Striving For The Luxury Liner – Vol 9 Chapter 32

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(11/20)

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Chapter 32 – Idle Talk: Skill, Routine, Everyday Life, and Emotion

[The Crown Prince Skill]

The name “Castle” was first heard throughout the continent at a victory celebration held in the Kingdom of Brescia to celebrate the complete destruction of the Empire.

The Beast Kingdom and the Kingdom of Thessaloniki, with whom they had fought together, were invited, as well as guests from other friendly nations, and a grand party was held. The guests were treated to a variety of dishes and desserts that they had never tasted before. Many alcoholic beverages were served in beautiful bottles, many of which had never been drunk before.

Even the royalty and nobility of each country had never tasted such beautiful wine and food, and the invited nobles were amazed.

In addition, the ladies of the Kingdom of Brescia had moist skin, shiny hair, and elegant perfumes. Nail art, cosmetics, perfumes, jewelry, and other things never seen before, they won the envy and jealousy of the ladies of other countries. By the way, the polished men were also popular among the ladies of other countries.

The rumors were spread to some extent by the nobles and merchants who were invited to the opening ceremony. However, due to the Castle’s purchasing restrictions, they were unable to buy in large quantities, and the few goods that were offered to the royalty and nobility in search of connections did not spread explosively.

The merchants tried to stay overnight several times to bring back a lot of goods. However, since the Crown Prince of Brescia collected goods in the same way, it was difficult for merchants to get rooms at the Castle in the current situation where the number of guests at the Castle is limited.

For this reason, the guild master of the Merchants’ Guild in the city of Cagliari was apparently in great trouble when the merchants came up against him.

The Crown Prince asked for the purchase restrictions to be lifted for the Kingdom of Brescia only, but was told by Camille that interfering with the mage’s rules would mean the withdrawal of the Castle, so he instead negotiated to be given priority accommodations until the victory celebration.

This allowed the Crown Prince to invite the nobles of his own country to undergo the treatment on the condition that they offer their goods to the state while keeping the goods, food, etc., rare and valuable.

The Crown Prince enhanced his country’s reputation and strengthened his own position with a sensational victory party. The gifts were also used as gifts for the invited guests from various countries, and the effect of the gifts spread throughout the continent. After that, many merchants began to visit the city of Cagliari.

[Camille’s Routine]

“Phew, even though it was the Crown Prince’s request, it’s not easy when the nobles come in droves, is it? I wonder if Wataru-san knew that before he left?”

“Even if it’s the Crown Prince, he has the power to refuse if he doesn’t want to, so it’s not like that, is it? I’m sure Camille-jouchan has the authority to refuse the Crown Prince’s request if you don’t like it, right?”

“Mauro-san may say it simply, but this country is indebted to him, and there’s also the matter of the orphanage. It would be wrong to just accept a favor from him, wouldn’t it?”

“Well, that’s true. They also sent guards to the orphanage and promised to watch over us from the naval headquarters and protect us in case of an emergency. That’s a big deal.”

That’s how much they value this ship. The Kingdom of Brescia would like to use it as much as possible, but we can’t just go along with it. It’s a difficult but rewarding task.

“Yes, we must repay the favor we have received, or else we will be stuck. Speaking of which, Mauro-san, how do you plan to limit the purchase of the products?”

“Hmm? Well, I think it is too little as it is now, but unlimited sales of alcohol, cosmetics, and jewelry could have a huge impact on the manufacturers. Since the impact would be too great, it would be safe to gradually increase the distribution volume.”

“I agree. Aside from jewelry, alcohol, and cosmetics are on a completely different level. The stores that deal in luxury goods will be affected because they are expensive, but if they all go out of business, the impact will be enormous.”

“That’s for sure. If we were explicit, we could dominate the economic side of the continent with this ship. It’s a problem.”

“Even if you say ‘problem’ like that, it’s not very convincing when you say it so happily. Wataru-san doesn’t want chaos, so please be careful.”

“I know that, but I can only imagine. If this ship were mine, I would do it with a lot of pomp and circumstance.”

“It’s still ostentatious enough. Speaking of which, what is Donatella up to?”

