Striving For The Luxury Liner!! ~Get That Rich Isekai Life With A Ship Summoning Skill~ (WN)

Here’s the chapter. Enjoy~

Chapter 23 – Barrier Preparation

After dinner with Her Majesty the Queen and others, we spent the night in the underwater room. Apparently, good and bad sleeping habits are clearly visible underwater, and Felicia was the only one who slept well in her bed. A change in environment seems to affect people in unexpected ways.

“The same goes for Alessia, huh? When I woke up, I was right against the wall. I was so surprised.”

“Me too. But it wasn’t just me. Dorothea and Marina had fallen out of bed. Ilma and the others were sleeping in the room above us, but they would have fallen out of bed, too, if they were sleeping underwater. No doubt about it.”

While we were walking to the meeting room after breakfast, Ines and Alessia-san were happily talking about falling out of bed.

Apparently, they want more members who have fallen out of bed and are making fun of the members who have slept in the room with the air.

But I want them to keep that kind of talk to their own people. The maid showing us around overheard the conversation and smiled softly. I guess she knows why I had the maid wait outside the room in the morning.

I hastily woke Ines, Felicia, Rimu, and Pent to keep up appearances, but it was all for nothing.

“This way, please.”

The maid who had led us to the meeting room left, her shoulders shaking. I felt a little sorry that I had made her hold back her laughter.

When I entered the meeting room, Her Majesty the Queen, Princess Adalicia, Princess Annemarie, and two male mermaids I didn’t recognize were already waiting for me.

There was a map on the table, and everything seemed to be in place for the meeting.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

“No, we were just in the mood to get ahead of you, so don’t worry about it.”

Her Majesty the Queen replies with a smile and a good mood. She seems to be quite happy that the Mermaid Kingdom is being restored to its original state. She looks like a child who woke up too early on the day of the excursion.

The next two men to be introduced to Her Majesty the Queen are the Captain of the Royal Guard and the Commander-in-Chief of the Security Forces. If we’re going to repair the currents around the castle and the city, it’s only natural that we need the cooperation of these men.

“Now, without further ado, let us begin the meeting.”

After the introductions were over and everyone was seated, Her Majesty the Queen immediately announced that the meeting was about to begin.

It seemed as if the meeting was being conducted under the direction of Her Majesty the Queen. Her Majesty’s enthusiasm was astonishing.

“Wataru-sama, we discussed this in the Mermaid Kingdom. According to the discussion we had, we came to the conclusion that we would like to erase the current once and then restore it. Is that possible?”

I was happy with this conclusion because it would be easier to create a new ocean current than to reassemble the original one like a puzzle.

“I don’t think it will be a problem. Can I check the map?”

The question is whether I can read the map. Her Majesty the Queen gave me permission to look at the map. Alessia-san and the others are looking at the map with me, so if I can’t read it, I’ll ask them for advice.

“Ugh…”

The moment I saw the map, my brain gave up trying to understand it. There were so many fine lines that I had no idea what they were.

“Wataru-sama, this is a map of the royal capital, including the castle. The fine lines are the ocean currents, the triangles are the gaps in the currents, and the circles are the buildings built after the Sea God’s sacred treasure was stolen.”

Perhaps sensing that I have given up, Princess Adalicia explains the map to me.

…I could understand what it represented, but even when I did, the intricate intertwining lines and countless symbols prevented me from comprehending it.

I looked to Alessia-san for help, but she had already lost interest and was sitting in her seat talking to Dorothea-san.

The only people looking at it with interest are Marina-san and Ilma-san. They are a thief and a mage, so maybe they are good at maps or something.

“Marina-san and Ilma-san, do you understand?”

“There are many ways for monsters to get in. If Wataru-san restores it, a lot of people might lose their jobs.”

“I understand, but only enough to understand where things are. It’s hard to describe.”

At least Marina-san and Ilma-san seem to be able to understand the map to some extent. Marina-san also said something ominous.

Lost jobs? …Oh, they needed a lot of guards, but they won’t need that manpower when I rebuild the barrier.

…I can’t be responsible for that part, but it’s also unpleasant to be an enemy of the workers. I don’t want to be hated, especially by the residents of this fantasy Mermaid Kingdom.

“Your Majesty, the Queen. When the currents are restored, will many people lose their jobs?”

If that’s going to happen, let’s at least help them find new jobs before the restoration.

“Don’t worry. There will be no more security jobs, but there are many jobs that have not been touched because of the lack of manpower. In fact, there are many jobs that will be needed once the situation returns to normal, so the shortage of manpower will continue.”

I don’t know what jobs will be needed under normal conditions, but it doesn’t seem to be an unemployment problem. That’s all I need to know.

Then I have to look at this map. It is impossible for me to understand it by myself, so I will ask Her Majesty the Queen and others to explain it to me and help me understand what I need to do.

“Then please guide me.

It was impossible. I could understand the explanation, but it was impossible for me to decipher the map and operate the Sea God’s sacred treasure.

So today, I would inspect the site and solidify my image of the site. I was supposed to operate the Sea God’s sacred treasure while observing the site outside.

