pile of documents to her chest, holding them like her life depended on them. Her strong, uncompromising look told Xzavier that she was one of those particularly strong women.
The cold way she regarded him, in addition to her overall serious vibe reminded Xzavier of one of those book smart, ambitious, academically serious girls in high school who used to run for the office of class president, and garner favors from teachers and authority figures. Xzavier was certain that she was the type.
Just as Xzavier observed her, the mean looking woman stared him down with an intensity that far outmatched Xzavier's. Her eyes drilled into his opponent with the intensity of a high energy laser beam. Xzavier felt increasingly uncomfortable with each second. The excruciating torture that came with the indignation of her gaze was unexpected. Xzavier began to get the feeling that she certainly didn't like him. Her insidious glare suggested that she in fact didn't want him here. Never in a million years would Xzavier have expected this level of vitriol from a woman of her stature.
The awkwardness was further augmented by the fact that Xzavier was shirtless in a government office! His muscled frame in fact did not impress her. In fact, she made no attempt to hide her repulsion. Much later, Xzavier would realize in retrospect that in the sight of a stranger who was only just seeing him for the first time, he must have indeed appeared to be a dim-witted, delinquent. Based on the whole setting, he actually deserved whatever she had thought of and concluded about him in that moment.
After a few seconds of the awkward silence and the intense staring, Xzavier reached for his shirt and put it on in two brief movements. Unlike the aggressively ominous black garments that Xzavier usually wore, this time, he was clad in something more local and more peculiar to his environment. But that wasn't enough to cut him some slack in the eyes of the intense woman.
Her eyes followed his every movement with cat-like precision. Doubtful suspicion already clouded her eyes. It was safe to assume that the secretary looking woman was a deeply mistrusting person. Without even as much as talking, Xzavier had already established himself on her bad side. At this point, if Xzavier was to ever find himself in her good graces, it would take a divine intervention.
With the unsettling air that hung between them, the secretary opened her documents in a bid to find even the smallest damning detail that would automatically discredit Xzavier as the hero who had killed the orc chief. But it seemed like the sinister figure who stood before her was actually who he claimed to be. When she saw that all the evidence pointed to that, she reluctantantly accepted that Xzavier was clean.
Now the secretary was a low level mage. And because of her mage status, she used her magical side to scan people, in order for her to ascertain their levels. Therein lay her problem with Xzavier.
As the secretary scanned him, hoping to detect even the slightest trace of mana, she came up short with each attempt. The stranger before her hadn't even an atom of mana in his being.
"This can't be…." She pondered to herself as she contemplated the Xzavier issue.
"….even if he was a skilled mage who was adept at hiding his mana, (and. I doubt that this is the case) I should be able to detect at least a trace."
She eyed Xzavier warily as she continued her own internal monologue.
"No! This can't is a the one! He must be a fraud. Yes, that's right! This must be another one of those opportunistic scammers who are up to no good!"
The secretary thought she had Xzavier all figured out.
"If it were up to me, I'd have him thrown out before he wastes anyone's time with his web of untruths…"
But alas, it wasn't up to her. She had to stick to the rules which guided the way business was conducted, or risk getting sanctioned. Aloud, she addressed Xzavier in a professional manner:
"Mr. Xzavier, I have been sent by the higher ups to retrieve you. Please follow me. If you have any reservations whatsoever, kindly inform me of them and I will do my best to ensure that they are taken into consideration."
She spoke smartly, making sure to enunciate her words to lessen the likelihood of being misunderstood.
Also, the secretary refrained from using any profane language or degrading terms. In fact she used terminologies and office slangs, hoping that in a way, she could throw him off his game by simply being professional.
Of course, there was a way she could have known that the man who stood before her was the farthest thing from an illiterate.
Xzavier on the other hand wasn't in the least bothered. He simply wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. So, he shrugged and grunted his agreement. The secretary read this as a confirmation of her initial suspicions- he definitely was an illiterate! The presumptuous woman assumed that he was only avoiding having an actual conversation because he had neither the words nor intellect to keep up with her.
This was the worst possible case of misjudgment!
Satisfied with her investigations, the secretary spoke again, this time around, she deliberately chose to use ambiguous words and extravagant terminologies;
"Superb! If you will be so kind as to follow me, a distinguished dignitary awaits us!"
Without the warmth that was typical of tour guides, the secretary turned around sharply and stormed off. Xzavier wasted no time in dashing after her. The secretary walked briskly, trotting along the white washed marble floors of the corridors. Gliding down the passageways with the same emergency mentality that Xzavier had observed was typical of this place.
Eventually, after taking a few twists and a few turns through the never ending series of intertwining corridors, they finally arrived at their destination. A very impressive looking door hung magnificently on the door frame, hinting at the fact that a very important personality was concealed behind those very doors.
