Read Novel Full Vol 23 Chapter 16
Vol 23 Chapter 16
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Chapter 16 – Merchant Spirit
To make the women happy, I used a camping magazine to my full advantage during our stay on the southeastern island. Thanks to that, Carla-san, who was particularly impressed by the meat, as well as Marina-san, Claretta-san, Rimu, Pent, Fuu-chan, and even Ines and Felicia, were all pleased. The camping magazine is amazing!
The camping trip was a huge success. I guess only Rimu and I thought it was camping. The girls probably saw it as work.
Still, activities related to gourmet cuisine are definitely popular with the girls.
I’d like to continue using these activities to boost my popularity, but the problem is that there aren’t many opportunities to visit the southeastern island.
This time, we’re just using Camille-san’s break time at work, and we don’t know when the next opportunity will be.
We’ll arrive in Southern City soon, so I’ll check Camille-san’s work schedule and hope we get one or two chances.
But this time, I saw a ray of hope.
The girls like meat.
Based on my general impression, I’d say girls like healthy food and sweets, but here, they’re adventurers in a different world. They’re similar to athletes who don’t consider the danger to their lives.
I think I heard on a sports program that meat and protein are important for athletes to maintain strong bodies. Probably.
Luxurious and stylish dishes and desserts are best left to luxury liners and other ships. I should go in a different direction.
However, even though there are magazines about camping, I don’t have many recipes or opportunities to try them.
I thought it was a difficult problem, but I immediately came up with a simple solution.
It’s something that wouldn’t be on the menu of a luxury liner or ferry, but girls would enjoy it. I call it “men’s food.”
With “men’s food,” I can say that I made it because I wanted to eat it so I wouldn’t have trouble treating the girls to a meal. I can even invite Claretta-san to join me in the kitchen. It’s the perfect idea.
I want to check the magazine I set aside, but there are girls around on the Japanese-style boat right now. I’ll do it later.
Luxury liner and ferry offerings change occasionally, just like in movies, so I’ll make sure to check more often to ensure I don’t miss any cooking magazines.
What should I make? My standard meals for men are curry with karaage and braised pork, but those can be eaten on a ship. I’d like to make something simpler, delicious, and dreamy.
“Master, I can see the Southern City.”
As I search for recipes in my head, Ines calls out to me. Autopilot is convenient, but if I’m not careful, the Japanese-style boat could accidentally sail into the harbor, so it’s helpful when she calls out.
Usually, there’s no need to be so cautious, but the steering wheel is visible on Japanese-style boats. This time, there’s also a large catch at the front of the boat, so I need to be careful.
I only make mistakes occasionally, so I cover the catch to keep it out of sight. However, my track record and the elegance of the women on board inevitably draw attention.
This increases the likelihood that someone will notice the boat moving on its own, even though I’m not at the helm.
Urban legends are fun to hear about, but I’d rather not be the subject of one.
“Thanks, Ines.”
I thanked her, stood up, and pretended to steer the boat properly. Actually, I was steering it properly.
“We’ve arrived. Everyone, thank you for your hard work.”
I docked next to the Lutto and called out to everyone. The girls got off the boat one by one, thanking me as they did.
It’s normal, but it’s nice when people thank you for your hard work. Actually, it was mostly autopilot; I only steered at the end.
Marina-san and the others are going to unload the catch and report to the commercial guild, so we’ll rest on the Lutto. Is Camille-san there?
When I boarded the Lutto, she wasn’t there. I’ll relax and play with Rimu and the others until they return.
“Wataru-san, welcome back.”
While I was playing with Rimu and the others, Marina-san and Camille-san returned. It seems Camille-san was at the commercial guild and came back with Marina-san and the others.
That’s fine, but Camille-san’s expression looks a little cloudy.
“Camille-san, is there a problem?”
Camille-san, who rarely shows disadvantageous emotions as a merchant, looked worried. It was a beautiful and rare sight, but I hoped there wasn’t a problem.
Has someone appeared again to complain about the regular route and try to squeeze more profit out of her?
“Something unexpected did happen, but did it show on my face? That’s not good. As a merchant, I must reflect on my actions.”
Wait, she says she needs to reflect, but she doesn’t seem to think she failed that badly.
It’s more like the feeling of licking her lips at the thought of prey caught in a trap. Oh, but aren’t foxes carnivores? Or are they omnivores? Never mind; their diet doesn’t matter here.
