Machinist of Mana

Weeks passed, and I began to settle into my school life. There were holes in my knowledge, big ones. I knew about a lot of the philosophy, and art, and technology of the day, but about history I was woefully unprepared. Not the things ones normally found in books, but the little bits here and there hidden in the common knowledge. After all I spent most of my time with people who didn't care or my grandfather who didn't know.

This meant that while I was doing well in some things my social life was, formal. Manners had been beaten, almost literally, into me by my grandmother and I could run through them with ease. However spending time hanging out or generally messing around with youths my own physical age was almost a non-starter. Lucas tried to do his best to help with that though.

My rival in the fencing ring treated me as something akin to a little brother. Whenever I tried to go and spend my day meditating or in the library with my head buried in some book or other he'd come and fine me, often convincing me to join in sparring with the others or generally hanging out. That was how I found myself sitting in a circle in one of the basements tossing a small ball back and forth with him and several of his friends.

“So, what are your plans for the weekend Percival?” Lucas asked as he tossed me the sphere.

“Same as every weekend I guess, study, maybe look at some of the new journals that have come in,” I returned, tossing the orb to Simon, who'd somehow fallen in with this same group.

“Dense as always Percival. This will be the first time we get a day to go to town,” he chided.

I was dense, the first few weeks hadn't had the normal town days, but those started this week. One day a week off, one day away from the school should I so choose it. I could go and do... well without supervision basically whatever I wanted. So long as no great trouble came of it and nobody found out I could do much as I pleased.

“Oh, haven't even thought about it honestly. Totally forgot with classes and all.”

“Well, I'm getting some dried meats if nothing else,” Simon answered. “Just in case the Headmaster decides to starve us all again.”

It seemed unlikely, but that incident had left a mark on the student body. I'd come out fairly well, not telling anything about any of my fellows meant that I was the only one in our year punished, something others realized. That act alone had won me a fair amount of social capital, something I'd never bothered to use.

“There's a concert being put on in the entertainment district I'm keen to see,” said Reese, another boy in Lucas' year as he tossed the ball.

“Might be a good thing if we'd gotten tickets,” I grumbled.

“Don't need them. This one is first come first seated. Not sure why but it looks like the group putting it on didn't want it all to be the richest in the city, and from what I've heard it's magnificent.”

I shrugged at Lucas who made a face indicating that he'd be interested in it as well.

“Expensive?” I asked, I did have some petty cash, but not huge quantities.

“No, like I said, they want everyone to be able to go.” The other boy waved a hand flippantly, as if there was no reason for concern.

“I'm in,” Lucas said.

“Sure, why not,” I agreed.

“Sounds like a blast,” Simon added.

We continued our game, the little ball whizzing at speeds that would terrify normal people but were no issue to us. That was one of the things I rather enjoyed about being in the academy here. With so many of us as strong and durable as we were we didn't really have to hold back as badly. Most days I had to treat everyone like they were made of paper, easy to break and rip, but here it was just... easier to be.

A few days later we all piled into a carriage and set off to the city proper. Each of us thrilled to be away. I got a few looks at the cane I was carrying, but it was a common enough thing even for guys of my age so nobody was bothered. Carrying a proper weapon was a lot less common, but nobody needed to know what was in it until and unless someone was getting stabbed.

We made only a few quick stops on our way, picking up things we wanted or needed quickly. The show was today, and from the sounds of it we needed to arrive as early as was reasonably possible. Of course, had we known what we were getting into we might have tried to get in even earlier.

The city streets were packed, carriages and carts of all kinds shoved in like fish in a barrel. Some were new, some old, some rented or haired like ours. Lots of people were walking, not even trying, and after a time we all looked at each other.

“So, just walk then?” I asked, getting a series of nods in return.

After a brief conversation telling the driver to meet us at a restaurant halfway across the city later in the evening we hopped out. He seemed relieved, nobody liked traffic, particularly when there were so many horses involved.

It quickly became apparent that this wasn't just the right choice, it was the only choice. Whatever this show was, it was clogging the streets of the otherwise often packed entertainment district of the city. Slowly we got closer and closer until we were finally at the place indicated, which wasn't even a proper venue.

“They're joking,” Lucas said with a laugh.

“No, I don't think they are,” I replied with a shake of my head.

“This is going to be something isn't it,” Reese added with a smile.

“Oh yeah,” Simon agreed.

Before us there were people in the streets. One of the larger city squares had been blocked off, a building on the far side having been altered to have a massive stage jutting out from it. The tickets were to get into the square itself, which had some seating in the form of bleacher-like additions on the sides and a large central area right in front of the raised stage.

Apparently they'd not been able to find a big enough arena, not odd as such things weren't as common in this world as they'd been in my last, at least not on this island. There were a few sport fields outside the city, and a few smaller places like where the fencing tournaments were held, but nothing like a colosseum, and that seemed to be what they wanted.

Would this disturb part of the city tonight? Certainly. Were there plenty of people who were going to get a show without paying? Well, I could already see some of the nearby businesses setting up tables on their roofs to watch. Would it be awesome? I had a feeling the answer would be a resounding yes.