"A consul? What is this place? Am I even on the same planet? Everything looks so vaguely familiar but not similar to know what place I'm in. Am I even supposed to be alive as of now!?!? WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!?!?!", I scream in my head as I am being escorted across the village by Augusta.

  "Calm down Estában, you look extremely distressed, the consul of this town will simply ask you some questions and afterwards you can get your belongings back. Just stay with me.", The slender woman calmly explains to me, as both of us are walking down in the town.

  "What is a 'consul', Augusta?", I (finally) calmly ask.

  "While other settlements have mayors, the settlements of our culture are independent politically of each other, and a consul is leader elected by popular vote, they handle both foreign and internal affairs, and share power with the local senate, a body of men who are adopted in each seat by the last senator in that seat. That's usually the power structure in our culture." she explains oddly clear and concise.

  "Alright, that system seems both familiar and different, though even back at home I was disillusioned by it anyways so, meh.", I say to myself.

  As we walk down to the Consul's quarters, I notice just how immaculate the marble and concrete are, wondering what they remind me of, and if I either went back in time or that this is a different world entirely.

  "Who goes there", an assertive voice echoes in the halls. as if we've trespassed someone's land.

  "Dear consul, we've simply found an odd foreigner with equally odd belongs.", bequeathed the young woman.

  I wonder where my belongings are as of this moment. I do remember downloading the entire English-language Wikipedia on my laptop, along with the Wiktionary just for shits-and-giggles. Do I even have my laptop in that backpack? If I do, and that "Rune magic" works on digital stuff, I can explain stuff a whole lot easier.

  "Come here, boy.", declares the consul.

  As I walk up to the consul seems to be a fairly late-middle-aged man, around his 50s, olive-skinned, and instead of a tunic, he seems to be wearing a toga, I'm unsure why, and I'm unsure why he's even known as the consul. Unless there is some piece of the puzzle I am missing, this doesn't make sense.

  "In which land do you hail from?", asks the consul in a weary accent.

  "I come from Los Angeles, it's in California.", I answer, assuming they've already gotten to my laptop and logged into it.

  "Where is this 'California', young sir?", begs the consul.

  As the consul asks that question, a couple of what Augusta called "Legionary soldiers" march into the room. "My liege.", one of the legionaries say to the consul. "We have thoroughly searched the belongings of this foreigner and have discovered several odd pieces of engineering.", the other legionary says.

  "What makes this piece of engineering so unique", says the Consul.

  "Come with us so you can see for yourself.", replies one of the Legionaries. "Alright.", replies the Consul. "Both of you are coming with me.", says the consul to both Augusta and I.

  As the three of us walk down the hallway into the room where they are searching my belongings, I begin to notice the colored sculptures across the rooms. "Are there no sculptures where you hail from?", Augusta asks jokingly to me, noticing I am looking around puzzled.

  "Oh~~ No. It's just that the sculptures I know of have their color withered away, have pieces broken off, and are in museums.", I reply to her bluntly.

  She looks at me with a mix of "Weirded out" and "Interesting" as she replies with, "That's Intriguing, Estában. I wonder what the arts is like where you hail from.", as she realizes this situation might go deeper than anticipated.

  As we enter the room, I notice my belongings carefully spread out on a wide piece of cloth, my laptop+accessories, my Pixel 6a (with no actual phone components, those parts became damaged at one point so my brother simply took them out and told me to use it as a small tablet), my "survival gear" (a couple of match boxes, a box cutter, and some small pots), my weed-vape, a rubix cube, and a couple bags of Takis.

  As the consul takes a look at my belongings, he turns his head to me and says, "Sorry, we've been walking together and I haven't even properly introduced myself, My name is Publius Crassus, the Consul of New Sulis.", Publius introduces himself.

  That's an interesting name, although it sounds like it would be adjacent to the names in the histories I look up. The "Consul" title feels familiar, the architecture looks straight out of history books, the names of the people here and what the soldiers are called feels straight out of a history documentary, it feels like I'm back in time somehow but I don't recall individual settlements having their own consuls, let alone there only being one per town. Was each town independent anyway? I recall the entire region being centered around a single city, though my memory of that specific information is fuzzy at best. Are the other pieces of information also that fuzzy? I also recall there being a time where there was a period where there was a single person who was sole ruler, although I think that was like, the last third or so of its existence, so it likely doesn't matter. I also recall that near the end of that said period, the majority of the official sole rulers didn't have real power and the actual power was by the military commander-in-chief, though I could be wrong about that as well, as my memory of that is admittedly, quite bit fuzzy right now as well. Wasn't the first third of its existence semi-mythological too? Also, if I recall, the last ruler of that period was such an asshole that the bureaucracy was so fed up with his bullshit that they killed the motherfucker and then set themselves up as an oligarchy. Though, once again, my memory is fuzzy as shit right now. Should I ask them for access to my laptop so I can catch up on that info again? I might have to make a deal with them in that they can put in those "Translation runes" on my laptop. Would that then mean I'll have to "share" my laptop with them? That sounds like a hassle but it might benefit both parties, even if one literally had a soldier(?) incapacitate me a bunch of with wind fuckery, so I'm unsure if it's worth it, They might even use it first before me if I decide to give them access and permission to use Translation runes, but I might as well if it means I can use it again.