“She’s preparing for a performance at the Marine Theater. She’s having a lot of fun learning about the cruise director. She wants lots of actors.”

“Well, we have permission to buy slaves, but we’d also like to have people in all the restaurants, shops, and casinos. I’d like to replace the higher quality jobs with people.”

“That’s not enough manpower. You should keep it to a minimum. Wataru told me that this ship originally had more than 1,000 people working on it.”

“I know, but I’d rather leave the cooks, bartenders, merchants, and shopkeepers to others. Then there are the actors that Donatella wants.”

“With the Vice Captain’s authority, you can appoint them to the staff, can’t you? Don’t be in a hurry; just add them to the staff slowly. The nobles who stay with us are still more than satisfied. It’s better to leave room for growth.”

“That is true. I’ll talk to Donatella and ask her to work on the show with Saporabi-chans first. If the response from the guests is not good enough, we will bring in more people.”

“That would be good. It’s time for the evening greeting. Is everything all right?”

“Ara, yes. I’ll get changed, and you take care of the rest?”

“Umu. I’ll take care of it.”

I wonder if we will be able to handle this busy schedule when we lose the passenger limit and start receiving more than 5,000 passengers.

It makes me nervous, but for now, we just have to do what we have to do one at a time. There’s nothing like a bath and a glass of champagne after a hard day’s work. Let’s do our best.

[The Fast-Changing Daily Life of an Old Man]

I look at the battered city of Cagliari. I can’t touch it now because the Navy headquarters has taken all the workers, but I will definitely rebuild this city.

“Master, you’re not busy, are you?”

Anisei, who is sitting next to me, speaks to me in a lazy voice. The receptionist of a Merchant’s Guild is something of a figurehead. I wonder if it’s okay for her to be so lazy, but since no one is coming, there’s nothing I can do about it.

“Go do your paperwork.”

“I’ve already done everything. There’s so little to do; it’s hard.”

Jobs are coming in a trickle, but there are hardly any people in the city. There are so few jobs that even two people can get by. It’s a sad reality. While I was thinking about how to pass the time, the first visitor of the day arrived.

A somewhat listless young man, he had a letter of introduction from the Marquis and was related to the mage who was the benefactor of this country. He offered me a challenging job: he wanted to build an orphanage, he would bring the materials, and he wanted to borrow personnel from the naval headquarters.

He was motivated and did the groundwork, but after several months I had not heard from him. I’m sure there will be no problem since the Marquis introduced him, but he must come back soon, or I’ll be bored to death.

Wataru came back with two ridiculously large ships. It’s so conspicuous that it gives me a headache. He also dropped off the luggage, had a brief meeting with the carpenter, and left. I don’t know if he’s motivated or not.

I took the commission and made the rounds of the orphanage construction site. It’s under construction, but what does Wataru want to do? To be honest, it looks like he’s building a fortress. Why are the walls so high? Do they need thick iron doors?

I talked to the carpenter and asked him, “What is he doing here?” The carpenters told me that when they asked him, all he could say was, “The safest one, please.” It’s unbelievable. I don’t understand why he wants to build an orphanage.

“Master, I have seen the orphanage, but are you sure it is not a mistake?”

“It is not a mistake. I talked to the carpenter, and he said that it was designed for safety first. Anyway, I heard that all they wanted was safety, so that’s why they designed it that way.”

“Oh, is that so…?”

Anisei doesn’t seem to know what to say. I know how she feels.

The orphanage is complete. It looks like a fortress from the outside and inside, but considering that it protects the orphans, is it okay? Later, when I showed Wataru the completed orphanage, he was so confused. What an idiot.

The ordered interior was brought in and installed. I got to see a bit of it. Well, it will be okay.

Wataru came by, so I just waved him off with the information about the rising land prices. Then Wataru was pulled into the corner and was talking about something. Ah, the young lady seems to have a headache. Did he do something stupid?

As I listened to the conversation, my face became tense as well. Mage-sama’s big ship is going to dock and be used as an inn? The inside is filled with things I’ve never seen before? People will come from all over the continent? And there’s not much time before it opens? Hey, hey, I don’t understand. You should tell me something this important as soon as possible.

