Striving For The Luxury Liner – Vol 9 Chapter 25

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Chapter 25 – Welcome Preparation and Inspection

Alessia-san and Dorothea-san, who had gone earlier to tell the Marquis that we would accept the inspection of the Castle at his request, returned.

“Wataru-san, two knights, and two officials will be here tomorrow afternoon for the inspection.”

Four people, I don’t know if that’s too many or too few. Two knights aren’t bringing a squire or anything, are they? Are they being cautious?

“I understand. Thank you, Alessia-san and Dorothea-san.”

“Wataru-san, would you like us to be present at tomorrow’s inspection as the responsible party?”

“Yes, please do. I’ll just stay here and let Camille-san and the others take care of everything.”

“I understand. I’ll make sure it gets done. I’ll respond with courtesy, but I don’t have to respond to the Marquis Lucca’s side of things, do I?”

Since it’s the Marquis’ inspection, is there a possibility that he will look down on me? Since I had the second prince on his knees, he wouldn’t look down on me, but permission to compete with us was important.

“Yes, we don’t have to go out of our way to sell the fight, but if the other side comes out with high pressure, we can break it off. Well, I think there is almost no chance that the other side will try to pick a fight with us.”

“I think so too, but there are people everywhere who look for rough edges and try to take credit for them, so there is no harm in making a decision.”

“Oh yes, I agree. I think you should do what you want, Camille-san and the others.”

Normally, this would be the time to say something like, “I’ll take responsibility,” but if I fail, I’ll just run away, so I won’t say it. But it would be a waste of the orphanage I’ve worked so hard to build, so I hope they succeed.

“Wataru-san, as expected, it’s hard to take twelve people on the Lutto, so except for me and Dorothea, everyone else will be staying with their parents.”

“Hmm? That’s true. In that case, Alessia-san and Dorothea-san, please go back to your parents’ house. I won’t go outside, so I’ll be safe. It will be enough if you come before noon tomorrow.”

“No, there might be something wrong… Well, you’ll be safe on the Lutto. Okay, I’ll take you at your word.”

I wish she’d take me at more than just my word.

“Yes, the last souvenirs I brought were well received. Please bring some of Chris’s sweets next time.”

“Fufu, everyone is happy, but they get so caught up in the sweets that they neglect me, which is a problem.”

I remember her saying that she had lost popularity to sweets before.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No, I know they’re expecting sweets, and I’m afraid not to bring them. Please do.”

After making our plans for tomorrow, Girasole went back to their parent’s house.

After dinner, the group of merchants wanted to discuss tomorrow, so we went back to our room.

“Master, what will you wear tomorrow? A suit?”

“Hmm, it’s not like we’re going to greet the Marquis, so why don’t we just wear our normal clothes?”

“But the knights are coming, and they will report to the Marquis, so I think you should be properly dressed.”

Well, I guess that’s true. I’m not used to wearing a suit, so my shoulders are stiff, but I’ll put up with it for a while.

“Then let’s go with a suit. Ines and Felicia should also wear dresses… No, ladies’ suits.”

Dresses are fine, but Ines and Felicia’s suits are also fine. I want them to look like beautiful secretaries this time, and I want them to wear glasses, too.

“Okay.”

“I understand.”

“What about Rimu?”

“Huh? …Well, Rimu is good enough as it is now.”

“Okay.”

Rimu is fashionable, huh? I tried to imagine it, but I didn’t really know what to do. I can’t put clothes on him; can I at least put a bow on him? I’ll think of something for Rimu.

………………

We exchange greetings and have breakfast.

“Camille-san, I know it’s a little late for this, but doesn’t it feel strange to welcome the messengers here? If you are in charge of the Castle, I think it would be better to welcome them on board the Castle.”

Camille-san and the others pondered my words.

“You may be right. It might be possible to pretend that we came here to pick them up and pay them a courtesy visit… but it might feel like we’re doing them a disservice. Wataru-san, can you take me back to the Castle?”

Oh, that was helpful. I’ve been doing as I’ve been told lately, so I’m quite happy to have shown my importance.

