Machinist of Mana Chapter 120 Epilogue Book 2

A/N: Hi everyone! I'm here to let you know that I'll be slowing the rate of chapters for Machinist slightly over the next bit while I work on the storyboarding for book 3 and give Elevation some much needed TLC. They won't stop, and we'll be back soon enough, but don't be surprised if there aren't as many. Book 3 is planned as the final book and I really want these to be good.

Southern Elazia

A certain agent

People cheered as several ships came returning to the harbor. This large military procession had been sent out only a few short weeks ago to test their might against the beasts of the ocean, and seeing them home brought no small smile to the faces of the people. Everyone knew that that ocean was the ultimate testing ground, and with so many ships they'd surely encountered battle.

I frowned as I saw them, one by one massive steel hulls parading in. They didn't bother to hide the damage they'd taken, though it was clearly superficial, something to be fixed soon. Their cannons were massive, angled to fight any monster that came their way.

All of this was more buildup, more readying of military, but for what? Even those ships couldn't stand up to a powerful enough mage, and such people surely existed upon our shores. The people of Nicon knew it too, knew that no matter what they had other weapons and potent individuals would stop them from taking any of the major elven nations.

“Any rumors old friend?” I asked as I slipped up next to a man I knew on the dock. He ran a bar nearby, but he'd been tempted out for this parade.

“Beautiful isn't it? And yes girlie, I have heard some things. These ships supposedly went to take care of some beasts specifically. Heard a sailor talking about it,” Scagan said with a smile. His name meant something like 'Water-tree' in some ancient dialect.

“Oh? I do love hearing their stories, could you introduce me?” I said through a false sweet smile.

“Still looking for a husband then? Surprising you've not succeeded; heck even a short look tells how good your stock it,” the older man said with a wink.

Of course he didn't know that all of that was false, ears grown longer, facial structures altered just slightly, even a few markers added to my blood. It could fool any basic scan, as could my documents, though it did come with drawbacks, painful ones.

“Mmm, wanna do it right,” I told him. “Find the right one, you know?” It was good to make him think I was just what I presented myself as, a bit of an airhead, and a gossip of profound levels.

“Ah I know girlie, I know. Wish my daughters were as discerning sometimes. Itta's trying to court some man who I swear couldn't find his own feet.”

“Haha, maybe I'll talk to her later then if you want? So what are these for anyway? The navy going to clear out the sea? Because I doubt that will work no matter how hard we try.”

“Nah,” he said, leaning in conspiratorially. “Same guy from before, said he thought this was a practice run, see how good they were. I hear one of the human nations is all out of archmages. Fancy that huh? The old monster they had fell over dead and nobody to replace her yet.” He laughed. “We'll be going to show that filth who the real masters of the world are soon enough, mark my words. Let the old folks up north see what we can do, reignite everyone's love for the old Kingdom.”

Fuck, if that was true people needed to know, and now. The old monsters he spoke of, the pure elves who ruled like minor lords here and there, they were not to be trifled with, and there was a good damn reason they didn't go attack the humans. Well, several of them really, but two in particular that would absolutely come and bite us. I thought briefly about asking him more, but if I looked even the least bit disloyal... things could go very bad and I wasn't sure I could get much else.

“Oh how wonderful, heroes make themselves in times like this.” I bit my lip like some stupid girl dreaming of a strong husband and nothing else.

“Ha! A year or two more I think, at most. Think you can wait a bit longer?”

I scoffed. “Waiting is easy, plenty of time,” I nodded.

“Ah, but don't wait too long. No good comes of that,” he chided.

“Mmm,” I agreed.

Afterwards we sat and watched the ships roll by, and I tried to make the best notes I could on them. However I was no expert in that kind of thing, and while I'd include the details I saw in my report home I kind of doubted it would change much.

Goodbyes were shared and we split, he, going to return to his patrons and I going to return to mine. Perhaps there was some way I could get backup, or someone could stop this foolishness before it exploded over everyone's face.