Machinist of Mana

“Don't we have enough problems?”

“Probably, but as I said, I don't believe it is related to our local problems.”

I leaned back, blowing out a sigh. First goblins and now elves, if we got dwarves next I was starting a riot. I didn't even think dwarves were a thing, but with us exploring all of the small areas of the world now we might well find some one day. I mean, there were tiny people back on earth in little pockets, but were those more like dwarves or would have I called them halflings or something?

“Why?” I asked after a few seconds of thinking.

“An interesting question, how much do you understand of Elazian politics?” he asked, referring to the eastern continent where the elven peoples lived.

“Practically nothing?”

“Then the long and short answer is that some of them are agitating against us, and by us I mean humans in general. Their nations haven't been fully united for most of history, and so they vary on their approach to humanity drastically.”

“Great.”

“Quite the opposite, do you happen to speak any of their languages? We could add that to your training...” I paled the second before he smiled, chuckling under his breath. “Sorry, needed something to lighten the mood, I've been informed that they're working all the students at the school to the bone already. Good on it too, we may need you before too long...”

“So you called me here to tell me this?”

“No, I called you here to let you know to keep watching out, and ask you for a favor, furthermore to see how you were.”

I raised an eyebrow. “If it's within reason.”

“Good, not agreeing immediately. I believe it is, but I'm unsure how you'll feel. One of my men told me you came up with a new design for a firearm, one he's keen to get hold of.”

He wanted a revolver design. It wasn't like I couldn't give it to him, in fact it would probably be good for all of us for me to do so. That didn't mean that I didn't want something for it, it would be a massively important weapon for him after all.

“I don't mind selling you the design.”

“Truly? I suspected you might play it close to your chest like so many mages tend to with their best spells.”

“No, that would just encourage someone to steal it from me, and I don't fancy being robbed. Let them come for you and your manufacturers instead.” That got me a laugh.

Over the next twenty minutes or so we worked out a fairly simple deal. I would be getting some money and access to a few chemists and the like that would be difficult for me to arrange. I wanted nitrocellulose, and I wanted it in the right sized pellets, and those would be hard to get without help, also primers. The duke looked at me like he suspected I was up to making more goodies, which I was, but didn't push.

When it was all worked out to both of our satisfaction we departed, heading back to the others. This manor was something. Where I lived in the country could've compared to it in size, if not in opulence, but here in the city this amount of space for one family and their servants was on the far end of senseless. It took minutes for us to walk across it once more, both because none of the hallways were straight and the distance.

The women were deep in conversation about one of the local events, and from what I heard as I was coming along it sounded like they were all simply going on about their favorite parts. It was what one expected to hear, particularly when the participants were of differing social classes. Nobody was being negative, even if they'd not liked something, lest they offend, and all of them were focusing on something that was so innocuous that there couldn't possibly be an insult.

That didn't mean that there wasn't more going on. Much of the nuance of the conversation was lost on me, being couched in the manners and practiced ease of the ladies involved, but even now I could pick up a few bits and pieces. The duchess clearly thought that things should be fancier and more involved, whereas the others involved disagreed, without actually disagreeing at all. This was one of the ways higher born women interacted, the seemingly simple things with far deeper meanings that took effort and experience to decipher.

“Your grace makes and excellent point, perhaps I should look at things that way,” I heard my date say, the basic translation being 'I'm really sorry for disagreeing with you on this, please don't take offense.'

“Of course, with experience we all see things more clearly,” came the response. 'It's fine, you've straightened yourself out and you're still young.'

“Ah ladies, how go things?” the duke asked as we returned.

“Oh you know, and your discussions?” his wife asked.

“Well, well, we're all done.”

We had a brief back and forth about how it was getting late, and how we really did need to go, along with a promise to exchange letters in the future. That was a given, since someone would need to pick up designs for the revolver. I already had those done and with the fact that I was moving on to bigger and better things it was of no moment. It did occur to me that my parents might disapprove, but what they didn't know couldn't hurt me or something like that.

“You don't smell like smoke,” my companion pointed out as we rode home.

“I don't smoke.”

“But I'd wager his grace does.”

“Probably, but mostly he wanted a private conversation.”

“I understood as much.”

“Did you enjoy yourself at least, I heard some of your words with the duchess.”

“Oh so much! It was a better time than I'd hoped and knowing them will only help me in the future. I think our hostess liked me better than I could've hoped and even asked me about joining her for tea at some point.” That was a surprise, and good for her, connections like that couldn't be bought. “On another subject, should I consider this the beginning of our courting?”

That was a landmine that I hadn't expected, but stepped right upon.

“I... hadn't thought of it, but we should shouldn't we?” It was awkward to me, she was still so young, and even if my body was, my mind wasn't. Would it matter though, it wasn't an actual proposal, just a statement that we were connected at our age. It would be an official declaration of potential in the future, but would mean little more now than that she'd be accompanying me to other dinners and the like.

Pleased she reached forwards and squeezed my hand, though that was the maximum of any significant contact for now. Even holding hands in public would be seen as scandalous. I sighed, still unsure of what the future held.