“I understand. Can you tell Ines to wait at the harbor and come back as soon as Girasole arrives?”

“Yes, I will let her know.”

After Ines disembarked, we set sail for the Castle.

“I’m going to wear a suit; what about you all?”

“Well, yes. Since today is an inspection, I will go in the suit I bought at the Castle. When the Marquis comes, I will wear a dress.”

Since she’s the vice-captain, should I get her a vice-captain’s uniform or something? I don’t have a captain’s uniform, either. Is there such a thing as a captain’s uniform to begin with? I have a picture of her wearing a hat…but I’m not going to do it because it would be sad to mess with my hazy memory.

“I have this white tuxedo. I like it.”

“I’ll wear a suit, too.”

Camille-san and Donatella-san are fine, but Mauro-san has never worn a white tuxedo or… tuxedo, so I don’t even know if it’s possible or not. It’s an inspection tour, so we’ll see how the messenger people react, and then we’ll think about it.

“Is that so? I think they will arrive in the afternoon, so please get ready.”

“I understand. I’ll make sure everything is ready.”

They are very enthusiastic, and I’m sure they will be fine. I asked them and went back to Lucca. Speaking of the four people who are coming as messengers, will we take them on the Lutto? It would be better to keep it disguised, wouldn’t it?

“Felicia, it looks like we’re going to take the messengers on this ship, but we’d better disguise the ship’s interior, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Since it is known that this ship belongs to Master, it would be better to disguise the interior. There will be people who think that it will be easier to get Master’s ship than Mage-sama’s ship, so it is better not to give out information that does not need to be given out.”

“I agree. Let’s do it while we still can.”

The interior of the Lutto will be disguised so that it will not look out of place in this world. Now it’s just a small magic ship with the mage’s barrier. It’s sad that just because it has the mage’s barrier, it can be targeted, isn’t it?

We returned to Lucca and greeted Ines and Girasole, who were waiting for us at the port.

“Welcome home. How was your parents’ home after such a long time?”

“Fufu, the same as always. They welcome me with open arms until I bring them a souvenir, but then they leave me alone.

The other members laugh, which means that the souvenirs they brought last time were so good that they were well received this time as well. I’m glad to hear that.

“Alessia-san, have you seen Saverio-san at home?”

If she was, I don’t think she would be neglected because of the souvenirs.

“Saverio wasn’t home. They said he was out on an adventure.”

Is this bad timing for Saverio-san? Well, we are planning to stay in Lucca to some extent, so there is a possibility that we will meet. I’d like to act in such a way that I don’t get involved as much as possible.

I don’t know if she can understand my thoughts, but Ilma-san looks at me and smiles. She’s having fun, isn’t she?

“I see. Oh, we will change into suits, but what about Alessia-san and the others?”

“Right, when the Marquis is here, we’ll have to change, but for today we’re fine as we are.”

“I understand. We will have lunch as soon as possible to give you time to change.”

“Yes, no problem.”

We will have a meeting until noon, summon the food storage ship, and then eat whatever we want. If they arrive early, it will be a hassle, so it’s time to change.

“I feel uncomfortable in a suit, but maybe it’s because I watch movies and TV dramas; I’m getting used to it.”

“Fufu, but the people in the movies are sexy, but I can tell Wataru-san isn’t used to wearing one.”

“Haha, it’s just that I’ve never had the chance to wear a suit before.”

The only time I ever wore a suit was for my coming-of-age ceremony. The rest of the time, it was for weddings. Alessia-san and Ilma-san compare me to actors, right? And they say they’re sexy. If they’re thinking of a Hollywood star or something, they’re comparing them with the wrong person.

Do they think Brad Pitt or something sexy in a suit? Brad Pitt versus me… If my level is 1000, do I have a chance of winning? If the level increases my attractiveness, I will work as hard as I can.

Movies and dramas have a lot of cool people in them or people who are attractive, even if they’re not that great looking. My lack of attractiveness is emphasized. It’s not calculated.

Is there any movie or drama that lowers the average man on Earth? I’ll have to look for it.

“Master, the messengers are here.”