This is it. She showed both a worried expression and the face of someone who’s caught their last prey.
Camille-san sometimes does things like this, probably because I’m an inexperienced merchant, and she wants to train me.
My Ship Summoning skill is a cheat, but I’m not a cheat myself, so she wants me to become a reliable boss.
I’m not entirely ungrateful, but many situations are too difficult for a peace-loving Japanese college student like me. I hope she doesn’t expect too much of me.
My only means of self-defense is hiding in the safety of my ship.
“So, what was the unexpected situation? Something to do with the regular route, right?”
I sit on the sofa, pour myself a drink, and try resetting the mood. Camille-san seems relaxed, so it probably wasn’t anything serious.
With the southern continent to worry about, there can’t be too many complications.
“About when I met the Southern Count…”
Camille-san looks troubled and stops speaking. Huh? She really seems troubled. Is she acting? I’m getting confused.
“It seems that the king wants to board the Castle.”
“……Huh?”
“It seems that the king wants to board the Castle. Apparently, he wants to enjoy the voyage while holding talks with the leaders of various countries.”
Thinking I didn’t understand, Camille-san repeated herself and added more information.
But that’s not it. That’s not what it is.
“There’s no way. It’s impossible for the king of a country to travel by ship with a merchant, right?”
Right? The other girls, besides Camille-san, are surprised, too. So, I’m not wrong, am I?
Even on Earth, a more peaceful place than this world, a country’s leader’s movements are newsworthy. I have heard of them going abroad on official visits, but that’s on Earth, where it’s safe.
In this world, with its raging wars and monsters, the conditions must be even more difficult.
“Your reaction is understandable, Wataru-san. It’s understandable, but various circumstances have come together, and the discussion has progressed to the stage of positive consideration.”
Does “positive consideration” mean just a Japanese-style discussion that ends there or serious, genuine consideration?
“What kind of situation would allow the king to leave the country?”
As I lost my words, Ines interjected with a brilliant remark. Yeah, that’s right. That kind of situation is impossible.
“First, the queen and the other female members of the royal family have shown strong interest in luxury liners.”
…Ah, I see. It’s all about beauty-related things. I understand.
“And then there’s the safety of the luxury liner. There’s no doubt they’ll ask for confirmation again, but they seem to think adding a contract with the God of Commerce-sama will guarantee safety.”
Ah, I see. Luxury liners have very strict restrictions on who can board and disembark. The dignitaries from other countries who are interested in luxury liners know this better than anyone.
Apparently, they’re trying hard to gather information by any means necessary. Since information is completely blocked, they must feel confident about the ship’s safety.
I’m confident in the ship’s safety, but I understand why people who don’t know that might think it’s okay to limit the number of passengers and combine tickets with a contract with the God of Commerce-sama.
Whether or not I welcome that is another matter.
“Can’t you refuse?”
I don’t want to get involved in such troublesome matters. It’s not that I’m not interested in princesses; I just find prominent women in the secular world intimidating and prefer to avoid them.
When it comes to noble beings, there are goddesses who are far more noble. However, I’m not particularly interested in social status.
“It is possible to refuse. Wataru-san is in a much higher position when it comes to ships.”
“Oh, it is possible. Then I’ll take you up on that…”
“It’s possible, but the fact that you welcomed royalty from various countries on the first regular voyage is a tremendous advantage.”
I tried to refuse and end the conversation, but Camille-san’s intense gaze and words stopped me.
“…Are you perhaps interested in hosting them?”
I asked cautiously.
“Yes, Wataru-san’s ship is wonderful. Even if we decline this offer, there won’t be any major issues, and the discussion will proceed as planned.”
Well, the advantage of a luxury liner is kind of like cheating.
“However, it’s not easy to demonstrate that clearly to the world. Considering that, this is a perfect opportunity.”
I’m not sure if it’s necessary to show it to the world. But, considering the gods’ intention for the Castle to be revealed, it’s not a bad proposal.
We could provide elegant cruises to kings from various countries. The impact would be tremendous.
“There are various things to consider, but basically, Camille-san wants to give it a try, right?”
I’m thinking about the impact, the gods, and so on, but, to be honest, Camille-san’s enthusiasm is really coming through.
Her business spirit is burning brightly. It might be difficult for me to refuse emotionally.
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