Involvement:

So, you know how I just bragging about becoming a socially acceptable NEET, right? Well, as it turns out, I can't live in some high-class inn forever...

Just a month into my life as a socially accepted NEET, and I've suddenly been asked to attend a ball. The west is surprisingly... western? I just thought that because the west here was a... wild west (?), it would've lost all 'western-western' properties, like their clothes and food, but they didn't.

Anyways, balls are what these westerners call big meetings among the high-class without tables between us and no borders between hostile factions. In the east, this kind of 'ball' would have at least one casualty. Don't ask why, the east is just as civil as the west. You just never know how and when borders are broken until someone jumps over the table and... does stuff...

Anyways, I couldn't refuse this 'ball' because it was the emperor, or as they call it here, 'king' that invited me. Yeah, because the ruler of this Plane personally invited me, due to misdirected success. Honestly, I wish I could send the senior diplomat over there and sleep, but apparently, the guy told everyone that everything is thanks to me, and I'll only be able to show my face to these kinds of events, because I'm too busy to do crap. Now, this king bastard thought it would be fun to invite this 'ultra busy' shut-in NEET.

So, at the ball, I was met with quite the surprise! Turns out, the king's subjects are incredibly disloyal and disgusting. Just as I went in, some bastards were going on about the princess consort, very loudly near the entrance. Sure, that on its own isn't enough to create a judgement for everyone else, but the fact that they were disgusting is irrefutable.

The entire place may have been drowned in unholy amounts of perfume and disgusting flowers, but that couldn't hide the disgusting dirt marks on the unshowered dirt bags. As for the teeth, they just had hundreds upon hundreds of ways to hide those yellowish-black 'pearls'. Honestly, a few seconds in, and it felt like I was going through the testing of some new nauseating gas attack from the plague demon sect.

As I was getting worse and worse at hiding the disgust on my face, I immediately left the room. Not outside outside, because that would've been rude and given a ton of nightmare fuel for the senior diplomat, as well as more 'work' in my future.

When I was on the little balcony place, I was reminded of my encounter in Caodi realm with the daughter of some Li or Ci person.

I, in a moment of nostalgia, laughed out to myself. I quickly checked around myself, to see if there was anyone nearby, and this time, I also checked the balconies under mine.

sighing in relief, I sat down on the dirty floor and groaned.

"the king better be like uncle... hopefully, he'll be dumber, haha. Negotiations will be faster that way."

This time, it wouldn't have mattered whether anyone else heard me or not, because only a beautiful 3. E—10 of the west can understand the east's language. By the way, those beautiful few people are out of two billion other illiterates.

"if you said that to anyone else, your head would be rolling by now."

And someone manages to sneak by me, again. And to think this person is one of the three people that can understand the eastern language...

"well, since my head isn't rolling, I better go meet someone."

"c'mon, stay a little longer." the person ushered. "not like it'll kill you."

"not going actually will kill me. Not exactly kill, but end my life (as a NEET), which is basically the same thing."

"I see... well, good luck with whatever you're trying to do, stranger."

"will do, stranger." I replied.

Truth be told, meeting with the king wasn't necessary, but it was a borderline must, since he's the one that invited me in the first place, and it would be just plain rude to not even visit him, even though I was at the party. He might even use that as an excuse to start a minor war with the east, or as an excuse to slow negotiations and or gain leverage.

I met up with the king shortly after, and the meeting went through without a hitch. Sure, he might've been a dirtier dirt bag compared to everyone else, but he also had the best cover up around him. The perfume he wore wasn't too overbearing, and it hid his stink just enough, but when I went in for the classical greeting hug and shake, I got a sharp whiff of strong musk. It was awful.

Luckily, I didn't gag and was able to make it through the rest of the meeting with no serious problems encountered.

After finishing the 'king encounter', though it's inaccurate to say encounter, since I was the that approached him. Anyways, after finishing the encounter with the king, I returned to the balcony, where lo and behold, no one was there.

I was kind of disappointed that my unknown friend had disappeared, but I didn't let that get me too down, and I decided to go looking for my unidentified friend.

I didn't see their face, as I didn't bother looking at them, at the time, and it would've been too dark in first place, but if I hear them talk, I should recognize them by their voice.

After an hour or so of silent stalking and walking around, I decided it was high time to leave while I still could. The toxic nature of the ball was coming back to me, after the initial heat of the moment died away.

I left the hall, back to the high-class inn. Sure, I still wanted to find my unknown friend, but time was cutting close and even the royal family had left.

But now if I think about it, isn't the west trying to rebel? They have their own kingdom with princesses, princes, kings and queens, all while they are under the emperor, the rightful owner of the throne. After the diplomatic mission is over, I'll be sure to report this to father. He might even cancel the alliance with the west, if he hears about this, though.