The photography and artful depictions of the rulers of the city hung on the surrounding walls of the office space, enhancing its official government-like look.It wasn't long before he got bored and shifted on to other things. He flitted through the pile of books on the shelves, the ran his fingers over the intricately crafted marble statues and figurines. Still, he was not satisfied. The demand on his body was compelling. As Xzavier deliberated on his next source of entertainment, he eyed the open space between the door the desk, and an idea immediately began to form in his mind."Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner?"Xzavier beamed to himself as he began to take off his shirt. He was going to do the one thing he actually enjoyed doing; working out!In addition to the stimulating effect of the coffee, a new dose of adrenaline rushed through him, filling him with an animal like energy. Within a couple of seconds, Xzavier took off his shirt and flung it on the nearby chair. With the office space to himself, and with all the time in the world, Xzavier dropped down to the ground, placed himself in a push up position and began the rigorous process of doing his push ups."One, two, three"With his face locked in a tight grimace, Xzavier began his push ups with renewed vigor."seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two three"By this time, great beads of sweat began to form on his face and on his muscle bound back. His mind a total blank, Xzavier focused one hundred percent on the task he had set out to do. Bursting with energy, he pushed on determinedly till he completed a hundred. Without even stopping for a break, he started a fresh round of sit ups.Xzavier dove right in, and finessed his way through ninety sit-ups. Just as he was about to complete his hundredth sit-up, the door behind him suddenly jerked open. Xzavier had been so focused on his work out regiment that for a moment, he forgot where he was. The stranger that emerged from the other side brought him back to reality.Xzavier stopped abruptly at the interruption. Bathed in a blanket of his own sweat, Xzavier jumped to his feet and turned around sharply to see who the intruder was. Xzavier was quite surprised at the figure that met his eyes. On a subconscious level, Xzavier had been low key expecting the same official from earlier on. This made more sense. But instead, he saw a short, pretty woman in transparent glasses standing at the door frame.Despite the awkward and very unconventional sight that greeted her, Xzavier observed that she kept a straight face. She was dressed like a secretary. But it wasn't just her dress, it was the way she clutched the neat pile of documents to her chest, holding them like her life depended on them. Her strong, uncompromising look told Xzavier that she was one of those particularly strong women.The cold way she regarded him, in addition to her overall serious vibe reminded Xzavier of one of those book smart, ambitious, academically serious girls in high school who used to run for the office of class president, and garner favors from teachers and authority figures. Xzavier was certain that she was the type.Just as Xzavier observed her, the mean looking woman stared him down with an intensity that far outmatched Xzavier's. Her eyes drilled into his opponent with the intensity of a high energy laser beam. Xzavier felt increasingly uncomfortable with each second. The excruciating torture that came with the indignation of her gaze was unexpected. Xzavier began to get the feeling that she certainly didn't like him. Her insidious glare suggested that she in fact didn't want him here. Never in a million years would Xzavier have expected this level of vitriol from a woman of her stature.The awkwardness was further augmented by the fact that Xzavier was shirtless in a government office! His muscled frame in fact did not impress her. In fact, she made no attempt to hide her repulsion. Much later, Xzavier would realize in retrospect that in the sight of a stranger who was only just seeing him for the first time, he must have indeed appeared to be a dim-witted, delinquent. Based on the whole setting, he actually deserved whatever she had thought of and concluded about him in that moment.After a few seconds of the awkward silence and the intense staring, Xzavier reached for his shirt and put it on in two brief movements. Unlike the aggressively ominous black garments that Xzavier usually wore, this time, he was clad in something more local and more peculiar to his environment. But that wasn't enough to cut him some slack in the eyes of the intense woman.Her eyes followed his every movement with cat-like precision. Doubtful suspicion already clouded her eyes. It was safe to assume that the secretary looking woman was a deeply mistrusting person. Without even as much as talking, Xzavier had already established himself on her bad side. At this point, if Xzavier was to ever find himself in her good graces, it would take a divine intervention.With the unsettling air that hung between them, the secretary opened her documents in a bid to find even the smallest damning detail that would automatically discredit Xzavier as the hero who had killed the orc chief. But it seemed like the sinister figure who stood before her was actually who he claimed to be. When she saw that all the evidence pointed to that, she reluctantantly accepted that Xzavier was clean.Now the secretary was a low level mage. And because of her mage status, she used her magical side to scan people, in order for her to ascertain their levels. Therein lay her problem with Xzavier.As the secretary scanned him, hoping to detect even the slightest trace of mana, she came up short with each attempt. The stranger before her hadn't even an atom of mana in his being."This can't be." She pondered to herself as she contemplated the Xzavier issue.".even if he was a skilled mage who was adept at hiding his mana, and. I doubt that this is the case I should be able to detect at least a trace."She eyed Xzavier warily as she continued her own internal monologue."No! This can't is a the one! He must be a fraud. Yes, that's right! This must be another one of those opportunistic scammers who are up to no good!"The secretary thought she had Xzavier all figured out."If it were up to me, I'd have him thrown out before he wastes anyone's time with his web of untruths"But alas, it wasn't up to her. She had to stick to the rules which guided the way business was conducted, or risk getting sanctioned. Aloud, she addressed Xzavier in a professional manner:"Mr. Xzavier, I have been sent by the higher ups to retrieve you. Please follow me. If you have any reservations whatsoever, kindly inform me of them and I will do my best to ensure that they are taken into consideration."She spoke smartly, making sure to enunciate her words to lessen the likelihood of being misunderstood.Also, the secretary refrained from using any profane language or degrading terms. In fact she used terminologies and office slangs, hoping that in a way, she could throw him off his game by simply being professional.Of course, there was a way she could have known that the man who stood before her was the farthest thing from an illiterate.Xzavier on the other hand wasn't in the least bothered. He simply wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. So, he shrugged and grunted his agreement. The secretary read this as a confirmation of her initial suspicions- he definitely was an illiterate! The presumptuous woman assumed that he was only avoiding having an actual conversation because he had neither the words nor intellect to keep up with her.This was the worst possible case of misjudgment!Satisfied with her investigations, the secretary spoke again, this time around, she deliberately chose to use ambiguous words and extravagant terminologies;"Superb! If you will be so kind as to follow me, a distinguished dignitary awaits us!"Without the warmth that was typical of tour guides, the secretary turned around sharply and stormed off. Xzavier wasted no time in dashing after her. The secretary walked briskly, trotting along the white washed marble floors of the corridors. Gliding down the passageways with the same emergency mentality that Xzavier had observed was typical of this place.Eventually, after taking a few twists and a few turns through the never ending series of intertwining corridors, they finally arrived at their destination. A very impressive looking door hung magnificently on the door frame, hinting at the fact that a very important personality was concealed behind those very doors.