I don’t know, but it seems like the items on Mage-sama’s ship were the ones he kept signing contracts with before. I don’t know what it all means, but how could so many goods be spread all over the continent at the same time?

Moreover, the ship was even bigger than the one that brought the materials, and it was said that there was a city and various shops on board. I was shown some jewelry for sale on the ship. Even though the stones were as well cut, the precision of the cut and the magnificence of the ornamentation could not compete with the goods available on this continent. Where did he get this stuff?

They keep showing me other items that I’ve never seen before… Isn’t this going to be bad?

…..This is going to be bad. Is the Marquis of Lucca coming? Is it possible if it has to do with Mage-sama? Will the Crown Prince come? With his retinue of nobles? Why?

I sent invitations to the high-ups at the naval headquarters and to a wealthy merchant, but is it really okay for me to invite a merchant, albeit a wealthy merchant, to a ceremony where the Crown Prince is coming?

I checked the Castle. What the hell is this? It’s practically unrealistic, isn’t it? I asked Camille, but she brushed me off. I can understand why she can’t tell me, but my stomach hurts.

As word of the Crown Prince’s participation spread, other nobles and wealthy merchants also wanted to join. Since the number of participants is limited, the participants are selected based on the balance of power, the depth of their relationships, their positions, and various other considerations. It makes me lose a little weight.

I want to praise my own ability to listen and decide to increase the number of people. Without it, my life would have been in danger. Anisei, who complained of being bored, is now working hard with the eyes of a dead fish. Those are sad eyes.

Finally, the opening ceremony, or whatever it’s called, is over. The Crown Prince orders to secure a room. The rich merchants try to persuade us to stay. Even the second prince’s cronies are trying to get in. Why do they come when they are forced to kneel down by Mage-sama? I feel my proud muscles shrinking.

After a lot of hard work, the Crown Prince’s victory celebration has somehow matured, and I thought that peaceful days would return… but due to the rumors that spread at the victory celebration, many nobles from the Kingdom of Brescia came to visit. Merchants from all over the continent came to visit. A great project of reconstruction concentrated in the city of Cagliari, as decided by the Crown Prince.

I, who swore in my heart to rebuild the city of Cagliari, am about to lose my heart. I am happy about the reconstruction, but it is different from what I had imagined.

The rebuilding is progressing little by little, with everyone encouraging each other and working together. We who share our joy, swallow sorrow and pain, work hard for tomorrow… such things were nothing but an illusion.

The city of Cagliari is not only being rebuilt, but also the port and the road to the capital are being built, and there is an overflow of people and materials, never-ending paperwork, and a crazy death march where you don’t even know when you went to sleep.

[The Feelings of an Orphan].

I lost my parents in the war and was orphaned. I was taken to an orphanage in a big city called Lucca. There were many children in the orphanage who were in the same situation as me.

They managed to feed me, but I didn’t get enough. The priests seemed to have a hard time, and I couldn’t complain. While I was living like this, I was told that I would be moved to a newly built orphanage.

Apparently, all ten children were chosen for the orphanage because they were all very obedient. They said that because it was a newly built orphanage, children who needed too much help would not be allowed. I felt uncomfortable.

The merchant took us on a ship, and we arrived at the port of Cagliari. The uncle spoke to us… and told us that he would give us a full meal.

I followed the kind-looking lady into the city. The city was in ruins, and the girl I came with was crying. I was about to cry too, but I held it in.

We arrive at the orphanage. It’s a scary place. It looks like a building where soldiers come out. We started to feel uncomfortable in the new orphanage.

…..Surprisingly, it is comfortable? I have a very comfortable life. I can eat a full meal every day, and the teacher teaches me how to write and calculate.

Sometimes the director of the orphanage brings us delicious snacks. And the Slime that comes with the director is amazing. No one can touch it, even if we chase after it. We can’t touch it even if we ask the teacher to help us or the guards to help us.

Slime is weak, right? Is there a Slime that even the strong-looking guards cannot touch?

I don’t know, but I’ll eat, study, and do my best.

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