  "Alright, 'Consul' Publius.", I address. "Would you like me to let your soldiers and yourself access to the item that will gain you the most information about where I come from? It'll make explaining a lot easier, though you'd have to put a translation rune on it, or several, depending on how that works.", I suggest to Publius.

  "That might be helpful, though you haven't really told which of your belongings does that.", Publius addresses.

  Oh shit, that's right. I just explained what it can do but oddly, not what the fuck it actually is. FUUUCCCKKKK. Do I just explain what it is right off the bat? That'll be quite the trip for 'em. Oh, well, might as well. But, do I explain in a way they understand? I mean if I want them to be semi-computer-literate, sure. Well, why the fuck not? Here it goes.

  "So, right there, the metal slant with 2 letters on it. Where I come from, that's called a 'computer'", I say, For which I know that in their time, a computer was a Math Wizard-for-hire. "Where I come from, a computer is a machine powered by lighning that can do a lot of calculations at once and even is a tool to make out out of those calculations, and also more stuff to do with those calculations, such as store information, that thing can store a whole library of books.", I explain.

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  "Ah, so an Abacus, a Library of Alexandria, and a canvas, all combined into one item that is powered by lightning. An interesting piece of engineering, the locals here wouldn't be able to make anything close to that. How do we use this? We can get one of the lightning mages here if it needs it at the moment.", replies Publius.

  "Can we get one of what you call, 'rune mages' here, please? So your people and you can understand the information on it? That'd be nice.", I respond to Publius.

  "Another thing I want to say, I archived an entire encyclopedia on that laptop and the place where I got the encyclopedia also includes a whole array of literature, and the same authors of that encyclopedia also made what is likely known as a 'lexicon' to you, but in the society where I come from, is called a dictionary, which I also archived onto that computer.", I note.

  "Yo, Estabàn, is that much information that easy to find where you come from?", Augusta says to me in an enthusiastic tone.

  "Pretty much, though what excites me is the fact that the entirety of what I have there will likely confirm whether what I have been thinking since I saw just a smidge of how you guys talk, how you guys are organised, how you guys dress, how you guys name each other, and stuff like that.", I respond to Augusta.

  As I was saying that, an average height, maybe 5"7,young, armored man with a red tint-ish colored hood over his entire face so that I couldn't make out what he looked like when I glimpsed at the front of him walked through. Kinda odd in my opinion, what my friends would call, 'a lil sussy', but I don't judge. People can people, ain't no 2 ways about it.

  "So, consul, is this why you brought me here? And who is this scorched-skinned man?", asks the hooded man.

  "This is the foreigner we caught while he was running quite frantically over here. we brought you here because you are our best lightning mage for this scenario, if anything we should be wary of happens, you are the man who solves it the most efficiently. After all, there is a very good reason you are known as the Great Lighter, my dear son.", Consul Publius answers.

  Ah, would you look at that, a mage with high rank also happens to be the son of the Consul of this village, that is one hell of a nepo baby there, no two ways about it. Should I really trust him with my most expensive piece of property? When I bought it, it felt like I was a man buying a house upfront with cash. Hmmmm, Should I step in, or sit back and watch? I really don't want to face the potential lethality of mother fucking Wind Magic but I guess I should keep my butt clenched as a way to cope with him potentially breaking the damn thing. Or, "suck it up, buttercup", like they say.

  The consul, Publius, then pulled his son into the corner of the room, "Ok, Octavius, whatever you do, DO NOT even TRY for even a SINGLE THOUGHT, to even SLIGHTLY fuck this task up, or else, whether you are my son or not, you will be put on a cross without warning nor mercy. I have done that before to an offspring of mine and I will do it fucking again. Do you understand me, Octavius Publius?.", lectures the Consul to his son.

  "Yes, Consul Publius.", replies Octavius as I overhear that faint conversation and look away as soon as they come back.

  I stand the fuck corrected. The man reminds me of the stories my Grandpa on my mother's side told about his dad, I would rather just, well.... I can't really deny that his son is presumably a high ranking officer in some type of military organisation so it likely comes with the job as well. Would not following the consul's orders count as "treason against the state", so it's punishable like that? I would not want to get on the bad side of that man the... I wonder how he governs the village in general, seems like an odd mix of oligarchy and representative democracy, not my cup of tea either way. Welp, onto getting the laptop there.

