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

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(8/24)

Chapter 3 – Welcome Festival for Mermaids

After my historic victory over Ines, I visited the Dark Elf village and found that preparations had already begun for a festival to welcome the mermaids to the village. There will be an important discussion about whether or not to accept the mermaids, but… I think there’s still plenty of time.

…There was plenty of time.

I went to the village chief’s house and was shown to the reception room. The people of the hot spring village said that the mermaids were very welcome, so they decided to have a festival tonight to welcome the newcomers.

We then discussed how to hold the festival and began preparations.

And now I am going to give the opening speech of the festival.

I wondered intensely why I was being asked to give the welcome speech instead of Princess Annemarie, who is the one being welcomed, or the village chief, who is the one welcoming the guests.

As I stand on the stage, which has probably been prepared for singing, and look ahead, I see a group of dark elves led by the village chief and a group of mermaids led by Princess Annemarie looking at me with glasses in their hands. My stomach hurts.

“Well… dark elves, thank you for welcoming all the mermaids despite the sudden migration. From now on, the dark elves and the mermaids will live together on this island, cooperating with each other, sharing what we can, and making it an island where we can laugh and live happily together. Cheers!”

I did my best.

The thoughts I had before the greeting flew out of my head, but I think I managed to make a not-so-good speech.

As proof, all the dark elves and mermaids toasted with smiles. So, I guess that means it wasn’t a bad speech.

As I left the stage, feeling pleased with myself, Ines and the others approached me. I had a feeling that I would be praised for my speech.

“Master. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Good work…?”

Felicia is kind. I’m sure she knows that I’m not very good at such things, so she goes easy on me.

During the speech, Felicia took care of Rimu, who also jumped on me and sent me a thought that I thought was probably for my efforts.

Well, in the case of Rimu, his very existence is working for me, so there is no problem, even if the thought is in the form of a question.

“Master. That was pretty good. Next, you will mediate with that group.”

Ines followed with a compliment, but what is this group mediation?

In the direction, Ines pointed, a group of dark elves and a group of mermaids looked at each other.

It’s not a bad atmosphere, but they don’t seem to know what to say to each other. When we were unloading, they talked to each other casually, but the atmosphere of this place was different, so they seemed to be reserved with each other.

I’m not sure why I’m doing this, but since I’m the one who brought the mermaids here, I feel responsible enough to act as a mediator.

“Marie-chan, let’s have a feast!”

“It’s delicious.”

“Feast, feast, feast!”

I was about to act as a mediator between the two groups, but before I could do so, the Dark Elf children rushed at Princess Annemarie without even reading the air.

I was a little surprised. The dark elf children were crazy about the feast at the last festival. They were very good children to invite Princess Annemarie to join them… before they stormed into the feast.

Ah, the children pulled Princess Annemarie’s hand and stormed the table with the feast.

…Before I knew it, Carla-san was standing in front of the feast table, and I didn’t notice that she was munching on the food, and the guards were looking away from Princess Annemarie with blank expressions on their faces. Is that okay for the job?

Lea-san follows Princess Annemarie with a wry smile, and the remaining group of dark elves and mermaids smile at each other for some reason, and the conversation begins.

It’s a flow I don’t quite understand, but it seems my role as mediator is no longer necessary. With nothing better to do, I sit down on a log that has been rolled out as a chair, a glass of wine in my hand.

“But the village has grown so much, hasn’t it?”

As I sit and look around the village, I am reminded of when I first arrived on the island. It is amazing to think that this place, which used to be just a small hill, now looks like a real village.

The tents have been completely removed, and the wooden houses have been built much more solidly. Some of the houses still look like shacks, but I think they will be replaced in due time.

The fences around the village are well-built, and the fields are spread out. Trees have been planted in places, and the flower beds look great, so I guess they have more time to do more than just work for food.

The campfire is well prepared, so there seems to be plenty of room for a pile of wood.

They will probably burn it at night, but I have a sinking feeling that the feast has become a bonfire under the influence of my idea.

“Fufu. It is true that it has become a solid village. But my father says that the buildings in the hot spring village are more splendid, even though they are smaller.

Felicia replied in surprise at the words I had somehow muttered.

“Huh? I thought the hot spring villages started with simple buildings.”

Yes, we were talking about a hot spring inn, and I heard that they were thinking about migrating and developing the hot spring village first, but did they say they were going to put that much effort into it? I thought they would do it quickly so that the ladies could go to the hot springs as soon as possible.

“Since it relieves fatigue and is good for beauty, it seems that they have decided to put even more effort into it as a recreational activity. The residents of this village also take turns going there regularly, and they’ve even built a rest stop at the relay point between this village and the hot spring village.”

It seems the dark elves are more into hot springs than I thought.

I was so used to seeing Ines and Alessia-san and the others that I didn’t notice, but upon closer inspection, the dark elves looked much prettier, and their good looks were enhanced.

