Machinist of Mana Chapter 126 Introduction Plan

“I can't believe you agreed to this,” I said.

“I can't believe you thought I wouldn't. Do you even know the last time I went to a human party? It's been so long, so incredibly long since I did something like this and I know it'll be fun. Adding your new friend as a treat is going to be the best thing I've seen in decades.” The ambassador chuckled, mischief in his voice.

“Aren't you worried about people seeing you here, knowing you're doing this?” I asked.

“Oh the ones who matter don't know I'm here, they think it's one of the other councilors. If someone actually saw me who mattered it might be an issue, but I've already vetted the people at your little soiree, and the staff.”

“What? How?” I asked, surprised.

“Long years of practice.” I'd learned over the last few weeks that that meant that he wasn't going to tell me. So I decided to quote a bit of fiction from my previous world.

“Alright then, keep your secrets.” It seemed an appropriate thing to say to an ancient magus who was often a pain in the neck.

“You say that as if it were ever in question?”

With a sigh I continued on. “And it's not my party it's Rowenna's.”

Now that had taken almost no doing at all. I was sure her aunt would have loved to host this one, but I didn't particularly love the woman and so I'd asked her to take care of it instead. She had two non-humans of note, something almost nobody ever did, and the first public appearance of one species save their violent introductions to ours. Basically this was going to be the event of the year, a year which had almost nothing going on in the city other than repairs.

“I am also more than familiar with the deceit of making others take credit for your actions.”

“Can we focus on brighter things?”

“Like the evening's events? Why certainly, I have nothing of note to do here, but since my young friend, a hero from the nation's capital invited me to join him for the night I will admit I was honored. Similarly, it is a rare chance for me to mingle with your people, and do what I'm here to do, ambass.”

“I don't think ambass is a word,” I pointed out.

“Which of us is the ambassador?”

“Um...”

“Then I shall decide shouldn't I? After all, who'd know better than me?”

“Could you be normal? Just for tonight?”

“Sure, I'll act all uptight for you, but know that I'll be laughing on the inside. On a brighter note...” He looked up and across the small waiting room we were in at the other guest of honor. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”

The goblin priestess had chosen, or been led to choose, a conservative number. It was similar in cut, though distinctly different in some other ways, to the normal work clothes of the Orders. The fabric was higher quality, with decorations, and embellishments, but it still looked like something a priest might wear to an event like this one. That was good, it would on some level reinforce what we were trying to get people to think of her and her people as, just other people. People who'd been misled into attacking us, people whose bad elements had been quashed.

“Um... you as well,” Sasha faltered, reaching out to take the man's hand. “I'm Sasha sir, leader of the goblins here in Exion.”

“Glad to hear you got that settled.”

“There really was nobody else. My sister wouldn't touch the position with an extending pole, and most of the rest of our siblings are dead or fleeing.”

Fleeing was a problem, but not mine, and not today. There were already calls for us to be rid of the goblins we had, like they had somewhere to go. That would fall to others though, for now we just needed to get through this party.

Kaylee and Rowenna joined us shortly after, the former looking exhausted and the latter looking almost satisfied.

“The guests will arrive soon,” Rowenna declared.

And they did, for most of the night Kaylee stayed near either me or Rowenna, letting us make introductions to people whom she didn't know. That in itself was a help to her, but the bigger one was that everyone was distracted by the shiny new toys in our midst. Toys they didn't want to lose access to because they'd offended a family member of the host's boyfriend.

Kaylee for her part did fine, she was clearly nervous, a bit withdrawn, and shy, but that was all too normal. Most girls who were new to public events were a bit like that, a bit shaky on what to do like newborn deer taking their first steps into a world they didn't know. While most families made sure to fix that by going to events all the time there were always a few new people to the city every year who'd come from far flung families, relatives that lived too far out in the middle of nowhere to have had much experience.

No, the real issue was my teacher; who despite his earlier words still gave off waves of rakishness. He saw every barb thrown at everyone around and responded in kind, words expertly crafted to shut people down when he wanted.

“I'm glad to see at least you're civilized. There have been so many worries of late. It's good to see a leader that will listen to others,” a woman said to Sasha, dripping insult. The poor girl was clearly getting that there was something there, but not quite sure where to go.

“Ah listening to others is indeed important,” my elven instructor chimed in from the side. “You see, too many times do those without proper experience try to lead those whose advice they should rather heed. Why the stories I could tell you of people who made such mistakes. I see them again and again, fools jumped up upon their own belief in their superiority. It's embarrassing really.”

I wasn't sure if I should laugh or just be impressed, a consideration that sent me to blinking several times in a row. That wasn't even a subtle one, just him bludgeoning the poor rude woman with a verbal club. For her part the offender didn't know what to do either, sputtering before excusing herself. As she did though the elven ambassador turned to the green girl and winked, something at least half a dozen people here had to have seen.

With no other ideas I looked to Rowenna for advice on this one; she understood the etiquette better than I did and this was after all her party.

“Eh,” my girlfriend said with a small shrug, whispering under her breath. “I never quite liked her anyway.”

“Rubbing off on all of us,” I muttered equally low. “Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad one.”

I had no idea how he heard me, but I suspected he did, for the white haired elf took that moment to chuckled into his drink like a bad movie villain. At least someone was having fun.