(3° person POV)

Mechaville is bustling with the small talk of its citizens. From the little children playing on the streets, the housewives hanging clothes and sewing, the average male citizen working from the factories to the farms. The nobleman in their offices and reunions and their servants cleaning the mansions and buying groceries.

From each and one though, the gossip is the same. In the previous day after lunch, a messenger came out of the Clockwork Palace with news from their recently returned rulers. It was an invitation, sent to each noble of Mechaville, the invitation to a ball.

However, not the average ball held in the party halls across Mechaville, but much more pompous, leaving even the highest of nobles infatuated. An invitation to the halls of the Clockwork Palace itself for the first time since the creation of Mechaville. Of course, it’s the latest and only word on the city of these last hours.

As for the date of the ball, it’s this night at its later hours. And as the veil of the night falls, the lights of the majestic front of the Clockwork Palace show its nightly beauty. The full moon hangs in the sky, its own silvery light failing to outshine the artificial lights that lit up the way to the frontal gate.

Different from the usual, a fence has been made of golden material, the light posts shining stronger than usual, lighting up the gorgeous red and golden carpet leading inside the Palace. Even early as this, the reporters of the news sources from Mechaville, such as the Daily Gear and Oil News, the two leading newspapers, stand at the edges to catch glimpses and pictures of the nobles that barely ever leave their states.

Some of the common people as well gather to see the renowned warriors and heroes of the Royal Guard, as well famous nobles, as even the military was invited. The decorate golden gates of the Palace are perfectly open, two silver knights standing on each side guarding the entrance, although such a thing is unnecessary, as not even the maddest of inhabitants would even think of entering the Clockwork Palace without permission.

And inside the Palace, on the hall not far from the gates, the staff and the Palace’s master prepare for the event.

(Alva’s POV)

I walk the First Dancehall with Gehenna on my heels, dressed in her formal military uniform with her ranking clearly displayed with the platinum embroilment of a mechanical dragon with one platinum gear above it on the right side of her chest and left shoulder of the black and platinum uniform. Her silvery hair is also tied in a neat ponytail, although her spiky hair makes it look fluffy as well.

I’m still not on my party dress, there are a few things that I have to oversee before I get ready for the party. As an example, the buffet. Although I do trust the kitchen team and the servant teams of butlers and maids, I always fuss over the details, and I’m not satisfied until I have gone through everything.

The wide and vast hall is beautiful, after all, I designed it. the floor is smooth, typical of a dancing room with geometrical patterns of brown, white and gold. The pillars are white, following the patter of the rest of the castle, carved pillars with mechanical patterns with a gear at the bottom and one at the top made out of gold.

The walls follow the color scheme, and beautiful chandeliers illuminate the hall, made out of precious metals and crystals, the light provided being supernaturally bright, but not bothering the eyes at all.

The band practices at the end of the hall where we, the players, will be coming out today just between the flights of stairs on a small stage, the sweet sound of calm classical music filling the air with violins and cellos, as well other repercussion instruments with the maestro guiding them.

I sample some of the food. Yes, delicious. Gehenna also sneaks a bite or two. Now that I think about it, Gehenna had a setting on her character that she liked a lot of good food. I smile gently, and she blushes when she notices my gaze, stopping immediately from eating. I turn to her, making her stand in ready position.

(Alva): “Well, it seems that everything here is okay. The food is good, the servants are done with the cleaning of every nook and cranny and every invitation received a positive answer. The security should also be about right, but considering that there Is almost no chance of anything happening…”

(Gehenna): “With all due respect, My Lord, we should be ready in every single occasion and probability.”

I smile to her.

(Alva): “Impeccable as ever, Gehenna. Can I leave the security check to you?”

She struck her hells together, her shiny dragon leather boots making a loud and pleasant sound as she salutes me.

(Gehenna): “Yes, My Lord!”

I nod, and before she turned away with my new orders, I raise my finger, stopping her on her motion. She looks at me confused for a moment before I reach for the corner of her mouth, making her blush slightly again. She’s fairly easy to fluster, isn’t she? It’s kinda cute with her tough looks.

I clean the sauce on the corner of her lips, remains of the piece that she ate earlier in her hurry. I smile as I lick the sauce from my finger. Gehenna blushes heavily as I say:

(Alva): “Now you can go.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

She nods, her face a darker shade of red as she stiffly turns around and marches away. I chuckle, I guess that’s you what you call gap moe. Alright, time to change my clothes as well check on the girls. After all, they should have already started getting ready by now since the party will start before long.

I can’t really send them a message at the moment, I don’t have any message items on me right now and sending a guild notice just for them to hurry up in getting ready would be bad and an abuse of guild rights. Well, I guess I’ll just meet them at the rom that we combined to meet before the party.

I walk up one of the sides of the stairs and ether the large, decorated double doors made out of orichalcum, a golden-ish metal with a extremely faint red hue and mithril, with several carvings. Now that I think about it, celestial marble, orichalcum and mithril are the most common components of the Clockwork Palace, aren’t they?

I went all out with my alchemy after all, so I made a lot. Most of the golden in this Palace is orichalcum, same for the silver, that is actually mithril. Now that I think about it, walking around the Palace is a bother… of course, there are the teleportation relays as well the Moving Gears Room to administrate the teleportation network.

The relays were made for the player use, since the palace was fairly full all the time, since the guild was big and the palace IS a facility made to be inhabited for several thousands at the same time, and the system was made for that, to support several players at the same time.

My first idea was to make a guild insignia that allowed teleportation inside the Palace, but to make for each member would be a waste of material and inefficient, without mentioning that would be less secure. If a member quit the guild and keeps the insignia or it gets stolen the holder will be able to access areas exclusive to the guild members.