I think the shampoo and other bath products had a great effect, but since the hot springs were used for recreation, they must have been polished to a fine shine by regular bathing.

“If they go that far, why not make the hot spring village the main attraction? The hot spring village is surprisingly far away, isn’t it?”

If it were us, we would have taken the amphibious buggy, the Add, but the villagers are on foot.

Besides, if we moved there, we could easily live in the hot springs every day, and I think that would be wonderful.

“They said they thought about it but gave up because it would be difficult to secure fields and sea products and work with Master.”

“I see.”

So even though the hot springs are appealing, the reality is that it’s like this. I know it’s a little hard on the world, but you can’t fill your stomach with hot springs, can you?

“Master. I brought you some food.

While brooding over the world’s sadness, Ines brought me my food.

“Wow, thanks… Huh?”

“What’s wrong with you, staring into people’s faces?”

“No, I just thought, if it’s normal, Ines, you should be drinking and making a fuss, right?”

Not that I’m saying she’s not thoughtful, but in a happy place like a festival, Ines should be the one to take the initiative and make a lot of noise.

“…I thank you for canceling the punishment. I should be of some use to my master.”

“Um, that’s very nice of you.”

“Yes…”

It’s a kind of warm feeling that fills my heart. Is this how parents feel when they realize that their children have grown up?

This time, while I was feeling warm and sober, I heard a beautiful singing voice coming from the stage. It seemed that the dark elf ladies were performing a song for the mermaids.

The noisy place became quiet, and everyone listened to the song. But…

“Felicia. Aren’t their singing levels getting better?”

I don’t have an absolute pitch or a good ear, but the parts are more detailed than the last time I heard them sing, and I feel like they have more solid harmony.

Isn’t that the level of choir singing you’ve heard on TV?

“I heard they practiced a lot.”

“I see. The choir is great, and it looks like they’re having fun, so that’s good.”

“Yes. Since coming to this island, everyone is enjoying their freedom very much. It’s all thanks to Master, thank you very much.”

She thanked me with a clear smile.

Well, it’s an exaggeration to say that it’s all thanks to me, but I’m proud to say that I played a pretty important role, so I’m a little proud of this spectacle.

…But Felicia is not in this beautiful scene.

Felicia who sacrificed herself to save her family and friends in the village.

The Dark Elves who were saved will also have something on their minds even as they enjoy themselves.

For some reason, it stirs up an awful lot of guilt.

“Felicia. Are you going back to the village?”

“No, I have sworn to repay my master.”

After Felicia’s surprised look at my question, she smiles kindly and says something pleasant.

“Is it really okay? I don’t think I’ll ever feel like this again. This may be your last chance to go back to your village.”

Or rather, it’s definitely her last chance.

For my part, I don’t want Felicia to leave me, and even as we talk, I wonder why I said that, and I regret it immensely.

Now that I’ve said it, if Felicia wants to go home now, I’ll let her go, but if she says otherwise later, even if she cries a lot and regrets it, I won’t let her go.

I will not consider Felicia’s innermost feelings.

“Master. When I left the village, I prepared myself that even if I died, I would not be able to return to the village. I was scared and didn’t want to leave, but I thought it was my duty as the daughter of the village chief.”

Felicia suddenly broke into a heavy conversation. I’m weak at heart, so I don’t know what to do when she talks about heavy things.

“But now I am glad that I left the village. My parents and everyone in the village are happier, and I have experienced the vastness of the outside world. If Master doesn’t need me, I will leave, but if Master needs me, I would like to follow you. Master, do you need me?”

“Of course I need you!”

I definitely need her. It’s impossible not to need Felicia, a beautiful dark elf with large breasts who is kind and thoughtful and who is also a skilled escort.

“I’ll be with you then. I look forward to working with you for a long time, Master.”

“Y-yes. Please take good care of me.”

Hmm? Things are happening so fast that I can’t catch up with what I’m feeling, but is it resolved in my favor?

“Master. Why are you being so nice to Felicia when you didn’t say that when I went back to my parents’ house? I demand an explanation that makes sense.

Wait, Ines. I’m glad you’re hugging me from behind, but now is the time I need to clear my head, so don’t interrupt me.

“Ines, can we talk about this later?”

“I demand an explanation.”

It seems she won’t let me do it later.

“Well… Maybe it’s because I didn’t feel guilty when I was with Ines?”

I felt sorry for Bella-san and the others, but I never felt guilty about Ines as I did about Felicia.

So, I have no intention of letting her go.

“You’re showing favoritism. Alessia, listen to me. Master is terrible!”

Wait, Ines. Don’t involve Alessia-san and the others. Now I’m embarrassed, so I’ll keep my distance.

Hey, if you can’t listen to the song properly, don’t make a scene!