Wandering Agent
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Machinist of Mana Chapter 85 Masquerade
🕑 Added 2025-01-08 03:00:21 +0000 UTCThe night of the party finally arrived and I strolled into the ballroom, slipping on my mask. The piece I'd made for this was a fanciful bit, white with feathers sticking out in all directions. Beside me Rowenna did the same, hers a pink version that matched perfectly with her dress.
“The guests are arriving,” she observed as she looked out a window.
“Yes, shall we go and greet them?”
We moved from the window and around the room, both sets of my grandparents were here, along with Rowenna's parents as her chaperons. I'd not seen their masks until today but each made sense. My grandfathers were in two opposite masks, one clearly militaristic, while the other looked decorated in cogs and small moving parts. My grandmothers on the other hand went for more understated ones, geometric and floral designs etched in.
It was refreshing to see that they'd taken to the idea of a masked auction/ball so well. That had been my one worry, since I didn't know of any similar events, but apparently half-face masks were universal enough that the simple designs we'd had put on the invitations had been enough to get the message across.
First to arrive were Simon and Priscilla. While his outfit was about what I expected, her mask was a stark white, until you looked closer. A man and woman moved from each ear, nude and embracing in the center, a clear allusion to The Lovers. They greeted us briefly before continuing in.
More and more people showed up as the next hour or so passed, and I hated to admit it, but I didn't know or recognize all of them. Some I saw clearly, like Headmaster Logan, who couldn't hide his form or gruff voice. Others passed by, showing an invitation at the door, but happy to have fooled everyone as to whom they were. It was a masked party after all, so I couldn't begrudge them that.
As I pulled back, letting people mingle as they would my grandmother approached me. Her perpetual displeased look was softened, practically a smile for her.
“This is going swimmingly,” she said, looking over the crowd. “I'll admit, I worried when you described this to me, but you've managed it well. Perhaps something smaller next time though?” she questioned.
“I don't enjoy making these,” I told her, again. “And if I must, I'll be doing it how I please.”
Rowenna stifled a laugh, turning it into a sneeze behind me. I saw my grandmother's eyes flit toward her and narrow, but quickly return to me. Really it was lovely to see that my date was enjoying this conversation.
“When shall the main event begin?” grandmother asked acidly.
“After the dancing is done,” I replied as placidly as I could.
That moment music started from one side of the hall, and the floor cleared, couples taking hands and moving towards the center. I of course chose to lead, taking Rowenna's and leaving my slightly displeased elder behind me. The girl must have thought this was wonderful, as she didn't hesitate a bit.
Normally it was considered inappropriate to dance with the same woman too much, but seeing as Rowenna and I were courting there was much more leeway there. After several dances with her we did have to move to other partners though. Everyone split, moving to others. Several of the women who joined me were unknown to me that night, a few whispering small jokes as we parted and winking. It was a time to let things be a bit wilder, seeing as nobody knew who they were.
“It's been a pleasure young man, and one of such good pedigree. I long to see what you've brought us tonight,” one said as she flitted away into the crowd. I tried to catch a better glance at her but couldn't.
Soon after the auction begun, and I was thrilled to see how well that went. Before the beginning a representative from The Order of The Shield rose to the platform to speak. Getting him here had been something of a coup on my part, but with what we were doing he didn't argue.
“Greetings ladies and gentlemen,” the man said from beneath a plain mask bearing nothing but a shield on one cheek. “And thank you all for coming. Tonight you'll be bidding on items sold for the express purpose of benefiting our local orphanage, we thank you. Some of you have certainly recognized me, some of you haven't, but know that I am here to assure that all funds are taken where they should be, with all proceeds going directly to the children. So, please allow me to open the night.”
Most of the items were of little repute, heaters, coolers, things which played a gentle tune or made soft light. I'd seen that each was artistic, and well made, but they weren't special. They all sold well though, each bringing several times what they were worth. Of course this was a time for nobles to show off, to give to something worthwhile while getting a pretty trinket they could talk about later.
The last item however was something from my personal donation; one of my toy planes. The bidding started low, but soon exploded beyond reason. Several of the people here seemed determined. Fifty gold coins, then a hundred, two, it kept climbing until even the auctioneer began to look nervous. However one by one the bidders reached their limits. When only two remained I could clearly see who they were.
“Two-seventy-five,” a man said, he stood by the strange girl I'd been dancing with earlier.
His opponent, whom I recognized as Mr. Ignus shook his head, looking displeased. Well, he could get over it, it wasn't like he couldn't have requested one of those from me before. Not sure I'd have sold him one, but we could have at least had the discussion.
As the night ended and the guests got their items he approached me.
“You, me, somewhere private, now.”
“This way,” I led him to the second floor, abandoned for this event and used only for storage.
“Do you not have any sense?” he asked as we reached an empty hallway.
“What?” I asked. “I didn't sell any guns or anything.” I'd considered it, but pulled them out at the last minute, knowing someone might have issues.
“That model you sold. What were you thinking? I'll assume it works because I know you. Do you know how dangerous a working example of a flying machine would be? The tactical advantage alone is absolutely insane. Goodness, I knew you were working on the full-sized one, but not that you'd sell your work so easily.”
As he was ranting my ears picked up something else, a feminine voice, one that pinged in my memory, though I couldn't place it and focus on him at the same time.
“Come on you asshole, just get in, yes, yes, get your box, and that bitch... there you go, I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget.” It was faint, from a hallway or two over.
“Hold it, wait,” I said to Ignus. “There's something.”
“Got you,” the voice said, and Ignus yelled, reaching toward his left ear.
A BOOM shook the windows as the lawman reached up, pulling out an earpiece and tossing it to the side. I could briefly hear it screaming in a high pitched tone.
“Attack!” he yelled, and I turned, running towards where I'd heard the voice.
It clicked as I rounded the corner and saw her there. The smallish goblin girl in her massive goggles stood by a window, something that looked like a detonator switch in her hand.
“You,” I seethed, pulling the gun I'd been keeping with me constantly.
“Me, you? What are you doing here?” she asked, clearly surprised.
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