“Thank you, Felicia. Everyone, let’s go out to greet them.”

I was going to wait outside, but I forgot because of the unexpected appearance of a powerful enemy.

“Sorry to keep you waiting; you must be the messengers?”

“Yes, Commander of the Knights of Lucca, Dumun.”

The Knight Commander is here. Why is someone so important coming? The other knight is the one who came before and asked to be put on the ship. I have never seen the two officials before.

If I remember correctly, Alessia-san said that the Knight Commander is a man with a hard character and a pompous personality. I am not good with that kind of person.

After exchanging greetings with each of them, I gave them permission to come aboard and boarded the Lutto.

“Then, Commander-sama, may we go out to sea?”

“Yes, please do.”

That doesn’t sound like what I heard. He seems stubborn, but he answers me correctly. I’ll serve tea to everyone anyway.

(Master, I know it’s a little late for this, but I think you should at least pretend to be steering the ship.)

I was so used to the autopilot that I forgot about it. The ship is barely steered at all, except when the steering-loving crew blows up.

(I’m sorry, Ines, but you should pretend to steer the ship in secret. You shouldn’t let yourself get out of control.)

(Okay.)

I sent Ines out secretly and talked to the messengers. Most of the conversation is about the Castle, the ship we’re going on, so I talk to them briefly, not knowing much about the ship.

We arrive at the Castle without much conversation.

“Everybody, we’ve arrived, so let’s go outside.”

When they went outside and looked at the Castle, they were frozen with open mouths. After watching for a while, the Commander finally regained his composure.

“Is this the ship?”

Commander-sama’s voice came out as if he was trying to squeeze it out. He seemed to have lost his nerve. If it weren’t made of wood on the outside, he would have been stunned to the core.

“Yes, it is surprising when you see it for the first time, isn’t it?”

“Not only surprising. How is a ship like this possible?”

“I don’t know the details, but it’s right in front of me, so I have to agree. Shall we go inside?”

“U-umu…”

He didn’t seem too convinced, but it was getting late in the day if I cared. We walked up the ramp and were greeted by Camille-san, Mauro-san, and Donatella-san in their suits as we entered the ship.

Camille-san and Donatella-san are beautiful. They look like secretaries, which makes me feel like a president.

As for Mauro-san, the retired man has changed into a funky old man in a white tuxedo. He would look good with a cigar.

“I am Camille, the person in charge of this ship. These are Mauro and Donatella. They are in charge of the rooms and the shop. Nice to meet you.”

“U-umu. I am Dumun, commander of the knights. Pleased to meet you.”

The Commander-sama, who managed to get back on his feet, answers the greeting. The other three haven’t come back to reality yet. At this rate, there will be chaos once we open the Castle.

“You said you were going on an inspection tour; what kind of place would you like me to show you?”

“Umu… I have no idea what kind of place you are talking about. I would appreciate it if you would show me around.”

“Excuse me. Now let me show you around.”

(Alessia-san, you give a very different impression from what I’ve heard about the Commander-sama, don’t you?)

(I’ve never seen that pattern before, either. Perhaps their emotions haven’t caught up with them yet, given the ship’s relationship with Mage-sama and the incredible size of the ship.)

I see. Is that possible? Camille-san leads them around the ship. They are amazed by the city on the ship, can’t believe their eyes at the swimming pool, have fun at the casino, experience the spa, and get drunk on the delicious food and drinks.

After checking out each room, they exhale with admiration. It feels good, doesn’t it? I don’t know how high Knight Commander-sama’s level is as a noble, but it shouldn’t be low. It looks like a nice room to receive a noble.

At the liquor store, they are all wide-eyed and excited, and when they find something sweet, they are worried about souvenirs. The inspection ended with them feeling nervous and out of their minds.

Is that how it’s supposed to be? I’m not sure we did it right. Is it okay that they didn’t confirm the attack? If they ask me to let them inspect again, I can be angry, right?

Anyway, we let them take some souvenirs and sent the merry messengers off to Lucca and said goodbye to them. Let’s trust that everything will be fine.

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