I should have done this from the beginning instead of forcing myself to understand the map.

Princess Adalicia and Princess Annemarie will guide us. And the common members of the royal guard and the security forces.

Aside from the princesses and the royal guard, the security forces would know every nook and cranny of the city, so it would be a bit like sightseeing and a lot of fun. Actually, I think it is enough to have just the members of the security force.

At first, Her Majesty the Queen wanted to show us around, but since the country would be unprotected if the barrier were rebuilt, the captain of the Royal Guard and the commander-in-chief of the security forces had to hold her back to prevent that.

I’m sorry for Her Majesty, who seems disappointed, but let’s check the site thoroughly while we go sightseeing.

Once the barriers are restored, it will be a different Mermaid Kingdom than it is now, and today’s sightseeing is a very precious time for us.

“Hmm… the power of the sacred treasure makes the darkness look good, but after living in the light of the castle, it seems lonely.”

The streets are unique, and mermaids live there. It’s a fantastic sight, but it doesn’t feel right like you’re looking at it through sunglasses.

“Yes, so basking in the light of the castle is a popular pastime. Once the barriers are restored, everyone will be able to bask in the light as long as they like. I’m looking forward to it.”

Princess Annemarie responded to my words and said something kind as she hugged Rimu. When I was a child, all I could think about was playing, but royalty is amazing.

Princess Adalicia and Lea-san look at such a kind Princess Annemarie with loving eyes. The members of the royal guard and security are very moved.

Princess Annemarie must have grown up to be a wonderful princess because she was surrounded by such kindness.

I’m a little relieved and continue my sightseeing… or rather inspection.

With the power of the Sea God’s sacred treasure, I’m sure it won’t be a problem, but if I put my mind to it and work hard, the results will be a little better.

＊＊＊

“I see, so it looks like I can manipulate the currents without any problems.”

Her Majesty the Queen’s face lit up when she heard the results of the inspection before dinner. I had told her that everything would be fine, but I think she was still worried inside.

I guess she felt more reassured after the inspection, right? I want to be a man who can reassure people with just words.

“Yes. We are going to renew it while dividing it, but I don’t think there will be any problem.”

If it is the performance of the Sea God’s sacred treasure, it has the power to renew the perfect ocean current barrier with a single operation, but unfortunately, my imagination is not up to the task.

It is possible to simply build dome-shaped barriers, but the tops of the walls are uneven due to the construction of additional walls to fill the gaps in the messed-up ocean currents.

But it is better to be safe than sorry since the current could blow the building down if things go wrong.

“I will call the captain of the royal guard and the commander of the security forces later, so please explain the procedure to them in detail.”

“I understand.”

A meeting is important, isn’t it? It is not necessary to go into too much detail, but I should at least tell them what we are going to do.

“Then let’s start the meal. Please enjoy the underwater feast, everyone.”

Her Majesty the Queen nodded at my answer and announced the start of the dinner. The Queen said it was an easy way to have dinner under the sea, but I wonder what kind of method it is.

I am very curious to see how they eat soup and such.

Oh, the maids are bringing in the dishes.

One by one, the dishes are placed in front of me. It’s mostly seafood again today, so my heart is aching for soy sauce again.

Hmm? And the soup is still the same? Won’t it mix with the seawater? Ah, the wine is also served as it is. But it’s not mixed with seawater. And what’s wrong with the glasses?

“Well, let’s enjoy it.”

With the queen’s words, I reach for the wine I was wondering about.

When I put my hand on the handle of the wine glass, the wine shook. Could it be a jelly?

When I looked closely at the wine, it seemed that the wine jelly was just on the handle in the shape of a glass. I don’t know what it means, but it’s very interesting.

Out of curiosity, I put my mouth to the wine and felt a distinct elasticity in my mouth. Not knowing what to do with it, I bit off a piece of wine jelly, and it turned into a liquid with a crunch in my mouth.

Surprised by the wine taste spreading in my mouth, I looked at the wine I had bitten into and saw that it remained solid, leaving a trail of teeth behind it. What is this? This is very interesting, right?

“Fufu, I can see that you were surprised. Our ancestors knew how to cook it on land and hardened it to enjoy the liquid form under the sea. How do you like it?”

“It was unexpected. It is simple, but I think it is wonderful. If it is not a secret method, etc., could you teach me how to solidify the bowl later?”

“Wataru-san, I would like to know as well.”

I was so excited that Claretta-san echoed my words. I am sure this is an interesting method for Claretta-san, who loves to cook.

“It is not a secret recipe, but a common method used in the city, so we can teach it to you without any problem. I will introduce you to the cook later.”

“Thank you very much.”

Yes, I did it. I think I can make soy sauce jelly with this method. Maybe this is the best thing I could get in the Mermaid Kingdom.

Oh, I guess the best thing is Alessia-san’s lower half. Unfortunately, even this dish can’t compare to that wonderful sight.

I feel like Alessia-san is giving me the cold shoulder, so I’m going to try another dish. I’m very curious to see how it would be with soup.