  "Fuck. Father's been at it again, this time threatening his son with a fucking crucifixion of all fucking things to threaten. Ignorant man.", Augusta says, appearing disgruntled.

  I WAS KNOCKED OUT BY THE LEADER OF THE VILLAGE'S FUCKING DAUGHTER??!?!?!?!?!?!?! And I thought that a high ranking "elemental mage" in the military being the consul's son was extreme nepotism! Now we have the DAUGHTER being in what I presume to be the military of this village, and they didn't say this when we met?!?!?!?!?!?! WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?!?! IS THE CONSUL A MAGE AS WELL?!?!?!?!?! THIS SHIT IS ACTUALLY INSANE!

  "Oh hey, Augusta. Is the consul your father as well? You seem to have implied that.", I respond to Augusta.

  "You are right on the mark, Estabàn. I am a Wind mage, and my Brother, Octavius, is a Lightning mage, as you already know. But father, we know he's an elemental mage of some kind, as we have records of his magic test results, and records of him in one of the Mage units of navy, so I suspect he is some kind of "weather" type of elemental mage, considering his children are such and he was in the navy after all.", explains Augusta Crassus.

  Hm, it hasn't even been at least 3 hours and I already know at least 3 people who use Avatar-like magic shit. How did I even get to this region in the first place for fucks sake? I might as well learn some magic myself while I am at it, if I get to retain those powers when I go back home, I might even be able to completely change my surrounding for the better, assuming I don't get into some real deep shit while here, but I shall take that chance. Speaking of which, how strong is the magic here? Maybe I should learn these magics just in case shit hits the fan back home as well, that will be quite the useful skill or maybe 'skills' in plural. I shall see if it is worth it later on to be fair.

  "Alright, what's your name, small man?", Octavius addresses me.

  That's a smidge odd, I'm only like, 3 to 4 inches shorter than him, that's rude as fuck, oh well, might as well respond. "My name is Estabàn, and if you want to ask where I come from, I hail from a region known as California, just to get that out of the way now.", I respond to Octavius' rather rude addressing of myself.

  "Alright, Shall we get to the task at hand?", asks Publius.

  The rest of us nod as the specialized translation rune mage walks through the door. He appears quite the "studious" person, he reminds me of those monks from the middle ages, though I assume he isn't exactly a christian monk. I'll see what he can do.

  "Let us get down to business.", says the translation rune mage.

  As I open up the laptop, the people around me stare in awe. Honestly, I wouldn't blame them, this is a piece of technology whose very first predeccessors we giant machines powered by electricity which didn't even have one one-septillionth of the capabilities of this laptop, and that was over 70 years ago, within a lifetime. As I log in to said laptop, I give it to the translation rune mage, who then out of nowhere, brings out a shitton of odd lettering in the air akin to those MCU movies, he then appears to channel said lettering inside the laptop while it is on, thereby translating it in their language, or however it works, it looks the same to me oddly, though that's likely how the magic works here.

  "Well, right now, you guys have the information on there translated in your language, presumably. What exactly is the plan of action right now?", I ask the room.

  "Well, first off, let's introduce the rune mage who translated this piece of engineering. Estabàn, meet Fulvius, one of the greatest translation rune mages of all time and The top ranking translator of the military.", says Publius.

  "Well, let's get down to business then with the information. Can Augusta, Octavius, and I get something to eat while you guys dig through there?", I ask Publius.

  "Sure, there's a dining hall if you walk straight, first intersection you see you turn to the right, and when you see a big room, that's the dining hall.", explains Publius.

  "Sounds like a plan!", I say.

  As Augusta, Octavius and I eat in said dining hall, I chow down on some Hopper chops, apparently a common yet delicious delicacy in this place. While this is happening, Publius and Fulvius are busy effectively siphoning the information from my laptop into their minds, learning about my world and where I said I come from, this takes about 2-3 hours and is mostly about Geography and history. As we're done dining, a Legionary asks us to go back to the room where my belongings were held, once we are there, both Publius and Fulvius have a wary look on their faces.

  "So, What's the news?", I ask Publius.

  "Well, Estabàn, you might want to sit down for this.", replies Publius.

  "Alright.", I respond as I sit down in a criss-cross position.

  "So, have you may have heard of the Legio IX Hispana, correct?", asks Publius.

  "In some sense of the word, yes.", I answer, being wary of what he is about to say next.

  "Our ancestors who were first here are descended from that legion and the women they likely brought with them.", Publius reveals.