Because of that I created the relay system, you register a player and his rank on the guild and from there the system allows him or her to teleport to wherever they can within permitted territory, as there are areas of the Palace exclusive to officers of the guild.

The Clockwork Palace is a complex structure after all, the saloon that I just walked off is part of the “public area” where visitors can transit around without anything but a few shops and some particular rooms for guild members. The other areas are not accessible if not by teleport, reason why the servants can use the relays.

But now… well, I can let the relay system the way it is, there are still several servants tending to the place, but for us guild members I could make something different. Maybe rings, pendants or badges. I wonder what they’ll like? As I think that, I finally get to a teleportation relay in the deeper areas of the public area.

I enter the circumference of the gear, carved with all the spells needed connecting with the relay system. And yes, this system is player made, not something made by the guild system. The Eternal Gear was… well, at least until the second we came to this world, the pioneer of several useful stuff.

Meaning that I was hired quite a few times together with my apprentices to install teleportation relays on several guild headquarters. Not only that, turrets, mechas, guns, Eternal Gear is a quality brand that is on the top of the charts all the time.

(Alva): “Teleport: Resting Room N° 1.”

I say out loud, the gear at my feet lighting up in a blue hue, enveloping my body. after a brief second, I’m teleported to the resting room, immediately hearing the familiar voices of the girls. They look surprised at me for a second, all of them still dressed in casual clothes while sitting around the round table on the couches with a few drinks and sweets on top of it.

(Logan): “Comrade, you surprised us!”

(Alva): “Sorry for that. There’s no way to send a message without the guild board, so I thought it would be just better to show up in the resting room.”

I say as I look to the girls. Umm… Iona is missing, but Logan, Anastasia and Prunia are here.

(Alva): “Iona’s still on the training grounds testing her summons?”

Before anyone could answer, Logan smirks and asks:

(Logan): “Worried about your wifey, comrade? You should check on her and get some refreshments, as well some preservatives! Or do you want a heir for your throne?”

I sigh at Logan’s usual teasing, merely answering as I usually do:

(Alva): “Shove it up your ass.”

Logan made a shocked face, covering the ears of a confused Prunia.

(Logan): “We have our junior here, comrade! You have to mind your language!”

She said as if she really cared. I smiled gently, making a polite bow, saying in the most gentleman tone I could muster:

(Alva): “Pardon me for my rude behavior, Milady, I had no idea. You as well, my dearest junior, we wouldn’t want you to be tainted by twisted rude words, would we? So, my dear old friend Lady Logan, may I rephrase my words? Please, take your untimely comments with gentle hands, and with all your strength, thrust them where the morning sun and the setting moon don’t shine their light.”

Prunia holds a laughter while Logan smirks. Anastasia only looks at me weirdly, as if I said something actually weird. How rude, I’m a perfectly normal, functional human being.

(Alva): “The reason I’m looking for her is so just I can let all of you know that the ball will start in three hours or so, so if you girls want you can already go change your clothes. I also came here to let all of you know that if you need anything just ask me, I’ll see if I’m able to make it.”

They nodded. Prunia rose her hand, as if in a classroom. I nod to her.

(Alva): “Yes, student Prunia?”

(Prunia): “Teach, what ya mean with “anything we need” that you’ll make?”

I touch my chin. Well, that’s a broad question.

(Alva): “Well, as an example… I’ll make a fully functional phone for each one of us so that we can communicate at any time as well having a teleporting support within the Clockwork Palace and hopefully to wherever we expand Mechaville to in the future if that is the case.”

(Anastasia): “Wait, you can make a phone? Isn’t that way out of your academical expertise?”

She asks suddenly. I raise my eyebrows, nodding.

(Alva): “Well, that would be the case. You know that I’m good with science, right? Well, most of my experiments were made here, on Mechanica, a world with a self replicating and mutating algorithm that allows for a fairly faithful replication of the real world, reaching realms that even the creators didn’t expect.”

They looked at me confused for a moment. Guessing their doubt, I answered:

(Alva): “Think about the world of the game like that of a… did you girls see that movie where the monster evolves and stuff? Yeah, something like that. Mechanica is a complex world with set rules. However, it’s impossible to simulate everything from our universe.

Therefore, the way that the creators came up with was to make a world that has the ability to evolve as it’s played. The players use the rules in new and interesting ways, so with base on its data bank, the game adapts and adopts that previously non-existent characteristic. For example, space-time concept, nuclear energy, radiation, etc. get it?”

I ask. They nod, still a bit confused. I smile and say:

(Alva): “Well, this is a talk for another time. For now, we have to get ready for the ball.”

I say, walking to the teleport relay.

(Anastasia): “Wait, what’s the type of clothes that we have to use?”

I think for a second before answering:

(Alva): “Anything that’s old fashioned or has a steampunk team to it… just don’t go overboard on the gear decorations. I’m sure you girls have more than enough pretty clothes from events.”

They look at each other for a moment.

(Logan): “Well, I can’t really deny that.”

(Prunia): “Right?”

(Anastasia): “Yeah, I can’t really say anything about that either.”

(Alva): “See? Well, I’m gonna look for Iona. She can’t miss the ball. If you girls excuse me, I have to change to something more presentable than just this dragon leather long coat. Teleport: Personal Room.”

The blue light of the teleport relay envelopes me and I’m teleported to my room, the usual mess of several unfinished works and the forever boiling alchemy cauldron. Alright, where did I put my spare formal clothes? I’m quite sure I have some around here…