"Nothing to be sorry about, Zeke. I'm certainly not. The past is the past, isn't it?", Joh smiled once more as he glossed over the other's apology, happy to shift the topic of the conversation to something else. While he had said that, the topic was, contrary to the man's words, somewhat sensitive. He neither meant to or wanted to dwell on the subject for any longer than he had to, though, of course, he wasn't sure if Ezekiel even knew what had transpired on this island. He couldn't blame him for asking the question, certainly, that thought would be nothing short of ridiculous. The young man was simply curious, as was Joh. It was better to just move on.
"It's a pretty good life. The guild owns the island and, using the privileges the Magic Council granted, gives certain benefits to the traders that chose to do business here. I can't imagine that Midi and Minstrel are too happy about it, Amber is cutting into their profits, after all, but I think they can take a little hit. The crazy-rich snobs in Minstrel especially". Joh commented in a casual fashion, perhaps letting a little too much ideology and politics dictate his thoughts and words. The silver-haired Rune Mage disliked playing this side of the game, but after spending a good portion of his life in Minstrel as one of the ... not quite as fortunate members of their society, he had developed a set kind of underlying disdain for Minstrelian culture, something that every-so-often would show rather clearly.
"I certainly prefer Amber Island", he waved his hand, almost dismissing his own point as to show that he didn't mean too much by it.
"You're not wrong. Sometimes it does", the Ambassador answered truthfully, chuckling softly at the boy's joke. He had a point.
"At least the fish's always fresh, though", he offered his own comment. While it was true that Amber was, for all that it was worth, still not as impressive as the bigger cities on the mainland like Era, Magnolia, or Crocus, it was lively when it should be.
"You should see the festivals the people come up with. Just recently we celebrated the Fall Equinox. Just the decorations alone were beautiful", the man reminisced briefly, turning to Zeke with a smirk,
"I'm sure that, if you stick around, you'll catch the next one. Hopefully soon".
It did seem that their casual conversation would slowly fade the closer the got to the guildhall, however. With every step, the large stone stairway up the hill drew closer. Considering this, though, it seemed that Ezekiel wouldn't let Joh's offer to answer questions go by unused.
"The guild provides free housing for all its members. Most guild members actually live in the East Wing of the guildhall itself, although they certainly aren't required to live here or anything of that sort. If you so desire you can live in Port Amber, or elsewhere entirely. As long as one adheres to their duties as a guild mage, of course, but with magic, I don't imagine that that is much of a problem these days", the man explained without much complexity or embellishment. It would simply come down to whatever the young man preferred.
When the topic of magic came up, Zeke denied that the bow was part of his magical abilities, swiftly correcting the Ambassador who, obviously interested, listened to the boy's explanations.
"A book ... called to you?", Joh followed up in a questioning tone.
"Terrifying, huh?". The Ambassador's voice held a distinctly thoughtful tinge as he inquired. It was a curious case, certainly nothing that Johann had heard of before, but it was probably not too far-fetched. He'd seen a lot of strange things over the years, and the young man's explanation was thus not unbelievable. Quite the contrary, actually.
"Make sure you don't get yourself wrapped up in any bad business. Magic can be erratic, especially if it's of the ancient and enigmatic kind. I suppose that-", the warm smile returned to the man's expression, the Ambassador giving the other a nod,
"-as long as you use it for the right purposes, any magic can be a good thing. Make sure to keep an eye on it". The man's curiosity had been piqued, especially after the young man mentioned that it was terrifying, but in what way Joh would not ask. It was, for the lack of better words, none of his business what magic Zeke did and did not use. Nonetheless, the man hoped that his word of advice would stick. He knew all-too-well what it meant to be surrounded by dark, intrusive magic. Magic that, if wielded by the wrong person, would consume them and leave nothing but an empty husk, a shell of the person that they had been before, driven by naught but the desire for more. He'd seen it many times ... he had felt it.
Anyway, as they arrived at the base of the stairs, the Ambassador quickly rid himself of thoughts like those. He was certain that Zeke knew what he was doing, and that, in no time, he would demonstrate that he was a capable mage. This, though, brought him to another thing that poked his curiosity.
"Any other questions you have before we see about getting you admitted to the guild?", he asked, stopping and turning towards the new arrival.
"If you don't mind too much, I also have a question for you. Say, Zeke", he began, his tone changing, the casual tone vanishing as if on command, a somewhat more cold, neutral, almost business-like tone replacing it,
"I assume that you are familiar with the ... particularities of Dies Irae, right? The guild's work, moral code, and goals?"In honesty, Zeke seemed like a nice and friendly person. Polite, certainly, seemed like he appreciated a joke, but the work of Dies Irae was ... brutal, at times, leaving the Ambassador wondering if it wasn't too brutal. He hoped that the young man had it in him to take upon himself the burden that every member of the guild would, and if he did not know in detail, Joh would provide the same to him as long as there was still turning back.
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@Zekey